25092024-JTR-01.qxd 9/24/2024 11:27 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune BHAI NACHHATAR SINGH BHARI HANDIAYA GETS AWARD PATWARIS TO HELP FARMERS SHUN STUBBLE BURNING ACTOR ALIA BHATT DAZZLES AT PARIS FASHION WEEK DEBUT Ramgarhia Sikh Organisation conferred the "Brahm Gyani Bhai Lalo Ji Award-2024" on Bhai Nachhatar Singh Bhari Handiaya. P2 A campaign has been launched to sensitise farmers against burning stubble in Malerkotla. P3 Bollywood star Alia Bhatt looked gorgeous as she made her Paris Fashion Week debut. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.20 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:18 AM » WEDNESDAY | 25 SEPTEMBER 2024 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF VILLAGER ATTACKED, 5 HELD Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have arrested five persons on the charge of assaulting a villager. Investigating officer (IO) Varinder Mohan Singh said those arrested had been identified as Jaspreet, Manpreet, Lovpreet, Malkit and his son Kalu, all residents of Cheema Khurd village. Amarjit Singh, a resident of the same village, had complained to the police that the accused attacked and seriously injured him on September 1 evening and then again attacked him in the hospital. OC BAINS APPOINTED NAKODAR SDM Nakodar: The Punjab Government on Monday appointed SDM, Amritsar-II, Lal Viswas Bains as Nakodar SDM in place of Gursimarn Singh Dhillon, who has been appointed as SDM, Amritsar –II. It also appointed assistant commissioner, Moga, Shubhi Angra as Shahkot SDM in place of Rishabh Bansal, who has been appointed as SDM, Tapa (Sangrur). Chief Secretary Anurag Verma has issued transfer /appointment orders for 124 IAS/PCS officers. OC SUKH PAL SINGH NAKODAR DSP Nakodar: The Punjab Government on Monday appointed DSP, Fatehgarh Churhian subdivision, Sukh Pal Singh as DSP, Nakodar subdivision, in place of Kulwinder Singh Virk, who has been appointed Mukerian subdivision DSP. The DGP has issued transfer/appointment orders for 143/ASPs and DSPs. OC VILLAGER HURT IN ASSAULT, 2 HELD Phagwara: On a complaint lodged by Kuldip Singh, a resident of Khalwara village, the police have booked six persons on the charge of attacking and injuring the complainant. The police have arrested Aakashdeep Singh of Balalon village and Dinesh Kuma of Dhak-Pandori village, while their other accomplices including Hardip, a resident of village Talwandi-Fattu and three unknown youths, are still at large. OC GOLD, CASH STOLEN FROM HOUSE Phagwara: A house was reportedly burgled at village Chachoki near Phagwara on Monday night. Unidentified thieves targeted the house and stole goods worth lakhs. The total loss is estimated to be around Rs 5 lakh. OC Residents doubt infra upgrade Balkar, Inderjit give MLA Bhagat’s reception a miss even after Bhagat’s induction Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 24 Even though Jalandhar West MLA Mohinder Bhagat has been inducted into the Punjab Cabinet on Monday, city residents remain doubtful about any improvement in the city’s crumbling road infrastructure. They cite lack of progress under former Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh, also from Jalandhar, as a reason for their skepticism, noting that little was done to enhance civic amenities during his tenure. Several key roads in the city, including Bus Stand Road, Railway Station Road near the Damoria flyover, Chuggitti Road near Guru Nanak Pura Public Park and Focal Point Road, have been crying for repairs, causing frustration among commuters, but the authorities remain unmoved. Shopkeepers along the Bus Stand Road expressed dismay over the lack of repairs, saying that the road had been in a terrible state for months now. “There was some patchwork done recently, but it didn’t hold for long. The rains have made things worse, and now large potholes have appeared, making it dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians,” said one shopkeeper. Huge potholes welcome commuters at the bus stand in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Chuggitti Road, a major route for traffic heading toward Amritsar, has become a concern for residents. A commuter, Kamlesh Singh, described the road as “full of potholes and uneven surfaces” and said despite the heavy traffic it was handling daily, it hasn’t seen proper repairs in years. “People prefer this route to avoid the Jalandhar Cantt route, but the condition of the road is just getting worse,” he added. Another resident, Manjeet Kaur, also raised concerns about the state of the city’s infrastructure. “After Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann promised substantial funds for improvement infrastructure following the Jalandhar West bypoll win, little progress has been visible. It’s been two months since the CM’s announcement, but we haven’t seen any real action on the ground,” Kaur said. She also pointed to the ongoing issues like non-functional streetlights, overflowing sewage and inadequate waste management, all of which remain unresolved. The residents blamed this Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 24 Months have passed, but Jagdeep Kumar, a resident of Goraya, has no information about his brother Mandeep’s whereabouts, who has been stuck in Russia war zone for the past more than six months. Jagdeep met MP Balbir Singh Seechewal today and raised the issue with him. “I told him that there was no contact or information regarding Mandeep for the last several months. It is getting difficult with each pass- AAP’s new Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat at a welcome function in Jalandhar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH coincided with his birthday. It was his 65th birthday today. In his speech, Bhagat maintained that AAP party delivered what it promised. He said, “Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had appealed to the voters to make me win and that he would induct me in his Cabinet and he has done it.” He was quizzed by media as to why the party had not appointed a Deputy Chief Minister still. Bhagat said, “Some promises are to be fulfilled over a period of time. This government is just half way through.” On Balkar’s absence, he said, “This is my first presser and today I shall answer only a limited number of questions.” On whether Balkar was removed because of nonperformance, he said, “It is the CM’s prerogative on whom he wants to keep in his Cabinet. There are no coun- cillors or Mayor in the MC as of now. But the party has been managing some development works, which I shall now be carrying forward. We shall soon have our MC and the pace of works will get accelerated.” Bhagat’s family members, including his father and exminister Bhagat Chunni Lal, made it to the venue on a wheelchair. His son Atul Bhagat, former MLA Pawan Tinu, halqa incharges Rajwinder Thiara and Dinesh Dhall, local leadership, including Surinder Sodhi, Atam Parkash S Bablu, Gurcharan S Channi, Kimti Bhagat and ex-councillors Major Singh, Varesh Mintu, Tasem Lakhotra and Rajiv Onkar Tikka were among those who attended the event. Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts Balkar Singh did not respond to the calls. Woman, newborn die; angry Drug racket busted, 150 kg poppy husk seized villagers block road for 3 hours Police book hospital owner, take him into custody Our Correspondent Garhshankar, September 24 Angry people blocked the road in front of a hospital at Garhi Mansowal in Jhonowal village last night after the death of a woman and her newborn Pooja Devi after alleged negligence in the operation (C-section) at a private hospital in the same village. The police have registered a case against the hospital operator on the demand of the relatives of the deceased and the protesters. During the three-hour long blockade, people raised slogans and demanded registration of a case against the hospital operator and the doctor who per- formed the operation. They demanded probe into the hospital’s functioning, and till then its closure. During the protest, general secretary of the AllIndia Jat Mahasabha, Punjab, Ajaib Singh Boparai, sarpanch Surinder Kumar and others were present. Garhshankar SHO Baljinder Singh, police outpost incharge ASI Vasdev reached the spot and on the demand of the protesters registered a case against hospital owner Ashwani Kumar and took him into custody. In the statement given to the police, Balram Singh Pammu of Mawan village, Ropar district, said his wife Pooja Devi (29) was taken to Prakash Hospital, Jhonowal, on September 17, where Dr Ashwani Kumar told him that they should wait for a day or two or else she will have to undergo surgery. Pooja was admitted on September 20 and the next day an operation was done. Pooja gave birth to a baby boy, but after the operation, the condition of the child and Pooja deteriorated. The child was put on ventilator and later referred to Krishna Hospital, Una. Pooja’s condition also worsened on September 22, and Dr Ashwani sent her to Gurdev Hospital, Nurpur Bedi, without informing the family. A doctor there said due to excessive bleeding they referred her to the PGI, where she died. Pooja Devi was cremated at her village Mawan. Meanwhile, on September 23, Krishna Hospital also referred the child to the PGI, where the child also died during treatment. Pammu alleged that Dr Ashwani was negligent in the delivery operation and subsequent treatment of his wife. ing day,” he said. Jagdeep further added that his brother was among the other eight Indian nationals missing in Russia. He said he was allegedly duped of Rs 6 lakh on the pretext of legally sending his brother from Armenia to Italy via Russia, Finland and Germany. The rural police had lodged an FIR against eight travel agents in July and arrested one in the case so far. A 45year-old suspect arrested from Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, was not a registered travel agent. The police said he also used to introduce himself as a journalist working for some news portal. Phillaur DSP Sarwan Singh had earlier said the process to issue look-out circulars against all accused had begun and none of them would be able to escape now. Mandeep had gone to Armenia to earn livelihood, but after spending some time there, he decided to work in Italy. He got to know about a travel agent, Gurpreet, from Gurdaspur through social media. He then asked his brother Jagdeep to talk to Gurpreet. “He introduced me to Sandeep, another travel agent, and some others, and demanded money. I gave them over Rs 6 lakh, but they didn’t fulfil their promise and instead Ankit, a doctor in Russia, forced my brother to join the army there,” alleged Jagdeep. For his family, it is getting tough to spend days in peace. “I am not even able to stay focused on my work. In the day I am running from pillar to post to know about my brother and in the night I work to earn livelihood,” he said. c m y b been identified as Mangal Singh alias Manga, a resident of Fattudinga, and Jagdev Singh alias Jaggu, a resident of Buta village of Subhanpur, both from Kapurthala. Senior Superintendent of Police Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh said that the operation was carried out by the CIA staff of Jalandhar rural under the supervision of DSP Surinder Pal, Kartarpur subdivision. Acting on a tip-off, a police team, led by Inspector Pushap Bali, in-charge of the CIA staff, intercepted the truck bearing the registration number PB10-HJ-2832. Upon inspection, 150 kg of crushed poppy husk, hidden among Army goods, was recovered from the vehicle. A case has been registered under FIR No. 81 under Sections 15-C, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at Maqsudan police station. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Mangal Singh and Jagdev Singh were working with a truck owner, Balwant Singh, to smuggle drugs from Jharkhand to Kapurthala. The accused used the guise of Army goods to avoid detection during inspections. The police have also contacted Army Intelligence for further investigations, given the use of Army-related documents in the smuggling operation. The arrested individuals will be produced in a local court, and their remand sought to investigate their forward and backward linkages. MCyet to wake up to residents’ demand to remove iron gates Two smugglers arrested with 1.2 kg opium Avneet Kaur Goraya, September 24 The Jalandhar Rural police have arrested two drug smugglers and seized 1.2 kg of opium during a special drive to curb drug trafficking in the region. The drugs were reportedly procured from Jharkhand. Those arrested have been identified as Roshan Lal, a tailor by profession and resident of Dilbagh Colony, Goraya, and Narinder Singh of Mohalla Guru Nanakpura, Goraya. Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh, SSP told the media that , a police team was on routine patrolling when it intercepted two persons riding a scooter near Puli Nehar, Kamalpur. Upon frisking the suspects, the police recovered 1.2 kg of opium concealed in two separate packets of 600 gm each. The accused told the police during interrogation that Roshan had procured the opium from Jharkhand and Narinder was acting as the courier. Narinder brought the narcotics from Jharkhand via train and was en route to deliver it to Roshan’s customers in the region. — OC Tribune News Service Goraya resident meets Seechewal over his brother’s whereabouts in Russia war zone Aakanksha N Bhardwaj state of affairs on the dissolution of the MC. “At least the councillors were approachable and they used to take up our issues with the MC Commissioner or officials concerned. Now, it’s difficult to get in touch with anyone from the MC,” residents complained. MC Commissioner Gautam Jain said they were waiting for the rainy season to end before starting the repair work. He added that the officials concerned have been instructed to take necessary action. Jalandhar, September 24 As Jalandhar (West) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mohinder Bhagat was to be given a reception at the Circuit House here upon getting Cabinet berth, Kartarpur MLA and ex-minister Balkar Singh and Nakodar MLA Inderjit Kaur Mann gave a miss to the event. Balkar is learnt to be sulking ever since he has been divested of his ministry. A retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, he had held one of the most important portfolios of Local Bodies Department, but could retain it only for 15 months. Likewise, Inderjit Kaur Mann, too, is learnt to be miffed for she reportedly was pushing her case ahead of the rejig. Mann, however, denied being upset, “I had two Vidhan Sabha meetings in Chandigarh and got to know about reception event late. So, I could not be in Jalandhar. I will visit the new minister at his place tomorrow.” The only MLA from the city to have remained present was Raman Arora of Jalandhar Central, who anchored the whole event. Crackers were busted and flowers were showered as Bhagat’s car reached the venue. He was presented a guard of honour by the local police and civil administration. At least 12 cakes were cut at the venue as Bhagat’s reception party Jalandhar, September 24 In a major breakthrough, the Jalandhar rural police busted an inter-state drug smuggling racket, seizing 150 kg of poppy husk from a truck shown to be carrying Army goods. The vehicle, bound for Kapurthala, was intercepted near the Bidhipur railway crossing in Maqsudan, leading to the arrest of two individuals. The arrested accused have Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 24 More than 20 days have passed since two iron gates were installed on the public road linking Geeta Mandir to Johal Market, disrupting the daily commute of hundreds of residents. Despite complaints and protests in this regard, the Municipal Corporation has yet to act, raising concerns over enforcement of its own bylaws. A section of residents of Model Town and Urban Estate Phase-II had expressed strong opposition to the installation of these gates on public roads, citing violation of Municipal Corporation (MC) bylaws. The gates, installed in the last week of August, raised concern among the residents, who see them as illegal encroachments that disrupt traffic and violate regulations. They also filed an official complaint in this regard with both the Commissionerate Police as well as MC Commissioner, requesting the removal of these gates. Apart from holding a Illegal gates were installed on public roads at Model Town and Urban Estate, Phase II in August. TRIBUNE PHOTO protest in this regard, a ‘signature campaign’ led by Tejasvi Minhas and other residents was launched. But despite the mounting opposition, the authorities are yet to take any decisive action. Municipal Corporation engineer Ram Paul told this correspondent that after they received a complaint from the residents, seeking removal of these gates, a notice was served to those responsible for installing them. However, in their defence, the residents behind the installation, submitted an application justifying their stand to install the gates. They mentioned that due to security concerns as thefts and snatching had taken place in the area, the residents unanimously decided to install the gates. He said the matter was now under the consideration of MC Commissioner and police officials.