09012025-LT-01.qxd 1/9/2025 12:29 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune SCHOOLS REOPEN TO THIN ATTENDANCE IN CITY Many private schools reported that attendance was not over 45-50% on Day 1 after winter break. P2 » KANGANA TERMS INDIRA GANDHI A PRODUCT OF NEPOTISM SKY FORCE SONG MAAYE PAYS TRIBUTES TO SOLDIERS Kangana Ranaut is currently busy promoting her much-awaited political drama Emergency. P4 Much-awaited song Maaye from Akshay’s upcoming historical action thriller Sky Forcehas been released. P4 » » FORECAST DENSE FOG MAX 15°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 14°C | MIN 7°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.39 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:20 AM THURSDAY | 9 JANUARY 2025 | LUDHIANA Coming, 100 more MBBS seats in city from next academic session RS MP reviews development projects at high-level meeting Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 8 Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora reviewed the progress of various ongoing development projects in the district at a high-level meeting here on Wednesday. He chaired a meeting attended by Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal, ADCs, SDMs, Civil Surgeon and representatives from offices of the District Development and Panchayat Officer, PWD, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Railways and ESI Medical Hospital and College and private contractors. In the meeting, Arora reviewed matters related to vehicle under passes (VUPs) on Jalandhar Bypass and Dhandari Kalan, cycle tracks along elevated highway, Ludhiana-Bathinda highway, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway, parking lots along elevated highway, missing links on the Ludhiana-Kharar highway, waterlogged situation on the service road near Sherpur, other NHAI projects in Ludhiana district, MP Sanjeev Arora and other officials during a meeting in Ludhiana. upgrade of the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana, upgrade of ESIC Hospital and new ESIC Medical College being set up in Ludhiana and a new international airport coming up at Halwara near here. He discussed each issue in detail with the officials concerned and asked them to complete all projects within the time frame. He was apprised of some of the issues being faced in completion of the projects. The MP while complimenting the DC on progress, asked him to resolve issues related to the administrative level as soon as possible. He even asked specific deadlines for completion of the projects from the officials. After listening to them, he assured that all pending issues related to possession of lands for ongoing NHAI projects would be resolved soon with the intervention of the administration. He asked to push for getting possession of the land, especially where compensation was already paid. He asked them to speed up the work with proper coordination with the departments concerned. Arora was apprised that adequate compensation amount was being given to landowners in lieu of acquisition of their lands and wherever release of funds is pending immediate action is being taken. The MP was apprised that a feasibility report was carried out for starting work of VUPs on Jalandhar Bypass and Dhandari Kalan. As per the feasibility report, three VUPs have been found viable for the construction. Arora spoke to NHAI regional officer Vipnesh Sharma, who assured him that the tendering process for the VUPs would start within this month. He also directed immediate removal of encroachments on 26-km-long cycle tracks (both sides). He was told that the three Sidhwan Canal bridges would be completed by June while the fourth one by July. Civil Surgeon Pardeep Mohindra apprised him about ongoing development works in the Civil Hospital under the CSR and MPLAD funds. The MP asked the Civil Surgeon to let him know if more funds were required for the upgrade of the hospital and directed him to complete all works in the next month and utilise all allocated funds to ensure quality work. He was also directed to beautify the main entrance of the hospital, besides other ongoing works. Whole of the upgrade work will be completed by February 15, including new operation theatres and civil works, he was told. Addressing the officials, Arora said the city would get another 100 MBBS seats during the next academic session, adding that 50 MBBS seats continued on page 2 c m y b Water supply project: PMIDC GM takes stock of designing works Ludhiana, January 8 A review meeting of the project monitoring committee (PMC) was held under the World Bank-funded canal based water supply project at the MC’s Zone D office here on Wednesday. Working on the directions of MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, Joint Commissioner Ankur Mahindroo conducted the meeting. General Manager (GM-projects), PMIDC, Harsatinder Singh, also participated in the meeting and took stock of the designing works for setting up 580 MLD water treatment plant (WTP) at Bilga village (Sahnewal). Chief Engineer Ravinder Garg, SE (projects) Parul Goyal, Executive Engineer Ekjot Singh and Executive Engineer Parshotam Singh were among other officials from different departments, including PSPCL, Irrigation and Forest, present in the meeting. The MC Commissioner said these meetings also aim to improve coordination among different departments, so that the work could be taken up smoothly. Weekly meetings were being held to streamline the process of obtaining NOCs from different departments and for expediting survey works. — TNS Man held for murdering wife Suspect concocts robbery story to cover up crime Ludhiana, January 8 In a shocking incident, a woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the national highway in Khanna on Tuesday. Following a probe, the police arrested the victim’s husband, Gaurav Kumar, for killing her. According to the police, the suspect, a resident of Shimlapuri, here, was travelling with his wife Reena and their sixyear-old son to his in-laws’ house in Saharanpur on Tuesday morning. On the way, he allegedly stopped the car and strangled his wife to death and then hit her head twice with the dashboard. In an attempt to cover up the crime, he tried to make it look like a robbery. However, his story was full of inconsistencies and he eventually confessed to the crime during questioning. The probe revealed that he and his wife had a troubled marriage, with frequent conflicts and instances of domestic violence. Reena suffered from epilepsy and recently had a miscarriage. On the morning of January 7, Gaurav left for his in-laws’ house with his wife and son. After committing the crime, he took the body to his house in Shimlapuri. Later, he informed the Khanna police about the incident, claiming that his wife was murdered by somebody with the intention of robbery in the car on the highway. However, the police were suspicious of Gaurav’s story and began a probe. During questioning, he kept changing his statements, eventually leading to his confession of the crime. Khanna DSP Amritpal Singh Bhati said Gaurav’s arrest was made possible due to the thorough probe and questioning of the police. — TNS Telangana Police arrest Jagraon man for committing cyber frauds Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 8 The Telangana Police along with the Jagraon police conducted a raid in Jagraon on Tuesday night and arrested a person who had allegedly been extorting huge money from people by committing cyber frauds. He has been identified as Rahul of Shastri Nagar, Jagraon. The man committed cyber frauds with many people across the country. He forced them to deposit money in bank accounts. The police also reportedly found huge sums in accounts and a process to freeze the same was on. The man was taken to the Jagraon City police station where he was questioned. Police sources said the Telangana Police officially nabbed him. The suspect and his accomplices were running a gang of cyber criminals. They used to call people by posing as CBI or police officials and by threatening them to implicate them in fake cases, they would force them to deposit huge sums. They were also making ‘digital arrest’ of the victims. Most of the victims are said to be from other states while money duped from them is lying in accounts of the suspect and his accomplices. Though the Ludhiana rural police are mum about the investigation part, they confirmed the arrest of the man by the Telangana Police.