03032025-LT-01.qxd 3/3/2025 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune REGULAR BREAKS, MEDITATION CAN HELP BEAT EXAM STRESS FUN TIMES FOR BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS SONAKSHI SINHA ‘WE ARE A THALI WITH ALL FLAVOURS OF INDIAN MUSIC’ Students should have enough sleep, eat nutritious food and talk to counsellor to overcome anxiety. P3 Sonakshi Sinha took to social media to share her personal and ‘convenient’ definition of marriage. P4 With roots in namesake Delhi and launched in 2015, the band has performed over 1,000 gigs. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 25.5°C | MIN 9.8°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.23 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:45 AM » MONDAY | 3 MARCH 2025 | LUDHIANA Minister, Seechewal review Buddha Dariya project, tell officials to act against violators Later, visited Tajpur Road dairy complex to take stock of situation Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 Reiterating the commitment to clean the Buddha Dariya, Local Bodies Minister Ravjot Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal reviewed the project to rejuvenate ‘Buddha Dariya’. Conducting a meeting with officials at 225 MLD Jamalpur STP on Tajpur Road, the minister and MP issued strict directions to them to take action against those dumping untreated waste or cow dung into the dariya or sewer lines. MLA Madan Lal Bagga, Mayor Inderjit Kaur, Deputy Mayor Prince Johar, DC Jitendra Jorwal and MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal were among other officials of the PPCB, Soil Conservation, Irrigation department who were present in the meeting. Dr Ravjot and Seechewal stated that the state government was making regu- Local Bodies Minister Ravjot Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal interact with Mayor Inderjit Kaur and other officials in Ludhiana on Sunday. lar and serious efforts to rejuvenate the dariya. The public and industry should also support the government and adminis- tration to achieve the goal. The government or officials are not against any industry but no one should be allowed to dump waste into the dariya. The civic body officials were directed to ensure lifting of cow dung from dairy complexes and dumping the same at designated sites. Further, they were directed to expedite the process of hiring a private contractor for door-todoor lifting of cow dung in dairy complexes. Seechewal said it was the eight visit of the minister to review the project to clean the Buddha Dariya in the past two months. It shows the seriousness of the government towards the project. Later, Dr Ravjot and Sant Seechewal also visited the Tajpur Road dairy complex to take stock of the situation. Necessary directions were issued to the officials. The minister also visited the site where a ‘bathing ghat’ is being established on the banks of the dariya under the ‘Kar Sewa’, led by the RS MP. Dr Ravjot and Seechewal appealed to the public and industry to support the authorities in cleaning the dariya. Dyeing unit found dumping ‘waste’ into sewer lines, samples collected Ludhiana, March 2 With Municipal Corporation (MC) teams keeping a regular check on dumping of untreated dyeing industry waste into the sewer lines, a joint team of the civic body and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) allegedly caught a dyeing industry in Baba Deep Singh Nagar (opposite Transport Nagar) dumping ‘colourful waste’ into the sewer lines on Sunday morning. The team collected samples from the sewer lines and inside the dyeing unit, HC Dyeing Works. The samples have been handed over to the PPCB for further action. The joint team of the MC and PPCB consisting of SDO Kamal Ram, PPCB XEN Bachan Pal Singh and JE Lakhvir Singh conducted the inspection and caught the dyeing unit dumping waste into the sewer lines. The SDO said working on the directions of MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, the joint team of the civic body and PPCB were keeping a regular check on dumping of the untreated dyeing industry waste into the sewer lines. He said they were conducting an inspection on Sunday morning when they saw colourful water in the sewer lines. It was found that the waste was being dumped by HC Dyeing Works, following which samples were collected from the sewer lines and the unit. These have been handed over to the PPCB for further action. Local Bodies Minister Ravjot Singh and RS MP Balbir Singh Seechewal have issued directions to the authorities to take strict action against those dumping untreated industrial waste into the sewer lines. — TNS Officials collect samples of waste dumped into sewer lines in Ludhiana. Bizman attacked at village,elderly AIDS control staff to hold protests over demands from March 6 couple looted near police station Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 The Punjab AIDS Control Employees Welfare Association (PACEWA) has announced a series of protests across the state this month, citing grievances related to regularisation of contractual staff, salary delays and misuse of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) funds. The employees, who are the backbone of state’s HIV/AIDS control programmes, have accused the government of systemic exploitation, mismanagement and outright neglect, leading to both financial insecurity for the staff and dire consequences for HIV patients. The demonstrations across various districts will begin from March 6, followed by a large-scale protest outside the residence of Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh in Patiala on March 16. PACEWA leaders have warned that if their demands were not accepted, the agitation may escalate into indefinite strikes, potentially disrupting vital healthcare services for HIV/AIDS patients across the state. On March 6, PACEWA will conduct a two-hour protest in various districts of the state. Employees will submit memoranda to their respective civil surgeons and deputy commissioners, outlining their key demands and seeking urgent government intervention. On March 16, a largescale protest is planned outside the Health Minister’s residence in Patiala to demand immediate action on regularisation of employees, salary revision and the restoration of employee benefits. The association hopes to directly engage with the minister to highlight their worsening working conditions. forming identical roles receiving different wages. The last salary revision was done over a decade ago, with no subsequent adjustments to account for inflation. PACEWA is demanding a 20 per cent salary hike, in line with Delhi’s pay scale for similar positions. Withdrawal of benefits: The Punjab AIDS Control Society has removed essential benefits such as half-day casual leave and shift-based allowances. Employees are often forced to work beyond their stipulated hours without overtime compensation. The association is demanding the reinstatement of these benefits to ensure better work-life balance and fair treatment. Shortage of HIV testing kits, medicine leading to patient deaths: There has been a severe shortfall of HIV test- Ludhiana, March 2 Two major incidents occurred in areas under the jurisdiction of the Salem Tabri police station. A businessman was attacked at Kasabad village and the victim saved himself by firing gunshots from his licensed weapon. In another incident, an elderly couple was attacked and looted by three bike-borne miscreants. In the first incident, four unidentified assailants attacked a businessman’s car with stones late on Saturday night at Kasabad village. Afterwards, the businessman fired in the air with his licensed pistol to save himself. After which the suspects fled the spot. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, a resident of Kasabad, said he was returning home after attending a wedding on Saturday night. When he reached the village, four youths were standing in the dark. They started throwing stones at Kuldeep’s car. Afterwards, he fired shots in the air from his licensed pistol, following which they fled the spot. He said he had informed the control room about the incident but no policeman visited him at night. In the other incident, an elderly couple was targeted by three bike-borne miscreants near the Salem Tabri police station early on Sunday morning. Sunny, who runs a shop in the Akalgarh market, said in the wee hours of this morning, he dropped his parents on a road opposite the police station Worker falls to death at factory Encroachments in old city market continue despite drives Ludhiana, March 2 In a tragic incident occurred in a factory in the Focal Point area in the jurisdiction of Moti Nagar police station resulting in the death of a welder, Sameer (22). The incident occurred when he was working on a shed. He fell from a height of around 12 ft. As per eyewitnesses, Sameer was doing welding work on the shed when he lost balance and fell on down. Despite medical aid, Sameer succumbed to his injuries. The police sent the body for autopsy. His brother Mukeem expressed suspicion over the circumstances of the incident, stating that it might occurred due to negligence by the factory owner. He demanded a probe into the matter. The police are checking the footage of CCTV cameras installed at the factory. The SHO, Moti Nagar police station, Amritpal Singh, said the police were conducting investigation in the matter. The autopsy report is expected to reveal the exact cause of the youth’s death. — TNS Tribune News Service as her parents had to board a car to reach some religious place. A few minutes after reaching his shop, he received a call from his father who informed about the robbery. “Miscreants were carrying a sharp weapon. They attacked my father with the weapon on his head, causing serious injuries. They also snatched a gold ring from him and fled the scene. I called the police control room several times but the police arrived after an hour,” he said. Sunny questioned that if robbers could commit a loot near the Salem Tabri police station, it is no longer safe for residents. Meanwhile, Salem Tabri SHO inspector Bittan Kumar did not answer repeated phone calls made on his official number. — TNS Key issues, demands Regularisation of employees: PACEWA has long demanded that contractual employees, many of whom have served for over two decades, should be regularised. Despite promises from government officials, including Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema in 2024, no formal steps have been taken to regularise the staff. Salary delays, anomalies: Employees have faced repeated delays in salary payments, sometimes waiting months without pay. Salary structures are inconsistent, with workers per- ing kits and essential medicines, hampering early detection and treatment. Reports indicate that several HIV-positive patients have lost their lives due to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Employees argue that the government’s failure to provide resources is directly endangering lives and undermining the fight against HIV. Exploitation and harassment at workplace: Contractual employees have reported instances of workplace harassment and verbal abuse by senior officials. Many of them claim they had been pressured to work without proper contracts or timely renewals, leaving them in a constant state of job insecurity. PACEWA is demanding a formal probe into such complaints and strict action against those responsible for mistreating the staff. Thief caught stealing batteries from truck Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 2 Roadside vendors and shopkeepers by extending their shops onto roads have created a traffic mess in the old city market areas of Ludhiana. Despite awareness campaigns by the traffic police and the Municipal Corporation, a permanent solution remains elusive. A survey revealed that Rail- Traffic situation improves in some parts as entry of autorickshaws barred on weekends way Road, Clock Tower, Chaura Bazaar and surrounding markets in the old city market are among the worst affected, with vendors and shopkeepers occupying significant road space. The issue is further complicated with the presence of roadside vendors, who are contributing to traffic conges- A huge rush in the old city market; and (right) vendors encroach upon a road in the market in Ludhiana on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN tion. To address the same, the traffic police and the Municipal Corporation had earlier launched a campaign to remove encroachments, which initially showed promise but ultimately failed to provide a lasting solution. However, a recent initiative by the traffic police to restrict vehicular traffic in Chaura Bazaar on Saturdays and Sundays has shown significant positive results, alleviating traffic hurdles and congestion. The police are considering implementing the tactic in other markets to manage the traffic flow in a better way. Even auto-rickshaws, which cause traffic hurdles on the railway road on weekdays, are c m y b not being allowed to enter the road heading towards Kapoor Hospital and vice-versa on Saturday and Sunday. The initiative, is the brainchild of ACP (Traffic) Jatin Bansal. He had started it as a trial run but it has been made a routine affair on weekends to prevent traffic jams. Sonu Kumar, a roadside vendor selling dry fruits, said instead of taking action against vendors, the authorities should allocate specific areas for them to operate, ensuring they did not obstruct traffic flow. “During weekends, vendors or rehriwalas do good sales in old city market near Chaura Bazaar, Clock Tower, etc, due to which their number increases on weekends,” Sonu said. Another roadside vendor, Raman, who sells socks on a cart, said shopkeepers had also encroached upon roads by extending their shops and they were equally responsible for narrowing wider roads and action should also be taken against them. Ludhiana, March 2 A thief who was steal batteries from a truck was caught redhanded by the driver and handed over to the police. The man was identified as Davinder Singh of Thakarwal. The complainant, Avtar Singh Kala of Bassian Bet, told the police that he parked his truck outside a shop in Dakha for replacing its tyres. When he went to check the vehicle, he saw that an unknown person entered his truck and was stealing batteries by opening its wire harness. He caught him with the help of people and called the police. He said he took the person to the police station and lodged a complaint. On the basis of the complaint, the Dakha police on Saturday registered a case against the suspect. ASI Surinder Singh said after registering a case, further probe was launched. Sources said the police would also inquire about the role of the suspect in past unsolved theft incidents.