13032025-JTR-01.qxd 3/12/2025 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune STAFF CRISIS, LOW ENROLMENT PLAGUE PHAGWARA SCHOOLS SNUBBED, SONU NIGAM HITS BACK AT IIFA-JAIPUR 2025 NAVNEET READY TO MENTOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Despite govt's stress, schools continue to grapple with severe staff shortage and dwindling student enrollment. P3 The event did not include Nigam in nominations despite his hit song among the many chartbusters last year. P4 Once a reigning beauty queen & now a powerhouse entrepreneur, she is proving that success knows no limits. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 29°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.34 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.39 AM » THURSDAY | 13 MARCH 2025 | JALANDHAR GTB Nagar road turns hazardous, MC apathetic INBRIEF MINOR ABDUCTED, ONE BOOKED Phagwara: On a complaint lodged by a Bihari migrant Sarazudin, residing in New Sukhchain Nagar, Phagwara, the police have registered a case against a youth on the charge of abducting the minor daughter of the complainant on the pretext of marrying her. Complainant Sarazudin said his nephew Asgar Ali might have abducted his daughter. No arrest has been made so far. OC Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service PEDDLER HELD WITH HEROIN Phagwara: The Phagwara police have arrested a 'drug peddler' and recovered five gm of heroin from his possession last night. SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti said here on Wednesday that accused Dharam Vir of Sham Nagar in the town, was nabbed at a check point. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. OC Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal raises the issue of travel agents duping young men on the pretext of sending them abroad in Delhi. Act against erring travel agents: MP Seechewal in House Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service VILLAGER BOOKED WITH FIREARM Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked a villager on the charge of possessing illegal firearm. The accused has been identified as Baljindar Singh, alias Jashan, resident of Talwandi Butian village. The police received information that the accused was indulging in frequent quarrelling and was keeping an illicit firearm. A case has been registered against the accused and raids are being conducted to nab him. OC DRUG PEDDLER PO ARRESTED Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last few days. Station House Officer Palwindar Singh said the accused had been identified as Gurpreet, alias Madi, a resident of Pati Bhatti, Bilga village, and wanted in a drug peddling case registered in 2019 and was declared PO recently . oc Jalandhar, March 12 Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal raised the issue of Punjab’s youngsters getting duped by travel agents today in Parliament. He put across the points concerning the exploitation by the travel agents in trafficking innocent people to foreign countries. “Punjab’s youngsters are getting duped by the travel agents and they are suffering in US, Russia, Armenia jails,” he said. He strongly condemned the US practice of sending Indians back in shackles. “Only the family members of those stuck in other countries know the pain they go through,” said the MP . He also talked about the women who suffer in Arabian countries and those who YOUTH BEING DUPED ❝ Punjab's youngsters are getting duped by the travel agents and they are languishing in US, Russia, Armenia jails. ❞ — Balbir Singh Seechewal, MP, RAJYA SABHA endure years of inhumane treatment in these countries. Recently, a woman, who returned from Oman, had shared that she had gone to Muscat two years ago in search of a better future, however, on expiration of her visa, she discovered that she had not been sent to work, but had been sold into forced labour. She described severe physical and mental abuse at the hands of those who bought her, including physical violence and threats. Seechewal also requested the Central Government to take strict action against the travel agents. The MP always stands up with those in trouble. He had recently written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs to provide assistance for a family member keen to travel to Moscow to know the whereabouts of his brother stuck in Russia. In the letter, the MP stated, “Concerned, the families have repeatedly approached officials in the ministry for assistance. Now, they wish to travel to Moscow to search for their missing relatives and gather information about their whereabouts. We request that assistance be provided to these family members upon their arrival in Moscow so that they can trace their missing loved ones.” Jalandhar, March 12 The road from Manbro Chowk to GTB Nagar, one of the city’s posh localities, has become a major hazard for commuters. Loose gravel scattered across the surface has turned it into a danger zone, with two-wheeler riders particularly at risk of skidding. Residents say that despite repeated complaints, the Municipal Corporation has failed to take action, leaving commuters to navigate a road that seems to be deteriorating by the day. Advocate Iqbal Singh, a resident of GTB Nagar, called the situation extremely frustrating and dangerous. “This road is used by thousands of people every day and the condition has been worsening for months. The loose gravel makes it highly unsafe, especially for bikers. I have seen two-wheeler riders struggling to maintain a balance. It is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs,” he said. “We have informed the authorities multiple times, but they seem indifferent. Are they waiting for a tragedy before they take action?” He said despite GTB Nagar being one of Jalandhar’s most sought-after localities, its residents have been left to deal with broken roads and civic neglect. “The worsening condition of this stretch is just one example of the larger problem plaguing the city”, Summer calling BSP DHARNA AGAINST POLICE Hoshiarpur: Two persons died in road accidents. Daljit Singh and Harbhajan Singh died after being hit by unknown vehicles. The police have registered cases. oc neglect. “It seems like the authorities wake up only when the elections are near and then disappear once the votes are secured”, he further said. In an effort to push for immediate repairs, social worker and sports promoter Surinder Singh Bhapa also recently met Mayor Vaneet Dhir at the MC office and submitted a memorandum, highlighting the poor state of the GTB Nagar road. Senior Deputy Mayor Balbir Singh Bittu was also present during the meeting. The memorandum urged the corporation to take swift action before the situation worsens further. “However, despite all our appeals, there has been no response from the authorities. The road continues to remain hazardous and with no signs of immediate repair, we fear the problem will persist. The failure to address even such a critical issue in a prime locality raises serious concerns about the city’s governance”, said Bhapa. Meanwhile, Mayor Vaneet Dhir says that once the weather stabilises, a crusher plant will be made operational and road repairs across city will be carried out on priority. Tribune News Service Phagwara: The police have arrested four 'drug peddlers', including a woman on the charge of selling intoxicated tablets. The police have arrested drug peddler Puja of Thablke village and 262 tablets (loose) were recovered from the possession of the accused. The police arrested 'drug peddlers' Saurav Kumar, Sanjay Kumar and Vishal Kumar of Bulandpur village with 75 intoxicated tablets. oc TWO KILLED IN ACCIDENTS he added. Another resident Kamlesh Singh said the city is struggling with failing civic infrastructure — pothole-ridden roads, unkempt public parks with broken benches, overgrown weeds and garbage piling up in many areas due to irregular waste collection. “This is not just GTB Nagar’s story, the entire city is suffering,” he said, adding that during the Municipal Corporation elections, candidates promised the world-class infrastructure, but once they get into power, everything returned to the same state of Trials of govt sports school likely in April WOMAN AMONG 4 PEDDLERS HELD Phagwara: Irritated over traffic challan of their BSP, workers on Wednesday staged a dharna in front of the Nurmahal police station and raised slogans against SHO. BSP general secretary Gurmail Chumbar alleged that the police were misbehaving with ordinary citizens and challan a BSP worker's motor. He alleged that the police were challaning daily wage workers whereas no action is being taken against anti-social. Nakodar DSP Sukhpal Singh reached the spot and pacified BSP leaders. The deteriorating condition of Manbro Chowk road in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH As temperatures rise, girl students escape the scorching sun, finding relief in the cool shade of a tree at a Jalandhar college on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH 5 arrested, 64gm heroin seized as cops intensify drive against drug peddling Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 12 Stepping up its fight against drug peddling, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police has launched a three-day intensive crackdown under the government’s anti-drug campaign Yudh Nashian Virudh. The operation, led by Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, focused on dismantling the local drug network by targeting key hotspots across the city. The operation resulted in the arrest of five notorious drug peddlers and the seizure of 64 gram of heroin. According to officials, the police conducted rigorous patrolling and surveillance in areas known for frequent drug-related activities. Based on intelligence inputs and community reports, they zeroed in on high-risk zones, leading to multiple raids and arrests. Kaur said police teams regis- tered five FIRs at Division No.8, Navi Baradari and Rama Mandi, where significant drug-related activity had been detected. The arrested persons were allegedly part of an organised network that supplied heroin at the street level. The police are now investigating further links in the supply chain to track down bigger players involved in drug trafficking. “Our goal is to completely uproot the drug trade from Jalandhar. This operation is c m y b just the beginning and we will continue to strike hard against drug peddlers. The police are committed to taking the strictest possible action against those involved in this illegal trade, Kaur said. She also appealed to the public to come forward with any information related to drug activities in their neighbourhoods, assuring that all reports would be handled confidentially to protect informants. Jalandhar, March 12 The wait for trials for the government sports school is finally over. The trials are expected to be held in the first week of April. Sports officials said a letter will also be released soon. Generally, the sports trials are held in February-March, but this time, no formal announcement regarding the dates was made which kept everyone wandering about the delay. The official said the delay was due to the ongoing exams in schools and in a discussion with the higher authorities, it was decided that the trials will be held in April. There are 334 seats in the day scholar wing and 120 seats in the residential wing. Those who get selected are given training by coaches of the sports department and are also given a diet allowance. The players, who get selected for the day scholar wing, are given a diet allowance of Rs 120 per day, while those for residential wing get a diet allowance of Rs 250 every day. Jalandhar is renowned for producing exceptional national and international players, including recipients of the prestigious Padma Shri and Arjuna awards. However, the participation in trials for the sports wings has dwindled over the years. Coaches attribute this decline to the diminishing interest of students in sports, as more of them are opting to move abroad in pursuit of different vocations. Inspector Aman Kumar pacifies protesters in Phagwara Protest after flex board of religious event found torn Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 12 Tension surfaced in Gol Chowk, Phagwara, after members of Hindu organisations, led by Inderjit Karwal, vice-president of the Shiv Sena, Punjab, found that a flex board promoting a religious event had been torn and replaced with a poster advertising a Christian programme. The Hindu flex board, which promoted “Baba Balak Nath ki Chauki,” scheduled for March 20, was allegedly defaced by unknown miscreants, who then pasted a flex of a Christian programme set to take place on March 19. In response, around 30-40 members of local Hindu organisations gathered at the spot, expressing outrage and alleging that members of the Christian community were responsible for the act. To prevent escalation, no members from the Christian community arrived at the scene. Later, Hindu leaders approached Phagwara City Police Station, demanding that an FIR be lodged under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for deliberate religious offence. They also urged the police to review the CCTV footages from the area to identify and apprehend the miscreants at the earliest. Later, Inspector Aman Kumar Daveshvar reached the protest site and pacified the protesters with an assurance of justice and action against the miscreants. The inspector assured a thorough investigation into the matter. Law and order in the area remain under control, with an adequate police presence deploying at Gol Chowk to maintain peace.