08042025-LT-01.qxd 4/8/2025 12:44 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune REOPENING OF SCHOOLS BRINGS JOY TO 2 VILLAGES MANASI GHOSH WINS INDIAN IDOL SEASON 15 RITUPARNA WAS IN DHARAMSALA FOR SHOOT OF A FILM Two Government Primary Schools, which had been shut for over seven years, have now reopened. P3 Captivated judges and audiences with her dynamic vocals, consistently earning accolades throughout season. P4 Recipient of National Film Award for Best Actress Rituparna Sengupta is now enjoying wave of content-driven cinema.P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 39°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 38°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.45 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:04 AM TUESDAY | 8 APRIL 2025 | LUDHIANA Multiple plaques unveiled for various works at every school under drive Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 7 Inaugurating multiple works in schools as part of the Sikhya Kranti drive is state government’s idea of modernising the education system. Different foundation stones for boys’ and girls’ washrooms and construction of a boundary wall were inaugurated at government schools where functions to mark the same were held on Monday. When The Tribune team visited one of the schools where an inauguration programme was scheduled, foundation stones covered with red satin cloth in different corners were found waiting to be unveiled. The state government is on a spree to inaugurate new schools and upgraded infrastructure under the ‘Sikhya Kranti’ drive in government schools but is it the real upgrade or just an exercise to glorify the drive launched by the government. On Monday, infrastructure upgrade works were inaugurated at Khanna, Sahnewal and Ludhiana city. A visit to a few schools revealed only inauguration of the upgraded infrastructure, renovation and repair works was being done. Amusingly, different plaques were installed for different works. In one school, four plaques were installed and four inau- Principals, teachers shell out money from own pockets RS MP Sanjeev Arora inaugurates a boys' washroom at the GSSS, Sunet. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN gurations were done on the same campus. Schools are yet to receive the money spent on installation of plaques and organisation of the function and principals are left to shell out money from their own pockets. At Government Senior Secondary School, Sunet, four plaques were installed at different places, which included a boundary wall, construction of a boys’ washroom and a girls’ washroom and a smart classroom. At Government High School, Barewal Awana, two inaugurations were done, one for additional classrooms and one for the boundary wall while at Government Primary School, Sunet, inauguration of three under-construction classrooms was done. At Government Primary Smart School, 7B, a classroom has been inaugurated while at Government Middle School, Housing Board, a classroom and a boundary wall had been inaugurated. Schools have been asked to install granite plaque and Rs 5,000 has been earmarked per plaque but the actual cost has increased the sanctioned amount. Schools have been asked to put up separate plaques for each work. In addition to installing plaques, the arrangement of the function and making other arrangements such as arranging tea and snacks were also done by the school itself. For the arrangements, primary and middle schools were sanctioned Rs 5,000, secondary and high schools Rs 10,000 and senior secondary schools Rs 20,000. Principal of a school on the condition of anonymity said though the amount had been earmarked for installation of a plaque and holding the function but they are yet to receive the money. “The entire expenses have been borne by us. The amount announced for the installation of plaques was Rs 5,000 but the actual cost has reached Rs 6,000. Another teacher from a government school in Ludhiana district where an inauguration was held on Monday said they failed to understand the logic behind installing different plaques for different works. Even the boundary wall has been inaugurated. “It seems sheer wastage of money and instead, only one plaque would have suffice. We are spending money from our own pockets and are left with no other option to bow to the instructions of the government,” he said. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora inaugurated a series of infrastructure development projects worth Rs 81 lakh in four government primary, middle and high schools under the ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti’ programme, initiated by the state government. Additionally, he announced that he would allocate Rs 10 lakh from his MPLAD funds for further infrastructure development in the schools. Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian inaugurated a number of infrastructure development projects in various government schools in Sahnewal. The projects include new smart classrooms, science labs, boundary walls and separate toilets for girls and boys as well as sports grounds. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond inaugurated the infrastructure development projects worth ?79.85 lakh in six government schools of Khanna. Meanwhile, MP Sanjeev Arora took hold of the maths book of one of the students at a school and asked her a few questions which the student was unable to answer. A teacher then asked him to give another student a chance who was also not able to answer his question, which put teachers standing around him in an embarrassing situation. Barnala child abduction case has major Ludhiana connection Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 7 As the Barnala police busted a gang involved in kidnapping of a two-year-old child and arrested nine suspects on Monday, the sensational case has a major Ludhiana connection. Among the nine arrested, seven are connected to the city. Five local residents among nabbed, 2 suspects facing ~8.49 cr heist case in city Five city-based persons, including an Asha worker, her son and a doctor, were also arrested. Besides, two other key suspects were arrested by the Barnala police had Ludhiana connection as they were part of the biggest heist occurred at the office of the CMS Info System, Ludhiana, in 2023. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Patiala Range, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, who addressed a press conference at Barnala on Monday and later while talking to The Tribune over phone confirmed the major connection of the case with Ludhiana district. Notably, the biggest heist of Rs 8.49 crore from a cash management firm reported on June 10, 2023, which was cracked in a record time of 60 hours with the arrest of all 18 suspects and recovery of 7.14 crore cash, Patiala DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu holds the rescued child in Barnala. two vehicles, three .12-bore rifles and other firearms used in the crime. Then Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu, who is now the DIG, Patiala Range, had cracked the case and recovered the maximum looted amount. The two miscreants who were then among the 18 arrested persons in the case of Rs 8.49 crore robbery, namely Damanpreet Singh, alias Aman, alias Phulli, of Barnala and Aditya, alias Nanni, had also turned out to be the key suspects in the child kidnapping case. Both of them had come out on bail last year in the robbery case, Sidhu said, adding: “Among the nine arrested suspects, five are residents of Ludhiana and Khanna, including a mother-son duo and a doctor. The Ludhiana-based suspects were identified as Asha worker Ravinder Kaur, her son Kohinoor, a resident of Dhandari Kalan, Davinder Singh of Model Town, Khanna, Rohit of Khanna and a doctor, Vikas Tiwari, who owns Sarthak Health Care at Mundian Khurd, Ludhiana”. “After Manav and Damanpreet kidnapped the child from Barnala on April 4, the child was even taken to Ludhiana at the Sarthik Health Care, Mundian Khurd, owned by doctor Vikas Tiwari, where Asha worker Ravinder Kaur shaved the head of the child, may be to perform some occult act but the exact purpose is yet to be verified. Vikas had to sell the child but he could not find buyers. The Barnala police conducted a raid in MP from where three suspects were held and five were held from Ludhiana,” the DIG said. 3 revenue officials booked in corruption case Octogenarian woman ‘sets her room afire’ to Our Correspondent Mandi Ahmedgarh, April 7 About 22 months after receiving an anti-corruption complaint against some revenue officials of the Ahmedgarh subdivision and a private woman, the Vigilance Department, Patiala, has registered an FIR against a naib tehsildar, Ram Lal, Jang Singh, a patwari, and a kanungo, Harvir Singh Dhindsa. Terming the action as vindictive, outfits working for rights of revenue officials have sought intervention of senior functionaries for preventing Vigilance Bureau Complaint was received 22 months ago sleuths from arresting them till allegations are found true, as according to them the case had been registered on the basis of statements, that too about 22 months ago. While Ram Lal and Jang Singh have retired from their services, office-bearers and activists of the Revenue Kanungo Association, Punjab, led by its Punjab general secretary Nirmal Singh Bath, have sought intervention of Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, Mohali, and Addi- tional Chief Secretary-cumFinancial Commissioner, Revenue, Punjab, in the matter. “As Dhindsa has approved the captioned mutation after being okayed by the patwari concerned on the basis of records, he cannot be implicated in the case merely on the basis of statements by private persons or co-accused,” said Nirmal Singh Bath, claiming that the case did not fall under the ambit of the Vigilance. Bath said the outfit had requested higher authorities to take action against Vigilance officials after holding a departmental inquiry. The complainant, Amarjit Singh, a resident of Nathoheri, had alleged that the three government personnel in connivance with the fourth suspect, Birpal Kaur of Jitwal Kalan, had wrongly made a mutation in connection with the inheritance of 19 bighas of land once owned by late Mohinder Singh, a resident of Bhikhampur, whereas his (complainant’s) wife Sarabjit Kaur was the actual legal heir. Dhindsa was accused of authenticating the entry from someone else’s laptop. While the case was registered on March 25, no arrest or raid was conducted so far at the local revenue office. implicate granddaughter-in-law in false case Family terms incident as accidental fire, no action sought in matter Mahesh Sharma Mandi Ahmedgarh, April 7 In a bizarre incident, an octogenarian woman allegedly set her own room afire with a sinister design to implicate her granddaughter-inlaw in a false case. Though no loss of life was incurred in the incident, household goods and fixtures worth lakhs were damaged that could have caused a tragedy, had residents not gathered to douse the fire that broke out on Sunday. However, owing to social stigma, the family, led by the woman’s son Kuldeep Singh, has termed the incident as an ‘accidental fire’ for which no action had been sought against anyone. Residents of the locality, on the other hand, said it was not the lone unpredictable action of the woman, who reportedly wants her decisions to be implemented in the family by creating pressure in such a manner. The granddaughter-in-law might have faced police action or social stigma had a video clip showing the elderly woman carrying a burning piece of cloth from kitchen to her room not gone viral. Acknowledging the burning of household goods at a house in his ward, former president Municipal Council Vikas Tandon said the family was still in shock New int’l airport gets ready for take off, final touches by April 30 Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 7 Finally, the upcoming international airport is ready to take off in Ludhiana with final touches targeted to be finished by April 30, the government has said. Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain has pressed the Indian Air Force (IAF) to complete the ongoing pending DC presses for early completion of 10% pending IAF work, procuring Central nods 10 per cent work at the earliest and has initiated the process to procure certain statutory nods from various departments, mainly the Union Government before the month-end. The development assumes significance as the new inter- The new international airport at Halwara. national airport coming up at the Halwara air base had been granted the airport code, which is mandatory before launching the operations and was named the Halwara Airport by the Centre in January till the time any formal decision to give any specific name to the facility was taken. Reviewing the progress of the ongoing works at the Air Force station and the civil ter- minal, the DC instructed the officials concerned to finish the pending work, final touches and procure mandatory approvals without any further delay to ensure that the airport gets completely ready to take off by April 30. Jain took stock of the progress of the runaway relaying, casting works and signage installation, besides other pending issues at a meeting with senior officials of the IAF and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here. He asked the officials concerned from the PWD, Central agencies and private companies undertaking the ongoing works to expedite the pending tasks for their immediate completion. Stressing the need for effective coordination between the departments concerned and their officials, besides private agencies, the DC directed them to address any missing issues promptly. Recently, the Centre had asked the state government to hand over the physical possession of the civil airport terminal complete in all respects to launch the operations. With this, the bidding process for the operations of the airlines was also set to be launched shortly, which will take a couple of months c m y b before the commercial flights begin operations from here. Air India had already announced plans to launch flights from Ludhiana once the airport becomes operational. Except the overlaying of runway, which is also in the advanced stage of completion, the airport is ready to take off with the IAF and the state government completing almost all pending works inside their respective territories while giving final touches. “Central Electricity Authority (CEA) approval, fire NOC, tree cutting, signage at main terminal building, both arrival and departure sides and in the IAF area, lighting and cabling with installation of CCR, cabling, and lighting for the new taxiway and apron area, markings on taxiway and apron, furniture for VIP room and terminal chairs for the SHA area, testing and commis- sioning of CCTVs and FIDS systems, work on the drainage system in the operational area, replacement of chain-link fencing with a permanent perimeter wall, construction of a ground support equipment (GSE) area and construction of a security watchtower are the main pending tasks in progress,” the DC revealed, adding that it had been resolved that the pending issues and the next steps for making the airport operational must be finished by April 30. “It is intimated that the ICAO code for the Halwara IAF Station is “VIHX”. Regarding the IATA code, as the information pertains mainly to the IAF Station Halwara, Ludhiana, the request has been forwarded to the Indian Air Force. We are awaiting its response and will inform the airlines as soon as details are received,” AAI Chairman Vipin Kumar had recently informed Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, who was also pushing hard for the early completion of the airport. Further, the AAI Chairman had informed Arora that the operational date will be finalised once the terminal building was completed and officially handed over to the AAI by the state government. While the overlaying of Taxi-A, Taxi-D and New Link Taxi inside the IAF premises has been completed, April 30 is the deadline for completing the ongoing overlaying of the runway from where the flights will operate. Missed 15 deadlines The Rs 50-crore much-awaited and much-delayed big ticket project took over three years and missed at least 15 deadlines to see the light of the day. and had reported the ‘mishap’ to the police. “According to the family, no outsider was involved in the incident. Hence, it wanted no action in the matter,” he said. Will any NGO or women commission take notice of the alleged attempt to implement a woman in a false case? Showing ignorance about the incident, Ahmedgarh DSP Rajan Sharma said the police would probe the matter if a complaint was received. Man booked for rape bid on niece Ludhiana, April 7 The Tibba police on Sunday registered a case against a man who attempted to rape his niece. After the victim lodged a police complaint, a case was registered against him. The suspect was identified as Altaf of Vijay Nagar, Tibba. The complainant told the police that she had come to stay with her aunt Ruksar Salmani. One day her uncle barged into the room and grabbed her. Later, when she shared the incident with her aunt, her uncle apologised to her and promised that he would not repeat the act. The victim said later on April 5 when her aunt was not at home, she and her aunt’s three kids were sleeping in one room. At night, he entered the room. The suspect started touching her body parts and dragged her to another room where he tried to exploit her sexually. — TNS