11042025-JTR-01.qxd 4/10/2025 11:33 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PROCESSING UNIT TO BOOST GROUNDNUT CULTIVATION NUSHRATT: CHHORII CHANGED AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF ME VARUN BEATS THE HEAT, ENJOYS ICE-CREAM FOR LUNCH DC Aashika Jain hands over Rs 7.50 lakh cheque for state-of-the-art facility in Kandi area. P2 Actor Nushratt Bharuccha says her career took a significant turn with the 2021 horror film Chhorii. P4 Taking to Instagram, Bhediya actor Varun Dhawan treated fans to pictures that captured his sunny mood. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 37°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 38°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.53 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:02 AM » FRIDAY | 11 APRIL 2025 | JALANDHAR Drive against drugs 598 FIRs, 84 arrests in Doaba INBRIEF WOMAN DIES BY SUICIDE Phagwara: A migrant woman Reena reportedly died by suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her house in village Gaunspur near Phagwara on Wednesday night. An altercation between husband and wife was said to be the cause of the suicide. Jatinder Kumar, son of the deceased, told the police that his father Gobind Muni was torturing his mother. The police have registered a case against Gobind, who was absconding. The police have handed over the body to her family after autopsy. OC 'DRUG PEDDLER' ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested a 'drug peddler' Jatinder Kalu of Chhag colony, Phagwara, and seized 55 intoxicating tablets from his possession on Wednesday night. The accused was nabbed at a check point, the police said. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. OC 'DRUG PEDDLER' ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling poppy husk. Ten kg of poppy husk was recovered from the possession of the accused Chindar Pal Singh, a resident Burj Hassan village. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. OC Fire Department staff are engaged in extinguishing blaze at railway yard in Jalandhar on Thursday.TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH. Fire at rly yard, goods reduced to ashes Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 10 A massive fire broke out in Bashirpura here on Thursday afternoon, causing widespread panic among locals after flames from a garbage heap spread to a nearby railway yard, completely destroying the items stored inside. According to witnesses, the fire spread quickly as overhead wires caught fire, causing a thick blanket of smoke that could be seen from Maqsudan and PAP — nearly two km away. The blaze triggered alarm in the locality, prompting immediate calls to the Fire Department. Responding swiftly, multiple fire brigade teams arrived at the scene, with around five or six fire tenders deploying to bring the situation under control. The railway police and commissionerate police officers also reached the scene to normalise the situation and ensure fire brigade officers carry out their job without any hindrance. After hours of strenuous efforts, firefighters managed to douse the flames and prevent further spread. Naresh Kumar, a department official, said they received the alert around 1pm. “By the time we arrived, the fire had already engulfed a large part of the railway goods warehouse. The smoke was so intense it was visible from several kilometre away,” he said. Preliminary information suggests that the fire originated from a garbage heap situated just outside the warehouse. The flames then spread inside, igniting stored goods and reducing them to ashes. No injuries have been reported, officials said. Seven houses of peddlers razed in three months Nawanshahr hospital gets chest specialist after 3 years Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 10 A total of 598 cases under the NDPS Act have been registered in the Doaba (Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur) this year (from January 1 to March 31) in which 804 people have been arrested. Across the three towns, 7 kg heroin, 6 kg opium and 411 kg poppy husk were seized and Rs 8 lakh was recovered as drug money from peddlers. Drug peddlers’ assets worth over Rs 4 crore were frozen by the police. Of the total 598 cases, Jalandhar (rural) leads with 219 cases (336 arrests), Kapurthala is next with 193 cases (225 arrests) and Hoshiarpur saw 186 cases (243 arrests) this year under the NDPS Act. Across these three towns, seven houses of drug smugglers were demolished under the ongoing Yudh Nashian Virudh Campaign. In rural areas of Jalandhar, three demolitions of drug peddlers’ houses took place (two at Phillaur and one at Nurmahal), at Kapurthala A house of a drug peddler being demolished in village Boot of Subhanpur in Kapurthala. FILE three (all in Subhanpur) and Hoshiarpur one (Bullowal). This year, the Jalandhar rural police recovered 1.944 kg heroin, 364 kg poppy husk, 1.752 kg opium, 2.017 kg charas, 26 kg ganja, 20,538 tablets, 14,200 capsules,12 injections and Rs 5,52,700 drug money. As many as 23 cases of snatching were registered in Jalandhar rural and 38 snatchers were arrested by the police. Meanwhile, 16 cas- Baisakhi dhoom FOUR ARRESTED WITH DRUGS Hoshiarpur: The police arrested four 'smugglers', including a woman and recovered heroin and intoxicating pills from them. The police arrested Manish Kumar of Shankar Nagar during patrolling in the area and recovered 35 gram of heroin from him. The police arrested Mandeep Kaur of Mahilpur and recovered 10.18 gram of heroin from her. On the other hand, Tanda police arrested Suraj Kumar and recovered a large number of intoxicating pills from him. The police of Mukerian arrested Mahildeep Singh and recovered 45 gram of heroin from him. oc DIGITAL CROP SURVEY IN H’PUR Hoshiarpur: DC Aashika Jain on Thursday said the Digital Crop Survey has been initiated in the district on a war footing to link the crop with khasra number and girdawari online through 'Digital Crop Survey App'. April 16 was the date fixed for accomplishing the task, Jain said. — OC es under the Arms Act were registered during January to March and 58 accused were arrested. Recoveries in Arms Act cases included 20 pistols, 44 cartridges, 3 magazines and one grenade. Meanwhile, at Kapurthala, the police seized 3.768 kg heroin, 20 kg poppy husk, 2.886 kg opium, 1.5 kg ganja, 26 kg poppy green plants, 9,775 tablets and Rs 2,15,240 drug money. DIG, Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla said, “We have been pursuing diligent drives against drug smugglers in the ongoing drive against drugs. We are also stringently monitoring the control rooms regarding the snatching cases and numerous patrols are being conducted to bring down the cases of snatchings and theft. Our ongoing Sampark meets also establish dialogue with the populace to rein in criminal elements.” Jalandhar, April 10 The Nawanshahr Civil Hospital has got a chest and TB specialist after three years. On a daily basis, from 70-100 patients visit the hospital with problems related to chest. Until now, a medical specialist was looking after the patients and now with the joining of the chest specialist, things have been streamlined. Even the Ni-kshay Mitra programme was getting affected because of no specialist. Apart from chest and TB specialist, a radiologist and orthopaedician will also be joining the hospital now. Strangely, there had been no radiologist for the last 10 years and scanning was getting done on outsourcing basis and a machine was donated to the hospital under Corporate Social Responsibility. However, radiologist and orthopaedician have still not joined the hospital and the authorities are hopeful that they will be joining in a few days. — TNS Mobile phones recovered from snatchers returned to owners CAR DRIVER DIES IN MISHAP Talwara: A man died in a headon collision between a car and a tipper near village Nangal Bihala on Hajipur-Dasuha road. Car driver Ratan Singh of village Nangal Bihala was coming from Dasuya to his village Nangal Bihala in his car. When he reached near his village, a gravel-laden tipper hit his car from the front. The people retrieve him from the car with great difficulty, but by then Ratan Singh had died. As soon as the information of the accident was received, the police reached the spot and took the body and the tipper into custody and started further action. oc Dr Kishan Rai Our Correspondent Students of St Soldier Law College dressed in traditional attire celebrate Baisakhi in wheat field in Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Phagwara, April 10 In a significant step towards supporting victims of mobile phone theft and loss, the cyber crime wing of the Kapurthala police has recovered and returned 110 lost mobile phones to their rightful owners. The initiative was taken at the behest of SSP Kapurtha, la, Gaurav Toora, and marks a growing effort by Punjab Police to tackle cyber and digital-related offences. SSP Toora told this correspondent here that these phones were retrieved using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, a government-backed platform that enables the tracking and blocking of lost or stolen mobile phones. After verification, the recovered devices were handed over to their original owners in person. The SSP emphasised the role of the cyber crime police station, recently established in every district of Punjab, as per the directives of the state government. “The CEIR portal has proven to be a valuable tool in this effort,” he said. Citizens can report cyber crime incidents through the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or via the official website www.cybercrime.gov.in. The SSP also cautioned users against falling for fake investment schemes and misleading advertisements, often used by cyber criminals to lure victims. “Public awareness and caution are our best defence against cyber crime,” he added. Govt offices face civic apathy Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 10 In a grim reflection of municipal neglect, offices meant to steer agricultural development in the district are trapped in a mess of filth, foul smell and civic apathy. The entire area housing the Agriculture Development Office (ADO), District Training Office (DTO), District Agriculture Implements Office, Chief Agriculture Office and the Soil and Water Conservation Department is grappling with overflowing sewage, heaps of garbage, stagnant water and waist-high wild grass. The area surrounding these offices, located in the main PUDA Complex on Ladowali road, presents anything but order and cleanliness. Instead, both officials and visitors are met with blocked sewer lines, rotting waste, a choking stench and the main road so overgrown and cluttered with construction debris that it remains impassable. “It’s unbearable to even stand outside. The smell is disgusting and the stagnant Wild overgrown grass on the way to the Agriculture Office in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH water has become a breeding ground for insects,” said a visitor, who had come to the Chief Agriculture Office. The main road that links the offices to the DC Office Road is lying unusable for years now due to wild grass taking over the pathway and dumped construction waste obstructing movement. A government employee posted at the Chief Agriculture Office expressed his frustration. “The entire lane and even the entrance to our office at times is submerged in filthy sewer water. We’ve complained repeatedly, contacted the local MLA, even raised the matter with the Local Bodies Minister — but nothing changes,” he said. c m y b Farmers visiting the offices echoed the dismay, stating that the unsanitary conditions have led to frequent slips and minor accidents. “This is not a recent problem. It has persisted for years. It’s miserable to stand here, let alone work or wait for official business to be done,” one of them shared. In a striking revelation, visitors said employees of the agriculture office have, in the past, pooled in money from their own pockets to address the drainage issue temporarily. But the problem keeps resurfacing due to the municipality’s inaction and poor upkeep of sewer lines. Beyond the inconvenience, the health risks are mounting. The stagnant, dirty water has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes and insects, raising concerns among nearby residents and regular office-goers. Meanwhile, Mayor Vaneet Dhir said immediate action would be taken and the officials concerned would be directed to resolve all issues at the earliest possible. BJP leader KD Bhandari along with residents of Khingran Gate opposes a liquor shop in Jalandhar. Qila Mohalla residents protest against opening of liquor vend Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 10 Residents of Qila Mohalla and Khingra Gate were up in arms against liquor contractors on Thursday, who came to open a new vend in the internal lane of the locality. As this happened, men and women from the localities put up tents and started a dharna in front of the site. Residents alerted the leaders of all parties about the protest and sought their support. Some Congress councillors, ex-BJP MLA KD Bhandari and AAP halqa incharge Dinesh Dhall reached the venue on their call. Residents Geeta, Meenu, Shashi, Sharda, Tanvi, Niyati and Shalu handed over a memorandum to the leaders and Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner of the zone. They said since Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Sain Dass School are closeby, they will not allow the vend to open. Bhandari said he called ETO Aman Puri and urged him to intervene. He said, “The contractor had said he only wanted to open a branch of the main vend while this is not feasible as per law. So we got a clear direction issued to the contractor from excise officials of not picking that site.”