16042025-JTR-01.qxd 4/15/2025 11:20 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ~1.20-CR WORKS INAUGURATED AT 17 GOVT SCHOOLS FARAZ: WANTED TO SHOW THAT THERE IS LIFE IN THE VALLEY SIMARAN DOES NOT MIND INDULGING IN A SLICE OF CAKE MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal inaugurates boundary wall built at ~4 lakh at Govt Primary School in Bholath. P2 Faraz Ali, whose short film Obur swept the Critics’ Choice Awards, says he wanted to show that there is life in the Valley. P4 Simaran Kaur does not mind indulging in a slice of chocolate cake, but she makes it up with an extra hour in gym. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 39°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.57 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:57 AM WEDNESDAY | 16 APRIL 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF TWO 'DRUGS PEDDLERS' HELD Phagwara: The police have arrested two 'drugs peddlers' and seized 86 intoxicating tablets from their possession on Monday night. The arrested accused were identified as Dheeraj Kumar of Onkar Nagar, Phagwara, and Pankaj of Palahai Gate, Phagwara. The police arrested both accused at two different places during nakabandi. The police recovered 31 tablets from Dheeraj and 55 tablets from Pankaj. Two cases under the NDPS Act have been registered against the accused. OC OPD TIMINGS CHANGED Phagwara: The government has changed the timings of OutPatients Department (OPD) in all government hospitals and dispensaries from Wednesday. This was confirmed by Medical Officer Dr Naresh Kundra while talking to this correspondent here on Tuesday. He said now OPD in all civil hospitals and dispensaries will open from 8 am to 2 pm from Wednesday, while the emergency services be available 24 hours. OC TRACTOR DRIVER BOOKED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked a tractor driver on the charge of causing death by negligence. The accused has been identified as Harman Singh of Sohal Jagir village. Gurdeep Kumar of Mohalla Ravidas Pura, Nakodar, complained to the police that the accused was driving his tractor negligently and hit his motorcycle on Nakodar-Jandiala Road near Sarihn village on April 13 and injured him, his wife and son. It hit a scooter driven by woman Amarjit Kaur of Sarihn village, who died in a clinic. Vansh Sangera of Mehapur, who was on board the tractor also died. Three tractor passengers were also injured in this accident. OC YOUTH BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING Phagwara: The Bilga police charged Jasveer Singh Laddi of Kaleechpur Kalota village in Hoshiarpur with kidnapping, compelling girl to marry him. A case of kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or ransom has been registered against the suspect. The case was registered on a complaint from the father of the victim. He told the police that the accused kidnapped his daughter on April 13. oc TWO NABBED FOR DRUG PEDDLING Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge overselling heroin and intoxicant tablets. Ten gram heroin,79 intoxicating tablets and Rs 4,200 drug money were recovered from the possession of the accused Harjindar Singh, alias Reetha, a resident of Umrewal village. The Nurmahal police also arrested drug peddler Babal Deep Singh of Uppal Khalsa village with 129 tablets. oc THEFT ACCUSED PO ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last few months years. The accused has been identified as Pankaj Kumar of Lohian Khas. The accused is wanted in a case of theft registered in 2021. oc 15 attack Moga realtor at toll plaza, fire gunshots, victim escapes Tribune News Service Kapurthala, April 15 A Moga-based realtor was attacked by 15 assailants who came by three cars at the Dhilwan toll plaza on the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway and fired gunshots. The incident dates back to April 10 but came to light today after its CCTV footage surfaced. An FIR was lodged for attempt to murder and under the Arms Act at Dhilwan. The assailants blocked the passage of Amandeep Singh GIll by overtaking his Audi and com- ing from the wrong side. They parked two cars in front of the Audi, one at the back and came out firing at him. A bullet brushed passed Gill’s ear injuring him a bit but he did not give in. He continued to drive, pushing the cars aside and managing to swiftly escape from the site, saving his own life and that of his relative. He had gone to Amritsar airport to pick his relative and was passing by the toll at 1 am when the incident occurred. After escaping from the spot, he had taken HOW HE MANAGES TO FLEE The assailants blocked the passage of Amandeep Singh GIll by overtaking his Audi. They parked two cars in front of the Audi, one at the back and came out firing at him. A bullet brushed passed Gill’s ear, injuring him a bit but he did not give in. He continued to drive, pushing the cars aside and managing to swiftly escape from the site, saving his own life and that of his relative. treatment at a Faridkot hospital in the wee hours that day. The victim in his statement to the police said he was getting his marriage palace readied in Moga. With his friend WS Gill, he had gone to Amritsar in his car bearing registration num- ber PB-22-G-0999. He said after picking his relative Sukhwinder Singh from the airport, he was driving past the toll plaza where the incident occurred. He said three of the assailants had pistols which they fired at him while the 815 MT wheat arrives in 78 district grain markets, 404 MT procured remaining carried baseball bats and canes. He said 5-6 bullets hit his car. While a car was bumped into his Audi from behind, two cars - Verna and Scorpio were parked in his front. He said he had to manoeuvre his Audi with great difficulty to escape from the site. SHO of Dhilwan Police Station Manjit Singh said, “Based on the complaint filed by the victim, an FIR has been lodged against some unidentified persons. The footage from the toll plaza has been taken on record.” Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Remand for accused in grenade attack case extended Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 15 As much as 815 MT of wheat arrival has been recorded in Jalandhar mandis. There are 78 mandis in the district, 404 MT of purchase has been noted till now. In some mandis, no arrival has been noted yet. Tarsem Singh from Uggi village said it would take a week for him to harvest the crop. “There are some farmers in my village who have already cut their crop. Until now, the yield seems good, the actual position will be clear in the coming days,” he said. The arrival of wheat will pick up in the next few days. Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh and Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal kick-started the procurement of wheat at Grain Market, Kartarpur, wherein they directed officials to ensure smooth procurement operations with an aim to facilitating farmers, bringing their produce in mandis. The MLA and DC said this year 5.25 lakh metric tonne wheat was expected to arrive across all purchase centres in the districts and elaborate arrangements have already been put in place to procure every single grain. They also said over 29 temporary sheds Jalandhar, April 15 The two accused in the grenade attack case at the house of ex-BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia have been sent to police remand for four more days. E-autorickshaw driver Satish Kumar Kaka, alias Lucky, and his cousin Harry had been arrested on April 8 afternoon, hours after the blast. A local court had earlier sent them to six-day remand. As they were produced by the police again in the court, the police have been allowed to keep them in remand for four more days. Lucky and Harry had helped Saidul Amin, the main executor of the blast. While Lucky had driven the auto for him, Harry had provided him Rs 3500 that he needed before escaping from Jalandhar. Both of them had even reportedly taken drinks with him near the bus stand, hours before the grenade had been hurled. Saidul Amin had been arrested on Saturday from Delhi. He was sentenced to seven-day police remand on Sunday. Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh and DC Himanshu Aggarwal at Grain Market Kartarpur in Jalandhar. have also been set up in the district in view of the bumper wheat production. They added that arrangements like the availability of potable water, cleanliness, shades, tarpaulins, bardana, besides others, were already made by officials. Stressing on lifting and payment to farmers, they directed the officials that no stone be left unturned to make timely payments to farmers as per government’s guidelines. “There is no dearth of bardana in mandis which will lead towards a hassle-free season for farmers”, they said. They said the entire procurement operation would be accomplished smoothly as any kind of negligence would be dealt with strictly. Meanwhile, the MLA and DC also interacted with some farmers and took their feedback about the arrangements. District Food and Civil Supplies Controller Narinder Singh Nod to construct 66 more model playgrounds, 39 parks in villages Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 15 In a major push to strengthen grassroots sports infrastructure and foster a healthy lifestyle among the rural youth, DC Dr Himanshu Aggarwal has sanctioned the construction of 66 model playgrounds and 39 parks in various villages of Jalandhar district. The initiative, part of the second phase of the district’s rural development plan, will be undertaken with the total outlay of Rs 376.18 lakh. Dr Aggarwal emphasised that providing the worldclass sports infrastructure at the village level is a key step to engage the youth in positive activities and discourage them from falling prey to drug abuse. Under Phase I of the project, the administration had already approved the construction of 98 model playgrounds at a cost DC Himanshu Aggarwal of Rs 3.18 crore and 107 parks at Rs 2.40 crore. In the second phase, 66 new model playgrounds approved across multiple blocks, including 20 in Bhogpur, 12 in Noormahal, 11 in Shahkot, eight in Rurka Kalan, six each in Jalandhar East and Lohian Khas and three in Jalandhar West, costing Rs 277.31 lakh. These sports grounds will be developed with modern infrastructure and tailored to the sporting interests of the local youth. “Our focus is to provide young people with the right environment to train and grow as athletes. This will also serve as a tool for community building,” the DC said. Simultaneously, 39 parks will be developed in blocks, including Nakodar (13), Noormahal (10), Shahkot (5), Jalandhar West (4), Lohian Khas (4), and Bhogpur (3), with an investment of Rs 98.87 lakh. These parks will enhance the quality of life in rural areas by offering green and accessible recreational spaces. The DC also highlighted the employment potential of the initiative, stating that over 69,845 mandays of work will be generated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), providing livelihood opportunities to hundreds of rural residents. c m y b said all labour and transport contracts are already in place and the lifting will be carried out within stipulated time. The government has fixed MSP for wheat at Rs 2,425 per qtl. Meanwhile, farmer Jaswinder Singh from Bulle village, who has brought around 30 qtl of wheat crop in Kartarpur Mandi expressed satisfaction over the procurement arrangements. He said his produce was immediately procured by agencies. BJP leader NPS Dhillon shows ‘missing’ poster of MP Charanjit Channi in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH Channi’s ‘missing’ posters in city Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 15 Just in 10 months since he got elected as the MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Channi’s political detractors have tarted putting up his ‘missing’ posters in the city. NPS Dhillon, former general secretary of the BJP Punjab’s Yuva Morcha, got himself clicked while putting up posters in the localities of the Jalandhar Cantt Assembly segment. The reason given by him is, “Channi remains missing whenever anyone needs to meet him for getting grants or their works done. He is available only in the weekend. No one knows where he can meet him. He has not told people if he has any residence or office in Jalandhar where the public can meet him. He spends more time in his hometown Morinda, 126 km from here, than in Jalandhar which got him elected”. Channi has snubbed his detractors saying, “People of Jalandhar won’t get carried away by any such posters. They know that I was in Jalandhar yesterday only. I will be in Jalandhar again tomorrow in my office inside the Dis- trict Administrative Complex. Dhillon’s move has drawn reactions from Channi’s supporters. Manoj Manu Warring, Channi’s aide, said, “It is wrong to say that Channi remains absent from here. He remained occupied in Delhi as the one-month Parliament session got over on April 4. He has been attending all religious functions in Jalandhar, including Ram Navmi and Eid. He had attended a meeting on review of the Centre schemes recently in the DC office. He has been issuing DO letters for all those who need to go to the PGI for treatment. He has been doling out grants for various works and social causes. He is approachable by anyone who makes a call to him and seeks appointment with him. It is just that a handful of BJP leaders are upset at his growing popularity”. During the course of election, Channi had promised to the voters that he would put up a house here and stay close to the masses. All previous MPs, including Sushil Rinku, Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Mahinder Kaypee and Rana Gurjeet Singh, have stayed locally and were clearly more accessible to the public. Non-functional streetlights a concern for Rajiv Gandhi Vihar residents Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 15 Residents of Rajiv Gandhi Vihar in Surya Enclave have accused the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) of neglect, saying repeated complaints about non-functional streetlights have been ignored for over six months. The dark stretches, they say, have become increasingly unsafe, with a noticeable rise in petty crimes and thefts in the area. They allege that despite several reminders to the JIT, no steps have been taken to repair the streetlights. “We have submitted complaints multiple times, but there has been no action. The problem has persisted for more than half a year,” said Anmol Verma, a resident, adding that the faulty lights have turned the area into a convenient spot for criminals, who strike after sunset. Several incidents of chain snatching, theft and harassment have been reported in recent months, particularly in the inner lanes of the colony. They say the absence of lighting provides cover for miscreants and poses a serious threat to public safety. Senior citizens have been particularly affected. JK Joshi, a senior citizen, said, “There are already issues with maintenance and sanitation in the area, and now this. Streetlights have not worked for months. After dusk, we don’t feel safe stepping out at all. It’s a serious safety concern.” Women in the locality say they feel vulnerable while walking home from work or the market. “We avoid going out in the evening. Using a phone flashlight isn’t enough to feel safe. Anyone can take advantage of the dark,” said Priya Sharma, another resident. The residents now say they are running out of patience. Several of them are planning to organise a protest if the authorities fail to take action soon. “If the JIT doesn’t resolve this immediately, we will be left with no choice but to raise our voice publicly,” said another resident. “Almost all residential projects developed by the JIT have been suffering from poor civic management and other issues. The JIT must intervene to restore basic safety infrastructure in the locality”, said residents. Meanwhile, JIT Chairman Rajwinder Kaur Thiara couldn’t be contacted despite repeated attempts.