30042025-LT-01.qxd 4/29/2025 10:53 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune » ASPIRANTS CRY FOUL OVER PU LAW EXAM INSIDE » WHEAT PROCUREMENT IN FULL SWING IN DIST INSIDE WEDNESDAY | 30 APRIL 2025 | LUDHIANA ‘Sikhya Kranti’ on, dist data shows decline in govt school admissions Teachers asked to meet targets, blame govt for falling count Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 29 Ever since the AAP government came to power in Punjab, school education has remained a priority of the government. Efforts were made to turn these Schools of Eminence into those of happiness as per the state government instructions and masses were asked to send their children to government schools only as ‘best facilities’ were being offered by the government. Keeping this in mind, teachers were asked to meet the targets given for enrolment in the last over three years. But as far as the data at the district level is concerned, in the last three years, instead of huge improvement in admissions, there has been a gradual decline in it as far as the government schools in the district are concerned. The data with the Education Department shows that in 2023-24, there were a total 1,67,887 enrolments in government schools after the AAP government took over. While the enrolment campaign was intensified the following year in 2024-25, the admissions came down to 1,59,912 in the district. And in 2025-26, it further DEO Ravinder Kaur meets parents to ask them to get their kids enrolled in government schools. declined to 1,54,667. The teachers teaching in government schools have held the government responsible for the decline in the enrolment process. Daljit Samrala, district president, Democratic Teachers Front, asked that for how long the fake publicity will work? He said, “The government is trying to run everything on advertisement basis. They are being exposed at every step and the ‘Sikhya Kranti’ is the recent example of gov- ernment’s failure. The reality is very different from what is shown in the advertisements. There has been no basic teaching in the government schools. Instead, the teachers are given the duties due to which the education work in the government schools are being neglected. We cannot fool the masses. With the result, there has been a decline in the enrolment process.” Recently, the Education Department has again start- ed focussing on the enrolment process under the “Sikhya Kranti”, in which DEO, Primary, Ravinder Kaur went to different areas in the district, encouraging the masses to enrol their children in government schools. Meanwhile, many teachers complain that the admissions are done in good numbers, but then the migrants leave the schools without telling anything and it becomes too difficult for the department to locate them again. NCC lieutenant robbed Two rape cases registered, of gold chain, locket one accused arrested Ludhiana, April 29 The Khanna police registered a case against three unidentified women who had targeted a National Cadets Corps (NCC) lieutenant and stole her gold chain along with a gold locket. Complainant Seema Sharma, a resident of Khanna, in her complaint to the police stated that on the fateful day around 8 am, she was standing at the Khanna bus stand to take a bus for Ludhiana. At that time she was wearing a gold chain weighing 10 gm and a gold locket weighing 4 gm. A woman was standing in front of her and two behind her. As soon as she boarded the bus, the three women did not board it and left. The complainant added that when she got a seat in the bus and checked her belongings, she was shocked to see that the gold chain and the locket were missing. She said she suspected that the three women might have stolen her gold chain. ASI Ranjit Singh stated that CCTV cameras were also being scanned to get any clue about the suspects. — TNS Ludhiana, April 29 Two incidents of rape have come to light involving a 14year-old and a 17-year-old girl in Ludhiana. The police have registered cases and arrested one of the accused. In one case, a resident of a village under the jurisdiction of Sadar police station stated that their 14-year-old daughter was lured by a youth. The police registered a case against the accused and arrested him. In another case, the 17-yearold girl residing in an area under the jurisdiction of Division Number 7 police station was sexually exploited by a boy living in their neighborhood. The girl’s mother filed a complaint, stating that the boy lured her daughter with a promise of marriage and had physical relations with her. However, later he refused to do so. — TNS Notice to Forest Dept officers, XEN over encroachments along canal Our Correspondent Doraha, April 29 The Public Action Committee (PAC) has issued notice to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, District Forest Officer and the Executive Engineer, Canals, to remove encroachments and illegally operating wine shops, taverns and other commercial building structures operational on forest land located on Shri Gobind Singh Marg from Doraha to Chamkaur Sahib. It has also demanded registration of FIRs against encroachers and immediate removal of encroachments, apart from imposing environmental compensation on them as per law. The core committee members of PAC, Kapil Arora, Amandeep Bains, Jaskirat Singh and Kuldeep Khaira, while serving the notice, have referred to the directions of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal in this regard, which allows no such activity in the abovesaid area. The members complained that five wine shops and taverns along with other com- mercial activities are going on under the nose of the District Forest Officer of Ludhiana as well as Executive Engineer of the Water Resources Department. “Some wine shops appear to have been constructed after illegal mining at the location as well as axing of an unknown number of trees,” they further alleged. The members said that the illegal structures damage the flora and fauna of the forest and restrict the movement of wildlife. They shared that despite contacting the DFO, Ludhiana, in this regard, no action had been taken till date by the authority concerned, indicating that they were hand-in-glove with owners of such illegal commercial shops. They alleged that the officials were equally responsible for such illegal construction of the structures of wine shops and their illegal activities. The taverns prepare the food using gas cylinders as well as tandoors, resulting in major environmental pollution within the forest area. It is a well-known fact that this forest strip acts as a corridor for wildlife, but due to such illegal encroachment as well as commercial activities, the free movement of wildlife is getting restricted. Further, the waste material of taverns causes damage to roots of trees, resulting in further damage to the forest area and environment. Sadly, the authorities have turned a blind eye and allowed such activities to continue in the forest strip, they further said. The PAC has thus, keeping in view the directions of the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal, Indian Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Environmental Laws, served the notice to those concerned along with a demand for registration of FIRs against the encroachers under the Forest and Wildlife Conservator Act and immediate removal of all illegal structures from the forest land situated along Sirhind Canal from Doraha to Chamkaur Sahib. The committee has warned that in case of non-compliance in the next 15 days, they would be forced to move the National Green Tribunal. c m y b FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 41°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 41°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.59 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.40 AM » 41 ARRESTED FOR DRINKING IN PUBLIC PLACES INSIDE