02062025-JTR-01.qxd 6/1/2025 10:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune LOK ADALAT ISSUES NOTICE OVER CONDITION OF ROAD THERMOS BOTTLES GIVEN TO AUTO, E-RICKSHAW DRIVERS DOSANJH STRIKES A PLAYFUL YET CONFIDENT POSE A notice has been issued seeking immediate repair and resurfacing of a damaged road. P2 Sundar Sham Arora distributed highquality thermos bottles to auto and e-rickshaw drivers. P3 Diljit Dosanjh on Sunday unveiled the official motion poster for his upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 39°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.27 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:23 AM » MONDAY | 2 JUNE 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF COPS CLUELESS IN HDFC HEIST CASE Phagwara: Nearly 24 hours after a daring robbery took place at the HDFC Bank branch in Rihana Jattan village, Phagwara Sub-Division, the police have yet to make a significant breakthrough in the case. The robbers, who fled with Rs 38,34,900 in cash on Friday afternoon, remain unidentified and at large, raising concerns about law enforcement’s progress in what is being considered one of the most high-profile bank heists in the region in recent months. SSP Gaurav Toora, who visited the scene soon after the incident along with SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti and DSP Bharat Bhushan, confirmed that multiple police teams have been deployed to trace the culprits. However, as of Saturday morning, no arrests have been made and no concrete clues have emerged. “The investigation is going on,” said SSP Toora. — OC BROTHER-SISTER POS ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have arrested a brother-sister proclaimed offenders (POs), absconding for the last three years. According to the Investigating Officer (IO), the accused has been identified as Banti, son of Baldev, a resident of Mohalla Guru Nanak Pura, Nakodar, and his sister Geeta. The IO said the accused are wanted in a case of rape, criminal conspiracy and under provisions of the POCSO Act. — OC 23 BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked 23 miscreants on the charge of assaulting a couple and damaging the eyesight of a victim. Investigating Officer (IO) Sukhwindar Pal Singh said that the accused have been identified as Balwindar Singh alias Pindi, Yaadi and Viki, residents of Roshan Wala village under Dharam Kot police station, Moga, and their 20 unidentified accomplices. Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Mohalla Bagh Wal, Shahkot, complained to the police that the accused had assaulted him, his cousin Ravi and his wife, and Ravi lost his eyesight in the attack. The IO said that a case under sections 115(2), 332(c), 191(3), 190 and 324(4) of the BNS has been registered against the accused. — OC GRAM SABHA MEETING Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested three villagers, including a woman, on the charge of disrupting the General House meeting of a village Gram Sabha. Investigating Officer (IO) Nirmal Singh said that the accused have been identified as Kulbir Singh, his wife Jaswindar and Resham, residents of Mehsampur village. Sarpanch of Mehsampur village Dalbir Singh had complained to the police that the accused disrupted General House meeting of the Gram Sabha, threatened members and used filthy language against them. The IO said a case under sections 221, 224, 351(2), 352 and 356 of the BNS was registered against the accused and others. — OC over Congress cautions people BJP queries AAPfree ofits claim to make Punjab drugs against BJP’s divisive agenda Tribune News Service Warring says RSS, BJP trying to undermine Indian Constitution Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 1 Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today alleged that the RSS and the BJP were trying to undermine the Constitution of the country as the RSS leaders had never accepted it. He also warned against their designs to divide the country along communal lines. Addressing the ‘Samvidhan Bachao Sabha’ (Save Constitution Meeting) here today, organised by the local party MLA Balwinder Dhaliwal, Warring asserted that the Congress party will not allow anyone even to touch the Constitution, leave aside changing it. The PCC president noted, while displaying a copy of the Constitution, that it was because of the Constitution of the country that there was freedom and equality in the country. Otherwise, he pointed out, people had no freedom, no voice and no rights. He quoted a former RSS chief MS Golwalkar as having written in his book that The ‘Save Constitution’ rally organised by the Congress in Phagwara on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO he did not accept the Constitution of the country. He said that for a long time, the RSS had not even accepted the national tricolour. Warring alleged that it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who had launched the ‘Save Constitution’ campaign and warned people of the country against the BJP’s designs. He said the BJP’s slogan of winning ‘400 plus’ seats was aimed at changing the Constitu- tion. “But people of the country taught them a lesson by restricting them to 240 seats,” he observed, pointing out how Prime Minister Modi had to bow before the Constitution after taking over for his third term. The PCC president was critical of the state government, saying it had failed on all fronts. He referred to the government’s much touted war on drugs, ‘Yudh Nashyan Virudh’. He asked the AAP government to spell out what the status of ‘war on drugs’ was, whether the drugs had really been wiped out from the state by May 31, the deadline set by AAP government. Prominent among those present on the occasion included senior party leader and Amritsar MP Gurjeet Aujla, Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, former MLAs Navtej Cheema, Pawan Adhia and others. Jalandhar, June 1 “The unabated sale of drugs in every corner of Punjab, in its villages and cities, is a testimony to the fact that the promise of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party’s national president Arvind Kejriwal, to make Punjab drug-free by May 31, has completely failed.” Former Punjab BJP president and exMP Shwait Malik stated this at a press conference held in Jalandhar today. Terming the scenario as unfortunate, Malik said the “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” campaign seems like the state government’s attempt to redeem its vote bank ahead of the Ludhiana West bypoll. However, CM Bhagwant Mann could not even fulfill his fifth deadline to make the state drug-free as the CM, he added. During the press conference, Malik was accompanied by former minister Manoranjan Kalia, state BJP general secretary Rakesh Rathore, former MLA Sheetal Angural, Jagbir Brar, leader of the Opposition (BJP) in Jalandhar Municipal Corporation, Manjit Singh Titu, general secretary, Ashok Sarin Hickey, Rajesh Kapoor and Amarjit Singh Goldi, among others. Former Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik addresses a press conference in Jalandhar on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Malik said lack of government action against big drug smugglers in the state has raised doubts. Commenting on the CM’s promises and timeline to make Punjab drug-free, Shwait Malik said Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann had repeatedly claimed before the Punjab assembly elections, from 2020 to 2022, that they would eliminate drugs from Punjab in a month, once the government was formed. But the first deadline of April 16, 2022 for Mann who was sworn in as Chief Minister on March 16, 2022, had passed without any change. Similarly, subsequent deadlines — the fifth deadline being until May 31, 2025 — to eradicate drugs, had also passed without any change on the ground, Malik added. “Everyone knows that the drug supply chain was broken during the coronavirus pandemic, due to which huge queues formed outside drug de-addiction centres in every district. But during the war against drugs launched on March 1, 2025, there were no such queues outside de-addiction centres. This clearly means that the Punjab government’s campaign was limited to advertisements, programmes and news only and a false political stunt, as no drug supply chain was broken.” He said when Mann and Kejriwal were not in power, they used to say, “Akali and Congress leaders in power sell drugs.” If the same formula is applied today, then why are the CM, ministers, MLAs and AAP leaders silent about drugs and traffickers, he asked. City observes blackout drill to deal with emergencies In a first, waste to be Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 1 Having recently experienced the sounds of neutralising of missiles and spotting of Pakborne drones across the skies from the rooftops, the half an hour blackout drill held from 9:30 pm to 10 pm in Jalandhar on Saturday night once again made people stay prepared for any eventuality. As a part of the exercise called Operation Shield, once again the sirens blared at 9:30 pm and the PSPCL turned off all lights. The streetlights went off. The markets had got closed at 9 pm. The movement of vehicles on roads remained minimal. Majority of the people did not use their generators or inverters to switch on any light and adhered to the directions of the district administration. While the blackout drills were held late in the evening, mock drills were held in day time at Jalandhar Cantonment and peripheral towns, including Nawanshahr. In Jalandhar Cantonment at 6 pm, a mock drill was conduct- A view of the blackout drill in Jalandhar on Saturday night. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH ed near Jawahar Park. Prior to the drill, a briefing was given by Brig Sunil on behalf of the Army, and by Balbir Raj Singh, Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Jalandhar, from the district administration side, on how to deal with emergency situations. Present on the occasion were District Revenue Officer Navdeep Singh, along with officials from the Army, Civil Defence, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Punjab Home Guards, fire brigade, health department, and other essential service departments. Following the briefing, all these departments immediately sprang into action and began their operations. A siren warning of an air raid threat was sounded, and the drill began. In the first phase, it was demonstrated that those who lay on the ground or moved to safe locations survived, whereas those who did not follow safety protocols were impacted. The drill simulated transporting the affected individuals to hospitals via ambulance and simultaneously extinguishing fire incidents with the help of the fire brigade. Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal stated that during such mock drills, not only are the arrangements for protecting life and property reviewed, but the availability and provision of essential services such as food supplies, healthcare and other necessities are also practiced. He emphasised the importance of public awareness about safety measures during emergencies so that precautions can be taken to ensure self-protection. Secretary Balbir Raj Singh informed that in case an air raid warning siren is heard, the first step should be to take shelter in a building. If no building is nearby, take cover under a tree. Even inside a building, do not stand near windows; instead, seek shelter in a corner. If it is night time, turn off all lights. picked even on Sundays in Phagwara Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 1 In a move aimed at strengthening urban sanitation and improving public health, the Municipal Corporation, Phagwara, has for the first time launched a city-wide initiative to collect waste from secondary garbage collection points on Sundays. The step eliminates the long-standing weekly gap in waste removal services, which had led to unsightly and hazardous waste pile-ups over weekends. The initiative was officially rolled out today with a cleanliness drive held at the Government School Secondary Point and Hoshiarpur Road Secondary Point. The launch event was led by Mayor Ram Pal Uppal and Municipal Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta. They were accompanied by the Health Branch team under Sanitary Inspec- NEW INITIATIVE tor Sewak Ram and Supervisor Jograj. Sanitation workers were fully mobilised and ensured immediate removal of the accumulated waste, which was sent for scientific disposal in accordance with waste management protocols. Mayor Uppal emphasised the significance of the initiative, noting that Sunday pickups were previously excluded from routine sanitation schedules, causing major inconvenience to residents and undermining efforts to maintain city cleanliness. “This is a big step forward,” he said. “Until now, waste from secondary points was not picked up on Sundays, leading to overflow and public discomfort. Beginning today, that changes. Our team will now work every Sunday to ensure uninterrupted sanitation across the city.” PAU pushes ‘Punjab Amrit’ variety to boost muskmelon cultivation Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Kapurthala, June 1 In an attempt to rescue the dwindling muskmelon production in the popular redsoiled Dona belt of Doaba — spanning Shahkot, Lohian, Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi — the erstwhile muskmelon hub of the state, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has come up with its hybrid, low-cost muskmelon variety “Punjab Amrit”. Being developed by PAU scientists for years now – Sunday saw the first field visit by a PAU vice-chancellor to Kapurthala to promote the new cost-effective seed. Compared to 2014-15, muskmelon production in Kapurthala has been reduced to less than half. Produced across 2,500 hectares (6,000 acres) in Kapurthala at its peak, the area under muskmelon was reduced to less than half —- merely 900 hectares (2,500 acres) this year. Skyrocketing seed costs, climate change and blight caused farmers to take to maize cultivation – the “Dhwana” (Melon) mandis in Kapurthala, Shahkot and Rupewal began to wear a deserted look — this year being no exception. In an PAU VC has lauded Punjab Amrit, the new muskmelon variety. effort to restore the red-soiled areas’ former enthusiasm for the muskmelon — the PAU is going all out. On Sunday, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kapurthala, in collaboration with the c m y b Department of Vegetable Science, PAU, Ludhiana, organised a field day on muskmelon variety which featured Kapurthala’s first visit from the PAU VC Dr Satbir Singh Gosal at Isha Singh Dhot Farm, Barindpur, Kapurthala, to promote the “Punjab Amrit” variety. More than 70 melon growers of nearby villages participated. Stalls of “Punjab Amrit” and “Bobby” (the costlier seed version) hybrid varieties were kept side by side to encourage comparisons —better taste, shelf life, size and yield in the former. Dr Harinder Singh, Associate Director (Training), KVK, Kapurthala, said, “During 2014-15, muskmelon cultivation was at its peak in the region. Sunehri, Madhu and Hara Madhu varieties were preferred. The development of the Bobby variety by the PAU in about 2019 —- which is sweeter – caused farmers to take to its cultivation across 70 per cent of the muskmelon area. However, it’s skyrocketing costs caused farmers to adopt maize in large numbers which has been a worry for us. To counter this, PAU began developing the “Punjab Amrit” variety for a decade or so under Dr Sat Pal Sharma, Head, Department of Vegetable Science. Today’s field visit is among the recent exercises aimed at promoting this.” The hefty priced “Bobby” muskmelon seed cost farmers between Rs 1 lakh 8,000 to 1 lakh 40,000 this year, while in comparison, “Punjab Amrit” will cost merely Rs 6,000 per kg (A kg of seed furnishes crops for an acre). Dr Harinder Singh, added, “The tastes are almost identical while “Punjab Amrit” has increased shelf life, more netting (which adds to longevity) and is more costeffective. Also, maize is almost as water-intensive as rice. Our aim is to shift farmers back to a rice/potato muskmelon cycle. Muskmelon takes just 70 days compared to maize and with Punjab Amrit, their dividends will also be doubled.” (With inputs from Ashok Kaura in Phagwara)