26082025-JTR-01.qxd 8/25/2025 11:23 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune RANA GURJIT, AAP IN-CHARGE SPAR OVER RELIEF MEASURES LOHIAN SCHOOLS BRACE FOR FLOODS, SECURE RECORDS SALMAN KHAN-HOSTED TV SHOW BIGG BOSS 19 BEGINS AAP leader Sajjan Singh Cheema termed Rana’s potshots directed at his party, leaders and the CM unsavoury. P2 The memories of the floods in 2019 and 2023 have prompted institutions to adopt a cautious approach. P3 The new season, which is based on a political theme Gharwalon Ki Sarkaar, will run for longer time this time. P4 » » » FORECAST RAINY MAX 27°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.58 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:00 AM TUESDAY | 26 AUGUST 2025 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF 3 HELD WITH 360 LIQUOR BOTTLES Garhshankar: The Mahilpur police have arrested two brothers, Varinder Kumar and Hardeep Kumar, and one Rajkumar of Paldi, with 360 crates of liquor from a poultry farm and registered a case under the Excise Act. ASI Sukhwinder Singh was doing checking at Adda Paldi during which he got information that Varinder Kumar, was selling liquor at his poultry farm. A raid was conducted at the poultry farm, and the police arrested Hardeep Kumar, and Rajkumar. Upon searching, 360 bottles of liquor were recovered. OC 3 BOOKED FOR LAND FRAUD Phagwara: A fraud case involving the alleged manipulation of land documents and cheating worth Rs 50 lakh has been registered in Phagwara. A complaint was filed by Bhupinder Sharma, Phagwara.Sharma alleged that the accused Shukla Duggal, Phagwara, along with Mitesh Soni and his wife Meena Soni, of Jalandhar, cheated him. He stated that the accused produced false statements and presented forged land ownership documents to mislead him. OC SCOOTER TAKEN AWAY BY YOUTHS Phagwara: A local resident has lodged a police complaint, alleging that he was assaulted and robbed of his scooter. Vishakha Singh said when he was returning home on his scooter after dropping his son Harmanjot at the house of Madan Mohan, he was intercepted near Lakhan Kala by three men.They assaulted him and forcibly took away the vehicle. The accused also threatened to kill him. OC JAGRATA SINGER ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nurmahal police have arrested a jagrata singer on the charge of hurting religious feelings. The accused has been identified as Madhu Sudhan Mittu, a resident of Mohalla Tourrian, Nurmahal. cDaswindar Singh, president of Shiv Sena, Bal Thackrey, Nurmahal, and a resident of Sagarpur village, had complained to the police that the accused and his family had thrown photos of the goddess, religious chunnis, and other items into a dustbin cart (rehri) in front of his house on July 12 and hurt religious feelings. oc 2 ARRESTED FOR SELLING LIQUOR Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested two villagers on charge of selling illicit liquor. Sixty bottles of illicit liquor were recovered from the possession of the accused identified as Harantarpreet Singh, a resident of Gatta Mundkasu village, and Malkit Singh of Shera Mandala village in Ferozepur. The Shahkot police arrested Paramjit Singh of Kakar Kalan village with nine bottles of hooch. oc NAKODAR SHO TRANSFERRED Phagwara: Jalandhar (rural) SSP HS Virk has transferred Nakodar Sadar SHO Gurupreet Singh to Nakodar City in place of Aman Saini, who has been appointed in-charge of cyber crime in Jalandhar rural. Sub Inspector Dilbag Singh has been appointed Nakodar Sadar SHO. oc Ammonia gas leaks in milk Cong leaders seek FIR against Sisodia for election statement plant, 35 workers rescued Tribune News Service shut down the pressure lines of the air compressor. “The situation is now completely under control”, he said. This is the third incident of ammonia gas leak in Jalandhar for the past one year. The two previous incidents had taken place in ice factories of the city. On March 14, ammonia had leaked from Kuldeep Ice Factory in the residential colony of Anand Nagar. On September 21 last year, a man died during ammonia leak from Jain Ice Factory near Domoria underbridge. A high-level probe had been conducted in both incidents. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 25 Around 35 workers trapped inside a private milk plant located in the Sports and Surgical Complex on Kapurthala Road were rescued following an ammonia gas leak this evening. Thanks to the swift response of the plant staff and emergency teams, no lives were lost.” The workers were trapped on the first floor of Metro Milk Plant when the gas started leaking due to a fault in the safety release valve. They had to be rescued by breaking a side wall and bringing them down using a ladder and crane. The workers were trapped on the first floor of the Metro Milk Plant after a gas leak occurred due to a malfunction in the safety release valve. They were rescued by breaking through a side wall and bringing them down with the help of a ladder and a crane. The district administration received the information which immediately pressed a fire brigade team to service. The fire squad also reached within a few minutes and helped in the rescue operation. Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal said, “Our teams started action as soon as we got the information. “The rescue operation was started immediately. About 35 workers were evacuated through the emergency exit. The situation was brought under control within an hour of the incident”, he said. GAS TANKER BLAST DIST ADMN PROMISES AID TO ORPHANED CHILD ■ Among the four persons who lost their lives After gas leak, trapped workers being rescued from the first floor of the milk plant in Jalandhar on Monday evening Dr Aggarwal added that to prevent further leakage of gas, a special team was called from Verka Milk Plant, which on Sunday in the Mandialan gas tanker blast, one was a woman whose husband had tragically died on the night of the accident. With both parents now gone, their young child has been left orphaned. ■ According to information, migrant Dharmendra Verma (28) and his wife Aradhana Verma (26), who were victims of the accident, were badly burnt. After being brought to the Civil Hospital, Dharmendra was referred to the GMCHAmritsar and on the way, he died near Kartarpur, after which his relatives who were taking him to Amritsar, took his body to his native place in UP. ■ District Magistrate Aashika Jain said every possible help will be provided to the orphaned child under government schemes. Jalandhar, August 25 A delegation of senior Congress leaders from Jalandhar on Monday submitted a complaint to the police against Aam Aadmi Party Punjab incharge Manish Sisodia for his “provocative and unlawful statement inciting violence and manipulation” ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The complaint highlights that in a recent speech to AAP workers, Sisodia openly admitted and encouraged the use of fighting, cheating, manipulations, and other unfair means to secure victory. The Congress leaders stated that such remarks are anti-democratic, unlawful, and a serious threat to peace, security, and the sanctity of free and fair elections. The Congress leaders, who were a part of the delegation, included Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, MLA Phillaur; Avtar Henry, MLA Jalandhar North; Hardev Singh Ladi, MLA Shahkot and president DCC Rural; Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, MLA Adampur; Rajinder Beri, ex-MLA & president DCC Urban; Surinder Kaur, halqa in-charge Jalandhar West; Dr Navjot Daiya, halqa in-charge Nakodar; Rajinder Singh, halqa incharge Kartarpur; and Balraj Thakur, Leader of the Opposition, MC, Jalandhar. The Congress leaders said they had given prior information about the delegation’s visit still the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and SSP Rural were not available. They submitted their complaint to Joint Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Superintendent of Police (SP) Jalandhar Rural, and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Jalandhar. The leaders strongly condemned the absence of senior officials, remarking that the entire administration was being run by the defunct, rejected leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party from Delhi, while the people of Punjab were being left unheard. Through the complaint, the Congress leaders requested registration of an FIR against Sisodia under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of Peoples Act after forensic verification of the video evidence. The protest planned by the Congress was a part of the programme given by PCC president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and CLP leader Pratap Singh Bajwa, to expose the anti-democratic face of the Aam Aadmi Party and hold it accountable before the people. The Congress leaders warned that such inflammatory statements not only promote violence, but also set a dangerous precedent for electoral malpractice in Punjab. They urged the authorities to act swiftly to safeguard democracy, law and order, and the constitutional values of free and fair elections. The Congress delegation cautioned that if the authorities fail to take immediate action on this matter, the party will be compelled to intensify its agitation at the state level to ensure accountability and protect democratic values in Punjab. Deadline for property tax Weather turns pleasant in city amid rain OTS scheme extended Tribune News Service Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 25 The deadline for the OneTime Settlement (OTS) scheme for property tax recovery has been extended again, now until August 31. This comes after an earlier extension from July 31 to August 15. According to officials, the scheme has seen a significant response, with over 9,000 first-time taxpayers coming forward. So far, the Municipal Corporation has recovered Rs 16 crore under the scheme — up from Rs 10 crore collected during the same period last year. Launched in May, the OTS scheme offers a major relief to tax defaulters by waiving the 20 per cent penalty and 18 per cent annual interest on outstanding dues from previous fiscal years. “This year, due to the scheme, we’ve seen a large number of first-time taxpayers,” said Superintendent Bhupinder Singh. To raise awareness about the scheme, the administration used SMS alerts, radio advertisements, and social media campaigns. “We have received a positive response, and are hopeful that more ~16 CR RECOVERED SO FAR The scheme has seen a significant response, with over 9,000 first-time taxpayers coming forward. So far, the Municipal Corporation has recovered Rs 16 crore under the scheme — up from Rs 10 crore collected during the same period last year. people will come forward in the next five days,” Singh added. The city has 1.85 lakh taxable properties, including both residential and commercial units. The total property tax recovery target for the financial year is Rs 75 crore. If the tax is not paid, property tax wing officials of the MC also take action against the defaulters. Under the procedure of tak- ing action against defaulters, inspectors of the property tax wing visit different areas to recover the tax. The defaulters who have not paid the tax are served a notice under Section 112 of the Municipal Corporation Act to which they have to file a reply within three days, failing which another notice of sealing the property is served under Section 138 of the Act. Jalandhar, August 25 A continuous downpour since Sunday morning brought down the day temperature in the city to as low as 26 degree Celsius, making the weather pleasant It started raining a day ago with heavy showers interspersed by mild drizzle. The rainfall did not stop even for a few minute continuing with heavy and light spells on Monday too. There, however, was not much waterlogging in the day today. But this brought down the temperature by at least eight notches since last week. Shops selling vadas, pakoras and samosas remained go-to points for the people savouring these with hot tea. Residents did not feel the need to switch on the air conditioners for the whole day on Monday in the offices or at homes. Bikers and scooterists had a tough time reaching out to their destinations. Attendance in schools remained low as it had been raining heavily between 7 am and 8 am. The day started late in some offices. Local residents and commuters have expressed frustration over the lack of effective drainage and timely maintenance. As rain continues for the second day in Jalandhar, temperatures came down significantly. SARABJIT SINGH Holiday in schools in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur Owing to incessant rain, DC, Jalandhar, Dr Himanshu Aggarwal ordered that all private and government, elementary and secondary schools of Jalandhar will remain closed on August 26. He has stated that the orders had been issued since there had been a forecast of more rain and students and teachers were finding it difficult to reach schools. He has asked District Education Officers (elementary and secondary) to ensure that the orders are followed. District Magistrate Ashika Jain has also declared holiday on August 26 and 27 in all government and private schools of the district. Due to continuous rain, many roads leading to schools are flooded, creating difficulties in commuting for students and the staff. WOMAN DIES IN TALWARA HOUSE COLLAPSE Talwara (Hoshiarpur) A 50-year-old woman died as a kutcha house collapsed at Purana Bhangala in Mukerian due to heavy rain. Receiving the information, a police party immediately reached the spot. The deceased woman was identified as Kailasho Devi (50), wife of Som Raj, a resident of Purana Bhangala. The body of the deceased has been kept in the mortuary of Civil Hospital, Mukerian. — OC One of accused, who shot at doc, arrested Rishi takes over as MC Commissioner 2 still on the run Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 25 A Commissionerate Police team has arrested one of the three accused involved in firing at a nephrologist from Kidney Hospital while he was coming out of More Super Market Store, Urban Estate, Phase-2, after some shopping last week. Commissioner of Police Jalandhar Dhanpreet Kaur said that an FIR had been registered on August 19. Victim Dr Rahul Sood had reported that three unidentified persons attempted to attack him by opening fire in the parking lot of the market. They fled on a bike after the incident. The bike used in the crime helped the police track the case. The CP Jalandhar had constituted a team under the direct supervision of Man- preet Singh Dhillon (DCP Investigation), Jayant Puri (ADCP Investigation), Harinder Singh Gill (ADCP City-2), Paramjit Singh (ADCP), and Roopdeep Kaur (ACP Model Town) and the team led by in-charge, CIA staff, Surinder Kumar and Baljinder Singh. During the investigation, with the help of CCTV cameras, technical assistance, and other resources, three individuals involved in the incident were c m y b identified. Among them, one accused, Satya Narayan, residing in Industrial Area was arrested by the police. He had fled to from Ayodhya from where he was brought back on Sunday. On Monday, he was produced before the local court. The accused has been remanded for seven days so that he can be interrogated and the remaining accused can be arrested soon. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 25 Sandeep Rishi assumed charge as the new Municipal Corporation Commissioner today. Addressing the media on his first day, the MC Commissioner acknowledged the key challenges facing the city, including cleanliness and sewerage issues Outlining his priorities, Sandeep Rishi emphasized the need to bring transparency and accounta- bility to the functioning of the corporation. He also said his priority was to ensure corruption-free services in departments like property tax and the building branch “Transparency and corruption-free governance will be my priority,” Rishi said. He also highlighted the importance of financial stability, stating that the corporation would work towards becoming self-sufficient to ensure smooth functioning of all departments, and efforts will be made towards the same. Rishi said solid waste management and sanitation would receive immediate attention.