19092025-JTR-01.qxd 9/18/2025 10:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune FARMERS PERMITTED TO REMOVE SAND, SILT : DC HARBHAJAN, OLYMPIANS STEP IN TO AID FLOOD-HIT STATE ARYAN KHAN’S THE BA***DS OF BOLLYWOOD DROPS ON NETFLIX The initiative aims to help farmers prepare their land for the upcoming sowing season. P2 Harbhajan Singh has been interacting with locals to understand their problems and difficulties. P3 Aryan’s larger-than-life drama on the inner workings of Bollywood takes the ‘nepo kid’ charge head on. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.28 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:14 AM » FRIDAY | 19 SEPTEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF TWO ARRESTED WITH HEROIN Phagwara: The police have arrested two men in separate operations under the NDPS Act after recovering heroin from them. In the first case, the police apprehended Ajay of Dasuya, who was riding a motorcycle. A search led to the recovery of 15 gram of heroin from him. In another operation, police arrested Ranjan Gupta of Hadiabad. The arrest took place near Manawali Gate when the suspect attempted to evade a police patrol. During the chase, he discarded a black polythene packet into nearby bushes. The packet was found to contain 7 gram of heroin. OC PROTEST AFTER MAN'S DEATH EC official: Homeless voters listed at non-existent address After slow start, 442 MT paddy arrives in mandis No shelterless in Defence Colony, 15 voters also without any house no. : Cong 93 MT crop purchased so far Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 18 Following report about a nonexistent house no. zero in Defence Colony as per the ECI voter list that appeared in Jalandhar Tribune on September 17, claims and counter-claims continue to surface from Congress leaders as well as election officials. It had been reported that Punjab Youth Congress secretary Angad Dutta, who is a resident of Defence Colony, had claimed that seven bogus voters had been listed as residents of house no. 0 in his colony. He had downloaded the voter list of his colony from the portal and was unable to verify any of them as being voters from his area. He had also pointed out that there was no house no. zero in his colony. Election Tehsildar Sukhdev Singh, however, argued that it was wrong to say that these were seven bogus voters. “They would have been homeless people in that locality living outside some temple or other shelter. If we do not put any house number for that voter, software notionally reports such voters in house no. zero. These are not bogus voters as has been alleged and that Phagwara: Tension gripped Phagwara after the death of young man Dev, who was fatally hit by a car in the Urban Estate area. Dissatisfied with the police response, the victim's family and supporters staged a protest outside the city police station. Family members alleged that although the police had traced the car involved in the accident, it was not brought to the station, nor was the driver arrested. The protesters demanded immediate seizure of the vehicle and the arrest of the driver. Following police assurance, they called off their protest. OC FIVE HELD FOR MURDER PLOT Phagwara: The police have arrested five persons, including history-sheeter Jitender Kumar, alias Sonu, in connection with a conspiracy to commit murder. The arrests were made under the directions of SSP, Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora, as part of an intensified crackdown on anti-social elements. A case was registered against Jitender Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Ravi Walia, Gagan Kumar, and Armanpreet. They were apprehended with a car and sharp-edged weapons. OC LAWYERS STAY AWAY FROM WORK Phagwara: Lawyers in Phagwara on Thursday abstained from work as the District Bar Association, Kapurthala, observed a strike in solidarity with the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association, Chandigarh. The strike call was givenfollowing an appeal from the HC Bar Association after an incident involving allegations of misconduct, assault, intimidation with a weapon, and objectionable social media posts against its office-bearers. oc ENCROACHMENTS REMOVED Jalandhar: The MC, Jalandhar, conducted a special antiencroachment drive from Alaska Chowk to Ladowali Road. The operation was carried out in collaboration with the Traffic Police and was supervised by Superintendent Amit Kalia, along with Inspector Ashwani Nahar and the Tehbazari team. TNS their identity can be checked from the files of these voters with the booth level officers”, he said. Dutta argues, “I have been living in this colony for many years. I have not seen any shelterless people putting up here. Even if there are any homeless, their address has been mentioned as MC House (night shelter of MC) or back of a temple or front of a hospital or any such indication. There are 15 such voters listed in Defence Colony without a house number (he showed the lists). So why were only seven voters put under house no. 0 and not the remaining 15. There certainly is a huge discrepancy”. The election tehsildar has appealed to all political par- ties to appoint block level agents (BLAs) as suggested by the ECI. “If all parties have their BLAs working in coordination with us round the year, things would be easier for us and we would be in a better position to explain our point to them. We too want that they should all keep on contacting us for any addition, deletion, objection or required revision of voter lists. They only get active when elections are around and start to cry foul”, he said. Congress leaders, however, have said they have been issued directions by the high command to appoint BLAs at the earliest and assign them duties. The Congress has been raking the issue of ‘vote chori’ ever since Rahul Gandhi had pointed to mass discrepancies in voter list of Bengaluru. He levelled the charges against Chief Election Commissioner even today. Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune news Service Jalandhar, September 18 After two days of inactivity, paddy procurement finally picked up in Jalandhar mandis on the third day of the season. A total arrival of 442 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy was recorded, out of which 93 MT was purchased. However, proper arrival is expected to start in the coming days. The activity resumed at the main grain market with the arrival of a few tractors and a handful of farmers could be seen present. The sluggish start to the season has been attributed largely to weatherrelated delays. Avtar Singh, a farmer from Mirpur village in Kartarpur, expressed, “I’ve come with the hope that my grains will be dry enough for procurement. It rained heavily this time, so the final word will come after an arhtiya checks the condition of the paddy,” he said. He also mentioned that some farmers were facing quality issues due to the recent rain. During the previous procurement season, the district had recorded a total procurement of 10,82,253 MT of paddy. To ensure smooth operations this year, the Deputy Commissioner had directed all departments and procurement agencies to maintain transparency and efficiency throughout the process. The DC said 79 mandis across the district have been equipped with essential facilities, including drinking water, electricity, lighting, sanitation, and toilets. He urged farmers to bring their produce only after properly drying it to meet the required standards, ensuring that the procurement process proceeds without delays. Minister reviews strengthening of dhussi bundh Army, SDRF, working round the clock Tribune News Service Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat and Mayor Vaneet Dhir lay the foundation stone for new road projects. Avtar Nagar to get two new roads Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 18 Minister Mohinder Bhagat and Mayor Vaneet Dhir on Thursday laid the foundation stone for new road projects in New Avatar Nagar Colony, Ward No. 47, at a cost of Rs 75 lakh. Accompanied by local councillor Manmeet Kaur, the minister said the projects would address a long-pending demand of residents and shopkeepers, significantly easing commuting in the area. Bhagat said, “There is no shortage of funds. Projects to improve basic amenities are being inaugurated every day to ensure better facilities for people”. The minister added that more road projects will be rolled out to further expand the city’s road network. He directed officials to ensure strict quality checks and timely completion of the projects, warning that any compromise in construction standards would invite strict action against erring officials or contractors. Meanwhile, Vaneet Dhir said the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation will launch more projects in the coming days. He mentioned that these projects will give a massive infrastructural push to city development. Residents of Avtar Nagar expressed gratitude to the minister, stating that the new roads would not only improve connectivity but also enhance convenience for the entire locality. Cash, ornaments stolen from widow’s house Phagwara, September 18 A widow living alone in Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Bhawda, was allegedly targeted by two burglars last night. According to the police, complainant Kuldeep Kaur reported that the burglars were said to have broken the lock on the main door and entered the house while she was asleep. They allegedly woke the complainant and removed gold earrings from her ears before proceeding to break open a safe in a steel almirah. They report- edly decamped with Rs 40,000, a gold bangle, a gold chain, and a ring. The complainant also stated that the burglars were armed with knives. Police sources confirmed that the complainant’s husband had passed away two years ago and her son is currently residing in the United States, leaving her alone at the residence. A case has been registered under for house-breaking and theft against unidentified persons. — OC Jalandhar, September 18 Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Thursday visited Mandala Chhana village to review the strengthening work of the vulnerable dhussi bundh. The work is being carried out by the Drainage Department with the support of hundreds of volunteers, and Army personnel. Accompained by MP Balbir Singh Seechewal and Additional Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh, the minister visited the site and lauded the efforts of all those working hard to secure this crucial embankment along the Sutlej. Even though the water inflow is less, the river current was high and it was constantly hitting and eroding the bundh that the volunteers have been building for the past few days. The officials suspect that the sudden flow of water towards the bundh could be because of use of machinery in Ferozepur on the opposite banks of the river. Congress MLA Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia said even as the flow of water was just about 25,000 cusecs, the river water had been percolating from across the bundh. The villagers have also deployed pumps to throw back this water into the river. Minister Goyal told the teams that there is no shortage of resources for this vital task, as the government has already taken all necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of materials and Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal at village Mandala Chhanna to review the strengthening of the vulnerable dhussi bundh along the Satluj in Jalandhar on Thursday. manpower. He appreciated the relentless efforts of the administration and Army, SDRF while particularly lauding the spirit of volunteers who have joined hands to protect the region from a potential flood-like situation. He also said that the strengthening work would further be carried out once water level was receded here. From mud to hopeWidow’s silent struggle after deluge Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Sultanpur Lodhi, September 18 With frail hands, sweat on her forehead and tears in her eyes, 65-year-old widow Bakshish Kaur digs through the thick layer of silt that has buried what little she owned - fragments of a life-long marked by hardships. The recent floods that ravaged Baupur village did not spare her either. Her modest two-room house, given to her by the village sarpanch as she could not afford on her own, now has mud and silt all around. Rebuilding for her seems a long and painful road ahead. A month after the floods struck, she returned to a home recently. At the time of the disaster, Bakshish had already left as was advised by the sarpanch and was staying with her daughter in a nearby village in Sultanpur Lodhi. Now back, she sifts through and pulled out torn piece of a suit from the muck. She murmurs to herself in, “Oh ho, eh vi kharab ho gaya” (Oh no, even this is ruined). The actual path to her home c m y b Bakshish Kaur looks at muddy belongings in her house at Baupur. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH is still blocked due to stagnant water. With no other way, she had to break through the back wall just to enter. “After I got inside, I found the entire house filled with silt,” she says. Navigating through it is exhausting, yet she has been doing so tirelessly for the past three days. The Tribune tetam also entered her home by through the broken wall. Inside, the scene was grim — thick silt covered every inch of the floor, and naked electricity wire dangled dangerously, posing a threat to anyone stepping in. Electricity in her house has been restored. Inside the two cramped rooms are a rusted fridge, a folding bed, a single blanket, and a few damaged utensils — all that remains of her possessions. “I’m afraid to go in. There might be snakes or poisonous insects,” she says, her voice trembling with fear and fatigue. Since she returns, she has been sleeping in the village gurdwara. “My children were small when my husband died. I worked as a daily wager to raise them. Now my sons are daily wagers too. We don’t have much, and now this flood has thrown another task,” she says, eyes scanning the muddy floor for her other belongings. Her sons, she shares, have gone out working to earn for the family. While talking, she finds a slipper buried under the mud. She sighs, picks it up gently, and says, “Bass hun eh safai kar laiye, ghar rehn laayak ho jaaye” (Let me just finish this cleaning… so the house can be livable again). Across Punjab, there are many like Bakshish Kaur who are silent survivors of nature’s fury. SDM, Sultanpur Lodhi, Alka Kalia also stated that the Rural Development and Panchayat Department has been directed to identify roads and homes requiring silt removal. “Assistance will be provided to residents for the removal of silt,” she added.