05102025-LT-01.qxd 10/5/2025 12:35 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune SARAS MELA KICKS OFF; ART, CUISINE, CULTURE ON DISPLAY The Saras Mela was formally inaugurated by Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora on Saturday. P2 » HAMIDI FARMER TURNS ENTREPRENEUR PATTINSON FINDS PLAYING ‘NORMAL’ CHALLENGING In Hamidi village, a transformation driven bypower of knowledge and institutional support is taking shape.P3 Actor Robert Pattinson opens up about shifting from ‘freak’ roles to everyday characters in new film. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.03 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:18 AM SUNDAY | 5 OCTOBER 2025 | LUDHIANA Assn flags use of fake experience letters to get licence for cracker sale Seeks scrutiny from DC, top cop; Over 1,500 applicants applied for licence Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 4 The Ludhiana Wholesale Fireworks Association has flagged the issue of use of fake work experience letters being submitted by applicants to get the wholesale fireworks licence. Association members flagged the issue before Deputy Commissioner (DC) Himanshu Jain and Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma and urged them to ensure that application for the crackers licence should be thoroughly checked so that inexperienced people might not be able to get the licence by resorting to corrupt practices. Interestingly, this year, the number of applications to secure the fireworks licence has surpassed 1,500. The police and the district administration will allot shops at six sites, including the main Dana Mandi in Salem Tabri, Hambran road, Model Town Extension, Chandigarh road in Sector 32, Lodhi Club road and the Dugri 200-ft road. Draw of lots will be organised on Octo- A site for wholesale cracker market at Dana Mandi. INDERJEET VERMA ber 11 at Bachat Bhawan. Ashok Thapar from the association said even in the application form, three years’ experience in crackers trade was mandatory to get the licence, else application would be rejected and Rs 4,700 application fee would also be forfeited. “Our concern is that people are going to shops in the market and secretly getting letterheads of firms and getting fake certificates created on their own, which could not be verified. Some are even buying experience certificates from old firework dealers by paying a required fee. Hence, we demand that three-year-old fireworks licences be made mandatory, instead of experience certificates, which could be forged,” Thapar said. Thapar said though the authorities have categorically cleared that the applicants should not have any criminal background, there are reports that some people having criminal history too have applied for the same. Minister reviews works on four bridges over Sidhwan Canal Ludhiana, October 4 Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bitty on Saturday reviewed works of all bridges over the Sidhwan Canal. He announced that two of the bridges will be opened within a week while the work of the other two was expedited and these will be thrown open to the public soon. The four steel truss bridges under construction over the Sidhwan Canal in South City here aims to relieve traffic congestion. The project, overseen by the NHAI , has missed its April 2025 deadline but is making progress, with some prefabricated Says two of them will be inaugurated within week Minister Ravneet Bittu reviews the works of the bridges in Ludhiana. structures installed. Located near F2 Raceway and Barewal, the bridges will allow for smoother U-turns and are part of a larger infrastructure initiative to improve traffic flow in the increasingly busy area. — TNS “The authorities should scrutinise the applications properly and if anyone attached any forged document or hide information about criminal background to mislead the police, licence should not be issued and immediate legal action should be taken against the person,” he said. Vishal Sharma Shelly, another member of the association, said availing licence to sell crackers means one had to deal with explosives and any negligence by inexperienced traders might cause major tragedy in the wholesale market. He said: “Some people acquire licences in the names of their spouses, children or relatives and our demand was that if the relative did not resides in the city, the licence should not be issued. Hence, the scrutiny of files should be done meticulously so that only genuine traders could be given the licence. “We are fully confident that the CP and the DC, or if they involve two experienced firecracker traders in the process, would be able to perform the scrutiny effectively. Mayor kick-starts projects worth ~24.71 crore Ludhiana, October 4 Moving forward under the World Bank-funded canalbased water supply project, Mayor Inderjit Kaur and Chairman of cooperative sugar mill, Budhewal, Jorawar Singh kickstarted projects worth around Rs 24.71 crore for the construction of four overhead water reservoirs and installation of associated pipeline on Saturday. The four overhead water reservoirs would be constructed in BSUP flats, Ram Nagar; Focal Point area; Jeevan Nagar and Durga Colony in Dhandari. While the water reservoirs would be constructed at a cost of around Rs 14.16 crore, the associated water supply pipeline would be installed at a cost of around Rs 10.55 crore. — TNS Visually challenged students want more financial support from govt Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 4 One can imagine what it means for Nakul (not his real name) to reach the college every day without eyesight. He has still been persisting with his studies along with other normal students. It is not just the studies that are challenging for him, every moment during the day is a difficult task. Nakul is one of several such visually challenged students who are trying to persevere against all odds and continuing their studies. The government pays a monthly scholarship of Rs 1,500 to help them in their studies. But the amount is too small as compared to expenses involved. For them, even commuting to different colleges involves substantial money, as they have to hire vehicles such as three- Govt pays a monthly scholarship of ~1,500 to help them in their studies wheelers. Nakul said: ”My mother is a domestic helper who works in houses while the younger brother works at a factory. Daily, I shell out Rs 70-80 to reach SCD Government College here. We also have to hire writers during exams and they take Rs 500 per paper. In graduation, we have five subjects. However, I am trying to be a graduate and do something more, if circumstances remain favourable,” he said. The Tribune reached out to Nakul and other such students who wanted some more financial assistance from the government. Most of them come from ordinary families who hardly make both ends meet. Supporting their studies financially is a tough task for their families. Another student said they study in regular classes. Unlike normal students, they could not take notes. They have to depend on their memory. Whatever they can retain in their mind, gets stored, the rest gets fade away. “While we are grateful to the government for the Rs 1,500 monthly scholarship, if it could be enhanced, it could make our studies easier,” the student told the correspodent, adding that “we don’t seek it as a matter of right but a special favour from the government”. One of the teachers said these students were as hardworking as others, if not more. He maintained that despite the disadvantage of not being able to see, they still try to cope with the situation. He said the government could come forward with extra financial support as there were not many such students. The students said in some other parts of the country, visually challenged students are provided with audio help, such as audio cassettes in earlier times. Now with technology having improved a lot, the students can be helped through various mobile apps, the teacher said, adding, that again the same would need extra expenses which none of them could afford. It would not require any huge amount for the government to help such unfortunate students to study better and do good in their lives. Any effort made by the government or anybody else to help these students means a lot to them. c m y b Aide of foreign-based gangsters caught after encounter, cops shot him in legs Targeted killing averted, suspect was key shooter in Kartik Baggan murder case inspector revealed that further questioning would shed light on everything. Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma said it was a joint operation of the AGTF and Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, which led to the arrest of Vicky Nihang, wanted in the Kartik Baggan murder case. Police teams were already after the suspect. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 4 In a major breakthrough, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Punjab, arrested a notorious gangster, Gurpreet Singh, alias Vicky Nihang, a key associate of fugitive foreign-based gangsters Doni Bal and Munn Ghanshampuria after a brief exchange of fire near Sidhwan Bet on Saturday afternoon. The suspect fired two shots at the police and fortunately the bullets hit the front glass of Mahindra Bolero, the police vehicle, and in retaliation, the police officials also fired three shots, which hit both legs of the suspect. He is wanted in the murder of social media influencer Kartik Baggan, in which he was one of the key shooters on August 23. Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had a criminal history and was earlier arrested with two illegal foreign-made pistols in January at SAS Nagar. The arrested man and his associates were directed by their foreign-based handlers to carry out sensational killings in Cops at the scene where the gangster was caught after a brief encounter near Sidhwan Bet in Ludhiana on Saturday. the state, which had been averted with his arrest. The police recovered one pistol with four cartridges. “The Punjab Police reaffirm their unwavering commitment to dismantling organised crime networks and ensuring the safety and security of citizens. Further investigation was on to bust the entire network of gangsters,” the DGP said. Inspector Vikramjit Singh, in-charge, AGTF Ludhiana , Range, told The Tribune that the police had got a tip-off that Vicky Nihang was heading towards Jagraon from Sidhwan Bet on a motorcycle. He was reportedly given the task of a targeted killing by foreignbased gangsters Doni and to avert the killing, the police had laid a trap. After intercepting the motorcycle when the police team were chasing the suspect, the latter in a bid to flee fell from his motorcycle as it skidded off the road. “Instead of surrendering, the suspect started firing at the police and fortunately the bullet hit the glass of the police vehicle and in selfdefence we also fired three shots which injured both his legs. Vicky was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Jagraon, for treatment and he is said to be out of danger,” he said. Inspector Vikramjit said the suspect had also harboured many associates of fugitives after they committed killings in the Majha area. When asked about the person whom Vicky was going to target at the behest of the foreign-based gangsters, the I killed Kartik as he assaulted my friend: Vicky Nihang About the killing of Kartik Baggan, Vicky Nihang who is one of the key shooters, told the police that Kartik had once attacked his friend Sam, which maligned the name of their gang. To take revenge, he, along with his aides, shot dead Kartik and he has no remorse of it. Notably, the Ludhiana police had recently arrested three suspects in the Kartik Baggan murder case, namely Amandeep Singh, alias Sam, Gurvinder Singh, alias Gautam, and Sahil. Sahil was arrested from the city while other two were arrested from Maharashtra by the Ludhiana police team. After the murder, the suspects had been hiding at their whereabouts in Delhi, UP , Maharashtra, etc.