22032026-JTR-01.qxd 3/21/2026 10:57 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune HERITAGE FAIR KICKS OFF IN KAPURTHALA The Heritage Fair 2026 commenced with pomp and show at Guru Nanak Stadium in Kapurthala. P2 » CONGRESS, AAP LEADERS JOIN EID CELEBRATIONS NIKITA’S NAZDEEKIYAN WITH KARAN JOHAR Cong MP Charanjit S Channi & other political leaders attended Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the Eidgah on the Gulab Devi road.P3 Nikita will headline series Nazdeekiyan, marking her first collaboration with digital content arm backed by Karan. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 25°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 12°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.40 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6.28 AM SUNDAY | 22 MARCH 2026 | JALANDHAR Police crack down on modified bike silencers 50 challaned for various traffic violations COUPLE BOOKED FOR CHEATING Shahkot: The police have booked a couple on the charge of cheating and criminal conspiracy. Investigating Officer (IO) Sukhwindar Singh said the accused were identified as Vishal Singla of Rajasthan and his wife Seema Singla. Goldi Gupta of Shahkot complained to the police that he had appointed the accused as his power of attorney which was cancelled. Gupta said the accused used his cancelled attorney and got properties registered on the name of Seema Singla and cheated him. OC ONE ARRESTED UNDER NDPS ACT Shahkot: The police have arrested an individual on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. Investigating Officer (IO) Jagtar Singh said 15 intoxicating tablets (loose) were recovered from the possession of the accused, identified as Sandip Singh, a resident of Daulatpur Dhadda village. The IO said a case was registered against accused. OC PO WANTED IN THREE CASES HELD Nakodar: The police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding since past one year. Investigating officer (IO) Rajindar Pal Singh said the accused was identified as Balveer Singh, alias Bira, of Kanganna village. The accused was wanted in three cases of drug peddling, robbery and theft. OC Tribune News Service A policeman crushes silencers under a road roller in Phagwara. that their children do not indulge in unlawful practices. Allowing minors or young riders to use modified vehicles can have serious legal and safety implications,” she said. DSP Bharat Bhushan also reiterated that strict action would continue against violators while emphasizing that noise pollution was not only a nuisance, but also a serious public concern affecting health and safety. The campaign also includes sensitisation efforts in schools to educate students about the harmful effects of noise pollution and importance of responsible driving. — OC Jalandhar, March 21 Educators from the ETT, Masters and Lecturer cadres on Saturday staged a massive statewide protest at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall on Saturday, sharply escalating their agitation against what they described as “antiteacher” policies of the state government. The teachers had a face-off with the police when they announced their march towards the house of Punjab minister Mohinder Bhagat in Urban Estate. A heavy posse of the police was deployed outside the venue. The police buses were parked right across the road which did not just stop the movement of protesting teachers, but also the general traffic at the busy intersection of BMC Chowk and Namdev Chowk. The road remained blocked in the afternoon for more than one hour and fifty minutes. The demonstration organised under the banner of the Sikhya Vibhag Sangharsh Committee Punjab (Education Department Struggle Committee) witnessed participation of the Elementary Teachers Union, Master Cadres Union, Lecturer Cadres Union and Ministerial Staff Association. At the centre of the protest was a strong opposition to the imposition of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) condition on in service teachers. Protesters termed it unjust, humiliating and harm to dignity of the Teachers protest under the banner of the Sikhya Vibhag Sangharsh Committee Punjab in Jalandhar. competence of experienced educators. They said the move undermines decades of service, calling it an “insult to service record and merit earned over years”, and demanded its immediate withdrawal. Alongside this, the unions raised a sharp list of demands including immediate implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, release of the long pending 16 per cent dearness allowance, restoration of rural, border and disability allowances and correction of anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission. They also demanded early rollout of the Seventh Pay Commission and regularisation of contractual employees with full service benefits. Teachers further highlighted what they called a deepening crisis in the education sys- tem due to prolonged administrative neglect. They pointed to stalled promotions, nonpayment of allowances and increasing non-teaching assignments being imposed on staff including election duties and extensive online administrative work. According to them, these responsibilities were pulling educators away from classrooms and weakening the quality of school education. Raising slogans and holding placards, the protesters accused the government of pushing policies that were not only financially unjust, but also systematically eroding the dignity, morale and professional autonomy of teachers across the state. The situation escalated after the protest, when participants attempted to march towards the residence of Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat. The police intervention at BMC Chowk led to a tense face off, following which the protesters staged a sit-in, blocking the busy intersection from around 2.30 pm to nearly 4 pm, severely disrupting traffic movement in the area. Harbans Lal, district head of the Master Cadres Teachers Union said, “The march was stopped after the police cited traffic disruption concerns, forcing the protesters to hold their sit-in on the spot.” He added that union leaders were subsequently informed of a meeting with Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains scheduled for March 30 at 11.30 am in Chandigarh, prompting protesters to finally call off their demonstration. Heroin,opiumrecovered in K’thala, three arrested Our Correpondent Phagwara, March 21 A series of incidents involving narcotics recovery have been reported in Kapurthala district. In the first case, a man was apprehended near Dr Ambedkar Park in Hadiabad after the police recovered heroin and drug money him. The accused was identified as Daljit Singh, alias Raja, a resident of Kotli Khakhian village in Jalandhar district, who was presently residing in Hadiabad, Phagwara. Acting on suspicion, a police team noticed the accused standing near the park wall. On seeing the police party, he attempted to flee, but was overpowered. During search, 15 grams of heroin and Rs 3,500 drug money were recovered from his possession. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora said in another case, two individuals, identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Jassa, a resident of Samrai village, and Gurvinder Singh, a resident of Kaitha village, Hoshiarpur district, were arrested at naka near Goindwal Bridge under the Talwandi Chaudhrian police station. The accused were riding a motorcycle when they were stopped for checking. During search 60 grams of opium was recovered from the meter compartment of the vehicle which the accused were riding. The police registered separate cases under the NDPS Act and the BNS and initiated probes. Garbage strewn on Partap Bagh road irks residents Anti-encroachmentdrive Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 21 As Safai Karamcharis of the Municipal Corporation (MC) are on strike for the last two days, garbage is lying strewn on city roads. The worst affected are the areas of Partap Bagh and Fish Market where instead of dumping waste at designated sites, an attempt has been made to spread it on the road, inconveniencing public and prompting civic body officials for initiating talks with protesters. Waste has not been lifted from any main sites including BMC Chowk, Jyoti Chowk, Vikaspuri and other areas in the city. Safai Karamcharis led by their union general secre- Garbage piled up on a road in the Partap Bagh area of Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH tary Sunny Sahota have been demanding that the record of 10 “ghost” helpers deployed with drivers of automated waste vehicles be made public. They have been alleging that there are no such helpers deployed and their salaries are being siphoned off. They have reportedly also threatened to gherao the office of senior MC officials on Monday. All councillors are upset over Safai Karamcharis resorting to spilling waste on city roads and causing a huge inconvenience to the general public, that too at a time when religious festivals like Eid and Navratris are being celebrated. Municipal Corporation officials are wary since Ram Navami is around, Safai Karamcharis have to be convinced to resume work at the earliest. Balbir Singh Bittu, Senior Deputy Mayor, said he was in touch with Mayor Vaneet Dhir regarding the issue. He said appropriate action would be taken to resolve it at the earliest. in Nakodar, Nurmahal Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 21 The police on Saturday, as per the instructions of Jalandhar SSP (Rural) Harvinder Singh Virk carried out an intensive drive against encroachments in Nakodar and Nurmahal to solve the issue of frequent traffic snarls in the area. The drives were carried out to rid Nakodar and Nurmahal of encroachments and ensure smoother movement of traffic through markets. The drive was carried out under the supervision of Nakodar subdivision DSP Onkar Singh Brar and the SHO Sadar. Heavy police force was deployed to remove goods kept by shopkeepers outside their establishments and street vendors in all big/small markets of Nakodar and Nurmahal. The drive aimed against traders and vendors who were illegally occupying roads/paths by keeping excess goods. Officials went to each shop and appealed to shopkeepers to remove encroachments. They also warned them to refrain from the practice in future. Officials said in Nakodar and Nurmahal, students faced difficulties while going to their schools and colleges as they there were frequent traffic jams. Shoppers too faced inconvenience as they was little space left for movement due to encroachments in markets, they said. Robbery case cracked, Iron bars installed on road in Kalia Colony removed one arrested with cash Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 21 In a swift and coordinated operation, the police successfully solved a robbery case within 24 hours, arresting the accused and recovering stolen cash along with the motorcycle used in the crime. The incident came to light following a complaint lodged by Shakeel Ali, who reported that an unidentified person forcibly snatched Rs 11,000 in cash and fled. Acting promptly, the police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched an investigation. Superintendent of Police (SP) Madhvi said a special team was constituted to track down the accused. Utilising technical surveillance, local intelligence and field-level inputs, the police identified and apprehended the accused within a day, the SP said. The accused was identified as Paramjeet Singh, a resident of Dhak Pandri village (Phagwara). The police recovered the entire amount and seized motorcycle used in crime by the accused. Jalandhar, March 21 The installation of iron bars in middle of a road near Gauri Shankar Mandir in Kalia Colony had become a huge issue in the locality. The bars were installed by residents who felt that the road was being used as a thoroughfare by speeding vehicles to take an exit towards the National Highway No. 1. The bars, which were installed just three days ago, were removed by a group of residents from the same area on Saturday. Sushil Sharma, BJP district president, said, “The residents of Kalia Colony, Guru Amardass Nagar and at least 30 other big and c m y b TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH INBRIEF Educators stage protest over TET condition, payment delays TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Phagwara, March 21 The Phagwara traffic police have intensified their campaign against the use of illegal modified silencers on Bullet motorcycles, issuing a stern warning to young riders as well as their parents to desist from practice that disturbs public peace and violates traffic norms. The special drive, led by traffic police in-charge Inspector Aman Kumar Daveshwar under the supervision of Phagwara DSP Bharat Bhushan was carried out at key points across the city, including Hargobind Chowk, the bus stand area, Vishal Mega Mart and Banga Road, where nakas were set up to check motorcycles fitted with high-decibel “cracker” silencers. In a strong enforcement action, 25 such modified silencers were removed from vehicles and crushed under a road roller to prevent their reuse. Police teams also cautioned local mechanics against making illegal alterations to vehicle exhaust systems, warning of strict legal action in case of violations. During the campaign, 50 challans were issued for various traffic offences, and two motorcycles impounded for serious violations. Superintendent of Police Madhvi Sharma, while speaking to the media, stressed that the drive not only aimed at law enforcement, but also at creating awareness. She said many school-going children were involved in such activities. She appealed to their parents to take responsibility for their wards. “Parents must ensure BMC Chowk blocked as teachers march towards minister’s house Iron bars installed in middle of the road at Kalia Colony in Jalandhar were removed on Saturday. small localities in vicinity had been using road in front of the Verka Milk Plant as the entry point and the Gauri Shankar Mandir road as the exit point for going towards Jalandhar city. The localities fall near Amritsar bypass on the outer side of the city.” Sharma said residents from the area near Gauri Shankar Mandir wanted the people to use the Verka Milk Plant road as an entry as well as exit point which could not be enforced. “It is a public road and no one has the right to raise any obstruction in middle of it. While two-wheelers could pass, car drivers had to take a longer detour back towards the Verka Milk Plant road which often remains congested. There are several people, who organise religious events at the temple, including on solemn death occasions. By installing iron bars, we cannot stop entry of these vehicles,” he said. — TNS