29042026-JTR-01.qxd 4/29/2026 12:07 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune SEED BANKS HELP FLOOD-HIT FARMERS RESTORE PRODUCTIVITY POOR STREETLIGHT INFRA RAISES CONCERNS IN GARHSHANKAR DOSANJH SET TO RETURN TO FALLON’S THE TONIGHT SHOW The Community Seed Bank initiative has yielded encouraging outcomes in flood-affected Punjab villages. P2 A visit to the stretch reveals multiple hazards on the divider, where streetlight poles stand in a deteriorated state. P3 Actor Diljit Dosanjh is set to return to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, two years after debut appearance. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.05 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:44 AM » WEDNESDAY | 29 APRIL 2026 | JALANDHAR Sisodia to hold key meeting with AAP MLAs, leaders in city today To focus on discipline, restructuring and cadre morale after the exit of 7 MPs Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 “‘No ifs and buts, only work’, this sums up the working style of Manish Sisodia and the ante has been raised after the exit of the seven MPs from AAP said a senior leader of ,” the Aam Aadmi Party. All eyes are on AAP’s mega meeting with party observers and MLAs at a private university in Jalandhar on Wednesday. The first organisational meeting of AAP after the exit of seven MPs, party leaders said the Wednesday meet, to be addressed by Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia and state president Aman Arora, is expected to be a morale booster. Party leaders said the meeting will focus on organisational restructuring, strengthening of party machinery, motivation of cadres and a review of various grassroots development programmes. Following the departure of Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha and five other MPs to the BJP Sisodia’s approach , has been marked by stricter and more hands-on monitoring of Punjab’s development modules, with little tolerance for under-performance. “There is no room for ‘ifs and buts’ anymore,” a party functionary Crackdown on illegal mining, 5 tippers, Poclain seized Our Correspondent Garhshankar, April 28 In a significant action against illegal mining, a joint team of the police and the Mining Department, Garhshankar, conducted a late-night raid at an unauthorised stone crusher unit operating at village Kuneil. The raid was led by SDOcum-Mining Officer Harkanwal Singh, who said the action was carried out following reports of illegal mining activities at the site. During the operation, the team seized five tippers, a DG set and a Poclain machine allegedly being used for unauthorised extraction. Officials stated that the stone crusher unit was operating without proper permissions and was involved in illegal mining in the Shivalik region. The seized vehicles and machinery have been taken into custody as part of the enforcement action. A junior engineer from the Mining Department confirmed that a communication has been sent to the SHO, Garhshankar, recommending registration of an FIR in the matter. 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. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP Punjab convener Manish Sisodia at a meeting at the CT Group of Institutions in Jalandhar. FILE FUN AND GAMES FOR PARTICIPANTS ■ The meeting will see some fun, ■ While Manish Sisodia and games and activities to lighten up the mood. ■ The meeting will begin at 10 am and a first inaugural session will be followed by physical and mental exercises, including meditative, breathing game sessions, etc. Punjab AAP president Aman Arora will preside over the meet at the university, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and state CM Bhagwant Mann will join via video-conference. ■ The entire proceedings of the day are expected to continue ■ Besides, a huge poster said. The meeting is also aimed to gauge the mood within the cadres after the unceremonious exit of the MPs. An auditorium with a capacity of 2,000 seats has been readied at a Jalandhar university’s campus for the mega meet and 1,200 leaders and workers are expected to attend the meeting. This is the second meeting of AAP at the same university within a fortnight. The last one, dubbed a high-stakes “volun- until 5 pm in the evening. “Volunteer Milni” has also been set up at the 2,000-seat auditorium of the CT Group of Institutions in Jalandhar. ■ A party leader said, “There will be sessions of ‘Tug of War’ and ‘Passing the Ring’.” tary meeting” presided over by the CM and Manish Sisodia on April 15, too, had involved an administrative audit. A senior party leader said, “Most chairmen of various bodies and organisational office-bearers under AAP were appointed by Sandeep Pathak. The high command is closely observing the activities of all leaders. Ever since Sisodia took up the party Punjab affairs charge, there was a significant shift in the working of modules which is being further galvanised, especially in wake of recent exits. We hold marathon meetings - one in the morning and another at 7 pm. Various wings like the Nasha Mukti Morcha Wing, Education Wing, etc. are the brain child of Sisodia. Wing incharges and observers directly work with DCs and administrative members and there are instructions to immediately address the grievances of people. Unlike his predecessor Pathak’s relativey easy going style, Sisodia doesn’t hold back from pulling up those not delivering.” Observers said with 117 constituencies in the state and 3 to 5 observers from each of the constituencies, all these observers from across state shall be present at the meeting. Veteran among two injured in attack Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 28 Two men, including an exserviceman, were seriously injured after three motorcycle-borne assailants attacked them with sharp-edged weapons in Akalgarh village near Phagwara. The injured have been identified as Jaswant Singh Fauji and Malkiat Singh. Both men were brought to a local hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Medical staff have initiated treatment and further updates on their condition are awaited. According to accounts cited in the report, the two men visited a gurdwara earlier in the day and were returning when the attack occurred. The incident reportedly took place when three assailants on a motorcycle intercepted them and launched a sudden assault, using sharp-edged weapons before fleeing the scene. The motive behind the attack has not yet been established. Family members and villagers gathered at the hospital expressed concern over the incident and demanded swift action against those responsible. Residents also alleged a delay in police response despite being informed promptly after the attack. Police officials have since begun an investigation to identify the attackers and verify the sequence of events. Further details are expected as the inquiry progresses. A bus collided with a trailer, leaving 10 persons injured. 10 injured as bus rams into parked trailer near Talwara Our Correspondent Talwara, April 28 At least 10 persons, including driver, were seriously injured after a private bus collided with a stationary trailer on the Talwara-Mukerian road near the ‘Jhir Da Khooh’ bus stop on Tuesday. The bus was reportedly carrying around 20 passengers at the time of the accident. According to witnesses, a trailer (RJ23GB7851) was going towards Hajipur after unloading goods in Talwara. A short distance before reaching Jhir Da Khooh, the trailer driver suddenly felt unwell. Acting prudently, he parked the vehicle on the roadside and went to rest inside it. Meanwhile, a private company bus (PB07BG0883), coming from the Talwara side, rammed into the parked trailer from behind. The Rain, thunderstorm bring brief relief Several leaders Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 Residents of Jalandhar got a brief respite from the intense heat as light rain and thunderstorm swept across the city on Tuesday morning, easing temperatures that had soared past 41°C over the past several days. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports, the maximum temperature on Tuesday stood at nearly 37 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was recorded at 26 degree Celsius. The partly cloudy skies accompanied by one or two spells of rain and thundershowers provided a momentary break from the relentless heat, though humidity levels remained high, keeping conditions uncomfortable and sultry. The IMD has issued a thunderstorm warning for the next two days, cautioning residents about strong winds and lightning. On April 29, similar conditions are expect- IMD warns of thunderstorm for two days; temperatures to rise from May 1 join AAP in city Tribune News Service Dark clouds hover over Jalandhar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH ed to persist, with temperatures ranging between 23 degree Celsius and 36 degree Celsius, accompanied by thundershowers. A thunderstorm with lightning warning also remains in place for April 30, when the mercury may climb to around 37°C. The respite, however, is likely to be short-lived. From May 1 onwards, skies are expected to clear, with mainly dry conditions forecast from May 2 to May 4. During this period, temperatures are likely to rise again to 37–38°C, with no weather warnings in effect. Jalandhar, April 28 An induction programme was held in Ward No. 6 here on Tuesday under the leadership of Nitin Kohli, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) incharge for the Jalandhar Central constituency, during which several local figures joined the Aam Aadmi Party along with their associates and family members. They are Rajwinder Singh (general secretary, SC Morcha), Nirmal Singh (senior leader) and Vijay Kumar (booth president) from the BJP; Dalbir Singh (vice-president) and Prabhjot Singh (vice-president, Jalandhar) from the Congress; and Sarabjit Singh Jhamat, Mohan Singh (ward president), Rajvir Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Karanpreet, Arshpreet, Kuldeep Singh, and Krishan Prakash (all members) from the BSP . Other key figures included social worker Charanjit Singh Minhas, Gurmukh Singh, Rajinder Singh, Gurbachan Singh, Jagdish Kumar, Happy, and Kamal Kamal, as well as youth leaders Harmanpreet Singh, Harsh Singh, Gurjit Singh, Gurpreet Singh Bhogal, Jatinder Kumar, Gurpreet Singh and Daman. Ward in-charge Trilok Singh Saran was also present at this ceremony. The leaders, who left their parties to join the Aam Aadmi Party, said whenever they approached Nitin Kohli regarding development work in their area, he never allowed political differences to stand in the way and always prioritised the public interest. Jalandhar gears up for first digital Census from tomorrow Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 Jalandhar is set to conduct its first digital Census, marking a major shift from traditional paper-based survey to a technology-driven population count. According to officials, nearly 2,200 personnel, including 1,700 enumerators and 500 supervisors and reserve staff, will be deployed in the city for the exercise, which will begin with a self-enumeration window from April 30. The Census will be carried out in three stages. The first phase centred on self-enu- meration, will run from April 30 to May 14, allowing residents to voluntarily submit their household details online. This will be followed by the house listing and housing verification phase from May 15 to June 14. The final stage, which is population enumeration, is scheduled from February 1 to 28 next year. Self enumeration portal opens from April 30 to May 14 Before enumerators begin door-to-door visits, residents will have the option to complete the process online through the official portal (se.census.gov.in) which will go live after 6 am on April 30 and remain accessible until May 14. Residents will need to log in to the portal, select their state, enter a captcha and proceed with registration. The head of the household or any authorised family member will provide their name and mobile number, which will be verified through a one-time password (OTP). Only one mobile number can be used per household and the name of the household head cannot be modified once submitted. Users will then select their preferred language, district c m y b and nearest landmark and mark their house location on a digital map. This will be followed by a 34-question form, covering details of housing conditions, assets and basic amenities. The system will flag incomplete fields to ensure accuracy. After reviewing the information, users can submit the form, following which an 11digit Self-Enumeration ID (SEID), starting with “H”, will be generated and sent through SMS and email. Residents have been advised to retain this ID, as it will be required in subsequent stages. From May 15, enumerators will begin visiting households to verify details. Residents who have completed self-enumeration can share their SEID, enabling officials to access and validate the submitted data quickly. In the final phase next year, enumerators will collect detailed demographic, social and economic data of each individual, including casterelated information. Additionally, the administration has constituted a dedicated outreach team to engage Jalandhar-based prominent personalities to generate awareness about the digital Census and encourage wider participation, particularly in the selfenumeration phase. Sumandeep Kaur, City Census Officer-cum-Joint Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, said, “Around 2,200 personnel will be deployed to carry out the digital Census in Jalandhar city. The self-enumeration portal will go live on April 30.” impact was so severe that the front portion of the bus was badly damaged. Bus driver Gagandeep Singh and nine passengers sustained serious injuries. Locals rushed to the spot immediately after the collision and helped rescue the injured from the bus. The victims were shifted by ambulance to government hospitals in Hajipur, Talwara and Mukerian for treatment. On receiving information, Station House Officer Satpal Singh of Talwara police station reached the scene along with his team. After inspecting the site, the police got the damaged vehicles removed from the road and restored traffic movement. Police officials said the exact cause of the accident is being investigated and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings. Protest outside Phagwara gas agency over LPG shortage Phagwara, April 28 Several irate residents staged a protest outside a gas agency in Phagwara, alleging the shortage of LPG cylinders and irregular supply, which, they said, has caused hardship for households. The demonstration took place in front of a gas agency on the Hoshiarpur road, where a large number of consumers gathered and raised slogans against the administration and the government. Protesters, standing outside the agency, expressed anger over the situation. According to information, residents claimed that the LPG supply has remained disrupted for the past 15 to 25 days. Many alleged that despite making payments, they had not received cylinders and were being asked to wait. Some consumers further alleged that they were being asked to pay higher amounts to get cylinders quickly, raising concerns about possible irregularities in distribution. The protesters stated that the shortage had led to difficulties in cooking and managing household needs. Several residents said they had been forced to make alternative arrangements and often expensive means for cooking due to the unavailability of LPG cylinders. When the protest intensified, staff of the gas agency reportedly shut the shop. Police personnel later reached the spot to manage the situation and prevent escalation. Residents demanded an immediate restoration of regular LPG supply and called for an inquiry into the alleged lapses in distribution. — OC