07072026-LT-01.qxd 7/7/2026 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ACE TT PLAYER AISHWIN KAUR NAMED IN INDIAN TEAM GEORGE CLOONEY TO RECEIVE GOLDEN LION BRITISH SINGER RITA ORA LIGHTS UP T20 STAGE Aishwin Kaur from the city has been named in the Indian contingent for Asia Pacific Deaf Games. P2 George Clooney will be honoured with Golden Lion for career achievement at Venice Int’l Film Festival. P4 British singer Rita Ora lit up the stage with her performance at the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7:28 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:26 AM TUESDAY | 7 JULY 2026 | LUDHIANA Over 250 of 500 under-construction Unlike Channi, Warring retains support in home constituency structures ‘illegal’; verification in works Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 6 The Municipal Corporation’s city-wide survey of under-construction buildings has found that Zone D has the highest number of ongoing construction projects, followed by Zone C, Zone A and Zone B. However, civic officials said the exercise was still underway and the exact number of illegal buildings would be known only after scrutiny of individual cases is completed. According to officials, the survey has so far finalised the list of more than 500 under-constructionbuildingsacrossthefourcivic zones. Official sources claimed thatofthe500under-construction structures, over 250 had been identified as illegal in the latest survey conducted across the city. Additionally, the officials are rechecking facts and paperwork of the structures to ascertain the exact number of violations. The next stage involves verifying whether these buildings have approved plans, are being constructed as per sanctioned maps, have Biker crushed to death, 1 held major deviations, are eligible for compounding or have been raised without any permission. The final list of illegal buildings is expected only after the verification process is completed. 500 buildings being constructed across city, as per civic body survey Officials said Zone D had emerged as the area with the maximum number of underconstruction buildings, indicating rapid construction activity in localities falling under the zone. Zone C recorded the second-highest number of under-construction buildings, followed by Zone A, while Zone B reported the least. The civic body is now physically inspecting each site before categorising the violations. The survey follows an earlier enforcement exercise in which the MC had identified over 300 unauthorised buildings across the city a few months ago. That An illegal construction in progress in the MC’s Zone D area. survey had found buildings constructed without approved plans, commercial structures coming up in residential areas and projects with major deviations from sanctioned maps. Officials had then stated that notices would be issued and action would be initiated after verification. Sources in the civic body said the latest exercise was Six booked for murder aimed at separating buildings that could be regularised through the compounding process from those involving serious violations that could attract demolition or sealing action. Buildings where construction does not match the sanctioned plan are also being examined separately. The building branch is com- piling zone-wise data before preparing the final list of violations. Officials said several properties were still under scrutiny and the status of many buildings will be decided only after checking approved building plans, change-of-land-use permissions and other records. The survey comes amid continued criticism over illegal constructions in the city. In recent months, the Municipal Corporation has carried out demolition and sealing drives against unauthorised commercial buildings in different parts of Ludhiana, particularly in Zone D, while maintaining that enforcement action would continue against violators. A senior MC official said the verification process was still in progress. “At present, only the number of under-construction buildings had been finalised. The categorisation of illegal buildings, compoundable cases and structures with deviations from sanctioned plans is being carried out. The final figures will be available after the scrutiny is completed,” the official said. Ludhiana, July 6 Unlike the rebel Congress leader and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who could not get support from most of the MLAs in his parliamentary constituency, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has managed to keep his flock together in Ludhiana. While Channi represents the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency, Warring represents Ludhiana. During Channi’s show of strength in Morinda a few days ago, four of the five sitting Congress legislators from Jalandhar abstained. Only Shahkot MLA Hardev Singh Laddi attended the meeting. “That is more due to Laddi’s close proximity with Rana Gurjeet Singh, a former minister and a prominent dissenting leader. Other MLAs, including Pargat Singh, Bawa Henry, Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, did not attend the meeting hosted by Channi,” said one of the Congress leaders in Ludhiana. In the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, the Congress does not have sitting MLAs from any of the Assembly segments. However, most of those who contested the elections from these Assembly segments and are described as “contesting candidates/constituency in-charge”, have rallied behind Warring. Except Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a former MLA from Ludhiana West, others are supporting Warring. They include Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Surinder Dawer, Sanjay Talwar, Pawan Dewan and Capt Sandeep Sandhu. While Talwar is the District Congress Committee president, Sandhu is the general secretary incharge of the PCC. “Warring has also the support of two former MLAs, Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains, both of whom joined the Congress ahead of parliamentary elections in 2024,” said the local Congress LIT chief inspects rain-hit City Centre roads Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Lovleen Bains Sahnewal, July 6 A biker was crushed by a heavy vehicle when he was coming from the Dehlon side towards Sahnewal on Monday evening. The driver of the heavy vehicle was arrested from the scene. The body has been kept in a mortuary for identification. According to onlookers, the biker was crushed under the tyres of the heavy vehicle, which was going on a high speed. Police officials said that both vehicle and the driver had been taken into custody. “We are waiting for the victim’s kin to claim the body. On their statement, a case will be registered. The body of the man has been kept in a mortuary for identification,” the investigating officer said. leader. Ashu and Warring along with Ravneet Singh Bittu, till he was in the Congress, were considered to be the “Congress triumvirate” of Ludhiana. However, after Bittu defected to the BJP and Warring opted to contest in his place from the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, Ashu and he fell apart. They have not reconciled since then. While Ashu mostly avoided campaigning for Warring in the 2024 General Elections, he also ensured that Warring did not campaign for him during the 2025 Ludhiana West by-election. He made it a point and conveyed it to the party high command that he does not want Warring there, despite him being the local MP and the PCC president. However, Warring has managed to rally most of the Ludhiana leadership around himself and they continue to support him when he is faced with a tough challenge from rebels who are seeking his removal. Ludhiana, July 6 A 35-year-old man lost his life after he was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons by six persons near his house in Lohara village on DabaLohara Road late on Friday night. Three of his family members were also injured while attempting to save him. The deceased, identified as Inderjit Singh, alias Channi, worked as a daily wage labourer. The Daba police have named Ravi Kumar, alias Chichad, Akash, Shivam Pandit, Abhishek, Gagandeep Singh, alias Gaggi, and Harpreet Singh, alias Honey, as suspects in the murder case. According to the police, the FIR was registered on the complaint of the victim’s brother, Inder Singh. He said on Friday night, Inderjit was standing in the street outside their residence when the suspects allegedly arrived carrying sharp weapons and attacked him. On hearing screams, Inder and his parents rushed out- side. They allegedly tried to pull the victim away from the assailants but were also attacked in the process. The victim’s mother, Inderjit Kaur, suffered injuries after being hit with a sharp weapon while the complainant and his father also sustained injuries during the incident. The suspects allegedly fled after the assault. Family members and neighbours shifted the injured man to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. During questioning, the complainant told the police that his brother had a dispute with the suspects a few days before the incident. He suspects old enmity led to the fatal attack. Inspector Parmdeep Singh, SHO, Daba police station, said a case had been registered . Ludhiana, July 6 Acting on repeated complaints from residents, Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder on Monday visited the City Centre area in the 475-acre Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar scheme to inspect roads that have developed cave-ins and damaged stretches following the recent rainfall. Assures early repairs after residents submit memorandum During the visit, Bhinder inspected the condition of roads around City Centre, particularly in G Block and H Block, where residents complained that several stretches had sunk and deteriorated after sewerage and other utility works were carried out. They alleged that the roads were not restored properly after the pipeline laying work LIT Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder inspects a road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. and the recent rains had further worsened their condition, making commuting difficult. The residents also submitted a memorandum signed by a large number of local people, seeking immediate repair of the damaged roads. They said a copy of the complaint had also been sent to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, urging authorities to address the issue without delay. Bhinder said the matter would be taken up on a priority basis and assured the residents that the repair works would be initiated at the earliest. During the inspection, officials of the Trust’s engineering wing informed the Chairman that almost every monsoon, soil beneath the road adjoining the City Centre gets washed away due to seepage, resulting in the formation of large cave-ins. They said the affected portions were temporarily filled with earth after every rainy season but the problem recurs. Taking serious note of the issue, Bhinder directed the officials to closely monitor the City Centre area during the monsoon and ensure that such problems were resolved immediately to prevent any unto- ward incident or loss of life. He also asked them to prepare a long-term solution, instead of relying on temporary repairs. Earlier in the day, the Trust, during its meeting, also approved the reserve prices for residential and commercial properties in various development schemes for the financial year 2026-27. The reserve prices, fixed by a committee headed by the DC, have been approved unanimously and will now be sent to the state government for final approval. A resident, Yogesh Sharma, and social activist Arvind Sharma welcomed the Chairman’s visit and expressed hope that the long-pending road repair works would finally be taken up, providing relief to residents who had been facing difficulties, particularly during the rainy season. Trust Engineer Vikram Kumar, Assistant Trust Engineers Balbir Singh and Jaskaranbir Singh, JE Ravinder Singh and other officials were present during the inspection. 83-year-old woman stitches devotion into livelihood Death of 21-year-old Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Darshan Kaur sells her clothes along the roadside in Ludhiana. Ludhiana, July 6 As the evening rush picks up on the Chandigarh road, an 83-year-old woman quietly sits beside a small table near Sohan Karyana Store, her hands carefully stitching colourful dresses for idols of Lord Krishna, Lord Hanuman and Khatu Shyam. Every piece she makes is not only an article of devotion but also her only source of income. Darshan Kaur, a resident of the city, spends nearly three hours every evening, from 5 pm to 8 pm, selling handmade deity clothes, locally known as poshak. Despite her age and health issues, she continues to work every day to support herself. Till a few years ago, Darshan Kaur was employed Darshan Kaur spends nearly three hours every evening selling handmade deity clothes but severe cervical pain forced her to quit her job. Rather than depending on others, she decided to use her stitching skills to earn a living with dignity. Once every week, she visits Gur Mandi to buy cloth, lace, decorative borders and other materials needed to prepare the colourful dresses. She then spends hours at home stitching each piece by hand before bringing them to her roadside stall in the hope of finding buyers. “I do not want anyone’s sympathy. I only want people to buy my items if they like it. This is how I earn my livelihood,” she said with a smile. She prepares dresses in c m y b various sizes for idols of different deities. The dresses are sold for around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000, a month in total, an amount that is barely enough to meet her daily expenses. Regular visitors to the area said they admire her determination. Many stop at her stall to purchase the handmade dresses and encourage her. “At this age, she is still working with dedication instead of depending on others. Her hard work deserves appreciation,” said a customer. Darshan Kaur says her family has been facing financial hardships for several years. Though she has two sons, the family’s income is not sufficient to meet household expenses. One son earns a modest living by driving an auto-rickshaw while the other struggles to find regular work. Instead of depending entirely on them, the octogenarian continues to stitch the dresses every day to support herself and reduce the financial burden on the family. For the woman, every dress carries both faith and hope. While age and illness have slowed her pace, they have not weakened her resolve. Sitting quietly by the roadside each evening, she continues to stitch together a life of self-respect, proving that dignity comes not from age or wealth, but from the willingness to keep working despite life’s hardships. at gym raises alarm Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 6 The tragic death of 21-year-old Shivam, who was allegedly made to do a leg press with heavy weight by the trainer in the gym, which his body could not bear, has sparked concern over students engaged in strenuous physical activity. He suffered a spine injury due to a nerve being pressed. He battled for 22 days and ultimately died on Sunday. The incident occurred in the Gopal Nagar Chowk area on Tibba Road, where Shivam used to go to a gym. Shivam’s family said he was given a heavy weight for the leg press in proportion to his body weight that, ultimately, Shivam could not lift the weight. He collapsed on the spot and struggled between life and death for 22 days. The incident is an eye opener for hundreds of gym freaks, who, in order to getting quick results either workout under unprofessional trainers or to show off their heavy workouts on social media put their lives in danger. Shiva Sachdeva from DKarve here said most of trainers in a proper gym were professionals. “On the other hand, we don’t recommend extreme weighttraining workouts. Everything is done under the supervision of trainers as per body’s weight and capacity,” he said. Harry Mittal from The Athletic Edge said gyms must get professional trainers as even an injury could prove fatal any time.