05112026-LT-01.qxd 11/4/2026 11:16 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CENTRE’S COURSE CORRECTION ‘CONCEDES’ FLAWS IN AGNIPATH RESIDENTS HAIL FOOD SAFETY RAIDS AMID FESTIVE RUSH EKTAA KAPOOR PAIRS GAURAV, SHRADDHA FOR NEW DRAMA The announcement to ‘tweak’ the scheme impacts almost 3 lakh soldiers in the past four years. P2 The food safety wing has stepped up vigil amid the surge in the sale of sweets and dairy products. P3 Ektaa Kapoor’s Dil Ki Bewafaiyaan, featuring Gaurav Khanna & Shraddha Arya together for the first time. P4 » » » FORECAST CLEAR SKY MAX 30°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.33 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.40 AM THURSDAY | 5 NOVEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 4 Over 6,000 Congress supporters from Ludhiana district attended Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Sangrur on Wednesday, party leaders claimed. Although party leaders were expected to mobilise at least 1,000 people from each Assembly constituency for the rally, rural constituencies such as Gill, Dakha, Jagraon, Raikot and Sahnewal contributed larger crowds. Rural areas contributed bigger crowds, say local party leaders Party leaders described the rally as a united show of strength. “Had the rally been held after Diwali, it would have attracted a larger crowd,” said a Congress leader. Another senior leader from an urban constituency termed the rally successful.“Though we were expected to mobilise at least 1,000 people from each constituency, it is difficult to convince people in urban areas. Still, we were able to mobilise around 2,000 people from urban areas,” the leader said. The rural population showed considerable enthusiasm for Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Sangrur. Long queues of vehicles were seen on the Sangrur-Malerkotla road, which witnessed heavy traffic due to the rush. Cut water use for Buddha Nullah Mayor blames debris for cleanup, govt tells dairy owners Gill Road mishap death Discharge from Tajpur, Haibowal units double of treatment capacity Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 4 Dairy owners in Ludhiana were on Wednesday told to curb water consumption to check pollution in Buddha Nullah, with Local Government Department Secretary Ghanshyam Thori pointing out that their units were generating 12 million litres per day (MLD) of wastewater, twice the combined capacity of treatment plants in the city. The dairy owners were also asked to ensure proper disposal of cow dung to check pollution in Buddha Nullah, a seasonal water stream that runs through Ludhiana district before draining into the Sutlej. The nullah has also become a major source of pollution in the region. Thori made the points at the first meeting of a high-level committee constituted by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to clean the polluted Buddha Nullah. The committee was formed after AAP Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal publicly flagged the failure to control pollution, including problems caused by dairy waste. Mann subsequently held a meeting with dairy owners and officials to find a solution. At the meeting, Thori called for curbing water consumption at dairy units, saying the Local Bodies Department Secretary Ghanshyam Thori with Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal at the Tajpur Road dairy complex on Wednesday. Tajpur and Haibowal dairy complexes were generating 12 million litres per day (MLD) of wastewater, double the combined treatment capacity of their plants. He said the effluent treatment plant at Tajpur had a treatment capacity of 2.25 MLD, while the plant at Haibowal could process 3.75 MLD of wastewater. Thori said flow meters were being installed at dairy units to monitor water consumption. Dairy owners agreed to ensure that cow dung from their premises was collected and transported by the contractor instead of being Teacher chases purse snatcher, attacked with sharp weapon Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 4 A government school teacher was attacked with a sharp weapon by a motorcycleborne youth in Ludhiana’s Dugri area after she chased him to recover her snatched purse. Her 13-year-old daughter was accompanying her at the time. The incident took place around 3.45 pm on Tuesday near Reliance Smart Point on 200-Foot Road in Flower Enclave. The victim has been identified as Gurpreet Kaur, a teacher at a government school in Millergunj. According to the teacher’s husband, Gurpreet had left school around 3 pm and was returning home on her scooter with their daughter. Near Flower Enclave, the youth, who was wearing a Tshirt, snatched her purse using a hook. The purse got stuck in the motorcycle’s silencer. Showing presence of mind, Gurpreet raised an alarm and chased the youth. During the chase, the purse fell on the road. She abandoned her scooter and tried to retrieve it. The youth kicked the purse fur- Scooter taken away at gunpoint; 3 held Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 4 A scooter was taken away at gunpoint in broad daylight on Tajpur Road here. The incident took place around 4.30 pm on Tuesday. Four youths travelling in a car intercepted a 23-year-old man who was riding his friend’s scooter. The accused brandished a pistol, snatched the scooter and fled. Acting on information, the police swung into action and arrested three of the accused at a check-post. The looted scooter and the car used in the crime were also recovered. However, the fourth accused managed to escape with the pistol. The victim, Piyush, a resident of Guru Arjan Dev Nagar on Tajpur Road, told the police that he was riding his friend’s scooter around 4.30 pm when the accused intercepted him at gunpoint and snatched the vehicle. Assistant Sub-Inspector Malkit Singh said the arrested accused were identified as Tarnpreet Singh, Manmeet Singh and Harman Mann. Of them, two are residents of Chheharta in Amritsar, while the third lives in Baba Budha Ji Colony. The police are searching for the fourth accused, Gurjeet Singh. A preliminary investigation revealed that several criminal cases were already registered against the accused. The police will seek the arrested accused’s remand for further interrogation. allowed to flow into the drain. They also assured the committee that they would avoid wasting clean drinking water and use only the required quantity for their animals and other activities. Thori said dairy owners should have no objection to installing water tanks at their premises, just as they had installed such facilities at their homes. He told the committee that the Municipal Corporation had awarded a three-year contract for the collection and transportation of cow dung from the dairy complexes. Seechewal assured the dairy owners that the FIRs regis- tered against them would be withdrawn. Seechewal said he had held 46 meetings over the past two years to address pollution in Buddha Nullah. He also referred to meetings held by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who had chaired seven meetings on the issue. The functioning of sewage treatment plants, effluent treatment plants and CBG plants was also discussed. Officials from the Municipal Corporation, Sewerage Board and Punjab Pollution Control Board attended the meeting. The committee will hold its next meeting next week to discuss further steps. Cong councillor demands stricter maintenance norms Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 4 Ludhiana Mayor Inderjit Kaur on Wednesday brushed aside allegations that a biker died in an accident caused by the damaged stretch of Gill Road a day earlier, claiming that gravel and concrete material possibly spilt by a private truck might have led to the incident. “It was a small stretch where the bike got stuck, but we are levelling the road now,” she said after visiting the accident site. A gym trainer, Deepak (24), died after his motorcycle skidded on the damaged stretch and a bus ran over him. Onlookers blamed the poor condition of the road for the accident. Local residents alleged that Gill Road had been under construction for almost two years. Meanwhile, Congress councillor and MC Contract and Finance Committee member Gaurav Bhatti criticised the civic body over the poor condition of roads, alleging that damaged stretches continued to endanger commuters, with no accountability being fixed for officials or the contractor. Bhatti said all future tenders for the construction of bituminous roads should include a minimum maintenance and defect liability period of up to 10 years. “For RCC/PCC roads, a maintenance period of 10 to 15 years should be prescribed in accordance with applicable techni- A dilapidated stretch at Joshi Nagar in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN cal standards. During the maintenance period, if any defect or damage occurs in a road, the contractor must be responsible for rectifying it at their own expense,” he said. “In cases of serious damage, the affected portion should be excavated and reconstructed properly instead of merely carrying out superficial repairs. The maintenance period should not commence from the date of issuance of the work order. In many cases, contractors start the work one or two years after receiving the work order. Therefore, the maintenance period should commence only after the road construction is fully completed and a written completion certificate is issued by the concerned officer following a physical inspection of the site,” he added. He said the maintenance amount payable to the contractor should be released only after the contractor successfully completed the prescribed maintenance period. “Laboratory testing and technical inspection of all materials used in road construction should be made mandatory,” he added. The councillor also called for penalties for unnecessary delays and immediate barricading of damaged stretches to prevent accidents. Commenting on the issues, the Mayor said road maintenance would be given priority. She said the issue was raised at an MC meeting and that the maintenance of Lakkar Bridge had been assigned to a contractor. “We are planning to award maintenance contracts to contractors to ensure greater transparency and accountability,” she added. Mining at Raur site may resume after checks: ADC Folk rhythms ther away, but she managed to pick it up. Tribune News Service Succeeded in 2nd attempt As she was returning home, the same youth appeared at the next intersection, holding a sharp weapon. He allegedly attacked her, injuring her hand, and fled with the purse. The purse contained two mobile phones, Rs 5,000 in cash and important government identity documents. The family has reported the matter to Sadar police station and provided CCTV footage from the area. Man duped of ~50,000 in ATM fraud Ludhiana, November 4 A man was duped of Rs 50,000 by two youths and a woman on the pretext of helping him withdraw cash from an ATM in Ludhiana’s Sherpur area. Mahesh Singh, a resident of Sherpur, had gone to a Punjab and Sind Bank ATM in Moti Nagar to withdraw money. While he was at the machine, two youths and a woman entered the ATM cabin and offered to help him operate it. In the process, they allegedly swapped his ATM card with another one. The accused later used the stolen card to withdraw Rs 50,000 from his account through two separate transactions of Rs 25,000 each.— TNS Students perform during a cultural programme at the PAU in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN Earthen diyasshine, bring cheer to potters Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 4 With Diwali just around the corner, markets across the city have started buzzing with festive activity. Amid the glitter of decorative lights and modern decorative items, the earthen diya, which was the staple decoration for the festival, continues to remain an integral part of the festivities and bring cheer to humble potters. Hatri, which is used during Diwali prayers, also continues to maintain its significance. Even as the demand for diyas and hatris has picked up, only a handful of potter families in the city are now engaged in the age-old craft. With orders brimming, they are working round the clock, giving final touches to thousands of diyas and hatris that will illuminate homes during the festival. c m y b INDERJEET VERMA Over 6,000 from dist attended Sangrur rally, claims Congress A woman gives final touches to hatris ahead of Diwali in Ludhiana. Potter Sunita Devi, busy arranging freshly baked diyas, delved into the importance of the festival for their livelihood. “Diwali festivities are the most important season for us. We start preparing diyas months in advance. Though the number of potters has reduced and competition from machine-made products has increased, many people still prefer traditional clay diyas for worshipping,” she said. A potter based in Ghumar Mandi said the festive season brings much-needed business for artisan families. “We wait for this time of the year. Sales during Diwali help us sustain ourselves for several months. The demand for diyas and hatris has been good so far, and we hope it will increase further in the coming days,” he added. Residents say they prefer the earthen diyas over machinemade products. City resident Neha Sharma said, “Lighting earthen diyas is an essential part of our Diwali celebrations. Buying them directly from local potters keeps the tradition alive and helps the families who depend on this craft for their livelihood.” Ludhiana, November 4 The office of the ADC (General) has written to the District Mining Officer, stating that mining operations at the Raur site may be resumed, subject to certain conditions and compliance with official directions. The letter states that since the matter is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for November 5, mining operations at the site may be resumed in accordance with relevant rules and provisions, subject to strict compliance with all directions issued by the office and applicable statutory conditions. The matter came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 3. However, before permitting the resumption of operations, the District Mining Officer has been directed to personally inspect the site and verify whether all deficiencies and observations pointed out by the SDM, Ludhiana (East), in the inspection report have been rectified. A detailed action taken report, along with supporting documents, has been sought within one week. Meanwhile, the RTA, Ludhiana, has been directed to continuously check overloading vehicles, while the SDM, Ludhiana (East), has been asked to check illegal mining. The District Mining Officer, Ludhiana, has also been directed to deploy special teams.