20062024-LT-01.qxd 6/20/2024 12:12 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ENTRANCE EXAM PREP CAMP HELD AT MERITORIOUS SCHOOL CELINE DION RECEIVES STANDING OVATION Celine Dion was visibly moved to tears at the New York screening of her documentary, I Am: Celine Dion. P4 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 40°C | MIN 30°C YESTERDAY MAX 42°C | MIN 30°C ANIL KAPOOR GETS READY TO HOST BIGG BOSS OTT Around 750 students have enrolled from Bathinda, Jalandhar, and Amritsra, among other, in the programme. P2 FORECAST Superstar talks about embracing challenges, importance of consistency and his evolving career choices. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.29 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:21 AM » THURSDAY | 20 JUNE 2024 | LUDHIANA 23 BOOKED ON MURDER CHARGE Ludhaina: A man was attacked by a group of assailants at Chandar Nagar on the intervening night of June 17-18. The police have registered a case against 23 persons. Investigating officer ASI Roshan Lal said he, along with the police party, was patrolling near Sangam Palace Chowk where he got an information that the accused had attacked Sahil Kanda of Mohalla Chandar Nagar with sharp weapons. The miscreants had also hurled bottles, bricks and stones at the house of the victim. Some bricks had also fallen on the houses of Sahil’s neighbours. The ASI said the victim had not suffered major injuries in the attack. He added that accused had also damaged some vehicles parked in the area. TNS COPS INJURED, UNIFORMS TORN Doraha: Two cops got injured and their uniforms were torn when they reached at Begowal village to strike a compromise. A case under Sections 323, 341, 353, 186 and 148 of the IPC has been registered against five residents of the village and three have been nabbed. ASI Kulwinder Singh reached Begowal village on Wednesday night and found Ashok Kumar and his wife Pritama Devi fighting with Joginder Yadav, his daughter Sunita Devi and son Akhilesh Yadav. The men being in an inebriated condition were manhandling each other. When the ASI tried to resolve the dispute, they attacked him and tore his uniform. At the same time, ASI Kuldeep Singh who followed Kulwinder at the spot too was attacked. ASI Hardam Singh said, “The miscreants are habitual offenders. They often indulge in feuds. Last night, they dialled 112 and the emergency response vehicle reached the village and tried to pacify the two parties. However, they attacked the cops who had gone to pacify the them.” OC Jagraon farmer shuns paddy cultivation, incentivises diversification WAIVES CONTRACT MONEY Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 19 Setting an example before others and advocating farmers to shun cultivation of paddy, Jagraon-based farmer, Ajmer Singh, has boycotted the cultivation of paddy on his fields. Interestingly, he has put a board in his field, which reads as ‘Jhone da boycott’ (boycott of paddy). Ajmer Singh, who hails from Malla village near Jagraon has four-acre land and gives it on contract and has devised a unique way to ■ Ajmer Singh of Malla village Ajmer Singh has pasted a poster boycotting the cultivation of paddy. owns four-acre land and gives it on contract and has devised a unique way to appeal to other farmers to shun paddy and save the depleting water table. ■ As a reward to the farmer who agrees to cultivate another crop instead of paddy, he exempts six-months contract money appeal to other farmers to shun paddy and save the depleting water table. As a reward to the farmer who agrees to cultivate another crop instead of paddy, he but for paddy. Despite depleting groundwater, farmers continue to grow water-guzzling paddy crop. Paddy is not our traditional crop or food. Not even half of TRIBUNE PHOTO INBRIEF Election drubbing brings AAP govt back to public doorsteps Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 19 Ranjit Singh (67) and Piara Singh (68), both of Malak village near Jagraon, were profusely heaping praises on the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government after they got their old-age pension approved on the spot. Both the pension cases were sanctioned at a special public grievances redressal camp held under “Sarkar Tuhade Dwaar” (government at your doorsteps) initiative at Malak village in Jagraon near here on Wednesday. The development assumes significance as this “old wine in new bottle” programme was re-launched after the ruling AAP suffered a drubbing in the recently held parliamentary poll by losing 10 of the total 13 seats in the state. In Ludhiana district, where the Arvind Kejriwal’s party had sprung a surprise by winning an unprecedented 13 of the total 14 Assembly seats in the 2022 poll, had lost all 14 segments in the 2024 General DC Sakshi Sawhney listens to public grievances at a camp in Jagraon near Ludhiana on Wednesday. Election. “It’s for the first time in my life that I have received the benefit of a government scheme while sitting in my own village,” Ranjit Singh expressed. Similar views were echoed by Piara Singh. A woman Jagjit Kaur of Malak village, whose hus- VB sleuths arrest ASI for demanding ~18,000 bribe Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 19 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday arrested Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Sikander Raj posted at police station Doraha in Ludhiana district, for demanding a bribe of Rs 18,000. An official spokesperson of VB disclosed that this case was registered against the aforementioned police personnel based on a complaint lodged by Ravinder Singh, a resident of Sector 32-A, Chandigarh road, Ludhiana. The spokesperson further stated that the complainant had recorded his statement that on March 13, 2021, his driver Rajdeep Singh of Khadur Sahib, Taran Taran district, along with helper Birju, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Colony, Ludhiana, had met with a road accident near Neelon Bridge, Samrala. On that day, ASI Sikander Raj arrived at the spot from police station, Samrala, along with other police personnel and took both vehicles to the police station. After this, ASI Sikander Raj demanded Rs 20,000 exempts six-months contract money. “I charge only for six months while the rest six months are free and farmer can grow any crop he likes the produce is consumed in the state. The government should ensure that farmers receive equivalent income from cultivating other crops,” he added. Further Ajmer Singh said old generations used to grow only one crop in a year, which sufficed the needs of the family, while now multiple crops are being grown. During the last two decades, farmers have shifted to the wheat-rice cropping pattern, leading to increased demand for irrigation water and over-exploitation of The accused in Vigilance Bureau custody in Ludhiana. PROMISED BAIL TO COMPLAINANT’S DRIVER ASI Sikander Raj demanded Rs 20,000 bribe from the complainant for giving bail to his driver, releasing the luggage loaded on his vehicle and getting his driver acquitted from the accident case registered against him. The deal was eventually struck at Rs 18,000. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the ASI bribe from the complainant for giving bail to his driver, releasing the luggage loaded on his vehicle and getting his driver acquitted from the accident case registered against him. The deal was eventually struck at Rs 18,000. The complainant recorded the conversation regarding the demand for the bribe by the accused and submitted it to the VB as an evidence, he added. The spokesperson said during the investigation, the allegations in the complaint were found to be true and correct. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the ASI. The accused was arrested today from the police station, Doraha, by a team from the VB Ludhiana range and would be produced before a local court tomorrow. band had died of cancer sometime back, got a sanction letter of widow pension while her daughter Chahatpreet Kaur got a sanction letter for “financial assistance to dependent children” on the spot. To provide citizen-centric services to people at their doorsteps, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney led a mega camp, where Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Ludhiana Rural SSP Navneet Singh Bains and heads of different government departments were in attendance to hear and resolve/meet the public grievances and demands on the spot. Sakshi said more such camps would be held across the district under this campaign so as to provide benefits of government services/ welfare schemes at the doorsteps. She said the district administration was fully committed to providing citizen services in a smooth, hassle-free and transparent manner. “The purpose of holding these camps is to listen to the issues of the general public at their doorsteps and solve them on the spot,” the DC said, while asserting that every issue or complaint received at the camps would be followed back to ensure optimum satisfaction of the people by appointing nodal officers and a dedicated team. She hoped that the participation of people in the governance process would make the services more accountable and transparent. Stressing that the benefits of all government social welfare continued on page 2 groundwater resources. The shift was mainly due to relatively higher returns and more stable yield of paddy and wheat, he added. Appreciating the step taken by Ajmer Singh, Balbir Singh, a farmer, said,”What Ajmer Singh is doing is appreciable. It is a step taken in the right direction as water crisis poses serious threat to Punjab’s agriculture. Crop diversification is the only solution for replacing water-intensive cropping patterns with less water-intensive crops.” Former DSP shoots self Ludhiana, June 19 A retired Deputy Superintendent of Police ended his life by shooting himself with his licenced revolver in the head at his residence in Green Avenue on Tuesday evening. The deceased has been identified as Baljinder Singh Bhullar, who was suffering from depression. The police have recovered a licenced weapon purportedly used to commit suicide. His wife and children live abroad. He was living with his parents in Ludhiana. —TNS Industry peeved over enhancement notices Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 19 Industrialists having plots on lease by Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) in the Focal Point are sore over the enhancement notices issued by the authorities concerned. The industrialists maintain that when the plots were allotted to them, they were not informed that they will have to bear and pay enhancement charges after every few years. Gurmit Singh Kular, president, Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (FICO), said initially it was Rs 225 per square yard and since then the government has enhanced the amount for 2-3 times. “What is unfortunate is that they add interest and penalties in the actual amount and today it crosses over Rs 2200 per square yard. We are ready to pay under one-time settlement policy but government is not keen to resolve the issue,” said Kular adding that around 800-1,000 industrialists were affected because of the dilly-dally- RISE IN PRICES ■ The industrialists maintain that when the plots were allotted to them, they were not informed that they will have to pay enhancement charges after every few years ■ Gurmit Singh Kular, president, Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations, said initially it was Rs 225 per square yard and since then the government has enhanced the amount for 2-3 times ing approach of the government as businessmen were not able to expand business, loans were not being sanctioned, they could not change the banks etc. It may be mentioned here that the plots were allotted to the industry by coming up with Focal Point Phase 8 in 1996. And at that time, government had promised to built it with all the facilities but no such infrastructure was provided to the industry. PRTC depot contract Act tough against gangsters, workers hold protest drug smugglers: CP to officials Ludhiana, June 19 A protest was held by Punjab Roadways Punbus/PRTC Contract Workers Union and Contract Workers Union (Azad) at the gate of PRTC bus depot in Ludhiana on Wednesday. State joint secretary Jagtar Singh alleged that the depot was adopting step-motherly treatment with workers in its functioning. He said despite being present at the PRTC depot, the staff would mark the workers absent and deduct salary. He said workers don't get overtime and also not given leave at the time of emergency. The union workers alleged that the department staff also harasses contractual workers. Union workers alleged that amid the scorching heat, there was no proper room for drivers and conductors where they can rest in free time. They claimed that private bus operators were given priority in time table of buses while the PRTC buses are not being given sufficient time to pick the passengers. The union warned that if issues of the workers are not solved till June 25, they would hold protest by closing the PRTC depot here. — TNS Punjab Roadways Punbus/PRTC Contract Workers’ Union hold a protest in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN c m y b Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 19 A day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann issued strict instructions to the police heads to pull up socks and perform their duties with utmost honesty without any collusion with criminal elements, the Commissioner of Police Ludhiana Kuldeep Singh Chahal chaired a meeting of senior police officials and passed on the instructions to them. The meeting was attended by DCP (Crime) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, Additional DCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar and other senior cops. Top cop Chahal in two lines told the senior police officials to implement strict policing and take strict action against the drug smugglers, gangsters, criminals and antisocial elements. Chahal categorically asked the police officials to adopt zero-tolerance against the drug smuggling activities and take action against anyone found involved in drug smuggling. Chahal also said he would not tolerate corruption in police department and strict action would be taken whoso- Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal chairs a meeting with senior officials in Ludhiana on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO CRACKDOWN ON CORRUPTION In a meeting with senior police officials, Commissioner of Police Ludhiana Kuldeep Singh Chahal said he would not tolerate corruption in the Police Department and strict action would be taken whosoever is found guilty. The meeting was ever is found guilty. "I have also asked my team to prepare a list of smugglers who have garnered huge properties from the proceeds of drug sale and start the process to attach those properties acquired from the illegal means. The process would be expedited," added CP Chahal. attended by DCP (Crime) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, Additional DCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar and other senior cops. Cops were told to ensure good treatment to the people visiting the police stations or at their offices regarding their complaints. He asked cops to ensure good treatment to the people visiting the police stations or at their offices regarding their complaints. “Police should treat every person like their family member and create such a cordial environment at police stations that people should not hesitate to visit thanas," added Chahal.
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).