30092024-LT-01.qxd 9/30/2024 12:06 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune SECURITY BEEFED UP AHEAD OF POLL IN MALERKOTLA GRAND ENTRY FOR RAM CHARAN IN MOVIE GAME CHANGER IIFA 2024: SRK WINS BEST ACTOR, RANI BEST ACTRESS The Malerkotla police have stepped up security ahead of the panchayat elections to be held on Oct 15. P3 The flick will be marked by song Raa Macha Macha, which will feature 1,000 folk dancers. P4 Best Picture went to Animal and Best Director was won by Vidhu Vinod Chopra for 12th Fail. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 35°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.09 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:16 AM » MONDAY | 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Civic body developing sports courts under overbridges in city These will serve dual purpose of utilising space, engaging youngsters in sports Property tax: Last day to avail 10 per cent rebate today Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 29 Tomorrow (September 30) is the last day to avail 10 per cent rebate on payment of property tax and water-sewer bills for the current financial year (2024-25). For facilitating residents in submitting tax/bills, the Municipal Corporation (MC) decided to keep zonal suvidha kendras open from 9 am till 5 pm on Monday. Normally, suvidha kendras operate from 9 am to 3 pm. SUVIDHA KENDRAS OPEN TILL 5 PM TODAY For facilitating residents in submitting tax/bills, the MC decided to keep zonal suvidha kendras open from 9 am till 5 pm on Monday. Usually, kendras operate from 9 am to 3 pm. Additional counters have also been established at zonal offices to facilitate residents in submitting the property tax and water-sewer bills. For avoiding long queues, residents can also submit the tax online by visiting mcludhiana.gov.in. MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal appealed to the residents to submit the pending tax in time to avoid penalties. He said directions had also been issued to staff to ensure smooth functioning of suvidha kendras, so that residents should not face any problem. The collected amount was used for providing basic amenities to the residents and for taking up development works in the city. Final touches being given to badminton and basketball courts being developed under the Lakkar Bridge flyover. INDERJEET VERMA Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 29 Giving a perfect example of utilisation of resources and bringing them to best use, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has started developing sports courts under flyovers and overbridges in the city. The sports courts will serve dual purpose. These will help utilise the space and secondly, help youngsters in engaging in sports during their leisure time. Basketball courts have been developed under the flyover near BRS Nagar alongside the Sidhwan Canal and badminton and basketball courts are being developed under the Lakkar Bridge overbridge. MLA Madan Lal Bagga said the idea to convert space under flyovers into sports courts clicked when they saw a video in which space under flyovers was being utilised in this manner in Mumbai. The idea of building sports facilities under overbridges has already been implemented in Delhi and states such as Bihar, Assam, and Kerala with Indore being the first city to start the same in 2021. “After the Lakkar bridge overbridge, we are planning to develop a sports facility under the Jalandhar bypass flyover as a huge space is lying unused there and more similar sports courts will be developed in different parts of the city in the future,” Bagga said. A senior official from the MC said children did not get enough space to practice sports and at the same time, constraints were also there at many places. But at these sports facilities, they could come anytime. Flashlights are also provided, if anybody comes to play at night. Rutva, a Class XII student, who regularly goes to the basketball court near BRS Nagar, says since he was busy during the day due to his study schedule, he comes to the place around 9 pm and unwind his day. “Nothing proves best than indulging in sports after a hard day,” he said. Meanwhile, a BRS Nagar resident, Jasmail Singh, while appreciating the initiative said: “It is a good decision taken by the civic body. I often see children playing at the basketball court and it gives me a feeling of happiness”. Earlier, the MC had planned a smart vending zone and food street under the flyover BRS Nagar but these projects were dropped. A huge rush of people at a suvidha kendra in Ludhiana on Sunday. Man arrested for Illegal gates at colonies inconvenience city residents stealing vehicles Manav Mander Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 29 Satwinder, alias Bugga, was arrested by the Ladhowal police under Section 303 (2) for stealing vehicles in the city. The suspect was arrested from the rear of Gagan Enterprises factory on the Hambran side, Rishi Nagar, on Saturday. The police have recovered a Bajaj CT 100 motorcycle, without registration number plate, and one Bajaj Platina motorcycle from his possession. Further investigation is on in the matter. 2 booked for serving hookah to customers Ludhiana, September 29 The Salem Tabri police have registered a case under various sections of the Tobacco Act, 2003, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Honey Arora, owner of D Red Door, an eatery at the Jalandhar bypass here, and Brijesh Kumar, man- ager, for serving flavoured hookah to customers. The police took action against the restaurant on Saturday. The owner is absconding. Meanwhile, the police have seized two hookahs, two pipes and two flavours from the restaurant. — TNS Ludhiana, September 29 Illegal gates installed at various points in numerous colonies have been inconveniencing residents. While in some colonies, the gates are locked at night, in a few others, these are locked permanently. Many such roads are thoroughfares and act as shortcuts to adjoining areas. However, closed gates were causing an undue hindrance in commuting. Illegal gates have been put up in most of the localities under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation and the Ludhiana Improvement Trust on grounds of security but the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to the harassment being caused to the public. The illegally closed main road, which leads to Phase 2 as well as Phase 1 of Urban Estate, Focal Point, Chandigarh Road, is being used as car/scooter/cycle Locked gates at Model Town; and (right) in the Pakhowal Road area in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN stand by a private school for the past five years. “This gate was closed at the time of Covid as a precautionary measure but now remains locked under the name of security cover. Residents alleged that the management of USPC Jain Senior Secondary School say that they would not open the gate and cite security as the reason. It is against High Court rulings and main thoroughfare gates cannot be closed during daytime and if these are to be closed during the night, it can’t be closed, and at the most should be opened with a security guard at night,” said DS Reehal, resident of Urban Estate. He said they had lodged complaints with the officials concerned through e-mails but no action had been taken in this regard. Pictures had also been sent to them but these had failed to awaken the authorities,” he said. “Installation of a gate on a public street and denying passage to the people is a blatant violation of the law but such “illegal” gates had been put up in most of the localities on Few assistant professors assuming charge at midnight in dist raises eyebrows Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 29 Following the High Court’s directions, about 1,000 teachers will be joining government colleges of the state as assistant professors of various subjects. At the same time, the question arises why a few of them were asked to join colleges after midnight, around 12 am-1:30 am on Saturday night in the district and what was the urgency that the Education Department did not wait till Monday morning for their joining? Guest faculty assistant professors here rued that they would be rendered jobless as the newly joined assistant professors will replace them. Teachers at a government college late on Saturday night. When asked why was the joining of a few assistant professors done in such a hurried manner in the district and why could not the depart- ment wait till Monday morning for their joining, the principal of the Government College for Girls (GCG) here, Suman Lata, said they were servants of the government and when the government gave the orders, they adhered to the same. She said the higher authorities could give answer to these questions. She just obeyed the orders. The guest faculty assistant professors, about 843 in the state and around 160 in the district, who were teaching various subjects, said the 1,000 plus teachers won the case in the court and were bound to join the post. Falwinder Singh, a guest faculty assistant professor, said what was the need for the college authorities to call them at midnight to join the services? “We have pictures, which show that the teachers turned c m y b up around 12 on Saturday night for joining. Staff and principal of the college were present and gates were locked for all others. We have come to know that several assistant professors were made to join on Saturday after office hours at several places in the state,” he said. A delegation of the guest faculty assistant professors is also leaving the city to meet the Punjab Speaker at Kotkapura. “We feel that since the poll code is in force due to the panchayat elections, is it legal to join the posts in this manner? We are also taking the opinion of our legal team,” Singh said. Guest faculty assistant professors in the district maintained that their future hangs in the balance now, as they would be rendered jobless. They said: “If the governemnt asked the teachers to join on Monday, we would have raised questions about our bleak future.” The DPI, Colleges, Sanyam Aggarwal, said the state Election Commission had given the permission on the joining of assistant professors and moreover, they had already waited for long and were eager to join the post. “I have no idea about their joining in odd hours. However, they can join duties anytime,” he said. the grounds of security. These have become a source of harassment and public nuisance when they are kept closed even during the daytime. The problem also compounds during night hours when visitors or residents find the gates closed,” said Roopa, a resident of Model Town. A food delivery person, who went to deliver an order at BRS Nagar at night, said he had to go from one lane to another in search of an open gate. “The customer told me that only one gate of the block will be opened and I had a difficult time. A gatekeeper was on duty at one gate and he opened it when I reached the place. It was very annoying,” he said. Ludhiana Improvement Trust Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder said whenever they receive any complaint from residents, they take action against the same. “One complaint was received and the gate was removed,” he said. However, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Aaditya Dachalwal, could not be reached for comments. Illegal gates were installed in colonies such as BRS Nagar, Sarabha Nagar, Model Town Extension, Kitchlu Nagar, Tagore Nagar, Civil Lines, Rajguru Nagar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Man booked on molestation charge Ludhiana, September 29 On the complaint filed by a woman, Sukhi, the Dugri police have registered a case against Jasmerpal, alias Jassa, under Sections 75 and 351 (2) of the BNS for allegedly molesting the victim. The complainant said when she was passing near the flat of Jassa, he came from behind and started molesting her and when she resisted his move, the suspect threatened her of dire consequences. She said Jassa, who was under the influence of liquor, was the father of gangster Sagar Newton. who was lodged in a jail. Several cases were registered against the gangster in the past. The complainant alleged that Jassa believes that she gave information about Newton to the police due to which the former wanted to take revenge from her. 3 held for snatching, theft In another incident, the Jagatpuri police have arrested Kamaljit Kumar, Vicky Paswan and Ajay Kumar for snatching and stealing mobiles. The police have recovered 14 mobiles from them. The police said they were involved in many theft cases. The trio has been sent to police remand for three days. — TNS