07102024-LT-01.qxd 06-10-2024 23:48 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune PATIALA CYCLISTS DOMINATE WITH 6 GOLDS ON DAY 1 THE CONNECTING THREAD, THANKS TO SAMARJEET CAPITOL COMPLEX HOSTS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION In the boys’ 500m time trials, Gagandeep Singh (Amritsar) secured the top spot. P2 Chandigarh designer is preserving traditional embroideries and integrating them into modern fashion narrative.P4 The Foundation Chandigarh’s first event at Open Hand Monument celebrated the iconic site. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 35°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.03 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:24 AM » MONDAY | 7 OCTOBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Woman dies, 8 hurt as makeshift stage for jagrancollapses in storm Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 A woman died and eight others were injured when a makeshift stage installed for jagran (religious gathering) collapsed due to a squall late on Saturday night. The dead was identified as Sunita, a resident of Dwarka Enclave here. Most of the injured were said to be children who were sitting in front of the stage. All of them are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Police officials reached the spot after the accident and started investigations. The incident took place near Shri Govind Godham on Hambran Road. The jagran had been organised by people living in Dwarka Enclave on an empty ground behind the temple. Singer Pallavi Rawat was to perform bhajans at the function. Meanwhile, a storm started at around 2 o’clock in the night. As soon as the storm came, everyone tried to reach a safer place and started dispersing, but the singer and the members of the orchestra party asked the Organisers visit the PAU police station for recording their statements and deceased Sunita (inset). MOST OF THOSE SITTING IN FRONT ROW WERE INJURED A jagran was organised by Dwarka Enclave residents near Shri Govind Godham on Hambran road. Meanwhile, a storm started at around 2 o’clock in the night. Everyone tried to reach a safer place and started dispersing but the singer and the members of the orchestra party asked audience to keep sitting and not leave the jagran midway. They assured that the storm would not cause any damage. After listening to them not leave the jagran midway. They assured that the storm would not cause any damage. After listening to them, all the children and women sat down again. After a while, the wind picked up and the makeshift stage fell with a thud and those sitting in front were buried under it. them, all the children and women sat down again. After a while, the wind picked up and the makeshift stage fell with a thud and those sitting in front were buried under it. The structure was made of iron, resulting in serious injuries to people. As soon as the structure fell, there was panic all around. People started running here and there for safety. Meanwhile, efforts began to rescue those buried under the structure. Meanwhile, people alleged that the singer and her orchestra team did not make any arrangements for the safety of the people during the programme. Also, they misled people and stopped them from going during a natural heavy storm. Later, on the complaint of the people, singer Pallavi Rawat and members of her orchestra were called to the police station for questioning on Sunday, but were allowed to go after their statements were recorded. “I had only come for jagran. During this, a storm came and the iron frame on which the lights were installed, fell down. So, what is my fault?” the singer asked people. Meanwhile, SHO, Punjab Agriculture University, Inspector Rajinderpal Singh said it was an accident caused by the storm which cost the life a woman and injured several others. There was no fault of the singer and her orchestra team. Raising a stink PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Rotten vegetables and garbage strewn all across the vegetable market in Ludhiana. Robbers make away with gold, cash Ludhiana, October 6 A broad daylight robbery shook residents of Sarabha Nagar Extension when thieves targeted the home of a businessman, Baljit Singh. The thieves held Amarjit Kaur, Baljit’s wife, hostage and looted jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh and Rs 50,000 cash. According to Baljit Singh, he runs a property business and resides in a rented accommodation on the upper floor of a house owned by a Canada-based NRI. On October 5, he left for his office, around 9.30 am and after a while his daughter-in-law and son also left for their respective workplaces. His wife was the only person left in the house at the time of robbery. Two thieves disguised as garbage collectors entered the house and overpowered her. They tied her up and looted the gold jewellery and cash. When his maid, Rashmi, arrived at around 11:30 am to clean the house, she found the door locked from inside. Assuming Amarjit Kaur to be busy, Rashmi started cleaning the stairs. Later, Rashmi found Amarjit unresponsive and tied up. She raised an alarm and alerted the neighbours, added Singh. Panicked, the thieves escaped from the rooftop. The police have registered a case against two unidentified persons on Saturday and initiated an investigation. Baljit revealed that most of the stolen jewellery was purchased for his son’s wedding, which took place a year ago. — TNS Property worth ~44.8 lakh Stray cattle menace continues to haunt residents of drug smuggler attached Manav Mander Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 The Ludhiana police today attacked property worth Rs 44.8 lakh belonging to a smuggler. Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) Gurdev Singh along with Ladhowal police station Station House Officer Inspector Harpreet Singh Dehal affixed property attachment notice on the property of drug smuggler. Balwinder Ram, alias Meme, was arrested by the police in 2008 and 2022 with drugs. Now, the police have sent a case to the competent authority for seeking property attachment order and a notice was put up by the police officials. Cops affix an attachment notice on a drug smuggler’s property. Notably, the police had recently attached property worth several crores of drug smugglers and several cases are already lying for obtain- ing orders of property attachment at office of the competent authority. After obtaining orders, same properties would also be attached. Ludhiana, October 6 Stray cattle wandering on city roads has become a serious menace and pose a threat to motorists as well as pedestrians. The menace is a prime cause behind road accidents and authorities need to tackle this problem before it gets out of proportion. Stray cattle can be seen roaming around freely on the main roads and GT Road, causing disruption to the smooth flow of traffic. There are only couple of gaushalas in the city to take care of the stray cattle. Non-milking cattle is left loose which has become a major cause of concern and the problems for impounding these cattle are many. First of all, there is paucity of trained human resource with the Stray animals squat in the middle of a road in the city, causing hardships to motorists. ASHWANI DHIMAN Municipal Corporation to catch and load them in a truck. Secondly, there is a lack of gaushalas. Thirdly, there are incidents when people from neighbouring towns and cities NGT orders restoration of park after petition disputes library construction by civic body Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 The Municipal Corporation has admitted that the impugned areas on which a library is situated, falls under parks/major open spaces as per the provisions of Ludhiana Master Plan. The admission by the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana came in a matter related to encroachments over green belts along Lodhi Club Road as well as Old GT Road (Jagraon Bridge to Sherpur Chowk) as filed with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by the Council of Engineers and its members. The admis- The library building at a park near Dholewal Chowk. sion by MC comes two years after the filing of the case. The bench has now directed restoration of the park and granted the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana two weeks to take appropriate steps. The petitioner in the case, Kapil Arora, said that despite a notice against the construction of library in the park at Dholewal Chowk, the MC has spent more than Rs 22 lakh without bothering about the environment as well as defying the directions of the Supreme Court. In order to hide the facts regarding the status of land along Old GT Road and Lodhi Club Road as also to give undue benefits to the encroachers in green belts on Lodhi Club Road, the MC repeatedly claimed the impugned (disputed) areas as part of road. “The planning of any city is done based on the Master Plan and as held by Supreme Court, the status of areas marked as green belts, parks and open spaces cannot be changed by way of any amendment. Further, as per a notification of 2018 issued by Punjab government, all green areas and neighbourhood c m y b parks need to be protected from parking,” said Arora Notably, the District and Town Planning Department has already clarified the impugned areas as green belts in the Master Plan. Vikas Arora further added that despite knowing the facts as well as spending crores on development of green belts and parks at Old GT Road and Lodhi Club Road, the MC deliberately constructed a library in the park, concretised the surface of such areas to allow parking of vehicles and flouted tender for paid parking in the green belt at Old GT Road too. continued on page 2 leave their cattle in other city. According to the experts the use of oxytocin injection to increase the milk production, has rendered a large number of cows unproduc- tive which are often left by their owners after they stop giving milk. Khushwant Singh, city resident, said the authorities need to keep a strict check on the dairy farmers who abandon their cattle once they are unable to give milk. “Strict action should be taken against the dairy farmers who abandon their cows. Microchips in cows should be installed to help identify their owners in case they are found abandoned on the road,” he said. “These animals not only affect the smooth flow of traffic but also lead to fatal road accidents. Earlier, the stray animals were spotted near the old vegetable market but now they have come on roads and disrupting the flow of traffic and causing accidents,” said Lalit, another city resident from Jalandhar bypass. A helper at one of the gaushalas at Pakhowal Road said most of the cows in the gaushalas are non-milching who have been abandoned by their owners. Daan Utsav receives good response Ludhiana, October 6 Spreading the ‘Joy of Giving’, the Municipal Corporation (MC) in association with CityNeeds launched week-long Daan Utsav-2024 on Wednesday and has received good response from the people. Under the initiative, residents can donate old/new items for the needy till October 8 at the nearest dropping centre. MC Assistant Commissioner Jasdev Singh Sekhon and Director CityNeeds Maneet Dewan said the Daan Utsav was being celebrated on the directions of MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal. Apart from Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali, Chandigarh, Ropar and Patiala, it was being celebrated in Panchkula (Haryana) and Delhi too this year. Residents can donate clothes, books, shoes, toys, games, stationary, electronics, bedding and grocery items etc. These People can donate old or new items for the needy at their nearest dropping centres till October 8. TRIBUNE PHOTO items would be collected at one point after October 8. The items would then be carefully segregated and distributed to NGOs that work directly in slum areas and underserved communities. The collected items would be distributed through RRR Centres and NGOs to ensure that they reach the needy persons. Over 70 dropping centres have been set up across Ludhiana and 50 dropping centres have been established in other cities where citizens can drop off their donations. To find the nearest dropping centre, donors can give a missed call to 7877778803 and receive the details on WhatsApp. — TNS