26102024-LT-01.qxd 10/26/2024 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ISLAMIA SCHOOLS CELEBRATE ESTABLISHMENT’S CENTENARY PATIALA LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO CURB FARM FIRES BISHNOIS BURN EFFIGIES OF SALMAN KHAN, SALIM KHAN Islamia Senior Sec School, managed by Punjab Wakf Board in Chandigarh, celebrated its 100th anniversary. P3 To combat air pollution, Patiala administration has launched ‘Satth ch Gall ate Hall’ programme. P3 Bishnoi community burnt effigies of Salman Khan and his father, who termed him ‘innocent’ in poaching case. P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 32°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 18°C SUNSET SATURDAY 5.41 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:33 AM SATURDAY | 26 OCTOBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Who will upkeep Ludhiana’s parks? Despite spending lakhs,green lungs remain in a miserable condition Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 25 Public parks located in various parts of the city are crying for attention of the authorities. Barring a few in areas such as Sarabha Nagar, BRS Nagar, Ghumar Mandi, public parks across the city are in sheer neglect. Thanks to the Municipal Corporation, which even after spending lakhs of rupees on maintenance has failed to maintain these at the ground level. Parks in posh areas such as Sarabha Nagar Block I, BRS Nagar, Ghumar Mandi near Ludhiana West MLA’s residence and Mall Road are in a good condition as these are being maintained by residential societies by keeping permanent caretakers or gardeners. A large number of public parks in other areas of the city are in a shambles. These have become a safe haven for anti-social elements. There are parks where encroachments can be seen but thanks to the lackadaisical approach of the authorities who fail to act against the menace. A small ‘tikona’ park opposite the Khalsa College for Women has become a place for parking vehicles and carts of vendors selling eatables are stationed there during the daytime and till late night hours. Pankaj Sharma, president, Association of Trade and Industrial Undertakings (ATIU), said there were around 50 public parks in Focal Points itself but all were A well-maintained park near the house of Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi at Ghumar Mandi. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN WELL-MAINTAINED IN POSH AREAS A park in a pathetic state at Kundan Puri in Ludhiana badly needs authorities’ attention. in a pathetic state. “We are paying huge taxes to the Municipal Corporation but not even a single plant is planted in public parks, which is hardly maintained by the authorities concerned. We have approached the civic body several times to hand over the maintenance work of parks to the industries but it was not agreeable to them. We want these to be in good shape with benches and greenery but huge grass and weed are witnessed all over,” he said. Anjali Sharma, who stays near Petrol Pump, Jalandhar Bypass, said there was a huge public park in the area but nobody could go and sit there due to the presence of stray cattle or dogs. Many times, drug addicts were also seen lazing around in the park. Unfortunately, the authorities had never visited these parks, which were never maintained, she said. Another public park near the SBI treasury branch on Rani Jhansi Road is also in a pitiable condition. Wild grass and broken benches greet visitors in the park. It is learnt that a grant of about Rs 15 lakh was received for the park but it was still in a shambles with no gardener from the horticulture wing of the MC visiting the place. Women in the area have requested to make a small path in the park where they could walk, but no efforts had been made in this regard. On the contrary, the park near the house of Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi Farmers’ protest across dist leaves commuters stranded Stranded residents on the Amritsar-Delhi NH during the farmers' protest in Khanna. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 25 Farmers’ protest across the Ludhiana district caused trouble for commuters and residents on Friday. Various farmer unions blocked national highways in Khanna, Jagraon and Ludhiana. The farmers blocked roads from 11 am to 3 pm. Only emergency vehicles were allowed to pass and other vehicular traffic, including buses, were not allowed to cross the protest venue during the blockade. Residents heaved a sigh of relief when farmers lifted the protest at 3 pm and allowed the vehicular traffic to move smoothly. Contrary to the call for blocking roads leading to grain markets only, the protesting farmers have blocked the main LudhianaChandigarh highway at Kohara by squatting on the middle of the road. Only a handful of agitators blocked the highway, causing hardships to the commuters. Amrit Benipal from the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), who led the protest on the Amritsar-Delhi highway in Khanna, said farmers blocked the high- way due to poor policies of the state and the Central Government. Despite promising to lift paddy, nothing was done on the ground by the government. While taking a jibe at the visit of former Chief Minister and BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh to the grain market in Khanna, he said the visit of the former CM could not resolve issues of farmers. The issue of tardy procurement of paddy had been going on for weeks and had Captain Amarinder was serious about the issue, he should have already met the continued on page 2 is well maintained, with proper boundary wall, neat and clean benches to sit, where the MLA takes morning meetings. “If we can maintain one public park, why are we neglecting others? MLAs in their respective areas should visit parks and see what can be done to improve their condition. In Chandigarh, each and every park is well maintained, where residents walk and spend their mornings and evenings. But here, land worth crores of rupees are lying wasted in the name of public parks,” said Parminder Mehta, a BJP leader. What officials say MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said there were around 900 big and small Miscreants assault, rob bizman of ~4.5L Ludhiana, October 25 Unidentified assailants robbed a businessman, Azim Hussain, of Rs 4.5 lakh in broad daylight. The perpetrators, armed with sharp weapons, broke the car’s windshield, dragged the victim out, and brutally assaulted him before fleeing the scene. Hussain, a resident of Gill village, runs a canteen. He was purchasing supplies on October 22 when the incident occurred at Sarih village. A tractor blocked his car and the miscreants in a Mahindra car and on motorcycles attacked him. The police on Thursday registered a case against unidentified assailants based on Hussain’s complaint. Investigating officer ASI Paramjit Singh confirmed that the police had initiated an investigation in the matter following the registration of the FIR. Hussain said he was going to the market to purchase supplies when the incident occurred. As he reached Sarih village, a tractor blocked his car. The suspects broke the windshield and assaulted him with sharp weapons. The complainant said he was unaware about the suspects who targeted him. Despite attempts to intervene them, the perpetrators escaped from the scene. —TNS c m y b SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS A large number of public parks in many areas of the city are in a Parks in posh areas such as Sarabha Nagar Block I, BRS Nagar shambles. These have become a and Ghumar Mandi, near Ludhiana safe haven for anti-social West MLA’s residence, are in a good elements. There are parks where encroachments can be seen but condition as these are being thanks to the lackadaisical maintained by residential societies by keeping permanent approach of the authorities who fail to act against the menace. caretakers or gardeners. public parks in Ludhiana, many of which were being maintained by park management committees (PMCs). “There are certain issues with PMCs, we are looking into the matter and are planning to outsource some agency to take care of neglected parks and the residents will get the results in one or two months. As far as plots in Focal Points are concerned, we are ready to hand over the same to industrialists but then they lay several conditions such as construction of boundary walls, etc. If they have to adopt these, they should do so under the CSR scheme and we have no objections”, he said. Deputy Commissioner Jitender Jorwal said public parks coming under the Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction were supposed to be maintained by the civic body and the administration had no role in it. He said he would, however, look into the condition of the parks coming under the jurisdiction of the district administration. MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi claimed maximum public parks in the city were located in his area, Ludhiana West. There were about 650 public parks in the area and 70 per cent of these were well maintained. “For the past two days, my wife is personally visiting Rose Garden to get it cleaned. We are taking all measures but public too has to be responsible for cleanliness,” he said. Drug lord Raja Kandola acquitted in smuggling case Legal Correspondent Ludhiana October 25 The Court of Additional Sessions Judge Shiv Mohan Garg has acquitted drug lord Ranjit Singh, known as ‘Raja Kandola’, and his associate Gurnam Singh in a 2017 drug smuggling case. Both were exonerated in the matter of an alleged heroin seizure. The court held that there was insufficient evidence linking Kandola and Gurnam to the charges and the prosecution failed to substantiate its claim that Kandola was coordinating with Pakistan-based traffickers via phone from jail. The case, registered on July 19, 2017, by the Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) at Ludhiana’s Moti Nagar police station, accused Kandola and his associate based on an FIR. The STF had initially charged Palwinderjeet Singh Sidhu, alias Pinda, and Ravinder Singh, alias Ravi, after allegedly seizing 2.5 kg of heroin from them. The authorities contended that Kandola, who was then in a Kapurthala jail, maintained communication with Pakistan-based drug traffickers and worked alongside Pinda and Ravi to smuggle heroin into India for local distribution. The FIR was registered under Sections 22, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act. Notably, the two other accused, Pinda and Ravi, who had got bail, failed to attend subsequent hearings and were declared proclaimed offenders. According to Gupta, the STF claimed to have seized 2.5 kg of heroin each from Pinda and Ravi but nothing was found in Kandola’s possession. MC razes 3 illegal structures, colony Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 25 Acting against illegal constructions, the Municipal Corporation (MC) demolished two under-construction illegal shops, a labour quarter building and an illegal colony in the New BRS Nagar and Sunet areas on Friday. The labour quarter building was being illegally constructed in new BRS Nagar while two shops were being constructed in New Sham Nagar. The illegal colony was being established in the Sunet area. Building inspector Paulparneet Singh said the drive against illegal constructions was conducted on the directions of MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal and Assistant Town Planner, Zone D. A warning was given to owners in the past continued on page 2 No stay on PPCB orders, Tribunal defers hearing on industry’s appeals Effluents continue to flow into Buddha Nullah despite ban orders Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 25 With no stay on the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) orders to stop the discharge of effluents from three common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) into the Buddha Nullah, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has deferred the hearing on two separate appeals filed by the dyeing industry to November 4. The Punjab Dyers Association had approached the NGT against the orders issued by the PPCB to stop the discharge of 105-MLD (million litres daily) treated effluents from three CETPs into the Sutlej tributary. Taking up the appeals, the NGT Principal Bench, headed by its chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, said: “The counsel for the appellant submits that he is confining this appeal to the order dated September 26, 2024, in respect of the direction for meeting the prescribed discharge standards and to stop the Effluents from three CETPs continue to flow into the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana. discharge of effluents from the CETP into the Buddha Nullah. He has sought liberty to file a separate appeal against the order for revocation of consent.” Allowing the prayer, the NGT ordered that the necessary correction in the memo of appeal be carried out within three days while adjourning the hearing in both appeals to November 4. Meanwhile, the discharge of effluents into the Buddha Nullah continued without any check in the absence of any action to implement the PPCB ban orders issued on September 25 and 26. Irked over the inaction, an environmentalist, Col Jasjit Gill (retd), who is spearheading a sustained campaign to free the Sutlej tributary of widespread pollution, has sought intervention of Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in implementing the PPCB orders. “The government’s dilly dallying is resulting in dilution of its own legitimate orders based on the water conservation Acts. The Punjab Government has to come clean and clear on its stand that whether it’s for the 2 crore people, who are target of this chemical cocktail assault up to Rajasthan, who drink and use this water for irrigation or it is with a group of polluters, who, so far, have cocked a snoop at the pollution control laws,” he said. Col Gill, in a representation, a copy of which was released to The Tribune here on Friday, stated that there was a mala fide in delaying orders implementation so as to provide polluters a window of opportunity to get some judicial reprieve or delay in implementation of these continued on page 2