21012025-JTR-01.qxd 1/20/2025 10:43 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune CM MANN TO UNVEIL PROF DUGGAL'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY SHAH RUKH KHAN PRAISES SINGER CHRIS MARTIN After Chris Martin said 'SRK forever' during his performance in Mumbai, the superstar has now come up with a reply . P4 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 8°C BIGG BOSS 18 WINNER KARAN VEER IS ECSTATIC Prof Duggal, a name synonymous with journalism, will unveil his autobiography, "Meri Udaan: Amargarh to Jalandhar". P2 FORECAST Yeh trophy meri hai, aur main is trophy ka Karan Veer Mehra… the Bigg Boss 18 winner said loud. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 5.52 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:25 AM » TUESDAY | 21 JANUARY 2025 | JALANDHAR E-challaning likely to jump Jan 26 deadline again Cyber cafes near LPU to shut during JEE exam Avneet Kaur PHAGWARA,JANUARY 20 District Magistrate of Kapurthala Amit Kumar Panchal has issued orders to close certain shops within a 300-metre radius of the Lovely Professional University (LPU) examination centre during the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (Main). The orders were issued under Section 163 of the Citizen Safety Code-2023 to ensure the smooth conduct of the exams organised by the National Testing Agency (NTA). As per orders, cyber cafes, photocopy shops and printing outlets in the specified area will remain closed on January 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29 from 9 AM to 12 noon during the first shift. On January 30, these establishments will remain closed during the second shift from 3 PM to 6:30 PM. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala, has been directed to ensure strict compliance with these orders. The decision aims to maintain a disturbance-free environment for the candidates appearing for the prestigious examination. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 20 Even as various media reports claim that the government plans to roll out e-challaning of vehicles in four major cities, including Jalandhar, from January 26, senior Municipal Corporation (MC) officials and the traffic police assert they have neither received any official notification about this, nor are they prepared for such a launch. The much-awaited Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) Project, aimed at improving surveillance and traffic management, has faced repeated delays since its initiation in 2018. Despite multiple assurances over the years, the project has missed numerous deadlines. Former Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal had set December 15, 2023, as the deadline and, thereafter, it was speculated to be operational last year on January 26 and then in March. However, frequent transfers of officials and a lack of sustained focus have significantly hampered the progress, and it is unlikely to start this year on January 26. High-resolution CCTV cameras installed at BMC Chowk, Jalandhar. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH While the recent installation of poles and high-resolution CCTV cameras across Jalandhar stirred optimism for better enforcement akin to systems in Chandigarh, substantial work remains before the ICCC project can go live. According to officials, over 1,000 high-quality cameras have been installed at 180 strategic locations to enhance surveillance and intelligent traffic management. Key features of the project include automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), red light AAP’s Harmesh Goraya Nagar Panchayat chief Our Correspondent PHAGWARA, JANUARY 20 Amid noisy session, Harmesh Lal of AAP was elected President of Goraya Nagar Panchayat today. AAP has won 10 seats out of total 13 wards. Arguments between Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh and DSP Phillaur Sarwan Singh Bal took ugly turn during an election meeting when Vikramjit raised his objection on the presence of DSP Bal in the meeting and alleged that DSP was pressuring councillors to vote in favour of Harmesh Lal, who was rejected by his party in the previous meeting held on January 13. DSP Bal said he was there only to maintain law and order after informing the convener. The presence of a DSP at the meeting caused furore in the Goraya Nagar Panchayat president’s election. Executive Officer can’t call MC meetings: High Court Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, January 20 After a series of meetings convened by the Executive Officer of Municipal Council of Nawanshahr and works worth over Rs 1 crore cleared, the Punjab and High Court has ordered, “No such power is vested with the EO whereby he becomes enabled to convene a meeting of the MC”. The court has ordered that the EO is empowered only to conduct the administrative functions of the court and the proceedings embarked are required to be quashed. In Nawanshahr, where the council has another year to complete its term in February 2025, president of the council Sachin Diwan was removed in 2021. The vice-president of the MC relinquished his term of one year and no election had been held even though the Director, Local Bodies, had passed orders in this regard in September 2022. In 2020, the Congress had won on 10 of 19 wards. The petition filed in this connection by Congress councillor Kulwant Kaur reads, “The EO called a meeting for August 28, 2023, upon which the petitioners filed their objections and appre- HOLD MEETINGS FOR ELECTION TO V-P POST ❝ A mandamus is made upon the respondent to ensure the convening of the meetings of the Municipal Committee for conducting the election to the office of the vice-president. The validly elected vice-president of the MC can then convene the meetings — High Court ❞ hensions by way of a representation stating that the post of vice-president was vacant and that till election was held, the EO had no authority to set the agendas and hold meetings as the power only lies with the president or the vice-president.” The court ordered, “The EO is empowered only to conduct the administrative functions of the committee. There is a clear statutory forbiddance against the EO to convene the meetings of the MC. Municipal Committees are democratically elected institutions and only the democratically elected officers are required to be chairing the meetings. If the statutory empowerment of the validly elected officers is snatched from them, it would be antiethical to the democratic functioning of the local self government.” The court thus allowed the petition of the Congress councillors. “A mandamus is made upon the respondent to ensure the convening of the meetings of the Municipal Committee for conducting the election to the office of the vice-president. The validly elected vice-president of the MC can then convene the meetings”, the order by a double bench of judges Sureshwar Thakur and Kirti Singh reads. Meanwhile, Sachin Diwan too has challenged his removal in the High Court. violation detection (RLVD) at 11 inter-sections, adaptive traffic control and emergency call boxes, among other advanced systems. Additionally, tools like automatic traffic classification counters (ATCC) to monitor vehicle types, variable message display boards for public and emergency communication and air quality sensors are part of the project’s sophisticated framework. Traffic junction lights at nine locations are also set to function dynamically, based on real-time traffic flow. However, significant components, including traffic violation sensors and zebra crossings, remain incomplete. Officials from the police department confirmed that the work on these aspects is ongoing but cannot be finished within the next five days. Although monitoring has commenced using installed cameras, the digital streamlining of the city’s traffic management will take more time to implement fully. ADC reviews preparations for R-Day Shahkot MC chief election deferred again Kapurthala, January 20 Additional DC (J) Navneet Kaur Ball today reviewed the preparations for the districtlevel event to be held on Republic Day during a meeting with heads of various departments in Kapurthala today. She said the event will be held at Guru Nanak Stadium where the Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal will perform the Tricolour hoisting ceremony. She said various committees had been formed to conduct the event successfully. She reviewed the cleanliness of the stadium, beautification of the city, security, transportation, barracking, seating of people, stage decoration, band arrangements, duties of employees, first-aid, electricity and sound arrangements. The ADC said during the event, police, Home Guard, NCC, Education Department, Girls Guide and Sainik School contingent will participate in the march past. — TNS Tribune News Service ‘Scuffle’ between two AAP councillors the reason |Congress calls it drama, holds protest Jalandhar, January 20 The Municipal Council president’s election was postponed again in Shahkot on Monday with Congress leaders led by MLA Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia taking to protest right outside the office of the Executive Officer. It was on January 16 that the elections had been last announced. On that day, neither the polling, nor oath ceremony for the 13 recentlyelected councillors could be held as SDM Shubhi Angra had reportedly become unwell. On Saturday, a fresh notification for electing the president had been issued for Monday at 2 pm. Ahead of the slated time, all councillors and Sherowalia reached the MC meeting hall for the election. The SDM again took leave. Upon the insistence of the Congress MLA and councillors, the administration handed over the charge to tehsildar Maninder Sidhu to Congress leaders MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia along with residents holds a protest at Shahkot on Monday. hold the meeting. All councillors took oath after which some exchange of arguments started among the councillors. The AAP four councillors who had won went out and tehsildar reportedly followed them saying that he had gone to call them back. The Congress councillors said they kept on waiting for the tehsildar but he did not return even after two hours. The Congress has nine councillors and AAP could win only four wards, with the former having a clear majority in the 13-ward council. “After 4 pm, we all finally came out and lodged a protest squatting on the road for about 45 minutes. But we got no conclusive response. The government machinery is working at the behest of the AAP leaders and is deliberately not allowing election to be held”, said Laddi Sherowalia. While Laddi alleged that the tussle between two AAP councillors was a drama orchestrated by the ruling party, Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal said, “The tehsildar reported to me that a scuffle had ensued between the two councillors and the atmosphere was not conducive for conducting the election. We will give a new date for the election soon”. DGP reviews security ahead of Republic-Day parade Inter-state drug smuggling racket busted, 2 arrested Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 20 DGP Gaurav Yadav held a comprehensive law and order review meeting in Jalandhar on Monday with senior police officers from the Jalandhar Commissionerate and Jalandhar Range and neighbouring districts of Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and SBS Nagar. The meeting aimed at evaluating preparedness and strengthening security measures for the upcoming Republic Day 2025 celebrations. DGP Yadav directed the officers to enhance security by increasing police presence and conducting regular patrols, especially during night hours, to prevent any untoward incidents. He emphasised the importance of night domination operations in sensitive areas to maintain law and order. Additional police checkpoints had been ordered across the districts to intensify vehicle checks and disrupt criminal or terrorist activities. The police have been ordered to maintain strict vigil on anti-social elements and FIRs must be promptly registered against anyone found indulging in violent activities. “No one should be allowed to take the law into their hands. Any violent act must be dealt with firmly,” Yadav stressed. The meeting also covered preventive measures such as surveillance of suspicious individuals and operations targeting organised crime and drug trafficking. Officers were asked to prioritise public safety by increasing police presence at critical locations and tightening security protocols. Present at the meeting were CP Swapan Sharma, DIG, Naveen Singla, SSP HPS , Khakh, SSP Kapurthala, Gau, rav Toora, SSP Hoshiarpur, , Surendra Lamba and SSP , SBS Nagar, Mehtab Singh. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 20 The Jalandhar Rural Police have busted an inter-state drug smuggling network and seized 50 gram of heroin. Two persons involved in bringing drugs from Jammu & Kashmir to Punjab have been arrested in this operation. The police have arrested Sadiq, alias Shika, of Kakka Kandyala, Tarn Taran, and Muradin, alias Muradu, of Ward No. 7 near Shani Mandir, Balachaur, who lives in Cheema Batha Raia, Amritsar. Women constables take part in the rehearsal of the Republic Day parade in Jalandhar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH c m y b SSP HPS Khakh told the media that the operation was carried out under SP Investi, gation, Jasroop Kaur Bath and DSP Investigation, Sar, wanjit Singh. Inspector Pushp Bali, in-charge, CIA Staff, Jalandhar Rural, led the operation after receiving information about heroin smuggling in Adampur. On January 19, 2025, acting on a tip-off, the CIA staff team, led by SI Labh Singh, stopped a car (HR-29-AB2450) near Nehr Puli Rest House, Adampur. During checking, the police found 50 gram of heroin hidden in the car’s dashboard. Though the accused tried to run away, the police team caught them. The police have registered a case at Adampur under the NDPS Act. Investigation has revealed that the accused would buy heroin at low prices from Jammu & Kashmir and sell it at high prices across Punjab. Their arrest has stopped the drug supply in Adampur and Bhogpur areas. SSP Khakh said the accused would be presented in a court for police remand to find out more about their network.