03022025-JTR-01.qxd 2/2/2025 11:23 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MP FOR MASS MOVEMENT TO MAKE RIVERS POLLUTION-FREE STRAY MENACE NEEDS FIRM HANDLING BY LOCAL BODIES SONAM KAPOOR BREAKS DOWN ON THE RAMP Seechewal emphasises importance of the Buddha Dariya as symbol of Punjab's rich heritage, integral part of nation. P2 Neutering canines through campaigns, transporting them to distant places and prompt treatment needed: ResidentsP3 It was an emotional moment for Bollywood diva as she paid tribute to the late fashion icon Rohit Bal. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 18°C | MIN 11°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.04 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:18 AM » MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2025 | JALANDHAR Selling at ~ 2/kg, growers destroy cauliflower crop Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 2 After getting good returns from cauliflower last year, farmer Gajan Singh from Swal village in Kapurthala had increased the area under the vegetable from 3 acres to 13 acres this season. But the expectations he had didn’t turn out to be the same. The cauliflower growers are merely getting Rs 2 per kg. While the retail price for the same is Rs 20. Another grower Mohan Singh from Sultanpur Lodhi also ploughed two acres of his standing crop. Farmers are upset over low prices. “Ki kariye? This is what we go through. There is no help from the government. Many farmers grew cauliflower this time thinking that they would gain from it. But everyone is destroying crops which is heartbreaking,” a distressed Mohan Singh said. Both Mohan Singh and Gajan Singh said there was an input cost of Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 per acre, including seed, labour cost, diesel, fertilisers, etc, and this time they were suffering huge losses. “There is no profit at all. It is sad that we are suffering like this,” they rued. A farmer shows the destroyed cauliflower in Kapurthala. Sukhjinder Singh had also grown cauliflower on five acres. “The labourers take Rs 1.5 per kg to harvest the crop and we are getting Re 1- Rs 2 per kg. So, every grower is thinking to plough back the crop instead of harvesting it,” Singh told The Tribune. Farmer Balwinder Singh from Madala Channa village, Jalandhar, said he wanted to plough back the vegetable on his one acre, but it was difficult. “Apne hath naal laayi, kidda vadd daiye,” an emotional Balwinder said. Last year, around 500hectare land was under cauliflower which was increased to more than 600 hectares this year. Horticulture Department officials said the production of cauliflower got increased and this led to farmers getting very low prices. Also, the farmers who cultivated late variety were suffering more. Farmer Bakshish Singh also shared his sentiments. “Farming is full of risk now. The government must to do something for us,” he said. Such situation arose two years ago as well when farmers had to destroy the vegetable. That time, same problem was with potato and tomato. Farmers feared that they might have had to dump potatoes on roads if they keep on getting Rs 4-Rs 6 per kg. Farmer Lakhvir Bassi from Kala Sanghian had then cultivated potato on 35 acres of which 25 acres are on contract. “Looking at the prices, it seems I will not be able to pay money to landowner. “I think I will have to take more loan now,” he had then said. Pregnant woman’s death: Kin refuse post-mortem until arrest of in-laws Pendu Mazdoor Union to protest tomorrow over ‘police inaction’ Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 1 The Pendu Mazdoor Union has announced that it will hold a protest on February 4 at Bholath against the alleged inaction by the Begowal police in the case of an alleged murder of three-month pregnant woman. Activists allege that she was murdered by her in-laws. Demanding action against the in-laws, her family has refused to get her postmortem done for the past six days. The woman’s body currently lies at a mortuary in Begowal. Amandeep Kaur, 23-yearold, died on January 28 at Kapurthala. On the complaint of her mother, an FIR was registered at the Begowal police station on January 29 under Section 80 of the BNS against the deceased’s husband, mother-in-law Paramjit Kaur, and two brother-in-laws. On the activists’ demand, Section 3(1)(a) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was also added to the case on January 30. However, activists have been demanding the arrest of the accused. As per FIR, the deceased’s mother, Seema, resident of Kamarai, alleged that her daughter Amandeep Kaur Activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union along with the family of the victim girl (Left) outside the Begowal police station in Kapurthala. was married about two years ago to Gurpreet Singh, alias Happy, son of Jaspal Singh, of Maqsoodpur, Begowal, in Kapurthala. The duo also have a daughter Harkirat Kaur, aged one year. Seema alleged that her daughter was three-month pregnant at the time of her death. She alleged that after marriage, her in-laws - including mother-in-law Paramjit Kaur, brother-in-law Sabi and Sagar - used to harass her, asking her to bring dowry. Seema also alleged that on January 28, Paramjit called her saying Amandeep had become weak, asking Seema to come quickly. On reaching a private hospital in Nadala, Seema found Amaneep’s condition to be very serious. Amandeep was then taken to a private hospital in Bholath where the doctor declared her brought dead. Seema alleged the inlaws had given some poisonous medicine to Amandeep, due to which she died. Pendu Mazdoor Union actvists Kashmir Singh Ghugshore, state press secretary and Gurpreet Singh Cheeda, state leader of the union’s youth wing, alleged, “The Begowal police have registered a case after the union’s protest. But none of the culprits have been arrested so far. In protest against the inaction, the union and the family will hold a protest demonstration at Bholath Main Chowk on February 4 against the antiDalit attitude and lax action of the administration.” The DSP said, “The in-laws and girl’s parents had a fight at the hospital after which the in-laws left the spot. They are hiding and their phones are switched off .” Youth Cong leader dies as car Inter-dist two-wheeler snatcher gang falls into Garhshankar canal busted, four held with bikes, scooter Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Garhshankar, February 2 A young man died after his car overturned in the Bist Doab Canal near Aima Jattan village on the way from Garhshankar to Adampur. The deceased has been identified as 28-year-old Chatinder Singh, alias Moji, son of Gurdeep Singh, resident of Padrana, Garhshankar. Chatinder Singh was the working head of Youth Congress, Garhshankar. It is being said last night Chatinder was returning to his village Padrana from Adampur in his car. When the car reached near Aima Jattan, due to fog the road was not visible and the car went out of control and fell into the canal and he died. When people saw the car in the canal this morning, they informed the police and they reached the spot, took the body to the Civil Hos- THE RECOVERY The car of Chatinder Singh (Left) that fell into a canal in Garhshankar. pital. The body was handed over to his relatives after conducting the post-mortem. The car was badly damaged from the front and the glass of the driver’s side was completely broken and Chatinder’s body was lying outside the car. This suggests that after the accident, Chatinder must have come out of the car in an injured state and fell. Since it was night, no one came to know about the accident. If someone had come to know about it, then Chatinder might have been saved. Jalandhar, February 2 In a major breakthrough against the organised vehicle theft, the Nakodar police have dismantled an inter-district vehicle lifting gang with the arrest of four individuals and recovery of four stolen twowheelers. The gang had been actively operating across multiple districts of Punjab, targeting two-wheelers. The accused have been identified as Manpreet Singh, resident of Sharakpur Colony, Nakodar; Jaswinder Singh, resident of village Talwan; Abhishek Kumar, resident of village Talwan; and Raman, resident of Mohalla Guga Sai, Nakodar. SSP , Jalandhar rural, Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh, said the arrests were made under a special drive ■ Four vehciles and Rs 4 lakh cash ■ Splendor Plus motorcycle (PB-08-ET-9108) ■ Passion Plus motorcycle (PB-08-BG-8385) ■ CD Deluxe motorcycle (without number) ■ Activa scooter (without number) ■ Total worth: Approximately ~4 lakh against the organised crime and anti-social elements. “This inter-district gang had created a sophisticated network for stealing and disposing of vehicles across Punjab. Their arrest is a significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to curb vehicle theft in the region,” said SSP Khakh. The operation was supervised by Jasroop Kaur Bath, Superintendent of Police (Investigation), and Sukhpal Singh, DSP Nakodar, and , Inspector Aman Saini, SHO, Nakodar. A special team led by ASI Rajinder Kumar made the arrests on February 1 following a tip-off. The recovered vehicles include a Splendour Plus motorcycle bearing registration number PB-08-ET-9108, a Passion Plus motorcycle (PB08-BG-8385), one CD Deluxe motorcycle and an Activa scooter, with the latter two having their registration plates removed to avoid detection. Investigation revealed that all four accused were habitual offenders with multiple cases registering against them across different police stations. The kingpin, Jaswinder Singh, has four criminal cases registered against him, including charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy. “The police have registered a fresh case under Sections 303(2), 3(5) of the BNS. More recoveries are expected as the team investigates their wider network, particularly focusing on those involved in purchasing and selling these stolen vehicles,” Khakh added. The accused will be produced in a court where the police will seek their remand for further investigation. Khakh appealed to the public to park their vehicles in well-lit areas and use security measures. “While we continue our crackdown on such gangs, public awareness and precaution play a crucial role in preventing vehicle theft,” he said. 2 booked for murder Call to remove garbage dump on shobha yatra route of NRI over land deal Ravidas Jayanti 0n Feb 12 Hoshiarpur, February 2 The Dasuya police have registered a case against two persons for allegedly murdering an NRI to grab Rs 2.80 lakh in a land deal. Surinder Kaur, wife of Balwinder Singh, resident of village Bakarpur in district Kapurthala, told the police that her husband had come from abroad. Her husband had told her that he had deposited Rs 2.80 lakh in the account of Ramesh Kumar and Narinderpal, alias Nindi, residents of village Pasi Bet in Dasuya, for a land deal, but the accused are shying away from getting the land registered. She said her husband went on a bike from home to meet them on January 21, but when he did not return, she called him but his phone was switched off. She filed a missing person report with Bholath police on January 27. On February 1, former sarpanch of village Galowal Lakhwinder Singh informed her that a body had been found in the jungle of village Budhuvakart. She identified the body which was of her husband. There were injury marks on her husband’s body. She alleged that the accused murdered her husband to grab the money. — OC Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 2 With Guru Ravidas Jayanti approaching and the Shobha Yatra on February 11 likely, residents and shopkeepers on the Nakodar road are demanding immediate action to remove a massive garbage dump between Doaba Khalsa School and Nari Niketan. They argue that the unattended waste not is an eyesore, but also poses health hazards, especially when hundreds of devotees are set to visit Sat Guru Ravidas Dham for the celebrations. Despite repeated com- plaints, the Municipal Corporation has failed to ensure regular garbage lifting, leading to the waste piling up and at times spilling onto the road. Locals say the problem has worsened over time, with no proper disposal mechanism in place. “The stench is unbearable and stray dogs and cattle keep rummaging through the garbage. We run a sanitary shop here and cus- c m y b tomers often walk away because of the foul smell,” said Ramesh Kumar, a shopkeeper near the dump. The area is home to several businesses, including a dhaba, a hospital and schools, all of which are struggling with the unsanitary conditions. “Patients coming to our clinic complain about the unbearable smell. It’s shameful that such conditions exist right in the middle of a busy market area,” said Anil Sharma, who works in a clinic nearby. Commuters also say the garbage dump often encroaches on the road, leading to accidents. “Many times, garbage covers nearly half the road. I’ve seen bikers skid and fall while trying to avoid the waste. It’s not just an inconvenience, it’s risky,” said Sukhbir Singh, a daily commuter. With thousands of devotees expected to walk through the area for the Shobha Yatra and the ‘mela’ (which is held on this road every year), residents argue that the garbage dump presents a terrible image of the city. “This road will be packed with people from all over the district coming to pay their respects at the guru. Instead of a welcoming atmosphere, they will be greeted by filth and foul smells. It’s embarrassing,” said Surinder Pal, a local resident. Residents and business owners say that the authorities need to act immediately to clean the area before the celebrations. “We are not asking for anything extraordinary—just basic cleanliness and proper garbage disposal. It’s a necessity, especially with such a significant event around the corner,” said another shopkeeper. Meanwhile, MC officials claim that lifting is being done to ensure the area remains clean. They say swift action will be taken to ensure that the city is clean and presentable before the celebrations. Makhan Singh Panchayat secy dies in accident, Doda man held Our Correspondent Garhshankar, February 2 Panchayat Secretary Makhan Singh died on the spot in a collision with a Mahindra pickup near village Kukd Mazra on the Sri Anandpur SahibGarhshankar road. The police registered a case on the statement of the deceased’s brother. Makhan Singh was posted as Panchayat Secretary in the BDPO, Garhshankar. Makhan Singh’s elder brother Sita Ram told the Garhshankar police that Makhan and he were going to our village from Garhshankar around 10 o’clock on our motorcycles. Near Kukd Mazra village, a pickup vehicle coming from the front hit Makhan’s motorcycle and the pickup van ran over my brother. Makhan was seriously injured and was taken to a Health Centre at Sadoa where doctors declared him dead. Based on the statements, the police has arrested Rahim Ali of Champal, district Doda, Jammu & Kashmir, now the resident of Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur, and registered a case against him.