28022025-TTB-01.qxd 2/28/2025 12:42 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 58 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 UK’S STARMER MEETS TRUMP OVER TRADE AND UKRAINE WORLD /thetribunechd INDIA BLOC ‘NOT DEAD’, MUST UNITE AGAINST BJP: OMAR J&K INDIAN CONSUMPTION DOUBLED TO $2.1 TN: REPORT BUSINESS INDIA TRUSTED FRIEND, STRATEGIC ALLY: EU PRESIDENT BACK PAGE friday | 28 february 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Punjab okays new Excise Policy, Many native languages lost to monolithic Hindi: Stalin eyes ~11K cr revenue next fiscal Tribune News Service 8-fold hike in licence fee for farmhouse parties | IMFL to cost more Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 27 The Punjab Government has made the serving of liquor at farmhouse parties in the state costlier by raising the licence fee for such events from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh from April 1. This change is part of the Excise Policy for 2025-26, approved by the Council of Ministers on Thursday. The government aims at collecting Rs 11,020 crore excise revenue next fiscal. Under the new policy, while the prices of country-made liquor (Punjab Medium Liquor) remain unchanged from last year, the cost of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) will increase by Rs 10-15 per bottle. Beer prices are determined by market forces under Punjab’s open pricing mechanism. The prices of premium beer will range between Rs 180 and Rs 200 per bottle. The government will continue with the open quota for IMFL sales while increasing the quota for country-made liquor by 3 per cent, setting it at 8.53 crore proof litres. Additionally, after a three-year CanshowPMModi’s degree to court: DU NEW DELHI: Delhi University (DU) has informed the Delhi High Court that it is willing to show to court its records on PM Narendra Modi’s degree but not disclose it to strangers under RTI. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta made the submission following which the court reserved verdict on the matter. —PTI HC extends stay on trial in Herald case NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC on Thursday extended the stay on the trial court proceedings in the National Herald case involving Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others. It posted the hearing on a plea by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on July 28 in the matter. — TNS SC disposes of plea in toxic waste case DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with a Madhya Pradesh HC order on shifting of toxic waste of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and disposing it in Pithampur, Dhar district. It disposed of a plea challenging a December 3, 2024, order of the court. INSIDE NEW ALLOCATION VIA e-TENDERING AAP govt has decided to revert to the 2022 policy of allotting liquor vends through an e-tendering process OTHER PROVISIONS IN POLICY ■ RELIEF FOR DEFENCE FORCES The wholesale licence fee for defence forces has been reduced by 50%, from ~5 lakh to ~2.5 lakh ■ MODEL SHOPS Retail licensees in municipal corporation areas must establish one ‘model shop’ per group to enhance consumer experience ■ STANDALONE BEER SHOPS The fee for these shops has hiatus, the cap on establishing liquor bottling plants in the state has been lifted. “We received numerous inquiries been reduced from ~2 lakh to ~25,000 per shop to promote their growth ■ COW WELFARE FEE Increased by 50%, from ~1 to ~1.5 per proof litre, raising expected collections from ~16 cr to ~24 cr in 2025-26 ■ EXCISE POLICE STATIONS A proposal to establish dedicated excise police stations to strengthen enforcement from investors interested in setting up bottling plants, and to attract investment, we have decided to allow new Cops deploy drones to nab Pune rape accused, announce ~1L for info Pune, February 27 The police on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information about the history-sheeter who allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Pune’s Swargate bus station and deployed drones as part of their manhunt, officials said. Amid the frantic police efforts to make a breakthrough, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut drew parallels between the crime and the 2012 Delhi gang rape and targeted Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar over law and order. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the government would try to ensure capital punishment for the culprit, even as Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane pitched for restarting the “encounter squad”. The accused, Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37), is named in half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar. He has been out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences. As Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, remained at large for over two days, offi- cials said 13 police teams had been formed to nab him. “A reward of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the person providing information about his whereabouts,” Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said. The police also launched a search operation at Gunat village, including in sugarcane fields, with drones and dog squads. Swargate in Pune is one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). According to the survivor, she was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in Satara district at one of the platforms around 5.45 am on Tuesday, when Gade engaged her in conversation, calling her “didi” (sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform. He took her to an empty Shiv Shahi AC bus parked elsewhere on the premises. As the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle. Gade then followed her and raped her, the woman, who works in the medical field, told the police. — PTI plants,” Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam told The Tribune. Currently, Punjab has 25 bottling plants, 17 distilleries, and four breweries. The policy also raises the alcohol possession limit for farm stays catering to tourists. Licence holders can now possess up to 36 quarts of IMFL, up from 12 quarts, along with increased allowances for beer, wine, gin, vodka, brandy, ready-to-drink beverages and other liquor products. Finance, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Cheema announced that the state was reverting to the 2022 policy of allotting liquor vends and groups (licensing units) through an e-tendering process. “Last year, we allotted vends through a draw of lots. For 2025-26, fresh allotment of L-2/L-14A retail vends will be conducted via e-tender, with group sizes set at Rs 40 crore, allowing a 25 per cent variation. A total of 207 groups will be auctioned. This will help balance the existing retail trade and ensure better and widespread participation,” he explained. continued on page 8 New Delhi, February 27 Amid the Hindi “imposition” controversy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin today said several regional languages had been lost to the supremacy of Hindi. “My dear sisters and brothers from other states, ever wondered how many Indian languages Hindi has swallowed? Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Magahi, Marwari, Malvi, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali, Angika, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh and Mundari. Many more are now gasping for survival. The push for a mono- WILL OPPOSE IMPOSITION BID TO DIVIDE SOCIETY Will oppose Hindi Poor governance will never imposition. Hindi is the mask, be hidden by such shallow Sanskrit is the hidden face. attempts to divide society. ❝ ❝ MK Stalin, TAMIL NADU CM Ashwini Vaishnaw, I&B MINISTER lithic Hindi identity is what kills ancient mother tongues. UP and Bihar were never just ‘Hindi heartlands’. Their real languages are now relics of the past,” Stalin said on X. The BJP hit back at Stalin accusing him of attempting to sow divisions on the basis of language with electoral motives on mind. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in 2026. “Bharat’s spiritual journey is incomplete without the mention of Tamil culture,” said continued on page 8 Tuhin Kanta Pandey Finance Secretary Pandey replaces Buch as SEBI chief New Delhi, February 27 The Centre on Thursday appointed Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as chief of the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), replacing Madhabi Puri Buch whose terms ends at the end of the month. Pandey has been appointed as the SEBI Chairman for an initial tenure of three years, a government order showed. The government had invited applications for the position till February 17. — TNS Implementing steps to end Ladakh conflict: China Beijing, February 27 The militaries of India and China are implementing the resolutions to end the standoff in eastern Ladakh in a “comprehensive and effective manner”, the Chinese Defence Ministry has said. “At present, the Chinese and Indian militaries are implementing the resolutions relat- TOWERING TRIBUTE READY TO WORK JOINTLY FOR PEACE work with the ❝ We are ready toand tranquillityIndian side to jointly preserve the peace in the border areas. Senior Col Wu Qian, CHINESE DEFENCE MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON ed to the border areas in a compressive and effective manner,” Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Col Pak a failed state, survives on handouts: India at UN Tribune News Service President Droupadi Murmu visits the Statue of Unity to pay tribute to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district. She is on a four-day visit to the state. PTI Wu Qian said at a media briefing on Thursday, replying to a question on the status of the normalisation of the situation in eastern Ladakh sector. “We are ready to work with the Indian side to jointly preserve the peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” he said. India and China completed the disengagement process late last year after firming up a pact for withdrawal of troops from Depsang and Demchok, continued on page 8 New Delhi, February 27 India today slammed Pakistan saying the country was a “failed state that thrives on instability and survives on international handouts”. The sharp retort came during the seventh session of the 58th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). India’s response came as a right of reply to what it called “baseless and malicious references” made by Pakistan at the UNHRC. Kshitij Tyagi, representative of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, blamed Pakistan for propagating falsehoods as dictated by its terrorist-military complex. He censured Pakistan for abusing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation as a propaganda mouthpiece. Reasserting India’s stance regarding J&K and Ladakh, Tyagi said the region shall forever be a part of India. He said political, social and economic advancement in J&K in recent years was a testament to India’s abiding commitment towards development and stability. India also pointed to Pakistan’s record of human rights abuses, blaming it for persecuting minorities, undermining dem- 26/11 RECORDS SOUGHT AHEAD OF RANA EXTRADITION A Delhi court has sought trial records of 26/11 terror attack from a Mumbai court ahead of the expected extradition of alleged mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana. In a January 28 order, district judge Vimal Kumar Yadav directed officials of a Mumbai court to supply the records of the case following a plea by National Investigation Agency. BACK PAGE ocratic values and sheltering UN-designated terrorists. “As a country where human rights abuses, persecution of minorities and systematic erosion of democratic values constitute state policies and which brazenly harbours UNsanctioned terrorists, Pakistan is in no position to lecture anyone,” Tyagi said. He also challenged Pakistan to move away from its “unhealthy obsession” with India and look towards tackling its internal failure and crisis in governance. “India remains focused on democracy, progress and ensuring dignity for its people — values that Pakistan would do well to learn from,” he said. Ridiculoustoblame Punjab farmers for Delhi haze: Goyal Mumbai, February 27 Union Minister Piyush Goyal has termed as “ridiculous” the contention that Punjab farmers are to blame for pollution in Delhi. Goyal, who handles the commerce and industry portfolio, asked everyone to “apply their mind” before coming to such conclusions. “...for Delhi, don’t believe anybody who tells you it’s the farmers of Punjab who cause the pollution in Delhi,” Goyal said at an event organised by the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry here. “Just apply your mind... I wonder how pollution travels 500 km through the high rises of Gurugram and finds a pathway to come to my home in New Delhi,” he said. It is “ridiculous” to place the blame on the farmers, Goyal said, making it clear that he was not supporting the burning of stubble either. Stubble burning by farmers continued on page 8 Sir Ganga Ram’s Lahore home unites families across border Hry board English paper Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service The restored family home of Sir Ganga Ram in Lahore. New Delhi, February 27 Earlier this month, the New Delhi-based descendants of Sir Ganga Ram undertook a dream journey to Pakistan. This was nothing like the cross-border visits they had paid earlier. It was a journey that would cap a two-decadelong search for a memory called home. “Staying in the house that was part of the compound where my father, his siblings and cousins — all of whom MAGICAL EXPERIENCE house that was part of the ❝ Staying in thehis siblings and cousins — allcompound where my father, of whom were grandchildren of Sir Ganga Ram — lived was indeed magical… Parul Datta, G’GRAM-BASED GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF SIR GANGA RAM were grandchildren of Sir Ganga Ram — lived was indeed magical and something I had been searching for since my first visit to Lahore in 2004. My father had visited Lahore in 1986 for the centenary of his school, Aitchison College, built by Sir Ganga Ram, and had found that there was a flyover built over the space on Jail Road, where he remembered his house to be. He described the compound to be large enough for him to have learnt driving there, with multiple homes to house the rather large joint c m y b family. However, he found that the compound had been divided and many smaller structures were standing instead. Little did he know that there was a small piece of the home he remembered, tucked away like a hidden gem,” Parul Datta, Gurugram-based great granddaughter of Sir Ganga Ram, told this correspondent today. Her hidden gem now stands restored to its past glory with Lahore-based interior designer Omer Nabi continued on page 8 leaked in Nuh, 3 nabbed Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Gurugram, February 27 Belying the tall claims made by the Haryana Government regarding adequate measures in place to check cheating during the examinations, the Class XII English question paper was reportedly leaked in Nuh today. The Class XII examinations of the Haryana board commenced today. The paper was leaked in the Nuh and Pun- hana areas within the first 30 minutes of the examination. Pictures of the question paper were shared on WhatsApp and soon “chit gangs” started preparing answer chits and threw these inside schools. The local police have nabbed three persons in this connection. The process of registering an FIR was underway at the time of the filing of this report. According to preliminary investigation, two invigilators continued on page 8