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P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 28°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 13°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.37 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:32 AM » TUESDAY | 18 MARCH 2025 | JALANDHAR 20 trees at Gandhi Vanita Ashram to make way for women’s hostel 10 trees already axed | Officials claim permission taken from Forest Dept Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 17 After the felling of over 20 trees on the premises of the former civil surgeon’s office in Jalandhar for the construction of the Critical Care Unit last year, 20 trees now face the axe on the premises of the Gandhi Vanita Ashram compound in Jalandhar. As per conservative estimates, 10 trees - which were at least 25 to 30 years old have already been axed on the ashram compound to make way for Working Women’s Hostel, which will come up at the site. Officials, however, said the trees have been axed with permission from the Forest Department for the hostel. They also added that 100 trees will be planted in place of the 20 axed trees. The felling of these trees from the ashram premises began on March 14 in the morning. A trolley full of tree trunk, branches and wood has already been removed from Trees cut on the campus of Gandhi Vanita Ashram in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH the ashram premises - even as 10 more trees to be axed. A woman staff member at the ashram said, “Over 10 trees have already been cut and some of these did not fall in the covered area of the hostel. Trees out of the hostel area couldn’t be axed. Some of these were flower and fruit bearing trees which were over 30 years old.” Ranjit Singh, contractor, tasked with the felling of the trees said, “I have been tasked with the felling of tress by the department. We have bought the trees with a certain price The delegation, which included vice-chairman Vicky Baluja, argued that Sabzi Mandi does not fall under the jurisdiction of the MC. They highlighted that the market committee manages the sanitation, sewerage, streetlights and road systems, while traders pay market fees and rural development fees to the committee. The traders requested the MC to withdraw the property tax notices. Mayor Dhir, meanwhile assured them that he will look into the matter and the notices would be withdrawn. Additionally, the delegation handed a memorandum to Chairman Chandan Grewal, emphasising the dire state of the market’s sanitation. They urged the authorities to address the issue as the unhygienic conditions are causing difficulties for traders, visitors and buyers alike. Among those present were Shivam Baluja, Honey Mattoo, Rajkumar Vinod Sharma, Deepak Raja, Ravi Bajaj, Minku Atwal, Naveen, Tinku Makkar, Neeraj, Jimmy Sehgal, Pawan Kumar, Rajiv Bains, Sunil, Bittu and Ankit. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 17 The Municipal Corporation is going to present its annual Budget of Rs 530.09 crore on March 20. An amount of Rs 300.04 crore will be allocated for establishment expenses, Rs 55.71 crore for miscellaneous expenses and Rs 174.34 crore for development works. An agenda has also been released by the Municipal Corporation. Hiring of manpower for the operation of the workshop on outsource basis is one of the agendas that has been included. Washing men, washing helper, tyre men, tyre men helper and store helper will be hired. Another agenda of the construction of fire station at Focal Point with Rs 2,84,73,240 has been prepared. Apart from this, with the National Health Mission Fund, the construction of a food street market at Nehru Garden Company Bagh will be done at Rs 1,28,42,051. A library will also come up at Bhagwan Valmiki Community Hall situated on 120 ft road. To control the stray dog menace, Animal Birth Control and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ABC-ARV) project for stray dogs will come up at Rs PRIORITIES OF CIVIC BODY ■ Hiring of manpower on outsource basis ■ Construction of fire station at Focal Point ■ Library will come up at Bhagwan Valmiki Community Hall ■ Fencing of the Bist Doab Canal ■ Covering of the roadside dumps 2,62,08,000. About 52 works under the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) branch, including desilting, replacement of sewer line, installation of tubewells, etc will be carried out in various parts of the city. Another development and maintenance, including the construction of roads, streets and parks. One of the important agendas that will be discussed at the meeting is the fencing of the Bist Doab Canal, so that people don’t throw waste in it. In another proposal, cover- ing of the roadside dumps will be discussed so that the problem of overflowing garbage and waste outside the dump and spilling on the roadside could be resolved. Noticing that sanitation is a huge problem in the city, 16 new grab machines will be bought. A proper dedicated agenda has also been readied for the horticulture wing of the MC, in which proper landscaping of the city will be done. When Mayor Vaneet Dhir had assumed the charge, he expressed disappointment with the city’s development, saying that Jalandhar was lagging behind. “What is more painful is that residents are not getting even basic facilities,” he had stated. He had also admitted that he would face several challenges, but ensure that by the end of his term as the Mayor, the city becomes better and more developed. Govt to establish model sub-registrar office on the pattern of passport service centres Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Area does not fall under civic body's jurisdiction Hostel’s building will be coming up. No other area except the approved map is being touched. The cutting began after due permission from the department. For each tree, five more will be planted. So we will be planting 100 trees on the periphery of the hostel.” Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Minister orders strict action against illegal colonies Roll back property tax notices: Mandi traders to MC Jalandhar, March 17 Traders from Sabzi Mandi, Maqsudan, submitted a memorandum to Mayor Vaneet Dhir and Punjab Safai Karamcharis Commission chairman Chandan Grewal, urging the withdrawal of property tax notices and improvement in the sanitation system. The Municipal Corporation had issued property tax notices to traders, prompting a delegation led by senior business leader Monu Puri and Fruit and Vegetable Mandi president Sukhwinder Thapar to meet the officials. and will remove these from the area allocated to us by officials. Ten trees have been cut, several more are to go.” District Programme Officer Manjinder Singh said, “The tree cutting process is being strictly allowed only in the area where the Working Women’s MC Budget on March 20 Drainage is a problem at Chhoti Baradari, Jalandhar. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH Chhoti Baradari face waterlogging, garbage woes Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 17 The deteriorating civic conditions in Chhoti Baradari have become a major source of inconvenience for residents and commuters alike. Despite being densely populated and home to numerous localities, hospitals, schools and commercial establishments, the area suffers from severe waterlogging and sanitation issues due to the neglect of the Municipal Corporation. The service lane near PIMS Hospital has effectively turned into a drain due to a faulty drainage system, with stagnant water accumulating and garbage strewing all around, making the situation unbearable for the locals. Residents say that they are not only battling the foul smell and unhygienic surroundings, but also living in constant fear of disease outbreaks, especially with the summer season, heightening the risk of dengue, malaria and cholera. “The waterlogged streets and heaps of garbage have made commuting a challenge, while the health hazards posed by the situation, have added to the anxiety of the residents”, said Manisha Singh, a resident. Residents, led by Harpal Singh, general secretary of the local residential society, have also written to the MC, demanding urgent action to address the crisis. In his letter, Singh highlighted the appalling state of the area and how waterlogging and unsanitary conditions talking a toll on residents’ safety as well as health. He emphasised the need for immediate drainage clearance, improved waste management and enhanced sanitation measures to prevent the spread of diseases and restore the area to a livable condition. Singh expressed deep concern over the health risks posed by the stagnant water and the increasing mosquito menace. He also urged the authorities to increase the frequency of garbage collection and ensure the proper disposal to prevent further accumulation of waste. “Despite the residents’ repeated appeals, the lack of response from the MC has left us frustrated and helpless”, he added. “We hope our outcry will force the authorities to act before the situation worsens. However, with no official response yet, we continue to fight with the unhygienic conditions that have turned our area into a civic disaster”, said Kairav Mehta, another resident. Jalandhar, March 17 Revenue, Water Supply, and Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the government will take strict action against unauthorised colonies to safeguard the interests of people. Reviewing the performance of development works and welfare schemes here today, Mundian directed officials to take stringent measures to prevent the establishment of unauthorised colonies. He added that the chief administrators of the development authorities, where such colonies are found, will be held accountable. During the review of the Revenue Department’s performance, the minister announced that the state government has planned to establish model sub-registrar offices on the pattern of passport Sewa Kendras. He said these state-of-theart offices will enhance the capacity to deliver citizen services and provide a new experience to people while registering their properties. For the convenience of the public, the process of issuing Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian during a review meeting with officers in Kapurthala on Monday. property records (fard) via WhatsApp has been initiated, with 270 records already provided under a pilot project. He also announced that under a pilot project launched in Jalandhar, 900 applicants have accessed Revenue Department-related services online, significantly reducing the need for physical visits to government offices. He added that applicants receive updates about the status of their applications at every stage via SMS. He assured that this system will be implemented across the state to further simplify Rev- enue Department services. Mundian also announced that a sodium hypochlorite storage unit has been completed at Wadala Khurd in Kapurthala district with Rs 13 lakh, and it will be inaugurated soon. Additionally, a district-level water testing lab at Dhaliwal Dona, costing Rs 28.94 lakh, is nearing completion and will soon be dedicated to the public. Furthermore, a plastic waste management unit is being set up at Kala Sanghian at Rs 13.65 lakh. Mundian also said the approval has been granted for a new administrative com- plex in Phagwara, for which the government has released Rs 6 crore. The minister also reviewed preparations related to various government schemes such as MGNREGA, Ajivika Mission, Water Supply and Sanitation Programme, Self-Help Groups, road construction, waste management and the upcoming wheat procurement season. Emphasising the need to complete development projects on time, the Cabinet Minister instructed officials to ensure the quality and efficiency of development works. During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal assured the minister that all ongoing development works in the district would be completed on time. He also said proper inter-departmental coordination is being ensured for better results. Upon arriving in Kapurthala district, the minister was presented with a Guard of Honour by a contingent of the Punjab Police. Among others present were Sajjan Singh Cheema, Joginder Singh Mann, Harsimran Singh Ghumman, Lalit Saklani, Harji Mann, SSP Gaurav Toora and other officials of various departments. Join hands to make city drug-free: CP to public SAD (WPD) hopeful of MP’s release came even those drug-related actividark days due to ties openly so as to the firm commitcut drug supply ment and resolve chain. to make the state a She said the basic peaceful and promotive of this intergressive state. action was to She urged the ensure that the Dhanpreet Kaur people to revoke younger generathe same spirit to tions were saved ensure that the problem of from falling prey to the mendrug was completely elimi- ace. She said the government nated from the district. has already snapped the supDhanpreet Kaur further ply lines of the drugs and now called upon masses to join the need of the hour was to the Yudh Nashian Virudh ini- check its demand by detoxifitiative to wipe out drug men- cation and treatment of the ace from society. drug addicts. She invited public to report The CP further stated that Jalandhar, March 17 Members of the SAD (Waris Punjab De), led by Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, were in Jalandhar on Monday for a membership drive of the party. Tarsem discussed the likely chances of the release of associates of Amritpal from Dibrugarh jail and said, “Everyone have been wrongly detained. The NSA was imposed on them for only a year. They extended it by another year. Now the period of the second year is also expiring and hence, they might be released”. TNS Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 17 In a public interaction programme ‘Sampark’ to make Jalandhar a drug-free city, Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur today gave a clarion call to people to join hands for wiping out the curse of drugs from the district. During the interaction with people at DAV College, Jalandhar, the CP said Punjabis have been blessed with indomitable spirit to excel even in hostile conditions. Citing the examples of terrorism, she said Punjab over- c m y b the wheels of government have been set in motion to ensure that this target was achieved the earliest. Throwing light on the Yudh Nashian de Virudh initiative, she said this was first-of-its-kind initiative to curtail the supply and demand of drugs through mass mobilisation. She said this path-breaking initiative was aimed at ensuring the maximum public participation to tackle this menace. The programme would act as a catalyst in transforming the Jalandhar completely into a drug-free city.