27032025-LT-01.qxd 3/27/2025 12:50 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune NORTH INDIA’S FIRST DOG PARK WEARS DESERTED LOOK ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT WINS BEST FEATURE FILM AWARD ON WORLD THEATRE DAY, STARS RECOLLECT THEIR FIRST PLAY Excitement surrounding first dog park in city has fizzled out among pet parents, all thanks to ~40 entry fee. P2 Diljit Dosanjh wins best actor and Darshana Rajendran best actress at Critics Choice Awards. P4 It is theatre that has paved way for some finest actors, bolstering their confidence to own big screen. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 34°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.37 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:19 AM » THURSDAY | 27 MARCH 2025 | LUDHIANA Mixed response from traders, healthcare, sports sectors Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 26 The state Budget for the financial year 2025-26 was presented on Wednesday by the Finance Minister which received a mixed response from the local industry, health and sports sectors. While some maintained that there were a few good initiatives taken by the state government to boost the industry, many others feel that there is nothing positive for the same in the Budget. Talking to The Tribune, president of the United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers’ Association (UCPMA) Charanjit Singh Vishkarma said the industry had requested the government to abolish 5 per cent increase in property tax, which is not mentioned anywhere. “We had demanded that GST returns should be given to us in a timebound manner but no step is taken in this regard. We are already paying high power rates and the government has claimed to decrease it but when and how it will happen, we will have to wait and watch”, said Vishkarma. “As far as the Budget is concerned, we are not getting anything for ourselves,” he said. Voicing similar views, vicepresident of Apex Chamber and head, Textile Division, FICO, Ajit Lakra, said Punjab was the second highest debtridden state in the country after Arunachal Pradesh. “There are no loan waivers, nothing given for expansion of the industry. The huge amount allocated for eradicating drugs from the state would be helpful if the state had suf- Traders and residents watch the live Budget Session on TV screens in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN While some maintained that there were a few good initiatives taken by the state government to boost the industry, others feel that there is nothing positive for the same in the Budget ficient number of police personnel to keep a check on law and order, drug addicts, etc. We are not much excited over the present Budget,”Lakra said. The World MSME Forum opposed the Budget 2025-26 presented by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema as it said it was merely old wine in a new bottle and would badly affect the industrial sector in the country. Badish Jindal, forum president, said the budget for industries reduced from Rs 3,449 crore to around Rs 3,425 crore in this Budget.”The Budget of village and small industries reduced from Rs 273 crore to Rs 121 crore during the past two years. The power subsidy to industries also reduced from Rs 2,130 crore to Rs 2,017 crore. The government is claiming increase in investment but the 5 of snatchers’ gang land in police net The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana. MAHESH SHARMA Ludhiana, March 26 The police claimed to have busted a gang of snatchers that has been involved in snatching cash and valuables by threatening residents with sharp weapons after waylaying them. Five members of the gang were arrested from a deserted place near Grain Market, GT Road, when they were preparing to attack their target on Tuesday. The suspects were identified as Rohit Kumar and Honey Nahar from Azad Nagar, Jiwanjot Singh Jyoti and Gaganjot Singh Prince, both residents of the Tharike Road area, and Krishna of the Tajpur Road area, here. One motorcycle, two sickles and a rod were recovered from their possession. Vikramjit Singh Ghuman, in-charge, CIA, said a team of police officials, led by Sethi Kumar, had received a tip-off about illegal activities of a gang of miscreants, led by kingpin Rohit. Later, they were nabbed during a raid conducted after registering an FIR at the Salem Tabri police station on Tuesday. Though the police are yet to ascertain complete criminal records of all suspects, preliminary investigations revealed that they had been involved in some snatching incidents. “We have launched a probe to verify antecedents of all of them on the basis of their call details during past weeks and we expect to solve some pending cases soon,” Ghuman said. — OC incentive of power on investment decreased from Rs 1,121 crore to Rs 875 crore during the past two years”, he said, adding that the Chief Minister was holding meetings with the industry during the past few days and was assuring a big relief but the Budget seems to be a betrayal with the industries. The government failed to provide any support to the existing industries which were passing through a recession, he said. Meanwhile, Pankaj Sharma, president, Association of Trade and Industrial Undertakings (ATIU), said the government had done well by sanctioning Rs 120 crore for the MSME sector. In the recently held “Sarkar Sankar Milni” industrialists had asked the Chief Minister to sanction funds for the uplift of the R&D Centre, PSPCL employee thrashed for snapping illegal connection Ludhiana, March 26 A contractual employee of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) had to bear the wrath of a few residents when he cut an illegal power connection of a resident in Neelon Kalan village near here. The employee, Gurmeet Singh, was given the duty to check power connections in the village and prepare a list of defaulters. He went to the place and found that a bill amounting to around Rs 43,000 of a resident was pending. He also found that the resident had joint his main power connection wire with the meter of some other consumer in an illegal manner, following which he cut the power connection. He had to face the wrath of the house owner. Later, when he reached the PSPCL office, a woman from the defaulter’s family, along with other villages, came and thrashed the employee for cutting the power connection. Later, the victim lodged a complaint with the police, which are now looking into the matter. — TNS Allocation for health sector meagre, it comes to be only 2.37 per cent of the total amount, say docs auto-parts centre, etc. “We are thankful to the CM to have provided Rs 10 crore for the same. Though Rs 3,426 crore has been earmarked for the industrial sector, details had not been provided for the same. The Budget also has an outlay for subsidised power which is a welcome sign, keeping in mind that there has been no major power generation in the state in the past 25 years whereas the demand of power is constantly increasing by 15 per cent per annum. But there is no provision for providing cheaper finance to the MSME, which is long pending. Overall, the Budget has been made by keeping in mind meagre resources that the state possesses and the balance between the MSME and large units had been kept for the Sportspersons hail hike in share, if spent in transparent manner overall development of the state industry,” Sharma said. Upkar Singh Ahuja, President of CICU, expressed gratitude to the state government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for their unwavering commitment to fulfill the industry’s needs. He emphasised that new initiatives would not only enhance industrial productivity but also pave the way for sustainable economic growth in the state. “These allocations reflect the government’s proactive approach towards fostering industrial development, innovation and employment generation. The Unity Mall in Amritsar is a significant step towards showcasing Punjab’s heritage and promoting interstate trade. We are immensely continued on page 2 Civic body chief inspects solid waste management projects Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 26 With the civic body working upon various projects worth around Rs 130 crore to improve solid waste management in the city, Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal inspected different projects and issued necessary directions for speeding up the same. While the project for bioremediation of 2 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at the Jainpur dumpsite has commenced, the project to bioremediate 19.62 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at the main Jamalpur dumpsite will start in the coming month. At present, the contractor is installing machinery at the Jamalpur dumpsite. The project to dispose of 700 metric tonnes of fresh waste on a daily basis is expected to begin by the end of March. MC Joint Commissioner Ankur Mahindroo, Superintending Engineer (SE) Sanjay Kanwar and SDO Baljinder Singh were among those who accompanied the MC Commissioner during inspection. Dachalwal said these projects worth around Rs 130 crore had been launched for MC chief Aaditya Dachalwal reviews a project in Ludhiana. improving solid waste management in the city, known as industrial hub of the state. The initial few months were given to contractors to install plants/machinery at the site. While the project to bioremediate legacy waste at the Jainpur dumpsite has commenced, machinery/plants were being installed for other projects and those would NRI woman dies of burns Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 26 An NRI woman, a US citizen, died under mysterious circumstances here in the Haibowal area. Ravinder Kaur, daughter of the deceased, Narinder Kaur Deol, said she was in the US when she got a call from someone in Ludhiana that her mother was admitted to a hospital with burn injuries. She said in a video call from the US, the mother, who received 90 per cent burns, Victim was burnt by tenants, alleges her daughter asked her daughter on Sunday not to come to India and she would be fine. But she came on Monday, i.e March 24, and by then her mother was no more. Ravinder Kaur has levelled allegations that her mother was allegedly burnt by their tenants, who had not given rent for the past five months. Dogs’ death case: Maneka demands stringent punishment for suspect Nine dogs were burnt alive at illegal shelter recently, owner booked Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 26 Former Union Minister, animal rights activist and environmentalist, Maneka Gandhi, has sought stringent punishment for a local resident, who has been accused of burning alive nine dogs at his alleged unregistered and unmanned shelter recently. Gurjant Singh of New Shimlapuri here was booked by the Commissionerate Police on the complaint of a local animal rights activist, Mani Singh. An FIR under Sections 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act had been registered in this regard at the Dehlon police station on March 15. Expressing shock over what she termed as a “horrible incident”, the senior BJP leader and chairperson of People for Animals (PFA), India’s largest non-governmental animal welfare organisation with a nationwide network of 26 hospitals, 165 units, 60 mobile c m y b Remaining dogs being rescued after death of 9 canines in Ludhiana. units, and 2.5 lakh members, said: “The suspect in the case, Gurjant Singh, should be kept in jail and given stringent punishment for deliberately burning alive nine dogs that he could not sell. He has done this in several other shelters in the past as well”. Noting that humans cannot exist without animals, Maneka added: “Yet we create a world in which they are abused and misused. Let us recognise the partnership between us and further it for soon be made operational. The MC chief said he had been regularly monitoring the projects and the officials concerned of the civic body and contractors had been directed to speed up the works. Further, he appealed residents to support the civic body in keeping the city clean and green by not dumping waste in open spaces. the good of all animals — both on two legs and four”. Meanwhile, local animal volunteers and activists have also demanded strict punishment for the suspect after visuals of burnt bodies of the dogs in his shelter went viral. “The shelter had no caretaker in the night and the dogs were caged or chained in the same when the fire broke,” Dr Navneet Kaur, the founder of Animal Welfare and Care Services (AWCS), a registered NGO that rescues and treats stray animals, said. Advocating for animal rights, this Canada-based activist said: “Even after being booked by the police, the culprit refused to release remaining dogs that were alive and still chained and caged in horrible and unhygienic conditions in the same shelter that still remained unmanned”. However, following the issue raised by the animal rights activists, all remaining dogs were rescued by PFA and AWCS members, who transported them to safety with the help of the police. “It is my request to all animal lovers to ensure that NGOs are registered and have proper caretakers and doctors on board before sending your innocent animals there,” Dr Kaur appealed while urging the local authorities to round up all such quacks, who have been scamming goodhearted people and playing with the lives of animals to make blood money. She also lauded Maneka Gandhi and the PFA for always standing for animal rights. Still, her mother had allowed them to stay on the ground floor of the house. She alleged that the tenants had murdered her old mother, who was staying here for the past over one- and-a-half year. The elderly woman had to return to the US in June. Ravinder Kaur said she had complained about the incident to the police, who had assured to bring justice to her mother. Meanwhile, the police are looking into the matter. Students clash, create ruckus outside police station Ludhiana, March 26 A clash erupted between two groups of boys at Arya College here on Wednesday. Both groups reached the Police Division Number 8 to register a complaint against each other. After reaching the place, the groups clashed again and the police had to lock the gate from inside as the students created a ruckus outside the station. The boys attacked each other outside the police station. The police dispersed them by using force during which two students got injured. The police have started a probe into the incident.— TNS 16 samples of milk collected Ludhiana, March 26 The Health Department on Wednesday morning collected 16 samples of milk. Food Safety Officer Amarjeet Kaur conducted a checking on the DehlonMalerkotla road. She said samples were collected from milkmen coming to deliver milk from periphery areas. — TNS