16042025-LT-01.qxd 4/16/2025 12:31 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 250 PLASTIC MANUFACTURING UNITS TO RESTART OPERATIONS FOOD FOR THOUGHT: IS YOUR PANEER REAL OR FAKE PRIYANKA JOINS WILL-ZAC EFRON’S NEW COMEDY FILM The units could start manufacturing, selling and stocking plastic carry bags of 120 microns again. P2 Fake paneer, also called synthetic paneer or analogue paneer, has caught a lot of attention lately. P3 Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas will be featuring in an upcoming comedy film by director Nicholas Stoller. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 39°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.50 PM » SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:54 AM WEDNESDAY | 16 APRIL 2025 | LUDHIANA Staff crunch hits PSPCL functioning Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 The PSPCL Department here is struggling due to staff shortage in its branches. Since the extreme weather conditions have started showing impact, the demand of power is going to increase manifolds in the city. In the absence of a balance between demand and supply, power cuts and snags will likely to be witnessed. Sadly, the department had been facing shortage of field staff to rectify power failures. The data available with the PSPCL shows that against the total 4,964 sanctioned posts of linemen and assistant linemen, the department has just 1,313 regular field staff. Though the services of about 1,200 contractual field staff are also being taken by the department through outsourcing, there is a shortage of 50 per cent staff. Besides linemen and assistant linemen, there is also In the absence of sufficient field staff, resolution of complaints takes a long time. ASHWANI DHIMAN SHORTAGE OF 50 PER CENT STAFF The data available with the PSPCL shows that against the total 4,964 sanctioned posts of linemen and assistant linemen, the department has just 1,313 regular field staff. Though the services of about 1,200 contractual field staff are also being taken by the department through outsourcing, there is a shortage of around 50 per cent staff. Besides linemen and assistant linemen, there is also about 50 per cent shortage of Junior Engineers. about 50 per cent shortage of Junior Engineers. In Ludhiana, there are 467 sanctioned posts of JEs and the department is managing affairs with just 233 JEs to cater to four huge circles - Ludhiana East, Ludhiana West, Suburban and Khanna circle. The linemen, assistant Linemen and JEs are supposed to be in the field to check and rectify snags and other issues but in the absence of sufficient number of staff, it takes much time to resolve the problems. One of the officials of the department said recently, a commercial vehicle had uprooted a major electricity pole on Karabara Road. Since it was a major pole, 10 other poles attached to it were affected and about 3,000 consumers in the entire Salem Tabri and the Karabara Road area had to suffer for about 10-12 hours. “Many field staff were put on the job to rectify the issue. But had there been more staff, the problem could be resolved in threefour hours. We are also helpless and in such situations, we face the wrath of consumers”, the official said. 1.17-kg heroin, pistol seized, man nabbed Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 The Crime Branch, Ludhiana, claimed to have nabbed a smuggler and recovered 1.17 kg of heroin from his possession. The police also recovered one .32 bore pistol, along with three cartridges, from him. The suspect was identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Nannu, alias Jashanpreet, a resident of Kot Mangal Singh. A tailor by profession, he runs a shop on the ATI road. ADCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar in a statement issued stated that on April 14, CIA in-charge inspector Kulwant Singh had received a tip-off that the man, involved in drug smuggling at a large scale, was possessing a huge quantity of heroin. A police team was formed and a raid was conducted at the shop of the suspect on the ATI road. After nabbing him, heroin The department also faces issues when contractual staff go on strikes and protests. In the past few months, the contractual staff went on strike for several days and the regular works suffered. Though the contractual workers are hired by private players on an outsourcing basis, they sit on dharnas, protests against the PSPCL Department for their demands. The Chief Engineer, PSPCL, here Jagdev Singh Hans said in scorching summers, power-related problems are multiplied. “But we are managing everything with limited staff. All four circles are having vast areas but we are able to perform in the best possible manner. We are also requesting higherups to provide more staff. Consumers need to understand our genuine problem of staff shortage and support us,” he said. Speed up dev works, MC officials told Tribune News Service Police personnel with the smuggler and seized heroin in Ludhiana on Tuesday. was seized from his possession. The police also seized a weapon from him. The ADCP said the suspect had a criminal past as he was arrested by the Ludhiana police on January 17 with drugs and an illegal weapon. On February 24, he came out on bail and again started the illegal trade. Now after registering a case against the man, further investigation was launched by the police to bust the entire drug supply line. Big fish involved in the drug racket would not be spared. Brar said the police would inquire about the purpose of possessing an illegal weapon and if he used the same to commit any crime. During his arrest in January, besides heroin, an illegal weapon was also seized from him. The police would also investigate if the smuggler made any illegal property or other assets from the proceeds of the drug trade. Ludhiana, April 15 Mayor Inderjit Kaur conducted a meeting with councillors in Zone B of the MC on Tuesday and issued directions to MC officials to speed up development works. During the meeting held at the MC’s Zone B office near Shingar Cinema, Mayor directed the officials to resolve grievances raised by councillors and residents at the earliest and ensure potable water supply to the residents. Mayor Inderjit Kaur said summer season had arrived and the officials had been directed to ensure that the residents should not face any trouble due to water scarcity or contaminated water supply. Corrective steps, wherever required, should be taken at the earliest. Robber snatches SHO’s gun, Day after arrest of civic tries to flee police custody body SE, role of senior Suffers bullet injury as weapon goes off in scuffle Ludhiana, April 15 One of the two robbers arrested by the Khanna police in a motorcycle loot case on Tuesday tried to flee the police custody after snatching the official weapon of the Samrala SHO. During the scuffle, the weapon accidentally went off and the suspect suffered a bullet injury. Notably, on the night of April 9, an incident occurred in Samrala near Dayalpura village in which two masked robbers had shot a motorcyclist. The victim, Suman Mandal, a native of West Bengal, at present staying in Ludhiana, suffered bullet injuries. The incident occurred when three labourers were returning on their bike after finishing the work of laying tiles at a petrol pump. On the way, the robbers tried to stop them. They opened fire and also attacked Suman with a sword. Two bullets hit him. Afterwards, the robbers fled the scene with his bike. A case was registered. Khanna SSP Jyoti Yadav officials under scanner Tribune News Service The suspect in Khanna police custody on Tuesday. Bains while addressing the media on Tuesday stated that after registering a case, investigation was carried out. CCTV cameras in the area were also checked. After identifying the suspects, on April 15, Gurkaranvir Singh, alias Hakam, of Morinda and Satnam Singh of the Batala road, Amritsar, were arrested. During the interrogation, they made disclosures about the place where the weapon used in the crime was concealed by them. Pavitar Singh, SHO, Samrala, inspector Hardeep Singh, in-charge, CIA, Khanna, along with a police team, reached a brick-kiln near the Behlolpur road from where one .315 bore revolver and 3 rounds were seized. The suspects were also accompanying them. While returning to the police station, Satnam pushed the SHO and grabbed his pistol and during the scuffle, a bullet suddenly went off from the gun, which hit the suspect on the left leg. He tried to escape but caught by the police. The SHO also suffered injuries on his chest. The suspect and the SHO were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Samrala. The police registered a fresh case against the suspects and launched further investigation in the case. — TNS Ludhiana, April 15 A day after the arrest of Superintendent Engineer Sanjay Kanwar of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, for demanding bribe from a contractor, the suspect was produced before a court that remanded him in two-day police custody. Though Vigilance Bureau (VB) officials are mum about the ongoing investigation, sources confirmed that role of some senior officials of the department is also under scanner. Since the recording of conversation of the SE with the contractor cleared that the former was demanding commission to allot tender and during bargaining, the SE was found saying that he had to give share to ‘bada saheb’ (a senior official). Now, the VB is questioning the Kanwar to inquire about the name of the official to whom a share c m y b BRIBE CASE of the bribe was to be given. The Vigilance is also scanning mobile call records of the SE to get any clue about involvement of other officials in the case. Sources said the VB would also send recording for forensic examination to ascertain that the voice belongs to the Superintendent Engineer. Notably, when the complainant had approached the VB and alleged that he had applied for a tender for a redevelopement project at Nehru Rose Garden, Civil Lines, here, the SE had demanded 10 per cent commission as bribe in lieu of allotment of the tender work to him. The conversation was recorded by the complainant and submitted to the Vigilance Bureau as evidence. Following an inquiry, the SE was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau. AAP leaders on ‘inauguration spree’ ahead of West bypoll Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian inaugurates a renovation work at a school in Ludhiana on Tuesday. Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 Though the state Election Commission has not announced the date for the upcoming bypoll in the Ludhiana West constituency, the way MLAs and other leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are going on an “inauguration spree”, it seems the date will be declared anytime soon, after which the code of conduct will be implemented and no such event would take place. On Tuesday, the Public Relation Department here announced major programmes of AAP leaders, including a press conference by MLA Madan Lal Bagga at Salem Tabri, press meet by MLA South Rajinder Kaur Chhina, distribution of uniforms among students of Government School at the PAU by MP Sanjeev Arora, the inauguration of a tube well project by MLA Pappi Prashar, inauguration of development works worth Rs 70 lakh in three schools by Cabinet Minister Hardeep While they believe that works done in three years have to be highlighted, Oppn leaders term it an exercise before byelections Singh Mundian, a press conference by Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu and inauguration of works under the ‘Sikhiya Kranti’ drive by Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saundh at Khanna. While the AAP leaders believe that the works done in the past three years have to be highlighted before the public, leaders of opposition said it was an exercise before the West constituency byelections. Taking a dig at the “inauguration spree” by AAP leaders, president of the district unit of the BJP Rajnish Dhiman said former Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi had himself broken a foundation stone as his government had failed to keep promises. “But they had not learnt anything from the incident. Instead, the AAP leaders are on an inauguration spree of petty regular works,” he said. AAP govt realising Ambedkar’s dream by introducing quota in AG’s office, says MLA Meanwhile, Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga during a press conference on Tuesday stated that the AAP government was realising Dr BR Ambedkar’s dream by introducing reservations in the Advocate General’s office for the first time in the state’s history. Speaking to the media at his office, Bagga highlighted the government’s proactive measures to address longstanding barriers faced by advocates from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. He said a free medical camp would be organised at Urban Community Health Centre, Civil Surgeon Complex, on April 16. The camp would offer expert consultations in multiple specialties — gyneacology, pediatrics, ophthalmology (eyes), general medicine, dentistry, and general surgery.