11062025-JTR-01.qxd 6/10/2025 10:42 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune KANDI VILLAGES PARCHED AS WATER CRISIS DEEPENS PHAGWARA BOOSTS DIALYSIS FACILITIES, LACKS SPECIALISTS HOODA, RAHUL MITTRA TEAM UP FOR OPERATION KHUKRI People are deeply distressed by the poor water supply in the semi-hill villages. P2 With a steady rise in kidney-related ailments, Phagwara has witnessed an increase in dialysis services. P3 Randeep Hooda and producer-actor Rahul Mittra join hands for a film based on the bestseller, Operation Khukri. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 43°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 43°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.31 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:22 AM » WEDNESDAY | 11 JUNE 2025 | JALANDHAR Dream project CM, Kejriwal to lay stone for sports hub today Preparations in full swing for the event Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 10 In a major boost to Punjab’s sports infrastructure, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal are set to lay stone for the much-awaited sports hub tomorrow in the city. The project, the idea of which was conceived 17-year ago, seemed to have lost in the way. But, now the AAP government has grabbed the opportunity to revive it with the foundation stone-laying ceremony. Final preparations are in full swing ahead of the grand event. The authorities have pitched a tent capable of accommodating 6,000 chairs, with officials estimating a crowd of up to 10,000, including local residents, athletes, and dignitaries. MC teams have been working to clean the site. The large-scale gathering has prompted an intensified sanitation and security push, with the police and administration coordinating crowd management and logistics. “This is a proud moment. The sports hub will not only Murder accused of Banga fair clash arrested Final preparations are in full swing on the eve of stone-laying event of sports hub project in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH nurture local talent, but also provide the world-class facilities to our youth,” said an official from the MC. Under the project, the Burlton Park will be converted into a huge sports hub. As per the plan, the Burlton Park will have stadia for cricket, football, badminton, volleyball, table tennis and judo, besides a swimming pool of international standards. Mayor Vaneet Dhir had been paying visits to the Burlton Park along with MC Commissioner Gautam Jain and was looking at the preparedness. He had also ordered to remove waste and had asked the officials to address the patch work that was to be done. Security arrangements, traffic diversions, and transport services are also being streamlined to ensure the smooth flow of the event. Mayor Dhir further mentioned that a plant will be made functional at the Burlton Park where the waste material will be processed. Senior Congress leader Balraj Thakur, in his press statement, said for the past 15 days, all government machinery, including officials from the Municipal Corporation and administration as well as workers and tractor-trolleys, have been stationed at the Burlton Park for the inauguration of the sports hub. “As a result, whenever we request any work to be done in various wards, the response we receive is that the work will only be done after the Chief Minister’s event is over. Following the storm that hit Jalandhar 15 days ago, a tree fell and blocked the street near Rana Hospital in Prakash Nagar. Despite repeated requests, the only reply is that labour and machinery are occupied with preparations,” he said. “The inauguration of the hub at the Burlton Park was initially scheduled last week and is now set to be held tomorrow. For the past several days, the entire administrative machinery has been concentrated at and around the park, leaving the city’s regular maintenance and development work completely neglected. So, I am requesting to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to please to instruct the administration to ensure that the ongoing preparations for your Jalandhar visit do not bring the rest of the city’s work to a halt,” Thakur said. Kabir Jayanti today CREDIT GAME ON Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 10 As the state government is set to lay the foundation stone for Rs 77.7 crore redevelopment of sports hub project at the Burlton Park tomorrow evening, there have been voices of dissent coming from the Opposition. Former Jalandhar MP and BJP leader Sushil Rinku has slammed the project, saying, “When we cannot have international cricket matches at the Burlton Park, then there is no idea of investing the money. “The Burlton Park has been known for its international cricket stadium since it was set up in 1955. It had been the venue of the India-Pakistan Test match in 1983 and IndiaEngland ODI in 1991. We cannot fiddle with the project in a way that it loses its identity”, he said. He added, “To my knowledge, the proposed cricket stadium in the sports hub will have a seating capacity of just 2,500 spectators. So, it will not even have the required infrastructure even for Ranji Trophy matches. I want to warn AAP leaders against investing money into any project which will not even boost the sports goods business or tourism in the city.” Congress MP from Jalandhar Charanjit Channi said the funds being used on the project had already been doled out by him during his tenure as ■ Meanwhile, many AAP leaders have been taking credit for bringing the project back on track. The role of Mayor Vaneet Dhir is being considered pivotal. He reportedly worked in close coordination with Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal and Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh in the revival of the long-pending contract agreement. Thus, the previously halted contract was revived, and the contractor agreed to resume work. ■ Jalandhar Central halqa incharge Nitin Kohli too had approached MP Ashok Mittal. ■ Jalandhar MC Commissioner Gautam Jain also helped the government secure approvals from New Delhi, given the Smart City status of the project. Chief Minister at the fag-end of the previous Congress regime. “I remember having sanctioned Rs 77.7 crore during my term as CM. The AAP is using that money now”, he said. AAP leader Nitin Kohli, however, maintained, “An international standard stadium requires a seating capacity of 30,000. It is not possible to have such a big stadium at the centre of the city. To go with this kind of seating capacity provisions, we also need to have ample parking facility and wider roads. So the best possibility we could think of was to have 7,500 seating capacity stadium, which will be good enough for hosting domestic cricket matches.” 2 youths die in road accidents Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 10 Two persons have lost their lives in two different road accidents. In Phagwara, a motorcyclist, identified as Gaurav Joshi (40), died in a road accident while returning from a pilgrimage. Joshi, a resident of Phagwara and owner of a confectionery shop in Gaushala Bazaar, had visited the shrine of Shri Baba Balak Nath. He was returning home early Monday morning when his motorcycle veered off the road and struck a tree. The impact proved fatal, and he died on the spot. Hundreds of residents gathered at the Banga Road crematorium to pay their last respects. Mourners remembered him as a devout and hard-working individual. Later that evening, a second fatal accident occurred on Sultanpur Lodhi Road near Kapurthala. The incident took place around 8:30 pm near Satguru Petrol Pump, where two youths riding a motorcycle collided head-on with a scooter coming from the opposite direction. The collision caused the motorcycle to lose control and hit an oncoming truck. One of the riders Mukesh Kumar of Mohalla Kesri Bagh sustained critical injuries and was declared dead upon arrival at the Civil Hospital in Kapurthala. His friend Sikandar was seriously injured and remains under medical care. Sikandar recounted that the two were on their way to purchase household items when the accident occurred. Need volunteers to guard 129 statues of Ambedkar: Garhi Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 10 A 20-year-old man accused in the fatal assault of a youth during a religious fair in village Bhora near Banga has been arrested. SHO, Banga (Sadar), Abhishek Sharma today said the suspect, identified as Manpreet Singh, a resident of Sujjo village, was taken into custody near Jodewal Basti in Ludhiana on June 9. The incident, which claimed the life of 22-year-old Arshveer Singh, occurred during a clash on the concluding day of the fair held at a religious site along Moranwale Road. According to initial reports, a confrontation broke out between Arshveer and a group of local youths. The altercation quickly escalated, resulting in serious injuries to Arshveer. Gurbachan Singh, father of the deceased, stated that his son was immediately taken to the Civil Hospital in Banga following the incident. Due to the critical nature of his injuries, he was referred to a private hospital, where he was later declared dead. Following the incident, the police had registered a case at Police Station, Sadar Banga. Investigating officer and Station House Officer Abhishek Sharma confirmed the arrest and noted that it was made based on witness statements and evidence gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. While preliminary findings point to personal enmity as the motive behind the clash, the police have stated that an investigation is ongoing to establish all aspects of the case. Oppn leaders find fault with project Tribune News Service Followers participate in a Shobha Yatra on the eve of Bhagat Kabir Jayanti in Jalandhar on Tuesday. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Jalandhar, June 10 Chairman of the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes Jasvir Garhi on Tuesday said there was need to rope in village-level volunteers to guard 129 statues of Dr BR Ambedkar in the area of Jalandhar Range police. Visiting Nangal village of Phillaur where the statue of Dr Ambedkar was vandalised on June 2, Garhi said, “There are 29 statues of Dr Ambedkar in Phillaur alone. There are 61 statues in the area under the Jalandhar Rural Police, 51 statues in Hoshiarpur and 17 in ACCUSED TO BE ‘NABBED’ SOON The police investigating the vandalism of Dr. Ambedkar's statue in Nangal village are reported to be closing in on the suspect's arrest. The accused is learnt to have travelled 100 km on an old bike through the night with his face masked and head covered with a cap to deface the statue with a black paint spray. Kapurthala. So the police cannot take care of all these statues. We need volunteers from areas who can stand guard.” Garhi, who was the Punjab president of the Bahujan Samaj Party before switching over to AAP and being appointed as Chairperson of the SC panel, seemed to be absolving the state government of the issue. He chose to pass on the responsibility directly upon village heads and youths from these villages. Jalandhar DIG Naveen Singla too maintained that theekri pehra system used by villagers could be helpful. “We have been asking our teams to do patrolling around the area. But a night vigil by the locals on a rotation basis can be a big help. CCTVs too have been installed but we cannot ensure a fool-proof security under their coverage”, he said. Bid to kill sarpanch’s son Phagwara Civil Hospital battles with patient load over K’thala ‘poll rivalry’ Ashok Kaura Our Correspondent Phagwara, June 10 A shocking incident of violence rocked the village of Lakhan Kalan in Kapurthala district where the son of a local sarpanch was targeted in a suspected politically motivated attack. According to the police, the incident occurred around 3 pm when Pavitar Singh, son of Sarpanch Tajinder Kaur, was shot at by unidentified assailants. Sources confirmed that four or five rounds were fired, with one bullet striking Singh in the arm and another grazing his head. Singh, who survived the attack, later told the authorities that he had received a phone call, summoning him to the house. He arrived with a friend, who dropped him at the main gate and left. As soon as Singh entered the premises, the attackers reportedly opened fire. Hearing the gunshots, local residents rushed out in panic. In a desperate bid to save his life, Singh fled towards nearby fields and hid until the danger had passed. He was later taken to the Kapurthala Civil Hospital, where doctors have described his condition as stable. Family members allege that the attack was the result of ongoing rivalry stemming from recent panchayat elections. They claim threats had been made previously by individuals who lost in the election. Phagwara, June 10 The 140-bedded Civil Hospital, Phagwara, is reeling under the pressure of a mounting patient load, with nearly 500 individuals visiting the Outpatient Department (OPD) everyday. Patients are voicing the growing frustration over long wait, technical issues in the registration system, and a lack of basic amenities. During a visit to the hospital today, this correspondent observed that many patients had to wait for three to four hours just to register their names and receive an OPD slip — a prerequisite for consulting a doctor. Although the slip is clearly marked as valid for one month, several patients alleged that they were asked to purchase a new slip upon returning after only a few days. c m y b Patients queue up in the OPD of the Civil Hospital, Phagwara. One hospital staff member, Navdeep, who was manning the OPD registration counter, acknowledged the issue, while talking to The Tribune, explained that the hospital’s software system often failed to recognize slips beyond a few days, even though they were officially valid for 30 days. As a result, patients are compelled to pay again for a new slip — a practice that not only adds to their financial burden, but also raises concerns about transparency and systemic efficiency. Following the registration process, patients must endure an additional two to three- hour wait to receive free medicines from the hospital pharmacy. The extended delays are especially taxing for the elderly, children, and those suffering from chronic conditions. Adding to the discomfort is the absence of cold drinking water facilities for OPD visitors, a critical omission given the current summer temperatures. Several patients were seen standing in queues under the harsh sun, some visibly distressed by the heat and lack of basic provisions. Despite repeated efforts, Civil Surgeon Dr Rajiv Prashar and Senior Medical Officer Dr Parminder Kaur were not available for comment. Their unavailability has further fuelled frustration among patients and their families, many of whom are demanding urgent attention to the hospital’s crumbling service infrastructure. While the hospital continues to serve hundreds daily, the challenges faced by patients highlight the urgent need for systemic reforms, including better queue management, functional technical systems, transparency in fee validity and the provision of essential amenities.