08082025-JTR-01.qxd 8/7/2025 10:31 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MINISTER INAUGURATES SAINIK REST HOUSE RENOVATION WORK KARATE MASTER’S DISCIPLINE & DEDICATION INSPIRES NEXT GEN In the early 1980s, Mumbai boy stepped into a Karate dojo, unaware that it would define the course of his life. P3 RAIN/THUNDERSHOWER MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C DIRECTOR SUNEEL DARSHAN IS BACK AFTER 20 YEARS Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat visited the District Defence Services Welfare Office in Hoshiarpur. P2 FORECAST After his Andaaz launched careers of Lara Dutta & Priyanka Chopra, Suneel is ready to unveil next film. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 7.17 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:49 AM » FRIDAY | 8 AUGUST 2025 | JALANDHAR 16 arrested with narcotics, liquor Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 7 The Commissionerate Police conducted targeted operations at multiple locations across the city, resulting in the arrest of 16 individuals and seizure of narcotics, illegal liquor and vehicles. Jalandhar Commissioner of Police (CP) Dhanpreet Kaur said various police stations within the Commissionerate jurisdiction executed these operations, leading to the apprehension of 15 individuals engaged in drug-related activities, including four drug suppliers/peddlers. The effort resulted in the registration of eight FIRs along with the recovery of 46 gram of heroin and 61 intoxicant tablets, the CP said. She further said one car and one motorcycle were seized by the police. Besides, the police also confiscated 36,000 ml of illegal liquor, which led to the registration of an FIR under the Excise Act and the arrest of one individual involved in it, the CP said. Apart from this, six drug addicts were admitted to drug addiction centres, the CP added. Two PAP constables held with 11 gm heroin Two constables, who were posted with the Punjab Armed Police, were also arrested today. The police recovered 11 gm of heroin from them. The policemen were arrested, along with two other conduits, near the KFC outlet on the Rama Mandi road. One of them is a son of a personnel deployed with the Railway Protection Force. CM meets Dera Ballan chief, lays stone for sewage treatment plant Assures starting of pending project of GRD Study Centre Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 7 Having announced starting of Sri Guru Ravidass Study (GRD) Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan and presenting a cheque of Rs 25 lakh more than two years ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited the dera today and assured the dera chief to restart the project at the earliest. Mann met dera chief Sant Niranjan Dass and told him that the land for the study centre would be purchased at the market rate soon. “We will not acquire land for the centre. We will not force farmers to give up their land at any specific site. We will look for farmers who voluntarily give us land,” the CM is learnt to have told the dera functionaries and AAP leaders present during the meeting. The proposal is to purchase about 10 acres of land somewhere between Kishangarh and Kartarpur. The party leaders cited reasons for the delay in the project. “The funds had been erroneously issued under the head for developing Kartarpur’s panchayati land. A lot of paper work was required for clearance and permissions of the project under that head. We are working to settle that issue. The project was entrusted with Sushil Rinku, who was the then AAP MP But he too . Dera Sachkhand Ballan head Sant Niranjan Dass felicitates Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH quit us. So, all this led to the delay,” said AAP Spokesperson Pawan Tinu. He also blamed ex-Punjab Chief Minister for doling out cheque in the last few days of the Congress rule in December 2021. “He had given a political cheque,” remarked Tinu. The project has been an issue of contention between Channi, who is now the Jalandhar Congress MP and the AAP , government. The project was announced by Channi, who later blamed the AAP for withdrawing the amount after coming to power and doling it out again ahead of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. Mann on Thursday also laid the foundation stone for a sewage treatment plant (STP) and the main pumping station at Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a project to be completed at a cost of Rs 3.4 crore. The dera has a considerable following of the dominant Ravidassia community in the region. The CM said, “The STP will have a capacity of 0.5 MLD (Million litres per day) and is expected to be completed within 12 months at a cost of Rs 3.4 crore. The treated water from the plant will be recycled and reused, supporting the irrigation of approximately 13 hectares of land.” Mann lauded the dera for playing a leading role in social welfare. Several dignitaries, including Cabinet Ministers Harbhajan Singh ETO, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Dr Ravjot Singh and Mohinder Bhagat, Lok Sabha MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, MLAs Balkar Singh, Inderjit Kaur Mann and Jasvir Singh Gill, Chairman of the Punjab Safai Karamchari Commission Chandan Grewal, Chairman of the Punjab State Cooperative Bank Pawan Tinu, Chairman of the Punjab Agro Mangal Singh Bassi and others were also present on the occasion. Kohli kick-starts ‘Fit Central’ playgrounds with walking tracks Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 7 In a unique initiative aimed at promoting fitness and active lifestyles among all age groups, AAP Jalandhar (Central) halqa incharge Nitin Kohli on Thursday kick-started a “Fit Central” project. Under the project, modern sports playgrounds will be developed across all 23 wards of the constituency, equipped with floodlights, turf walking tracks and facilities for games such as badminton, football, volleyball and cricket. The project work has commenced with the construction of synthetic volleyball court in a five-acre park in Surya Enclave and a synthetic badminton court in Adarsh Nagar Park. Another synthetic volleyball court is expected to be inaugurated in the Rama Mandi area by August 15. The people of the constituency will have access to modern playgrounds equipped with quality sports facilities, allowing them to enjoy games even during evening hours. A sports goods manufacturer himself, Nitin Kohli emphasised on the pressing need to bring children, youth and adults back to physical activity, especially in a time when social media, mobile phones, and gadgets To be set up in 23 wards of city AAP leader Nitin Kohli with Mayor Vaneet Dhir starts ‘Fit Central’ project in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH were becoming increasingly dominant in daily life. “Diseases are on the rise, and one of the key reasons is distancing ourselves from sports and clinging to screens. We must reverse that,” said Kohli, who has personally been associated with sports for over 45 years. Kohli further said, “The leagues won’t be just for the youth. These will be for people of all age groups. Since the playgrounds will be set up within wards, parents won’t have to worry about their children’s safety while they play. In fact, even women, who usually stay at home will get an opportunity to participate and adopt a fitter lifestyle.” According to the plan, once playgrounds are completed by October-end, an inter-ward prize-money league will be organised, covering all four sports. Separate leagues will be introduced for boys, girls, women, men and veterans, promoting inclusivity and wide participation. The prize money will be announced in due course, making this one of the first such competitive leagues at the constituency level. Nitin Kohli will sponsor free playing kits and sports equipment for participants, ensuring accessibility to all sections of society. He said, “This is not just about fitness. It’s about discipline, leadership, teamwork and building a healthier and stronger community.” The goal is to involve 2,000 to 3,000 individuals in the first phase, gradually expanding participation to 20,000 people across various age groups and disciplines over the next five years. Water supply consumers Two school buses challaned Admin closes unauthorised entry points receiving fraudulent calls for violation of norms in Banga along GT road to remove traffic snarls Municipal Corporation issues an alert Jalandhar, August 7 The Municipal Corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) has issued a public alert regarding fraudulent phone calls being made to water supply consumers in the city. In an official statement, the Corporation revealed that consumers had reportedly been receiving calls from the mobile phone number 8292547116, with the caller falsely claiming to represent the MCJ. The caller reportedly asks residents to clear their “outstanding water bill dues” and attempts to collect money by sharing personal UPI IDs and QR codes. Officials of the MCJ clari- INBRIEF MAN HELD FOR SELLING LIQUOR Phagwara: The Mehatpur police arrested Gurdev of Raipur Arian village for selling country-made liquor. Sixty bottles of liquor were recovered from him. A case was registered against accused and another Balveer Singh of Beetalan village, who managed to flee from the spot. OC MAN SUCCUMBS TO BURN INJURIES Phagwara: A villager succumbed to burn injuries on Wednesday. Investigating Officer (IO) Jagtar Singh said the deceased was identified as Sahej Deep of Pati Laksian Malsian village. The father of the deceased told the police that his son Sahej died of burn injuries sustained in the fire. OC fied that no such calls were being made by the Corporation, nor had anyone been authorised to contact residents in this manner. They emphasised that the MCJ does not accept bill payments through personal UPI numbers or QR codes. “All official payments should be made only at authorised CFC counters or through the Municipal Corporation’s official digital platform — https://mcjalandhar.in,” the statement added. Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious calls to the authorities concerned. — TNS Will also mitigate risk of accidents on Phillaur-Ludhiana road Nawanshahr, August 7 In a proactive step towards ensuring the safety of schoolchildren, the district administration conducted a surprise inspection of school transport vehicles recently. The initiative was led by District Programme Officer Jagrup Singh. As part of the campaign to strictly implement the Safe School Vahan Policy, a joint inspection was carried out in Banga block, Nawanshahr district. During the drive, school buses from institutions, including Cambridge School, Satluj Public School, Bhagwan Mahavir School, Saint Soldier School, and Guru Nanak Mission School were checked. In all, seven school buses from six schools were inspected. Of these, two school buses were found violating safety norms, and challans were issued accordingly. The drivers of all school buses were educated about key provisions of the Safe School Vahan Policy. Officials said strict legal action would be taken against any vehicle that does not comply with the policy. Schools and drivers were reminded of key requirements in buses that include installation of CCTV cameras, iron grills on windows, availability of a firstaid box, presence of a lady conductor, driver in school uniform, mandatory use of seat belts, no overcrowding of students and complete and valid documents of the vehicle and the driver. Officials have been regularly engaging with school principals and drivers to spread awareness about safety norms to avoid any untoward incidents and ensure wellbeing of schoolchildren. Inderpal Singh, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), also appealed to parents to verify safety standards of school buses before sending their children to school on such vehicles. He said no leniency would be shown towards drivers or school administrations for violating safety protocols. — TNS Phagwara, August 7 Commuters travelling from Phillaur to Ludhiana via GT Road (NH-44) have long faced difficulties due to unregulated traffic entry points, which also contribute to frequent road accidents. In response to growing concerns over public safety and traffic congestion, a high-level meeting was convened at the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Phillaur. The meeting was attended by key officials, including Phillaur SDM, representatives from the National Highway Authority (NH-44), Manjeet Singh Rana, DSP traffic in-charge, Jaland, har rural, and Phillaur SHO Bhushan Kumar, along with other officials concerned. The primary focus of the discussion was to address the unsafe and unauthorised cuts along GT Road that were increasingly being used by vehicles, often resulting in collisions and near-misses. As a temporary measure, the authorities have decided to close all such unauthorised entry points to mitigate the risk of accidents and to streamline vehicular movement. DSP Manjeet Singh Rana said both light and heavy vehicles had now been segregated into separate lanes, and certain stretches of the road were converted into one-way routes to ensure smoother traffic regulation. “These steps have been taken to immediately reduce accident risks and improve traffic discipline,” said Rana. “We are working on a permanent traffic management plan that will be implemented shortly,” he said. The administration has urged the public to cooperate with the new traffic arrangements, emphasising that these measures are intended to protect lives and maintain orderly movement of vehicles on one of the region’s busiest highways. — OC Cong lends support to MBBS interns BKU Doaba to join morcha protest with 5K activists at PIMS demanding full stipend To hold bike rally on Aug 11 |Warns of stir over ~35 cr pending sugarcane dues Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 7 Showing solidarity with MBBS interns at the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Punjab Youth Congress leadership has demanded payment of full monthly stipend of Rs 22,000 to interns on the campus. Raising the issue, Angad Dutta, secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, quoted an official notification issued by the Department of Medical Education and Research (DRME), Punjab, as per which the monthly stipend for MBBS interns was fixed at Rs 22,000. Dutta said, “Despite a clear directive, the PIMS is paying interns only Rs 11,000 per month, which directly violates the government’s order and contradicts national regulations. As per Clause 3, Schedule IV of the MBBS Internship Regulations (Gazette of India), All interns shall be paid stipend as fixed by the appropriate authority.” He mentioned that the appropriate authority for determining and implementing this stipend was the Punjab Government through the DRME. He even cited a Supreme Court ruling on the matter and said that interns were entitled to the full amount during their internship period without any deductions or deviations. “Other private medical colleges in Punjab such as Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC&H), Ludhiana, has already implemented Rs 22,000 stipend as per the government instructions,” he said. Dutta said, “I strongly believe these future doctors, who are the backbone of our healthcare system deserve fair and just treatment.” Dr Kawaljit Singh, Executive Chairman, PIMS, argued that the DRME guidelines for stipend were only for government colleges and not applicable on private colleges. He said, “DMC&H is an old college with a larger set up. We run hospital on the PPP mode and on the PGI rates. Hence, we cannot pay more stipend.” c m y b Phagwara, August 7 In a decisive move, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Doaba has announced its fullfledged participation in the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) protest at Kukarpind village, Jalandhar, on August 20 with 5,000 activists accompanied with tractors/trailers. The BKU will also hold a motorcycle rally from Bhullarai village on August 11 against the Punjab Government’s land pooling policy. Besides, the union issued a stern warning that if Rs 35 crore pending dues from Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill, Phagwara, were not cleared, it would announce a fresh statewide agitation. BKU Doaba activists after a meeting at Gurdwara Sukhchaina Sahib in Phagwara on Thursday. Major decisions were taken during a state-level meeting of the BKU (Doaba) held at Gurdwara Sukhchaina Sahib, Phagwara, under the leadership of state president Manjit Singh Rai and state general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni on Thursday evening. The meeting was convened to finalise the union’s participation in two significant protests and to deliberate on the continued non-payment of sugarcane arrears by the Phagwara-based sugar mill. Speaking at the meeting, Manjit Singh Rai confirmed that the BKU Doaba would strongly support the KMM’s August 20 protest against the Punjab Government’s land pooling policy, which farmer groups had condemned as anti-farmer and exploitative. Rai said over one lakh farmers from across Punjab were expected to gather at Kukarpind village. He said at least 5,000 members of the BKU Doaba, accompanied by tractors-trailers, would participate in the protest. “In run-up to the larger protest, a motorcycle rally will be held on August 11, beginning at 11 am from Bhullarai village at a site marked under the land pooling scheme. The rally will traverse through Phagwara city, serving as a symbolic gesture of opposition and a mobilisation tool to raise awareness among the public,” Rai said.