10092025-JTR-01.qxd 09-09-2025 22:51 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ADMINISTRATION STEPS UP FLOOD RELIEF EFFORTS DHAKKA BASTI HIT BY FLOODS AGAIN, FAMILIES IN DESPAIR WAMIQA GABBI IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN INDUSTRY DC said that 410 ration kits, along with sanitary pads and mosquito nets, were distributed in the villages. P2 People have taken shelter on the nearby bundh, living in makeshift shelters without access to basic necessities. P3 In an industry where visibility is everything, Wamiqa is doing more than just making appearances. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.39 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:09 AM WEDNESDAY | 10 SEPTEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. MLA hands over house allotment letters to 115 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 9 Adampur MLA Sukhwinder Kotli and Nagar Council President Darshan Singh Karwal handed over allotment letters to 115 beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme at the Nagar Council office in Adampur on Tuesday. The total cost of the project is Rs 2.87 crore. The beneficiaries thanked Kotli, Karwal and the councillors, saying that their houses had not been built for a long time, but their efforts to complete the paperwork and surveys, and today they received the allotment letters. President Karwal said that Rs 50,000 would be transferred to the accounts of 115 individuals immediately to start construction. He said Rs 1 lakh would be paid when the roof work gets completed. Those present included councillors Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, Veena Chauda Sushma, Joginder Pal, Sukhwinder Kaur, Rajinder Kaur, Harjinder Singh, Varun Chauda, Rajesh Raju, Captain Gurmeet Singh and Sunita. — TNS Erosion hits dhussi bundh at three points in Nawanshahr Villagers, Army, officials rush to plug breach |No immediate threat to fields: DC Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, September 9 Erosion at three locations along the dhussi bundh was reported in the wee hours on Tuesday in Burj Tehal Das village, Nawanshahr. The local administration and villagers reached the site early this morning to assess the situation. Nawanshahr Deputy Commissioner Ankurjeet Singh confirmed that the bundh had eroded in three sections. However, he noted that the higher elevation of nearby fields reduces the immediate threat. “Strengthening of the bundh is being done. We will manage the situation. There is no need to panic,” Singh told The Tribune. Jagdish, a local farmer, said the erosion occurred late at night. “We’ve been working to protect the bundh for the past month, and now this has happened. We just hope things return to normal soon, otherwise the farmers will bear huge losses,” he said. ADC Rajiv Verma stated that the district administration is working at full pace and will not allow water to enter the fields. Meanwhile, another farmer from the village expressed his distress, saying, “Paani da kuch keh nahee sakde (You can’t predict what water will do). If it enters the fields, the A woman was dragged in an autorickshaw by some robbers. She had leaned out of it, seeking help. Video of the incident went viral. Woman clings on to auto for 500m as 3 try to rob her Villagers, Army jawans and civil officials team up to plug breach in dhussi bandh at Burj Tehal Dass. damage will be severe and unbearable. The government should act on priority to save this area. Also, if water enters the villages from this side, it will also enter Phillaur in Jalandhar,” he said. The work to control and plug the erosion and breach occurred in dhussi bundh was in full swing by villagers under the supervision of the Army team and civil officials today. The DC further mentioned that the work of filling the breach and strengthening the bundh was on a war footing by the villagers in association with administrative officers, the Army team and around 400 Punjab Police personnel. He said the inflow of water in the river was lower and the land at the breach site is slightly higher that’s why the water could not touch the agriculture land. The administration was also getting a ring bundh established for which the work had begun to safeguard the bundh and agriculture land adjoining the embankment. He also made an appeal to the people that the plugging work is continuous- ly going on so there is no need to panic, besides being cautious from rumours. Expressing gratitude towards villagers, who are constantly working to strengthen the bundh for the last few days, the Deputy Commissioner said that with the cooperation of the people, the district administration would shortly fill the gap successfully. Star Air to resume Nanded flight today Verka sends 3 trucks of relief material Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 9 Having remained temporarily suspended for the past 20 days, aviation group Star Air has announced to resume its operations between Adampur civil airport to Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport, Nanded, from tomorrow. Flight operations at the Nanded airport had been temporarily suspended for the last 20 days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) flagged safety lapses during a routine audit. After coordinated measures taken by the DGCA and Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), comprehensive safety protocols were implemented. The most critical of these included expedited repair and strengthening of the runway, ensuring the highest standards of operational safety. Speaking on the development, Captain Simran Singh Tiwana, CEO of Star Air, said, “At Star Air, the safety of our passengers, crew, and aircraft remains paramount. The DGCA has once again demonstrated its commitment to ensuring aviation safety in India. Their timely intervention and vigilance reflect the highest global benchmarks in safeguarding both travellers and airlines.” “We are deeply grateful to DGCA for his proactive leadership and close oversight during this period. The DGCA’s decisive actions have strengthened the confidence of all stakeholders in India’s aviation ecosystem,” he added further. Captain Tiwana said, “We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who is also the Chairman of MADC and to Swati Pandey, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director of MADC, for completing the runway repair at Nanded airport in record time. Their leadership and dedication ensured that this important regional hub could be restored to operations swiftly and safely.” As an expression of gratitude and appreciation to Star Air’s passengers for their patience, Capt Tiwana extended his thanks and sincere apologies. He assured that all affected passengers would be accommodated on future flights across the Star Air network. Hoshiarpur, September 9 Milkfed Punjab, under its brand Verka, dispatched three truckloads of relief material from the Verka Milk Plant in Hoshiarpur on Monday. The relief consignments were flagged off by Milkfed Punjab Chairman Narinder Singh Shergill. Speaking to the media, Shergill said each truck was carrying specially packed ration kits designed to meet the immediate needs of flood-hit families. The kits included essential food items such as flour, pulses, rice, sugar, salt, milk powder, and other daily-use items. This relief effort, he added, is being carried out under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Shergill emphasised that providing immediate relief to affected families is Milkfed’s top priority, and earlier consignments had been dispatched from Verka units in Mohali, Jalandhar, and Sangrur. — OC Two acused arrested, one flees Tribune News Service Jalandhar/Ludhiana, Sept 9 Three miscreants travelling in an auto-rickshaw tried to rob a woman on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana highway near the Jalandhar bypass here. They tied the woman’s hands with a dupatta and tried to rob her but the victim showed courage and fought with the suspects. She kept clinging on to the auto for about 500m to save herself. The video of the incident also went viral on social media as a car-borne person captured the same. The victim took an auto from the Jalandhar bypass and had to catch a bus from Phillaur to Nawanshahr. The woman narrowly escaped. Other drivers also tried to help her but the auto driver kept driving the vehicle. After some distance, the auto went out of control and overturned. Following which, two of the suspects were caught and handed over to the police. The victim, Meena Kumari, said she was sitting in an auto when a passenger stopped the auto on the way on the pretext of going to toilet. When he returned, the robbers moved her from the side and made her sit in the middle. When she asked the driver to get down after going a little further, the miscreants did not stop the auto. The trio took out sharp weapons and tried to tie her hands with her dupatta, but she clung on to the moving auto and started asking for help. A car coming from the rear of the auto recorded the video of the entire incident. Another car driver tried to stop the auto but the robbers rammed their vehicle into it, damaging cars of two passers-by in the incident. Two suspects, Mohit of Subhash Nagar and Dimple, who were staying near AR Model School, were arrested while the third suspect, Shubham, of Subhas Nagar was yet to be nabbed. Mohit has a criminal past as he had been facing three criminal cases. SHO Amritpal Singh described the episode as “deeply disturbing,” confirming that the arrested suspects will be presented in court for remand. ASI, constable nabbed Reopen Urban Estate railway crossings: Kalia praises Modi for taking ~50K bribe Cong’s Pargat writes to Railways, MC for ~1,600 cr relief Our Correspondent Phagwara , September 9 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing drive against corruption, has arrested ASI Rajwinder Singh and constable Baltej Singh, both posted at police station, Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala, for accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000. Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the state VB said the arrests were made following a complaint lodged by an NRI woman, a resident of the United Kingdom presently living in Mumbai, on the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line. He further said that as per the complaint, the accused ASI had demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant’s NRI friend at the time of his arrest in a police case, promising help in securing bail from the court. To obtain the bribe amount, the accused police personnel even allowed the detainee to withdraw money from a bank ATM. Later, the police official also asked the complainant to pay Rs 5,000 for assisting her friend in court proceedings, which she recorded and subsequently filed as an online complaint. The spokesperson added that during verification, the allegations levelled in the complaint were found to be true. Accordingly, a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against both the accused police personnel at the VB Police Station, Jalandhar range and they have been arrested. Tribune News Service PEOPLE HASSLED Jalandhar, September 9 AICC secretary and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh has again warned the Railways authorities and Municipal Corporation over their failure to complete the Subhana railway underpass, which was submerged in rainwater and left the route blocked for residents. The MLA reiterated his long-standing demand to immediately reopen the C-7 railway crossing, linking Urban Estate Phases 1 and 2. He reminded that he had already written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw four months ago regarding this demand. In light of growing public difficulties, Singh said he would now also demand the Parget Singh noted that the closure of C-7 had forced people visiting the adjoining cremation ground to take a 2-km detour instead of a 200-metre approach. School buses and children are facing daily hardships. The market adjoining C-8 is on the verge of closure, leaving shopkeepers struggling for livelihood. reopening of C-8 railway crossing. He accused the Railways of hurriedly closing C-7 and C-8 crossings and opening an incomplete underpass, which resulted in severe waterlogging during the monsoon. “The underpass had five-six feet deep water, cutting off local residents from road. This is the cost of careless decisions,” Singh said. Highlighting public inconvenience, Singh noted that the closure of C-7 had forced people visiting the adjoining c m y b cremation ground to take a 2km detour instead of a 200metre approach. School buses and children are facing daily hardships. The market adjoining C-8 is on the verge of closure, leaving shopkeepers struggling for livelihood. He said reopening C-7 alongside the underpass would immediately ease traffic and provide relief to thousands of residents. Singh reminded that he had raised these demands earlier through a written letter to the Railway Minister in May, and also in meetings with Railway officials and the Deputy Commissioner. On the underpass, Singh criticised both Railways and Municipal Corporation for opening it without completion certificate and basic safety provisions. “Had they acted responsibly, the underpass would not have been opened in such a hurry. It still lacks roofing, proper lighting, and permanent pumping arrangements. Only a basic drainage system exists. With no emergency motors, waterlogging was inevitable,” he said. Pargat Singh assured residents that he stands firmly with them and will continue to fight for their relief until the crossings are reopened and the underpass completed with proper safeguards. Jalandhar, September 9 Even as all BJP leaders have praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a dole of Rs 1,600 crore as flood relief, AICC secretary and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh on Tuesday called it a betrayal and a mockery of people’s suffering. Pargat said, “Punjab is crying in pain, entire villages are drowning, crops worth thousands of crores are destroyed, families are displaced and what does Punjab get? A token amount that rubs salt on our wounds. What healing can Rs1,600 crore possibly bring to this devastation?” he asked. Punjabis had expected at least Rs20,000 crore in relief, given the unprecedented destruction caused by the worst floods in 37 years. “Instead, the Centre has given an amount that is not even a fraction of the loss. This is not relief, this is humiliation. Once again, Modi has shown his bias and stepmotherly treatment towards Punjab,” Pargat Singh said. The Congress leader added that the world is watching Punjab’s devastation, yet the Centre chooses to look away. “When BJP-ruled states face floods or disasters, the Centre rushes with interim packages. But when Punjab suffers, Delhi turns its back. This selective compassion exposes the Centre’s prejudice against Punjabis,” he said. Pargat Singh also criticized the Centre’s announcement of only Rs2 lakh compensation for the dead and Rs50,000 for the injured, terming it far too little. — TNS