15092025-LT-01.qxd 9/15/2025 1:00 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 2,184 CANDIDATES APPEAR FOR NDA, NA, CDS EXAMS FARMERS TAKE TO SPRAYING TO SAVE CROPS RUBIO’S STUNNING CANINE COUTURE AT FASHION WEEK The NDA/NA and Combined Defence Services examinations were conducted in sessions in the city. P2 As floodwater begins to retreat, a new urgency has gripped region’s farmers — spraying. P2 Anthony Rubio took centre stage in New York City, showcasing his stunning canine couture collection. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.28 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:07 AM » MONDAY | 15 SEPTEMBER 2025 | LUDHIANA Overflowing Ganda Nullah leads to flooded streets in Ward 79 Tribune News Service Garbage lies unattended at the grain market located at the Jalandhar bypass in Ludhiana on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Paddy procurement to begin tomorrow in dist, grain market lies in a shambles Farmers arriving early to assess site express concern over lack of sanitation, infra Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 With paddy procurement set to begin on September 16 in the district, the main grain market located at the Jalandhar bypass is in a state of alarming neglect. Visit to the market revealed a sprawling, open facility littered with garbage — plastic bags, food waste, paper and debris — scattered across the ground. Large black tarpaulins lie crumpled and soiled with the stench of the rotting waste hanging heavy in the air. The market, which should be gearing up to receive thousands of tonnes of paddy, resembles an aban- doned dumpyard. Farmers arriving early to assess the site expressed concern over the lack of basic sanitation and infrastructure. “We’ve been coming here for years but I never seen the market in such a bad condition,” said Gurdev Singh from Pakhowal. “There’s no place to sit, no clean area to unload our produce. If this is how the season going to start, it’s going to be chaos,” he said. Another farmer, Balwinder Singh, from Jodhan said: “We’re supposed to bring our harvest here but the market looks like it has not been cleaned for weeks. The garbage is lying every- where and there’s no sign of any arrangements for procurement.” The market’s condition raises serious questions about preparedness and accountability. Despite repeated appeals from farmer unions for timely sanitation measures and logistical planning, the site remains unfit for operations. Commission agents and transporters also voiced frustration, noting that lack of cleanliness could lead to contamination of produce and delays in procurement. “We’ve seen stray animals rummaging through the garbage. If the authorities don’t act fast, it will become a health hazard,” said Harjin- der Singh, a local arhtiya. Another farmer said: “We feed the nation but we’re forced to work in filth. Is this the respect we deserve?” Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said: “Officials of the Food, Civil and Supplies Department and Mandi Board have been asked to ensure all necessary arrangements in grain markets and temporary yards to ensure smooth purchase of paddy. The district administration has 108 grain markets and 79 temporary yards.” On Sunday, he exhorted farmers to bring only dry paddy with 17 per cent or lower moisture content to grain markets to ensure a smooth procurement process, starting from September 16. Jain said orders had already been issued to combine harvesters to operate between 10 am and 6 pm to ensure a smooth season. He said the administration would take strict action in case of violation of the guidelines and combines would be seized. He said the farmers would not face any difficulties in selling their produce. The Deputy Commissioner stressed that the state government would lift every single grain of paddy in a smooth and hassle-free manner during the procurement season. Ludhiana, September 14 Overflowing Ganda Nullah near Dharampura flooded Ward 79 areas with foul black water. The blockage in the drain led to widespread waterlogging on Saturday, with dirty water entering roads and submerging lanes across Dharampura, Mohar Singh Nagar and surrounding areas of the ward. Residents spent the day battling the stench and rising water levels. Children and elderly citizens were unable to step outside and many homes reported damages to furniture and other items. “There’s so much water in the street and it’s hard to breathe due to the foul smell,” said Seema, a local resident. “Every corner of our house is filled with filth. We’re placing bricks and stones to stop Residents blame MC for mess as it failed to clean drain before monsoon the water from entering the house,” she said. Locals blamed the Municipal Corporation for the mess as it failed to clean the drain before monsoon. “Had the nullah been cleaned on time, the colony would not be submerged with filth. This water is dangerous, especially for children and the elderly,” said Happy, a resident. Local MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi visited the site and assured residents that disposal machines had been deployed to redirect water into the main line. He said even in the recent past water had entered Dhoka Mohalla also. The drain was cov- ered for up to 16 ft, which is causing the problem. He said the issue was now being addressed and disposal machines had been deployed to redirect water into the main line as quickly as possible. “We’ve been working with machines to clear the line. We won’t leave it till the issue gets resolved,” the MLA said. Deepak Arora, another resident, said: “We’ve heard that a pipe got burst, causing waterlogging in two wards. The water has reached our doorsteps. It is the result of negligence. Drains should’ve been cleaned before rains.” The affected drain runs from Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib to the gaushala road and residents are demanding an immediate sanitation drive to prevent further health risks in the area. Work in progress to unclog drains in Dharampura. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Truck loaded Mayor seeks details of road construction with paint rams into transformer, projects taken up since March 2023 catches fire Move aims to check quality of works, keep record of projects Ludhiana, September 14 Firing at car: Ex-MLA Bains opens up after case filed against brother, nephew A truck loaded with paint got stuck in electric wires in Iqbal Nagar on Tibba Road on Sunday. When the wires broke, the truck hit a transformer which caused an explosion. After the explosion, the truck caught fire. Tribune News Service Blaze also causes damages to three houses Not only this, the flames also caused damages to three nearby houses. However, people were evacuated in time, which averted a tragedy. Eyewitnesses said the truck was running on CNG and was filled with paint, due to which the fire turned into a disastrous form. The flames also caused damages to three houses. Several items kept in the houses was burnt to ashes. After getting information, fire tenders reached the scene. Fire brigade personnel faced difficulty in controlling the fire. Gurcharan Singh, a resident, said when the explosion occurred, panic spread among residents who were evacuated from the place. — TNS 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. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 Getting strict to ensure quality of development works taken up by the Municipal Corporation (MC), Mayor Inderjit Kaur has sought details of various road construction projects taken up in the city since March 2023. Officials of the B&R branch had also been directed to share pictures or details regarding the current status of those roads which have been constructed in the city since March 2023. The offi- cials concerned have been directed to submit details of tenders also that have been floated for taking up the road construction projects during the period. Mayor Inderjit Kaur said she had taken up the matter with the MC Commissioner and the officials of the B&R branch had been asked to submit the details at the earliest. The Mayor stated that the move aims to check the quality of works and it would also help the civic body in keeping a record of the projects to avoid repetition. Mayor Inderjit Kaur stated that their aim was to develop quality infrastructure in the city and they could not allow wastage of hard-earned money of taxpayers. Every effort would be made to ensure good quality works at the ground level. After the submission of the details by the officials concerned, the projects would be thoroughly checked and suitable action would be taken against the guilty in case any anomalies are found. Nikhil Bhardwaj Ludhiana, September 14 Two days after a firing incident occurred at the farmhouse of senior Congress leader and former MLA Simarjit Singh Bains in Alamgir Enclave, he broke silence on the matter, stating that though it’s a family matter, now, it came out in public and the police registered a case. A case of attempt to murder was registered against the brother of Bains, identified as Paramjit Singh Bains, alias Pamma, and nephew Jagjot Bains. The FIR registered on complaint of Cong leader’s PA FIR was registered on the complaint of former MLA’s PA Maninder Singh Mani. The Congress leader said he had a dispute with his elder brother Paramjit regarding the division of the company, Bains Alloys. “I still respect my elder brother. I wanted the matter to remain within the four walls of the house but some relatives and political opponents spoiled the atmosphere. Hence, I had to come in front of the media.” Bains said the division of the company among family members took place in 2023. The company, which he founded in 1996, came into his share at that time and other properties went to his brother. The division took place with the consent of both brothers and papers were signed in front of the family and later, his brother said he did not get adequate share in the company and filed a case in court. Bains said he was in bathroom when shots were fired. His PA was inside the house. If he had been outside, he could have harmed. Mani told him that both Pamma and his son were firing bullets. “My car was badly damaged due to the firing. The police found seven empty bullet shells from the scene. I didn’t indulge in crossfiring,” he said. ADCP Karanvir Singh said a case was registered and further investigation was launched in the case. Ludhiana police achieve 93.29% conviction rate in drug cases Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 Setting a record of sorts in drug smuggling cases and ensuring punishment for drug smugglers in court by thoroughly following the process of court, the Ludhi- 29 properties worth ~15.87 crore freezed in eight months ana Police Commissionerate has achieved 93.29 per cent conviction rate in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases. It Cops address the media regarding drug seizures in Ludhiana. FILE became possible with the efforts of the Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma and his entire team. As per the data procured from the Ludhiana police pertaining to the period from January 1 to August 31 as many as 164 cases of drug smuggling were decided in c m y b the court, of which smugglers were convicted in 153 drug cases. The cases include commercial (heavy) and noncommercial (small) recoveries. Hence, the percentage of conviction stands at 93.29 pert cent. The data revealed that under the commercial drug recovery category from January to August this year, 20 drug cases were decided by courts, of which conviction was achieved in 19 cases and the conviction rate comes at 95 per cent. While in non-commercial category, 144 cases were decided by the courts, of which conviction was achieved in 134 cases. Hence, the conviction rate in commercial recoveries stands at 93.5 per cent. The Commissioner of Police while talking to The Tribune over the success of conviction rate here on Sunday said under the ongoing campaign Yudh Nashian Virudh, the Ludhiana police have achieved a 93.29 per cent conviction rate and it became possible with regular monitoring of drug cases to ensure that every fact presented in the court should be with proper evidence. “In months to come, I assure the Ludhiana police will achieve 100 per cent conviction rate in drug smuggling cases. Now, each case, whether of commercial or non-commercial quantity, is being monitored from day one of registration of the drug case and then at each level, after the charge sheet is filed in the court,” Sharma said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation) Harpal Singh, who supervises the campaign, said: “The Ludhiana police have launched many targeted drug operations and these were conducted after doing days of field work. The police identify drug hot spots and collect intelligence about peddlers to ensure the operations become successful”. 15 properties of drug smugglers demolished The DCP (Investigation) said in the past eight months, the Ludhiana police freezed as many as 29 properties of drug smugglers worth Rs 15.87 crore. Many other properties will also be attached in days to come. Besides, 15 properties of drug smugglers were also demolished by the police in eight months.