14122025-JTR-01.qxd 12/13/2025 11:17 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune K’THALA VOTES TODAY FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL, BLOCK SAMITI POLLS AFTER PADDY, WHEAT CROP LOSS IN FLOOD-HIT MAND AREA ANJU MODI BEHIND ICONIC COSTUMES OF BOLLYWOOD Voting will be held for 10 zones of the District Council and 88 zones across five Block Samitis. P2 Wheat sowing for the current season has not taken place on nearly 1,500 acres, according to Agriculture Department. P3 Designer Anju Modi was in Chandigarh to launch her new Jaypore x collection of hand-embroidered garments. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 22°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 8°C SUNSET SUNDAY 5.24 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.11 AM SUNDAY | 14 DECEMBER 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. INBRIEF SCHOOL TEACHER DIES IN MISHAP Phagwara: A woman school teacher lost her life in a road accident near Shahkot on Friday after her scooter was hit by an unidentified vehicle. The incident took place near Laddha Paper Mill, Lambrra. The deceased has been identified as Manno Sharma, who was working as a teacher at St Jude Convent School, Shahkot. She was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, where doctors declared her dead. A case has been registered under Sections 304-A, 279, 337, 338 and 427 of the IPC at Lambra police station. OC COP AMONG TWO HURT IN MISHAP Kapurthala: Two people, including a police personnel, were seriously injured after two cars collided head-on late on Friday night on the Fattudhinga Road near Parvez Nagar village in Kapurthala. The impact of the collision left both vehicles severely damaged. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital with the help of passersby. SHO, Kotwali police station, Inspector Balwinder Singh, said that the matter is under investigation. OC TWO ARRESTED FOR DRUG TRADE Phagwara: The police have arrested two drug peddlers in Nakodar and Shahkot and recovered a large quantity of intoxicants from their possession. In the first case, the police arrested a peddler, identified as Amrik Singh, a resident of Rampur near Shahkot and recovered 15.85 grams of heroin from his possession on Friday night. In another case, the police arrested one Sandeep Singh, a resident of Kamalpur and recovered 55 intoxicating tablets from his posession. Two different cases under the NDPS Act have been registered against both the arrested accused. OC ABETMENT TO SUICIDE Phagwara: Kapurthala police have registered a case under Section 306 of the IPC following the alleged suicide of a man who was reportedly subjected to persistent harassment and provocation over the recovery of money advanced to an acquaintance. The case has been lodged on the statement of Sunita Rani, wife of the deceased, a resident of Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Kapurthala. According to the complaint, the accused had borrowed approximately Rs 1.90 lakh from her husband. However, when repeated requests were made for the return of the money, the accused allegedly refused to repay the amount. The complainant further alleged that due to the accused’s continued refusal, her husband was compelled to seek legal recourse and initiated proceedings through the court but to no avail. OC 8.3 lakh voters to decide fate of 669 candidates Voting will take place today in 1,209 polling booths set up for 21 Zila Parishad and 11 Panchayat Samiti zones Tribune News Service DIE IS CAST, IT’S OVER TO VOTERS NOW Jalandhar, December 13 The fate of 669 candidates for Zila Parishad and Block Samitis in Jalandhar will be decided on Sunday as 8,30,669 voters will cast their votes. The polling staff was dispatched to the polling booths after being delivered polling kits. The staff moved in buses to the polling booths armed with police security. Polling will take place in 1,209 polling booths set up for 21 Zila Parishad and 11 Panchayat Samiti zones in the district. The voters will cast their votes using ballot papers from 8 am to 4 pm. Three SPs, 12 DSPs and 15 SHOs will remain on ground to monitor the conduct of elections. In all, 2,500 police personnel will maintain law and order. The candidates and leaders of all political parties including MLAs and halqa in- ■ The voters will cast their votes using ballot papers from 8 am to 4 pm. ■ Three SPs, 12 DSPs and 15 SHOs will remain on ground to monitor the conduct of elections. ■ In all, 2,500 police personnel will maintain law and order. ■ Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday was live on social media platform Facebook alleging that the supporters of Opposition parties were being raided by the police across Punjab to create an atmosphere of fear. charges too have been making all arrangements at their own end. Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday was live on social media platform Facebook alleging that the supporters of Opposition parties were being raided by the police across Punjab to create an atmosphere of fear. "I appeal to the Congress workers to thwart any attempt to rig the polls. Stand guard against such elements and remain strong and alert," he said. Channi has already been alleging that 10-20 per cent extra ballot papers had been printed so as to rig the polls with the help of the local BLOs. "They have made a list of voters who have moved abroad, have passed away and are not here. The votes on their behalf will be cast by way of extra ballot papers," Channi stated showing apprehension. Phillaur Congress MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary, however, said, "Our teams are on ground. We are fully alert. I do not think that any foul play will be possible tomorrow." Polling staff heading for duty in view of the Zila Parishad elections in Jalandhar on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Banking on youth, sports to turn villages around Aparna Banerji THE YOUNG AS PIVOT Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 13 Block Samiti — Nagar zone A day ahead of the panchayat polls on December 14, it is the youth of the four villages he represents, whose issues weigh heavy on his mind. The scourge of drugs, taking youth back to sports, freeing villages of long-standing issues like waterlogged roads — are the key issues around which his election campaign has been centred. Thirty-eight-year-old Parshotam Singh — activist, panch and a highly qualified candidate (MSc in IT and MA in Punjabi) — has had his entire campaign centred around the village populace and their issues, especially the youth. Contesting the Block Samiti elections from the Nagar Zone in Phillaur, Parshotam represents the villages Katpalon (where he is also the panch), Nagar, Ashahoor and Fatehgarh Lakkha. Ask him about the pivot around which his campaign revolves, and pat comes the SPORTS HOLDS THE KEY misconception ❝It’s aMP is empoweredthat an MLA or but a Parishad functionary ❝The Zilataking people’s voice is crucial in Block Samiti member isn’t. Anyone who is aware and knows what he wants for his area is more empowered. Parshotam Singh to the MLA. Our fight is for people’s well-being and for a Punjab that is away from the scourge of drugs in future. Lakhbir Singh Hazara ❞ reply, "Youth". Parshotam Singh says, "Naujawani nu bachaya jave (youth must be saved). The prime concern with any wellmeaning citizen in Punjab today must be that our youth is heading in the wrong direction and they must be brought back from drugs or other ills afflicting their culture and moorings. Very few people know about the power of these elections. An elected representative of the Block Samiti can be instrumental in getting sportsgrounds, gyms and culturerelated means of recreation in villages which could ensure the transformation of youth --- instead of falling prey to drugs. This is immense power." Having been a youth leader and a member of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujawan Sabha, vice-president of the Punjab Students Federation and currently a member of the Lok Insaaf Manch, Parshotam is well-versed with Punjab's issues. He has fought for the rights of youths falling prey to unemployment despite degrees, fellow students' bus pass and right to reservation, ridding a local activist of false cases against him and also the struggle for Panjab University, Chandigarh. He has also been among the activists holding month-long dharnas to free villages of contaminated water and san- ❞ itation woes besides approach roads. Speaking on the issue, he says, "So many villages don't have proper drainage these days. This is an ever increasing problem. In some villages, even the entry gates are waterlogged. Villages do not have plants to clean water, they don't even have ROs. Villagers have the right to clean water and dry spaces. This has been a major fight of our region and an important element of my campaign." Planning for village ponds according to new technology to counter spillovers is also among the issues, he says. Speaking specifically on his plans, if he's elected, he says, "It's a misconception that an MLA or MP is empowered but a Block Samiti member isn't. Anyone who is aware and knows what he wants for his area is actually more empowered. For a member of the Block Samiti, Zila Panchayat funds could be spent on villages. They can also use their part of the district budget to build villages. Sportsgrounds, stadiums, spaces and gyms could be facilitated by Block Samiti members. So, people must choose and vote wisely." Zila Parishad — Patara zone Lakhvir Singh Hazara, a farmer who is an avid sports promoter of his area, is set to take his message of sports promotion to the Zila Hit by floods, Dhakka Basti residents to boycott polls Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 13 The voters of Dhakka Basti in Gatta Mundi Kasu village of Lohian Khas block in Shahkot have unanimously decided to boycott the panchayat elections slated for December 14. The villagers of Dhakka Basti will not vote for any candidate, across parties, during the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections to be held tomorrow. The reason, villagers say, is the constant apathy meted out to Dhakka Basti — a dwelling comprising mostly labourers and workers which has repeatedly been ravaged by successive floods, including this year. Dhakka Basti dweller Jaswinder Singh, a labourer by profession, says, "Asi maare bande aan. Sadi koi gal nahi sunda, ya daba dinde. Votan lain aa jande, mur ke koi puchda nahi. Asi eka kita, asi nahi vote pani Dhakka Basti villagers hold a meeting at the Gatta Mundi Kasu village in Shahkot. The villagers announced that they would boycott the rural body polls. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH (We are poor, no one listens to us. They come to seek votes and later completely forget us. This time, we have decided together, we will not vote.) "We had decided to opt for NOTA this time. But since it's a ballot paper vote, not a sin- gle person from our basti will go to vote tomorrow. The village has unanimously decided not to vote," he says. A part of the Gatta Mundi Kasu village in Shahkot, Dhakka Basti has a population of a little over 400 people c m y b and has 210 votes. In the meeting of the villagers where the declaration regarding unanimous boycott of poll was made today, villager Raj Kaur said with folded hands, "These leaders made so many promises to us. We battled the 2019 floods. In the 2023 floods, they gave us repeated assurances, but left us inthe lurch. And again in 2025, we suffered. Today, how can we trust these sarpanches, officials and leaders? This is our village's unanimous decision that we will not go to vote for anyone. Because we face dhakka (apathy) from everywhere. We were betrayed every time we trusted.” The villagers have also demanded five-marla plots for relocating elsewhere, fed up with the the repeated ravages of floods. Said Jaswinder, "At Dhakka Basti, we are all poor. We live right by the river. Every time there is a flood, there's large-scale destruction. Houses collapse. We are all labourers, we can't buy new land. We are scared of what floods next year may do. We've kept a demand that we be allocated 5-marla plot of land away from the river." Parishad polls as well. Contesting from the AAP , Hazara, a candidate for Zila Parishad election from the Patara zone, is known best in the region for the sports activities he has been undertaking. While he contested elections from the same zone last time, he had lost to the Congress candidate Mehtaab Singh Lali. The years-long delay in the panchayat coupled with simmering issues of people, make him confident that people are fed up with false promises and need real change on the ground. His spirit to promote sports and wean children away from drugs, keeps him upbeat. At Patara and in neighouring villages, Lakhvir Singh has been holding various sports tournaments. An annual soccer tourney is slated for December 16 and he also hosts a Kabaddi Cup. On why the elections are important this time, Lakhvir says, "The Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections are happening after a gap of seven years during which various works have piled up.” Khaira alleges misuse of govt machinery Our Correspondent Phagwara, December 13 On the eve of the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections in Bholath Assembly constituency, senior Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira has raised serious concerns over the safety and fairness of the polling process, alleging systematic intimidation of Opposition workers and voters. In a representation addressed to the State Election Commissioner, Punjab, Khaira claimed that a climate of fear has been deliberately created in the constituency through alleged misuse of police machinery under political pressure. According to the complaint, Khaira alleged that the Kapurthala police, acting under pressure from the ruling party, registered what he described as a false and fabricated criminal case on November 14, at Subhanpur police station. The case reportedly named eight Congress workers along with several unidentified persons. Election observer visits polling stations for review Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 13 Election observer, Nayan, on Saturday visited various dispatch centres and polling stations to review the preparations for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections scheduled to be held on December 14. Accompanied by Deputy Director, DBEE, Neelam Mahey, the observer informed that elections will be held for 21 zones of the Zila Parishad and 188 zones of 11 Panchayat Samitis across the district on December 14. Interacting with election staff at a dispatch centre set up at Lyallpur Khalsa College, the poll observer urged all officials to perform their election duties with utmost dedication, honesty and sincerity. She emphasised that the electoral process must be conducted strictly in accordance with the guidelines issued by the State Election Commission, warning that any negligence in this regard would be viewed seriously. Nayan also minutely reviewed the dispatch procedures and enquired about facilities being provided to polling personnel to ensure smooth conduct of the elections. Thereafter, the poll observer visited several polling stations to inspect arrangements for voters, stressing that adequate facility must be ensured. She also reviewed security arrangements and directed police officials to maintain vigil on the law and order situation to ensure peaceful conduct of polls.