07012026-JTR-01.qxd 1/6/2026 10:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune AAP LEADER WRITES TO PM, HM SHAH SEEKING SECURITY HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME TO BE IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVELY: ADC PUNJABI SONGS DOMINATE MAMDANI’S INAUGURATION He conveys to them that since registration of FIR, he has been receiving continuous extortion and death threat calls. P2 The officer says that the registration process under the scheme will commence from January 8. P3 New NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani danced to songs of Canada-based Punjabi artiste Babbulicious. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 13°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 13°C | MIN 5°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.40 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7:27 AM » WEDNESDAY | 7 JANUARY 2026 | JALANDHAR Labourers block DC office gate for two hours, visitors hassled Demand ~700 daily wage, repeal of G-RAM-G | Slam state for ‘anti-labour policies’ Tribune News Service Members of the Road Sangharsh Committee of Tibba village start an indefinite protest against the NHAI at Sultanpur Lodhi on Tuesday. Farmers halt expressway work over land cost row Jalandhar, January 6 The joint front of various unions of farm labourers and contractual workers on Tuesday held a massive protest in front of the District Administrative Complex here this afternoon. The labour unions shut the main entrance gate of the DC office and sat on the road in front of the complex for two hours, not allowing the traffic to pass through. Several visitors to the DC office, who had come on their vehicles, got stuck inside from 1 pm to 3 pm. They were protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government, terming them anti-worker. They also demanded the repeal of ‘all anti-labour laws’ and the acceptance of workers’ demand of providing them Rs 700 as daily wage. Addressing the protest, state president of the Pendu Mazdoor Union Punjab Tarsem Peter, president of the Dehati Mazdoor Sabha Darshan Nahar, finance secretary of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union Harmesh Malri, Vir Kumar of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Sabha and Sodhi Ram Uppal of the All-India Khet Mazdoor Union said the labour class was in miserable condition and was one of the most Phagwara, January 6 The construction work on the Delhi-Katra and Jamnagar expressway passing through the Sultanpur Lodhi constituency has been brought to a halt after farmers launched an indefinite protest against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The sit-in, organised under the banner of the Road Sangharsh Committee, has intensified tension in the area as farmers allege they have not been given adequate compensation for their acquired land. Farmers participating in the protest stated that despite repeated representations, the NHAI has failed to provide fair and justified compensa- tion for their land. They further alleged that even after approaching the court for relief, the authority has not been presenting its stand properly, leaving the affected farmers in prolonged uncertainty. As a result, they said they were left with no option but to halt construction activities until their demands were addressed. Addressing a gathering, Road Sangharsh Committee president Prabh Dayal Singh, along with leaders Parmjit Singh Khalsa, Tarsem Singh, Bibi Jaswinder Kaur Tibba, and Ranjit Singh Rana announced that the protest would continue for an indefinite period. They accused the NHAI of misleading farmers on compensation matters 2 of Zirakpur die in accident near LPU Bandh in Kapurthala as Valmiki leaders seek action against AAP leader Rana Our Correspondent Our Correspondent Phagwara, January 6 Two persons lost their lives in a road accident on the Phagwara-Jalandhar highway near Lovely Professional University late last night. The deceased have been identified as Mukesh and Munazib, residents of Zirakpur. According to SHO Sadar Kripal Singh, the victims were travelling in a multiutility vehicle (MUV) when it collided with another vehicle. The MUV damaged following the impact of the collision. Both occupants died on the spot due to the injuries. Preliminary investigation suggests that the victims were returning to Zirakpur after unloading goods in Jalandhar when the accident occurred. The vehicle involved in the collision reportedly fled the scene after the accident. The police have initiated an investigation to trace the absconding vehicle and determine the exact cause of the crash. After conducting the postmortem examinations, the bodies were handed over to the families for last rites. Phagwara, January 6 Kapurthala witnessed a complete shutdown on Tuesday following a call given by various organisations of the Valmiki community, demanding the registration of a case against AAP leader and former constituency in-charge Manju Rana. The bandh was observed peacefully, with markets across the city remaining closed, while essential and emergency services continued to function normally. According to community leaders, the protest stems from an alleged incident that took place last year near Mansoorwal, where Rana is accused of using objectionable and caste-related remarks against a member of the Valmiki community at the Bhagwan Valmiki temple. A complaint was submitted to the police soon after the incident, but the lack of action has led to growing resent- Our Correspondent 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. and deliberately delaying a resolution. The leaders also stated that several farmer organisations had extended support to the agitation, strengthening the protest on the ground. The farmers maintained that development projects should not come at the cost of injustice to landowners and reiterated that construction work would remain suspended until fair compensation was ensured. The protest has again highlighted the growing friction between infrastructure development agencies and farming communities, with protesters demanding transparency, accountability, and respect for farmers’ rights in land acquisition processes. oppressed sections of society. They said by snatching away even the meagre employment provided under the MGNREGA and by implementing four labour codes, the Centre had again exposed the same mindset to suppress the weaker sections. They further said by passing the Electricity Amendment Bill, the Modi government was determined to plunge poor households into darkness. Through their charter of demands, they called for restoration and strengthen- ing of the MGNREGA Act with amendments to guarantee year-round employment to all needy persons and to raise the daily wage to Rs700. They also demanded restoration of labour laws, withdrawal of the electricity Bill, waiver of workers’ debts, compensation for losses suffered by workers, farmers, and others due to floods and heavy rains, allotment of residential plots to workers, increase of widow and old-age pensions to Rs5,000, transfer of Rs 1,100 into women’s Kapurthala observes complete shutdown on Tuesday. A TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH ment within the community. To mobilise support for the bandh, members of various Valmiki organisations gathered in the morning at Shri Bhagwan Valmiki Shikhndi Temple. A protest march was taken out through the main markets of the city, raising slogans and expressing anger tee elections. During the event, teachers demanded that the families of Jaskaran Singh and his wife Kamaljit Kaur be paid Rs 2 crore each, with the government covering the full education expenses of their children and providing them government jobs after graduation. — OC bank accounts, implementation of all election guarantees, allotment of one-third of panchayat land to workers, and enforcement of land reform laws to distribute surplus land among landless labourers and marginal farmers. Accusing CM Mann, they said the AAP government, which came to power with the slogan of “change”, had instead followed in the footsteps of the Modi government, promoting the interests of landlords and capitalists. They said for the past three-and-a-half years, the 2 child beggars rescued in Nawanshahr Tribune News Service Candlelight march in teacher couple’s memory Hoshiarpur, January 6 Teachers’ organisations in Hoshiarpur today held a candlelight march at the Mini Secretariat to honour the memory of a teacher couple from Moga who died during election duty, allegedly due to government mismanagement during the last District Council and Block Commit- Activists of the Pendu and Khet Mazdoor Unions hold a protest in front of the DC office, Jalandhar, on Tuesday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Nawanshahr, January 6 As part of the ongoing crackdown against child begging under Project Jeevan Jyot 2.0, two child beggars were rescued during a special checking drive conducted in Nawanshahr on Tuesday. Acting on the directions of the Director, Department of Women and Child Development, Punjab, and under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner Ankurjit Singh, the district administration intensified enforcement against child begging. The checking drive was led by District Programme Officer Jagroop Singh, along with the District Task Force. The team conducted inspections on Bus Stand Road, Garhshankar Road, and Banga Road. During the drive, two children aged approximately 4 to 7 years were found begging along with their mother at the bus stand. The children were immediately rescued and produced before the Child Welfare Committee for further action to ensure their safety and rehabilitation. Officials said the mother failed to produce any valid documents related to the children. Keeping the children’s safety in mind, they were provided shelter. The District Child Protection Unit also sensitised the public, shopkeepers and commuters emphasising that forcing children below 18 years of age into begging or labour is a punishable offence. Citizens were urged not to encourage child begging and to report such cases to the Child Helpline 1098. over what they termed administrative inaction. Police personnel accompanied the procession to ensure law and order. They stated that repeated representations to the administrative and police authorities seeking legal action against the AAP leader had been ignored, leaving the community with no option but to resort to a bandh. Valmiki community leaders reiterated their demand for the immediate registration of a case against Rana and warned that if no action was taken, the protest would be intensified and expanded to the state level. House of drug peddler razed Zambian involved in peddling deported Jalandhar, January 6 The Commissionerate Police Jalandhar carried out a crackdown in Mohalla New Rajan Nagar falling in Basti Bawa Khel area near here. An illegally constructed house of drug peddler Narinder Kumar, alias Baba, was demolished in Rajan Nagar. The accused already had 14 cases against him. — TNS Phagwara, January 6 A foreign national involved in drug trafficking was deported to his home country after completing his sentence, as part of an ongoing anti-narcotics campaign led by the Kapurthala Police. Acting under the directions of Senior Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora, the police c m y b Our Correspondent intensified action against drug smugglers and criminal elements operating in the district. SP Madhvi Sharma stated that the accused, Falan Onani Machila, a resident of Ndola, Zambia, was arrested. He was found involved in cases of theft and drug trafficking. After completion of his sentence and following legal procedure, the accused was deported to his native country on January 6. The police further stated that under the government’s ongoing campaign against drugs, strict action will continue against drug traffickers. Any foreign national found consuming or selling narcotics in the district will face legal action and be deported to their country after completion of judicial proceedings, the police added. organisations had repeatedly been betrayed, with the CM backing out of assurances made during meetings. Through a special resolution, they demanded the immediate release of labour leader Mukesh Malod and the withdrawal of cases registered against journalists. Activists Kashmir Singh Ghugshor, Baldev Noorpuri, Harpal Bittu, Sukhjinder Lalli, Paramjit Randhawa, Kashmir Mandiala, Gurcharan Singh Atwal, and Sheetal Singh also addressed the gathering. Seriously hurt biker bleeds on road, people pass by Our Correspondent Talwara, January 6 In a shocking incident on the TalwaraDasuya road near Khizarpur village, a young man riding a bike was seriously injured after being hit by a speeding vehicle. The driver fled the scene immediately after the collision. Several passersby ignored the severely injured Rajni Kumar and no one offered help or attempted to take him to the hospital. Later, local resident and social worker NS Khizarpuria arrived at the scene, informed Rajni Kumar’s family, and ensured he was admitted to Civil Hospital, Mukerian, before being shifted to a private hospital in Jalandhar. His condition remains critical. The victim from Nangal Bihala works as a salesman at a petrol pump on the Talwara-Dasuya road. According to reports, he was returning home after finishing his shift when the accident occurred just two km from the petrol station. The impact threw him off his bike, leaving him unconscious and bleeding on the road. The police have begun investigating, reviewing CCTV footage from the area. Station House Officer Harprem Singh stated that the police were working to identify and apprehend the driver, who will face strict legal action.