21012026-LT-01.qxd 1/21/2026 1:03 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ‘GOVT APATHY PUSHING BRICK INDUSTRY TO BRINK’ AMARGARH STRUGGLES WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT COSTUME DESIGNER SMRITI HAS DESIGNS ON DILJIT Assn alleges organised fraud causing losses to tune of crores. As many as 5 lakh workers risk losing job. P2 Sewage disposal and sanitation have remained a challenge for civic bodies in Amargarh & Ahmedgarh. P3 Smriti, who is upbeat about Dhurandhar’s success, would like to style Diljit Dosanjh, whom she rates as the most stylish.P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 23°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 5°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.50 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7:18 AM WEDNESDAY | 21 JANUARY 2026 | LUDHIANA Police begin probe into death of six brothers ‘due to chitta’ in over 12 yrs Cops yet to release official report, preliminary investigation claims they died of other causes Mahesh Sharma Jagraon, January 20 The Ludhiana (rural) police have initiated a probe into the sequence of events leading to circumstances under which six sons of a family of Sherewala village near Sidhwan Bet village in Ludhiana district had died allegedly due to ‘drug overdose’ one after the other over the past over 12 years. Though no separate case had been registered in connection with allegations levelled by complainant Shinder Kaur, regarding death of her six sons due to ‘chitta’, police personnel investigating an FIR registered at the Sidhwan Bet police station had been asked to verify circumstances leading to death of Jasvir Singh, complainant’s sixth son who was found dead on January 14. Sources at the Sidhwan Bet police station revealed that viscera of Jasvir had been sent for ascertaining the cause of the death and nature of intoxicant or narcotics, if any present in the viscera. A youth, Harpreet Singh Mani, of Sherewala and Kulwinder Kaur Goga Bai of Malsihan were booked for causing the Rich haul of narcotics, 13 pistols seized, 118 nabbed Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, January 20 A rich haul of illegal weapons and contrabands were recovered from the possession of 233 hardcore criminals who were rounded up during a crackdown by over 100 teams of police officials in the city and localities situated on its outskirts. POs apprehended during crackdown; action focused on breaking backbone of organised crime syndicate The house of the family at Sherewala village in Ludhiana that lost six brothers to chitta addiction. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN death of Jasvir. Further investigations revealed that the Sherewala village is inhabited by 99 per cent population of Rai Sikh community. Being a flood-prone area, most of the residents earn their livelihood through manual labour and distill- ing and consuming illicit liquor was not considered a taboo during past decades. Though the investigating police are yet to release an official report on the issue, preliminary investigations revealed that Mukhtiar Singh had died following an accident under the influence of alcohol in 2012 and his son Kulwant Singh too died in an accident involving a tractor-trailer. Jaswant had died due to depression allegedly caused after being deserted by his wife. Severe jaundice, known as kala piliya in the local dialect, was cit- ed as the cause behind death of Raju and another type of hepatitis was reported to be the reason behind untimely death of Gurdeep Singh. The police are trying to rule out direct involvement of any of the deceased in Continued on page 2 As many as 118 of the detained persons were formally arrested in connection with cases registered against them at different police stations during the recent past. Thirteen pistols, 144 gm of heroin, 96 bottles of illicit liquor and 430 habit-forming tablets included the contrabands seized from the suspects. Several proclaimed offenders were apprehended during the raids. Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma said rich haul of drugs and narcotics, besides 13 illegal pistols, were recovered from premises of hardcore criminals who had been rounded up during early morning simultaneous raids conducted as part of the statewide crackdown against organised crime conducted under direct super- Cops wait for opening of door of a house during raids in Ludhiana. vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday. Sharma reiterated that the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police were committed to its ongoing mission to eliminate crime from the city with an intent to provide residents with a safe, secure, and fearfree environment. “Such coordinated and intelligence-led operations will continue in the future to ensure that criminal elements find no refuge within the jurisdiction,” he said. Elaborating on the strategy adopted on Tuesday, Sharma claimed that as part of the operation, over 100 police teams, each supervised by a senior functionary of the department, were constituted to conduct simultaneous and targeted raids on as many as 255 premises belonging to identified gangsters, their accomplices and individuals suspected of providing them shelter and logistical support. The action was intelligencedriven and focused on breaking the operational backbone of organised crime syndicates. Sharma appreciated that the Commissionerate had succeeded in harnessing desired results of its sustained and decisive campaign against organised crime during a well-planned and massive early morning operation aimed at dismantling organised criminal networks operating in and around the city. He claimed that the coordinated raids resulted in the rounding up of over 233 suspects of whom 118 were arrested while others were subjected to sustained interrogation and verification of their activities before being released. Sewerman lands in DC reviews preparations for R-Day High drama over VB net for accepting high injection rate Public Works Minister to unfurl Tricolour at dist-level event ~1.5 lakh bribe at private hospital Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 20 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), in line with the zero tolerance policy adopted by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led state government, has apprehended Bahadur Singh, sewerman (Numberdar), posted at the Municipal Corporation, here, for accepting a bribe Rs 1,50,000. Disclosing this here on Tuesday, an official spokesperson for the state VB said the arrest had been made following a complaint lodged by a resident of Jamalpur Awana village, Focal Point, here, on the Chief Minister’s anti-corruption action line portal. He said the complainant alleged that the sewerman had taken a gratification of Rs 1,50,000 in three instalments in lieu of getting him recruited as a sewerman in the Municipal Corporation. The complainant had also recorded the video of the suspect while accepting the bribe. Bahadur Singh, the suspect, also got the work of cleaning the sewerage for two-and-a-half years done from the complainant but the latter was not paid any salary for doing the same. He added that if the involvement of any other official of the MC came to light during the probe, strict action would be taken against that official. During verification, the allegations were found true. A case has been registered at the VB police station. Further probe into the case was underway, he added. Ludhiana, January 20 Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain conducted an important review meeting with officials of various departments at the sports ground of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to assess preparations for the districtlevel Republic Day function. During the meeting, he issued directions to ensure the event was conducted in a dignified and well-organised manner. He said on January 26, the district-level function will be organised at the PAU’s sports ground. State Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO would be the chief guest for the event and he will unfurl the national flag. On the occasion, tableaux depicting flagship programmes and welfare schemes of the state government would be presented, for which the departments concerned must ensure proper preparations. He also men- Students perform during a rehearsal for the Republic Day event in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN tioned that a full-dress rehearsal would be held at the venue on January 23. The meeting discussed in detail arrangements related to security, parade rehearsals, cultural programmes, stage management, facilities for invited guests, traffic management, cleanliness, health serv- ices, uninterrupted power supply and emergency measures. The DC instructed the Police Department to maintain strict security arrangements while the Health Department was directed to ensure adequate ambulances and medical staff. He asked the MC and other depart- ments concerned to ensure cleanliness, decoration, uninterrupted electricity and water supply and proper seating arrangements at and around the venue. Special emphasis was also laid on making cultural programmes attractive and filled with patriotic spirit. — TNS Farmers give their produce digital identity with QR codes Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 20 Farmers in the state are embracing a digital revolution that gives their produce a new identity through QR codes. Now, farmer is no longer limited to just growing crops. Along with production, they also face the challenge of selling their produce at better prices at their own farm or market level, preventing middleman and providing direct goods to consumers. “In the market, it is often difficult to distinguish between genuine and highquality products. In this situation, digital technology, especially QR codes, has WHY QR CODE MATTERS WHO CAN USE TECHNOLOGY? ■ Better prices, stronger identity: Consumers are willing to pay more when they know product’s journey ■ Protection against adulteration: Each packet carries a unique code, making counterfeiting difficult ■ Support for certifications: Traceability helps in securing FSSAI registration, organic certification and GI tags ■ Affordable:No costly scanners or RFID chips are needed — only a smartphone and Internet connection emerged as a simple and effective solution for farmers,” said Preeti, Scientist, Department of Processing and Food Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The initiative allows farm- ■ Individual farmers selling QR code on the packet of jaggery powder. ers to print QR codes on packets of wheat flour, rice, jaggery, turmeric and other products, enabling consumers to instantly access details about when and where food was processed, the method used and the wheat flour, turmeric, fruits, vegetables, oils, jaggery and other food processed and raw products ■ Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) ■ Village-level processing units ■ Trained rural youth through skilled development centres farmer or unit behind it. The biggest advantage of a QR code is that a large amount of information can be stored digitally in a small space, said Gurveer, from the same department. A study conducted at the c m y b Agro Processing Complex, PAU, clearly shows that by using QR codes, farmers and small processors can give their produce a digital identity from farm to consumer. In the study, QR codes were applied to products such as jaggery (from sugarcane), besan (from chana dal), turmeric powder, rice and wheat flour. First, all product information was entered into Excel sheets and stored on a cloud platform (OneDrive). The link to this data was then converted into a QR code and printed on the product package. “The simple technology requires only a smartphone and internet connection, yet it offers powerful benefits: Better prices by building consumer trust, protection against adulteration and counterfeiting and easier access to certifications such as FSSAI registration or GI tags. By linking the product data stored on cloud platforms to QR codes, farmers and small processors can create transparency from farm to plate, strengthening their local brand identity and cutting out middlemen,” adds Preeti and Gurveer. The system is affordable and practical for individual farmers, FPOs, SHGs and village-level units. Even trained rural youth can adopt it through skill development centres. Ludhiana, January 20 High drama was witnessed outside a private hospital after relatives of a patient accused the management of selling an injection costing Rs 500 for Rs 7,500 at its inhouse drug store. The family alleged that when they objected, store staff agreed to provide the same injection for Rs 5,000 after bargaining. Patient’s relatives, joined by Shiromani Akali Dal youth wing leader Jasdeep Singh Kaunke, staged a protest outside the hospital, demanding strict action against the management. Kaunke claimed that hospital staff demanded multiple injections and later prescribed medicines worth Rs 24,000. On checking online and at local pharmacies, the same injection was available at a cost of Rs 500. Kaunke further alleged that a sting operation revealed the store’s willingness to sell the Patient’s kin accuse management of profiteering injection at a reduced price, confirming suspicions of overpricing. He declared that the protest would continue till firm action was taken against the hospital. Former MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon also joined the protest, demanding that patients should not be exploited in the name of medicines. Meanwhile, the hospital management dismissed allegations as baseless and stated that medicines were provided at a discount and that no money was charged from the patient at the time of discharge. It said if the family had concerns, they should lodge a complaint with the Civil Surgeon, to whom the hospital would submit its response. — TNS First e-bin inaugurated at Rose Garden parking lot Ludhiana, January 20 The city marked a significant step towards responsible electronic waste management with the inauguration of the city’s first e-bin at Rose Garden parking lot. It was formally inaugurated by Mayor Inderjeet Kaur in the presence of MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal. The initiative has been led by Philanthropy Club, an NGO, under the guidance of Arvinder Padda, along with active support from Lakhminder, Vimmi Bajaj, Anu Gupta, Jazz Bhogal, Mehak Bansal, and Priti Kapoor. The collective effort aims to promote safe disposal and recycling of electronic waste while building public awareness on environmental responsibility. Additional e-bins are scheduled to be installed by the end of the month at a few more locations in the city, including DC Complex, Kipps Market, Tuition Market Model Town Extension and Kochar Market. — TNS