09022026-LT-01.qxd 2/9/2026 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune RESIDENTS SPREAD MESSAGE OF BOYCOTTING CHINESE DOR BOLLYWOOD DIVAS OWNING RED THIS VALENTINE'S WEEK NORA LEADS OPENING CEREMONY AT THE ICC T20 WORLD CUP Residents gathered at sports ground in Baddowal on Ferozepur road to celebrate the ‘Patang Festival’. P2 From sculpted silhouettes to fluid drapes, these divas are redefining red with confidence & high-fashion flair. P4 Nora Fatehi delivered a power-packed performance at the opening ceremony of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 23°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.05 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:08 AM MONDAY | 9 FEBRUARY 2026 | LUDHIANA MC House to discuss proposal to implement solid waste management project today Was approved by Finance and Contracts Committee recently Manav Mander Ludhiana, February 8 The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to take a significant step towards strengthening the city’s waste management system, as the proposal to implement an integrated solid waste management project, which has got approval from the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) recently, will be taken up in the General House meeting at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan here on Monday. Despite strong opposition, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has moved forward with giving contracts for door-to-door waste collection. The proposal was passed in the recent F&CC meeting. The corporation has issued work orders to provide 800 carts across 95 wards. The entire collection and transportation process, including manpower and machinery, will be managed by a private company. During the last General House meeting in December, sanitation workers engaged Role of person close to kin suspected in child’s murder case Ludhiana, February 8 The Ludhiana police are yet to make any headway in the murder of a the nine-year-old child whose body was found with throat slit in the bushes at the Kasabad locality on the outskirts of the city on Saturday. Though the police suspect that the child could have been suspected to sexual assault but the autopsy has yet to confirm the same. ADCP Sameer Verma said the suspect who committed the murder could be known to the family but they had not raised any suspicion as of now. “So far the case is blind. The police have been conducting investigation from various angles. Some people are also being questioned to get any clue about the suspect. Cctv cameras of surrounding areasof the crime scene are also being checked. Soon, the case would be solved,” Verma said.— TNS HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Tribune News Service During previous MC House meeting in Dec, sanitation staff had staged a protest seeking regular jobs. with the Municipal Corporation had staged a dharna at the venue, demanding regularisation of jobs. The employees had raised slogans, burnt an effigy of Minister Ravjot Singh and pressed for long-pending job security. The agitating workers had said they would not let a private company lift garbage and take away their jobs. They said they had been doing the work for years. Tara Chand, who has been lifting garbage in Ludhiana for over two decades, said: “I’ve been doing the work for 20 years. I know every street, every household. Now, they say a private company will take over. What will I do? I’m not trained for anything else. I’ve built my life around this job.” Shyama, who has been lifting garbage for 15 years, expressed anguish and said this work was her lifeline. “My husband passed away five years ago and this is the only income I have. If they take it away, how will I sur- vive,” she questioned. In addition, the most significant step is the launch of a Rs 1,144-crore Integrated Solid Waste Management project under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The private company will invest entirely, with no financial burden on the corporation. A processing plant will be set up at the Tajpur Road dump site, where waste will be converted into electricity. The company will handle collection, transportation, processing and disposal of waste. Ten new secondary dump points with 30 static compactors will be established to streamline operations. While the new company has been given the responsibility for 500 tonnes of waste daily for eight years, there is no clarity about the remaining 700 tonnes currently managed by two other firms. Their contracts expired in 2028 and the corporation is yet to have a clear road map for handling this additional waste, raising fears of a future crisis. Carrying the faith Suspect posing as Vigilance official misbehaves with cops, tears uniform Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 8 A man, accompanied by his two friends, claiming to be a vigilance officer, misbehaved with police officials on duty at Mundian Kalan Chowk on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road. They were stopped by the police for using a vehicle without a high-security number plate. The police arrested all three suspects and registered a case. As per reports, traffic police ASI Dalip Kumar was conducting a routine checking at an intersection with his team. A Tata Indigo car was stopped, which did not have the required high-security Escapes along with two aides from scene, arrested later number plate. When the ASI asked for documents, the driver, Raj Kumar Khatri, arrogantly said: “Don’t you know me? I’m a senior official in the Vigilance Department and you will have to face the consequences.” When he was asked for his identity card, the three suspects finding themselves Minister conducts surprise inspection at city bus stand Ludhiana, February 8 Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar conducted a surprise inspection of the Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Inter-State Bus Stand on Sunday evening, reviewing facilities and seeking feedback from passengers. During the visit, Bhullar interacted with commuters to understand difficulties they face while travelling and gathered inputs on bus services, amenities and the overall functioning of the bus stand. He also met shopkeepers operating on the premises and directed them to ensure the sale of fresh, hygienic food and to maintain cleanliness in and around their establishments. The minister inspected workshops and other operational areas of the bus stand and expressed dissatisfaction over the prevailing sanitation conditions. He instructed officials to launch a comprehensive cleanliness drive and ensure the premises are free of litter and garbage. The minister directed General Managers of all bus stands across Punjab to ensure strict adherence to cleanliness standards, adding that disciplinary action would be taken in cases of laxity. — TNS Assault case: Delivery boy succumbs to injuries Devotees take part in a Shobha Yatra ahead of Mahashivratri in Ludhiana on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, February 8 Shivam, a delivery boy who was brutally beaten by around 15 youths on February 1 at Rajouri Garden, Jassian, here, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. Shivam breathed his last on Sunday while on a ventilator at the DMCH. He was cremated after a postmortem examination. Shivam’s father, Lakminder, a plumber, has accused the police of lax action in the matter. The family said sev- en days have passed since the incident but the main suspects were still at large. Their son was the only support of the family and he was brutally killed in full public view by the assailants. Following Shivam’s death, his family and local residents have demanded that murder charge should be added to the FIR by the police. As per the police, some suspects have been identified based on a CCTV footage. — TNS trapped got out of the car and began abusing. “The suspects manhandled me and broke buttons of my uniform. Other police officials who came to intervene were also assaulted and attempts were made to tear their uniforms as well. The suspects not only obstructed official duty but also openly insulted the police uniform and attempted to escape while issuing threats,” the ASI said. After committing the crime, the suspects fled in their car but the traffic police alerted police teams through wireless. At the next intersection, the police stopped the vehicle and arrested the suspects. LPG cylinder delivery man robbed of ~34K Ludhiana, February 8 Two bike-borne miscreants robbed an employee of Krishna Bharat Gas Agency here by pointing a sharp weapon. The miscreants committed the crime while the victim was standing on the Kali Sadak road to deliver a gas cylinder. The two suspects on a bike abused him. When he protested, one of them showed him a sharp weapon tucked in his waistband. The miscreants snatched the bag containing cash from the delivery boy. The victim, Keshav Gupta, a resident of Arjun Colony, said he had been working as a gas supplier in Janta Colony, Rahon Road area, for about four years. On February 6, he was loading cylinders into the company’s auto-rickshaw to deliver the same in the Kali Sadak area. Around 5:45 pm, two youths on a motorcycle surrounded him. They first abused him and then brandished a sharp weapon. One of the men was wearing a mask. It is alleged that the miscreants robbed him of approximately Rs 34,500 in cash, the mKoney collected from the sale of gas cylinders, and fled towards GT Road. According to Keshav, now he is afraid to leave his house. Being robbed in such a public place was a serious concern. After the crime, he informed agency owners and the police. The police said footage from nearby CCTV cameras was being examined to identify the suspects. They would soon arrest the miscreants. — TNS Pedestrians at risk, parking chaos Minor sodomised as shopkeepers eat into city roads by tea vendor Boards, mannequins put up illegally; social activist urges MC chief to act Manav Mander Tribune News Service Boards installed by shopkeepers outside their shops in Ludhiana. Ludhiana, February 8 City’s busiest markets are choking with publicity material, with shopkeepers brazenly putting up unauthorised signboards while encroaching several feet onto public roads. What was once meant to attract customers has now turned into a menace for pedestrians and motorists. From Ghumar Mandi to Malhar Road, Model Town to Pakhowal Road, the story is similar. One can see towering boards jutting out 5-10 feet from shops, mannequin clut- tering footpaths, even as vehicles struggle to find parking space. Pedestrians are forced to find their way through a maze of obstructions, often exposing themselves to the risk of accidents. “It is not just inconvenience, it’s outright lawlessness,” said social activist Arvind Sharma, who has petitioned the Municipal Commissioner to act in this regard. “Shopkeepers are violating approved signage norms, blocking public space, and robbing the civic body of revenue,” he added. c m y b The activist’s letter highlights how the tehbazari wing of the department has turned a blind eye to the encroachments. It has resulted in Ludhiana’s roads shrinking, as shopkeepers expand their reach illegally. Experts warn that such encroachments are more than a nuisance and a serious road safety hazard. With pedestrians pushed onto busy streets and vehicles forced into chaotic parking, the risk of accidents multiplies. “The oversized boards make walking a nightmare. Footpaths are meant for pedestri- ans, not for shopkeepers to display their gimmicks,” adds Rohit Mehra, a daily commuter in Model Town. “Some shopkeepers even put standees and handy boards to block space and reserve parking for their own customers. That’s public land, not private property,” said Simran Kaur, a resident of Pakhowal Road. “Encroachments like these shrink our roads every day. The authorities must wake up before accidents become a routine,” said Rajesh Bhatia, a trader from Ghumar Mandi. Ludhiana, February 8 In a shameful incident, a man sexually assaulted a Class I student. The matter was exposed when the child, who was crying uncontrollably, recounted the act to his maternal grandmother, who runs a tea stall. Based on the complaint filed by the boy’s mother, the police registered a case against Sunil Kumar, a resident of Vishwakarma Chowk, Miller Ganj. ASI Jaswant Singh said the seven-year-old victim was a student of a school near Vishwakarma Chowk. His grandmother runs a tea stall in front of a Yes Bank branch located near the school. After school hours, the boy used to go to his grandmother’s stall and his parents would pick him up in the evening on their way home. The complainant told the police that on Saturday, after school, the boy came to her tea stall. As per routine, she left the boy at the stall and went to give tea to customers. When the woman returned, she found the boy missing. After some time, the child was seen coming down the stairs of the bank while weeping. When questioned by her, he revealed that Sunil, a resident of Vishwakarma Chowk, who also runs a tea stall nearby, lured him to the rooftop of Yes Bank under some pretext. The child narrated how the suspect subjected him to sexual assault. — TNS