07032026-JTR-01.qxd 06-03-2026 22:59 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ROADWAYS CONTRACTUAL STAFF PROTEST FOR REGULAR JOB 1,101 KUNDIYA RUDRA MAHAYAJNA ORGANISED FOR WORLD PEACE BOLLYWOOD GOES ‘WHATTTAA MATECHH’... Contractual workers of the Punjab Roadways staged a protest as part of a statewide agitation. P2 A rare and grand 1,101 mahayajna was organised from Feb 19-25 with the sacred sankalp of sarv kalyan. P3 Celebrations erupted across the country as India beat England to storm into T20 World Cup final. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.29 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:46 AM » SATURDAY | 7 MARCH 2026 | 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 TWO ‘DRUG PEDDLERS’ HELD Phagwara: The police have arrested a person Kulveer Rawat of Bholath under the NDPS Act and recovered 25 intoxicating tablets from his possession. The accused was arrested during a police patrol operation near a water motor on Khassan Road in Bholath. In another incident, the police have arrested Rahul Kumar of village Nawa Pind Bhatte near Kapurthala, under the NDPS Act and recovered 30 tablets from his possession. The accused was apprehended near Sacred Heart School in Nawa Pind Bhatte village during a routine patrol and search operation. OC 3 ARRESTED FOR DRUG PEDDLING Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a drug peddler Daljit alias Billa under the NDPS Act and recovered 7 gram of heroin from his possession. The accused was arrested from village Shankar near Nakodar. In the same operation, the police also arrested Balbir and recovered the contraband during a search operation in the area. In another incident, the Phillaur police have arrested Sahil and recovered 317 gram of charas from his possession. The police have arrested Deepak and recovered 20 intoxicating tablets from him. The accused was arrested in Nakodar during a routine police patrol. OC ATTACK ON IRAN FLAYED BY RMPI Phagwara: The barbaric attack on Iran by the US-Israeli regime under its aggressive and expansionist policy can not only throw the Middle East and Asian region into a war zone, but also lead to the outbreak of World War III. General Secretary of the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), Mangat Ram Pasla, said this while addressing a meeting of the office-bearers of the state committee of the RMPI. OC AAP wins Block Samiti chief poll in Nakodar, Cong protests Ashok Kaura Phagwara, March 6 The election to the Block Samiti Chairman in Nakodar on Friday turned controversial after the Congress alleged intimidation, misuse of power and administrative interference during the polling process. Despite the controversy, Charanjit Singh, member, Block Samiti from Talhi Zone (formerly associated with the Congress), was declared Chairman of Block Samiti, Nakodar, while Jiwan Singh, member, Block Samiti from Nurpur, belonging to AAP was , declared the Vice-Chairman. Raising serious allegations over the conduct of the election, Nakodar Congress halka in-charge Dr Navjot Dahiya termed the entire episode a “murder of democracy.” Speaking to The Tribune on Friday evening, Dr Dahiya alleged that the ruling party and the local MLA misused their authority and exerted pressure through the police and administration to influence the outcome of the election. According to him, the Congress had the support of 11 of 19 members in the Block Samiti and prior to the election, these members were even presented before the media. However, he claimed that the ruling party, appre- City industrialists stuck in Qatar reach Frankfurt Repair city roads within Were scheduled to attend exhibition 45 days: Mayor in Germany from March 3 to 6 Tribune News Service Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal with winners of Block Samiti, Phagwara. FILE hending defeat, used the police and administrative machinery to manipulate the election process. On the other hand, AAP Nakodar MLA Inderjit Kaur Mann claimed that the voting was held in the most cordial atmosphere with all video recording done. “There were 18 candidates who had come to cast the vote as one Congress woman candidate did not turn up, fearing arrest in a case. I also cast my vote as the MLA. There were 10 votes cast in favour of AAP and seven for the Congress. Two votes got cancelled owing to double stepping. So, it was a clear victory for AAP she said. ,” Dr Dahiya, on the other hand, alleged that during the election proceedings, police personnel manhandled Congress leaders and workers and even resorted to a lathicharge when they attempted to hold a protest. He also claimed that the ballot box was changed during the process, alleging that the election was manipulated as part of a planned conspiracy. He further stated that during the commotion, some AAP workers removed their own turbans in an attempt to create chaos and later levelled accusations against the Congress leadership. Dr Dahiya claimed that the sequence of events was recorded in CCTV cameras installed at the site, which, according to him, would reveal the actual circumstances of the incident. Criticising the state government, the Congress leader said the people had entrusted the Aam Aadmi Party with power with high expectations, but the government was now allegedly undermining democratic values to maintain political control. Dr Dahiya further alleged that the incident reflected an unprecedented situation where the government and the administration were working together to influence a democratic process. He claimed that this indicated the lack of confidence in the mandate of the people. He added that the residents of Nakodar were closely observing the developments and would respond politically. The Congress, he said, would continue to raise the issue at various forums and pursue the matter at higher levels to ensure protection of democratic values in the state. Jalandhar, March 6 With the poor condition of roads continuing to trouble city residents, Mayor Vaneet Dhir on Thursday held a meeting with officials of the B&R (Buildings and Roads) branch and directed them to complete the construction and repair of damaged roads within 45 days. During the meeting, the Mayor asked officials to submit a detailed timeline for each road within two days, specifying when construction work will begin and when it is expected to be completed. Dhir said priority will be given to the repair and reconstruction of Guru Tegh Bahadur Road and Mahavir Marg, which have been facing serious issues due to their deteriorating condition. The residents have been facing inconvenience due to broken roads and directed officials to ensure that the work is carried out in a timebound manner, he said. The meeting was also attended by the Municipal Commissioner, the Senior Deputy Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, along with officials of the B&R Department. Jalandhar, March 6 Industrialists from Jalandhar, who had been stranded in Qatar amid the ongoing Iran-Israel and the US conflict have been rescued and sent onward to Frankfurt, Germany. Ashwani Kumar, a hand-tool exporter and active member of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), said his nephew Arjun Kumar was among those stuck in Qatar along with several other exporters from the city. He said the group was rescued late last night and transported by road to Saudi Arabia from where they boarded a flight to Frankfurt. “They had been stranded in Qatar for several days due to the disruption in air travel caused by the conflict. Last night, they were moved to Saudi Arabia by road and from there they boarded a flight to Frankfurt. ,” Kumar said. The exporters were scheduled to participate in one of the world’s largest exhibitions for the hand-tool industry being held in Germany from March 3 to March 6. Kumar said the event is an important global platform for the industry. “Participating in such exhibitions helps exporters connect with new buyers and expand their markets. Since they could not reach Germany on time, it will impact potential business opportunities,” he said. Other industrialists, who were stranded in Qatar included Vaibhav Malhotra, Raghav Shoor, Keshav Shoor, Jotinder Singh Bhatia, Inder Pal Singh and Gurjit Singh Bhatia, among a few others. According to Kumar, the group had been stranded in Qatar for nearly five days, during which their accommodation and food were arranged by the authorities. Meanwhile, another traveller from Jalandhar Anuja Sharma continues to remain stranded abroad. Sharma, who recently got married, had travelled to Dubai with her husband and was scheduled to return to India on February 28. However, the sudden disruption in air travel left the couple unable to return home. She said she had also booked tickets for March 5, but those were cancelled as well. “It’s frustrating. We just want to reach home as soon as possible,” she said. 2 girls of Balachaur Truck catches fire after collision on Goraya NH make it to UPSC Our Correspondent Jalandhar, March 6 Two women from Gujjar families in Balachaur (Nawanshahr) have made it to the UPSC in the result declared on Friday evening. Both of them have studies in Chandigarh-based schools. Rakhi Chaudhary hails from Torowal village and has obtained 65th rank. Kritika Chaudhary belongs to Karimpur Dhiani village and has got 312th rank. Kritika is the daughter of Rajiv Kumar, Inspector in the Special Branch of the Punjab Police in Mohali. Her mother Darshana Kumari was a teacher at St Stephen’s School but left the job to be Rakhi Chaudhary with her daughter while she was preparing for the UPSC in Delhi. Kritika did BA honours in psychology from Lady Shri Ram College and later completed MA in psychology. Rakhi is married. She is the daughter-in-law of Parminderjit Singh, who is posted in the police in Chandigarh. TNS Phagwara, March 6 Panic gripped commuters on the national highway near the Chacharadi overbridge in Goraya after a truck caught fire following a collision with a parked vehicle, triggering a massive blaze that took nearly five hours and the efforts of multiple fire brigade teams to bring under control. The incident occurred when a truck travelling from Ludhiana towards Jalandhar rammed into a motor grader that had broken down on the overbridge. The impact led to a severe fire, quickly engulfing both the truck and the heavy machine, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky The truck carrying plastic granules in flames near Goraya. and alarming motorists, passing through the busy highway stretch. Sawar Singh, the operator of the motor grader, said he was transporting the machine from Patiala to Amritsar when it developed a technical fault near the overbridge. He stopped the machine on the roadside and stepped down to inspect the problem. At that moment, a truck coming from behind allegedly hit the stationary motor grader. Singh claimed that the truck driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and was carrying some chemical substance, which may have intensified the fire after the collision. According to him, he managed to pull the driver out of the vehicle immediately after the crash, but the driver fled the spot. Singh then informed the police about the incident. Officials from the Road Safety Force soon reached the scene. The truck was loaded with plastic granules, which caused the fire to spread rapidly and made it difficult to control. Considering the intensity of the blaze, multiple fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot. Nearly 10 fire brigade vehicles from Goraya, Phillaur and Phagwara were deployed to tackle the flames. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before finally bringing it under control after about five hours of continuous effort. Newly married woman dies at in-laws’ house, ‘injury marks’ raise suspicion Our Correspondent Phagwara,March 6 A 28-year-old woman died under suspicious circumstances at Talwandi Chaudharian village of Sultanpur Lodhi, triggering allegations of foul play by her family and prompting a police investigation into the incident. The deceased has been identified as Monika, wife of Paramjit, a resident of Talwandi Chaudharian. According to police officials, information about the incident was received on Thursday, following which a police team reached the village and initiated preliminary investigations. DSP Sultanpur Lodhi, , Dhirendra Verma confirmed that the police are treating the case as suspicious and have begun a probe. The police have taken the body into custody and kept it in the mortuary of Civil Hospital, Sultanpur Lodhi, for post-mortem. Meanwhile, family members of the deceased have alleged that Monika was murdered by her in-laws. Ram Lubhaya, father of the deceased and resident of Bholath, said his daughter had a love marriage with Paramjit about four years ago and had been living with him in Talwandi Chaudharian since then. According to Ram Lubhaya and Monika’s uncle Tarsem Singh, they received a phone call from neighbours in the village on Thursday afternoon, informing them that Moni- ka’s health had suddenly deteriorated. When the family rushed to Talwandi Chaudharian, they were informed that Monika had already died. The in-laws allegedly told them that she had died by suicide. However, the victim’s family has disputed this claim, alleging that they were not informed about the incident by the in-laws and only learnt about it through neighbours. They also claimed that there were visible injury marks on Monika’s body, which had raised serious suspicions that she may have been killed as part of a planned conspiracy. The bereaved family has demanded a fair investigation into the matter and action against the accused if foul play is established. Ranked No. 2 in INDIA & Ranked No. 1 in PUNJAB and JALANDHAR Design Thinking and experiential Learning Leader (Source: Education World, Grand Jury Indian School Ranking 2025-26) ADMISSIONS OPEN Batch 2026-27 c m y b