29032026-LT-01.qxd 3/29/2026 1:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ‘IMMEDIATE EFFORTS NEEDED TO REVIVE COTTON ACREAGE’ CITY SHOULD HOST GAMES OF ASIAN HOCKEY MEET: ASSN STANDING OVATION FOR FILM MEHTA BOYS Agri university experts flag continuous decline, chart plan to increase area under cultivation. P2 Jagtar Singh memorial hockey meet committee members say city has necessary infra, enthusiasm. P3 Auditorium at International Film Festival Delhi erupted into thunderous applause as Boman Irani took a bow. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.38 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:17 AM SUNDAY | 29 MARCH 2026 | LUDHIANA Hospital withheld body over Staffprotestoutside minister’s house, flay selling of Powercom properties pending bills, alleges family Tribune News Service DMCH agreed to release body after ‘intervention’ of rights panel PROBE SOUGHT INTO ‘VIOLATION’ Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 28 The family of deceased Gagandeep Singh (31), who was undergoing treatment for a kidney-related ailment at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, has alleged that the hospital authorities refused to hand over his body as pending bills could not be cleared. Om Pal Singh, a relative of the deceased, said instead of allowing the bereaved family to perform the last rites with dignity, the hospital authorities allegedly detained the body for over 24 hours, citing non-payment of dues amounting to Rs 1.16 lakh. Advocate Kamaljeet Soi, Youth injured in EWS Colony firing incident Advocate Kamaljeet Soi, chairman of Raahat – The Safe Community Foundation, said the deceased’s family approached him for help. actions of the DMCH were in direct violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to life and dignity, even after death. He urged the Punjab State Human Rights Commission to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and conduct a time-bound inquiry into Gagandeep Singh, the deceased the alleged violation. chairman of Raahat – The Safe Community Foundation, said the deceased’s family approached him for help. “The deceased belonged to a poor labourer family. Already devastated by the untimely loss, they were further subjected to harassment by the hospital authorities,” he alleged. Soi said actions of the DMCH were in direct violation of Article 21 of the Con- stitution of India, which guarantees the right to life and dignity, even after death. The Charter of Patient Rights (NHRC framework) clearly prohibits refusal to hand over bodies to kin over unpaid bills. Following the intervention of Jitender Singh Shunty, member of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, the hospital authorities on Saturday agreed to release the body. A senior doctor at the DMCH confirmed that the body was being released shortly. Meanwhile, Soi urged the commission to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and conduct a time-bound, independent inquiry into the alleged violation. Healthcare boost as 17 Aam Aadmi Clinics opened in dist Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 28 A firing incident has been reported from EWS Colony, located on Tajpur Road, in which a youth was injured. The incident occurred late on Friday when a delivery boy, working with Blinkit, came to a house. According to information, after an argument with the delivery boy, working with Blinkit, the young man taking the delivery asked the delivery boy to provide him lift to which he refused and left the place. Another youth was watching the incident from rooftop. The person to whom the parcel was delivered, rudely asked the youth what was he looking at. Following which, the youth came down and a heated argument was exchanged between the two and the person who got the parcel went away. After some time, he again returned with several accomplices and started firing at the house of the person with whom he had an argument. Around four-five rounds of shots were fired and a person passing through the area got injured. Afterwards, the youth who fired the shots fled the scene with his friends. This incident was caught on CCTV camera. On receiving information, a police team reached the scene and started investigation. Now, the suspects are being identified with the help of CCTV camera footage. Panic gripped the area after the incident. When the suspects fled the scene, the people came out and reported the matter to the police. Station House Officer (SHO) Gagan from Police Station 7 said they got information at night that shots had been fired in the EWS colony. A young man, Sudhama, got bullet injury on his leg. The investigation in the matter was on. Ludhiana, March 28 Thousands of PSPCL employees, engineers and pensioners from across the state on Saturday staged a massive dharna outside the residence of the Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora in Ludhiana. The protest was organised against the sale of Powercom’s properties, scrapping of the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2025, and the demand to set up two super critical 800 MW units at the thermal plant in Ropar under the state sector. The protest was organised under the banner of the Power Sector Joint Action Committee (PSJAC). The Joint Action Committee leadership said the state government was planning to sell various lands owned by Powercom in different cities under the garb of monetisation, which is a wrong decision. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has also taken strict notice of the same and the court has also restrained Powercom and the Punjab Government from taking any further action in this regard till further orders. Powercom lands were often acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and these should be used only for the power sector. In view of the increasing demand for electricity day by day, the lands are to be used for the PSPCL employees and pensioners hold a protest in Ludhiana on Saturday. ASHWANI DHIMAN construction of new sub-stations and related infrastructure, establishment of modern offices and stores, etc, so that better services can be provided to consumers. The Rs 159-crore Zero Mission Outage Project in Ludhiana is facing hurdles from the very beginning as there is a shortage of space for installing breakers at sub-stations and laying of new feeders. It is due to these valuable lands that banks and other financial institutions give loans to Powercom to meet its financial needs. The Joint Action Committee demanded that the sale process be stopped and instead of giving lands to real estate agents, the same should be used for strengthening the electricity infrastructure and its proper expansion. Er Padamjit Singh, chief patron, Er Jasvir Singh Dhiman, president, Engineer Association, Er Paramjit Singh, Khattra president, JEs Council, while addressing the gathering said country’s power distribution companies had collectively reported a profit after tax deduction to the tune of Rs 2,700 crore. Further, line losses have also come down from 22.62 per cent during 2014 to 15.04 per cent during 2024-2025, said joint action committee members. Despite that the Central Government is reportedly bent upon to table anti-people Electricity Amendment Bill in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, just to facilitate corporates to take over the power distribution sector. It will not only priva- tise the power distribution sector but also limit the role of state governments. Crosssubsidy will be eliminated and the state government will have to deposit the cost of power subsidy given to poor and farmers on an upfront basis. Private power companies will use the existing power infrastructure of Powercom without any investment and prices of electricity will increase immensely. The state government should oppose the Bill so that the rights of poor consumers, low-income households, farmers and the spirit of federalism can be protected. Besides, there is an urgent need to increase the power generation capacity in the state keeping in mind the increasing demand for electricity consumption. Health Dept team inspects fast food outlets Tribune News Service Officials and others during the opening of an Aam Aadmi Clinic in Balloke. Ludhiana, March 28 Under the mission of the state government to provide quality and free primary healthcare services to residents, 17 new Aam Aadmi Clinics were opened in the district on Saturday. The clinics were inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann from Fatehgarh Sahib, while the event in the city was conducted virtually. With the significant initiative, the total number of Aam Aadmi Clinics in the district has reached 109, marking a major achievement in the healthcare sector. Civil Surgeon Ramandeep Kaur said the clinics had been opened at New Model Town in Khanna; Kakowal; Balloke; Bhamian Kalan; Daad; Ward 9 in Raikot; Daba Lohara; Jandiali; Ashok Nagar in Salem Tabri; Guru Arjun Dev Nagar; Kapil Park in Ward 64; DC Office Old PWD Building; Indira Colony on Barewal Road; Tikoni Building Community Centre in Zone D; Raman Market behind Laxmi Cinema; Lohara village; and Purani Dana Mandi in Jagraon, ensuring easy access to healthcare services for both urban and rural populations. The clinics will provide free OPD services, essential medicines, diagnostic tests and other basic healthcare facilities, ensuring treatment closer to home and reducing the burden on higher healthcare institutions. The inauguration was attended by the area MLAs concerned, senior officials of the Health Department, and other dignitaries. The Civil Surgeon appealed to residents of the district to utilise the services being provided at the Aam Aadmi Clinics and contribute towards building a healthier society. — TNS Ludhiana, March 28 The Food Safety Team, Ludhiana, carried out a comprehensive inspection targeting various fast food outlets and restaurants across key areas of the city. Providing information about the drive, District Health Officer Ashish Chawla said the team inspected multiple food establishments located in Model Town, Shastri Nagar, Ishmeet Chowk and Tuition Market. The inspection was conducted as part of routine surveillance to ensure that food business operators comply with prescribed safety and hygiene standards. During the drive, the team Health officials during an inspection at a fast food joint in Ludhiana. collected samples of pizza sauce, cream, used cooking oil, vegetable bullets and gravy. The food items were selected keeping in view their frequent use in fast food preparations and the potential risk of quality degradation or adulteration, if proper standards are not maintained. Dr Chawla said all collected samples had been properly sealed and sent to an accredited laboratory for detailed analysis. He further emphasised that necessary action would be taken as per laboratory reports and in accordance with provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act. Reiterating the importance of regulatory compliance, he highlighted that all food business operators are required to adhere to food safety guidelines, which include maintaining proper hygiene, using safe and approved ingredients and ensuring quality in food preparation and storage. Dr Chawla also urged food vendors to avoid reuse of cooking oil beyond permissible limits and strictly follow food safety norms. Consumers have been advised to remain cautious and report any concerns regarding food quality to the authorities concerned. Construction of underpasses on NH adds to commuters’ woes Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 28 The ongoing construction of two vehicular underpasses (VUPs) on the national highway near Jalandhar Bypass at Kailash Nagar and Jassian Road has become a source of major inconvenience for commuters, as traffic is currently being diverted through service lanes. While the authorities assure that the project will eventually ease congestion and improve safety, the present situation has turned daily commuting into an ordeal. Long queues of vehicles, diversions and unsafe pedestrian crossings dominate the stretch. Trucks, buses and cars inch forward in single lanes as concrete barriers and dug-up roads choke the flow of traffic. Commuters com- Long queues of vehicles and diversions dominate Jassian Road and Jalandhar Bypass due to the construction works in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA plain of delays stretching up to 30 minutes during peak hours while residents staying near the area struggle with noise and dust pollution. “Every morning I leave 20 minutes earlier, yet I still end up late to work,” said Harpreet Singh, a private employee who travels daily from the Civil Lines, Ludhiana, to Jassian. “Diversions are confusing c m y b and crossing the road feels risky with heavy trucks speeding past,” he said. Local shopkeepers along the stretch are also facing issues. “Business has dropped as customers avoid the route,” said Rajesh Kumar, who runs a roadside eatery. People prefer longer detours just to escape the jam. For those heading towards Jalandhar, the situa- tion is equally frustrating. “We often get stuck near the construction mound for 40 minutes or more,” said Gurpreet Kaur, a regular commuter. “It feels like the road is shrinking instead of expanding,” she says. Mayor Inderjit Kaur, however, emphasised long-term benefits of the project. “Both VUPs will ease vehicular traffic and help pedestrians to move or cross busy junctions from one side to the other. These would not only provide relief to commuters but would also check road accidents caused due to speeding vehicles on this section of the NH-1,” she said. Acknowledging the inconvenience, she said: “It is discomfort for some time but later it will only add to the comfort of the people.” The authorities maintain that the inconvenience was temporary and necessary for long-term relief. Once completed, the project promises smoother traffic flow, better drainage and safer pedestrian pathways.