30032026-TTC-01.qxd 3/30/2026 12:31 AM Page 1 c m y b ANTI-TRUMP RALLIES HELD ACROSS US CITIES WORLD /thetribunechd 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 10 NO. 87 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 ‘CASH-FOR-TICKET’ CHARGE FALSE: CONG BACK PAGE monday | 30 march 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com SHANDAAR 4 SAAL, BHAGWANT MANN DE NAAL Yudh Nashian Virudh DIPR, Punjab 90,000+ drug smugglers arrested For more information, scan here ‘Will rain fire’: Iran warns US over ground incursion as 4-nation talks begin in Pak Cong remarks may put lives of Indians at risk in Gulf: PM Foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi, Turkiye, Egypt push for de-escalation in 2-day meet Shekhar Singh Ujwal Jalali INDIA SENDS 38,000 MT OF FUEL TO SRI LANKA Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 29 Tensions in West Asia escalated sharply on Sunday as Iran issued a stark warning of retaliation against any potential US ground incursion, even as the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan met in Islamabad in a bid to prevent the conflict from spiralling further. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tehran was prepared for a direct confrontation, declaring that its forces were “waiting for American soldiers to set foot on the ground” to “rain fire” upon them. He accused the US of pursuing a dual strategy of signalling negotiations while preparing for military escalation. “The enemy sends messages of dialogue in public, but is secretly plotting a ground attack,” he said, adding that the conflict had reached a “critical moment”. Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has thanked PM Narendra Modi for sending an oil shipment to ease the fuel supply disruptions in the island nation. A shipment of 38,000 MT of fuel reached Colombo as an emergency support. “Spoke with PM a few days ago about the fuel supply disruptions. Grateful for India’s swift support,” Dissanayake posted on social media. << From left: Foreign Ministers Badr Abdelatty (Egypt), Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (Saudi Arabia), Ishaq Dar (Pakistan) and Hakan Fidan (Turkey) in Islamabad. REUTERS Qalibaf also linked the crisis to control over the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a key objective for Washington. “Opening the strait has become the operational dream of Donald Trump,” he said, asserting that Iran would not submit to the US pressure. OMAR-ATHON “We will not exit this war except with victory,” he added, signalling Tehran’s resolve as hostilities enter their second month. The remarks came amid reports that the US Department of Defence is preparing limited ground operation options in Iran, potentially involving thousands of troops, though President Trump has not yet approved any plan. Against this backdrop, the foreign ministers the four nations began high-level consultations in Islamabad. Officials said the two-day meeting in Islamabad would focus on Tribune News Service Braving rain, J&K CM Omar Abdullah joins thousands of runners in the inaugural Jammu Marathon at Maulana Azad Stadium on Sunday. PTI Pb eateries ‘delete’ cash bills on app, polish off ~100-cr GST collection Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 29 Punjab’s “cash-rich” food and beverage sector has not been immune to the Rs 70,000-crore PetPooja GST scam that has rocked the nation. Hundreds of restaurants in the state have been found to be using specific features of PetPooja software to suppress sales records by deleting cash bills, and in turn evading the payment of goods and services tax (GST) of over Rs 100 crore. Sources in the state government have told The Tribune an investigation by the Taxation Department has brought to the fore tax evasion worth several crores by restaurants and eateries, mainly in the cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar. The Income Tax authorities, which originally unearthed the scam nationally, had issued notices Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 29 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government was working to limit the impact of the West Asia war on India, while accusing the Congress of making “dangerous” remarks that could put Indians living in the Gulf at risk for political gains”. “At this time, everyone’s attention is on the war going on in West Asia. Our government is continuously working to ensure that its impact on India is minimal,” he said while addressing a rally in Kerala. “The Congress wants the lives of nearly one crore Indians living in Gulf countries to be put at risk, so that it can gain political advantage from it,” he said. In his 132nd episode of Mann ki Baat, the PM cautioned political parties against politicising the West Asia conflict, even as he flagged its wider global and domestic implications, including emerging pressure on energy supplies. PM Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Palakkad, Kerala. PTI 2 MORE CARRIERS CROSS STRAIT OF HORMUZ Two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers — BW TYR and BW ELM — carrying 94,000 MT of cargo have navigated through the Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach Indian shores in the next two to three days. While BW TYR is expected to dock in Mumbai on March 31, BW ELM may reach New Mangalore on April 1. A total of 18 Indian-flagged vessels remain in the western Persian Gulf region. CONG FLAGS PM’S ‘PERSONALITY-DRIVEN’ POLICY The Congress alleged that Pakistan becoming a “dalal is a reflection of the colossal failure” of the Modi government’s foreign policy, diplomatic engagement and narrative management. It said the “unravelling” of PM Modi’s heavily “personality-driven foreign policy” had exposed “the self-styled Vishwaguru as a Vishwaphoney”. PM Modi said March had seen significant global developments, adding that expectations of a steady recovery after the Covid pandemic had Kerosene brought back Punjabtoacquire11,103acresin under PDS, fuel stations Mohali, New Chd for infra push cannowstore5,000litres THE TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE MOHALI TO BE UT’s ENVY Aditi Tandon Ruchika M Khanna reducing tensions and exploring pathways for dialogue as the conflict widens and draws in multiple regional actors. The initiative underscores Pakistan’s attempt to position itself as a mediator. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has continued on page 8 Flags energy concerns, urges unity amid global tensions SOFTWARE MISUSED The PetPooja software, a billing software used by restaurants nationwide, reportedly allowed eateries to bulk-delete cash transactions at the end of the month. Hundreds of eating joints wiped out 30-50% of the bills paid in cash. The government, in the process, lost out on GST collections to several eatery owners in the state, which led the department to launch a fullfledged investigation. “We are in the process of completing the investigation. Once it ends, the exact extent of the tax evasion will be known. Our preliminary findings suggest that the evasion runs into over Rs 100 crore, as the sales data suppression was going on for almost five years,” a senior functionary in the state government told The Tribune. continued on page 8 New Delhi, March 29 With the ongoing West Asia conflict continuing to disrupt global energy supply chains, the Centre on Saturday took a significant and immediate step by issuing a special allocation order for superior kerosene oil (SKO) under the public distribution system (PDS) across the country. The government has also permitted petrol stations to store 5,000 litres of kerosene. In a move that will directly benefit millions of poor households struggling to procure fuel amid LPG crunch, the order will also apply to 21 states and UTs where PDS kerosene supply had been completely discontinued for several years after these states transitioned to cleaner fuels. Block Cong chief hacked to death Nitin Jain Centre move aimed at tackling energy crisis The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued the notification, bringing it into force with immediate effect. The order will remain valid for 60 days or until further orders. One of the most significant provisions of the latest notification is the authorisation granted to public oil marketing companies to store PDS kerosene at designated petrol stations — a facility that was not available earlier. Under the new order, a maximum of two petrol stations per district — preferably company-owned and company-operated outlets — as designated by the respective state government or UT continued on page 8 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 29 In one of the most ambitious urban expansion drives in Punjab’s history, the state government has set in full motion the compulsory acquisition of a whopping 11,103 acres across Greater Mohali and New Chandigarh to build seven new townships, seven new sectors, three new pockets of Aerotropolis near the Chandigarh international airport, and a brand-new commercial city centre in Sector 87, Mohali, modelled on Chandigarh’s iconic Sector 17, the acquisition plan exclusively accessed by The Tribune reveals. The project-wise break-up of the acquisition drive shows the state intends to develop everything from sprawling aerocity clusters and eco- is ❝ The daywillnot faratwhen Chandigarh look Mohali and New Chandigarh with envy...this is not just land acquisition — this is Punjab’s urban renaissance. Bhagwant Mann, CHIEF MINISTER FARMERS LAUNCH PUCCA MORCHA Farmers from villages affected by the massive acquisition drive have launched a pucca morcha at the GMADA headquarters in Mohali. The morcha has been backed by the Congress, SAD and the BJP. townships to new industrial parks, high-density residential zones and over 1,240 acres of roads crisscrossing both Mohali and New Chandigarh — all under the statutory framework of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The land acquisition process is already at an advanced stage for several projects. For Aerotropolis Blocks A, B, C and D — covering 1,651 acres in Mohali — and for the 716acre Eco City-3 in New Chandigarh, compensation awards have already been announced at over Rs 19 crore per acre, with letters of intent to successful bidders being issued currently. The award for the 309-acre low density/high density residential township in New Chandigarh is scheduled to be announced on March 30, and is learnt to be pegged above Rs 19 crore per acre as well. For the largest single project in the plan — the 3,535-acre Aerotropolis Blocks E, F G, H, I , and J in SAS Nagar — the land continued on page 8 been unsettled by fresh conflicts across regions. He pointed to the continuing war in West Asia, describing it continued on page 8 MannCabinetnod to ~1,000 monthly aid for women CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Sunday cleared the launch of the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojna, under which women will receive a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000, while women from the Scheduled Caste will get Rs 1,500. The scheme, which will benefit 97 per cent of women, will be launched on Baisakhi. INSIDE Airlinestooffer60% seats without extra chargesfromApr20 NEW DELHI: Airlines will start offering at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, as well as maintain a transparent seat allocation policy. At present, 20 per cent of the seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid. BACK PAGE Bathinda village to reward pupilshaving 100% attendance Archit Watts Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 29 Senior Congress leader and block president Parminder Tiwari was hacked to death by two assailants near Machhiwara this evening. The incident took place around 6.30 pm when Tiwari was sitting outside residential quarters on the Hadiyan Road near Takhran village. Two unidentified men arrived on a motorcycle, and one of them continued on page 8 Bathinda, March 29 To strengthen school education, the Balloh village panchayat in Bathinda district has launched a novel scheme under which students with 100 per cent attendance will be awarded a cash incentive of Rs 2,100 along with a certificate of honour at the end of the academic year. The Balloh Vidya Rattan Scheme, started by Sarpanch Amarjit Kaur in collaboration with an NGO, Taranjot Wel- The sarpanch and residents of Balloh village at the launch of ‘Balloh Vidya Rattan Scheme’ to honour students in Bathinda district. c m y b fare Society, aims to ensure regular attendance in government schools and encourage students to take their studies more seriously. NGO president Karamjit Singh and panchayat member Harbans Singh said the decision was taken after the panchayat passed a resolution to promote consistent school attendance. They said students who attend classes throughout the year would be recognised and rewarded. Some villagers said children often miss school due to minor reasons, which disrupts their continuity of learning. “This scheme will instil a spirit of healthy competition among students and motivate them to attend school regularly,” they added. Another panchayat member Hakam Singh said the panchayat’s goal was to ensure that no child was deprived of education and that students emerge as “vidya ratans” who bring laurels to the village. Meanwhile, Amarjit Kaur appealed to parents to send continued on page 8