31032026-JTR-01.qxd 3/30/2026 11:23 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MOHIT CHAUHAN, BHUPINDER BABBAL DAZZLE NIT STUDENTS MISSION SAMARTH 4.0 TO BOOST LEARNING OUTCOMES IN SCHOOLS BOLLYWOOD SHINES @ 19TH EDITION OF IPL Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan and Punjabi singer Bhupinder Babbal enthral students at techno fest. P2 Initiative aims at strengthening foundational learning skills among students for classes III to VIII. P3 Just like every year, IPL continues to see a strong dose of Bollywood glamour and star-studded presence. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.46 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:17 AM TUESDAY | 31 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. ~569-crore Budget cleared within minutes amid uproar INBRIEF MAN HELD UNDER ROBBERY CHARGE Nakodar: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a miscreant on the charge of robbery. Investigating Officer (IO) Rajindar Pal Singh said the accused had been identified as Manpreet Singh alias Manna, a resident of Darga Bad village. He said the accused was involved in snatching incidents. A case under Sections 309 (4) and 3(5) of the BNS Act was registered against the accused. OC ONE HELD FOR MURDER BID Nakodar: The Mehatpur police have arrested a person on charges of attempting to murder and firing. Investigating officer (IO) Davindar Singh said the accused had been identified as Dilbag Singh, a resident of Vehran village. Gurpreet Singh of Vehran village had complained to the police that the accused fired at him and barged into his house and attacked him with sharp edged weapons. A case under Sections 109, 351(2), 333, 324(4) and 191(3) of the BNS and Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act was registered against the accused. The IO said an empty shell and two live cartridges were recovered from the spot. OC 2 PEDDLERS HELD WITH INTOXICANTS Councillors raise the issue of contaiminated potable water; and (right) Mayor Vaneet Dhir makes a point in the House on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 30 The Jalandhar Municipal Corporation passed Rs 569 crore Budget within two and a half minutes amid highdecibel sloganeering by the Opposition councillors today. As Mayor Vaneet Dhir pointed out that the Budget would be presented ahead of the Zero Hour, Opposition councillors objected the move and began sloganeering. With proceedings underway, the Opposition members raised slogans such as “Dhakke Shaahi Nahi Chalegi”. As the disruption escalated, Mayor and the Senior Deputy Mayor were forced to intervene in an attempt to restore order. Appealing for calm, the Mayor said, “You are all sensible people, please do not behave like this. Everyone will be heard.” Councillors show dirty water bottles The issue of contaminated potable water dominated the House proceedings, which took place at Red Cross Bhawan. Several councillors voiced concern over the supply of dirty water in their respective wards. In a dramatic protest, some councillors brought bottles filled with murky water and placed them in front to highlight the severity of the problem. The visual display intensified the situation, prompting loud arguments and disruption during the session. Councillors pointed out that residents of Basti Sheikh were being forced to consume contaminated water, posing a serious threat to public health. The matter drew strong reactions from multiple members. Dr Jasleen Sethi, councillor from Ward No. 48, highlighted the issue in Makhdoompura. She said dirty water had been supplied in the area for the past three months despite repeated complaints to officials, including the JE and SDO. She also presented a bottle of contaminated water as evidence. Councillor Deepak Sharda stating that residents of his ward were also facing similar problem. He said, “People come to our house with complaints and it becomes very dif- Milk to get costlier by ~5 per litre Tribune News Service Lohian Khas: The Lohian Khas police have arrested two drug peddlers for selling intoxicants. SHO Krishan Gopal said 45 intoxicating tablets were seized from the possession of the accused, identified as Gursewak Singh, alias Mithu, of Ward No. 7 and Mani, alias Kantha, of Ward No. 6. A case has been registered under Sections 22, 29, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act against the accused and impounded their motorcycle. MAN HELD WITH ILLICIT LIQUOR Nurmahal: The Bilga police have arrested a villager on charge of selling illicit country made liquor. Investigating Officer Vijay Kumar said 15 bottles of hooch were seized from Piara Lal, a resident of Kandola Khurd village. A case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Punjab Excise Act has been registered against the accused. PO IN RIOTING CASE ARRESTED Nurmahal: The Nakodar police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) who was absconding for the past few months. Investigating Officer Rajindar Pal Singh said the accused had been identified as Rimpi, a resident of Mohalla Rehman Pura. The accused is wanted in a case of assault and rioting. Jalandhar, March 30 Amid fuel and LPG crisis, Jalandhar dairy owners have announced to hike the milk price by Rs 5 per litre from April 1. The price of cow milk will now be Rs 65 per litre, up from Rs 60 earlier. Buffalo milk will now cost Rs 75 per litre instead of Rs 70. The Khalsa Dairy Society organised a meeting at Jamsher Dairy Complex where the announcement was made. The members said the biggest issue being confronted by them was the increase in the price of fodder for milch animals. Society head Balwinder Singh said the decision had been taken after dairy farmers raised the issue of cost escalation. “Farmers said they were not able to sell milk amid the rising input costs. The mon- ficult for us to answer them.” The uproar in the House reflected growing public anger over the issue, with councillors demanding immediate action from the authorities to ensure safe and clean drinking water for residents. Councillor from Ward No. 51 also raised the issue, stating that the water was so contaminated that it emitted foul stench and was unfit even for washing dirty clothes, let alone for drinking. Shortage of safai sewaks flagged Councillors highlighted a severe shortage of safai karamcharis across various areas, bringing the matter to the Mayor’s attention. Several members also pointed out that promises made during the pre- Tribune News Service soon flooding led to non-availability of fodder,” he said. He added, “If a dairy farmer wants to increase the number of livestock, it is not easy for him now. The price of a buffalo calf has increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. A cow calf is now available for Rs 90,000 against a price of Rs 40,000 earlier.” Vice-president of the association Charanjit Singh also cited the rise in price of fuel leading to cost of transportation of milk. He said manufacturing of milk products like paneer, khoya etc too had become costlier due to the non-availability of LPG. Sarcasm directed at Mayor Vaneet Dhir A BJP councillor began his remarks by saying, “Mayor saab di ek gall hai ki eh pehle call te phone chakde ne,” which drew loud applause from AAP councillors. He continued, “Ruk jaao pehla gall sunlo...eh fer dooji call te order kar dinde hai ki kamm hona chahida hai,” prompting another round of clapping. He then added sarcastically, “Bhaave oh kamm fer 6-6 mahine na hove, hun maaro taliya,” highlighting delays in execution despite prompt assurances. Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 30 Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the Kapurthala Municipal Corporation as the House passed a Budget of Rs 29.51 crore. The Congress councillors boycotted the session for a significant time and indulged in sloganeering against the administration over pending works in civic body. They alleged that due to political vendetta, several development works passed by the House in the past years were not completed, despite inaugurations. Of 50 councillors in the corporation, 48 are from the Congress and two from the SAD. Later, the authorities pacified councillors and urged them to attend the agenda meeting, during which majority of agendas and the Budget were passed. Congress councillor Sandeep Singh of Ward No. 20 sat on the floor of House highlighting a poster “Je kamm nahi karne tan meeting kyon? (If no works has to be done, then why hold the meeting?). Sandeep said, “No work has been done after laying stones in the past two months. Officers who have no interest in getting development works done.” Ward No. 30 councillor Karan Mahajan said, “For the past 3-4 years, the works passed in the House have not been cleared by AAP The government has . stalled works deliberately relating to roads, streetlights and sewer network. Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh has been getting works done from his own pocket. What is the administration doing?” Kapurthala Municipal Commissioner Anupam Kler said, “I’m shocked that the Congress is without an Opposition in the House, yet they are raising slogans. Councillor Sandeep has flagged an issue regarding a road work not being started. A process of laying water pipeline under the Amrit 2 project is underway in the said area and the road work can’t be initiated until the project completes.” “Cancellation of streetlights contract will take another month. After that the new contract will be put in place,” said Kler. Congress councillors protest during the session. Powercom sees over two-fold rise in electricity theft, wrong metering Rishika Kriti The price hike will pinch consumers already battling fuel crisis. vious General House meeting remain unfulfilled. Though tubewells had been approved, they were never installed, a councillor pointed out. K’thala MC okays ~29.51-cr Budget Jalandhar, March 30 Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has reported a steep rise in irregularities across Jalandhar and its adjoining areas. A total of 11,813 cases of power theft, wrong metering and unauthorised load extension were registered this fiscal (till February) this year as compared to 4,899 cases reported in the same period in 2025, official data revealed. PSPCL officials said the sharp rise in cases was due to the impact of intensified enforcement drives across the region. They said the surge in reported cases was a result of stricter field inspections and increased number of surprise raids, which has led to better detection of irregularities that may have gone unnoticed earlier. Hoshiarpur emerges as hotspot Among all circles, Hoshiarpur recorded the highest number of violations at 4,733 cases, which is more than double than its previous year’s tally of 1,769 cases. This includes 3,117 cases of power theft and wrong metering and 1,616 cases of unauthorised load extension. Additionally, Nawanshahr circle also witnessed a significant surge, recording 3,522 cases as compared to 1,748 cases seen last year, marking an increase of around 101 per cent. Of these, 1,965 cases were related to theft and wrong metering while 1,557 cases involved unauthorised load extensions. In Kapurthala, violations rose from 821 cases to 2,172, marking a steep increase of 165 per cent. Among these, 1,474 cases were linked to power theft and wrong metering and 698 cases to unauthorised load extension. Jalandhar records lowest violations The Jalandhar circle reported comparatively lower numbers but still showed a strong upward trend. According to data, violation cases increased from 561 to 1,386, registering a rise of 147 per cent. This included 858 cases of power theft and wrong metering and 528 cases of unauthorised load extension. Power theft dominates overall violations Across the PSPCL North zone circles, power theft and wrong metering cases stood at 7,414, while unauthorised load extensions accounted for 4,399 cases till February this year. In contrast, the previous year saw 894 theft related cases and 4,005 load extension cases during the same period. PSPCL Chief Engineer Des Raj Bangar said, “The higher figures are primarily due to the intensified crackdown and the increased number of enforcement raids carried out ahead of the closing of the financial year. We will continue to take strict action against errant consumers after March 31 as well.” Power, pop at birthday bash of CM’s daughter Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 30 The gala event marking Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s daughter Niyamat Kaur’s second birthday at his Old Baradari residence in Jalandhar on Saturday evening turned into a public spectacle, with social media abuzz for two days as videos from the celebration circulated widely. The guest list read like a roll call of Punjab’s political and musical elite. From Mohammad Sadiq, Hans Raj Hans, Harbhajan Mann, Jasbir Jassi, Ranjit Bawa, Ammy Virk, Nimrat Khaira to Basant Kaur—leading voices of Punjabi music took centre stage. Many performed live, while others shared glimpses online, turning the evening into a vibrant cultural collage. Folk beats, including Sadiq’s evergreen ‘Chhankata’, set the tone, with the Chief Minister and his wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, joining in to the Punjabi boli ‘Gera dede ni mutiyar lambi baanh karke’. Mann, a former performer, stepped onto the stage, took the microphone and thanked the artists, saying, “Ajj tusin sadian khushian dugnian tignian karan aaye ho. Bahut bahut dhanwad” (You are here to double, triple our excitement. I thank you all). The political presence was equally striking. AAP nation- c m y b al convener Arvind Kejriwal attended with his family, including daughter Harshita, son-in-law Sambhav Jain and son Pulkit Kejriwal. AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, along with almost all ministers and MLAs, underscored the event’s subtle political undertone. Amid the music and movement, the visual setting continued on page 2 CM Bhagwant Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur dance with their daughter Niyamat Kaur.