31032026-LT-01.qxd 3/31/2026 1:02 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CHANDIGARH CUEIST SCRIPTS COMEBACK FOR AGES TINY QUAIL BIRDS GROW POPULAR, PROMISE BIG PROFITS ACTOR SAYANI GUPTA TURNS PRODUCER After defeating S Shrikrishna, Nitin Sharma is set to face Pankaj Advani in final of nat’l pool tourney. P2 Once considered an exotic dish, ‘quail bater curry’ is finding its way into main course offerings at eateries.P2 Sayani is stepping into a new phase as she launches her production house, Sayani Gupta Movies. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 18°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.40 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:13 AM » TUESDAY | 31 MARCH 2026 | LUDHIANA Khanna police nab 100 peddlers in Submit report on withholding body byhospital: PSHRC to Civil Surgeon 10 days under special campaign Man’s body was allegedly withheld over pending bills Shivani Bhakoo Drive against drugs gaining momentum, big fish on target, says SSP Nikhil Bhardwaj MAJOR DRUG RECOVERIES IN PAST 3 MONTHS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 30 Khanna is witnessing an aggressive and high-impact crackdown on crime and drug abuse, with police action intensifying at an unprecedented pace. In the past 10 days, the Khanna police, in spite of the relatively smaller size of the police district, have arrested a staggering 100 suspects, sending a strong message to offenders. The suspects are drug peddlers. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Khanna, Darpan Ahluwalia, said special campaign against drugs was launched and in the past 10 days, as many as 100 drug peddlers were arrested by the police. Of these, several were identified and arrested after investigating links of drug smuggling rackets. The SSP asserted that the fight against drugs, with action on de-addiction and prevention, was also gaining momentum, over the past 11 months, as 5,144 Tribune News Service Heroin Poppy husk Poppy plants Ganja Charas Opium Capsules Tablets Intoxicating powder 7.65 kg 36 kg 6.97 kg 19.5 kg 237 gm 1.25 kg 4,759 679 237 g << Police personnel during an awareness campaign against drugs in Khanna. FILE addicts had been counselled and admitted into OOAT and de-addiction centres solely by the police (barring addicts admitted on their own), marking a massive push towards rehabilitation and recovery. “The Safe Punjab helpline of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) is proving to be a game-changer. Acting on public inputs, Khanna police have registered 390 FIRs and made 507 arrests in these cases, unearthing links and highlighting the power of citizen participation. Khanna has also emerged as a state leader in acting on village/ward defence committees)VDCs/ WDCs, human intelligence, topping the charts across the state with 50 FIRs and onground action. Two smugglers’properties worth ~1.57 cr attached The Khanna police have also attached properties of two drug smugglers worth Rs 1.57 crore since January 1. Properties of several smugglers valued at crores of rupees are also under the scanner. Drug hotspot adopted In a joint initiative, the civil and police administration has recently adopted Khanna’s meat market area, identified as a drug hotspot, with the aim of Cause for concern making it completely drug-free. Khanna SSP Darpan Ahluwalia said the police administered a public pledge in which families committed to enrol children of peddlers in schools to safeguard the next generation from drugs. Women would be linked to employment opportunities and drug addicts would be provided complete treatment. Amid overcast skies, a farmer surveys his wheat field ahead of harvest in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN DC orders immediate 50 per cent restoration of commercial LPG supply Ludhiana, March 30 In a decisive move to ease the ongoing LPG crisis in the district, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain on Monday directed all oil marketing companies (OMCs), including IOC, HPCL, BPCL, and gas agencies to immediately restore the supply of commercial LPG, up to 50 per cent of the pre-crisis level. Presiding over a meeting with representatives of oil marketing firms and gas agencies, Jain ordered OMCs and gas agencies to commence non-domestic LPG supply with immediate effect, without any further delay. Any complaint in this regard will be dealt with strictly under provisions of the Essential Commodities Act. Any instance of diversion or hoarding will attract registration of an FIR under relevant provisions of law. Further, all industrial and commercial establishments have been advised to coordinate with gas agencies providing 5 Kg FTL cylinders to their workers/labourers, so that they did not have to wait in queues. The Deputy Commissioner also ordered that industries submitting an undertaking regarding readiness to the PNG would be supplied up to 70 per cent of the pre-crisis level of non-domestic LPG. They can coordinate with DFSC office at number 78890-58297 or GMDIC office at number 98148-65065 for better coordination regarding the PNG readiness. Jain also directed all nondomestic consumers to submit end-use certificate with their respective distributor. Further, he constituted a district-level committee, which will be headed by Additional Chief Administrator, GLADA, for monitoring and supervision of the distribution and compliance of these directions. Further, he said the administration also established control rooms for regulating supply. not withhold bodies for recovery of dues, such remedy lies in civil proceedings, not coercion.” He urged the commission to take action against the erring hospital as per law. It may be mentioned here that the family of deceased Gagandeep Singh, who was undergoing treatment for a kidney-related ailment at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC), Ludhiana, had alleged on March 28 that the hospital authorities refused to hand over his body as pending bills worth over Rs 1.16 lakh could not be cleared. Youth dies of suspected drug overdose Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, March 30 The Moti Nagar police have initiated a probe into an incident in which a youth was found lying unconscious near a street here shortly after he left his house on Sunday afternoon. The youth, identified as Jaideep Singh, later died at his house and kin of the deceased accused some unidentified persons of forcibly administering him drugs. The deceased’s sister informed the Moti Nagar police that a few persons standing at the spot from where Jaideep was found lying had threatened his family of dire consequences in case the matter was reported to the police. According to family, Jaideep had fallen prey to drug abuse a long time ago but had shunned the same later. He was given overdose of drugs that resulted in his death, family members said. Police sources said the body had been kept at a mortuary and exact cause of death would be known only after the arrival of the autopsy report. Bureaucracy expert at polluting Buddha Dariya: MP Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 30 In a major development upholding human dignity, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of an incident wherein the body of Gagandeep Singh (31) was allegedly withheld by a private hospital in Ludhiana over pending bills. Acting upon media reports and complaint raised by Dr Kamaljeet Soi, the commission has directed the Director, Health Services, Punjab, and the Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, to submit a detailed report before it. The orders issued on Sunday by the commission asked the departments to submit detailed report about the incident, one week before the next date of hearing, May 15. Responding to the orders, the whistle-blower, Dr Soi, termed the act as a blatant violation of human dignity, constitutional guarantees and settled law. No hospital has the legal authority to detain a body for recovery of dues, he said. Dr Soi said courts across the country had consistently held that: “Hospitals can- DC Himanshu Jain with representatives of oil firms in Ludhiana. CONTROL ROOMS FOR REGULATING LPG SUPPLY HOSPITALS Civil Surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur (99886-32302) Superintendent Civil Surgeon Office Sanjeev Kumar-81463-18866 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES District Education Officer (Secondary) Dimple Madan- 80541-60043 Deputy DEO Amandeep Singh98885-41387 Deputy DEO Manoj Kumar – 94782-51066 INDUSTRIAL CANTEENS GM DIC Angad Sohi-98148-65065 Wedding/restaurant/dhaba Ludhiana city AFSO Cherry Bhatia-81460-95700 AFSO Nitin Kalia -98726-14999 Raikot Jagraon AFSO Beant Singh -94171-00032 Khanna, Samrala and Payal AFSO Harbhajan Singh -98158-77794 c m y b Ludhiana, March 30 Rajya Sabha member and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal has slammed officials for allowing untreated waste to choke the Buddha Dariya, accusing the bureaucracy of becoming “expert at polluting” the water body. Leading a cleanliness drive, Seechewal noted that millions of people in Rajasthan and Malwa depend on the Sutlej water, yet Ludhiana’s dairy units and dyeing industries continue to discharge toxic effluents. He reprimanded the Municipal Corporation, Mayor, MC chief review water supply project Ludhiana, March 30 The 12th meeting of the Board of Directors of Ludhiana Urban Water and Wastewater Management Limited was held under the chairmanship of Mayor Inderjit Kaur at the MC’s Zone D office on Monday. The Mayor was accompanied by MC Commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta, Joint Commissioner Vineet Kumar and other members of the board. During the meeting, the officials reviewed the ongoing canal-based water supply project in the city and issued directions to expedite the work. The water utility company, Ludhiana Urban Water and Wastewater Management Limited, has been formed for implementing the World Bank and AIIB-funded canal-based water supply project and strengthening water supply infrastructure across the city. — TNS Sewerage Board, Punjab Pollution Control Board and Khiladi Sanstha over the Haibowal ETP plant lying defunct for 25 days. “Who is accountable for untreated animal waste flowing into the drain?” he asked. Officials admitted the plant repeatedly fails due to excessive dung inflow, with dairy owners flushing waste into drains. The operating company blamed the Municipal Corporation for not clearing dues of Rs 19 crore pending for over two years. The temporary Seechewal model at Tajpur Dairy Complex, once removing 15 to 17 tippers of dung daily, has also collapsed, leaving untreated wastewater to pour directly Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal holds an inspection along the Buddha Dariya in Ludhiana. Farmers call off protest after 17 days Admn assures to fulfil their two major demands Ludhiana, March 30 The protest at the Ladhowal Toll Plaza by farmers in support of their demands was called off on Monday with an assurance given by the district administration. Talking to The Tribune, Dilbagh Singh from the Bharti Kisan Union said: “The district administration has given us assurance that the two major demands of farmers would be taken care of. Our first demand was the construction of the Sasrali Bandh before the onset of the rainy season and the second was lifting of rehris from Rahul Road.” SDM (West) Kuldip Bawa went to the spot and met the protesting farmers. He assured on behalf of the administration that these demands would be taken care of. Dilbag said farmers were holding the protest for the past 17 days and with an assurance given by the administration, they had decided to postpone the protest for the time being. The farmers said since the construction was going on at the Sasrali Bandh and efforts were being made to lift illegal rehris from Rahul Road, farmers had decided to postpone the dharna. The farmers said since the wheat crop was fully grown in fields and it was time for harvesting, farmers have decided to harvest the produce first and then after a month or so, they would take a call on the issues again. — TNS SDM (West) Kuldip Bawa interacts with farmers at Ladhowal Toll Plaza on Monday. INDERJEET VERMA