10042026-JTR-01.qxd 4/9/2026 11:34 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune STATE JUNIOR HOCKEY C’SHIP KICKS OFF GOLD MY ONLY AIM: NIVEDITA SKIPPED EXAMS FOR BOXING KRITIKA KAMRA RETURNS TO WORK AFTER MARRIAGE In the boys’ category, eight teams secured their places in the quarterfinals after impressive performances. P2 She clinched the top prize at the 2nd COAS Boxing Cup 2026 in Pune and was also named ‘Best Boxer’.P3 Kritika Kamra has started working for her much-anticipated series Matka King after her marriage. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 27°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 26°C | MIN 13°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.52 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:04 AM » FRIDAY | 10 APRIL 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. Teachers Colony residents fume over dirty water supply Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service INBRIEF GIRL ABDUCTED IN PHAGWARA Phagwara: A minor girl was allegedly lured and kidnapped by an unidentified person in the city. The police have registered a case on a complaint lodged by Phagwara resident Balbir Ram. According to the complainant, his 15-year-old minor daughter has gone missing under suspicious circumstances. In his statement to the police, he expressed concern that an unknown person had misled the minor and kidnapped her. The complainant alleged that his daughter was kept in the custody of the kidnapper. OC VISA FRAUD: MAN LOSES ~12 LAKH Hoshiarpur: The Dasuya police have registered a case against a person for allegedly cheating a man of ~12 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Ranjit Singh, a resident of Khairabad, complained to the police that Varinder Singh, alias Ladi, a resident of Jugial, duped him of ~12 lakh by promising to send him to Italy. After the investigation report was submitted, the police registered a case. OC TWO ARRESTED FOR STEALING LPG Hoshiarpur: The Dasuya police have arrested two drivers for allegedly stealing domestic LPG from HPCL company tankers and selling it illegally. Station House Officer Amarjeet Kaur said the police received a tip-off that drivers were stealing LPG from tankers and selling it. Acting swiftly, the police conducted a raid and arrested the accused. Two gas cylinders were recovered from their possession. The accused have been identified as Mandeep Singh and Trilochan Singh, both residents of Dasuya. oc TWO ARRESTED WITH DRUGS Hoshiarpur: The police have recovered a large quantity of narcotics and booked three persons of which two have been arrested. The Mahilpur police apprehended one accused during patrolling and recovered 260 gram of intoxicating powder and 15 gram of heroin from him. He has been identified as Satinder Singh, alias Kaka, a resident of Binjon. Another accused, Lali from Mannanhana, has also been booked in the case. In a separate incident, the police arrested Rajveer Singh of Kirti Nagar and recovered 22 gram of intoxicating substance from him. oc TWO BOOKED FOR SNATCHING Phagwara: A case of robbery has been registered following a daylight snatching involving two motorcycle-borne assailants near a village in Goraya. Kamaljeet Kaur of village Rurrki said she, along with her relative Suman, was returning to their village on a two-wheeler when two youths riding a motorcycle intercepted them. They snatched gold ornaments worn by Kamaljeet. OC Nawanshahr, April 9 Residents of Teachers Colony in Ward No 13 of Nawanshahr have raised serious concerns over the alleged persistent supply of dirty water, warning the authorities of a largescale protest if the issue is not permanently resolved. Despite repeated complaints and temporary fixes, locals alleged that the problem has continued for months, severely affecting their daily lives. Vivek Markanda, president of the Teachers Colony Welfare Society, stated that the matter has already been escalated with senior officials. He confirmed that complaints have been emailed to the Secretary of Local Government as well as the Deputy Commissioner of Nawanshahr. Expressing frustration, Markanda said access to clean drinking water is a basic necessity and failure to Dirty water being supplied to houses in Teachers Colony, Nawanshahr. TRIBUNE PHOTO ensure it could lead to strong public agitation. “If this essential service is not ensured, residents will be left with no option but to protest against the authorities for their inability to provide a lasting solution,” he said. Residents claim that while municipal officials occasionally visit the area and take corrective measures, the relief is short-lived. Within days, the water quality deteriorates again, leaving households struggling. A 65-year-old resident Ranjana described the situation as distressing. “Sometimes the water appears clean, but then again it is foul-smelling and visibly dirty. We cannot use it for drinking or cooking. Despite having filters, we are forced to rely on bottled water,” she said. Municipal Council officials, however, maintain that necessary steps have been taken. Executive Officer (EO) of the Municipal Council Manish Garg said the issue had been addressed and according to his assessment, the water supply is currently normal. He added that he is willing to inspect the situation again if the issue persists. He also added that the water samples of the area also passed the test. EO Garg pointed out that aging private water connections could be contributing to the contamination. He noted that while chlorination of the water supply has already been carried out, replacing outdated pipes is essential. “Still, I will visit the area if the residents are complaining,” he said. Meanwhile, Ward 13 Councillor Jaspreet Kaur Bakshi has also expressed concern over the problem. She warned that if the authorities fail to resolve the issue effectively, residents, along with local representatives, may stage protests and even block roads to draw attention to their plight. As frustration builds among residents, the situation highlights the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and consistent monitoring to ensure safe and reliable water supply. Tyre burst sends bus off road, 12 injured Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 9 Twelve passengers were injured after a bus met with an accident near village Dusanjh Kalan, close to Phagwara, when a tyre burst caused the vehicle to go out of control and crash into a tree in a nearby field. Several of the injured, including elderly passengers and children, sustained serious injuries. The bus suffered extensive damage in the mishap. Local residents rushed to the spot after the accident and, with their assistance, the injured were shifted to the nearest Civil Hospital for urgent medical care. Several victims were reported to be in a critical condition and subsequently referred to other hospitals for advanced treatment. Eyewitness Sarabjit Singh, who was present in his field at the time, stated that the bus lost control after its tyre suddenly burst. Due to the high speed, the driver was unable to regain control, causing the bus to veer into the fields and collide with a tree. He added that the force of the crash caused severe injuries to passengers, prompting locals to step in for rescue efforts. Police official Amandeep Singh said the bus was en route from Mukandpur to Phagwara when the accident occurred near village Virk. He confirmed that a police team has begun an investigation into the matter to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Man, woman held with Computer teachers to gherao CM’s residence tomorrow intoxicating powder Awaiting their society’s merger with Education Dept Our Correspondent Garhshankar, April 9 The Garhshankar police have arrested a man and a woman with 508 gram of intoxicating powder and registered a case against them under the NDPS Act. According to SI Parmjit Singh, ASI Ravish Kumar along with a police team had set up a naka near the canal bridge on the kutcha road at Mohanwal during routine patrolling and checking. A man and a woman were spotted carrying packets in their hands. On seeing the police, both attempted to flee after throwing away the packets. However, they were apprehended. The accused were identified as Jaswinder Kumar, alias Sunny, a resident of Moila Wahidpur in Garhshankar, and Sunita, a resident of Shahpur in SBS Nagar, presently residing at Angad Nagar on Chandigarh Road in SBS Nagar district. The police recovered 256 gram of intoxicating powder from the packet thrown by Jaswinder Kumar and 252 gram from the packet discarded by Sunita, taking the total recovery to 508 gram. A case has been registered against both accused under Sections 22, 29, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. SI Parmjit Singh said the accused were produced before a local court, which remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody. — OC HC stays setting up of 2nd medical board in Ghumman death case Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 9 Following a petition filed by the family of deceased Jalandhar-based bodybuilder Varinder Singh Ghumman, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered that the constitution of the second medical board into the cause of the death of Varinder Singh be kept in abeyance. The court of Justice Subhas Mehla had directed that the matter be deferred till the next date of hearing on May 19. Father of Ghumman Bhupinder Singh had filed a petition through senior advocate Mandeep Sachdev and Meher Sachdev objecting to the constitution of the second medical report on March 25. He had said the new board was being formed to help the four doctors who had been booked for alleged medical negligence after the first report and to dilute the allegations against them. He also alleged that the second board was being constituted without any approval of the investigation agency. Bhupinder, who has retired as an ASI and was a kabaddi player too, had pleaded that his son was admitted to Fortis Hospital, Amritsar, for a surgery on October 9, 2025. However, he was informed about the death of his son after an unexplained prolonged duration of surgery. He said that a medical board was formed to probe his death. The first board was constituted by Civil Surgeon, Amritsar, the competent authority. It comprised of seven members, who, in their report on February 25, recorded the findings of violation of standard medical protocol and improper conduct of surgery, leading to his death. It was on the basis of this inquiry report that an FIR was registered against four doctors of the hospital. Hoshiarpur, April 9 Stepping up the agitation, the Computer Teachers Union Punjab will gherao the Chief Minister’s residence on April 11 over non-implementation of their long-pending demands. The decision was taken at a special meeting of the district unit held here on Wednesday. Teachers voiced resentment over the state government’s failure to fulfil its promises, stating that repeated representations and meetings had not yielded any concrete outcome. Union members, including Anil Arry, Vishal Binni and Narendra Gilzian, said the protest was the result of prolonged neglect of their legitimate demands. They alleged that despite years of struggle, Computer Teachers Union Punjab members during a protest in Hoshiarpur. the government had continued to offer only assurances without implementation, leading to growing anger among the teaching community. Addressing the meeting, union office-bearers said computer teachers had been awaiting their society’s merger into the Education Department and implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for several years. They added that although teachers were regularised in 2011, they had not been extended benefits under the Punjab Civil Services rules. The union reiterated its demand to shift computer teachers from the PICTES Society to the Education Department. It also demanded financial assistance and government jobs for the families of 112 teachers who died during service. Leaders further pointed out that several rounds of talks with the Finance Minister and senior officials had failed to produce results on key issues such as pay commission benefits, medical leave, CPF and other financial entitlements. The union said if no notification was issued even after the proposed gherao, the protest would be escalated further. Chabbewal announces infra push for Phagwara village Our Correspondent Phagwara, April 9 Development projects worth several crores have been announced for Panchhat village in Phagwara with a focus to enhance connectivity, public amenities and overall quality of life for residents. Hoshiarpur MP of the Aam Aadmi Party Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal visited the village along with his son and Chabbewal MLA Dr Ishank. They were received by local residents and community representatives. The visit turned into an interactive session as the MP listened to the concerns, suggestions, and long-pending demands of the villagers. Dr Chabbewal made on-thespot announcements addressing key developmental needs. Among the major initiatives is the construction of three bridges over the Bist Doab Canal, a project estimated at Rs 1.80 crore. These bridges will improve accessibility, reduce travel time and strengthen con- c m y b nectivity between Panchhat and nearby areas. In addition, a major road infrastructure project has been approved, under which an 18-foot-wide road will be constructed around the village at Rs 1.5 crore. This road is expected to ease transportation challenges, support local economic activity and provide safer and more efficient movement for residents. Further strengthening the development plan, approximately Rs 70 lakh has been allocated for various other works within the village. These include improvements in basic civic infrastructure and addressing local needs identified during the interaction with residents. Highlighting the importance of Panchhat, Dr Chabbewal described it as one of the prominent and densely populated villages in the region. He assured the gathering that no effort would be spared in ensuring its all-round development. Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary with V. Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in Delhi. Phillaur MLA meets Union Secy over demolition issue Our Correspondent Panchhat village residents attend a rally addressed by MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal in Phagwara. Phagwara, April 9 Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, MLA from Phillaur, met V Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in New Delhi to take up the issue of the proposed demolition in Kalsi Nagar, Phillaur. Raising concerns over the impact on the affected families, the MLA handed over a detailed request letter addressed to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging immediate intervention and a humane resolution. Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary reiterated his firm commitment to safeguarding the homes and livelihoods of Kalsi Nagar residents and assured continued support until a just and fair outcome is achieved.