20042026-JTR-01.qxd 4/19/2026 10:52 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune LUDHIANA GROWER REDEFINES FARMING WITH INNOVATION Leaving a secure corporate job, he turned to vegetable farming, building a niche in garlic cultivation and diversified crops. P2 » DESILT DAMS, CLEAN SEWERS & STRENGTHEN DRAINAGE SYSTEM SADHVI CROWNED FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2026 Conduct inspections in flood-prone villages and install misting system in stagnant water areas. P3 Sadhvi Satish Sail was crowned Femina Miss India World at the grand finale of the pageant held in Bhubaneswar. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 37°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.59 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:53 AM MONDAY | 20 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. INBRIEF MAN BOOKED FOR ~28 LAKH FRAUD Talwara: The Hajipur police have filed a case against a petrol pump employee accused of embezzling ~28 lakh by manipulating the pump's records and documents. The complaint was lodged by Harjot Singh, a partner at Pankhooh Indian Oil Petrol Pump, who alleged that Ranjit Singh, a resident of Jharjheri, Hamirpur, tampered with the records to siphon off the funds. The case was investigated by DSP Mukerian under the supervision of the Hajipur police. Following the legal department's approval of the probe report, the SSP ordered the registration of the case against Ranjit Singh, and further action is underway. OC THREE BOOKED IN 3 FRAUD CASES Hoshiarpur: The police have registered three separate cases of financial fraud involving several lakh rupees. Saurabh Singh of Changla village in Mukerian reported that Arjun Singh of Jalandhar defrauded him of ~10.6 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Similarly, Patras of Tahli village told the Tanda police that Sohan Lal, also from his village, deceived him with a similar promise. In another case, Ramanpreet Singh of Saniyal village in Mukerian complained that Ashish Kumar Yadav of Bihar allegedly cheated him of ~13 lakh on the pretext of providing a job. OC Teachers on Census duty, PSPCL sets up control rooms to tackle harvest fire threats Jalandhar schools ‘empty’ Control rooms will operate 24x7 ‘No staff available to manage new admissions, conduct classes’ Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 19 Amid the ongoing admission season, government schools across Jalandhar are facing a severe staff crunch, with a large number of teachers deployed for digital Census duties, leaving classrooms virtually unattended. Teachers said in several schools, almost the entire staff has been assigned to Census work, resulting in no staff available to manage new admissions and conduct regular classes. According to a letter issued by the district Census officer under the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, nearly 520 teachers have already been deployed as enumerators and supervisors, with training sessions scheduled from April 20 to 22. The deployment includes lecturers, master cadre teachers and even school principals. The situation is particularly alarming in schools such as Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Qadianwali; GSSS, Ladhewali; School of Eminence, Maqsudan; Government Middle School, Khusropur; and GSSS, Heran; where reportedly 100 per cent of the staff has been put on Census duty. Teachers have raised serious concerns, stating that the Lecturers, master cadre teachers and even school principals are reportedly deployed on various non-academic duties. administration has failed to maintain balance while assigning duties. They pointed out that such large-scale deployment did not take place even during the 2011 Census and alleged the lack of coordination between the district administration and the Education Department. “Instead of putting the entire teaching workforce on the Census duty, the authorities should have engaged personnel from other depart- ments,” said an educator, adding that the current approach has left schools non-functional. Ravinder, district president of the BEd Teachers Front, said, “Nearly half of the teaching workforce in Jalandhar is already engaged in SIR duties, while the remaining teachers have been assigned the Census work, leaving government schools virtually empty. Additionally, teachers are already burdened with non-academic responsibilities such as data uploads on the MStar app and duties related to government schemes. We are left with little to no time for actual teaching.” An educator from a School of Eminence on Ladowali road said, “This year, many students from private schools have taken admission in government schools. However, due to the ongoing Census duties, there is a risk that within a month, these students may shift back to private institutions as there are hardly any teachers available to conduct classes. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has repeatedly stated that teachers will not be diverted to nonteaching work, but the ground reality presents a completely different picture.” Kulwinder Singh, district president of the Democratic Teachers Front, said, “The situation in government schools is likely to worsen further, as the number of teachers deployed for Census duties may rise to 1,400. Even those not officially listed are receiving messages assigning them duties. Academic work is expected to remain disrupted till May. In such a scenario, students may increasingly migrate to private schools due to the absence of regular classes.” Risking lives on busy road MAN BOOKED FOR HARASSEMENT Hoshiarpur: The police have registered a case against Surjit Singh for allegedly harassing a female teacher returning from school. She stated that while riding her scooter, the accused knocked off her scooter and misbehaved with her on the road. The police have registered an FIR and named Surjit Singh in the case. OC ONE BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING GIRL Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked an unidentified person on the charge of kidnapping a girl. The mother of the victim of mohalla Kamalpura, Nakodar, complained to the police that the accused kidnapped her daughter and confined her somewhere. oc Tribune News Services Jalandhar, April 19 With the wheat harvest at its peak and temperatures rising sharply across Jalandhar, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has stepped up preventive measures to curb crop fires caused by electrical faults, an issue that recurs every year during the harvesting season. In a proactive move, the power utility has established dedicated control rooms at both zonal and circle levels in Jalandhar to ensure swift response to fire incidents triggered by loose or lowhanging wires, faulty switches, sparking transformers and other electrical hazards. Farmers and residents have been urged to report electrical issues directly through dedicated helpline numbers. For the Jalandhar Circle which includes Jalandhar East, Jalandhar West, Jalandhar Cantt, Model Town and Phagwara, the helpline number is 9646116301. For the North Zone covering Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, and Nawanshahr, complaints can be registered at 964616679. In addition, consumers can dial the central helpline 1912 for immediate assistance. Officials said the control rooms have been designed to function as round-the-clock response centres during the harvest period. “The control PSPCL unions join hands WOMAN DIES IN ROAD ACCIDENT Hoshiarpur: A woman succumbed to injuries sustained in a road accident when a bus hit her and her husband near Prabhat Chowk. Sarup Chand of Saidpur village reported that he was returning with his wife Surinder Kaur riding a two-wheeler, after buying medicines when the bus hit them. She was initially treated at a local hospital and referred to the PGI, where she passed away during treatment. The police have booked the bus driver Harminder Singh of Mahilpur and are investigating the incident. oc Rishika Kriti A two-wheeler rider is seen using a mobile phone while driving on a busy Jalandhar road. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Jalandhar, April 19 Two PSPCL unions, the PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC)-Punjab and the PSEB Employees Federation, held a joint state conference at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar on Saturday, marking their unity to intensify their protest against anti-workers policies. The conference, jointly presided over by state presidents Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind and Jarnail Singh Aulakh, saw participation from 222 delegates across Punjab. Senior leaders, including All-India Power Federation general secretary Mohan Sharma, Punjab AITUC president Bant Singh Brar and general secretary Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, attended as observers. — OC rooms will operate 24x7 and act as a centralised reporting and response system. Any complaint received whether regarding sparking, damaged wires or fire incidents will be immediately relayed to the nearest field staff. Quick response teams have been put on alert to ensure that faults are rectified on priority and any fire risk is neutralised without delay,” an official stated. Alongside emergency response measures, the PSPCL has issued a detailed advisory aimed at minimising fire risks in agricultural fields. Farmers have been strictly advised not to store harvested wheat under overhead power lines or near transformers, as even minor sparks can ignite dry crop residue. A safety buffer of 25 square metre around transformers must be maintained Man arrested for cow smuggling Our Correspondent PHAGWARA, APRIL 19 The Phagwara police have arrested Jhirmal Singh of Moga district for allegedly transporting cows under suspicious circumstances, raising concerns of potential animal cruelty and unlawful trade. The incident came to light after a local resident Gurkaran and a member of a cow protection group, reported receiving credible information about the movement of cattle. SP Madhvi Sharma stated that according to the complaint registered on Saturday evening, Gurkaran received a tip-off that a vehicle was transporting two cows from Record 11 lakh MT wheat reaches state mandis: Minister Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 19 Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Sunday said wheat procurement operations are in full swing across the state, with farmers receiving payments within 24 hours of purchase. He reiterated that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government is committed to ensuring a smooth and farmer-friendly procurement season. Reviewing arrangements at the Dana Mandi in Bhogpur, the minister inspected the ongoing procurement and interacted with farmers. He said wheat arrivals have gained momentum, with 8 to 10 lakh metric tonnes (MT) reaching mandis daily across Punjab with a record arrival of 11 lakh MT on Saturday. So far, over 28 lakh MT of wheat has arrived across all centres, out of which 24 lakh MT has been procured at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,585 per quintal. Highlighting timely payments as a key priority, Kataruchak said Rs 647 crore had already been credited to farmers’ accounts, with a focus on ensuring payments within 24 hours of procurement. The minister also emphasised the government’s commitment towards labour welfare. He noted that labour charges had already been hiked 10 per cent, considering the handling of nearly crores of bags during the season. Meanwhile, farmers expressed satisfaction over the arrangements, with Harbans Singh terming the procurement process smooth and hassle-free. He noted that all his produce was procured immediately and he had also received the payment within 24 hours. Kataruchak added that the state aims to procure 122 lakh MT of wheat this season. He also interacted with the farmers presented in the mandi and took their valuable feedback on procurement operations and arrangements made by the authorities for the farmers. Earlier, SDM Lal Bishwas Bains, Deputy Director Food and Civil Supplies Rajnish Kumari, DFSC Narinder c m y b Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak reviews procurement operations at Tanda mandi on Sunday. Singh, Chairman, Market Committee, Bhogpur, Barkat Ram along with other dignitaries welcomed the minister upon his arrival in the mandi. 78 mandis in Hoshiarpur TANDA: Kataruchak on Sun- with the surrounding area kept moist to reduce the chances of accidental fires. The corporation has also cautioned against attempting to handle or repair electrical lines using bamboo sticks or poles, warning that such materials can conduct electricity and lead to fatal electrocution. Further, operators of harvesters and combine machines have been advised to restrict operations to daylight hours and maintain a safe distance from power infrastructure, including lines and poles. With fire incidents likely to report during harvest season due to electrical negligence, officials emphasised that timely reporting, adherence to safety guidelines and coordinated response through control rooms can significantly reduce losses during the ongoing harvest season. day reviewed wheat procurement operations at the local grain market here. Accompanied by MLA Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, the minister ensured swift procurement of the crop belonging to farmer Jaila of village Basti, which was completed within two hours of its arrival in the mandi. He said farmers would not face any difficulty in selling their produce, as comprehensive arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth and hasslefree procurement. In Hoshiarpur district, a total of 78 mandis, 65 permanent and 13 temporary, have been set up for procurement, with an estimated arrival of 3.16 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. Ludhiana towards Phagwara. The information further suggested that the cattle were allegedly being taken towards areas near Pathankot, from where such animals are often moved further towards Jammu and Kashmir for illegal slaughter. Acting promptly, Gurkaran, along with his associates, reached Sugar Mill Chowk in Phagwara, where they intercepted the suspected vehicle. Upon checking, two cows were found inside the vehicle. The driver Jhirmal Singh was resident of village Maliaan in Moga district. Following this, police were informed, and the accused was taken into custody. Man duped of ~35L in K’thala Phagwara, April 19 A Kapurthala resident has fallen victim to a major online investment fraud, losing a substantial amount of Rs 35,08,931 to cyber criminals. The complainant, identified as Lalit Kumar, reported that he was lured into a fraudulent investment scheme through online means, where he was promised lucrative returns. The accused allegedly deceived the victim by gaining his trust and convincing him to invest large sums of money over a period of time. Believing the scheme to be genuine, Lalit Kumar transferred funds through online transactions, only to later realise that he had been duped. The police registered a case. — OC