24072026-JTR-01.qxd 7/23/2026 10:36 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune 4 NABBED IN ANANDGARH SARPANCH MURDER CASE The police have recovered the car ‘used’ in the crime, while raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining accused. P2 » SURJIT SINGH STADIUM GEARS UP FOR ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY POLLYWOOD STANDS WITH NEET PROTESTERS Olympian Gurjant Singh reviews renovation work at the stadium, warns authorities against negligence.P3 Gippy Grewal, Neeru Bajwa, Diljit Dosanjh, Himanshi Khurana and Jasbir Jassi call for justice. P4 » FORECAST CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.29 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:39 AM » FRIDAY | 24 JULY 2026 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF LAWYERS’ STRIKE ENTERS DAY 3 Jalandhhar: Nearly 40 members of the District Bar Association (DBA) remained on hunger strike on the third day of their protest against the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) policy. President of the DBA Aditya Jain has announced that there will be ‘No work day’ even tomorrow and 57 lawyers be on hunger strike as part of the agitation plan. OC MAN ARRESTED WITH HEROIN Phagwara: The Shahkot police have arrested a man for selling heroin. As much as 6.28 gram of heroin was seized from the possession of the accused Harpreet Singh of Baupur village. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act against the accused. OC MAN BOOKED FOR RASH DRIVING Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked an unidentified vehicle driver on the charge of causing death by negligence. Sandeep Kaur, a resident of Sangowal village in Mehatpur, complained to the police that an unidentified vehicle driver was driving fast and negligently and hit her son’s motorcycle on July 21 night, resulting in his death. OC After Cantt, city rly station Flood memories haunt Beas belt villages again next in line for renovation River water level fluctuates |Weak points being ‘strengthened’ Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 23 Villagers living along the Beas in Sultanpur Lodhi are again gripped by fear as memories of last year’s devastating floods continue to haunt them. After the river’s water level rose two days ago, it has brought back the memories of last year’s devastating floods caused by a breach. Although water briefly entered some agricultural fields two days ago, it receded as the river level dropped. Villagers said the water level rose again on Wednesday night but did not inundate fields, providing some relief. Jasjeet Singh, SDM, Sultanpur Lodhi, said no damage has been reported as the water receded quickly. He, however, assured them that the administration has made all preparations to deal with any emergency. Paramjit Singh, a farmer from Baupur village, said the situation has left farmers anxious. “They are again under stress as they cannot forget what happened last year when hundreds of acres of farmland were destroyed due to the breach,” he said. Jalandhar, July 23 Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantonment Railway Station, the Railways is set to begin work on the long-awaited redevelopment of Jalandhar City Railway Station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with construction expected to start next month. The foundation stone for the Rs 219-crore project was laid on February 28, 2024, by former Governor Banwarilal Purohit in the presence of then Union Minister of State for Railways Som Parkash. At the time, the project was scheduled for completion within 30 months. However, work could not commence as planned as the redevelopment of Jalandhar Cantt Railway Station was the Railways’ priority. With the Cantt station project now complete, attention has shifted to the city station. The station has three platforms and will be expanded with the addition of three more. One of the biggest shortcomings of the station has been the absence of elevators and escalators, causing inconvenience The Jalandhar City Railway Station is set for renovation. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and passengers carrying heavy luggage while moving between platforms. The redevelopment project aims to address this issue by providing eight elevators and six escalators. The demand for escalators at the station had been raised repeatedly by late Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh, who had taken up the matter with the Railway Minister, too. Other attractions that are part of the plan are a large concourse area, AC waiting lounges, LED screens displaying train status, parcel and luggage scanning machines - all of which have also come up at the Cantt station at a cost of Rs 125 crore. As per the plan, the construction work will be carried out in three or four phases. The cost to be incurred on the first phase is Rs 95.08 crore. A 90metre long and 20-metre wide building would be constructed after demolition of the old one. In the second phase, the station will get an additional entry from the rear side, providing easier access to residents of c m y b Kishanpura, Chandan Nagar, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar and Jalandhar Improvement Trust colonies, including Surya Enclave and its Extension. This entry will be 50metre long and 15-metre wide. The final phase will focus on upgrading the old DMU shed into a modern maintenance and repair facility. The upgraded shed will cater to the maintenance of train engines, including those of Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express trains. New railway yards and storage facilities will also be developed subsequently. SAD president Sukhbir Badal interacts with farmers during a visit to Shahkot and Sultanpur Lodhi on Thursday. He said the moment he saw water level increased, he harvested the maize crop that day. The SDM added, “Nine relief centres have already been established. Officials from the Drainage Department and tehsildars had already been directed to conduct joint inspections of the dhussi bandh. Weak points have been identified and strengthening work has already begun. Extra sandbags, reserve stocks of petrol and diesel, food packets and other essential supplies have been arranged,” the SDM said. Last year, a breach in a temporary bundh along the Beas wreaked havoc across several villages in Sultanpur Lodhi, damaging crops, homes and infrastructure. Hundreds of acres of farmland were submerged, while many families suffered heavy losses. Rashpal Singh, a resident of Aahli Kalan village, said people are still haunted by last year’s destruction and fear a repeat of the same situation. The scars of last year’s floods are still there in the affected villages. Several families lost their homes, while many others developed cracks. In Rampur Gaura village alone, nine houses collapsed, and fields were washed away. Another farmer from Baupur Jadid said his family has been living in constant fear ever since.