30072026-JTR-01.qxd 7/29/2026 11:11 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune TEACHERS RAISE CONCERNS OVER DELAYED PROMOTIONS HEALTHCARE BOOST: 2 AAM AADMI CLINICS OPEN IN K’THALA ADITI RAO HYDARI, VAANI KAPOOR DAZZLE AT ICW Teachers’ Union urged the Education Dept to complete promotion process in a transparent and time-bound manner. P2 The clinics were inaugurated by Aam Aadmi Party Kapurthala constituency in-charge Karamvir Singh Chandi. P3 Aditi & Siddharth close Jayanti Reddy’s show, while Vaani Kapoor turns showstopper for Dolly J at India Couture Week 2026.P4 » » FORECAST RAINY MAX 35°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.25 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:43 AM » THURSDAY | 30 JULY 2026 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune has started 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. Confusion over bandh call grips Jalandhar PSPCL outsourced staff adamant on direct contract; stir continues Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service INBRIEF 3 HELD WITH 133G OF HEROIN Phagwara: The police have arrested three persons for selling heroin and recovered 133.22 gram of contraband from them. Nakodar SHO Harmindar Singh said 125 gram of heroin was recovered from the possession of Harpal Singh, a resident of Mohalla Aadarsh Nagar, Dharamkot, in Moga. The Shahkot police arrested Veer Pal of Dhandowal village with 6 gram of heroin. The Lohian Khas police arrested Viki of Chak Chela village with 2.22 gram of heroin. OC UP MAN BOOKED FOR FRAUD Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have booked a UP resident on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust. The accused has been identified as Som Pal Sharma. According to the police, Chatar Singh of Mehatpur alleged that Sharma duped him of Rs 28.88 lakh on the pretext of giving him a 50 per cent share in a JCB machine. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered and further investigation is underway. OC 3 BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have booked a man, his wife and son on the charge of kidnapping a minor. The accused have been identified as Inderjit of Yusafpur Aliwal village, his wife Kulwindar Kaur, and son Shaid Gill. The father of the victim of the same village complained to the police that the accused conspired and kidnapped her minor daughter. OC 3 ARRESTED FOR TAKING HEROIN Phagwara: The Mehatpur Khas police have arrested three persons on the charge of consuming heroin. The accused have been identified as Baljit Kumar, a resident of Khokhewal village under Bilga police station, Jaspreet Singh and Kuldeep Ram of Cheema Khurd village under Nurmahal police station. A lighter, silver papers, and plastic pipes used for consuming contraband were recovered from their possession. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. oc Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 29 Confusion prevailed in Jalandhar today over whether markets and educational institutions would remain shut on Thursday following a Punjab bandh call given by safai karamcharis and members of the Valmiki community. Leaders of all organisations, however, clarified on Wednesday that since a complete bandh had been observed on Monday, there will be no such closure of schools, colleges and commercial establishments again on Thursday. While Safai Karamchari Commission Punjab chairman Chandan Grewal had stated that since the wages of the safai sewaks had been enhanced on the orders of Local Bodies Minister Harjot Bains, the bandh call was withdrawn. But his statement was being countered by various organisations that had been maintaining that their main demand was regarding the dismissal of DSP Satvir Singh, who allegedly ordered a lathicharge on protesting safai workers in Barnala on July 22. Bantu Sabharwal, president of the Sanitary Supervisor Employees Union, said, “We cannot force entire Jalandhar to remain shut over one issue for two days a week. This can be taxing for Jalandhar, July 29 Outsourced workers of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) have vowed to continue their indefinite agitation after multiple rounds of talks with Cabinet ministers and senior power department officials failed to resolve their key demand for direct contract. These workers are employed at Nodal Complaint Centres (NCCs), Suvidha Centres, metering labs and stores. The workers have been on strike since July 23 along with employees of several thermal power plants. However, while regular PSPCL employees and contractual technical staff resumed duties after separate negotiations with the department, the outsourced workers have decided to continue their agitation. The strike is being led by two unions, the Coordination Committee of Powercom and Transco Contractual Workers Union and the Outsource Employees Federation Punjab. Balihar Singh, state president of the Coordination Committee of Powercom and Transco Contractual Workers Union, representing CHB and outsourced workers in PSPCL’s West Zone, said, “Our CHB (Complaint Handling More than 900 tonne of solid waste is lying accumulated at waste dumping sites. the business and trading community. Since they had all supported us on Monday, we shall not ask them to shut down their work again in such a short span. While protests may continue elsewhere in Punjab, it will be a normal working day in Jalandhar tomorrow.” Sabharwal added that safai workers would continue their strike and stage a protest at Company Bagh Chowk. “No garbage lifting or road sweeping will be undertaken. We will stand with our fellow workers, but without disrupting normal life in the city,” he said. Meanwhile, there has been no garbage lifting from the city for the past four days. More than 900 tonnes of solid waste is lying accumulated at waste dumping sites and along the road sides. The waste accumulation and the unending protest has been causing a lot of trouble to the residents in the city. A PSPCL nodal complaint centre wears a deserted look in Jalandhar on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Bike) and CHW (Complaint Handling Wagon) workers suspended their strike after the department had assured us during a meeting on Tuesday that they would provide adequate safety kits and issue employee IDs.” “However, the demand to bring outsourced workers under direct contract remains unresolved. We held a meeting with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and PSPCL CMD Basant Garg on Wednesday, but no decision was taken. Therefore, we have decided to con- tinue strike,” he said. Meanwhile, members of the Outsource Employees Federation Punjab staged a protest outside the residence of Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond in Khanna on Wednesday, demanding the implementation of the government’s assurance to bring them under direct contract. The federation alleged that despite an assurance given by the Power Minister on May 24, no notification has been issued to regularise these categories of outsourced employees, prompting them to continue their agitation. Kuljit Singh Lohka, state president of the federation, said a meeting with Sond was held in Khanna following the protest. “He informed us that the government intends to bring an ordinance in the next Assembly session to bring us under direct contract. However, we are not convinced by this assurance as no notification has been issued so far. We have, therefore, decided to continue our strike. A meeting with the PSPCL CMD is scheduled for July 31,” Lohka said. The striking employees handle several consumer facing services at PSPCL offices, including processing applications for new and temporary electricity connections, changes in sanctioned load, transfer of electricity connections and billing related grievances. They also manage complaints received through the 1912 helpline by forwarding them to the technical staff concerned and closing them in the system after the complaints are resolved. Lid off underground liquor operation Protest by computer teachers 291-lt of illicit liquor seized in 18-hr raid |Hidden tank, pipeline network found Ashok Kaura Phagwara, July29 The Excise Department, in a joint operation with the Kapurthala police, has busted a well-organised illicit liquor manufacturing network during an 18-hour raid in Nawan Pind Bhathe village of Kapurthala district. An FIR has been registered against Sukhjit Singh, alias Jeeti and Ajit Singh, both residents of the village, under various provisions of the Punjab Excise Act. During the operation, officials seized 291.25 litre of illicit liquor and uncovered a concealed underground liquor manufacturing facility. The raid began at 6 am on July 28 and continued until 12.30 am the following day. During the operation, the joint team recovered an underground storage tank with an estimated capacity of around Officials seized 291 litre of illicit liquor and uncovered a concealed underground liquor manufacturing facility in Kapurthala village. 1,000 litre, concealed beneath the concrete flooring of a bedroom and bathroom. Officials also recovered a pipeline system, a water pump and other equipment allegedly used for the manufacture and distribution of illicit liquor. District Excise Officer Sukhjit Singh Chahal said the operation was conducted under the directions of Deputy Excise and Taxation Commis- sioner, Jalandhar Zone, Ranjit Singh, and Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Kapurthala Range, Navjit Singh, as part of a special drive to curb the manufacture, storage and sale of illicit liquor across the district. He said the joint team of the Excise Department and Punjab Police acted on specific intelligence inputs and unearthed a sophisticated net- work that had allegedly been involved in the illegal manufacture and supply of liquor for a considerable period. Preliminary investigations indicate that the accused had been running the illegal operation for a long time, causing substantial losses to government revenue while posing a serious threat to public health through the production and distribution of spurious liquor. Chahal said the Excise Department would continue its intensive enforcement drive across the district and take stringent action against those involved in the illegal liquor trade. The operation was carried out by Excise Inspector Simranpreet Singh (Kapurthala Circle), Excise Inspector Jatinderpal Singh (Bholath Circle), along with the Excise Police staff and the local police. over delay in regularisation Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 29 Computer teachers have announced a statewide protest on July 31, alleging that the government has failed to implement the regularisation of 6,640 computer teachers despite issuing regular appointment letters to them in 2011. As part of the agitation, the teachers will stage a protest outside the residence of Cabinet Minister and AAP Punjab president Aman Arora in Sunam. The announcement was made by the Computer Teachers Union Punjab during a district-level meeting held in Nawanshahr under the leadership of district president Harjinder Singh and state committee member Rajwinder Lakha. The union alleged that although the government had issued a reg- To stage a dharna outside residence of minister Aman Arora ularisation notification on December 2, 2010, with the Governor’s approval and later issued regular appointment letters in 2011, the teachers continue to work under the Punjab Information and Communication Technology Education Society (PICTES). The union further claimed that despite a Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling in favour of the teachers, the state government challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court instead of implementing it. It also alleged that commitments made during meetings with a government sub-committee, including the imple- mentation of unrevised Dearness Allowance under the Fifth Pay Commission and a death compensation policy, remain unfulfilled. Union leaders said 6,640 computer teachers have been serving government schools for the past 21 years but have yet to receive the benefits of regular service. According to the union, 114 computer teachers have died and five have retired without receiving regular service benefits while their families continue to await social security and other entitlements. The union said it will continue its agitation until the regularisation notification, the promise made in the AAP election manifesto and the announcement made by the Education Minister on September 15, 2022, are implemented. Powerlifter Sneha selected in team for Canada C’wealth event 2 shooters nabbed Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 29 From helping her father, a fruit vendor in West Bengal, make ends meet to earning a place in the Indian team for the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship 2026, Sneha Gharami’s journey is a story of grit, sacrifice and determination. The second-year BA student of CT University has been selected to represent India in the Junior 76 kg category at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship to be held in Winnipeg, Canada, from September 17 to 27. A sports scholar at CT University, Sneha recently created a new national record in squats. At the National Equipped Powerlifting Championship in Hyderabad in June, she lifted 222.5 kg in squats, surpassing her own previous national record of 212.5 kg set in the subjunior category in 2024. She also won two gold medals (squats and deadlift) and a silver medal (bench press) at the championship. Known for lifting a combined weight of around 550 kg across the squat, bench press and deadlift events, Sneha is steadily establishing herself as one of India’s rising powerlifting stars. Currently training in West Bengal, the Howrah native said CT University’s sports scholarship, which covers her boarding, lodging, diet and tuition fees, had helped her pursue her dream despite financial constraints. “My father Uttam Gharami is a fruit vendor and my mother Smriti is a homemaker. They made countless sacrifices for me. My mother even pledged her jewellery to support my training. I want to make my parents proud and improve our financial condition,” she said. Sneha said affording specialised equipment and competition gear remains a challenge, with many purchases being made in installments. However, support from her family, coaches, local well-wishers and the sporting fraternity has helped her continue. Her achievements include three gold medals each at the Asian Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Kerala (2023) and Dehradun (2025), overall gold at the National Equipped Powerlifting Championship, Punjab (2024), and overall gold at the Federation Cup Powerlifting Championship, Delhi (2024). Congratulating the athlete, CT Group Managing Director and CT University Pro-Chancellor Dr Manbir Singh said Sneha’s selection for the Commonwealth Championship was a matter of immense pride for the university and reflected her determination and excellence. Sneha with her father Uttam Gharami, a fruit vendor. c m y b with pistols, rounds Jalandhar, July 29 The Police Commissionerate has arrested two shooters and recovered two illegal pistols and two rounds from their possession. Satinder Singh, Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, said the police a team was present at Maqsudan Chowk for routine patrolling and checking. The police received inputs that Vishal Kumar and Manavjeet Singh of Muzaffarpur village of Nakodar were allegedly carrying out illegal activities through their associates abroad. Based on the intelligence input, the police apprehended both accused and recovered the two illegal .32 bore pistols and two rounds from their possession. They are on police remand. Investigations are underway regarding their links, communication channels, transactions, account details, involvement in past crimes, and the roles of other individuals associated with this module. TNS