19092026-LT-01.qxd 9/19/2026 12:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CM OPENS TWO-DAY KISAN MELA AT AGRI UNIVERSITY DRUG PEDDLERS’ PROPERTIES RAZED IN MALERKOTLA SHIKHA PANDEY ON BOLLYWOOD DEBUT WITH OYE CHILL MAAR Long queues of farmers were seen at mela to purchase new and improved crop varieties & planting material. P2 Action was taken as part of state government’s anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’. P2 Actor Shikha Pandey, who is seen in TV show Mannat, will make her Bollywood debut with Oye Chill Maar. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6:23 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:09 AM SATURDAY | 19 SEPTEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA ‘Little progress’, process on to scrap ~53-crore waste project MC says it is preparing ground report on work finished by pvt firm so far Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 18 A Rs 53-crore project aimed at processing fresh waste generated in the city is now headed for termination, with the Municipal Corporation (MC) saying it is preparing a ground report on the work completed by the private firm so far. The project was allotted to the private firm on March 20, 2024, with the responsibility of processing about 1,084 metric tonnes of fresh waste every day. However, over two years later, the project has failed to make the expected progress. Nearly 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of fresh waste has accumulated at the main dump site on Tajpur Road, according to MC officials. The civic body had also released around Rs 2.5 crore to the firm after the work was initiated but officials now say that no major progress has been made on the ground in proportion to project requirements. MC Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar said: “We have initiated the process for the termination of the project as we are in the process of making full ground report of the work which has Garbage accumulates at the main dump site on Tajpur Road. FILE been completed so far.” The project was planned as part of the city’s efforts to deal with the daily generation of fresh waste and reduce dependence on dumping sites. Ludhiana generates around 1,100 MT of municipal waste every day. A Rs 53crore project announced by the MC was aimed at processing about 700 MT of fresh waste daily, with Greentech Environ Management Private Limited being awarded the three-year contract. The larger objective of freshwaste processing is not merely disposal. Properly segregated waste can be converted into useful products such as com- post, biogas, biomethane and refuse-derived fuel (RDF), while recyclable material can be recovered separately. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has also highlighted processing municipal waste into useful products such as methane and compost as part of the sustainable waste management. The MC has now also moved a separate proposal before the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) for floating an RFP to hire an agency for establishing Project Implementation Units (PIUs) for solid waste management under Mission Clean Punjab. According to the proposal, the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) has directed urban local bodies to engage professional agencies for strengthening implementation and monitoring of solid waste management works. The proposed PIU would undertake supervision, monitoring, assessment, verification and certification of works. The proposal also refers to the MC’s ongoing process of engaging professional vendors for integrated solid waste management and mechanical sweeping. The proposal was placed before the F&CC for approval of the draft RFP However, . F&CC member and councillor Gaurav Bhatti has raised an objection to the matter, saying he had sought that the agenda be kept pending but it was subsequently cleared. Bhatti has questioned the need to proceed with another monitoring mechanism while the MC is already reviewing the performance of the agency handling the fresh waste project. He has also sought that his objections be properly recorded in official proceedings. c m y b Senior Dy Mayor, his deputy question F&CC meeting procedure Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 18 The issue of short notice and non-sharing of the agenda has again exposed differences within the AAP-led Municipal Corporation, with Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar and Deputy Mayor Prince Johar separately writing to MC Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar over the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) meeting held on Thursday. Write separately to MC chief over matter Both office-bearers questioned the procedure followed for convening the F&CC meeting and sought that members be given adequate notice along with the agenda and relevant documents before such meetings. In his communication, Prashar said the F&CC meeting was fixed for 10 am on September 17 but he received information about it only around 9 pm on September 16. He also pointed out that the message did not contain details of items proposed to be taken up. continued on page 2 Grocer ends life; note names 2 30-yr-old woman dies by suicide, husband booked Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 18 A 35-year-old grocer was found dead at his shop on Dhandra Road after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance, with the police recovering a nine-page note in which he blamed a woman and a man for allegedly harassing him. The victim, Manpreet Singh, was a resident of Sunet village. He had been looking after his daughter since the death of his wife around three years ago. According to the police, Manpreet consumed a poisonous substance at his shop. Other shopkeepers in the area noticed him lying unconscious and informed his brother. He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead. Later, his family found a handwritten note at the shop and handed it over to the police. ASI Mahinderpal Singh from the Sadar police station said the victim had named Mandeep Kaur of Bharowal village in the note. The police said the two had allegedly been in a relationship and had also stayed together. According to allegations stated in the note, Manpreet claimed that Mandeep Kaur had taken cash and several articles from him. He further claimed that she later left him after getting involved with another man. The victim also alleged that when he sought the return of his mobile phone and other belongings, the woman threatened to implicate him in a police case. Another person, identified in the note as Chandar, was also named by Manpreet. He stated that Chandar had encouraged the woman to approach the police against him. The police are now working to establish the identity of Chandar and determine whether he was the same person whom Mandeep allegedly became associated with later. The police are also verifying another allegation made in the note regarding a police complaint allegedly filed by the woman against the victim. They are checking whether such a complaint was actually lodged and whether Manpreet Kaur had been called to the police station in connection with it. ASI Mahinderpal Singh said the Sadar police had registered a case under Sections 108 and 3(5) of the BNS. The police said the allegations made in the suicide note were being verified and efforts were on to arrest the suspects. Ludhiana, September 18 A 30-year-old woman died at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance following what her family described as prolonged harassment by her husband over dowry. The Salem Tabri police have registered a case against the woman’s husband under Section 108 of the BNS on a complaint lodged by her brother. As per the complaint, the woman had married the suspect, a resident of SBS Nagar, over two years ago. It was a second marriage for both of them. Her brother alleged that the woman had been harassed by her husband over dowry-related demands since their marriage. He said she had remained under distress due to the same. The woman reportedly took the step after she allegedly became unable to bear the situation. Her condition deteriorated and she was taken to the DMCH. espite efforts to save her, she died during treatment, the police said. ASI Hardev Singh said the police had filed a case on the basis of the complaint given by the woman’s brother. The allegations were being verified as part of the probe. — TNS