16112024-LT-01.qxd 11/16/2024 12:53 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune INT’L MEET ON AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS CONCLUDES AT PAU IN MUMBAI, CHANDIGARH BOY NAVIGATING FILM INDUSTRY Manahar Kumar is actively navigating the vibrant film industry, with his sight set on acting and direction. P4 DENSE FOG MAX 22°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 15°C CELEBS EXTEND WISHES ON OCCASION OF GURPURB Int’l meet on “Transforming Agri-food Systems in Face of Climate Changeand Energy Transitions” ends at PAU. P2 FORECAST Sunny wrote on Instagram, “Waheguru ji da Khalsa... Waheguru ji di fateh...Aap sab nu Gurpurb di lakh lakh vadhaiyan howe.” P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 5.26 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:48 AM » SATURDAY | 16 NOVEMBER 2024 | LUDHIANA INBRIEF ILLICIT LIQUOR SEIZED, 1 HELD Ludhiana: The Salem Tabri police have arrested a person, Yashpal, a resident of Haider Enclave, Haibowal, and seized 24 bottles of illicit liquor from his custody. On November 14, Yashpal was stopped by police officials near Hussainipura on GT Road on suspicion. He was coming on a Honda Activa. Illicit liquor was seized from him during checking. TNS Three women nabbed with banned drugs Ludhiana, November 15 The Haibowal police have arrested three women with banned drugs, which they were going to supply to youths in city areas. Rakhi, Kirna and Anjali of Pritam Nagar were nabbed by the police with banned drugs, including 80 tablets of CDOL and NRX prolonged release hydrochloride tablets. A case has been registered. ASI Sukhwinder Singh said on November 14, when the police were patrolling near a bridge in Hussainpur three women were seen coming on foot near Mahavir Colony. On raising suspicion, the police stopped them and seized the banned tablets, which they were going to supply to youngsters. He said many cases under the NDPS Act were already registered against the trio. They were selling the banned drugs in different areas of the city. All of them are married. The suspects were sent to police remand. — TNS retired, High Court leaves decision on Release dues ofon day deceased staff Buddha Nullah pollution to NGT of submission of bills Tribune News Service CJ-led Bench disposes of suo motu case, PSHRC also seeks report Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 15 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has left it to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to decide the issue pertaining to the Buddha Nullah pollution. The Chief Justice Sheel Nagu-led Division Bench, comprising Justice Anil Kshetarpal, has disposed of the suo motu case in the matter. The High Court had on October 4 taken suo motu note of a newspaper report highlighting that effluents were being dumped into the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana, which ultimately joins the Sutlej, thereby polluting the natural stream of fresh water. “During the course of proceedings taken up before this court on October 25, it was informed by the state counsel that appeals are pending consideration before the NGT Principal Bench at New Delhi,” the CJ-led Division Bench said in an oral order. The High Court further stated: “In view of the commonality of the issue raised herein and the same being seized with the NGT in the shape of the two appeals, the court refrains from proceeding ahead with this public interest litigation to avoid any conflicting decision.” “Accordingly, the present Effluents flowing into the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana on Friday. THE TIMELINE Oct 4: HC takes suo motu cognisance of news report Oct 22: PSHRC takes note, seeks report from PPCB Chairman Oct 25: HC impleads PPCB as party to case Nov 4: NGT takes up two appeals, posts matter to Dec 2 Nov 11: HC disposes of petition without commenting upon merits petition stands disposed of without commenting upon merits,” the CJ-led Division Bench ordered. Taking up two separate appeals filed by the polluting industries against the orders of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to stop discharge of treated effluents from three common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) into the Sutlej tributary, the NGT had on November 4, posted the matter for December 2 while directing the PPCB to produce the original record along with a copy thereof concerning to passing of the impugned orders. However, the NGT, without putting any stay on the PPCB orders, as sought by the appellants, directed that till the next date of hearing, no coercive steps in pursuant to the impugned orders will be taken subject to compliance of the environmental norms and clearance conditions. Meanwhile, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has also taken cognisance of the widespread pollution in the nullah and has sought a report on the issue from the PPCB Chairman before January 27 next, which has been fixed as the next date of hearing in the case. The PSHRC chairperson, Justice Sant Parkash, has issued the order on a complaint filed by a local advocate, Sarvjit Singh, who had submitted that the state government authorities were playing with the lives of residents of Punjab and Rajasthan by neither lodging FIRs against the polluters nor complying with the orders of the PPCB and other authorities concerned to prevent further water pollution in the Sutlej, which passes through the two states. He had stated that the unabated flow of effluents was polluting the nullah and further the Sutlej for the past almost five decades. Environmentalist seeks Guv’s intervention An environmentalist, Col Jasjit Gill (retd), who is spearheading a sustained campaign against widespread pollution in the Buddha Nullah, has sought personal intervention of Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in saving the Sutlej tributary and the entire river. “I am appealing to you for safeguarding this rapid degradation of the environment, especially the surface water flowing into South Punjab and Rajasthan, which is being heavily polluted by the nullah in Ludhiana via the Sutlej,” he said in a representation to the Governor. He urged Kataria to ask the Punjab Government to implement the orders issued by the PPCB, which, in fact, were delayed by over a month after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had recommended action and implementation. “We would also like you to go into reasons so as to why these orders were delayed and why no action was still being taken to implement the same,” Colonel Gill demanded while asserting that the government’s delay in implementation goes against the spirit of good governance as these were legitimate orders passed by the PPCB based on the Water Conservation Act, as ordered by the CPCB. The environmentalist said the government needs to come clean on its stand that whether it stands with the two-crore people, who were affected by the chemical cocktail assault in Punjab and Rajasthan by being forced to drink and use this water for irrigation or the it stands with a group of polluters, who, so far, have polluted the Sutlej waters via the nullah with impunity. Ludhiana, November 15 Taking another step towards welfare of civic body employees, Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal has ordered that dues of retired and deceased employees should be released on the day of submission of bills by the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) concerned . Further, the DDOs have been directed to submit the bills with the accounts department at the earliest so that the payments can be released. In case of retirement, it has been ordered that even if there are financial constraints, at least Rs 5 lakh should be released on the same day while the remaining payment should be released at the earliest. In case of deceased employees, it has been ordered that the bills should be submitted at the earliest and the entire amount of ex-gratia payment to family members of the employee should be released on the same day of the submission of bills. The MC chief has ordered that in case of employees who have retired in the past, at least 50 per cent of the total amount should be released and the remaining dues of all employees EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBLE FOR PENALTY, INTEREST The employees concerned would be responsible for any penalty/interest imposed for delay in payment, the MC Commissioner said. who have retired in the past should be released within the next two months. Dachalwal has ordered that the DDOs should share EPF/ESIC bills of the outsourced or contractual employees with the accounts department within the first week of every month. Afterwards, the accounts branch will complete documentation/ formalities and submit the bills for payment by 10th of every month. The employees concerned would be responsible for any penalty/interest imposed for delay in payment. He said they had been keeping employees’ issues on priority and steps were being taken to resolve the same at the earliest. These decisions had been taken for the betterment of the employees and their family members. The employees, who had served the public for years, should get their dues on time and the officials concerned had been ordered to ensure the same. Man gets bullet injury in attempt to steal vehicle Devotees light candles on the occasion of Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev at a gurdwara in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN SEE ALSO P2 Civic body elections with old or new ward delimitation? Tribune News Service Igniting the faith Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 15 A thief received a bullet injury when he tried to steal a tractor-trailer. As per information, the incident occurred on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday when the suspect, Vishal, tried to steal a tractor-trailer. When the owner of the tractor came to know about the incident, he raised the alarm. But the suspect did not stop and fled with the vehicle. Afterwards, the owner chased the man in another vehicle. After some time, he fired a shot at one of the tyres of the vehicle, which hit his ankle. Basti Jodhewal police are investigating the matter. The thief was not in a position to record his statement. Later, the was taken to the Civil Hospital. Three held in snatching incidents Youngster concocted Seven mobile phones, purse, three vehicles seized Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 15 The Police Division Number 8 have arrested Baljinder Singh, a resident of Street Number 4, Netaji Park, Haibowal, and seized five mobile phones, one ladies purse and a Honda Activa from his custody. The suspect was arrested on Friday. He has been taken on remand by the police for interrogation. In another incident, the One of the suspects in police custody in Ludhiana. Meharbaan police have arrested Kala, a resident of Sandhu Colony, near sabzi mandi, and Harpreet Singh, a resident of Guddu Shah Colony, and seized two mobiles and two vehicles from their custody. Against Kala, two cases are already lodged at the Division Number 5 and Haibowal police stations while two cases are registered against Harpreet under the NDPS Act. The police are investigating the matter. Manav Mander Ludhiana, November 15 Now, the date for elections to the Municipal Corporation can be announced anytime but amid all this, there is a suspense whether these will be held according to the old delimitation list or new delimitation of wards will be done. On Monday, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to notify municipal elections in two weeks and to be completed in eight weeks thereafter. Even leaders of the ruling party are unaware about the course of action that will be followed now — new delimitation or old delimitation. President of the District Congress Committee Sanjay Talwar said AAP government was not going to win this municipal elections. “If new ward delimitation is done, they might secure some seats as they have done it according to the preference of their own candidates to give them an edge. But if the elections are done as per the old ward list, there is no chance of AAP wining even a single seat as the party has failed to live up to the expectations of the people,” he said. Talwar said the Congress was ready for the elections with or without ward delimitation. A senior leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said this state government says something else and practice something all together different. “Till now, we are not aware of old ward delimitation will be followed or new. Whatever they do, one thing is clear is that they won’t be able to form the House in Ludhiana,” he said. AAP MLA and senior party leader Gurpreet Gogi said as per his knowledge, the elections would be done according to the new delimitation as notification was already issued last year in this regard. Last year, the draft notifica- tion was prepared about the delimitation and the city was divided into 95 wards with 50 per cent of the wards reserved for women. Fourteen wards were reserved for the SC category and two for the BC categories. There were allegations that ward delimitation was politically motivated and ruling party MLAs got the same done according to their own whims and fancies and one ward was divided into three to accommodate party workers. It was also pointed out that the population in a few wards was from the reserved category but the government had declared them as general and vice-versa. MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said the Local Bodies Department had sought opinion from the Advocate General of Punjab in this regard and it was waiting for the same. Once the opinion comes, the final decision in this regard will be taken, he said. bike robbery story: Cops Ludhiana, November 15 Pankaj Kumar, a youth from Mandeep Colony, registered a complaint with the Sahnewal police on November 13 that his motorcycle was taken away forcibly by unidentified persons. The police said when they checked CCTV cameras in the area, it was found that no motorcycle was taken away from him by any person. He was interrogated by the police and he admitted that he had concocted the whole story. When the c m y b police asked him why he filed a false complaint, he said he was providing coaching to students at his home for earning money, adding that he needed cash and the motorcycle was in the name of his mother Savita Devi. He sold the vehicle to Faraaz Khan of Haibowal, at Rs 1.8 lakh. But he got scared and did not tell about it to his family. The bike was recovered and handed over to Faraaz and action will be taken against Pankaj for registering a false compliant. — TNS An aerial view of Ludhiana. FILE PHOTO