26112024-LT-01.qxd 11/26/2024 12:52 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune JCT MILL STAFF SLAM COPS FOR FAILING TO ACT AGAINST MGMT I ABSOLUTELY LOVED HIS FILMS, SAYS HUGO WEAVING STATUESQUE: CARVING MAGIC AROUND THEME OF ZODIACS An urgent meeting was held by union president Ravi Sidhu to discuss issue of pending dues owed to workers. P3 In a conversation, the actor says on how Satyajit Ray introduced him to Indian cinema. P4 Thirteen sculptors from various parts of the country make each piece of stone talk at Kalagram. P4 » » FORECAST MODERATE FOG MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 11°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.23 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:58 AM » TUESDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Finally, one of three black spots on Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway cleared Minister opens projects worth over ~120 cr in city Work awarded on rest two missing links of ~2,100-cr project ‘completed’ in 2020 Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 25 Finally, one of the three missing links, which had turned black spots, on one of the busiest Ludhiana-KhararChandigarh highway has been almost completed while the work has been awarded to construct the remaining two left-out portions of the 76-km National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project, which had been otherwise completed sans three missing stretches at the cost of Rs 2,100 crore way back in March 2020. While the construction of a left-out flyover at the Bhaini Sahib junction was almost completed and was likely to be opened for traffic within the next fortnight, the work on two more roadblocks will be completed in the next 12 months. The development assumes significance as the non-availability of requisite land had left three minor stretches, with a length of less than 2 km, incomplete almost five years ago when the four-six-laning of the highway that connects Ludhiana with Chandigarh via Kharar had been completed. The issue of land acquisition was resolved recently after Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora took up the same with the district administrations of Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib and NHAI officials to get possession of the requisite land for paving way for construction of the missing links. The NHAI officials told The Work to build missing flyover in an advanced stage of completion on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway in Bhaini Sahib on Monday. Tribune here on Monday that three stretches on the Kharar to Ludhiana NH-05, with a total length of 76.014-km, of which 74.284-km was completed in March 2020, were de-scoped due to various litigations pertaining to land acquisition issues. One of these de-scoped segments, from 65.440-km to 65.885-km at Katani Kalan under Ludhiana district, has already been cleared and the work on it has been almost completed by the Concessionaire. Besides, the land required for construction of two other stretches at Khant Manpur and Jatana Uncha, totalling 1.285-km in Fatehgarh Sahib district, has also been handed over to the NHAI, with demolition of structures on them almost completed. “These areas are critical black spots for the project and need expedited completion,” the officials maintained while informing that the NHAI had begun the utility shifting for these two stretch- es and the tender allocations were currently in process. The four-six laning of Ludhiana-Chandigarh section of the National Highway (NH-95) (now NH-05) had begun in 2017 and had been completed in March 2020, following which the NHAI had awarded completion and commercial operation date (COD) to the concessionaire, who had since then commenced toll operations. However, the three missing links were causing massive traffic congestion and bottleneck on the busy highway as the vehicular traffic from both sides had been diverted on a single lane due to the non-construction of the flyovers and highway stretches, which was causing inconvenience to commuters and was leading to accidents and traffic jams on a daily basis. “Since the issue has been resolved and the possession of the requisite land has been taken over, the flyover at Bhaini Sahib junction will be ready Over 16 booked for creating ruckus, attacking man Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 25 Around 15-20 persons ransacked public property and created a ruckus on Tibba Road here. The police have registered a case against six persons by name and over 10 unidentified persons under Sections 109, 333, 309 (4), 118 (1), 115 (2), 351 (2) and 61 (2) of the BNS and 4 of the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act, 2014. The complaint was registered by Lovdeep of Mayapuri, Tibba Road. The inci- dent was also captured in CCTV cameras, the footage of which also circulated on social media. It brought panic among area residents. The miscreants entered a shop and looted it, broke glass windows and also damaged public vehicles parked on roads in fit of rage. Lovdeep, the complainant, said he had a ready-made garment shop outside his house on Tibba Road. He told the police that one day ago, there was a fight between two groups in the area. He intervened and requested both groups to maintain calm. He said the next day, 15-20 persons entered his shop, attacked him and damaged everything, including the car parked outside his shop-cum-residence. The miscreants also looted Rs 78,800 in cash from the shop and snatched mobile phone of his maternal uncle. One of the suspects, Jaspal Rana, was arrested by the police while Manoj Kumar, Naman Bansal, Aman Nagpal, Karanpreet, Deepak Kumar and around 10 unidentified persons are at large in the case. for vehicular traffic by December 15 while the work on the rest black spots will also be completed by December next,” the Rajya Sabha MP said. The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved the four-six-laning of the Kharar-Ludhiana section of the NH-95 (new NH05) on June 15, 2016. Following this, the NHAI had awarded the work at Rs 2,069.7 crore, including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities, on September 5, 2016, under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) PhaseV in Hybrid Annuity Mode. The total length of the highway to be developed was 76 km. The project has helped in expediting the improvement of infrastructure in Punjab, especially Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Mohali districts, through which this highway passes, and in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Kharar and Ludhiana sections. The development of the stretch has also helped in uplifting the socio-economic condition of this region, besides increasing the employment potential for local labourers for project activities. The development of 76-km Kharar-Ludhiana section involved six-laning of 54-km and four-laning of a 22-km highway. The highway construction had started from Kharar town, passed through Morinda bypass, Khamanno town, Samrala bypass and had terminated at Ludhiana city. Hit-and-run victim succumbs to his injuries, 1 booked Village resident nabbed for thrashing youth Ludhiana, November 25 The Police Division Number 6 have registered a case against unidentified person for hitting a person. The complaint was lodged by Mishri Lal, a resident of Prem Nagar. The complainant said on November 13, his younger brother Bansi Lal was returning home from his workplace on a bicycle. Near the HP petrol station on GT Road, a rashly driven motorcycle hit Bansi Lal badly from the rear. He received injuries in the mishap and was rushed to Arora Neuro Centre on Mall Road where he succumbed to his injuries on November 23. — TNS Improved connectivity The highway has improved the connectivity and ensured faster movement of traffic from the industrial hub of Ludhiana to Chandigarh and other parts of North India. The project had also provided alternative connectivity of Chandigarh to the NH-1 as well as for the traffic from South-West Punjab to Chandigarh. The project has two major bridges, six minor bridges, eight flyovers, six vehicular underpasses, 10 pedestrian underpasses, 126 culverts, 46-km-long service lane, nine major junctions, 253 minor junctions and 8km-long bypass at Samrala. From two to six-lane Prior to 2016, the highway was only two-lane, following which the traffic congestion, road accidents and frequent traffic jams used to cause major inconvenience to commuters travelling between Ludhiana and Chandigarh. After beginning in early 2017, the highway construction was completed in March 2020, barring three incomplete stretches for want of requisite land. The work was undertaken through the hybrid annuity mode, under which the government had paid 40 per cent of the construction cost to the developer while the remaining 60 per cent had been borne by the concessionaires. Minister Ravjot Singh inaugurates a project to dispose of legacy waste at the Jamalpur dumpsite. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 25 Local Bodies Minister Ravjot Singh inaugurated different development projects worth over Rs 120 crore in the city on Monday. The projects have been inaugurated for construction of the Lohara bridge over the Sidhwan canal and for disposing of the accumulated legacy waste at the Jamalpur dumpsite (around 19.62 lakh metric tonnes) and Jainpur site (over 2 lakh metric tonnes) of the civic body. The estimated cost of the projects is around Rs 120 crore. Firstly, Cabinet Minister Ravjot Singh along with Ludhiana South MLA Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina and MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal inaugurated the project to construct a bridge (Lohara bridge) over the Sidhwan canal in the Lohara area. The bridge would be constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 12.50 crore. Chhina said it was a long-pending demand of the residents. With the inauguration of the project, she had fulfilled the promise made to residents of the area. Construction of the bridge would streamline the movement of traffic in the area. Dr Ravjot Singh also announced to release Rs 1 crore from his discretionary quota for taking up development works in the Ludhiana South constituency. Further, the minister along with Ludhiana East MLA Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal and MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal inaugurated the project to dispose of around 19.62 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste accumulated at the Jamalpur main dumpsite of the MC on the Tajpur road. ‘Heaps of trash’ would be removed under the project which is being taken up at an estimated cost of around Rs 100 crore. The legacy waste would be disposed of through the bioremediation process. Dr Ravjot and the Ludhiana East MLA said removal of the legacy waste would provide a huge relief to residents from foul smell and unhygienic conditions. The long-pending demand of the residents had now been fulfilled. After the removal of waste, around 41 acres of land of the civic body would be freed and it will be used for welfare of the residents. Later, the minister along with Gill MLA Jiwan Singh Sangowal and MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal inaugurated the project to dispose of over 2 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste from the Jainpur site of the civic body. The waste would be disposed of through bioremediation and the project was being taken up at an estimated cost of around Rs 11 crore. Around 29 acres would be free after removal of the legacy waste and the land would then be used for future projects of the civic body. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 25 After a video showing thrashing of a youth in broad daylight was circulated on social media platforms, the Sudhar police have arrested Arsdeep Singh, alias Asri, a resident of Billa village, Abbuwal, in this regard. A case under Sections 115 (2), 126 (2), 324 (4), 191 (3) and 190 of the BNS has been registered against the suspect at the Sudhar police station. The police have taken oneday remand of the suspect to interrogate him. He was seen thrashing a youth on the main road on Sunday. Other Cases under Sections 323, 341, 435, The police have taken one-day police remand of the suspect for further interrogation. 436, 506, 148 and 149 were registered against the suspect by the Sudhar police in January. The police have taken one-day police remand of the suspect for interrogation. Eyeing civic body poll, ticket aspirants reach out to people 2 held with heroin Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 25 With the Municipal Corporation elections to be held soon, ticket aspirants from various political parties are now trying to build a connect with the people. Many leaders have switched parties in the recent past, they too are making special efforts to meet people as leaders from a different party. Amrit Varsha Rampal, who was a Congress councillor in the previous House, has now joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Rampal has submitted her name to the party. She is meeting people in her ward and learning about their Aam Aadmi Party leaders interact with residents in Ludhiana on Monday. issues and also making them aware of the new party joined by her and what the party aspires to do for city residents. “People in my ward know me as I have been serving them for years. It does not matter to them, to which political party I belong as they have seen me working relentlessly for the social cause. People of my ward are with me and they believe in me,” he said. Tanveer Singh Dhaliwal, a former councillor, who was with c m y b the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the past, also joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recently. “I have never been out of touch with the people of my ward. Whether I am a councillor or not, I have been helping the residents in getting their works done and always there for them. People know me from my work and I may have joined another party but they are with me,” he said. Another former councillor, Parminder Mehta from the Congress has now joined the Bharatiya Janata Party said he too had submitted his name and people know him from all these years and have faith in him. “Whether in power or not, I am always there to serve people of my ward,” he said. Another local leader from the Akali Dal said the MC election announcement had definitely spurt up the political activity. Everyone had become active and party meetings had begun at the local level. Meanwhile, city resident Parminder Kaur said with Supreme Court directing the government to hold the MC elections, a lot of activity could be seen at the local level. “Local leaders, who were silent for the past one year, have become active. Some have changed parties and now, a lot of activities are expected in local politics in coming days,” she said. The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana. Ludhiana, November 25 The anti-narcotics cell of the Ludhiana police have arrested two persons, Rajvir Singh, a resident of Maha Singh Nagar, Daba, and Rachpal Singh, a resident of Gagan Nagar mohalla, Daba, and seized 115 gm of heroin from them. According to the police, during checking, the suspects were stopped and 115 gm of heroin, 18 polythene bags and an electronic weighing scale were seized from them. Cases were already registered against the duo at police stations. The police took them on two days’ remand. — TNS