05122025-LT-01.qxd 05-12-2025 00:35 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 180 PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETICS MEET AT DORAHA » YAMI SLAMS EXTORTION-LIKE TREND OF PAID NEGATIVITY Two-day Sahodaya School Complex Khanna Athletics Meet was hosted by Guru Nank Model Sr Sec School. P3 DIST HAS 993 PRIMARY SCHOOLS BUT NO ELEMENTARY DEO Teachers rue DEO (Secondary), holding dual charge, not giving time to hear administrative grievances. P2 Yami Gautam has urged the film industry to end the practice of creating ‘hype’ through marketing tools. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 22°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 5°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5.22 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7:05 AM FRIDAY | 5 DECEMBER 2025 | LUDHIANA Medical officer among two held New sites for shifting Noorpur Bet carcass plant being explored for running scam in Central Jail Used to provide items illegally to inmates by receiving payments through UPI Was scheduled for inauguration in 2021 but faced opposition from villagers Manav Mander Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, December 4 The police claimed to have unearthed a scam in which healthcare personnel posted at the Central Jail, Ludhiana, had been providing ‘illegal service’ by receiving payments through a common Unified Payments Interface (UPI) account. Under the ‘illegal service’, the suspects facilitated smuggling of drugs and mobile phones in jail. While one medical officer and a technician have been arrested a few days ago and sent to judicial remand, several other healthcare officials, who are avoiding investigations, are suspected to be involved in the scam. Medical officer Prince and technician Yashpal Sharma were identified as prime suspects in a scam that was unearthed on the basis of a month-long investigation of a case registered at the Division Number 7 police station against four inmates on The Central Jail in Ludhiana. October 27. Investigating officer Dinesh Sharma said intensive interrogation of inmates Ravi Kumar, Amandeep Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Ubaid Masih and Gulshan Kumar, booked under the NDPS Act and 52 A (1) of the Prisons Act on October 27, had revealed that healthcare personnel deployed at the Central Jail had been running a scam providing ‘service’ by receiving payments through a common UPI account. “Depending upon the nature and quantum of material provided to the inmates, the suspects used to receive amounts from outside the jail through a UPI account maintained for the ulterior purpose,” said Dinesh Sharma, adding that more skeletons might stumble out during further investigations. He said Prince and Yashpal Sharma had been sent to separate jails at Ropar and Patiala on judicial remand. Investigations further revealed that prime sus- pects Prince and Yashpal had facilitated smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, besides electronic gadgets, including mobile phones. Though the police are yet to ascertain the exact number and nature of services provided by Prince and Yashpal with the help of their suspected accomplices inside and outside the jail, it has confirmed that all illegal transactions were conducted through a common UPI account, deposit and withdrawal details of which are being gathered. It is not for the first time that some government personnel posted at the Central Jail, Ludhiana, were found involved in illegal activities, violating provisions of the Prisons Act. Several cases are already under investigation in which police officials posted at the jail were found facilitating smuggling of banned products and equipment inside the jail to be used by inmates. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 4 There has been no headway in the operation of carcass plant at Noorpur Bet due to opposition from villagers and at the same time, pressure from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to make the facility operational is mounting. The next date of hearing with the NGT is on January 12. Amid this situation, the district authorities have now begun exploring fresh sites for its relocation. Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain has asked officials to prepare a fresh feasibility report for shifting the city’s carcass processing plant. It comes after the earlier plan to move the plant to Garhi Fazal was rejected due to high costs and its closeness to residential areas. Now, three new sites — Balloke, Bhatian, and Jhalapur — have been identified. These are in industrial zones and are far from houses, making them more suitable. A special committee is inspect- The carcass disposal plant was built in Noorpur Bet village under the Smart City Project. FILE ing the sites to check if they meet the requirements. Each site needs to have at least 2 to 5 acres of land. The carcass disposal plant built in Noorpur Bet village under the Smart City Project continues to remain non-functional, drawing sharp criticism and a Rs50,000 penalty from the NGT recently. Constructed at a cost of Rs 7.98 crore, the facility was designed to process cattle carcasses into poultry feed supplements and fertilisers. It was expected to modernise carcass management in Ludhiana and reduce environmental hazards caused by open dumping. The plant was scheduled for inauguration in July 2021 but faced immediate opposition from villagers who were concerned about odour and pollution due to its proximity to their homes. Despite the infrastructure being ready, the plant remained idle for over three years. In January last year, the Municipal Corporation, with support from the district administration and police, managed to make the plant operational. However, the move reignited protests in Noorpur Bet, with villagers demanding its closure. The situation escalated when MP Ravneet Bittu joined the protest and the plant was again locked by the residents. Balbir Singh from Noorpur Bet said they won’t allow the carcass plant to open in their village here as it poses serious health hazards. The illegal ‘hadda-rodi’ (carcass disposal point) was functional on the banks of the Sutlej. It was closed as the same was polluting the river. The plant is equipped with modern and scientific equipment and machinery in which cattle carcasses would be disposed off/processed to create poultry feed supplements and fertilisers. Observer reviews preparations WB officials review Act disrepute to poll process, murder for zila parishad elections water supply project of democracy, say Akali leaders SAD’S ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PATIALA COPS Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 4 The latest audio clip making rounds on social media, in which police officials in Patiala are allegedly heard saying not to let Akalis reach nomination centres and to tear their nomination papers for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections scheduled for December 14, has kicked up a storm. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders here feel that it was a disrepute to the entire election process and murder of democracy. At the same time, Manpreet Singh Ayali — the rebellion in the party — maintained that he was not much aware about what had happened as he had nothing to do with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and his candidates were busy contesting the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections as Independent candidates on 28 seats. Talking to The Tribune, senior Akali leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal said the ruling AAP government had stooped to the lowest level. “What else can you expect from them? They are openly targeting the Election Commission and are murdering democracy,” said Maheshinder Grewal, adding that the ruling party knows that in rural areas the masses have great faith in the party and its leaders. “Hence, this is their fear — the fear of losing the elections. But with strength, they will never be able to gar- ner votes,” rued Grewal. The audio clip even mentioned the name of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Advocate Paropkar Singh Ghuman, who had contested the Ludhiana West elections on the SAD ticket and lost to AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora, said the AAP government and democracy were poles apart. “An official asking subordinates to tear nomination papers of Akalis, it’s not a conducive atmosphere in the state. The law and order situation has gone from bad to worse. Instead of looking into such sensitive matters, the police and the government machinery are busy settling scores with the Akalis,” he said. Ludhiana, December 4 Capt Moneesh Kumar, observer for the upcoming zila parishad and block samiti elections in the district, conducted a detailed virtual review meeting with senior officials of the district administration and police. The poll official expressed satisfaction over the preparedness and assured that all necessary arrangements are in place to conduct the elections in a smooth, peaceful and transparent manner. Key aspects discussed included the deployment of adequate security forces at sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling stations, timely distribution of ballot papers, transportation and logistical support for Candidates file nominations at the DC office. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN polling parties and strict enforcement of the model code of conduct. Kumar directed election staff to discharge their duties with impartiality and dedication so that every voter could cast their vote without fear. “We have a collective responsibility to ensure that these elections are conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner. The administration and police are committed to providing all required support,” he said. He appealed to the public to report any election-related issues by contacting him directly on mobile number 9056701907 or through email at observerzpps2025@gmail.com. Ludhiana, December 4 With the civic body moving forward under the canalbased water supply project, a delegation of World Bank (WB) officials reviewed ongoing works in different parts of the city. The WB delegation, led by consultant BKD Raja, visited the Bilga site (near Sahnewal) where a world class water treatment plant (WTP) is being established under the project. Further, the delegation also inspected a number of sites where overhead water reservoirs (OHSR) are being constructed in the city. Deputy Project Manager Kalyan Singhal, Superintending Engineer Parul Goyal, Manager (Environment and Social), PMIDC, Badal Soni; and Social Development Specialist Sumit Arora were among those present. The first phase of the World Bank and AIIB-funded canal-based water supply project is being taken up at a cost of around Rs 1,300 crore (civil works). Under the project, a world class water treatment plant is also being constructed at Bilga village from where treated surface water would be supplied to the city. Overhead water reservoirs and associated pipelines are also being installed in different parts of the city. Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said he had been regularly monitoring ongoing works and strict directions had been issued to complete the works within the stipulated time period. — TNS Philately exhibition, a journey through stamps Two nabbed with 505 gm heroin Our Correspondent Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 4 Stamps are not mere piece of paper, they are in fact window to the history and culture of any country. Each stamp has a power to connect people through shared narratives. Rare collections and artistic designs of stamps from across eras and continents, celebrating stories came alive during SUTLEJ-PEX 2025, a philatelic exhibition at Dr Manmohan Singh Auditorium, Punjab Agriculture University. The two-day exhibition organised by the Department of Posts has stamps displayed on a wide range of subjects such as history, culture, famous personalities, flora and fauna, sports, science, technology, and national milestones from India and abroad. “Philately continues to be a powerful educational tool, instilling knowledge, creativity, and cultural pride among youth. The event Students have a look at stamps displayed during the philately exhibition in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN aims to promote philately among students and the wider public through a series of engaging activities on Thursday and Friday,” said Balbir Singh, senior superintendent of post offices, Ludhiana City Division, while releasing the stamp of Govind Gaudham, which is located at Hambran Road, Ludhiana, on Thursday. The glittering collection of Col Harbaksh Singh, who is pursuing this hobby for the past 25 years attracted everyone’s attention at the exhibition. His stamp collection named ‘The Pride of India Collection’ is made of gold. The collection was released in 2008 by the postal department and is made of .99 silver layer with 24 carat gold plating. “The collection has 25 stamps in it and were selected from the archives of the National Philatelic Museum and images on the stamps were sculpted by craftsman from Switzerland. The release of this collection was limited to 7,500 editions worldwide. The buyers were sent one stamp at a time and c m y b the entire collection was not dispatched at one time. There was always eagerness and curiosity to receive the stamp. Along with the stamp sent a fact card mentioning details about the stamp and it also carried a officially numbered certificate,” he said. Yashpal Bangia, president, Ludhiana Philately Club, said the department was not only working for the development of postal services in the city but also for the strengthening the bonds of common people. He spoke about his passion for philately and stressed upon students to develop habit of collecting stamps and other rare items so that they could remember the rich heritage. As a part of the initiative, essay writing and stamp design competitions for schoolchildren were held in which over 250 students participated. It is rightly said philately is a hobby of kings and king of the hobbies, adds a stamp collector at the exhibition. Ludhiana, December 4 The police claimed to have nabbed two members of a gang of drug smugglers who had been involved in distribution of drugs and narcotics for over three years. The police seized 505 gm of heroin from the possession of the suspect, identified as Manish Kumar of Pratapgarh in UP and Rahul Kumar of Deoria in UP who are at pres, ent staying in Ludhiana. The suspects were arrested at a naka set up by a police team, led by ACP Anil Bhanot and Division Number 3 SHO Jagdeep Singh on the Ganesh Nagar road on Wednesday. ADCP Sameer Verma said the Division Number 3 police had succeeded in breaking the supply chain of drugs due to a campaign launched against drug abuse under the supervision of Ludhiana Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma by nabbing two members of a notorious gang of smugglers. Though the investigating police had received vital information about links of the suspects, the authorities refused to divulge details as it would affect further investigation of the case. Investigations revealed that the prime suspect, Manish Kumar, had been involved in drug peddling for the past three years and he was already booked in several cases. Earlier, he was working at a hosiery but started the illegal trade for earning easy money. The suspects in Ludhiana police custody. INDERJEET VERMA