06092026-JTR-01.qxd 9/5/2026 9:50 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune NIT HOSTS CONFERENCE ON TRENDS IN TRADITIONAL TEXTILES 500 LITRES OF LAHAN SEIZED AT VILLAGE IN SULTANPUR LODHI ROHIT SHUTS DOWN DATING RUMOURS WITH PRATIBHA RANTA The Department of Textile Technology, NIT, is hosting conference on emerging trends in traditional & technical textiles. P2 The Excise Department recovered 500 litres of lahan from an abandoned area at Toti village in Sultanpur Lodhi. P2 Rohit Saraf shuts down dating rumours with Pratibha Ranta, asks fans to watch The Revolutionaries instead. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY/RAIN MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.45 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6.06 AM » SUNDAY | 6 SEPTEMBER 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. INBRIEF PRISONER HELD WITH DRUGS IN JAIL Phagwara: A prisoner lodged at the Kapurthala Central Jail was allegedly found carrying suspected contraband during a physical search on September 2, according to a prison report. The prisoner, identified as Vishal, was allegedly carrying 100 white tablets wrapped in black tape and five red capsules concealed in a packet. The report states that the substances were recovered from a concealed part of his body. Samples have been sent for examination. OC MAN ARRESTED WITH 7 GM HEROIN Phagwara: The police arrested a man during patrolling near Karbuja Mandi after allegedly recovering 7 grams of heroin from his possession. The accused was identified as Simdar Kaur, a resident of Kapurthala. A case was registered against him under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. The alleged recovery and charges remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. OC TWO HELD WITH DRUG, 50 PILLS Phagwara: The police arrested two men after allegedly recovering 20 grams of heroin and 50 intoxicant tablets from their possession. The accused were identified as Mohan Singh and Karan Singh, residents of Toti village in Sultanpur Lodhi. A case was registered against them under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. Further investigation is underway. OC FIVE BOOKED FOR FIRING AT HOUSE Phagwara: The police have registered a case against five persons following a complaint alleging that they, along with their associates, opened fire at a house in the Shahkot area on the night of September 3. According to the police report, one of the accused was identified, while the identities of the others were yet to be established. The case was registered under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and BNS. OC Sikhiya Kranti claims fall flat as 2 Phagwara govt schools grapple with severe teacher shortage instruction and the ability of teachers to provide individual attention to students. The issue is particularly significant for children who depend entirely on government schools for their education and may have limited access to alternative educational resources. Ashok Kaura Phagwara, September 5 While the Punjab Government has repeatedly claimed that its initiatives are aimed at improving the quality of education in government schools, a ground-level visit to two government middle schools in the Phagwara subdivision on Teachers’ Day has highlighted a serious shortage of teaching staff. Prolonged vacancies burden existing staff No regular teacher at school in Khaira At the Government Middle School, Khaira, near Phagwara, the school was found functioning without a single regular teacher. The institution has 144 students, including 62 girls. With only two teachers deputed from another government school, the school has effectively become a “teacherless school”. Science teacher Maninder Kaur, who was present at the school, said she and computer teacher Surjit Kaur were regular employees of Government School, Bhanoki, and had been deputed to Khaira to teach the students. She added that the school did not even have a regular peon to handle basic non-teaching duties. Arrangements inadequate given number of students The two teachers said the existing arrangement was inadequate given the number of students enrolled. According to the staffing norm cited by them, there should be one teacher for every 35 students. However, only two teachers were available for 144 stu- Students attend a class at a government middle school in Phagwara. dents, placing a considerable burden on the existing staff and making subject-wise instruction difficult. Maninder Kaur said 174 students had been enrolled at the school during the previous academic session, but around 30 had subsequently left. She said the shortage of staff had repeatedly been brought to the notice of the higher authorities through written communications, but no effective solution had been provided so far. One-teacher school in Sham Nagar A similar situation was observed at another government middle school in the Sham Nagar locality of Phagwara, where 70 students were enrolled but only one regular government teacher was available. School in-charge and science teacher Vipin Soni told Special camps to facilitate voter enrolment in Kapurthala today Our Correspondent Kapurthala, September 5 To facilitate citizens in availing electoral services and ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the electoral rolls, special camps will be organised at all polling booths across Kapurthala district on Sunday, (September 6), from 10 am to 4 pm under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)2026 of electoral rolls. As per the directions of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, all booth- level officers (BLOs) will remain available at their respective polling booths throughout the camp to assist citizens with electoral services and encourage maximum participa- tion in the revision process. During the camps, eligible citizens will be facilitated in filling Form-6, Form-6A and Form-8 along with the requisite and supporting documents. Citizens requiring corrections or updation in their electoral details can also approach the BLOs for assistance. A special focus will be laid on 18 to 19-year-old youths, particularly first-time voters, to ensure that all eligible young citizens are enrolled in the electoral rolls. The Persons with Disabilities (PwD) will also be given special assistance, with BLOs facilitating them in submitting Form-8 for marking their PwD status in the electoral rolls. The Tribune that he was the only regular teacher responsible for the 70 students. He said a teacher from the Government School, Chachoki, visited the school three days a week — Thursday, Friday and Saturday — to assist with teaching. For the remaining days, a private teacher was reportedly engaged to teach the students. written to the higher authorities seeking adequate staff so that students could receive regular and uninterrupted instruction. He stressed that sufficient teaching staff was essential to prevent students from suffering academically because of administrative or staffing deficiencies. Private teacher paid by gurdwara management The situation at the two schools highlights a stark gap between policy claims and conditions on the ground. At Khaira, two deputed teachers were catering to 144 students, while at Sham Nagar, one regular teacher was responsible for 70 students, with additional support being provided through deputation and private funding. Such arrangements raise concerns over subject-wise teaching, classroom management, continuity of According to Soni, the private teacher was being paid by the management of Gurdwara Shri Guru Ravi Dass Sabha, Shivpuri, Phagwara, rather than through the government education system. He said the arrangement had become necessary because of the shortage of government teaching staff. No response from higher authorities Soni said he had repeatedly Stark gap between policy claims and ground reality Prolonged vacancies and dependence on deputed or privately funded teachers could place additional pressure on existing staff and affect the continuity and quality of education. Attempts were made to obtain the response of senior education officials regarding the teacher shortage and staffing position at the two schools, but no higher official could be contacted. Consequently, the department’s response, including details of sanctioned posts, vacancies and any proposed measures to address the shortage, could not be obtained. Situation calls for closer scrutiny by Education Dept The situation calls for closer scrutiny by education authorities, particularly on a day dedicated to recognising the role of teachers in shaping students’ futures. Ensuring adequate and regular teaching staff in government schools remains essential if the government’s stated objective of providing quality education is to translate into meaningful outcomes inside classrooms. 2 groups clash inside Kapurthala Civil Hospital emergency ward 8 injured referred to higher medical centre for treatment Our Correspondent Kapurthala, September 5 Panic gripped the emergency ward of the Kapurthala Civil Hospital late last night when members of two groups allegedly clashed inside the hospital, prompting the duty doctor to alert the police. According to information, the two groups had earlier clashed over an issue in Boot village, leaving several people injured. The injured were brought to the Kapurthala Civil Hospital for treatment. While doctors were attending to them, some members of the other group allegedly arrived at the hospital carrying sharpedged weapons. The situation escalated inside the mini-OT of the emergency ward, where a fresh confrontation between the two sides appeared imminent. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, the duty doctor immediately informed the police. A police control room (PCR) team, accompanied by DSP (Sub-Division) Sheetal Singh and other police personnel, reached the hospital and brought the situation under control. Duty doctor Dr Sahil Garg said around eight people had sustained serious injuries in the incident. Given the condition of the injured, they were referred to a higher medical centre for further treatment. The DSP said the two groups had initially clashed in Boot village before arriving at the Civil Hospital for treatment. The police received information about a fresh confrontation between the two sides at the hospital and intervened promptly. The DSP said the matter was under investigation. He added that strict action would be taken against those found responsible based on the findings of the investigation. The truck with which the victims’ motorcycle collided near the main chowk in Goraya on Saturday. Three friends killed as bike rams into truck Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 5 Three friends were killed in a tragic road accident near the main chowk in Goraya in the early hours of Saturday. According to ASI Bawa Singh, the police received information early in the morning that a motorcycle had rammed into rear of a truck near Goraya Main Chowk. When the police reached the spot, three youths were found lying dead at the scene. The deceased have been identified as Jatinder Kumar, a resident of Arjan Nagar, Ludhiana; Sahil and Sonu Kumar, alias Vikas, both residents of Ludhiana. The bodies were shifted by ambulance to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital, Phillaur. On the statement of Upinder Kumar, brother of deceased Jatinder Kumar, the Goraya police registered a case against truck driver Manohar Lal, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir. The police said the driver allegedly abandoned the truck at the spot and fled. The bodies would be handed over to the families after a postmortem examination. Industrialist looted of gold, valuables worth ~3.5 lakh Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 5 Industrialist and senior citizen Kimti Lal Jain was allegedly robbed of gold ornaments and other valuables worth around Rs 3.5 lakh after unidentified persons reportedly confused and distracted him in the Central Town area of Phagwara on Friday afternoon. According to Jain, he was visiting acquaintances in Central Town when two unidentified persons riding a scooter and three others travelling in a car approached him and struck up a conversation. During the interaction, the accused allegedly confused and hypnotised him. Taking advantage of his disoriented state, they allegedly removed the gold ornaments he was wearing, including a kara (bracelet), and took away his wallet. Jain said he realised only later that his valuables were missing. He estimated the total value of the gold ornaments and other belongings allegedly taken by the suspects at around Rs 3.5 lakh. He subsequently approached the Phagwara City police station and submit- ted a complaint, seeking identification of those involved and recovery of his valuables. The circumstances described by Jain suggest that the accused may have deliberately engaged him in conversation before allegedly taking advantage of his confused state. However, the precise manner in which the incident occurred remains subject to the police investigation and verification. The police have reportedly taken up the complaint and are examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident. The identities of the accused, the possible involvement of the scooter and car, and the exact sequence of events are yet to be established. As per the information available, no arrests have been reported so far, and registration of an FIR is awaited. The incident has caused concern among residents, particularly senior citizens, over the vulnerability of people to alleged distraction or deception-based thefts in public places. Jain urged the police to identify the accused, recover his stolen gold and other belongings, and take appropriate legal action against those found responsible. Prolonged power cuts hit industry across district, disrupt night-shift operations Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 5 Prolonged power cuts of four to five hours every evening have disrupted industrial operations across Jalandhar district since Tuesday, with medium and large-scale units running double shifts bearing the brunt of the outages. The cuts, mainly affecting Category 2 and Category 3 feeder lines, are being imposed between around 8 pm and midnight. Industrialists said the timing had made the situation particularly difficult, as factories were struggling to retain workers for night shifts, while repeated outages were disrupting production and affecting machinery. Narinder Singh Sagoo, state president of the Focal Point Extension Association, said industries operating only during the daytime had been able to manage the situation to some extent, but units dependent on continuous or two-shift operations were facing losses. “Industries operating only during the daytime have been able to manage the situation to some extent, but units dependent on continuous or two-shift operations are facing losses,” Sagoo said. He said that although industries were allowed to draw up to 10 per cent of their sanctioned load during restrictions, supply was being completely switched off in several areas. This was also leaving focal points without streetlights and security lights, he added. “With the supply completely off, even streetlights and security lights remain switched off, plunging the focal point into complete darkness. We are relying on private security guards to patrol the areas and prevent snatching incidents when workers are returning home after their shifts,” Sagoo said. The timing of the outages has emerged as another major concern for industrial units. Tejinder Singh Bhasin, president of the Udyog Nagar Manufacturers Association, Gadaipur, said the cuts were disrupting factories that depended on night-shift workers. “Cutting supply between 8 pm and midnight is disrupting the functioning of factories that depend on nightshift workers,” he said. “The timings of these power cuts are completely odd. We cannot find labour after midnight for night shifts. If the supply is restored at midnight, it c m y b becomes difficult to restart operations and arrange workers,” Bhasin said. The impact is more severe on furnace-based units, where metals are melted at controlled temperatures. Bhasin said repeated outages forced such units to restart their processes, consuming additional time and electricity. “Furnace units need to operate at specific temperatures. Due to recurring outages, machines take much longer to start functioning again and consume more power in the process. We cannot use generators as it is not financially viable,” he said. Industrialists also ques- tioned the complete shutdown of supply even when feeder loads remained within the permitted limit. They said grid staff had been directed to monitor feeder consumption and curtail supply when the load crossed 10 per cent of the sanctioned load, with supply to be restored once consumption fell below the threshold. According to industrialists, however, this monitoringbased approach was not being followed consistently, resulting in longer outages than necessary. The cuts are being imposed by the Power Controller, Patiala, amid a shortage in power availability. The disruption has continued even as Punjab’s evening power demand fell on Saturday. Data available with the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) showed that the state’s power demand stood at 12,236 MW at 7 pm on Saturday, compared with around 15,000 MW earlier. The fall in demand, however, has not brought significant relief to industrial consumers facing prolonged outages. As per SLDC data, gross power generation in Punjab was around 3,886 MW on Saturday evening, against an installed capacity of 6,841 MW across state-owned and private thermal plants, hydro projects and renewable sources. For industries, the concern is not merely the duration of the cuts but their impact on production cycles. Industrialists said every interruption meant additional time was required to restart machines, arrange manpower and restore production, while units operating furnaces and other powerintensive equipment faced higher operational costs. With evening outages continuing for several days, industrialists fear that prolonged disruption could further affect production schedules and push up operating costs if the situation persists.