12102026-JTR-01.qxd 11-10-2026 22:55 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune GIRLS SHINE ON DAY TWO OF KAYAKING, CANOEING EVENTS STATE MUST BOOST SPORTING INFRA, COACHING & FUNDING NUSHRRATT SHARES SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE AFTER BALI ACCIDENT In the 200-metre events across different age categories, girls won 10 medals, while boys secured nine. P2 Promote transparent and merit-based selections, keep political interference away from sports. P3 Nushrratt Bharuccha shared her first social media update with fans after suffering a spinal fracture in an accident. P4 » » » FORECAST RAINY MAX 30°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.00 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:28 AM MONDAY | 12 OCTOBER 2026 | JALANDHAR Rain flattens paddy crop, soaks stocks in mandis Farmers fear discolouration, increased harvesting costs; demand relaxation in moisture norms , compensation for crop loss Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 11 Incessant rain on Sunday morning left farmers scrambling to protect rain-soaked paddy stocks at grain markets across Jalandhar, with many seen covering their produce with tarpaulins to minimise losses. Adding to their worries, standing paddy crops were also reported to have flattened in several areas, raising fears of discolouration and quality deterioration. An agricultural expert said lodging could affect crop quality in two ways. It could disrupt the supply of nutrients from the roots to the grains while fallen plants could also suffer quality deterioration. Kulwinder Singh Machiana, a farmer from Jalandhar East block, said farmers are facing a double blow due to lodging. “Harvesting lodged crops will be an uphill task and require more labour. Besides, the grains may change colour and turn black, prompting commission agents (arhtiyas) and rice millers to offer lower prices,” he said. The rain had also affected paddy lying in grain markets, particularly in open areas where a shortage of space had left farmers with little choice but to store their produce outdoors. Machiana said despite farmers covering the stocks with tarpaulins, wet floors had caused the paddy to become soaked. The produce would take time to dry, provided the weather remained clear, he added. With moisture levels in the air likely to delay drying, farmers are also concerned about meeting procurement norms. Salwinder Singh, another farmer in Jalandhar, said it Flattened crops and; (below) a waterlogged street following a heavy rain in Jalandhar on Sunday. A labourer works to protect paddy stocks from rainwater at the grain market in Jalandhar on Sunday. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH Unseasonal rain damages crop in Mukerian Our Correspondent Mukerian, October 11 Unseasonal heavy rain in Mukerian has caused concern among farmers, with paddy crops ready for harvesting suffering damage. Waterlogging in fields and crops flattened by the rain have raised fears of substantial financial losses, threatening months of hard work by farmers. The paddy crop was ready would be difficult for the produce to meet the Centre’s prescribed moisture limit of 17 per cent for procurement. He urged the government to relax the limit to 22 per cent. Chief Agricultural Officer Randhir Thakur said the unseasonal rain is unfavourable for crops. He Govt staff to go on mass leave on Oct 21, 22 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 11 Employees have announced to go on a two-day leave on October 21 and 22 to protest the state government’s failure to fulfil their demands. The announcement was made at a state-level rally organised by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Joint Coordination Committee of Employees Manch, Punjab, in Sangrur on Saturday. Thousands of employees, pensioners and honorariumbased workers, including mid-day meal, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, participated in the rally and later blocked the Patiala-Bathinda National Highway. The protesters rejected an offer by the civil administration to arrange a meeting with the Chief Secretary, insisting that they would meet only Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to discuss their demands. The leaders said the government had failed to fulfil its September 18 assurance that another meeting would be held in the first week of October to resolve their issues. Their prominent demands include the release of pending dearness allowance install- ments and arrears, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, regularisation of contractual and outsourced employees, minimum wages for honorarium-based workers and implementation of the 2.59 multiplication factor for pensioners and employees in unrevised categories. They also demanded the restoration of 37 categories of allowances and the Assured Career Progression scheme, full salaries during probation, Punjab pay scales for employees recruited after July 17, 2020, and the inclusion of computer teachers in the Education Department. The leaders alleged that the government had created an impression that employees’ issues had been resolved by announcing an 8 per cent increase in dearness allowance whereas their demands remained unfulfilled. They also accused the Chief Secretary of making a false statement before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They warned that the agitation would intensify if the government failed to address their demands. Besides the mass leave, they announced further protests during the Assembly session scheduled from October 22 to 27. Amarjit Singh, Numberdar Ranbir Singh, Numberdar Narinder Sharma Pappi and Kamal Singh said rising cultivation costs had already put farmers under pressure. The unseasonal rain at this crucial stage has added to their difficulties. They said paddy brought to grain markets for sale had also been affected by the rain. The farmers further pointed out that although paddy procurement had started around 11 days ago, lifting had yet to begin. Paddy bags continue to lie in the Mukerian grain market, adding to farmers’ concerns amid the adverse weather. They urged the government to conduct a special girdawari in rain-affected areas to assess crop damage and provide adequate compensation to affected farmers. the movement of procured paddy. Harsharanjit Singh Brar, District Food and Civil Supplies Controller, Jalandhar, said the lifting of procured paddy had been halted due to Sunday’s showers. The India Meteorological Department had issued a red alert for Jalandhar on Octo- ber 11 along warning of thunderstorms in some parts of the district. Meanwhile, farmer organisations demanded compensation for losses caused by the adverse weather. All-India Kisan Maha Sabha national president Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala and Jamhoori Kisan Farmers seek special girdawari for harvesting, but the sudden downpour disrupted farm operations. Water accumulated in fields has hampered harvesting, while flattened crops have become difficult to handle. Farmers fear that continued adverse weather could affect grain quality and reduce crop yield. Farmers Jagannath Singh, said lodging had been reported in some areas in Jalandhar but no crop loss had been reported so far. The rain would delay harvesting, he said, adding that prolonged rainfall could lead to discolouration, although no such cases had been reported yet. The rain has also disrupted 3 buffaloes stolen Phagwara, October 11 A spate of thefts in the rural areas of Phagwara has triggered concern among residents, with the latest incident reporting from Phalahi village, where thieves allegedly broke into a farmer’s cattle shed and fled with three buffaloes. According to information provided by locals, the thieves targeted the cattle shed belonging to farmer Amrik Singh. They allegedly broke the enclosure’s lock, cut through the ropes and took away three buffaloes under the cover of darkness. The theft came to light the following morning when the farmer discovered that the animals were missing. — OC Sabha Punjab state general secretary Kulwant Singh Sandhu demanded 100 per cent compensation for farmers affected by rain and hailstorms across Punjab. The leaders said the adverse weather had damaged standing paddy crops, increasing harvesting costs and reducing yields. They also pointed out that paddy lying in grain markets had become wet and would take longer to dry due to increased moisture in the air. They demanded that paddy be procured at a moisture content of up to 22 per cent and that compensation be released immediately. In a statement, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha Punjab state press secretary Harnek Singh Gujjarwal urged the government to introduce a crop insurance scheme by treating each field as a unit to ensure compensation for losses caused by natural disasters. Woman killed as sand-laden Norms tightened for truck overturns in Mukerian foreigners’ stay in hotels Our Correspondent Mukerian, October 11 A woman was crushed to death after a truck loaded with sand overturned near the gate of the Civil Hospital in Mukerian. The deceased has been identified as Suman Bala, wife of Karam Chand, a resident of Preet Nagar Colony, Mukerian. She was on her way to a gurdwara to pay obeisance when the accident occurred. SHO Princepal Singh said the truck was going from Pathankot towards Jalandhar when, near the Civil Hospital, the driver allegedly lost con- Driver flees after accident; traffic disrupted for an hour trol of the vehicle while attempting to avoid a car coming from the wrong direction. The truck overturned on the road, trapping the woman underneath. People gathered on the spot and tried to rescue her, but the heavy load of sand made the operation difficult. A team of the Road Safety Force and the police reached the scene. With the help of a hydra crane, the woman was pulled out after nearly an hour. However, she had died by then. The police took possession of the body and shifted it to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital. A few street vendors also suffered losses in the incident, but no other casualty was reported. The overturned truck led to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road, disrupting traffic. The police subsequently arranged to remove the truck and restore traffic movement. The driver reportedly fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind. Further investigation is underway. Phagwara , October 11 The Kapurthala police have issued directions to guest house and hotel owners, making it mandatory for them to ensure that foreigners are not accommodated without the registration and verification. The move is aimed at strengthening security measures and ensuring proper monitoring of foreign visitors’ stay in the district. SSP Gaurav Toora has directed police officials to intensify surveillance and ensure strict compliance with the instructions. The police have also asked hotel and guest house owners to maintain complete records of foreign nationals staying at their establishments and provide the information to the authorities. Toora, along with Phagwara SP Major Singh, has emphasised the need for greater vigilance. The police have warned that the owners could face legal action if they fail to comply with the registration and reporting requirements. The directions come amid heightened security concerns and efforts by the police to monitor the movement of visitors staying in hotels, guest houses and other accommodation facilities. Officials have instructed police teams to conduct inspections and verify whether establishments are maintaining the records and following theprocedures. — OC No plot possession for 13 years, JIT faces ~1.5 cr refund liability Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 11 In a major jolt to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed it to refund Rs 69.77 lakh to a 67-year-old woman who was allotted a plot in its Surya Enclave Extension scheme but had been waiting for its possession for more than 13 years. With 9 per cent annual interest on the amount from the respective dates of deposit, the total refund liability is expected to be around Rs 1.5 crore. The commission has also ordered the trust to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and Rs 21,000 towards litigation expenses. It has directed the trust to comply with the order within 45 days of receiving its certified copy. The 94.97 acre housing scheme was launched in 2011 and relaunched in 2016 as development work was held up by a stay order issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which remained in force until December 2015. c m y b Despite the passage of more than a decade since the original launch, the trust has failed to deliver possession of the plot to the complainant with the promised basic amenities. The complainant, Neelu Verma, a resident of Gujral Nagar, had applied for a 356 square yard plot in 2011 and was allotted plot number 14D through a letter dated December 23 that year. Against the original sale price of Rs 60.52 lakh, she paid Rs 69.77 lakh, including interest and cess charges. Under the allotment conditions, the trust was required to complete development within two-and-a-half years by June 23, 2014. Verma approached the commission alleging that the site remained unfit for habitation without motorable roads, functional sewerage, water supply or electricity, leaving her unable to construct a house. Even the plot has not been demarcated, leaving her unable to identify its exact location and proceed with construction. After examining the complaint and photographs submitted as evidence, the commission observed that the scheme area remained unfit for habitation. It also noted that litigation concerning the acquisition of land for the scheme was pending when it was launched and that material facts had been concealed from prospective buyers. The commission referred to earlier rulings on the same scheme, including a 2023 order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which held the trust’s actions to amount to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice. Despite being served notice, the trust neither filed a written reply, nor produced evidence to contest the complaint. The commission held that an allottee could not be expected to wait indefinitely for possession and ordered a refund with interest and compensation.