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Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Work on Dhuri-Malerkotla missing link nears completion but official opening awaits Ludhiana West byelection results.
Ludhiana: Almost 12 years after it was first proposed, the much-anticipated Rail Over Bridge (ROB) on Dhandhran Road near the Dhuri-Malerkotla line is nearing completion — but residents will have to wait until after the by-election results are announced for official access. Two reasons have been cited for the delay in opening: the bridge must be inaugurated by the Punjab chief minister, and final construction and safety work remains unfinished. Despite this, local commuters have already begun bypassing barricades and driving on the yet-to-be-opened ROB, leading to safety concerns. The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), which constructed the approach roads on both sides of the bridge, has warned that the site is still under development and is not yet safe for use. Workers are currently completing final touches, including painting the retaining walls, installing road markings, and placing reflective cat's-eye indicators. Several sharp curves on the 200-foot connecting stretch also pose accident risks, especially with high-speed vehicles, prompting authorities to delay the official opening until proper safety measures are in place. The project was originally conceived in 2012 under the Akali-BJP government to ease traffic congestion by linking the 200-foot road to Gill Road near Dhandhran village. However, bureaucratic delays and lack of coordination between state and central governments stalled construction for years. It was only after a change in government that the project resumed in earnest. Now in its final stage, the Dhuri-Malerkotla missing link awaits only finishing touches and a formal ribbon-cutting — a symbolic gesture holding up a decade-long infrastructure wait. MSID:: 121596615 413 |
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu writes to PM Narendra Modi: Raise duty on Turkey apples to 100%
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging an increase in the import duty of apples from 50% to at least 100%. This measure, he said, will discourage the import of apples from Turkey and safeguard the interests of the state's growers. Sukhu has also urged the PM to impose quantitative restrictions on imported apples. The CM said Himachal Pradesh was known as the "apple bowl" of the country and was famous for producing delicious varieties of the fruit. Apple is the prime cash crop of the hill state, generating an income of about Rs 4,500 crore annually. Sukhu said about 10 lakh mandays are generated due to the apple crop, providing direct and indirect employment to more than 2.5 lakh families. The CM said at present, apples were being imported from nearly 31 countries, and about 5.19 lakh metric tonnes of fresh apples were imported in 2024. This marks a 500-time increase when compared to 1,100 metric tonnes imported during 1998. He said the import share from Turkey increased during 2020, and the country sent a record 1.29 lakh metric tonnes of the fruit during 2023. Sukhu added a substantial import of 1.17 lakh metric tonnes was done from Turkey during 2024, which is 23% of the total apple import. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Has Honda Done It Again? The New Honda CR-V is Finally Here. TheFactualist Undo Sukhu said apples from Turkey had been flooding the Indian market in recent years, posing a great threat to the apple growers of the country. The influx of Turkish apples has not only undermined the competitiveness of local apple producers, but also jeopardised the livelihoods of small and marginal apple growers in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir, he said. The CM said that he would also personally take up the issue of enhancing the import duty on apples procured from Turkey with the PM during his upcoming Delhi visit. MSID:: 121315136 413 | Shimla: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging an increase in the import duty of apples from 50% to at least 100%. This measure, he said, will discourage the import of apples from Turkey and safeguard the interests of the state's growers. Sukhu has also urged the PM to impose quantitative restrictions on imported apples. The CM said Himachal Pradesh was known as the "apple bowl" of the country and was famous for producing delicious varieties of the fruit. Apple is the prime cash crop of the hill state, generating an income of about Rs 4,500 crore annually. Sukhu said about 10 lakh mandays are generated due to the apple crop, providing direct and indirect employment to more than 2.5 lakh families. The CM said at present, apples were being imported from nearly 31 countries, and about 5.19 lakh metric tonnes of fresh apples were imported in 2024. This marks a 500-time increase when compared to 1,100 metric tonnes imported during 1998. He said the import share from Turkey increased during 2020, and the country sent a record 1.29 lakh metric tonnes of the fruit during 2023. Sukhu added a substantial import of 1.17 lakh metric tonnes was done from Turkey during 2024, which is 23% of the total apple import. Sukhu said apples from Turkey had been flooding the Indian market in recent years, posing a great threat to the apple growers of the country. The influx of Turkish apples has not only undermined the competitiveness of local apple producers, but also jeopardised the livelihoods of small and marginal apple growers in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir, he said. The CM said that he would also personally take up the issue of enhancing the import duty on apples procured from Turkey with the PM during his upcoming Delhi visit. MSID:: 121315136 413 |
Time of India
01-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Twisted fate at Attari: Pak sisters stay, Indian ones can't leave
1 2 3 Attari: In a twist of fate at the Attari border , two Indian sisters, desperate to return to their families in Pakistan, were stopped — while two Pakistani sisters, unwilling to be deported, were spared the journey as the Pakistan govt did not open the gates on Thursday. For Saeeda Sagir Fatima and Saeeda Jameer Fatima—Pakistani sisters who've lived in India for over 40 years—it was meant to be a forced departure. Born in Lahore and settled in Srinagar decades ago, the two said they had legally crossed into India with valid passports and visas. Despite their repeated efforts to secure Indian citizenship , a court order, and years of waiting, it was denied. Their cousin, Manowwat Hussain, who accompanied them to bid farewell, said, "They've built lives here. Why should they be punished for wanting to live peacefully?" he said. Calling Pakistan a country they barely knew, where they had no family, home, or property. Saeeda Sagir asked, "Who will take us in there?" "May our final breath be on Indian soil, and may we be laid to rest here," she added. Luckily for them, the border gates stayed shut. Saeeda, who is physically disabled, hoped that somehow the border would remain closed, keeping her from being sent to what she called a "foreign land" in her twilight years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nature Meets Science: This Spray Is Turning Heads in Ear Health Stop Tinnitus Now Learn More Undo Just a few steps away, another heartbreaking story unfolded. Sharmin and Shakeela, two Indian sisters married in Pakistan over 12 and 18 years ago, could not cross the border with their children. "It was surprising and shocking to find out that the border gates were closed. We were told that we could cross the border on May 1," the two, who had come to India on March 27 to see their critically ill mother, said. Their brother, Mohammad Shariq, who came to see them off, said both sisters reside in Karachi and hold Indian passports. A senior immigration official confirmed that no Pakistani national was able to cross the border on Thursday. Adding to the chaos, a group of Pakistani labourers, most of them Hindus, waited at the border under orders to return. They had worked in Rajasthan and were told to leave India after the Pahalgam attack. Ganesh, one of the workers, said, "We came for work, not trouble. Now we are being sent back to nothing. As minorities in Pakistan, our lives are harder than ever." Local porters and a nearby gurdwara stepped in to provide langar, offering stranded families free meals and water. The Pakistani govt had allowed nationals to cross the border until April 29, but by May 1, it had become clear that the gates would remain closed. In contrast, Pakistan reportedly cleared Afghan trucks—stranded at transit points since April 25—to enter India. The Pakistan foreign ministry, in a statement, cited "brotherly relations" with Afghanistan for the exception. MSID:: 120794591 413 |
