31102025-ATR-01.qxd 10/30/2025 11:32 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY CHHATH FESTIVITIES OVER BUT CLEANING UP YET TO TAKE PLACE GNDU TO REFUND LATE FEE CHARGED FROM STUDENTS HOW TO CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN 2025 IN TRUE SPOOKY STYLE! The banks of the UBDC near Tara Wala Pul continue to present a deplorable sight, with waste lying unattended. P2 GNDU has notified that it will refund the Rs 30,000 late fee charged from students seeking admission. P2 MAX 29°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 17°C If loud music, laughter and devilish fun are your idea of Halloween, Sector 26’s 26 Boulevard is the haunt for you. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 5.41 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6.46 AM » FRIDAY | 31 OCTOBER 2025 | AMRITSAR AAP govt slammed for failing to implement Old Pension Scheme Civic body cracks down on single-use plastic, unlicensed traders & littering Tribune News Service Government employees burn an effigy of the state government in Amritsar on Thursday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 30 Employees from several Punjab government departments, under the banner of the Punjab Mulazam and Pensioner Sanjha Front, staged a district-level protest rally in Amritsar on Wednesday against the AAP government’s alleged failure to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) despite its earlier notification. Protesters expressed anger and disappointment with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing him of going back on his word after issuing what they termed a “paper notification” three years ago. Members of the front burnt an effigy of the Punjab Government and took out a protest march from the DC Complex. Gurbinder Singh Khaira, Majha Zone Convener of the front, said that the people of Punjab had placed their faith in the AAP government hoping it would resolve longpending demands. “There is deep resentment among employees over the nonimplementation of the old pension. Despite the notification dated November 18, 2022, not a single NPS employee has received the benefit of OPS even after three years. The announcement has remained confined to advertisements and public statements,” he said. Khaira alleged that Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and the Cabinet Sub-Committee on employee affairs were preparing to impose the Central NPS scheme under the pretext of the state’s poor financial condition. He also condemned the Modi-led Central Government for its “oppressive policy” of financially pressuring states that attempt to restore the old pension. The rally saw participation from government school teachers, members of the Master Cadre Union, and employees from nearly 50 different departments. In a joint statement, DMF state president Jarmanjit Singh and Kirti Kisan Union state leader Jatinder Singh Chhina announced that after the ongoing district-level protests, a state-level agitation would be launched in collaboration with like-minded organisations. They also declared participation in the national rally of the NMOPS (National Movement for Old Pension Scheme) scheduled to be held in Delhi on November 25. The issue of restoring OPS has haunted the AAP government since last year. Though the Mann-led Cabinet approved its revival in November 2022, the move has remained “on paper,” prompting employee unions to stage repeated demonstrations, including during byelections in 2024. A broader network of employees from over 50 departments, under the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee (PPBSC), had also launched a door-to-door campaign last year demanding restoration of the old pension from January 1, 2004. Amritsar, October 30 The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has taken strict action against prominent establishments, including Novelty Sweets and Heera Paneer, for using single-use plastic, littering and failing to obtain trade licences. Under the directions of Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill, Health Department officials held a review meeting on Wednesday to strengthen the city’s sanitation management. The MC Commissioner instructed officials to identify and act against those who repeatedly violate waste disposal norms, using banned plastic items or running businesses without trade licences. Teams from the Health and Estate Departments were directed to jointly issue notices under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, and to initiate action against defaulters after two prior warnings. Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, October 30 The Red Cross De-Addiction centre is being forced to run without a valid licence for the last 18 months even as its administrators have written numerous letters to the state government. The centre is unable to procure a vital anti-addiction drug because it does not have valid documents. This is for the first time in the last 30 years that the management is facing such a problem. The joint licensing authority for drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in Punjab is the Director of Health and Family Welfare along with the Director of Social Security, Women and Child Development. In a letter written to Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Wednesday, Romesh Mahajan, Project Director of the centre, has lamented that the entity is facing a critical situation for want of renewal of a licence, The Gurdaspur Red Cross de-addiction centre. which is pending with the authorities since August, 2024. “This is despite recommendations by the district inspection committee and the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner on two occasions,” he said. The 30-bed centre is located on the Babehali road, 6 km from the city. Amid the ongoing Punjab Government’s anti-drug drive, it has been overwhelmed by heroin addicts. It has also found favour from women addicts. It was established in 1991 and till yet it has treated more than a lakh addicts, both indoor and in the out-door patient (OPD) departments. Owing to the paucity of an important drug, which is given to addicts, the management has to rely upon alternative sources of medicine. In August, the Health Minister had visited Gurdaspur and had assured the management that the process of renewing the licence would be expedited. However, precious little has been done till yet. Amritsar, October 30 Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill on Thursday reviewed the ongoing Amritsar Bulk Water Supply Project and directed the contractor, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), to accelerate work by deploying additional manpower. The review meeting was convened to assess the progress of various components of the project, which is being implemented under the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP) with financial support from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The project aims to provide treated surface water from the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) to every household in Amritsar, significantly reducing dependence on depleting was imposed on Heera Paneer for spreading filth in the area. The MC Commissioner appealed to the residents and shopkeepers of Amritsar to cooperate with the civic body in maintaining cleanliness. He emphasised that Amritsar, being a historic and sacred city, requires collective responsibility for its upkeep. Citizens were urged not to dump garbage on roads or streets but to use dustbins at homes, shops and stalls so that municipal vehicles can collect waste efficiently. He also urged residents to refrain from using single-use plastic, which often leads to sewer blockages and environmental hazards. Meanwhile, teams from different zones of the Health Former health dept official sent to judicial custody Amritsar, October 30 A local court has sent former health official Rakesh Sharma to judicial custody after the expiry of his police remand. Sharma was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the alleged illegal supply of tramadol to private hospitals beyond their allotted quota. Meanwhile, the former Civil “Our project is funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and money for its operation is not given by the state government. Our centre is treating more than the addicts being treated jointly by the government-run rehab centres and private entities. Even then, we are being deprived of our due,” said Mahajan. He urged the Health Minister to instruct officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department to issue directions. Incidentally, Mahajan has been conferred upon the national award by the President of India for his services in the field of preventing substance abuse and alcoholism. In the absence of valid documentation, the financial grant for this year has been halted by the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry. An official of the district administration said, “We are looking into the matter. We understand that the centre is going through a tough time.” MC official reviews city’s water supply project Tribune News Service Following these instructions, a team of the North Zone Health Department conducted inspections at some shops along the Lawrence Road and issued notices to Novelty Sweets and Heera Paneer. Around 27 kg of single-use plastic was seized from Novelty Sweets and 5 kg from Heera Paneer. Additionally, a challan (fine) TRAMADOL SUPPLY CASE Red Cross de-addiction centre in Gurdaspur operating without licence for 18 months Ravi Dhaliwal A vegetable vendor uses plastic bags in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Department, in collaboration with the estate wing, carried out awareness and inspection drives across the city. In the West Zone, under the supervision of Health Officer Dr Rama, Sanitary Inspectors Ashok Kumar and Brahmdas inspected shops and roadside vendors along Chheharta Road, advising them to stop using single-use plastics and to install dustbins for proper waste disposal. They were warned that further violations would attract strict legal action. Similarly, the North Zone team along with Estate Department officials inspected Court Road and advised fruit vendors to maintain cleanliness and avoid banned plastic use. In another operation, under the direction of Dr Kiran, Chief Sanitary Inspector Vijay Gill and Sanitary Inspector Sanjeev Arora issued first warnings to traders at IDH Market to dispose of their waste responsibly and discontinue plastic use. groundwater sources. Under the scheme, a state-of-the-art Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with a capacity of 44 crore litres per day is being constructed at Vallah, along with 45 new overhead tanks and a 112-km-long pipeline network across the city. c m y b Surgeon and former District Malaria Officer, who had been summoned by the NCB to join the investigation and record their statements, failed to appear before the agency today. The NCB has also issued a lookout circular (LoC) against Aarti Malhotra, wife of Dr Jatinder Malhotra, who is also named in the case. According to officials, the NCB has unearthed a largescale scandal involving several local health officials. So far, the agency has arrested eight persons, including doctors and a web journalist, in connection with the case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also likely to begin a parallel investigation into the financial aspects of the illegal tramadol supply network. The NCB has written to the ED, seeking a probe into the money trail and associated properties. Earlier, two properties worth Rs 25 crore belonging to Dr Malhotra were frozen by the agency. NCB officials said that profits generated from the illegal sale of tramadol were allegedly diverted into real estate and other ventures to disguise their illicit origins. Investiga- tors are also probing foreign links after detecting several virtual numbers operated from the United States. Those arrested so far include Rakesh Sharma, Dr Jatinder Malhotra, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Dr Parveen, Baudh Raj, Dr Rajinder Rajan, a web journalist, and pharmaceutical company owners Deepak Bhandari and Amit Bhandari. — TNS BSF seizes heroin at Punjab border Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 30 The Border Security Force (BSF) has successfully foiled multiple cross-border smuggling attempts along the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar through swift and coordinated actions based on precise intelligence inputs. According to BSF officials, during an operation, troops recovered one packet of heroin weighing 660 grams from a farming field near Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar (Rural). In another incident, following the detection of a suspected flying object, alert troops recovered a DJI Mavic 3 drone along with one packet of heroin weighing 525 grams from a field near village Ranian in Amritsar. Similarly, in a major seizure, after hearing a suspected dropping sound, BSF personnel launched an extensive search operation near Daoke village, leading to the recovery of a large packet containing 2.654 kg of heroin and 15 rounds of live ammunition. A BSF spokesman said these consecutive recoveries underscore the high level of alertness, vigilance, and dedication of BSF personnel in thwarting the nefarious attempts of crossborder smugglers. 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