10112025-ATR-01.qxd 11/9/2025 11:38 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY SURGEONS DWELL ON ADVANCED SPINE SURGERY PRACTICES KAR SEVA SECT GIVES FERTILISER TO FLOOD-HIT FARMERS ACTOR NAMIT DAS EMBRACES NEW FORMATS The Department of Orthopaedics at GMC Amritsar organised the First Cadaveric Amritsar Spine Course. P2 The Kar Seva Sect, Sarhali, distributed seeds and fertilisers to farmers affected by the floods. P2 The versatile actor takes on a unique role as a playful god in Hamara Vinayak. P4 » » MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET MONDAY 5.34 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.55 AM » MONDAY | 10 NOVEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Police arrest two with over 2,000 intoxicant pills, seize drug money Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 9 The Amritsar Rural Police, under the leadership of SSP Maninder Singh and supervision of DSP Ravinder Singh Jandiala, arrested two persons with a large quantity of intoxicant tablets and drug money. DSP Ravinder Singh stated that a police team from Tarsikka was on routine patrol near the bridge of a tributary at Dasmesh Nagar, when two youths were apprehended on suspicion. During their search, a total of 2,140 intoxicant tablets were recovered along with Rs 12,000 suspected to be drug money. Those arrested have been identified as Sukhbir Singh, alias Sukkha, and Harpreet Singh, alias Toke, both residents of Dasmesh Nagar. The police recovered 1,040 tablets and Rs 5,000 from Sukhbir Singh, while 1,100 tablets and Rs 7,000 were seized from Harpreet Singh. A case has been registered Smart City project faces setback after series of CCTV battery thefts Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service The accused in custody of the Amritsar police on Sunday. against two accused under Sections 22, 27-A, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at the Tarsikka police station. The police said further interrogation of the accused is in progress and more revelations are expected. Amritsar, November 9 The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) project, launched under the Smart City Mission at a cost of Rs 105 crore, has come under repeated attack from thieves, severely affecting the city’s surveillance system. Over the past 26 months, miscreants have stolen nearly 750 batteries worth about Rs 50 lakh from CCTV camera units installed across Amritsar. Shockingly, several thefts occurred in high-security areas such as outside the DCP (Law and Order) office, GT Road near Guru Harkrishan School, DC office, Court Complex and Maqboolpura. In three incidents, thieves even took away four poles along with the cameras. According to officials, the company executing the Smart City project has lodged 150 complaints at various police sta- Two broken boxes of CCTVs from which batteries were stolen on the GT Road near Harkrishan Public School in Amritsar on Sunday. tions, but no recovery has been made so far. The thefts have forced authorities to directly connect around 200 CCTV cameras to the main electricity supply, bypassing the battery backup system. Consequently, cameras stop functioning during power cuts, disrupting 24x7 monitoring across the city. Currently, 1,114 CCTV cameras are operational under the ICCC network. However, due to battery thefts, surveillance remains irregular at nearly 65 locations. Officials said thieves conduct a recce of the area, cut the main power supply and disable the battery backup before stealing the equipment. The ICCC project, which began in February 2023, started facing thefts just months after installation. Reports reveal that batteries have been stolen from 125 different locations. At 30 sites, newly installed batteries were again stolen, while at another 40 sites, thieves managed to remove batteries, cables, network switches and UPS units despite added metal framing and security measures. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia termed the incidents a serious setback to a crucial city surveillance initiative. “The ICCC is vital for city safety. I will take up the matter with the Police Commissioner to ensure the culprits are caught and the stolen equipment recovered. We will also request intensified night patrolling,” he said. Social activist Pawan Sharma said the repeated thefts have delayed the ICCC’s fullscale implementation and weakened Amritsar’s realtime security network. “It is a complete administrative failure,” he added. Byelection campaign ends; core issues remain ignored Employees’ organisations rally against govt policies in Tarn Taran Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, November 9 As canvassing for the Tarn Taran by-election concluded on Sunday evening, several long-standing public issues remained completely ignored during the campaign. Despite decades of suffering faced by residents, neither the state government nor the administration has shown serious concern and the 15 candidates in the fray have failed to address the problems troubling the common people. Instead of focusing on the real challenges of everyday life, the campaign has revolved around political accusations and self-promotion. For years, hundreds of daily-wage labourers from Tarn Taran city and nearby villages such as Kadgil, Jeobala, and Sarhali Khurd have gathered along Muradpur Road near the city police station in search of work. Labourers like Sahib Singh, Sarwan Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Manga, and Laddu said they wait under the open sky every morn- In Tarn Taran’s Chabal town, sewage flowing through open drains has made life miserable for local residents, yet none of the candidates addressed the issue during campaigning. ing, facing scorching heat in summer and rain in the monsoon. They even have their meals by the roadside. Despite repeated appeals, the authorities have failed to construct even a simple shed for them. While candidates claim to be champions of the poor, they remain oblivious to the misery of thousands of families living along the foulsmelling drains that run through Tarn Taran and nearby villages. Residents of Valmik Colony in Mohalla Tank-Kashattri said their relatives avoid visiting because of the unbearable stench from the nearby drain. In Chabal town, the sewage flowing through open drains has made life miserable for locals, yet none of the candidates has addressed the issue. Around 20,000 residents of six nearby villages, including Adda Chabal, Chabal Pukhta, Chabal Kham and Chabal Ucha Qila, have suffered from a lack of safe drinking water for the past eight years. Equally neglected are the problems of poor drainage in many villages, frequent disputes over wastewater and the growing threat of stray dogs. The sides of open drains have also become dumping grounds for garbage. The lack of basic amenities, such as waiting sheds at bus stops, further highlights the disconnect between candidates and ordinary citizens. Those running for office or their families travel by private vehicles and never experience the struggles of daily commuters. Issues such as traffic congestion, illegal encroachments and roadside markets have also been conveniently ignored. Social worker Dr Sukhdev Singh Lauhuka said the time has come for the public to raise these neglected issues themselves, as political leaders continue to turn a blind eye. Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, November 9 On the final day of campaigning for the Tarn Taran byelection, several employee organisations on Sunday staged protests against the state government, expressing anger over unmet demands. A large number of employees held a dharna at Chowki Bohri and took out a march under the banner of the Water Supply and Sanitation Contract Workers’ Union, Punjab, led by state leader Dilbag Singh. The protesting workers demanded the regularisation of their services, with Dilbag Singh reiterating the organisation’s long-standing demand to merge enlisted contract workers into their respective departments. Separately, the Asha Worker and Facilitator Worker Union organised a rally seeking an increase in allowances, while members of the ETT2392 Teachers’ Union Employees of government departments hold a protest march in Tarn Taran on Sunday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI protested against salary reductions. Powercom employees and pensioners also held a demonstration at the bus stand under the leadership of Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, opposing the government’s move to sell powercom property. Meanwhile, members of the Fard Kendra Computer Association demanded that they should be granted the same facilities as government employees and that their services be regularised. Traffic in the city remained disrupted for several hours as thousands of employees participated in the protests. Farmer union plans statewide All arrangements in place for bypoll, says poll officer protests over key demands Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 9 The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Saturday announced a series of statewide protests in Punjab over multiple unresolved issues, including opposition to the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, pending sugarcane dues and the government’s alleged inaction on key farmer demands. Addressing a press conference in Amritsar, senior farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the decisions were taken during the KMM’s meeting held on November 7, where several major protest programmes were finalised in light of the ongoing agrarian and labour distress. Pandher said farmers would participate in the Punjab University gathering on Novem- ber 10 to oppose what he called the Centre’s “attempt to take control” of the university. On November 14, the Morcha will extend support to the National March for Justice in Delhi. As part of their protest against the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, effigy-burning demonstrations will be organised across Punjab at the village level on November 15, 16, and 17. On November 18, the KMM will stage a dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Jalandhar to demand payment of pending sugarcane dues. If the issue remains unresolved, the Jalandhar-Delhi Highway will be blocked on November 21. Further intensifying their agitation, Pandher announced that on December 10, farmers will remove prepaid electricity meters and deposit them at electricity department offices across the state. On December 17 and 18, dharnas will be held outside all Deputy Commissioners’ offices demanding compensation for damages suffered at the Shambhu and Khanoori morchas and withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025. If demands are ignored, a statewide rail roko agitation will be launched on December 19. Pandher added that members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee had participated in large numbers in a recent protest march by electricity department employees in Tarn Taran. He also criticised the government for imposing fines and registering cases against farmers for stubble burning without providing adequate equipment such as balers and support machinery. Tarn Taran, November 9 In view of the by-election scheduled for November 11 in Assembly constituency 021-Tarn Taran, the district administration has completed all necessary arrangements as per the directions of the Election Commission. District Election Officercum-Deputy Commissioner Rahul reviewed the final preparations with all nodal officers during a meeting held at the District Administrative Complex on Sunday. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Rajdeep Singh Brar, Returning Officer Gurmeet Singh, Assistant Commissioner Karanvir Singh, Election Tehsildar Arminderpal Singh and officials from various departments were also present. Presiding over the meeting, District Election Officer Rahul stated that the election c m y b The District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner presides over a meeting of nodal officers in Tarn Taran on Sunday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI campaign concluded at 5 pm today. Considering the sensitivity of Tarn Taran district, which borders the international boundary, he said adequate security measures have been implemented. Twelve companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed across the constituency. According to the deployment plan, CAPF personnel will be stationed at all 114 polling station locations, covering a total of 222 polling booths. In addition, CCTV cameras and webcasting facilities have been installed at every polling station, to be monitored by the District Election Officer, Returning Officer and Chief Electoral Officer under the supervision of the Election Commission. To further ensure transparency, 46 micro observers have been assigned to sensitive polling stations. Rahul confirmed that all basic amenities have been provided at each polling station. After voting concludes, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be secured at the International College of Nursing, Piddi, where vote counting will take place on November 14 under strict security arrangements. Appealing to citizens, the District Election Officer urged all eligible voters of Tarn Taran to come forward and cast their votes fearlessly on November 11, between 7 am and 6 pm. The Tarn Taran Assembly constituency has a total of 1,92,838 registered voters, including 1,00,933 male, 91,897 female, and eight third-gender voters. The constituency also includes 1,357 service voters, 1,657 voters aged above 85, 306 NRI voters, 1,488 divyang (differently-abled) voters, and 3,333 voters aged between 18 and 19 years.