10022026-ATR-01.qxd 2/9/2026 11:13 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 22°C | MIN 09°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 09°C TWO-DAY KHEL PARV KICKS OFF IN TARN TARAN PUNJAB RATNA HONOUR FOR GNDU VICE-CHANCELLOR CHANDIGARH TO WITNESS A PLAY-FULL WEEK With CJM Shilpa as chief guest, the event began with a ‘Shabad’ recital, followed by lighting of ceremonial torch. P2 Prof Karamjeet Singh was conferred the award by Punjab Kala Parishad for his contribution to academia. P3 Bharat Rang Mahotsav opens in Chandigarh with Khamosh! Adaalat Jaari Hai, directed by Avtar Sahni. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.07 PM » SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:06 AM TUESDAY | 10 FEBRUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Governor begins anti-drug awareness walk with visits to Darbar Sahib & Jain temple Cross-border arms, drug racket busted, 5 arrested Pistols made in Austria & Turkey, heroin, drug money seized Tribune News Service Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria pays obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 9 Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria paid obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib late on Sunday evening as he sought blessings from the Almighty before launching an intensive anti-drug awareness campaign to strengthen the war against drugs in the state. Later, on Monday morning, the Pun- jab Governor also paid obeisance at Sri Jain Mandir. The Governor is on a fourday foot march against drugs to create awareness regarding the Punjab Red Cross Society's initiatives on drug abuse and rehabilitation. The campaign includes a four-day awareness walk in the border districts of Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka, to mobilise public participation against drugs. The Governor emphasised that drug abuse is not just a local or state issue but a global challenge, which requires sustained and collective efforts. He stressed that the fight against drugs should be continuous and sincere and called upon social, religious, political and educational institutions, NGOs and other organisations to actively participate and support this mass movement. The campaign seeks to unite all sections of society towards the common goal of making Punjab drug-free. He reiterated that meaningful change can only be achieved through active participation, sustained efforts and a focus on rehabilitation and ensuring reintegration into society with dignity and employment opportunities for the affected individuals. Amritsar, February 9 The police have dismantled a cross-border arms and narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of five operatives and recovered six sophisticated pistols, 115 grams of heroin and Rs 11.90 lakh in drug money from their possession here on Monday. Those arrested have been identified as Simaranjeet Singh alias Mannu (24), Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi (20), Sukhraj Singh alias Joga (24) and Sajan Singh alias Gursajan Singh alias Ladda, all residents of village Roda Wala Kalan in Amritsar; and Molakdeep Singh (23), a resident of village Ranike in Amritsar. The recovered pistols include two 9mm Glock pistols made in Austria, one Zigana pistol, made in Turkey, besides a .32 bore and .30 bore pistol along with 10 live cartridges. Police teams have also impounded their Hyundai Creta car, which they were using for smuggling. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar addresses media persons regarding the arrest of five persons with pistol, heroin and drug money in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested accused were actively linked to a cross-border smuggling network and were receiving arms and narcotics consignments via drones from across the border. Further investigation is on to establish the forward and backward linkages of the accused in the case, he said. Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on credible and secret information regarding cross-border smuggling links, police teams have arrested Simranjeet alias Mannu, Molakdeep Singh, Gurpreet alias Gopi, Sukhraj alias Joga and Sajan alias Gursajan alias Ladda, along with a car and recovered two .32 bore pistols from their possession. During further interrogation, additional recoveries were made, leading to the seizure of four more pistols, 115 gram of heroin and Rs 11.90 lakh in drug money, indicating their involvement in organised illegal arms and narcotics activities, he said. The Police Commissioner said that the probe has revealed that the arrested accused, Simaranjeet alias Mannu, Molakdeep Singh and Gurpreet Singh, are a repeat offender and were earlier involved in cases under the NDPS Act. He said that investigation has also revealed that the accused Simranjeet alias Mannu had remained a truck driver in Dubai. Police teams are investigating the financial trail and hawala links of this network, he added. In this regard, a case has been registered under sections 25 and 25(8) of the Arms Act and sections 21B, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act at Cantonment police station in Amritsar. Long queues at Civil Hospital trouble patients SKM supports call MLA cites PDC report, says Aam for strike on Feb 12 Aadmi Clinics have done well Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 9 The visitors to Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital here have to wait for hours just to get the OPD registration slip as long queues are seen at the registration counter every day. A visitor to the hospital on Monday reported that it took him three hours just to get the OPD slip. "I came at around 9 am. First, I had to procure a token and then I stood in another line for registration slip," he said adding that a sick person having to stand in the queue for three hours is not just frustrating but inhumane. Those standing in the queue included the elderly, women and disabled. The visitors demanded that the hospital management depute more employees and open another registration counter to reduce the queues. Though the hospital has put up a notice mentioning separate registration counter for Tribune News Service Tribune News Service A long queue of patients at the registration counter of the Civil Hospital in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO senior citizens, no one was seen sitting there. "Making people wait for hours to get the registration slip, and that too when someone is sick, is not right. After getting the slip, one has to wait again to see the doctor but at least the OPD area has seating arrangements," said a visitor, Balkar Singh. The visitors complained that an entire day is spent in getting registration slip, waiting in the OPD and then standing in the queue at the pharmacy to get the medicines. To add to the woes of the visitors, one of the two lifts at the hospital is non-functional. People have to use stairs to reach the upper floors. Even basic amenities like clean drinking water and toilets are unavailable for the visitors. In one of the washrooms on the ground floor, the door of the toilets was seen broken. Another washroom on the first floor was seen locked from outside. A drinking water kiosk inside the hospital was dirty while another one had its taps missing. Amritsar, February 9 The government has brought a decisive and people-centric transformation in the state's healthcare system, with Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) emerging as the backbone of accessible and free primary healthcare across Punjab, claimed MLA from Amritsar West, Jasbir Singh Sandhu, while referring to the recently released State Report Card by the Punjab Development Commission (PDC). The report highlights significant improvements in public healthcare delivery, particularly through these clinics, he added Sandhu said the State Patient Feedback Report Card, prepared on the basis of interactions with 18,256 patients across the state, reveals that 96 per cent of patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment provided at Aam Aadmi Clinics. He added that the findings clearly indicate that primary healthcare in Punjab has undergone a complete transformation, shifting from neglect and shortcomings to a system based on trust, quality and reliability, ensuring timely medical assistance without any financial burden. The MLA further stated that medicines are being provided completely free of cost at all Aam Aadmi Clinics, with 92 per cent of patients confirming that they easily received all prescribed medicines. Additionally, 94 per cent of patients reported that all recommended diagnostic tests were conducted at the clinics themselves, free of charge. Sandhu said this reflects a fundamental policy shift, where healthcare is treated as a basic right rather than a privilege reserved for those who can afford expensive private hospitals. Highlighting the focus on patient dignity and experience, Sandhu said the report also points to high standards of cleanliness and basic amenities at the clinics. According to the data, 99 per cent of patients found the clinics clean, 99 per cent confirmed the availability of adequate seating, 97 per cent reported access to safe drinking water, and 95 per cent said that toilet facilities were clean, he added. At a time when rising medical costs are pushing families into debt, Punjab has shown that high-quality, free primary healthcare can be delivered on a large scale, he added. Amritsar, February 9 In protest against the Central Government, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced its support for the nationwide protest announced by the joint platform of 10 central trade unions on February 12. The SKM leaders stated that the protest by the trade unions is justified. They further added that the trade agreement between India and US on the issue of agriculture is against the interests of farmers. Earlier, the trade unions along with independent sectoral federations and associations, had called for a nationwide general strike on February 12, following a decision endorsed at the National Convention of Workers on January 9. Amarjit Singh Asal, a trade union leader, said that the strike will be observed across the country with mass mobilisations in both rural and urban areas, covering government, public and private sectors as well as the formal and informal workforce. While welcoming the support from SKM, he said that agriculture worker unions have also joined in the campaign, with a special focus on the restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He said that the strike is being held in protest against the Union government's labour reforms, particularly the four labour codes, which trade unions allege were introduced without proper consultations and in violation of established labour practices. He added that the codes weaken collective bargaining, restrict the right to strike, dilute workplace safety norms and reduce social security coverage. Police undertake strict checking drive as part of Operation Prahar-II Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 9 The Punjab Police have launched Phase II of Operation Prahar against gangsters and anti-social elements across the state. As part of the drive, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police intensified security measures and carried out special search operations to thwart criminal activities and maintain law and order in the city. The drive was undertaken on the directions of Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav. Acting on the directions of Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, the police enhanced vigilance at sensitive and crowded locations, including railway stations, bus stands, airport, shopping malls and busy marketplaces. In addition, strict round-the-clock checking was enforced at nakas and on city outskirts to prevent any untoward incident and instill a sense of security among the public. During the operation, various teams of the police conducted 131 raids and apprehended 116 persons. On the first day of Operation Prahar, the police recovered six pistols, 10 live cartridges, 232 Punjab Police and GRP conduct checking inside a train at the Amritsar railway station on Monday as part of the second phase of Operation Prahar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR c m y b grams of heroin, Rs 11.93 lakh in drug money, 140 bottles of liquor and one car. Under the supervision of DCP (Law & Order) Alam Vijay Singh, and in the presence of ADCP (City-2) Sirivenela and ACP (North) Gagandeep Singh, along with SWAT teams, a comprehensive search operation was conducted at Amritsar railway station. The operation aimed at ensuring passenger safety, preventing criminal activities and maintaining law and order. During the drive, the luggage and bags of passengers were thoroughly checked with the help of metal detectors, scanners and sniffer dogs to detect prohibited items or illegal substances. The objective of these security measures was to create a safe environment for commuters and avert any potential threat. Apart from this, a special nakabandi was carried out in the inner and outer areas of the city. All incoming and outgoing vehicles were checked thoroughly, and suspicious persons were questioned. Vehicles fitted with black films or grills, hooters, cases of triple riding on two-wheelers, vehicles without number plates and those carrying illegal weapons were specifically targeted, and challans issued wherever violations were found. Meanwhile, the police have appealed to the public not to believe in rumours and to immediately inform if any abandoned object or suspicious activity is noticed in their area. The police reiterated that it remains committed to ensuring the safety of life and property of citizens round the clock, maintaining a friendly approach towards law-abiding residents while taking strict legal action against antisocial elements.