11032026-ATR-01.qxd 3/10/2026 10:37 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY CIVIC BODY CONTINUES DRIVE IN WALLED CITY AREA LEGACY OF SELFLESS SERVICE AT MANAWALA VILLAGE MAKE AUDITIONS A HABIT, SAYS CASTING DIRECTOR NIKITA The MC on Tuesday removed three kiosks selling cigarettes and tobacco products from the walled city area. P2 The All India Pingalwara Charitable Society's branch at Manawala continues to provide care to destitute persons. P3 Nikita Grover is currently casting for Amarjit Saron's untitled Punjabi film starring Ammy Virk and Roopi Gill. P4 » » » MAX 29°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.35 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.44 AM WEDNESDAY | 11 MARCH 2026 | AMRITSAR 33 women booth-level officers feted Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 To mark International Women’s Day and acknowledge the contribution of women officials in the district administration, Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh honoured 33 women boothlevel officers (BLOs) who performed their duties with dedication across 11 Assembly constituencies of the district. The BLOs were presented with certificates of appreciation for their services during the recent election process. The Deputy Commissioner said that a correct and updated voter list is crucial for strengthening democracy. “The role of a BLO is of central importance. These women have carried out this vital part of the election process by going door-to-door to identify eligible voters and have made a significant contribution towards ensuring that the election process remains transparent and smooth,” he said. He added that their work reflects the highest standards of responsibility and accountability displayed by women officials in administrative roles. The DC also interacted with other women BLOs, enquired about the challenges they face during their duties and assured them of safety and due support while performing their responsibilities. Gulf-bound flights yet to Migration of Punjabi poets after liberalisation created literary gap, says Prof Sohinder Bir resume at city airport NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 Flight operations to key Gulf destinations, say Dubai, Sharjah and Doha, from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport remain suspended due to the ongoing regional conflict, leaving several passengers waiting for services to resume. According to airport and airline sources, Qatar Airways’ Amritsar-Doha flight, SpiceJet’s Amritsar-Dubai service, Air India Express flights to Dubai and Sharjah, and IndiGo’s Sharjah service have been temporarily halted. The suspension has affected a significant number of travellers, particularly those with onward international connections and members of the Punjabi diaspora who frequently use these routes. Many passengers who had already booked tickets for travel in the coming days are now awaiting further updates from the airlines regarding the resumption of flights. Travel agents in the city said they are receiving frequent queries from passengers seeking clarity about their bookings and alternative arrangements. Yogesh Kamra, an officebearer of the FlyAmritsar Initiative, advised passengers to stay updated through official airline communication channels. “Passengers are advised Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service A view of Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. FILE to follow the airlines’ advisory for recovery options as stated on their official websites, apps and social media handles. Airlines are offering complete refunds and free rescheduling to other dates as per their terms of carriage and the DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) policy, which must be adhered to by all airlines,” he said. Kamra added that the suspension has particularly affected passengers who depend on direct flights from Amritsar for travel to the Gulf. “A large number of travellers from Punjab prefer these direct connections for work, family visits and onward international travel. We hope the situation stabilises soon so that normal flight operations can resume at the earliest,” he said. He also urged passengers not to rely on unofficial information circulating online. “Travellers should check only verified updates from airlines and airport authorities before planning their journey. This will help them avoid inconvenience and unnecessary travel to the airport,” Kamra added. Airport authorities have not yet indicated a definite timeline for the restoration of these services, stating that flight operations will resume once the situation in the region improves and airlines receive the necessary clearances. Meanwhile, passengers holding confirmed tickets for these routes continue to wait for fresh schedules or alternative travel arrangements. Amritsar, March 10 US-based Punjabi poet and retired professor Sohinder Bir believes that the migration of Punjabis after economic liberalisation led to a significant gap in Punjabi literary production in the state. According to him, the migration of promising Punjabi poets during the post-liberalisation period left a void at the place of origin. While the Green Revolution brought economic prosperity to Punjab, an uncertain political environment in the 1990s fuelled migration. This trend gained further momentum during the era of economic liberalisation, aided by globalisation and changing social dynamics, including the rise of feminism. As a result, a large number of educated Punjabi youth moved abroad, creating a generational gap in Punjabi literature in Punjab. Bir also observed that strong Punjabi cultural values have weakened over time, particularly as the next generation of migrants increasingly marries outside their community or race in their adopted countries, further loosening their connections with Punjab. After teaching Punjabi for 33 years at DAV College, US-based Punjabi poet Sohinder Bir in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Chandigarh, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Bir migrated to the United States with his family in 2007 and is now settled in Arizona. He was recently felicitated by Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University for his contributions to the Punjabi language. Over the years, he has written nearly 25 Punjabi books across different genres, with poetry occupying the largest share of his work. He noted that earlier Punjabi literature produced abroad was often labelled as “literature of dollars and pounds”. However, he described immigrant Punjabi literature as literature that developed on the fringes. After the 1990s, several mainstream poets also migrated, which created a qualitative gap in liter- ary production in Punjab while simultaneously raising the standards of Punjabi literature produced overseas. A devoted admirer of Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Bir was the first scholar to complete a PhD on Batalvi’s poetry and later authored a book titled Shiv Kumar Jiwan and Kavita on the legendary poet. During a visit to London in 1991, Bir made it a point to travel to places associated with Batalvi’s 1970 visit, including Southampton, Glasgow, Liverpool, Southall, Derby, Coventry and Birmingham. The visit of the celebrated Punjabi poet continues to inspire Punjabi-speaking audiences through an interview he gave to the BBC, which is now available on YouTube. Bir described Commercial LPG supply restrictions spark Lawyers raise questions over worries among hotels, restaurants in city police raid in Abadi Karampura Neha Saini Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 As commercial LPG supply has been curtailed in Punjab, concerns are rising over the impact on the hospitality industry as well as the domestic supply chain. India’s hospitality sector is facing a growing crisis as shortages of commercial cooking gas threaten to disrupt operations at restaurants and hotels across the country. After hotel and restaurant associations in Bengaluru released a statement warning of temporary closures due to LPG supply restrictions, similar concerns have now gripped Amritsar’s hospitality sector, a key economic lifeline of the city. The ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has escalated tensions in West Asia, affecting energy supplies and shipping routes through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Industry bodies across the country have warned that thousands of eateries could be forced to temporarily shut down if supplies of liquefied petroleum gas are not restored quickly. The government has stepped in by setting up a committee to review requests for LPG supply from restaurants, hotels and other commercial users, while prioritising domestic cooking gas needs and initiating emergency measures to manage fuel supplies. In Amritsar, however, there is no immediate crisis in the domestic LPG supply chain. Still, several consumers have received messages stating that LPG bookings will now be accepted only through online mode and that new bookings can be made only after a wait- Amritsar, March 10 Serious allegations have been raised against the Majitha Road police station after local advocates claimed that an illegal raid was carried out in the Abadi Karampura area in November last year during the Yudh Nashiya Virudh campaign. Advocate Ankur Gupta, who is also Ward No. 6 incharge of the Aam Aadmi Party, along with advocate Namit Mehta, has submitted a complaint to the administration highlighting several irregularities related to an incident that allegedly took place on the night of November 21 last year. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Gupta alleged that police officials arrived late at night in private vehicles, without wearing uniforms and without a search warrant. He also claimed that no women police officials were present during the operation. The team allegedly entered houses in the locality and threatened residents, including women and children. The lawyers also pointed out major discrepancies regarding the vehicles used during the incident. “A Renault car was seen at the spot carrying a number plate that is officially registered to a Mercedes-Benz vehicle,” Gupta alleged. He said the mismatch suggests the possible use of fake number plates, concealment of identity and manipulation of official records. He alleged that the action appeared suspicious and may require an independent investigation. Residents of Abadi Karampura also alleged that the police team forcibly entered homes, assaulted some residents and threatened families. The complainants have demanded suspension of the officials involved, forensic and RTO verification of the vehicle numbers, examination of CCTV footage and mobile videos, and cancellation of what they described as false FIRs. retracing those locations as nothing less than a pilgrimage. Born in 1954 in Palasaur village in Tarn Taran district, Bir completed his BA (Honours) in Punjabi from Government College, Gurdaspur, securing the top position. He later earned his MA, MPhil and PhD with distinction from Guru Nanak Dev University. Bir began writing poetry while studying in Class IX. His first major opportunity came in 1974 when he was invited to read his poetry on the Delhi Doordarshan programme ‘Jawan Tarang’. His next breakthrough came when he became a regular participant in the Doordarshan Jalandhar programme “Balde Bol Chiraga Wang”. Many of his poems reflected the pain of ordinary Punjabis during the decadelong militancy period in the state. One of his poems on the subject, ‘Tar Tar Athroo’, became widely popular. During his more than threedecade-long teaching career, Bir supervised 25 PhD scholars and guided 50 MPhil students. Around 100 research papers were written under his academic guidance. His books on Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh are included in undergraduate syllabi. Over the years, he also appeared in nearly 100 television programmes in India, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Farmer unions to hold protest at DAC today Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 The Punjab chapter of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (Bharat) and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee will stage a demonstration at the District Administrative Complex here on Wednesday to press for their demands. Leaders of the unions are making preparations to ensure maximum participation of farmers, labourers and supporters in the protest. Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said the protest will raise several issues, including the demand for a fair investigation into alleged continued on page 2 After hotel and restaurant associations in Bengaluru released a statement warning of temporary closures due to LPG supply restrictions, similar concerns have now gripped Amritsar’s hospitality sector. ing period of 25 days. “Our gas delivery person delivered a cylinder two days ago and now we have been told that bookings can only be made after 25 days. Also, state-run oil marketing companies have already announced the immediate suspension of non-domestic non-exempted LPG dispatches across Punjab in view of the escalating tensions in the Middle East. So we could be heading towards a gas and petrol crisis,” said Indu Aurora, a resident of Palm Grove on Airport Road and president of the Voice of Amritsar. Hotel owners have also warned that closures could disrupt catering services and affect thousands of workers employed in the sector, especially during the busy wedding season. Industry leaders say a prolonged disruption in energy imports could have broader economic consequences, affecting food services, tourism and small businesses. “Despite assurances from the government, there is visible concern on both the domestic and industrial fronts as the Gulf situation continues into the second week. The extensive damage to oil and gas storage and refining facilities, disruption of sea lanes and the shift towards alternative supply sources are all matters of concern for India’s growth story. It is imperative that domestic supply lines remain uninterrupted, especially to border states, so that there is no panic buying or hoarding in the short term,” said Gunbir Singh, past chair of the Confederation of Indian Industry Punjab. MP Aujla writes to Union Minister over LPG supply Meanwhile, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has written to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, expressing concern over the supply of LPG to commercial establishments. Aujla has sought special exemption or priority allocation of commercial LPG for Amritsar, which relies heavily on hospitality and tourism for its economy. “Amritsar holds a unique place in India’s spiritual and tourism landscape. As the city welcomes lakhs of tourists, its economy is largely dependent on tourism, with hotels, restaurants, motels and catering establishments serving food services every day. Being a border district with limited industrial development, alternative sources of economic activity are limited. If the supply of commercial LPG is curtailed, it will adversely affect the economy of the region. Therefore, I request special exemption or priority allocation of commercial LPG supply for the holy city of Amritsar,” he added. c m y b 400 lost cellphones traced, returned to owners Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 The city police have successfully traced 400 mobile phones reported lost by citizens and returned them to their rightful owners after tracking the devices across multiple states. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the recovered phones were traced from locations in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and several districts of Punjab, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and rural areas of Amritsar. Police officials said this marks the third phase of a special drive to trace lost mobile phones. In the first phase, 100 phones were returned to owners, followed by 200 in the second phase, bringing the total Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar hands over lost mobiles to their rightful owners in Amritsar. number of recovered devices to 700 so far. Of the total recoveries, 269 mobile phones were traced by the Police Station Cyber Crime team. Sub-Division East recovered 85 phones, Sub-Division Central traced 29 devices and Sub-Division North recovered 17 phones. Bhullar said the recovered devices include 13 iPhones and 387 Android phones of various brands, with an estimated total value of about Rs 85.20 lakh. The phones were traced using technical surveillance and the Central Equipment Identity Register system, which helps track and block lost or stolen mobile devices. The Police Commissioner advised citizens that in case of losing a mobile phone, they should immediately report the matter at the nearest police station or joint centre. They should also register their complaint on the CEIR portal issued by the Ministry of Communications, which helps block stolen devices and prevent their misuse.