29042026-ATR-01.qxd 4/29/2026 12:07 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C MP AUJLA SEEKS OPENING OF LONG-SHUT COMMUNITY HALL BOLLYWOODCELEBRATES ITS ICONS ON WORLD DANCE DAY DOSANJH SET TO RETURN TO FALLON’S THE TONIGHT SHOW MP Aujla visited the long-closed New Amritsar Community Hall and raised concerns over its poor condition. P2 Bollywood turns the spotlight on its dynamic performers who have redefinedon-screen movement with style & charisma. P4 Actor Diljit Dosanjh is set to return to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, two years after debut appearance. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.08 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.45 AM » WEDNESDAY | 29 APRIL 2026 | AMRITSAR City social worker BK Sharma feeds hundreds, supports needy NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK District library struggles for survival amid funding gaps & vandalism Neeraj Bagga Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 28 The District Red Cross Society, in partnership with Knowledge Villa Integrated Education and Welfare Society, is operating and managing a district library based in Guru Ramdas Nagar (Amritsar South Assembly segment). The facility is grappling with inadequate logistics and financial constraints. Samson Masih, secretary of the District Red Cross, said that due to limited manpower and funds, it was necessary to collaborate with an NGO already engaged in social service. The Knowledge Society, active in blood donation drives since 2012 and involved in several welfare initiatives, was chosen for the role. Then Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney had delegated the responsibility to the Red Cross Society. Confirming this via a text message, she said maintenance was a vital component and therefore the management of the libraries was entrusted to the Red Cross. Officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation stated that the two libraries were constructed at a cost of Rs Amritsar, April 28 BK Sharma is a well-known face of social service in the holy city. Over the years, he has consistently helped the needy by providing ration and vegetables, extending support at weddings and funding the cremation of unclaimed and destitute bodies. Sharma, who runs two restaurants in the city, recalled that the birth of his daughter over 35 years ago inspired him to take up social service. Since then, he has continued this work without interruption, he said while speaking to this correspondent. His guiding principle is to give back to society. He distributes a wagon of vegetables weighing over eight quintals every Tuesday and Saturday in front of his eatery on Batala Road. Earlier, he used to manually distribute vegetables using hand-pulled carts in areas such as Bohar Da Shivala, Hindustan Basti, Mustafabad, Verka and other localities. In addition, he receives wedding invitations from families BK Sharma gives ration to a needy woman in Amritsar. seeking assistance in the form of ration and vegetables. At present, he has received over 500 such requests. He also supplies ration at Arya Samaj Mandir in Hansli Bazaar. On April 26, he distributed ration to 51 families. The 65-year-old claims to have borne the expenses for the cremation of around 951 unclaimed bodies. His contact number is available with staff at two major crematoriums in the city — one near Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Shaheed and another near Durgiana Temple — who inform him whenever such cases arise. A father of four, all of whom are married and settled, Sharma does not track how much of his income goes into philanthropic activities. However, he believes that earnings should not be kept entirely for personal use but shared with those in need. A Class XI dropout, Sharma had to sell tea during his teenage years to support his family after his father’s death. Over time, he built a successful livelihood. His life story serves as an example for entrepreneurs, highlighting the importance of social responsibility over a purely luxurious lifestyle. He has also contested elections for the Lok Sabha, Legislative Assembly, and Municipal Corporation as an Independent candidate, though without success. An outer view of the district library situated in Guru Ramdas Nagar in Amritsar on Tuesday. VISHAL KUMAR 1.10 crore using funds released by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and were handed over to the Deputy Commissioner, under whose supervision a committee was to decide their operation and maintenance. Visitors to the district library in the Amritsar South Assembly segment are forced to study for hours in scorching heat without air-conditioning. The reason: unidentified burglars stole the external units of the air-con- ditioners, rendering all three newly installed systems nonfunctional. The theft has also increased the society’s expenses, as it has had to hire a night watchman. Bikramjit Singh of the Knowledge Society said they received the mandate to operate and manage the library in October-November, while construction had been completed in July 2025. The society currently spends around Rs 25,000 per month on salaries for a librarian, a safai karmchari, and a watchman. The municipal corporation covers only the electricity bills, while all other operational costs are borne by the society from its own resources, Bikramjit added. He clarified that the society neither received government funds to take over the library nor expects financial assistance for its upkeep. He said discussions are underway with the civic body to reinstall the external AC units. The society also plans to install a cold water dispenser and begin subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. Expressing dissatisfaction over the absence of reading material, Amandeep Singh, a regular visitor, said the facility serves merely as a reading space rather than a fullfledged library. “A library must subscribe to newspapers and magazines. The empty stands here speak for themselves,” he said. Another regular visitor, Komal, who graduated in March 2025, said she has been visiting the library for the past three months. With no provision for cold drinking water, she carries her own bottle, as do many others. “Studying for long hours without air-conditioning and basic amenities is very difficult,” she said. Anmoldeep Singh, another frequent visitor, noted that the library’s location on the main road outside the Gilwali Gate makes it easily accessible. However, he pointed out the lack of quality books. “There is a need for literature from classical, Victorian, industrial, and contemporary periods from across the world continued on page 2 Minister reviews Dhussi bundh Cloud cover brings relief from intense heat strengthening work in Ajnala Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Tribune News Service The seized contraband in the custody of the police. BSF, police seize over 3 kg heroin in two separate cases Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 28 The Khalra police and the BSF recovered 3.010 kg of heroin from two border villages on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Sub-Inspector Sahib Singh said here on Tuesday that on the night of Monday, a police team led by the SI him was on patrol in the border village of Basarke when they saw a person moving suspiciously in a street of the village. On seeing the police team, he threw away a packet of article. A police team member identified the man as Pargat Singh Paggu of the same village, but he managed to flee the spot. The police team opened the packet and found 1.994 kg of heroin in it. The packet was dropped from across the border with the help of a drone. SI Sahib Singh said that on the night of Sunday, a packet containing suspicious material was recovered jointly by the police and the BSF from the iron bridge at Dall village. It contained 1.016 kg of heroin. The packet was dropped from across the border by a drone. The police have registered cases under Sections 21-C, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and Sections 25, 26 and 29 of the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam (BVA), 2024. Amritsar, April 28 Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal on Tuesday inspected the ongoing flood protection works at the Dhussi bundh of the Ravi river near a border outpost (BOP) along the International Border with Pakistan, close to Shahpur in Ajnala. The minister was accompanied by Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and senior officials of the Water Resources Department. The visit comes in the backdrop of last year’s floods, during which a portion of the embankment at Shahpur was damaged. Officials said that after filling the damaged stretch, strengthening work is now Punjab Water Resources and Mining Minister Barinder Goyal visits the Ravi river near Ajnala on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR being carried out by placing stones. Around Rs 4 crore is being spent on flood protection at this site. Speaking to the media, the minister said that the Punjab Government is taking proac- tive steps to minimise damage caused by floods and heavy rains ahead of the monsoon season. He added that nearly Rs 600 crore is being spent across the state on flood continued on page 2 Amritsar, April 28 A sudden change in weather conditions brought muchneeded relief to residents on Tuesday morning, as the city woke up to a blanket of clouds after days of intense heat. The overcast sky, accompanied by forecasts of light showers and gusty winds, offered a welcome break from the scorching temperatures that had gripped the region over the past week. Since early morning, a cool breeze and intermittent cloud cover kept temperatures in check, creating a noticeably pleasant atmosphere compared to the sweltering conditions recorded in recent days. A four-degree drop in the maximum temperature, from 40 degrees Celsius, was enough to lift spirits. Motorists enjoy the pleasant weather in Amritsar. According to weather forecasts, the city is likely to witness isolated thunderstorms and wind speeds of up to 40-50 km/h, further easing the heat. Residents across the city expressed relief at the sudden shift. “The last few days were unbearable, especially during the afternoons. Today VISHAL KUMAR feels like a blessing,” said Rajesh Kumar, a shopkeeper in the Hall Bazaar area. A college student, Simran Kaur, added, “Stepping out in the morning did not feel exhausting for once. The cloudy weather has lifted everyone’s mood.” The change was particular- ly welcomed by daily commuters and outdoor workers, who have been struggling under extreme heat conditions. “Working on construction sites has been very difficult lately. Today’s weather has made it much easier,” said labourer Ramesh. Local markets and public spaces also saw increased footfall during the day, as people took advantage of the relatively cooler conditions. Parks and roadside eateries reported more visitors compared to the past few days. However, officials have advised residents to remain cautious, as strong winds and sudden showers may cause minor disruptions. Despite this, the overall sentiment remained positive, with many hoping that the weather shift signals the onset of more consistent relief in the coming days. DTF wants fair distribution of non-academic duties Officials told to accelerate wheat Tribune news Service Amritsar, April 28 A delegation of the DTF’s district unit, led by state finance secretary-cum-district president Ashwini Awasthi and district general secretary Gurbinder Singh Khaira, met Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh and submitted a memorandum regarding the burden of non-academic duties. The organisation’s leaders raised objections to the imposition of non-academic duties on a large number of teachers and demanded that such responsibilities be distributed proportionately across all departments. They pointed out that teachers are already engaged in pre-SIR voter mapping, drug and socio-economic surveys, election duties as booth-level officers (BLOs), and other assignments. Teacher unions allege that these responsibili- A delegation of teachers submits a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh in Amritsar. ties are adversely affecting classroom teaching. “Now, with the Census and additional survey duties, the condition of schools will become even worse, and students will have to bear the brunt. Classroom learning has already come to a halt in some schools. This will lead to a significant decline in enrolment, especially among students who shifted from private to govern- ment schools,” said Awasthi. The delegation also demanded the formation of a high-level committee to investigate earlier reductions in duties and alleged favouritism in their allocation. They further discussed the need to exempt certain teachers from such duties on grounds of chronic illness, physical disability and pregnancy. c m y b Another issue raised was the mandatory requirement of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for government teachers. On April 26, as many as 3,838 teachers appeared for the test at five examination centres in Amritsar district. Teachers expressed concern that despite assurances of introducing a bill, the state government has not acted in accordance with Supreme Court directions on mandating TET. Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh, while accepting the memorandum, assured the delegation that duties would be rationalised. He said that school heads would not be assigned as enumerators or kept in reserve duty, that “one in a couple” cases would be considered, and that merit-based exemptions would be granted to pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses. lifting process in Tarn Taran dist Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 28 Deputy Commissioner Rahul has stated that wheat procurement is progressing smoothly in the mandis across the district. He said that by Monday evening, a total of 6,07,149 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived, out of which 5,94,352 metric tonnes had been procured by various agencies. He added that Rs 1,239.12 crore has been paid to farmers for the procured crop within the stipulated time frame. The Deputy Commissioner has directed officials to further expedite the lifting process. Providing agencywise details, the official said that 2,00,914 metric tonnes (MT) were procured by Pangrain, 1,62,785 MT by Markfed, 1,25,737 MT by PUNSUP , A view of the Tarn Taran grain market. 92,945 MT by the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC), 11,182 MT by the FCI and 789 MT by private traders. He said that the government is committed to purchasing every grain brought to the mandis by farmers. However, the pace of lifting remains slow, prompting the official to issue strict instructions to accelerate the process. Large heaps of wheat can be seen at the Tarn Taran mandi, due to which officials are hesitant to provide updated figures.