11052026-ATR-01.qxd 5/11/2026 12:13 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY 120 KHALSA COLLEGE OF NURSING STUDENTS RECEIVE DEGREES SANITATION WORKERS HOLD DHARNA OVER UNMET DEMANDS ACTOR SANJAY DUTT SHARES TRIBUTE TO NARGIS DUTT At least 120 KCN students of graduate and post-graduate classes were today awarded degrees. P2 Sanitation workers of the Tarn Taran municipal council staged a dharna on the fifth day of their indefinite strike. P2 MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 25°C Sanjay Dutt marked Mother’s Day with a tribute to his late mother Nargis Dutt, sharing a series of photographs. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.17 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.35 AM » MONDAY | 11 MAY 2026 | AMRITSAR Public park at Katra Moti Ram cries for upkeep & renovation Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 10 A public park located at Katra Moti Ram near Hathi Gate in the walled city is suffering from neglect and deteriorating infrastructure, leaving local residents upset over poor maintenance by the administration. Tikoni Park, which was once developed as a recreational space for residents, is now in a deplorable condition. Broken footpaths, defunct fountains, heaps of garbage, and overgrown wild grass have become common sights inside the park. Residents alleged that no serious efforts are being made by the civic body authorities for its upkeep and maintenance. Ironically, the park still displays several inauguration plaques installed by political leaders over the years, highlighting various development and beautification projects. However, residents claim that very little of the promised development is visible on the ground. In 2010, senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla had inaugurated development works for the park and the 12 armed men barge into house, injure 3 family members AAP leaders hold protest outside BJP leader Chugh’s house over ED raids Tribune News Service A view of the damaged pathway at a public park at Katra Moti Ram near Hathi Gate in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR commemorative stone installed at that time still stands there. Similarly, former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Shwait Malik had inaugurated an open-air gym in the park, with the inauguration plaque still visible at the site. Apart from this, Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Om Prakash Soni, along with councillor Vikas Soni, had inaugurated renovation works in the park in 2022. Local resident Rakesh Kumar said that while boards highlighting works undertaken by different governments and leaders continue to stand inside the park, the actual development is nowhere to be seen. He pointed out that the fountains installed in the park are lying defunct, while the pathways have been badly damaged. Another resident, Raj Rani, who regularly visits the park for morning and evening walks, said the overgrown grass has increased the risk of snakes, stray dogs, and rodents inside the park. She demanded that the Amritsar Municipal Corporation immediately make proper arrangements for the park’s maintenance and cleanliness. Amritsar, May 10 Activists of the district unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday staged a protest against the alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against their party leaders outside the residence of BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh. During the protest, AAP MLAs alleged that party leader and minister Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the ED on Saturday as part of political vendetta. They further claimed that the BJP had earlier pressured AAP Rajya Sabha members to join the BJP through ED raids and investigations. The protest was led by AAP district president Prabhbir Singh Brar and attended by Amritsar Lok Sabha incharge Jaskaran Singh Bandesha, Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, MLAs Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Dr Ajay Gupta, Jasbir Faith march Singh Sandhu, Jeevanjot Kaur and Dalbir Singh Tong. The leaders alleged that during the last one month, the ED conducted multiple raids at Sanjeev Arora’s residence and offices. Despite repeated raids, they claimed, Arora did not succumb to BJP pressure. They further accused the BJP of using central agencies to target and suppress opposition leaders. They stated that action was initiated against Sanjeev Arora because he had succeeded in attracting large-scale investment to Punjab, thereby strengthening the state’s economy, which, according to them, did not suit the BJP . AAP district president Prabhbir Singh Brar claimed that Sanjeev Arora’s house Undertrial dies during treatment, family alleges negligence, seeks thorough probe Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 10 Panic gripped Kotla Saida village in the Kathunangal area in the Majitha Assembly segment after a group of over 12 armed men barged into a house late on Saturday night, opened fire outside the residence and assaulted family members before fleeing. According to villagers, the attackers first fired multiple shots outside the house and damaged the windows of a car parked there. They later entered the house and assaulted Baljit Singh, his wife Harminder Kaur and their son with sharp-edged weapons. The entire incident was recorded in the CCTV cameras installed in the house. The motive behind the brutal attack was yet to be ascertained, while the police have recorded the statement of the family members and registered a case in this connection, said the police authorities, adding that the CCTV footage installed at the house was being examined to identify the assailants. In her statement to the police, Harminder Kaur said her husband Baljit Singh worked as a taxi driver, while her father-in-law Prakash Singh was engaged in farming. The family lives together in the village. She alleged that around 9 pm, shortly after her husband returned home and went to take bath, they heard repeated gunshots outside the house. When she came out to check, five-seven youths were allegedly entering the house forcibly. “When I asked them why they had come and tried to stop them, one of them abused me and threatened to drag my husband out,” she alleged. She said the unknown attackers assaulted him with an electric iron and a “datar”. Their son also tried continued on page 2 Activists of the district unit of the Aam Aadmi Party during a protest in front of the residence of national general secretary of BJP Tarun Chugh in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR was raided three times and that he was eventually arrested after refusing to join the BJP . Lok Sabha in-charge Jaskaran Singh Bandesha alleged that the BJP was directing central agencies across the country to harass opposition leaders and using investigative agencies as political tools. He said that the people of Punjab were fully aware of this political strategy and that the “real face” of the BJP had now been exposed. The leaders also alleged that the BJP mistreated Punjab farmers during the farmers’ movement and later attempted to weaken Punjab’s rights in the BBMB, Chandigarh, and Panjab University. They claimed that these measures were aimed at undermining Punjab’s interests. Raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the protesters accused the BJP of harbouring an anti-Punjab mindset. Devotees of the South Indian Hindu goddess Maha Mariamman demostrate extreme acts of devotion during the annual religious procession in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, May 10 An undertrial lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail died during treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on Saturday night, triggering allegations of negligence and drug abuse inside the jail premises. The deceased was identified as Lovepreet Singh, who had been lodged in the jail for the past twoand-a-half years. According to the police, he had been unwell for several days and was shifted to the hospital on Friday after his condition deteriorated. Majitha Road police station SHO Rakesh Kumar said the exact cause of death would be determined only after the postmortem report. The body was handed over to the police and a postmortem examination was conducted at Government Medical College on Sunday in the presence of a magistrate. Family members and relatives of deceased jail inmate outside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. The family of the deceased alleged that Lovepreet was not receiving proper medical treatment in jail despite being ill for more than a month. His mother, Baljit Kaur, said the family had informed jail authorities about his worsening health condition during a recent meeting with him. She further alleged that marks resembling injection wounds were found on his arm. The family claimed that Lovepreet’s condition deteriorated due to drug abuse inside the jail. — TNS Commuters want shorter signal wait Constructionworkonradialroads at light points during heatwave in city toGoldenTemplefromnextweek Charanjit Singh Teja Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 10 With temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Celsius, commuters in the city are finding it increasingly difficult to endure long waits at traffic signals during the afternoon hours. Residents, especially two-wheeler riders, have urged the administration to reduce signal waiting times during noon hours when roads remain comparatively less crowded, but traffic lights continue to operate on fixed long-duration cycles. Several commuters complained that many major intersections lack shade or shelter, forcing motorists to stand directly under the scorching sun for more than two minutes at red lights. At some traffic signals, the waiting time extends up to 140 seconds even when traffic flow is minimal. Two-wheeler riders said the Most traffic intersections have a cycle of 140 seconds which make it difficult for people to wait during peak heat hours. situation becomes even more uncomfortable due to the intense heat generated by vehicles standing close together at intersections. They added that the long waiting period not only causes inconvenience but also leads to fatigue and irritation among commuters. Residents pointed out that during noon hours, many intersections witness light traffic movement, yet the signal timings remain unchanged. They suggested that traffic lights should function through a flexible timing mechanism that automatically reduces waiting time when vehicle density is low during afternoon hours. c m y b “It is very difficult to stand under the blazing sun for over two minutes while waiting for the signal to turn green, especially for elderly riders and children travelling with their parents,” said commuter Swaran Singh. Another resident, Ram Avtar, suggested that adaptive traffic management could help ease the problem. “There should be a mechanism that reduces waiting time at traffic signals when traffic is less. It would mean shorter green time for everyone, but since traffic remains light during noon hours, it would not inconvenience commuters. During peak hours, the timing can again be restored,” he said. Residents have appealed to the traffic police and municipal authorities to review signal timings and explore smart traffic solutions to provide relief during the ongoing summer heat. Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 10 The construction and renovation work on the four radial roads leading to the Golden Temple is set to begin next week as part of a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at improving civic amenities and easing traffic movement in the city’s central areas. The decision was reviewed at a meeting between Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill and senior civic officials regarding ongoing and upcoming development projects in the Central Assembly constituency. Officials discussed plans to redesign the four key roads with upgraded infrastructure and a heritage-style appearance, considering the heavy daily footfall of devotees visiting the Golden Temple. MC ALSO REVIEWS KAIRON MARKET PARKING ■ The civic body also reviewed the progress of the Kairon Market parking complex project, which is expected to help address persistent traffic congestion and parking issues in nearby commercial areas. The civic body also reviewed the progress of the Kairon Market parking complex project, which is expected to help address persistent traffic congestion and parking issues in nearby commercial areas. Officials said development works worth around Rs 10 crore under the Rangla Punjab project had been approved for the constituency, with estimates and tendering expected to be completed shortly. In addition, projects worth nearly Rs 23 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme are also set to be initiated. The approved works include strengthening of the sewerage network, regular water supply, road construction, improved street-lighting, environmental cleanliness measures and renovation of public parks across various wards of the constituency. Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill said development works were underway across all wards of the Central constituency and added that work orders for projects worth nearly Rs 4 crore had already been issued. He directed officials to expedite the implementation process in the coming days. Senior Municipal Corporation officials, including engineering, health and estate department representatives, attended the meeting.