16052026-ATR-01.qxd 5/15/2026 11:25 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY LANG DEPT LAUNCHES 'BOOK MATCHING GRANT' SCHEME CITY POET MALA AGGARWAL KEEPS LITERARY CULTURE ALIVE ROOPI GILL BRINGS PUNJABI HERITAGE TO CANNES FILM FEST The department has been making efforts to promote Punjabi language through a series of activities. P2 Mala Aggarwal Madhavi has been steadily nurturing poetry through her writings, public recitations and literary collaborations. P3 Roopi Gill appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, representing Punjabi cinema and promoting her film Chardikala. P4 » » » MAX 40°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 39°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET SATURDAY 7.20 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5.32 AM SATURDAY | 16 MAY 2026 | AMRITSAR Fuel price hike draws mixed response from city residents Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 People expressed mixed reactions to the hike in petrol and diesel prices after state-run fuel retailers — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) — increased fuel rates by Rs 3 per litre amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. With the latest revision, the price of petrol crossed the Rs 100 mark in the local market. Petrol now costs Rs 101.26 per litre against the earlier Rs 98.29, while diesel prices rose from Rs 88.09 to Rs 91.03 per litre at the local filling stations. Shubinder Kaur, a homemaker, said the hike was not entirely unexpected. Referring to the hype created after the outbreak of the conflict and the long delay in fuel price revision, she said people had anticipated a much steeper increase. However, she hoped industries and transporters would not pass on the burden to consumers and would instead absorb part of the impact. Balram Sharma said middleincome families were always the worst affected by inflation. In Amritsar, petrol now costs ~101.26 per litre against the earlier ~98.29, while the diesel price has risen from ~88.09 to ~91.03 per litre. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR “This is the second shock for them after the recent increase in milk prices,” he said. He feared the fuel price hike could trigger a chain reaction, with companies raising prices of goods and services, thereby pushing overall inflation higher and increasing the cost of essential commodities. Rajinder Singh, a farmer, said agriculture depended heavily on diesel. From duce to mandis — required diesel and petrol-powered vehicles. He added that the rise in fuel prices would significantly increase agricultural expenses. Industrialist Raman Gupta said the hike would also push up industrial input costs. He added that industries were already grappling with slowdown and liquidity issues influenced by global economic factors. IndiGo expands ops, announces Amritsar-Noida flight from June 15 Three detained in Tehsilpura murder case Charanjit Singh Teja Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 Expanding domestic air connectivity from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, IndiGo has announced a new Amritsar-Noida flight from June 15 as part of its operations from the newly inaugurated Noida International Airport. The airline will also launch a daily Hyderabad-Amritsar service via Noida, further linking Amritsar with southern India and several onward domestic destinations through the NCR airport hub. According to the flight schedule, flight 6E 2490 will depart Hyderabad at 6.25 am and reach Noida at 8.35 am before continuing to Amritsar at 10.10 am and arriving at 11.20 am. The return flight 6E 2491 will leave Amritsar at 12.15 pm, reach Noida at 1.20 pm and depart for Hyderabad at 2.50 pm, landing there at 4.50 pm. Welcoming the development, Yogesh Kamra, con- Amritsar, May 15 Even as the police detained three suspects in connection with the brutal murder of a youth in the Tehsilpura area, a chilling video of the crime went viral on social media on Friday, triggering fear and outrage among residents. In the footage, the accused were allegedly seen repeatedly stabbing the victim before placing his body on a scooter. One of the suspects was also allegedly seen sitting atop the corpse while moving through the streets. The victim, identified as Kunal, was allegedly murdered by Vansh and his associates late on Wednesday night. According to the police, the accused roamed through the lanes of Tehsilpura, Rani Bagh and Sharifpura for nearly three kilometres with the body continued on page 2 FILE PHOTO ploughing fields with tractors to transporting crops to grain markets and operating equipment used for fertilisers and pesticides, farming activities largely rely on diesel-run machinery. Any increase in fuel prices, he said, directly raises input costs for farmers. Another farmer, Bhupinder Singh, said every stage of farming — from sowing and harvesting to transporting pro- A view of Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. vener, Fly Amritsar Initiative, said the new service would strengthen Amritsar’s connectivity with another major city while also providing passengers access to multiple onward connections through Noida, including Hyderabad and other domestic airports. IndiGo has begun commercial operations from Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15 and has become the first airline to operate from the third airport in the National Capital Region. The airline plans to gradually expand services from the airport to over 16 destinations across the country, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar. 24 cellphones seized from jail inmates Punjab Chemist Assn flags issues related to online licensing portal Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 Authorities at the Amritsar Central Jail have confiscated 24 mobile phones and several SIM cards from inmates during separate search operations conducted over the past two days. Following the recoveries, three FIRs were registered under Sections 42 and 52-A of the Prisons Act against the accused inmates. According to jail authorities, the recoveries were made during routine continued on page 2 Amritsar, May 15 Chemists in Punjab have been facing several challenges regarding Online National Drug Licensing System (ONDLS) being implemented in the state. The platform aimed at streamlining the drug licensing is having some technical issues. The Punjab Chemist Association led by Surinder Duggal had taken up the issue with Kamalpreet Kaur Brar, Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, during the drug advisory committee meeting in Chandigarh on Thursday. They highlighted widespread resentment among pharmacy owners, who alleged that the newly introduced ONDLS portal has made the process of obtaining and renewing drug licences cumbersome and time-consuming. Chemists claimed that the online portal was formally imposed without adequately addressing technical glitches and operational concerns raised by stakeholders. Duggal alleged that while earlier the renewal of drug licences used to be completed within four to five days, the same process is now taking nearly two to three months after the introduction of the new portal. Pharmacy owners also pointed to confusion regarding the registration and renewal process for godowns, alleging that no clear guidelines had been issued on whether separate fresh applications or renewal procedures were required. continued on page 2 c m y b AAP activists protest hike in fuel prices Amritsar, May 15 AAP chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has said that the BJP-led Central Government displayed its anti-farmer attitude by hiking the rates of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre. He said the hike was effected days before the start of the paddy sowing season in Punjab. Paddy sowing will commence from June 1 here, he said. Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Dhaliwal, staged a protest at a petrol pump against the sudden increase in petrol and diesel prices. Senior party leaders and workers raised slogans against the Central Government. Carrying placards, the protesters expressed their resentment over rising inflation and called the price hike a “robbery of the public’s pockets”. Dhaliwal said the Central Government has completely failed to manage the country’s economy. He claimed that rising petrol and diesel prices will not only impact private vehicle drivers, but also make daily necessities like fruits, vegetables and milk difficult to buy due to increased freight costs. The prices of essential commodities will also increase. He warned the government that if prices are not immediately reduced, the party will intensify its struggle. — TNS ADA demolishes three illegal colonies on Ram Tirath Road Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 The District Town Planner (Regulatory) wing of the Amritsar Development Authority (ADA), under the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA), carried out demolition action against three newly developing unauthorised colonies on Ram Tirath Road as part of an ongoing drive against illegal developments in the district. The action was conducted against New Maple City, an unauthorised colony opposite Ekam Garden, and RT Enclave (Extension) located at Wadala Bhittewad village. Illegal development works at the sites were demolished with the help of yellow claw machines on Wednesday. District Town Planner Amarinderjit Singh said notices under the PAPRA Act, 1995, had earlier been issued to stop development activities in the unauthorised colonies. Despite the notices, the developers allegedly continued construction and development work without providing any clarification to the department, prompting the authorities to initiate demolition action on May 14. He said similar action had previously been taken against New Maple City on September 3, 2024, and against RT An unauthorised colony being razed in Amritsar on Friday. Enclave (Extension) on April 4, 2025. However, the developers allegedly resumed work at the sites, following which the newly raised structures and development works were demolished again. The official further said under the amended provisions of the PAPRA Act-1995 (Amendment 2024), persons involved in developing unauthorised colonies can face imprisonment ranging from five to 10 years along with fines between ~25 lakh and ~5 crore. He said that the police department is also being approached on the basis of revenue records to initiate legal action against landowners and developers involved in such unauthorised colonies. The Regulatory Wing of ADA appealed to residents not to purchase plots in illegal colonies without verifying approvals from the PUDA department. Citizens were advised to check details of unauthorised colonies on the official website of the Amritsar Development Authority before making property investments to avoid financial losses and future inconvenience. The department also urged the public to obtain all mandatory approvals from PUDA before undertaking any construction activity in the district.