10072026-ATR-01.qxd 7/10/2026 12:11 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SANITATION TAKES HIT AS WORKERS' STRIKE ENTERS DAY 2 DESIGNER MANISH MALHOTRA’S ‘MAA’ COLLECTION SIDHARTH’S THE VVAAN TO BE RELEASED ON SEPT 25 The indefinite strike by sanitation workers continued for the second consecutive day in Tarn Taran on Thursday. P2 Manish Malhotra marked a milestone in his career by making his official debut at Paris Haute Couture Week on July 8. P4 Sidharth Malhotra-starrer The Vvaan has got a new release date. It will now be released on September 25. P4 » » » SUNSET FRIDAY 7.38 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5.33 AM FRIDAY | 10 JULY 2026 | AMRITSAR MC’s birth, death certificate backlog soars past 25,000 Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 9 The pendency of birth and death certificate applications has increased sharply in Amritsar, with over 25,000 applications pending at the Amritsar Municipal Corporation’s Birth and Death Registration wing and another 9,200 applications awaiting disposal at the Civil Surgeon’s office. The growing backlog has been attributed to a sudden surge in online applications after schools made digital birth certificates mandatory for admissions and other official purposes. Increased demand under various government schemes has further added to the workload. The Municipal Corporation is now receiving 1,000 to 1,200 applications daily, compared to the number it earlier received in an entire week. However, the department is able to process only about 450 applications each day, resulting in a steady rise in pending cases. The Civil Surgeon’s office, which handles applications from rural areas as well as correction and delayed registration cases from both urban and rural regions, is facing a similar situation. It receives around 700 applications daily but disposes of only about 125 applications a day. CIVIC BODY RECEIVES 1,200 APPLICATIONS DAILY ■ Officials have attributed the daily but is able to process only around 450 each day. ■ The Civil Surgeon’s office is also grappling with heavy pendency, disposing of only about 125 applications against nearly 700 daily submissions. ■ Recent staff reshuffling in the surge in pendency to a sharp rise in online applications and increased demand for digital birth certificates. ■ The Municipal Corporation receives up to 1,200 applications Sources said the pendency at the Municipal Corporation has also increased due to recent staff reshuffling in the Birth and Death Registration wing. Experienced supervisors, who had been handling the work for several years, were transferred to the Health Department, while newly posted employees are still familiarising themselves with the registration process. The Municipal Corporation currently has eight employees handling birth and death certificate registrations and benefits from multiple approval levels for processing applications. However, the Civil Surgeon’s office lacks similar operational flexibility, slowing the disposal of cases. Officials said employees in both offices are under pres- sure to clear the mounting backlog as fresh applications continue to pour in every day. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia acknowledged the increase in pendency, saying the sudden spike in online applications had placed an unexpected burden on the system. He said the workload was being reviewed and additional staff would be deployed. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Victim had paid ~13L to travel agent 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (abetment of suicide) against Gurpreet Kaur, a travel agent who operates an office in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar. According to the complainant, the family had paid Rs 13 lakh to the accused to facilitate the overseas education of their daughter, Rupinderjit Kaur. However, despite repeated visits to the agent’s office, their daughter was not sent abroad and the family was repeatedly assured that the process was underway, she alleged. Sarabjit Kaur further stated that the family had sold its agricultural land to raise the money. She alleged that the agent neither fulfilled the promised services nor returned the amount, leaving the family under severe financial hardship and mental distress. Tarn Taran man dies in fire in Dubai Pawan K Jaiswar Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 9 The Amritsar Police Commissionerate has returned 274 mobile phones worth approximately Rs 41.40 lakh to their owners. This marks the fourth major distribution drive undertaken by the city police. Earlier, 100 mobile phones were returned in the first phase, 200 in the second and 400 in the third, taking the total number of recovered and returned handsets to 974. The police have recovered a total of 974 lost mobile phones worth around Rs 1.67 crore over the past year and returned them to their rightful owners, highlighting the growing role of technology and the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) in tracing missing devices. The recovered handsets included premium and midrange smartphones from brands such as Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Poco, Vivo, Oppo, Redmi, Realme and Xiaomi. The devices were traced from different parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and various districts of Punjab. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the phones were traced using technical surveillance and the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), which enables Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar hands over a mobile phone to its rightful owner in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR investigators to track mobile phones through their unique IMEI numbers even if the SIM card is changed. During the investigation, the devices were traced to locations, including Srinagar, Bengaluru, Raebareilly, Agra, Madhya Pradesh, Ludhiana and several other places before being restored to their owners, he said. Rajbir Kaur, in-charge of the cyber cell, said police teams carried out sustained technical surveillance to trace the missing devices. She said the teams worked tirelessly to recover the phones. “We face difficulties in getting the mobile phones back because people sometimes do not return them easily. They have to be persuaded repeatedly to hand over the devices,” she said. Of the 274 phones recovered in the latest phase, 220 were traced by the Cyber Crime police station, while the remaining 54 were recovered by the Central Sub-Division police. Sakshi, a local resident, said she had recently lost her expensive mobile phone, but the police helped recover it. She said the phone contained important data. “I had lost all hope of getting my mobile phone back, but I was delighted when I received a call from the cyber cell informing me that it had been recovered,” said another resident who had recently lost his Apple iPhone. The police have advised citizens to immediately report the loss of a mobile phone at the nearest police station or Saanjh Kendra and register the device on the CEIR portal. Prompt reporting and IMEI-based tracking significantly improve the chances of recovery while preventing the misuse of lost or stolen devices. Tarn Taran, July 9 A 31-year-old man from Kakka Kandiala village in Tarn Taran district died in a fire while working in Dubai. The deceased was identified as Ranjit Singh, son of Harwinder Singh. Ranjit Singh had moved to Dubai around three and a half years ago, where he was employed as a painter with a company. A few days ago, he was working on the fifth floor of the company’s premises when a pipe suddenly burst, triggering a fire. He died in the incident. Body cremated at native village His body was brought back to his native village through the efforts of Dr SPS Oberoi, social worker and patron of the Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust. The Trust members transported the body from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, to Tarn Taran. Dilbagh Singh Yodha, district president of the Trust, along with Kulrajbir Singh Kang, Mukhram Singh, Gulbag Singh, Bikramjit Singh Kang and others, accompanied the body to the victim’s residence. They also attended the last rites, which were held in the presence of a large number of local residents. Police step up inspections to strengthen law and order 52-yr-old man ends life; travel agent booked Amritsar, July 9 A 52-year-old man allegedly died by suicide after reportedly being cheated of Rs 13 lakh by a travel agent who had promised to send his daughter abroad for higher studies. The deceased, identified as Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Dial Bhadang village, allegedly consumed a poisonous substance on July 7. He was rushed to a private hospital in Amritsar, where he died during treatment. Based on a complaint lodged by his wife, Sarabjit Kaur, the police have registered a case under Section Birth and Death Registration wing has further slowed the processing of applications. ■ Staff is working under pressure as fresh applications continue to outpace the disposal rate. Police return 274 lost cellphones worth over ~41 lakh to owners Members of the Democratic Teachers’ Front during a protest. Two days after teacher’s death, unions demand ~2-crore relief for family Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 9 Two days after Gurpreet Singh, a government school teacher deputed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Gurdaspur, allegedly died by suicide, teachers’ organisations have demanded compensation for his family. Condemning the incident and seeking accountability, the Gurdaspur unit of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) has sought monetary compensation of Rs 2 crore for the deceased’s family. “He died while performing his duty. Besides, it was the stress of carrying out non-academic work that allegedly drove him to take the extreme step. The authorities concerned must take responsibility,” said Harjinder Singh Wadala, district president of the DTF (Gurdaspur). Gurpreet Singh was a teacher at Government Primary School, Bhaini Mian Khan, and had been assigned the role of Booth Level Officer (BLO) for the SIR exercise. His wife is also a government school teacher. According to the DTF Gur, preet was performing double duties. “Apart from SIR, he was also engaged in the Drug Social Survey. Many teachers in Gurdaspur are performing multiple non-academic duties, while single-teacher schools, especially in rural border areas, remain shut because there are no teachers available to conduct classes,” Harjinder alleged. The Democratic Teachers’ Front (Punjab) and other joint teachers’ organisations have decided to meet the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner on July 13 to submit a written memorandum of protest. Before the SIR exercise began in Punjab, several teachers had objected to being assigned Booth Level Officer duties, arguing that the exercise would disrupt classroom teaching and add to the burden of non-academic work. Teacher unions are now describing Gurpreet’s death as a tragic consequence of excessive administrative pressure on teachers. The organisations have demanded that the government investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, provide adequate support to the bereaved family and reduce the burden of non-teaching duties on teachers. Amritsar, July 9 Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and DIG (Border Range) Harmanbir Singh Gill conducted surprise inspections across the city and rural areas under their respective jurisdictions to strengthen security and enforce police discipline. They reviewed security arrangements, police deployment and the functioning of police stations. Bhullar visited key religious places, the bus stand, the railway station, sensitive locations and various checkpoints across the city to assess law and order arrangements. He also inspected Police Control Room (PCR) vehicles, Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and patrolling units, evaluating their deployment, response time and operational readiness. Interacting with officers and personnel on duty, the Police Commissioner directed them to remain alert, disciplined and vigilant while performing their duties. He emphasised that police personnel equipped with modern weapons must remain prepared to tackle any emergency and closely monitor suspicious activities. Bhullar said ensuring the safety of residents, pilgrims and visitors remained the police’s foremost priority. He added that night patrolling, naka checking, PCR patrols, QRT deployment and special checking drives would continue to strengthen public security. He also appealed to citizens to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police and cooperate in maintaining peace. Senior officers, including Police officials at a checkpost in Amritsar. DCPs, ADCPs and ACPs, accompanied the Police Commissioner during the inspections and reviewed security arrangements in their respective jurisdictions. Meanwhile, DIG (Border Range) Harmanbir Singh Gill conducted surprise inspections of police stations and checkpoints in the rural belt to assess policing standards, discipline and law and order preparedness. During his visit to the Rajasansi police station, Gill examined personnel attendance, station records, weapon maintenance, security arrangements and duty management. He warned that negligence, indiscipline, absence from duty or irresponsible conduct would not be tolerated under any circumstances. The DIG directed all Station House Officers to ensure regular monitoring of police personnel and stressed that every officer must discharge duties honestly and with discipline. He also warned that consuming alcohol while on duty, unauthorised absence or any form of negligence would invite strict disciplinary action. Gill said surprise inspections would continue without prior notice to ensure accountability and further improve policing standards across the border range. Sub-Inspector , accomplice held SHO found absent with 300 gm heroin, ‘drug money’ at ‘naka’ suspended , Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, July 9 The police have arrested a Punjab Police Sub-Inspector (SI) and his alleged woman accomplice after recovering 300 grams of heroin and Rs 1.27 lakh in alleged drug money from their possession. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surendra Lamba identified the arrested police personnel as SI Sahib Singh, a resident of Majjupur in Tarn Taran. Sahib Singh is currently posted as the investigating officer (IO) at the Khalra police station. The arrested woman has been identified as Kinder Kaur, a native of Mari Udhoke village, who is currently residing in Baba Jallan Colony at c m y b Chabal in Tarn Taran. Apart from recovering the heroin and alleged drug money, the police also impounded their white Hyundai i20 car (PB-02-CT-8126), in which the two were travelling. Sharing operational details, SSP Surendra Lamba said that acting on a reliable tipoff, a police patrol team, led by SHO Baljinder Singh of the Khalra police station, intercepted the car at Baba Jallan Colony in the Chabal area. The two occupants were detained and subsequently identified as SI Sahib Singh and Kinder Kaur, he said. The SSP said that during a search conducted in the presence of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhbir Singh, the police recovered 300 grams of heroin concealed in the right trouser pocket of SI Sahib Singh, while Rs 1.27 lakh, suspected to be drug money, was recovered from the purse of Kinder Kaur. Further investigations are underway to establish the forward and backward linkages in the case, the SSP added. A case under Sections 21-C, 27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Chabal police station in Tarn Taran. Police sources said that SI Sahib Singh and his alleged accomplice, Kinder Kaur, are suspected of supplying heroin to different parts of Punjab as well as other states. Following his arrest, SI Sahib Singh has been suspended with immediate effect. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 9 Deputy Inspector General (Border Range) Harmanbir Singh Gill on Thursday placed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Rajasansi police station, Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh, under suspension for alleged negligence after he was found absent during a surprise inspection. According to police sources, the DIG was conducting surprise checks of police ‘nakas’ in the Rajasansi area when the SHO was found missing from his assigned ‘naka’ duty. He was later found sleeping in a room at the police sta- tion. Meanwhile, a video of the ordeal surfaced on social media, purportedly showing the DIG confronting the SHO inside the police station. The video allegedly shows the officer laying in a room at the station, while the DIG can be heard reprimanding him in Punjabi, saying, “Tera naka hai, te tu kithe hai? Ithe agg lagi hai te tu sutta peya hai” (“You are responsible for the ‘naka’, so where were you? There is a crisis here and you are sleeping”). He immediately ordered the SHO’s suspension. Police officials said departmental action was initiated and the SHO was placed under suspension pending further inquiry.