11092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/10/2026 10:51 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C GNDU UNVEILS ACTION PLAN FOR AMRITSAR’S 450TH ANNIV GNDU SEEKS ~7 CRORE FOR NEW HOCKEY ASTROTURF NETAS, ACTORS TURN BACK THE CLOCK TO 80S Year-long event to bring together scholars, experts and artists at Guru Nanak Dev University. P2 The poor condition of the hockey ground is adversely affecting player training. P3 Ministers and movie stars all had the same idea — rewind the clock and let the Internet decide who did it best. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.38 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:07 AM » FRIDAY | 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR End of road for BRTS corridor; 31-km network to be dismantled Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 10 A corridor is built and dismantled a decade later. The objective was to ease congestion then; the objective is to ease congestion now. Funny but strange! With this, a whopping Rs 600 crore spent on the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor by the SAD-BJP government in 2016, goes down the drain. The dismantling of the corridor started on Wednesday, with the stretch in front of Alpha One chosen for the initial work instead of the Golden Gate, where the corridor starts. The entire 31-km network will be razed in phases. The corridor covers routes from the Golden Gate to Chheharta, Verka to Kacheri and the railway station to Crystal Chowk. The project was seen as a solution to the city’s traffic problem, with the authorities claiming that buses would arrive at stations every three minutes and ferry passengers to their Civic employees dismantle the BRTS corridor in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR STRUCTURES TO BE RAZED IN PHASES ■The entire network will be razed in phases. The corridor covers routes from the Golden Gate to Chheharta, Verka to Kacheri and the railway station to Crystal Chowk. The stretch in front of Alpha One has been chosen for the initial work. respective destinations faster than auto-rickshaws. It was also expected to encourage people to leave their private vehicles at home and reduce the num- ■The project was seen as a solution to the city’s traffic problem, with the authorities claiming that buses would arrive at stations every three minutes and ferry passengers to their respective destinations faster than auto-rickshaws. ber of autos on city roads. However, no such service ever started. Interestingly, the Municipal Corporation doesn’t have to spend a hefty amount on disman- tling the structure. Around 13 firms participated in the tender process and the contract was eventually awarded for just Rs 45,000. The contractor will get the material recovered during dismantling, but will have to level the entire stretch and bring it down to road level. Once the corridor goes and the road is readied, a new central verge will be constructed in its place. Civic body officials said the cost of the central verge and its new design would be around Rs 7 crore. Meanwhile, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla questioned the decision to scrap the BRTS project, saying if the government wanted to change the public transport system, an alternative arrangement should have been in place before scrapping the existing infrastructure. The plan to have new electric buses should have been communicated, said Aujla, demanding accountability, saying the project, initially estimated at around Rs 600 crore, cost the authorities nearly Rs 1,200 crore, as per claims. He said the money belonged to taxpayers and those responsible for planning and subsequently scrapping such projects should be held accountable. Two held with 935 gm heroin Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 10 The Ajnala police have arrested two persons, identified as Akashdeep Singh and Vishaldeep Singh, both residents of Sheikh Bhatti village, for possessing 935 gm of heroin. A police patrolling party received information that the accused supplied drugs in various parts of Ajnala and were spotted on the Pugge wali road in Talwandi Rai Dadu village on a motorcycle. Apart from recovering the contraband, the police impounded the bike. A case under relevant sections of the NDPS Act has been registered. Farmer duped of over ~6 lakh Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 10 A farmer from Mallunangal village in the Rajasansi area was allegedly duped of Rs 6.50 lakh by a person who called him from an international number, saying he was his nephew. Complainant Harbhinder Singh told the police that he received a call on August 16 from an international num- ber. The caller allegedly introduced himself as his nephew Hardeep Singh and engaged him in a conversation about family matters. The caller subsequently City loses green sheen; trees Arms supply network busted; 3 arrested felled for project, say locals with two AK-47 rifles, 50 live cartridges Pawan K Jaiswar Manmeet Singh Gill Amritsar, September 10 With the arrest of three persons, the Commissionerate Police have busted an alleged illegal arms supply network and recovered two AK-47 rifles, three magazines and 50 live cartridges from their possession in the Chheharta area. The accused have been identified as Gurmukh Singh (27), a pet shop owner from Chattiwind village, Parasdeep Singh (26), a labourer from Bhai Manjh Road, and Gurjant Singh (24), an agriculturist from Jaur Singh Wala village in Tarn Taran district. According to the police, Gurmukh and Parasdeep were arrested on September 5 on the basis of specific intelligence inputs leading to the recovery of the assault rifles. During interrogation, they allegedly disclosed that the weapons had been procured FOREIGN LINK ESTABLISHED Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 10 The city is losing its green cover, with the pace at which felling is taking place setting alarm bells ringing. Paving way for the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor, trees were felled along the Mall Road. Now, the same corridor is being dismantled. There was a time when tree canopies covered the stretch leading to the road. Locals say the gradual disappearance of trees is altering not only the appearance of the city, but its microclimate too. “Earlier, roads looked beautiful and trees provided the much-needed shade in summer. Now, these look so dull,” said Gurrattan Singh, a city resident. Plantation drives undertaken along roads comprise shrubs and small ornamental plants, he added. Residents say trees were axed along the iconic Mall Road in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR “Saplings were planted along the BRTS corridor, but most of them were flowering plants. No big trees have been added to the green cover in recent times,” said Jagtar Singh, another resident. The residents pointed out that road expansion and development are often being prioritised over preservation of mature trees. Among the few stretches that still retain some of the old-world greenery is Jamun Wali Road, where trees continue to give respite from the increasingly concrete landscape. Concerned over the decreasing green cover, the residents said: “Development and environmental protection need not be treated as competing priorities.” Footpaths cleared of rehris, temporary structures Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 10 Civic officials today removed rehris, temporary structures and other unauthorised encroachments along roads, footpaths and public places at Kot Baba Deep Singh. The officials warned vehicle owners against parking autos, tempos and other commercial vehicles in a haphazard manner. The action followed a complaint by councillor Kiranjit Kaur Babbar, Ward No. 47, South Constituency. The officials said regular monitoring and follow-up enforcement drives would be undertaken in the area. Secretary-cum-Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia said repeat offenders would be dealt with sternly. Investigation revealed that one of the accused was allegedly in contact with a foreign-based arms smuggler. The police suspect that the weapons were sent across the border through a drone and that the accused were planning to supply them. The police said a probe to identify other members of the network was on And that they were also trying to get to the intended recipients of the weapons. << The police at a press meet in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR through Gurjant Singh, following which he was also nominated in the case and arrested on September 7 from the Cantonment area. Preliminary investigation revealed that Gurjant was allegedly in contact with a foreign-based arms smuggler. The police suspect that the weapons were sent across Rehri carts, goods, material and other items found occupying public spaces in violation of rules may be seized during subsequent enforcement drives. The civic body urged residents to voluntarily remove any unauthorised occupation and contribute towards keeping the city’s roads, footpaths and public places clear, accessible and orderly. c m y b A case has been registered at the Chheharta police station under Sections 111 and 113 of the BNS and relevant provisions of the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the network and establish the source and intended recipients of the weapons. Now, 68 PCR beats for faster response, better policing Tribune News Service MC staff remove encroachments from a road in Kot Baba Deep Singh. the border through a drone and that the accused were planning to supply them to criminal elements. Gurmukh has one previous case registered against him at Chattiwind police station, while no previous criminal case has been found against Parasdeep and Gurjant, said the police. Amritsar, September 10 In a major overhaul, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has carved out 68 PCR beats across the city for a faster response to emergency calls, crime prevention and increased police visibility. As part of the revamped arrangement, Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill today flagged off 13 new PCR motorcycles and five vehicles. Thirty-six police personnel have also been deployed under the new system, while 22 additional traffic police personnel have been assigned duties. As many as 34 red alert points have been identified for quick deployment of PCR teams in case an immediate blockade is required following a crime. The system aims at enabling the police to seal important points within minutes and check suspicious persons and vehicles. The new arrangement replaces around 50 earlier beats, several of which overlapped the jurisdictions of two police stations, causing confusion and delays in responding to emergency calls. The beats have now been realigned according to police station boundaries, population density and ground realities, the Police Commissioner said. Motorcycle PCR units have been given preference in the congested and old city areas, while vehicles will patrol relatively open and newer areas. The department has set a target of responding to 112 emergency calls within five to 10 minutes. Gill informed that to prevent any beat from remaining unattended because of a vehicle breakdown, additional motorcycles have been kept in reserve at the police lines and would be dispatched as replacements whenever required. A dedicated beat book has also been prepared for each of the 68 beats. It will contain details of hospitals, religious continued on page 2 sought financial help from him. Believing that he was speaking to his nephew, the complainant transferred a total of Rs 6.50 lakh in different bank accounts as instructed by the caller. The complainant said he realised on August 20 that the person who had contacted him was not his nephew and that he had been deceived through the call. Bar poll today; 3,050 voters to seal fate of 50 contestants Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 10 The stage is set for the Amritsar Bar Association’s annual elections, with 10 polling booths set up in the association’s office rooms at the District Courts Complex here. As many as 3,050 advocates are eligible to vote and will decide the fate of 50 candidates on Friday. The contest for the post of president is expected to be a close one, with Gurpreet Singh Panesar and AL Sayali emerging as the main contenders. The third candidate, PS Walia, is also quietly consolidating his support base. For the post of vice-president, incumbent Rajdeep Singh Ghuman is facing a stiff challenge from Amritpal Singh Momi, who is said to have made in-roads into his vote bank. Puneet Sharma is also in the fray. The contest for vice-president (woman) is likely to witness a keen battle between senior advocates Parkashdeep Kaur and DK Bedi. Sharanpal Kaur Sandhu and Naresh Bala are also making efforts to mobilise support. The secretary’s post has turned into a triangular contest between Harsimran Singh, Sanpreet Singh Mann and Gurmeet Mann. Five candidates — Saurabh Sharma, Akshay Jain, Dheeraj Anand, Rajni Joshi and Sunil Kumar — are contesting for joint secretary. For treasurer, Kapil Sharma is giving a strong challenge to former treasurer Rakesh Sharma. The newly created librarian’s post will see a contest between Narinder Kaur and Sunaina Soni. The senior executive posts are being contested by Satinder Chhina, Raman Monga, Anuradha Arora, Geetanjali, Gagan Bhatia and Harpreet Grover. Several candidates, continued on page 2