16052022-ATR-01.qxd 5/15/2022 11:45 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar TRIBUNE MAKE PEOPLE DIGITALLY ALERT, AWARENESS MUST IN MASSES With use of our common sense & logic, we can stop a majority of cyber crimes from happening, say residents. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY INBRIEF WOMAN RUN OVER BY TRAIN Tarn Taran: A woman was run over by a running train near the local Gurdwara Shaheedi Fatak on Saturday. The deceased had been identified as Manju Kundra, a local resident. She was a teacher at a local private school. Sub-Inspector Gurwinder Singh, in-charge of the Government Railways Police (GRP) post, said the deceased failed to observe the coming train when she was crossing the railway line and died on the spot, when she was hit by the train. A report under Section 174 of the CrPC was lodged by the GRP. The post-mortem was conducted at the local Civil Hospital on Sunday. OC PHARMACIST ASSN CHIEF ELECTED Amritsar: Ashok Sharma was elected as the district president of the Punjab State Pharmacy Officers’ Association during the elections for the executive body held here on Sunday. Palwinder Singh Dhamu was elected as the general secretary, Jasmel Singh Vallah as finance secretary, Tasbir Singh Randhawa as senior vicepresident and Karan Singh Lopoke as the vice-president. Ashok Sharma said the new executive body would take up issues of the employees with the authorities concerned. TNS PAGE 2 PAGE 3 NIMRAT KAUR BEGINS SHOOTING FOR YET ANOTHER INT’L PROJECT AISHWARYA RAJ BHAKUNI SET TO MAKE BIG BOLLYWOOD DEBUT After wrapping Foundation S2, the actress is back to the grind with another international project. MAX 41°C | MIN 28°C | YESTERDAY MAX 45°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET MONDAY 7:20 PM PAGE 4 Aishwarya Raj is excited to make her Bollywood debut with Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s magnum opus Prithviraj. SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:32 AM MONDAY | 16 MAY 2022 | AMRITSAR Post GMC fire, dry transformers ...a wake-up call for others? installed to check future mishaps Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 Two new dry transformers were installed to supply power to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on Sunday after the massive fire incident at the GMC building on Saturday. Earlier, the hospital had transformers which contained oil. It has been found that the oil from the transformers had leaked and caused a major fire accident. Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said it has been found that the old transformers, which had caused the fire on Saturday, were installed in the ’70s. He said the oil from the old transformers had leaked and caused the fire. He said the two new transformers of 500 kW each are the latest technology dry transformers, which would rule out any future chances of oil leakage and hence fire accidents. The minister said as a pre- GROCERY STORE CATCHES FIRE ON SULTANWIND ROAD MINISTERSPEAK It has been found that old transformers, which caused the ❝Saturday, were installedthethe ’70s. The oil from thehadtransformersfire on in old had leaked and caused the fire. The two new transformers of 500 kW each are the latest technology dry transformers, which will rule out any future chances of oil leakage and hence fire accidents. Harbhajan Singh ETO, POWER MINISTER caution, the new transformers would be installed at a distance from the building, whereas the old transformers were installed inside the building. The minister claimed that ❞ he had given a proposal to the Chief Minister to install dry transformers after the Saturday’s fire incident after getting the approval from him. The machines were dispatched to the GMC and the Amritsar: A prominent grocery store ‘Baniyan di Hatti’, near the 100 FT Road intersection on the local Sultanwind Road, caught fire on Sunday evening. Goods worth lakhs were gutted in the incident. As it was Sunday, the shop was closed. Shop owner Anil Kishore said around 6.30 pm, he got an information that smoke was billowing out from his shop. A fire tender from Seva Society, Fire Service, Dhab, and two vehicles from the municipal fire department reached the spot. The owner claimed that he was observing power fluctuations for the last two-three days, which could have been the cause behind the fire. Anil claimed that he even lodged a complaint with PSPCL over the phone. Meanwhile, SHO, Police Station B-Division, Navdeep Singh Gill, said police action was initiated after receiving information about the fire and police officers were deployed to control the traffic in the area. TNS installation was started on Sunday morning. He said though the power to the hospital was being supplied uninterruptedly even after the fire breakout, the new set up would ensure bet- ter services. He said no negligence on the part of any employee had been found out so far. He said the only known reason for the accident was the old transformers. Amritsar, May 15 The fire that broke out at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital has served as a wake-up call for the administrators of public places such as shopping malls, hotels, ISBT, educational institutes and railway station among others to fine tune fire extinguishing paraphernalia to contain any untoward event in future. Team efforts, put in by even bystanders in rescuing patients from the building of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital when it was up in flames on Saturday, played a key role. Disaster management requires comprehensive measures to contain and mitigate the impact of any natural and man-made disaster. A large number of commercial buildings, reflecting modern architecture, have been added to the topography of the centuries old holy city. Each floor should have a fire Continued on page 2 PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR A large number of commercial buildings have been added to the topography of the city. Each floor should have a fire alarm system. Garbage keeps burning here from time to time, anyone listening? FIVE SNATCHERS ARRESTED Residents a harried lot as dump piled up near the Bhagtanwala grain market occasionally catches fire Amritsar: Acting on a tip-off, the airport police have arrested five snatchers and robbers. They have been identified as Amritpal Singh of Cheema Kalan village in Tarn Taran; Ritik of Lahori Gate; Gurpreet Singh of Jandiala Guru; Rahul of Khai Mohalla and Suchan Sahib of Khazana Gate. According to the police, they were involved in many snatching instances that occurred in Amritsar and adjoining areas. They were nabbed from the backside of Radisson Blue hotel located on Airport Road. The police said they were equipped with illegal weapons. They were brought on police remand and further investigations were on. A case under Sections 399 and 420 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against them. TNS Charanjit Singh Teja RESIDENTSPEAK Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 Residents of localities around Bhagtanwala dumping ground have still not got any respite from pollution as the government hasn’t made any effort to shift the dump out of the city. The dump piled up near the grain market occasionally catches fire as well and is up in flames since Friday. Area residents claimed that the Municipal Corporation employees don’t even visit the dump to douse the flames. Nirmal Singh Nimma, a resident of Bhagtanwala, said: “Now, the garbage heaps are burning and emitting toxic smoke. The MC fire brigade is in high demand due to regular fire incidents in the periphery areas. So, the fire tender designated for the ❝The garbage heaps are ❝The shifting of the ❝Earlier,failedSAD andthe burning and emitting toxic dump is the only solution. Congress to shift smoke. The MC fire brigade is in high demand due to regular fire incidents in the periphery areas. So, the fire tender designated for the dump is also absent. Now, the residents have been facing a tough time due to routine fire incidents. Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 The unabated incidents of drug overdose has put the current dispensation into corner with the district reporting two more deaths in the past 24 hours. Though the incident occurred on May 1 and May 7, FIRs were registered on Saturday only on the basis of specific information. The police said family members of the deceased did not inform the police about this. Those who died were identified as Simarjit Singh (22) of Khasa Patti in Majitha and Tarsem Singh (35) of Babowal village, falling under Kathunangal police station, here. ASI Nimral Singh, Investigating Officer in the Majitha drug overdose death case, said the police got an input that Simarjit died of drug PRESIDENT, SANJI SANGHARSH COMMITTEE Kural, OF SANJI SANGHARSH COMMITTEE He is well-aware about the issue and promised in poll rallies to shift the dump. We hope he will make efforts and shift the dump,” said Sandeep Kural, office-bearer of the Sanji Sangharsh Committee. “Residents gave a huge mandate in favour of AAP with a hope that the dump would be shifted. The shifting of the dump is the only solution. The solid waste management company failed to process the garbage. The departments concerned ❞ the dump is also absent. Now, the residents have been facing a tough time due to routine fire incidents.” Residents claimed that due to the decades-old garbage heaps, it release methane gas, which catches fire due to heat. With the change of government, the Sanji Sangharsh Committee and area residents are, however, hopeful that AAP government would shift the dump away from the city. “Earlier, the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress failed TWO SUCCUMB TO DRUG ABUSE IN TARN TARAN DISTRICT PK Jaiswar dump even after the pre-poll promises. They faced the consequences for not fulfilling the major demand of the area. AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar promised to shift the dump. We hope he will make efforts to shift the dump. Sandeep Nirmal Nimma, RESIDENT OF BHAGTANWALA to shift the dump even after the pre-poll promises. They faced the consequences for not fulfilling the major demand of the area. AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar was supportive to our movement from the very first day. Two more drug-overdose deaths reported in dist Tarn Taran: Drug overdose claimed two lives in Jhabal area on Saturday night. The deceased have been identified as Gurtej Singh Sagar (18) of Cheema Shukarchak and Nirvail Singh (50) of Burj-196. Sukhdev Singh, father of the deceased Gurtej Singh Sagar, said he was taking drugs for the last nearly three years. On Saturday, he worked as a labourer for the entire day and in the evening took drugs and an injection as well which led to overdose. After some time, he was found dead on his bed at home. The body was cremated without informing the police. In another incident, Jasbir Singh, a self-styled ‘doctor’ of Burj-195, has been booked under Section 304 of the IPC for the death of Nirvail Singh. Avtar Singh, sarpanch of Burj-195, and Pargat The solid waste management company failed to process the garbage. We are expecting that the AAP government will address the issue. Otherwise, we will have to sit on dharna again this time. Naval Chawla, Residents and family members of deceased Nirvail Singh protest against drug menace in the area. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Singh, brother of the deceased, said he took injection from Jasbir Singh and felt some uneasiness. On Saturday also, the family took Nirvail to Jasbir Singh, who gave some injection to Nirvail again. Due to overdose he died after some time at his home. Inspector Prabhjit Singh, SHO, Jhabal, said after receiving the post-mortem report, the next course of action would be initiated. Jasbir Singh is at large. — GURBAXPURI overdose on May 1. But the family members did not inform the police. Now, on the basis of the information, the police have registered a case against unidentified persons on the charge of culpable homicide (Section 304 of the IPC). Similarly, SI Rashpal Singh, IO in Kathunangal case, said Tarsem Singh c m y b died on May 7 at the village cremation ground. A separate case under Section 304 of the IPC was registered against unidentified persons in this regard. This is the fourth such incident that was reported with the police during this month. Earlier, Shamsher Singh (32) of Rorawal died due to similar reason. The police had booked two persons Rajbir Singh and Gurjit Singh for culpable homicide, who were later arrested by the police. In another incident, a 40year-old man died of drug overdose in Kale Ghanupur area on May 2. This was the third death in the family. The victim was also infected with HIV due to alleged sharing of syringe for consumption of drugs. According to the family, he was hooked to drugs three years ago. This was third death in the family. Earlier, his father and brother had lost their lives due to consumption of illegal drugs. ❞ Youth beaten to death Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 15 A youth was beaten to death by five persons in Kot Khalsa area here on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Preet, was in a live-in relationship with a woman. It is being alleged that she wanted to marry him but he refused and therefore she along with her accomplices beat him up, which led to his death. Those booked were identified as Lakhbir Kaur of Navi Abadi; Raji, alias Muskan, of Nangali village; Gautam Kumar of Tarn Taran; Rahul of Indira Colony on Majitha Road; and Babbu. The police have registered a case under Sections 302, 120-B, 148 and 149 of the IPC against them, while no arrest has been made so far. Sub-Inspector Sulakhan Singh, Investigating Officer, said the police got a tip-off that Preet used to live as a tenant at the residence of Sukhjinde Singh of Azaad Nagar in Kot Khalsa here. He was in a live-in relationship with Raji. On Saturday, around 12.30 am, he went to Lakhbir Kaur’s house to meet Raji. He said it was alleged that Raji was forcing Preet to marry her. However, he was reluctant. Following this, the accused equipped with iron rods and sharp-edged weapons thrashed him badly. He said following the information, the police immediately rushed to the spot. The accused had absconded from the scene, while Preet was lying unconscious. He said they rushed him to the Civil Hospital, where he succumbed. The SI said Razi was living separately from her husband, while Preet’s wife had also died. He said the body has been kept in the mortuary for now. He said raids were on to nab the suspects. ❞ monitor pollution. We are expecting that the AAP government will address the issue. Otherwise, we will have to sit on dharna again this time,” said Naval Chawla, president, Sanji Sangharsh Committee. No shutdown today: PSPCL Amritsar, May 15 With no respite from the rising mercury and heatwave, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has decided to withdraw the Monday shutdown, which is a weekly scheduled power cut for maintenance. PSPCL officials claimed that there was no scarcity of power till date and they were providing uninterrupted supply in the city circle. However, residents have been complaining about the unscheduled power cuts in urban localities. Rajiv Parashar, Deputy Chief Engineer, City Circle, said: “There is no power cut being imposed in the city. There might be short shutdown for maintenance in some localities. Otherwise, we are not going to shut off power on Monday following the directions of the government. In wake of heatwave, the government has decided not to shut off power.” — TNS