16012023-ATR-01.qxd 16-01-2023 00:03 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune HOW TO PROTECT THE HOMELESS FROM COLD? MISS USA R’BONNEY GABRIEL IS MISS UNIVERSE Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel was on Sunday crowned the new Miss Universe. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 14°C | MIN 2°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 2°C SREEJITA DE BIDS ADIEU TO BIG BOSS 16 AGAIN Administration and citizens need to work jointly to alleviate sufferings of the underprivileged: Residents P2 FORECAST Salman Khan invited contestants to burn the Lohri bonfire, after which Sreejita De was evicted. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 5:49 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:30 AM » MONDAY | 16 JANUARY 2023 | AMRITSAR INBRIEF ONE NABBED WITH 15-GM HEROIN Amritsar: The Vallah police nabbed Harshdeep Singh of New Jawahar Nagar area, now residing in Sultanwind village, for allegedly possessing 15-gm heroin. A case under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered in this connection. His backward and forward links were being established, said the police. TNS POLICE ARREST VEHICLE LIFTER Amritsar:The Chheharta police have arrested a vehicle lifter, identified as Jatinder Singh of Naraingarh area. The police recovered a stolen scooter from his possession and registered a case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC against him. He was brought on police remand and police were expecting more recoveries during his interrogation. TNS Barbed fence along IB to be shifted, says Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 15 The barbed fence alongside the International Border with Pakistan will be shifted to help farmers tilling their lands across the fence. This was claimed by Cabinet minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal here on Sunday. The Rural Development and Panchayat Minister said the state government had earlier taken up the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah who agreed to the proposal. Hundreds of farmers cultivate thousands of acres of land across the border fence as a result of which they have to face many inconveniences. They have to follow the restricted timings and other security checks of the BSF . The government is also giv- Two road mishaps snuff out six lives in rural areas Tribune News Service ELDERLY MAN HIT BY VEHICLE WHILE WALKING Farmers along the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar. FILE PHOTO ing Rs 10,000 per acre per year compensation to these farmers for their troubles. The minister stated that with the relocation of the barbed fence, most of the land currently on the other side would come to this side and as such the owners of these fields would be able to till their land without any trouble. Dhaliwal lamented that these minor problems faced by the farmers could have been resolved 50 years ago if successive governments had taken any notice. Three arrested for harbouring criminals Amritsar, January 15 The Chheharta police have arrested three persons, Sukhdev Singh, Shamsher Singh and Reeta (a woman), all residents of Guru Ki Wadali, for allegedly harbouring criminals and helping them escape by disrupting the police team from discharging its duty. The police have yet to arrest three other accused, identified as Sukhchain Singh, alias bobby, Poonam and Jyoti, in the case. ASI Pal Singh, investigating Farmers lift dharna outside DC office, toll plazas in dist MC team warns dairy owner of action at Ghanupur Kala Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 15 Without any visible achievement during the last 51 days of protest, Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC) lifted dharnas from the Deputy Commissioner’s office here and at three toll plazas in the district on Sunday. KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The agitation would move forward in other ways. In a first of the many actions planned for the future, we will organise massive rallies at all district headquarters on January 26.” Pandher claimed that the recent agitation of 51 days and the way the state government has even failed to initiate a dialogue, it has become clear that the governments are not bothered by the peaceful protests. “If the government had initiated talks, we would have reasons to believe that the government is concerned about the problems of the people,” he said. He further said that the dharnas from all 10 district headquarters and 19 toll plazas in the state have ended today. The KMSC leaders also claimed that before vacating the protest sites at toll plazas, they have ensured that the employees working at the toll plazas have received their salaries. “We also demand from the government to build free-ways where people can travel without paying toll fee as the vehicle owners are bound to pay road tax at the time of purchasing the vehicle,” said farmer leader Gurbachan Singh Chabba. The leaders said they had demanded that the toll fee be slashed by 75 per cent. They also demanded better wages and working conditions for the employees at toll plazas. Amritsar, January 15 Ten days after issuing a warning to remove the dairy from an NRI’s land at Ghanupur Kala, a team of the MC revisited the dairy and asked them to vacate land here on Saturday. Dr Kiran Kumar, Municipal Health Officer, along with his team and the incharge of the Ghannupur Kale police post, reached the spot and asked the dairy owner to remove the cattle and vacate the land. The Municipal Health Officer said it was illegal to run an animal dairy within the MC officer, said the police got a tip off that Sandeep Singh and Daler Singh, who were wanted in firing cases registered with the local police, were present at the residence of Sukhdev Singh. He said a police team raided the house, but the accused started a scuffle and arguments with the police and helped the duo to flee from the spot. A case under Sections 216, 222, 224, 353, 186, 148 and 149 of IPC was registered in this connection, the police said. — TNS MC staff at a dairy in Ghanupur village in Amritsar on Sunday. limits. Ten days ago, the Health Wing had warned that they would remove dairies from the Ghanupur area. The MC team visited again and the dairy owner demanded that he should be given time continued on page 2 Amritsar, January 15 Six persons were killed in separate road mishaps which occurred in the rural belt here on Saturday. The police have registered separate cases in this connection and launched a further probe. Kuldeep Singh (36), a resident of Jhande village, lost his life when he was hit by an unknown car driver on the main GT Road here. Hardeep Singh, brother of the victim, told the police that they had gone to the house of Ranjit Singh who lived on the outer of the village. He said while returning they were crossing the road around 7.40pm on Friday when a speeding car hit his brother. After hitting his brother, the car driver sped away. He said he rushed his brother to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital where he succumbed. In another incident, Ashu Babbar of Manimajra near Chandigarh was killed when a speeding truck hit him near Talwani Ghuman village. The complainant, Sanjiv Arora, a resident of Gate Hakima and Youth booked for kidnapping Tarn Taran girl Similarly, in another instance, an unidentified elderly man was killed in a road mishap after he was hit by a speeding car in Ajnala here on Saturday. Ramanjit Singh of Ajnala said he was strolling on the Sarai village road when he saw a speeding car hitting the victim who was walking on the road. The car driver sped away. The victim was admitted to the Ajnala Civil Hospital where doctors declared him dead. relative of the deceased, said he was a taxi driver. He said on Friday he, being accompanied by his brother-in-law Ashu Babbar, picked up a passenger from Uthian village in Amritsar. He said after dropping the passenger in Pathankot, they were returning to Amritsar and reached near Talwandi Ghuman village. He said Ashu was driving the car. He said Ashu stopped the car to urinate. He said when he was coming back, a truck coming from the Batala side hit Ashu who was critically injured in the mishap. The truck driver fled the spot leaving the truck behind. He said he rushed the victim to GND Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The driver of the car was later identified as Sarvan Singh of Kotli Mallian village. A case was registered against him. Similarly, in another instance, an unidentified elderly man was killed in a road mishap after he was hit by a speeding car in Ajnala here on Saturday. Ramanjit Singh of Ajnala said he was strolling on the Sarai village road when he saw a speeding car hitting the victim who was walking on the road. The car driver sped away. The victim was admitted to the Ajnala Civil Hospital where doctors declared him dead. In the fourth instance occurred at Dadduana village falling under the Jandiala police station here, a youth, identified as Joban Singh of Malluwal village, was killed when a car being driven rashly collided with his bike. His two friends, Gurpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh who were riding pillion, also sustained serious injuries. Sukhchain Singh, father of the victim, told the police that he along with his son Joban Singh, Balwinder Singh, his son Gurpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh of the same village had gone to meet Balwinder Singh’s sister at Fatehpur Rajputa village. He said when they were returning he was riding pillion with Balwinder Singh while Joban, Gurpreet and Mandeep were travelling on a separate bike. He said when they reached near the Dadduana bus stop, a car hit Joban’s bike killing him on the spot while Gurpreet and Mandeep sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a hospital for treatment. Later, they succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The driver of the car was identified as Amandeep Singh of Dadduana village. A case was registered in this connection and further investigations were underway. The accused was yet to be arrested. In sync Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, January 15 A youth of Valtoha village kidnapped a girl from his neighbour on the night of Lohri night by luring to marry her. The accused has been identified as Lavpreet Singh Lav of the same locality in the village. The father of the victim in his statement to the Valtoha police on Saturday informed that the family was busy in celebrating the festival in the house when his daughter came outside the house to answer the call of nature, but she was kidnapped by the accused. ASI Sawinderpal Singh said the accused had been booked under Sections 363 and 366-A, IPC. Two horses dance during a nagar kirtan organised by Gurdwara Majith Road in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR Punjabi cinema to grow like School for children of beggars, ragpickers South film industry: Actress a boon for slum dwellers in Gurdaspur Tribune News Service Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 15 Punjabi actress Sonam Bajwa visited the city to a attend function at a local school here today. Bajwa says she is hopeful that Punjabi cinema will also grow like South Indian cinema. “When people talk about regional films they named south Indian and Punjabi cinema. We are producing good content. I feel proud that whole family can sit and watch the Punjabi movie”, said Sonam. Talking about Punjabi comedy movies she said, “We can’t take film making as casual job we have to work hard. You can’t take audience for guaranteed. The audience pays their money and time for the cinema so it is our responsibility to work hard on movies”, she added. Bajwa said, “I always prefer to speak and write Punjabi. My parents taught me to respect the mother tongue.” Actress Sonam Bajwa (left) addresses the media in Amritsar. WORK HARD ON FILMS We can’t take film making as casual job we have to work hard. You can’t take audience for guaranteed. The audience pays their money and time for the cinema so it is our responsibility to work hard on movies. ❝ — Sonam Bajwa, PUNJABI FILM ACTRESS ❞ c m y b Gurdaspur, January 15 You will never gain anyone’s approval by begging for it. When you stand firm and confident of your own worth, respect automatically follows. This is the motto of this border district’s only school which specifically caters to children of beggars, slum dwellers and ragpickers. The Preliminary Education Study Centre was opened in March 2018 at the Ram Nagar area which is known for housing slum dwellers and ragpickers. Romesh Mahajan, secretary of the District Child Welfare Council, is the spirit behind this non-profit making initiative. It was opened on panchayat land with just 15 children on its rolls. Slowly but very steadily this figure rose to 20 then 25 before Mahajan decided to stop “admissions” when the strength reached Underprivileged children at the Preliminary Education Study Centre at Maan Kaur Singh village in Gurdaspur. 35. He did not have the requisite number of teachers and allied staff to teach more than 35 students. Manjit Kaur and Ashu Attri, both post-graduates, are the two teachers who spend a minimum of eight hours daily, six days a week, trying to improve the lot of these underprivileged kids. They are aided by Red Cross De-addiction Centre councillors, Komalpreet Kaur, a post-graduate in computer applications and Abha Sharma, a post-graduate in computer science, and Dolly Sharma, the last one who lends a helping hand to the teaching staff. Once the students acquire proficiency in basic education, like reading, writing and recitation, they are shifted to nearby government primary schools to further hone their skills. Mahajan pockets a bill of Rs 2.75 lakh per annum for being a ‘Good Samaritan.’ Mid-day meals, too, are served to the children. “When a child is admitted, the parents’ main motive is to make certain he or she gets a meal. After all, nobody wants his child to sleep on an empty stomach. Slowly, the kids get familiarised with the environment and start enjoying their stay,” said Komalpreet. “I am not doing all this to get any honour or praise. Nobody applauds nature, yet she still glows. I am doing this to ensure these children get to live a life of dignity once they step into the outside world. They are like wet continued on page 2