21012023-ATR-01.qxd 1/21/2023 12:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY INCREASE ENROLMENT IN GOVT SCHOOLS, HEADS TOLD TRUTH IS OUT: PC ON WHY SHE OPTED FOR SURROGACY HAPPY THAT P’WOOD HAS NO PAPARAZZI CULTURE: SARGUN DEO (Sec) Jugraj Singh Randhawa holds a meet with school heads from Ajnala and Chogawan blocks. P2 “I had medical complications, so this was necessary. I’m grateful I was in a position where I could do this.” P3 Sargun Mehta says: “There’s no paparazzi culture in Punjabi and I am happy. I’m always in my tracksuit.”P4 » » » MAX 18°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 16°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET SATURDAY 5.54 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7:28 AM SATURDAY | 21 JANUARY 2023 | AMRITSAR INBRIEF 3 CELL PHONES SEIZED IN JAIL Amritsar: Amritsar Central Jail authorities confiscated three mobile phones from the highsecurity jail premises here on Thursday. Two phones were seized from two inmates, while one was found lying unclaimed during a search operation in the complex. The two prisoners were identified as Daljit Singh of Gehri Mandi and Rohit Arora of the Gilwali Gate. Two separate cases were registered in this connection. TNS WOMAN’S PURSE SNATCHED Amritsar: Two unidentified persons snatched a purse from a local resident identified as Gurwinder Kaur. She told the police that her purse contained Rs 10,000, bangles, a mobile phone and some documents. The police have registered a case under Section 379-B of the IPC. TNS TWO NABBED WITH 35-GM HEROIN Amritsar: The city police arrested two persons and recovered 35-gm heroin in separate instances on Thursday. Sonu Singh of Maqboolpura was held with 20-gm heroin, while Vijay, alias Bali of Tung Bala, was arrested with 15-gm heroin. Further investigations were under progress to establish their backward and forward links. TNS Robbers loot gold sheets Jams near schools, hospitals, malls haunt motorists in city worth ~15 lakh from shop Dist admn, civic authorities fail to ensure building bylaws STRETCH OF Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 20 Two unidentified persons robbed a jewellery shop and decamped with gold sheets worth Rs 15 lakh from workers here on Friday. The shop is located in the famous Guru Bazaar area near Golden Temple in the walled city. The incident was captured in the CCTV camera inside the shop. The police are also scanning footage from CCTV cameras installed at other places in the area to get clues about the perpetrators of the crime. Senior police officials led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Mehtab Singh reached the spot and began a probe. Police said investigations were in progress. As per the information, the incident took place around 8 am when the shop had just opened. Love Dhunna, owner of the shop, said that two bike-borne persons had come to the shop. One of them entered the shop located on the first floor and snatched gold strips from the worker. When he tried to resist, the accused took out a pistol and threatened to shoot him. He PROBLEMS PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Police officials hold investigation at the spot in Guru Bazaar in Amritsar on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Amritsar, January 20 The failure of the district administration and the civic body to strictly enforce building bylaws is leading to illegal parking on roads and traffic jams. While Mall Road and Lawrence Road are glaring examples of it, various private school administrations, hospitals mushroomed at every nook and corner and shopping malls have not lagged behind in making the situation even worse. On paper in the building plans, parking spaces are there, but in actual they are absent or not being properly utilised in absence of any compliance. Schools’ transports, parents coming for picking-and-dropping their children, people coming to shopping malls and even hospitals, park their vehicles on the road leading to (road) congestion, but authorities have turned a blind eye to these violations for the reasons perhaps known to everyone. “The commuters are left at the mercy of god. Look at the school administrations hav- POLICE SCAN CCTVS TO GET CLUES ABOUT PERPETRATORS ■ The incident was captured in the CCTV camera inside the shop. The police are also scanning footage from CCTV cameras installed at other places in the area to get clues about the perpetrators of the crime ■ Senior police officials led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Mehtab Singh reached the spot and began a probe. Police said investigations were in progress ■ The CCTV cameras in the area revealed that the accused were roaming around for over half an hour before targeting the shop later snatched more gold strips from other counters and fled from the spot. “The looters took away around 300 gm of gold worth Rs 15 lakh from the shop,” he said. He said when the shop opened around 8 am, the accused entered about 10 minutes later. One of the two workers had gone downstairs after opening the shop. Only one worker was present at the shop when the incident took place. The CCTV cameras in the area revealed that the accused were roaming around for over half an hour before targeting the shop. ADCP Mehtab Singh said a police team was analysing footage from the CCTV cameras. “Efforts are on to identify and arrest the suspects. We have also picked up the call dump to find whether any insider was involved in the robbery,” he said. A huge traffic jam outside a school in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Draft notification of redrawn boundaries of wards soon Tribune News Service Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu with MC councillors after the General House meeting in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR House’s last meet: MC nod to 36 proposals Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 20 A total of 36 table proposals were approved in the last meeting of the Municipal Corporation’s General House here today. The term of the MC House will end on January 22. Two MLAs Jasvir Singh Sandhu, Jeevan Jyot Kaur and 50 councillors, including Mayor Karmajit Singh Rintu, were present in the meeting. In the meeting, the House Term of MC House ends tomorrow was informed about the proposals, which were approved by the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) during the last month. The F&CC had approved to buy five JCB machines, two large tippers and 238 dustbin procurement vehicles. The works were also sanctioned for the G-20 summit and approval was given to 20,000 dog sterilisation project. Today, development works of the wards were also approved. In the meeting, a proposal was approved to re-employ 130 employees working under the Mohalla Reform Committee, fired from the job in October. The proposal was placed by councillor Priyanka Sharma, which was signed and approved by several councillors. Senior coun- cillor Mahesh Khanna said 130 employees were fired by the then MC Commissioner. They had been working with the Mohalla Reform Committees for a long time. Now, the House unanimously cancelled the orders of the then MC Commissioner and approved to rehire the employees. Addressing the meeting, the Mayor said for the past five years, the entire House, continued on page 2 KMSC protest against sugar mill on Jan 23 Tarn Taran, January 20 Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh’s Lauhka Rana Sugar Mill had come under the radar of the Kisan Mazdroor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Punjab, after CM Bhagwant Mann’s announcement on closure of the Zira wine factory. The KMSC had declared to lodge a protest in front of the mill on January 23 against its ill-effects on the health of area residents and on the environment. KMSC state leader Harpreet Singh, while addressing the meeting held on Friday in Gohalwar vil- ing duty to inculcate discipline and moral values to children. The school transports drop and pick children from outside the school premises. People also pick and drop children outside the complex,” said Surjit Singh, a concerned citizen. It is the responsibility of the school managements to ensure streamlining of traffic outside their premises as cops cannot be deployed outside every school for regulating traffic. Several hospitals have come up at main GT Road from railway station to Chheharta in the past one decade, but none has parking space. continued on page 2 lage, said workers of the KMSC would organise a protest march on January 23 in the area, which would be started from Kairon village. He said the mill was causing environmental pollution and contaminating the underground water in the area. He said there were reports that chemicals from the mill were being discharged in the open. The KMSC leader said area farmers had been complaining that they were forced to consume contaminated water from tube-wells. Other leaders of the KMSC too spoke on the occasion. — OC c m y b Amritsar, January 20 After meeting of delimitation board, now the Municipal Corporation is going to prepare draft notification for the new boundaries of wards. The objections of political parties and residents would be rectified in the next step. A meeting of the Delimitation Board was organised by the Director of the Local Bodies Department at Chandigarh on Thursday. Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi, Joint Commissioner and five councillor members of the Delimitation Board participated in the meeting. During the meeting, the suggestions and discussions on various issues were held from all board members. The MC officials claimed that draft notification regarding delimitation has almost been prepared and it would be published. According to the informa- Office of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. FILE PHOTO tion, the draft notification of delimitation would be made public next week. After the publication, suggestions and objections will be sought from political parties and residents of the city. The MC officials observed that most of the objections will be raised regarding the numbering of wards, SC and BC and women category reservation of wards. Final delimitation report will be released after all the suggestions and objections would be resolved. The whole process may take one more month. Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said the final delimitation report will take some more time. He said after resolving objections and suggestion, there will be a final resolution of delimitation of wards. The elections of the Municipal Corporation would be held only after the delimitation of wards. A survey was conducted by the Municipal Corporation during last six months. The Delimitation Board had asked to divide the population equally in 85 wards and the boundaries of the ward should be within the concerned assembly constituency. Timings, route of trains changed Amritsar, January 20 The time-table of several trains originating and concluding their journey from the Amritsar railway station was rescheduled due to blockade on Nilokheri-Amin station on Delhi-Ambala Cantonment section and noninterlocking work on Chhintanwala-Nabha station on the Rajpura-Bathinda section. The Amritsar-New Delhi Inter-City Express will depart 120 minutes late from its scheduled time on January 23. Bandra Terminus-Amritsar Paschim Superfast Express will be regulated for 35 minutes en route on January 22. Due to non-interlocking work on Chhintanwala-Nabha station on RajpuraBathinda section, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Amritsar Express (11057) will be diverted via Ambala Cantt-Rajpura-Ludhiana and skip stoppages on Patiala-Nabha-DhuriMalerkotla-Ahmedgarh route for four days from January 23. — TNS