01032023-ATR-01.qxd 2/28/2023 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY TRADE CENTRE, RAIL LINK IN INDUSTRIALISTS’ WISH LIST JORDAN GETS HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME STAR GAUAHAR KHAN WILL NOT BE FASTING THIS RAMZAN City traders have demanded guaranteed investment of funds from budgetary allocation for industry. P2 Actor Michael B Jordan will be felicitated with Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on March 1. P3 MAX 27°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 15°C Gauahar has disclosed her Ramzan plans. She is pregnant with her first child with husband Zaid Darbar. P4 » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.28 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:57 AM » » WEDNESDAY | 1 MARCH 2023 | AMRITSAR 2 held with 100 grams of heroin Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, February 28 A police party of the local CIA staff arrested two motorcyclists with 100 grams of heroin near Kakka Kandila village on Monday night. ASI Kalwinder Singh who was leading the police team said the accused had been identified as Harwinder Singh Rinka of Lopoke (Amritsar) village and Jashanpreet Singh Jashan of Achint Kot. Police said the accused were on a motorcycle. When they were asked to stop by a police team, they tried to escape but were nabbed and 100 grams of heroin recovered from their possession. A case under Sections 21B, 25, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered by the city police. arms Patients irked over frequent shutting Workers up indues over pending of railway crossing near Civil Hospital Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 28 Frequent shutting of the level crossing near the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital here is closed for at least 80 times on a single day daily. The reason being that it is the first level crossing where a train reaches after departing the railway station to any place in the country except for those bound for the Attari border. And it is the only level crossing in the city which does not have a flyover leading to disrupting of the movement of vehicular traffic. Every time a train has to enter the city or depart the station for other cities from the railway station, vehicular traffic gets halted. At least 40 trains leaving the railway station for other destinations in the country cross this level crossing daily. Further, the same number of trains from other destina- It is closed at least 80 times every day ■ It is the only level crossing in the city which does not have a flyover, which leads to the disruption of the movement of vehicular traffic ■ Every time a train has to enter A view of the level crossing near the Civil Hospital in Amritsar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO tions cross this point before reaching the city railway station. A large number of people from the Civil Lines and nearby areas use the road outside the Civil Hospital to enter the walled city area as other routes through Hus- sainpura Chowk and Bhandari Bridge witness a large volume of vehicular traffic. “Every time, the crossing is closed, traffic comes to a halt leading to forming of a long line of vehicles on both sides of the road. Once the traffic jam is Thefts from tubewells enrage farmers Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 28 Rising instances of thefts from the tubewells installed at agricultural fields in the rural belt are troubling farmers as this poses a difficulty not only in irrigating crops but also forces farmers to spend more money to buy new equipment. The victim farmers stated that thefts of electricity cables connected to switch starters, iron pipes and even electricity transformers were occurring frequently. Though the transformers are later reinstalled by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, the victims have to face the hassle of filing a police complaint and then wait for the PSPCL to replace the machines. 50 TRANSFORMERS MISSING THIS SEASON ALONE IN VILLAGES AROUND ATTARI ❝ The thefts have become a nuisance. Over 50 transformers have been stolen from villages around Attari in this season only. The problem has been going on for the past several years but no authority from the PSPCL or the local police is interested in identifying the culprits. Rattan Singh Randhawa, BORDER AREA SANGARSH COMMITTEE ❞ The farmers reported that the thieves usually steal copper wires, plates and oil from the transformers, which renders them useless. “The theft of transformers at a time when the crop needs irrigation also results in losses,” a farmer said, adding that every year large numbers of transformers are stolen but the police has failed to take action against culprits. Rattan Singh Randhawa of Border Area Sangarsh Committee said: “The thefts have become a nuisance. Over 50 transformers have been stolen from villages around Attari in this season only. The problem has been going on for the past several years but no authority from the PSPCL or the local police is interested in identifying the culprits.” He added that apart from transformers, the thieves also steal electricity cables and iron pipes. Farmers said the frequency of such thefts increases during the foggy winter nights, even though they continue for the rest of the year as well. They added that they cannot guard their tubewells during the night hours and it has become impossible for them to take action against the miscreants on their own. Residents of rural areas said such thefts are usually committed by addicts who need money to buy drugs. “They sell the stolen goods for a few hundred rupees to unscrupulous shopkeepers and get money for their next dose of drugs,” Gursevak Singh, a resident, said. Unaided colleges stay defiant on centralised admission portal issue Snatcher falls in police net Amritsar, February 28 Already at loggerheads with the state government over various issues confronting higher education, managements of the Non-Govt Aided Colleges Management Federation (NGACMF) has announced that they would continue to defy the state government’s orders on retirement age row and centralized admission portal. Federation president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, who is also president of the Khalsa College Governing Council, released a statement along with several management heads of unaided colleges in this regard. In a recent meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), Chinna informed that members of the JAC decided that no college would participate in the ‘discriminatory’ Centralized Admission Portal, as announced by the higher education department. The admission for the new academic session of the colleges will commence from MayJune onwards and will continue till August. Tarn Taran, February 28 The traffic police arrested a snatcher on Monday who was trying to flee after committing a crime in Tarn Taran. Police said here on Tuesday that the snatcher had been identified as Angrej Singh, a resident of Bhathal Bhai Ke (Chohla Sahib) village. The federation had sought a meeting with the CM A delegation of non-aided college teachers meet ministers Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Harpal Cheema in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO The federation members had sought meetings with the Chief Minister and the Education Minister, but their pleas to discuss the important matters elicited no response. The federation along with three State Universities’ Principals’ Associations, Punjab Chandigarh Colleges Teachers Union (PCCTU) and Un-aided Private Colleges Association had formed the joint action committee (JAC). Meanwhile, today a delegation of PCCTU led by Prof Gurdas Singh Sekhon, general secretary, PCCTU, Dr Lalit CREATE AN UNDERPASS, SUGGEST COMMUTERS Kumar, district president, Gurdaspur, and Prof Parminderjit Kaur, president, BUC college, Batala, met Cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema and later met with Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains at the Secretariat, Chandigarh, and discussed the issue of restoration age of retirement and grant till the age of 60 years in the aided colleges of Punjab. Bains said the matter had been discussed in the Cabinet in the presence of the Chief Minister and the teachers would be notified within this week. — TNS Our Correspondent Was trying to flee after snatching ~1.40 lakh in cash The accused, after snatching Rs 1.40 lakh in cash from an elderly woman near the local post office in Tarn Taran, was trying to escape on his motorcycle. Noticing the suspicious movement of the snatcher, the traffic police was asked to stop by Rajwant Kaur, a lady constable on duty at the Bohri Crossing in Tarn Taran. The accused was handed over to the city police, which recovered the snatched cash of Rs 1.4 lakh and took the motorcycle in its possession. c m y b the city or depart the station from the railway station, vehicular traffic gets halted ■ At least 40 trains leaving the railway station for other destinations in the country cross this level crossing daily ■ The same number of trains from other destinations cross this point before reaching the city railway station ■ Commuters say an underpass can be created on the stretch Tarn Taran, February 28 Members of Dehati Mazdoor Sabha staged a dharna in front of the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) here on Tuesday against the non-payment of dues for the work done by MGNREGA workers. The other issues of the workers were also taken up by the mazdoor sabha. Workers from various villages across the district participated in the dharna. Baldev Singh Bhail and Chaman Lal Darajke were among the leaders who addressed protesters on the occasion. The leaders condemned the administration for not paying the remuneration for wages of many days to workers. They said they had been approaching higher officials since weeks to pay the due wages to workers but all requests were falling on deaf ears. The leaders condemned the decreasing of funds allotted to the MGNREGA scheme by the Union Government and said development works in villages had gone standstill. The protesters also demanded an increase in the daily wage of a worker to Rs 700. — OC cleared after half an hour, it is time for the crossing to be closed again,” said Himmat Singh, a resident. Shopkeepers in the area say that frequent traffic jams on the stretch have affected their business. “People do not get space even to park a two-wheeler due to traffic jams. In such a scenario, nobody would stop to buy goods,” said a shopkeeper. Commuters say an underpass can be created on the stretch to avoid traffic jams caused by frequent closing of trains. Two nabbed with 13 stolen two-wheelers MC prepares list of top 100 property tax defaulters Amritsar, February 28 The city police nabbed two persons and recovered 13 vehicles from them. The suspects have been identified as Palwinder Singh, alias Bhola, and Chamkaur Singh of Ghariali Raani Patti village. ACP (North) Varinder Singh Khosa said a team led by the SHO of the Majitha Road police station was on patrolling near the main gate of Guru Nanak Hospital, Majitha Road. Two persons were seen coming from the hospital on a scooter without a number plate. The police intercepted them and asked to show the documents, but they failed to produce the documents. After registering a case the police interrogated them and three scooters and nine motorcycles were recovered. — TNS Amritsar, February 28 The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has prepared a list of top 100 defaulters in the city and teams of the property tax wing will visit the properties to recover the tax during the next coming weeks. To enhance the recovery of property tax, the MC has given targets to field staff, who will visit the defaulters and ask them to pay the pending tax. This time, the MC will not conduct property tax collection camps. Instead of sitting in localities, the MC has identified the major defaulters and staff will focus on such commercial establishments. Daljit Singh, Nodal Officer MGNREGA workers stage a dharna in front of the ADC (Development) office in Tarn Taran on Tuesday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Civic body continues sealing properties The MC seals the property of a tax defaulter in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO for property tax, said, “We have prepared a list of own- Set up skill development centre in city, NGO writes to Union Govt Amritsar, February 28 Requesting for the opening up of a skill development centre in city, Amritsar Vikas Manch, a local NGO, has written to the Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan. AVM patron Kulwant Ankhi, while appreciating the Centre for opening up several skill development centres across the country, stressed upon the need for one such centre in Amritsar as well. “We would like to request PM Modi to set up one such international skill development centre in Amritsar as well, keeping in view the city’s religious, historical and educational importance,” Ankhi wrote. He said Amritsar is the second largest city in the state, with a population of more than 1.5 million people. The city is famous for the historic Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Ram Tirath, Attari Border, etc., and welcomes an average of one lakh tourists daily, he added. NEED FOR A CENTRE IN AMRITSAR ■ AVM patron Kulwant Ankhi, while appreciating the Centre for opening up several skill development centres across the country, stressed the need of one such centre in Amritsar as well ■ He said Amritsar is the second largest city in the state, with a population of more than 1.5 million people ■ The Ministry of Information and Technology has also set up Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Amritsar, which is now functional ■ Amritsar has the second largest airport in North India after Delhi and is directly air-linked with nine international destinations — London, Birmingham, Rome, Milan, Doha, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Sharjah, and 11 domestic destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Srinagar, Patna, Jaipur, Goa and Pune, the letter reads Ankhi said Amritsar had emerged as a huge education hub of Punjab, with Guru Nanak Dev University, Khalsa College, Hindu College, Indian institute of Management (IIM), two medical colleges, Shri Guru Ramdas Medical University and two dental colleges. The Ministry of Information and Technology has also set up Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Amritsar, which is now functional. Amritsar has the second largest airport in North India after Delhi and is directly air-linked with nine international destinations — London, Birmingham, Rome, Milan, Doha, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Sharjah, and 11 domestic destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Srinagar, Patna, Jaipur, Goa and Pune, the letter reads. “Therefore, we request you to set up a skill development centre in the city to enable the youths of Punjab to get overseas employment after getting training from the institute,” Ankhi wrote. — TNS ers of top 100 commercial continued on Page 2 One arrested with pistol Amritsar, February 28 The city police nabbed a person and recovered a country-made pistol from him on Monday. The accused has been identified as Amit Kumar. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) City-3, Amritsar, Abhimannyu Rana said under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Sukhpal Singh, a team led by SHO, Mohkampura police station, Binderjit Singh succeeded in arresting Amit Kumar in the case. The complainant, Gurpreet Singh, had stated in his complaint that he drove a battery rickshaw and was present in his house on April 1, 2021. Around 9.30 pm, accused Roki, Sunny and Toppi entered his house. Rocky hit him with the handle of a pistol. Amit Kumar revealed that the pistol which Roki used during the fight was given to Roki by him and later Roki returned this pistol. He gave it to his cousin Mashu and two other pistols were given to Gautam of Sharifpura, near Shivala Gate, Amritsar, and the other pistol to Sahil of Neeve Tung Batala Road, Amritsar. — TNS