08032023-ATR-01.qxd 3/7/2023 11:44 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY ZWIGATO WILL BRING OUT THE SERIOUS ACTOR IN ME: KAPIL RANDEEP, NEENA TO SHARE SCREEN SPACE IN NEW FILM HISTORY TV18 BRINGS NEW SHOW ON MALAYSIA FLIGHT 370 Actor Kapil Sharma visited the holy city on Tuesday as he rounded off the Punjab promotions for his film. P2 Jayant Gilatar’s Pachhattar Ka Chhora will be produced by JJ Creations LLP and Shivam Cinema Vision. P3 MAX 31°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 13°C Nearly a decade later, History TV18 launches History’s Greatest Mysteries: Malaysia Flight 370. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.33 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.49 AM » WEDNESDAY | 8 MARCH 2023 | AMRITSAR Asr Metro Bus Service staff dies in mishap Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, March 7 Harjinder Singh Sonu (32), a resident of Gandiwind Saran and an employee with the Metro Bus Service in Amritsar died on Sunday night near his village when the motor-cycle he was riding hit a tree on the roadside. The post-mortem of his body was conducted at the local Civil Hospital on Tuesday. After completing his duty in Amritsar, Sonu was on way back to his village on a bike with Pritpal Singh, also a resident of his village. Pritpal Singh who was riding the pillion, had a narrow escape. Pritpal Singh said a one horse-cart appeared from the front near his village and Sonu tried his best to avoid a collision but lost control. He received serious head injuries and died on the spot. His co-workers suggested to the family to get the postmortem conducted to get service benefits. His wife is in the family way and the couple was expecting their first baby. ASI Sukhdev Singh of Sarai Amanat Khan police station said that a case under Section 174 of CrPC has been registered in this regard. AIT team fails to comply with DC’s order to remove illegal Verka booth Farmers must look for symptoms of fungal diseases in wheat: Experts Manmeet Singh Gill Amritsar, March 7 The district Agriculture Department has advised farmers to look out for symptoms of karnal bunt and yellow rust in their wheat crops. Experts said both these are the major fungal diseases of the wheat crop. They added that as prevail- Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 7 Owners of the illegal Verka booth opened near the Nehru Shopping Complex forced a team of the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) to return empty handed as they forcefully unloaded their seized equipment from a mini-truck. Later, the workers at the booth were seen doing their business as usual. Earlier too, when the AIT had removed illegal seating arrangement made by the nearby eateries, the Trust had failed to take any action as the owners claimed that a court had granted them stay. The illegal booth was allotted during the tenure of former AIT chairman Dinesh Bassi. Sources in the AIT alleged that Bassi had bypassed all norms to favour his relatives. Though the use of public corridor for setting up the illegal booth had been under question for long, the local administration had cancelled its allotment around three weeks ago. In a recent visit to the Lawrence Road area, two days ago, to oversee the A team of the AIT at the site of an illegal booth near the Nehru Shopping Complex at Lawrence Road. ‘OPERATE BIZ IN VIOLATION OF LAWS’ Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, March 7 In an extraordinary decision which many say will go a long way in ensuring youngsters stay away from the business of selling drugs, Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Himanshu Aggarwal has urged the media not to disclose the value, even in approximate terms, of drugs seized by the Punjab Police and BSF. “Once the value is made public, youngsters get motivated to sell drugs so that they can live a life of luxury,” said the DC. He also asked the security agencies to refrain from making the value of drugs public. The DC said he held a meeting with SSP Harish Dayama and BSF DIG Prabhakar Joshi, where the decision had been taken. “Both the officers have agreed to my suggestion. It will go a long way in restraining youngsters from getting into the business of selling drugs. I acted after I received reports from several sources that more youngsters were taking up the business particularly in villages located near the International Border (IB). On the contrary, media should report on various sections of the IPC which are clamped against peddlers,” said the DC. Experts say the decision was long overdue and that too in a border district like Gurdaspur. A police officer revealed that the DC’s order assumes significance keeping in view the high value of certain drugs, particularly heroin. “Poppy husk and opium, relatively speaking, are bulkier to carry and do not fetch that good a price. On the other hand, heroin which is easy to carry, sells at exorbitant rates. Heroin ■ Owners of the illegal Verka booth forcefully unload their seized equipment from a mini-truck. Later, the workers at the booth were seen doing their business as usual. ■ Earlier too, when the AIT had removed illegal seating arrangement made by the nearby eateries, the Trust had failed to take any action as the owners claimed that a court had granted them stay ■ In a recent visit to the Lawrence Road area, two days ago, to oversee the preparations being made for the G20 summit, Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan took stern notice of the non-compliance of his orders regarding removal of the encroachment preparations being made for the G20 summit, Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan took stern notice of the non-compliance of his orders regarding removal of the encroachment. The booth was allotted in July 2020. The operators had violated building norms for installing the structure. Even as the shopkeepers in the Nehru Shopping Complex had objected to the setting up of the booth in the corridor, which blocked the passage to the stairs, it took nearly two years for a team to visit the place to remove the kiosk, even if it proved futile. Earlier on January 5, the Engineering Branch of the AIT had submitted a report stating that the booth was located in the corridor and is in violation of rules. The AIT law officer also gave his opinion that the booth was not installed at the allotted place. There was no space for the booth in the layout plan of the building. ❝I acted after I received reports from several ❞ — Himanshu Aggarwal, GURDASPUR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER Foreign tourist and locals play Holi at Durgiana Temple in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR 4 booked for assault Tribune News Service The thieves had stolen a printer, UPS, four digital weighing machines, drums, torch, a ceiling fan and a few other items from the dispensary during the night. Amritsar, March 7 The Bhinda Saidan police station has booked four persons for assault on one person after the latter allegedly asked them to not graze their animals on his land. The booked persons are Karnail Singh and his three sons; Mukha Singh, Bhajan Singh and Karnail Singh of Jai Ram Kot village. Jaspal Singh of the same village is the complainant in the case. While no suspect has been arrested so far, a case under Sections 326 and 324 of the IPC has been registered against GRAZING ANIMALS ■ The police booked four persons for assault on one person after the latter allegedly asked them to not graze their animals on his land ■ The booked persons are Karnail Singh and his three sons; Mukha Singh, Bhajan Singh and Karnail Singh of Jai Ram Kot village ■ Jaspal Singh of the same village is the complainant in the case. While no suspect has been arrested so far, a case has been registered against them them for causing injuries to the complainant. Jaspal Singh has alleged that he was severely beaten and left injured by the suspects. Amritsar, March 7 Devotees made a beeline for the Laxmi Narayan temple at the Durgiana Temple complex here on Monday. On the eve of the Holi festival, a kirtan was organised, which was followed by a ‘rath yatra’. The devotees played a ‘pushp’ (flower) Holi, with marigold, orchids and rose flowers. “Holi is incomplete without the use of colours. But keeping in mind the safety of the celebrants during the festival, we have been participating in Pushp (flower) Holi celebrations at the Durgiana Temple for the past ten years,” said Jugraj Sharma, one of the devotees. The Pushp Holi uses dry Devotees celebrate Holi with idols of Lord Krishna and Radha. flowers like marigold, tesu, amaltaas and red hibiscus are used to make natural colours. The devotees applied colours on each other and danced to the tunes of religious bhajans. Children dressed up as ‘Radha’ and ‘Krishna’ too participated in the religious procession. — TNS Pak drone over airspace in Khemkaran Curb unscientific practices, Our Correspondent is carried just in grams or at the most a kilogram or two. Unemployment is rampant in this border district where industrialists are not willing to set up units through which employment rate can be reduced. There are hundreds of unemployed youngsters living in border area villages who may be ready to plunge in this nefarious business. When a youngster gets to know that he can make massive profits after selling just a kilogram of heroin, he gets ready to make a killing. The DC’s order will now act as a deterrent for the youth to enter the world of drug trafficking,” he said. “On the other hand, if people know that they may have to undergo a long spell in jail if the NDPS Act is clamped against them, then they will obviously refrain for entering into the business,” the DC said. “Apart from urging the media, I am also asking my public relations men to fan out in villages to inform youngsters about the punishment they might get if they are found to be carrying or selling drugs,” said DC Aggarwal. Amritsar, March 7 The Kamboh police station has registered a case against unidentified persons for a theft at the Nangli health centre on February 21. ing weather conditions are conducive for the spread of the diseases, farmers must visit their fields every day and inspect the crop for any symptoms of the disease. They said farmers should only use suggested doses of the chemicals recommended by the Punjab Agricultural University for control of diseases. Devotees play Holi at Durgiana Temple REPORT IPC SECTIONS IMPOSED ON PEDDLERS sources that more youngsters were taking up the business particularly in villages located near the International Border. Media should report on various sections of the Indian Penal Code which are clamped against peddlers. Theft at Nangli health centre Say prevailing weather conditions conducive for spread of karnal bunt, yellow rust Tribune News Service Don’t disclose value of drugs seized by agencies: Gurdaspur DC to media Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, March 7 A flying object suspected to be a drone intruded into the Indian airspace from the Pakistan side on Tuesday night at 2.51 am near border pillar number 154 falling under border observation post Harbhajan under Khemkaran police station. BSF sources said that at 2.51 am, BSF personnel demands Tarksheel Society BSF FIRE 56 ROUNDS ■ BSF sources said that at 2.51 am, BSF personnel heard the buzzing sound of a flying object, suspected to be a drone coming from the Pakistan side to the Indian side ■ BSF personnel fired 56 rounds but could not neutralise it ■ A search operation was carried out by the BSF in the area on Tuesday but nothing incriminating was found heard the buzzing sound of a flying object, suspected to be a drone coming from the Pakistan side to the Indian side. BSF personnel fired 56 rounds but could not neutralise the flying object. A search operation was carried out by the BSF in the area today but nothing incriminating was found. Amritsar, March 7 With the demand for curbing unscientific practices, members of the Tarksheel Society have approached leaders of the ruling party to make it a part of the current Budget session. In a memorandum, Society members sought implementation of the law on black magic and superstition which so far has not been imple- mented in the state. Members of the Society recently requested all MLAs of Punjab to pass the draft law on ‘Punjab Black Magic Mantra and Anti-Superstition Law’. Sumeet Singh of the Society said by taking advantage of people in distress, selfstyled godmen and people claiming ‘tantric’ (occult) continued on page 2 Toilet: Ek Prem Katha for this architecture student Ruhani’s recycled plastic toilet at city airport aimed at ensuring sustainability INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Tribune News Service A sustainable toilet made from compressed plastic bricks. c m y b Amritsar, March 7 International Women’s Day is observed every year on March 8 to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women while also recognising the immense work that still needs to be done to ensure a sustainable future for all. On this line, city-based Ruhani Verma young environmentalist-inmaking and student, Ruhani Verma has come up with a community toilet, she calls Swacchaalya, made from 100% recycled plastic. Ruhani is a student of Jayshree Periwal school, Jaipur, and wants to pursue architecture. Her belief that women are often disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and climate change made her work on the project of developing a community toilet using single-use plastic, which is the most harmful ground pollutant in the world. “A few months ago, I worked on a project whose heart was sustainability. I was able to collect 4 lakh singleuse plastic bags and build a toilet using environmentfriendly bricks. 30% of this brick is made from single-use plastic and 70% out of waste, silica dust. These are compressed together to mould them into a brick, which are further laid through interlocking, without the use of any adhesive or cementing material, due to their design, making it a carbon-negative structure,” she explained. She collaborated with Urban continued on page 2