22082023-ATR-01.qxd 8/22/2023 12:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY TOMATO PRICES DIP WITH FRESH ARRIVALS FROM KARNATAKA NICK REVEALS HIS FONDNESS FOR PANEER, BIRYANI & DOSA JYOTICA’S SINGLE HATH PHADEYA CAPTURES THE PUNJABI FLAVOUR Regular supply from Karnataka and Maharashtra has brought down the price of tomatoes to ~70 per kg. P2 American popstar Nick Jonas, married to actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, has revealed his favourite Indian food. P3 MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 29°C With chart-toppers like Pallo Latke, singer Jyotica Tangri is out with her latest number Hath Phadeya. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7.06 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:59 AM » TUESDAY | 22 AUGUST 2023 | AMRITSAR Three robbers kill shop owner at Bhalla Colony Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 21 Three bike-borne youths killed owner of a milk and ice-cream shop at Jamun Wali Gali in Bhalla Colony of the Chheharta area today afternoon. The shop owner has been identified as Rajinder Kalia. The eyewitnesses claimed that Kalia died on the spot due to a bullet injury. Sneh Lata, wife of the deceased, stated to the police that her husband Rajinder Kalia was at his shop when around quarter to four, three bike-borne youths came on the pretext of buying cold drinks. When Kalia went towards the fridge for getting cold drinks, two youths took money from the cash box. Rajinder resisted their move and tried to stop them. One of the assailants took out a pistol and shot at him. A bullet hit Rajinder on his chest and he fell down on the ground. The suspects fled from the spot after committing the crime. The victim’s neighbours and family members rushed Kalia to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Prabhjot Singh Virk, Addi- The police investigate at the crime spot at Bhalla Colony in Amritsar. ❝ The matter is under investigation. The police is scanning the CCTV camera footage. The statement of the victim’s family will be recorded. Efforts are on to identify the robbers. They would soon be in custody. Trenches dug up to lay pipes on Mall road irk commuters Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 21 Public inconvenience or safety are the least of the concerns when it comes to development as is evident for the botched up work done on the Mall road where trenches were dug up a few days ago to lay pipes for the under construction urinals inside the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor. Recently, these trenches were dug up near all metro bus stations on the BRTS corridor leading from Celebration Mall to Kachehri Chowk to lay pipes. However, no efforts were made to bring the dug up area to the level of the road due to which crossing these stretches has become a back-breaking exercise. As commuters move from A portion of the Mall road dug up to lay pipes for urinals in Amritsar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO two bags of cement and less than 50 feet required ❝Onlyconcrete slabs on these trenches. Withcubiclocalof gravel and sand isthe other to make the authorities looking way, commuters are facing trouble every day. ❞ Jagteshwar Singh, A RESIDENT Celebration Mall to Kachehri Chowk, they have ❞ Job camp on August 23 Sarabjit Singh, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE tional Deputy Commissioner (ADCP), Sarabjit Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and Gurvinder Singh, SHO, Chheharta police station, reached the spot and initiated a probe. The police officials claimed that it seemed that the intention behind murder was robbery. However, the police is investigating the matter from all aspects. ACP Sarabjit Singh said, “The matter is under investigation. The police have the CCTV camera footage and it is being scanned. We will record the statement of the victim’s family and take action. Efforts are on to identify the robbers and they would be in custody soon.” Amritsar, August 21 The administration has scheduled an employment camp for unemployed youth here on August 23. Aspirants would be offered jobs with salaries ranging between Rs 14,000 and Rs 25,000 per month. The camp would be held at the District Bureau of Employment and Enterprises (DBEE). Bureau’s employment officer Naresh Kumar said many companies, including Shri Ram Finance, Pramerica Life Insurance, SIS Limited and others, would participate in the camp. They would select candidates for the posts of security, sales officer, receptionist and others. The employment camp would start at 10 am. — TNS Bomb hoax delays Amritsar-Gatwick flight by four hours Amritsar, August 21 The Amritsar-Gatwick flight was delayed for around four hours as panic gripped the Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport after a bomb hoax here today. Air India flight number AI170 from Gatwick Airport, London, landed at the airport with around 140 passengers on board at around 8.30 am on Monday. All passengers checked out. After departure Air India flight AI-170 was delayed at Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO of the passengers, the plane was parked in the hangar when the sanitation staff found a slip from one its toilets on which someone had written “bomb”. The staff immediately informed the airport officials about the slip. After this, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) teams isolated the aircraft and cordoned it off. The CISF teams checked the plane for about three hours. The same Air India flight was supposed to leave for Gatwick Airport at 1.30 pm, but due to security checking it got delayed for over four hours and left for London around 6 pm. A meeting of senior officers of the airport authorities, Air India staff and the CISF was held in this regard. After checking, the airport officials claimed that it was a hoax call. — TNS to cross at least four such trenches. Initially, workers used loose gravel and dust to cover up trenches, but the potholes on dug up areas are getting deeper with each passing day. “Only two bags of cement and less than 50 cubic feet of gravel and sand is required to make concrete slabs on these ditches. With the local authorities looking the other way, commuters are facing trouble every day,” said Jagteshwar Singh, a resident. As a person approaches these dug up patches on the road, he/she has to slow down his/her vehicle as it could hit potholes and prove lethal for them. “Why are well paved roads dug up to lay pipes or cables? Now, the condition of Mall Road would remain as such till it is re-carpeted. Commuters will experience a back breaking ride on the road,” said another resident. 20 teachers from district to get state-level award on Teacher’s Day Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 21 After change in policy this year, Education Minister Harjot Bains had said that along with teachers, education providers, inclusive education volunteers and special inclusive teachers would be given a chance to apply for state-level awards given by the Punjab Government on the occasion of Teacher’s Day. While eliminating the option of self-nomination, another change in policy cited that the teachers from secondary and elementary schools would be nominated by fellow teachers and school heads. The inclusive educators were regularised a few days ago in state and these teachers were now given a chance to be nominated for state award. From Amritsar, 20 teachers have been selected by the ❝ Seventeen teachers from secondary and three from elementary schools have found their names in the state award probable list from the district. They have given brief online presentation to the state selection committee, which would now take a final call. ❞ Sushil Kumar Tuli, DEO district selection committee. They have also given online presentation to the state committee for shortlisting final nominations. DEO Sushil Kumar Tuli said 17 teachers from secondary and three from elementary schools had found their names in state award probable list from the district. “According to regulations, these teachers gave brief online presentation to the state selection committee, which would now take a final call,” said Tuli. “In the past, non regular special educators were not included in the state award list,” he said. “Since the past two years, self-nomination of teachers for the state awards has been eliminated and process has been democratised,” he said. He added that in addition to the state awards, there were five special awards reserved for teachers in the category of inclusive education. Providing a special opportunity to these teachers during this session, the Education Minister had ordered to open online portal to apply with regards to their achievements and other formal proceedings till August 18. AirAsia X to resume direct flights Farmers protest against arrest of leaders, seize toll plazas between holy city, Kuala Lumpur Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 21 AirAsia X is going to resume direct flights between the two cities —Amritsar and Kuala Lumpur — for four days a week with its 300-plus seats Airbus A330-300 aircraft from September. To gain insights into the growing tourism industry connecting Amritsar and Malaysia, the Tourism Malaysia held an event at a local hotel recently. A delegation of Fly Amritsar Initiative (FAI) held a meeting with representatives from various Malaysian tour operators and airlines, including AirAsia X, Batik Air and Malaysia Airlines, to discuss development of the tourism industry in Punjab and Malaysia on the occasion. Yogesh Kamra, FAI convener, said at present, Batik Air, formerly known as Malindo Air, operates three weekly non-stop Boeing 737 flights between Kuala Lumpur and Amritsar. Besides, AirAsia X was going to resume direct flights between the two cities for four days a week with its 300plus seats Airbus A330-300 aircraft from September onwards, he said. With the commencement of these flights, air travel would improve not only in Malaysia but also in Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand and other South-East Asian countries, he said. Kamra said the response from Malaysian airline carriers for direct connectivity with Amritsar was enthusiastic. He said Malaysian carriers showed keen interest in providing connectivity with Amritsar for the world through their Kuala Lumpur hub. He said it would boost cultural exchange and tourism and facilitate seamless travel experience. Amritsar, August 21 After the pre-emptive raid by the police late last night in which nearly 85 leaders were arrested allegedly to torpedo the farmers protest against the government in Chandigarh today, the farmers seized four toll plazas in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts on Monday. The farmers stopped collection of user fee from commuters at Kathunangal and Mannawala toll plazas in Amritsar district and Usma and Mannan toll plazas in Tarn Taran district to protest against the government. Leaders associated with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee stage protest at Kathunangal toll plaza. VISHAL KUMAR Committee said many prominent farmer leaders were arrested by the police late last night in an attempt by the government to stop farmers from participating in the protest. Tarn Taran Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee district president Satnam Singh Manochahl said, “While most leaders, including general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, have been arrested, a few managed to dodge the raiding police parties.” He said those arrested include Savinder Singh Chutala, Ranjodh Singh Gagobua, Tarsem Singh Dhaliwal and Mukhtiar Singh Biharipur. The police detained farmer body state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabra inside his house. Amritsar Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee president Gurbachan Singh Chabba said the protests at toll plazas would continue till their leaders were released. “The state government is using unfair means to gag all voices of dissent. In all, 16 unions have announced a tractor march to Chandigarh to protest against the state and Centre governments for their failure to tackle floods and help people,” he said, while adding that the recent floods in Punjab were a more of government failure and a less of natural calamity. Chabba said nine farmer unions from Punjab, three from Haryana and one each from Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand had given the call for tractor march to get relief for farmers affected by the floods. Police hold flag marches Open trade with Pak via Attari, Hussainiwala routes: KKU to Centre Amritsar, August 21 The police conducted flag marches to maintain peace and eliminate bad elements here today. Flag marches were held at crime hotspots and sensitive areas by the mobile traffic wing, Punjab Police commandos and SWAT teams. ADCP ACPs and SHOs of , all police stations in the three zones participated in the marches. Flag march in areas of Zone No. 1 was held near Bharawa Dhaba. Flag march in areas of Zone No. 2 was held at Ranjit Avenue. Flag march in areas of Zone No. 3 started from Ram Bagh Chowk. Suspicious persons were intercepted at special nakas and vehicles were checked inside and outside the city. The owners of vehicles, which had black films/nets on windowpanes and hooters, were questioned. The police checked vehicles without HSRPs and also searched for weapons. — TNS Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 21 The farmers’ body — Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) — has demanded that the government should open India-Pakistan trade through road routes at the Attari-Wagah and Hussainiwala borders. The union said it would help local cultivators get better price for their produce and open up new avenues for local labourers. The KKU has announced that it would hold a conference at Attari on September 18 to press upon the Central Government to start trade through road routes instead of sea from the Mundra port in Gujarat. Another conference would be held at Hussainiwala on September 20, said KKU president Nirbhay Singh Dhudhike during a press conference here today. Union leaders Raminder c m y b Members of the Kirti Kisan Union address media in Amritsar. Singh Patiala, Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala and Jatinder Singh Chinna said trade through the AttariWagah border was stopped after Pulwama attacks but it continued through Karachi. They said apart from agricultural produce, Punjab could export agricultural machinery to the Middle East countries and through these to many European countries. The union leaders said exporting goods to Pakistan through Gujarat was not viable as it increased transport and other costs. Raminder Singh said currently, 80 per cent of the trade between the two countries was being done through the sea routes or indirectly through Dubai, which was expensive. Direct trade through the Attari-Wagah and Hussainiwala road routes would not only reduce transport and Continued on page 2