11032024-ATR-01.qxd 11-03-2024 00:23 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY HC JUDGE VISITS GURDASPUR JAIL, INTERACTS WITH INMATES INT’L DRUG CARTEL: 9 MORE IN POLICE NET, 22 KG OPIUM SEIZED CZECH BEAUTY KRYSTYNA PYSZKOVA CROWNED MISS WORLD IN MUMBAI Mahabir Singh Sindhu, High Court Judge, visited Gurdaspur Central Jail on Sunday and interacted with inmates. P2 Investigations have led to identification of stakeholders, including growers, collectors, suppliers, packagers & couriers.P3 Krystyna Pyszkova of the Czech Republic was crowned Miss World at a ceremony co-hosted by Karan Johar in Mumbai. P4 » » » MAX 25°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 26°C | MIN 11°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.28 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:35 AM MONDAY | 11 MARCH 2024 | AMRITSAR Health Dept team issues challan to 14 for COTPA violation Amritsar, March 10 A team of the Health Department issued 14 challans for the violation of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) here today. Dr Jaganjot Kaur, nodal officer, National Tobacco Control Programme, said a total of 27 cigarette vendors were checked during the drive today. She said challans were issued to vendors on Kacheri Road, Mall Road and in the Ranjit Avenue areas. Fruit rots at Vallah Mandi in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO Vallah vegetable, fruit market grapples with unhygienic conditions MLA takes up issues in Vidhan Sabha Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 Decades old issue of nondevelopment, unhygienic conditions and absence of basic amenities at the only wholesale vegetable and fruit market in the Vallah area here resonated in the Assembly session recently. MLA Jeevanjot Kaur, in whose constituency the mandi falls, took up the matter in the Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. She lamented that no permanent shed had been constructed in the mandi spread over 100 acres since its 20 years existence. She said people were constructing their private properties in the mandi. The market committee was unable to secure no-objection certificate (NOC) for providing even simple infrastructure for the smooth functioning of the mandi. The structure of only overhead water reservoir that supplied water to the entire mandi had been declared unsafe, the MLA said. Farmers from far flung areas brought fresh farm produce at the mandi every day. The mandi had only one toilet which could accommodate four persons at a time while hundreds of shops and vends were operational in the market where floating population was high. Fruit and vegetable traders demanded that more toilets should be constructed in the market. The market committee was grappling with a piquant situation as it could not carry out any development works as most of the mandi area fell under the 1,000 yard limit of the Army ammunition dump on the Amritsar-Verka-Wagah bypass near Vallah village. Members of the All Fruit and Vegetable Traders Association had requested reduction of the no-activity zone from the present l,000 yards to 350 yards. The MLA has sought intervention of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to take up the matter with the Union Ministry of Defence. ❝Vendors cannot sell loose cigarettes and cigarette packets which do not have pictorial warning guidelines as per the specifications of the government. ❞ Dr Jaganjot Kaur, NODAL OFFICER, NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAMME She said a team led by Amardeep Singh issued challans to seven individuals for violating the ban on smoking at public places. She said smoking at public places was an offence. The health official said vendors cannot sell loose cigarettes and cigarette packets which do not have pictorial warning guidelines as per the specifications of the government. She said selling tobacco products to minors and setting up vends in a hundred yard periphery of an educational institution was also an offence. — TNS Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 A 53-member delegation of writers and intellectuals returned home after participating in the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore today. Three members of the delegation, including Dr Sahajpreet Singh Mangat, Jaswinder Kaur Mangat and Jaswinder Kaur Gill, honoured Maryam Nawaz, the first woman Our Correspondent A vehicle-lifting gang member in custody of the Verowal police. Dutt. Around 720 litres of lahan and 22,500 ml of illicit liquor was recovered from his residence. A case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act was registered against the suspect. In another incident, the Verowal police busted a vehicle-lifters gang. One member of the gang was arrested while his accomplice managed to escape on Saturday from Rayya road in Malha village. Two stolen motorcycles were recovered from the gang member. ASI Baljinder Singh, who was leading the police par- Several trains cancelled, delayed as farmers protest on rail tracks Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 Farmers blocked rail tracks at eight different places in the district as part of the protest against the Central Government to seek minimum support price (MSP) for crops on Sunday. The protest caused huge inconvenience to commuters as many trains were either cancelled, delayed or short terminated. Farmers staged protest on rail tracks from 12 pm to 4 pm as a result of which nine trains were cancelled, eight were short terminated and at least 16 were delayed. The rail blockade delayed departure of Amritsar-GorakhpurJansadaran train by three hours and 15 minutes, Sha- heed Express by three hours and 10 minutes, Jallianwala Bagh Express by three hours and five minutes, AmritsarNangal Dam Express by two hours and 45 minutes and Delhi-Pathankot Superfast Express by three hours and two minutes. The protest also delayed arrival of several trains at the Amritsar railway station. The arrival of Kiratpur-Amritsar Express was delayed by five hours, Swarna Shatabdi by three hours and 56 minutes, Lal Kuan-Amritsar Express by three hours, Ravi Express by one hour and 47 minutes, Delhi-Pathankot Superfast Express by three hours and 22 minutes, Nagpur-Amritsar Express by 36 minutes, Durgiana Express by two hours and 20 minutes, Jansewa Express by three hours and 12 minutes and Mumbai-Amritsar Express by five hours. Addressing farmers protesting at the Devidaspura railway crossing, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The government is forcing farmers to stage protests as it has failed to fulfil its promises. The agrarian state of Punjab is facing an acute economic crisis. A legal guarantee for the MSP is the only way to stop exploitation of farmers.” Pandher said though the Central Government had announced MSP of 23 crops, in Punjab it was available for only two crops that included paddy and wheat. He said, “Now the government says that it is ready to give the MSP for five crops. But in the absence of any legal guarantee, it is not possible to ensure that farmers will get the MSP .” Farmer leaders also said that the government had failed to check exploitation of farmers by pesticide companies, private traders and corporate houses. Meanwhile, in Tarn Taran activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, on a joint call of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non political) blocked trains for four hours in the district on Sunday. Satnam Singh Pannu, leader of the farmer unions, said farmers and labourers staged dharnas on rail tracks in Tarn Taran, Khadoor Sahib and at Patti in the district. He said women folk in large numbers participated in the “rail roko” agitation. Harpreet Singh Sidhwan, Salwinder Singh, Dhanna Singh, Lalu Ghuman, Devinder Kaur, Manjit Kaur and other leaders addressed protesters. They stressed on the acceptance of demands of farmers. The leaders condemned the Union Government for its indifferent attitude towards farmers’ agitation and for not accepting their genuine demands. Passengers, particularly devotees, faced inconvenience, as they could not attend Amavasya Mela in Tarn Taran on time. 53-member Punjabi writers’ delegation returns from Lahore Drugs, illicit liquor seized, 3 held Tarn Taran, March 10 Teams from different police stations arrested three suspects involved in drug trade from the respective areas under their jurisdiction. One suspect was arrested with 75 grams of heroin and the other with 2 kg of poppy husk. The third suspect was arrested from his house with 720 litres of lahan and 22,500 ml of illicit liquor. Sources in the Police Department said a team led by ASI Bikkar Singh arrested Jarman Singh Nikky and recovered 75 grams of heroin from his possession near Khadoor Sahib. A case under Sections 21-B, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered against Nikky. The police said 2 kg of poppy husk was recovered from Karamjit Singh, a resident of Khara village, by the Sarhali police team led by ASI Dilbag Singh near Dadehar Sahib village. He was booked under Sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. Another suspect, identified as Jagdev Singh Jagga, a resident of Sankattra village in the border area, was arrested from his house by the Valtoha police team led by ASI Sunil (From left) Farmers during ‘rail roko’ protest at Devidaspura; protesters hold sit-in on rail tracks in Tarn Taran; and passengers wait for trains in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR/GURBAXPURI ty, said a naka had been laid on the Rayya road. The policemen manning the naka signalled two persons on motorcycles to stop for checking. One of them was driving a stolen bike. He was identified as Heera Singh Heero, a resident of Madhala village. His accomplice, later identified as Akashdeep Singh, a resident of Mallha village, managed to escape leaving behind his motorcycle. The duo was booked under Sections 379 and 411 of the Indian Penal Code in this connection. Chief Minister of Pakistani Punjab, with a Phulkari on the Punjab Day. Sahajpreet Singh Mangat thanked all Punjabis in Pakistan for sending Ramesh Singh Arora to the Punjab Cabinet for the first time since 1947. He also requested to create an environment for the development of mother tongue Punjabi. After receiving Phulkari, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said, “This Phulka- ri is a jewel from my ancestral Jatti Umra village in Tarn Taran which will continue to inspire me to strengthen IndoPak relations. For the development of Punjabi, a future action plan will be drawn up in consultation with all parties.” Dalbir Singh Kathuria, Commissioner orders time-table for fuel refill of MC vehicles Minister lays stone of ~78 crore projects in three constituencies Amritsar, March 10 To deal with regular delay in the schedule of garbage-lifting, staff of the municipal corporation (MC) will follow a time-table to refuel vehicles at the civic body workshop. The timing had been fixed for each vehicle, said Municipal Commissioner Harpreet Singh who visited the workshop. As there was no proper system for refuelling of garbagelifting and sanitation vehicles of the MC, they left for work after much delay. The MC Commissioner instructed workshop incharge to prepare a time-table for vehicles as per work priority so that sanitation work in the city was not affected. On his directions, it was decided that from 6 am to 7 am, tractors and tankers of the Health Department would be refulled. From 7 am to 7.30 am, JCB machines and tippers would be refulled. From 7.30 am to 8 am, of Horticulture Department vehicles would get fuel. Diesel would be available for jetting machines, grab bucket machines and other vehicles of civil and operation and maintenance wing from 8 am to 9 am. Officials were instructed not to refuel any vehicle directly after this time. — TNS c m y b Members of the Punjabi writers’ delegation in Amritsar on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO during stone laying ceremony of the Sultanwind bridge on Sunday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 10 Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO inaugurated development projects worth Rs 78 crore in Jandiala Guru, Khadoor Sahib and Baba Bakala Sahib here on Sunday. The minister said all works would be completed in a time-bound manner. The minister laid foundation stones for the work of the Nagoke-Khadur SahibGoindwal road and Jandiala Guru-Taran Taran road which goes from Kad Gill to Jandiala Guru via Pakhoke. He also laid foundation stones for the upgradation of the Mananwala-Devidaspura-Gehri Mandi stretch on the AmritsarJalandhar road, Captain Manjinder Singh Bhinder Memorial State Sports Stadium, Mehta to Udonangal road, Mehta-Ladhowali road and various other projects. The minister said the government was committed to development of the state for which it was improving the road infrastructure in the rural and urban areas. The minister said the road infrastructure in Punjab had improved in the last two years. He said the government was ensuring that there were no compromises in safety of commuters and the quality of the material used for the projects. He said as PWD Minister, he was personally monitoring the progress of all road projects in the district. chairman, Vishav Punjabi Sabha Toronto, and Dr Kalyan Singh Kalyan were honoured by the Chief Minister on behalf of the global Punjabi community. A farewell function was held on Saturday evening at Heritage Hotel in Lahore which was addressed by eminent Punjabi writer Fakhr Zaman, poet Gurbhajan Singh Gill, novelist Jang Bahadur Goyal and Sahajpreet Singh Mangat. Seminar dwells on digital marketing of industrial products Amritsar, March 10 Digital marketing has assumed special importance as it can take industrial products to the international level. This was stated by experts at a seminar organised here on Sunday in collaboration with She-Forum, the women’s wing of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The aim of the workshop was to empower and equip aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with necessary tools and insights to effectively leverage digital marketing in their business endeavours. Tina Agarwal, convener, She-Forum, Amritsar Zone, while welcoming delegates and speakers, gave a comprehensive overview of the ongoing activities of the forum. Adarsh Poddar, founder and CEO, Phanom Professionals, who was the keynote speaker at the event, highlighted the importance of leveraging data analytics, SEO optimisation and social media channels to enhance the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies. In her formal vote of thanks, Ripti Tuteja emphasised on the importance of digital marketing for every aspiring woman entrepreneur. — TNS
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).