28052024-ATR-01.qxd 5/28/2024 12:27 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune RESIDENTS' SAFETY TOP PRIORITY, SAYS CP RAHUL WOMEN OFFICIALS ON THE FRONT FOR FAIR POLLS Eight DCs and 7 SSPs are holding the fort for conducting elections in a transparent, smooth manner. P3 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 46°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 45°C | MIN 26°C GUNEET PARTNERS WITH SHE LEADS IMPACT FUND Police Commissioner Rahul S said all possible steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of residents.P2 FORECAST The documentary Kicking Balls aims to address the history of child marriages in the country. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 05.27 AM » TUESDAY | 28 MAY 2024 | AMRITSAR Amritsar has not seen any work under MP Aujla: BJP’s Sandhu Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 27 The BJP candidate from Amritsar, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said the implementation of meaningful development has started as per the outline prepared for the progress and development of Amritsar. He said he would work as a bridge between Amritsar and Delhi, adding that he would definitely put the problems of the city on the appropriate platform. Sandhu targeted Congress MP Gurjeet Aujla and said he had not put in any efforts for the development of Amritsar. He said any development projects they claimed to be theirs were done by the Central Government. He said that Aujla does not have a single significant development project in the city. He said Aujla received Rs 35 crore from the MP fund, yet people in the city were troubled by the problem of contaminated water and sewerage. Sandhu said Aujla has not adopted even a single village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. “Why is the Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Lok Sabha candidate Taranjit Singh Sandhu during a roadshow near Majitha in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Luharka Road Bridge Project completely closed? There is no elevated road from Gumtala to the airport,” he said. Sandhu said Aujla was the chairman of the Disha Committee for eight years; however, he was not able to resolve the issue of the Bhagatwala dump or Tung Dhab drain. He also said that he is also a member of the Agricultural Advisory Committee; however, he has neither given any advice nor sent any recommendation in the interest of farmers. Sandhu said preparations to open the VFS Global Application Centre in Amritsar have been completed. He said the NRI community, which runs a free hospital in UP was also looking for land , to open a hospital in Amritsar, where free treatment would be provided. He said his dream was to start a sky train from the airport and railway station to Darbar Sahib and Durgiana Temple. Sandhu said if he were elected from the constituency, the roads leading to the religious place would be beautified on a priority basis. Police arrest prime suspect in honey trap, murder bid case PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 27 The city police arrested the prime suspect in a honey trap and attempt to murder case from Fatahpur area here on Monday. The accused Karandeep Singh, a resident of Algon Khurd village falling in Patti sub-division of Tarn Taran district, was apprehended after a hot pursuit through the fields amid burning crop stubble. He suffered burn injuries on his feet as he was bare feet while running away from the police. He ran several hundred meters before he was arrested, said Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, City-I. This was the fifth arrest in the case. Earlier, the police had arrested a jail inmate SAD leader quits party, to support Waris Punjab De chief Amritsar, May 27 SAD leader Manjit Singh today submitted his resignation from primary membership of the party and announced his support in favour of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, who is contesting from the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency as an independent candidate, while being locked up in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail. In a video message, he announced to sever his ties as SGPC member. He said he had been associated with the SAD for the past four decades but its leadership in the hands of a family did not do any justice to him. He, however, added that he would not join any other political party. He said he remained in jail for eight years and refused several opportunities to go up the ladder of politics for the sake of Panth and Panthic values. — TNS For Cong veteran, stock market volatilityis guide to poll outcome Gurdaspur, May 27 Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s residence, tucked away in a narrow street in his native village of Dharowali, remains a hub of activity ever since the AICC announced his candidature. Commandos, carrying sophisticated automatic weapons, are visible everywhere. Nobody is frisked lest he should get annoyed, but the fact is that nobody can escape the watchful eyes of these security personnel. His wife Jatinder Kaur is much busier than her MLA husband. She is quick to emphasise that she is not a politician. Nevertheless, she acts, thinks, talks and lives like one. Reason enough why Sukhjinder Randhawa has given her absolute control of his assembly seat of Dera Baba Nanak. She signals to the crowd standing outside that “Sahib is ready and can come out anytime to meet them.” Randhawa comes out, listens to their grievances and hops in his car. He is on his way to meet Dr Kamaljit Singh Rashpal Singh alias Rishi who was lodged in Goindwal Sahib jail, Karan’s girlfriend Tejpreet Kaur, shooters Sajan Patti and Jugraj Singh in connection with the case. Giving details, Dr Ahluwalia said that on March 15, Gurjant Singh, a local resident was shot at by three persons out- side Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Centre on Chabal road, leaving him seriously injured. During a probe, it was found that the attack was orchestrated by Goindwal Sahib jail inmate Rashpal Singh. “Karandeep wanted to take revenge on behalf of Rashpal continued on page 2 whose son Prabhdeep Singh has made it big in construction business in Australia. The doctor’s one acre plush house is located on the outskirts of the village. “This is one of the success stories of Dharowali,” says Randhawa. Minutes later, he is on his way to Gurdaspur, 35 kilometres away. In the car, he is busy checking his phone. Actually, he is checking the stock market. Not because he has invested in shares or mutual funds but because the “Sensex gives a fair idea Bangladeshi intruder held near Int’l Border Tribune News Service The two suspects in custody of the Amritsar police on Monday. Congress candidate Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa addresses a public meeting in Amritsar on Monday. Amritsar, May 27 A Bangladeshi intruder was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) near Rajatal border observation post (BOP) yesterday. After preliminary questioning, he was handed over to the police for further action. Neelesh Kumar, Company Commander, BSF told the police that the intruder was found roaming near the barbed fence. He did not have any valid documents for entering India. He was identified as Abdu Shakur (21) of Bangladesh. Nothing objec- tionable was found from his possession. Following preliminary investigations, he was handed over to Gharinda police where a case under the Foreigners Act was registered against him. Police authorities said that a Bangladesh national now living in Pakistan had lured him to come there. He said he was produced in court and brought on three-day police remand for further probe. Though nothing objectionable was found from him, security and intelligence agencies would be questioning him during further course of investigations. whether the BJP government will get a third term or not.” “Just see how the volatility index of the stock exchange is on the rise. This means the markets have become nervous. The industry can sense that Modi is no longer coming to power,” quips Randhawa as his car passes the T-point, the starting point of the four-lane road that leads to the Kartarpur corridor, 8 km away. “The construction of the corridor got mired in controversy when the mining mafia suddenly increased the prices of sand and gravel. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh asked me to intervene. I called the contractor and told him to re-start work within two hours or be ready to face an FIR. Things fell in place and the corridor was built on schedule,” he said. Minutes later, his car again screeches to a halt, this time at Kalanaur. He points to nearly 1,600 acres of panchayat land lying vacant. “In 2018, when I was the Co-operation Minister, I set up a Sugarcane Research Institute on the lines of the Vas- antdada Sugar Institute in Pune, regarded as Asia’s best sugarcane research institute. Everything was going well till the AAP government assumed power. The new government has stopped work. This is a classic example of how petty politicking hampers development projects,” he said. He is worried about how Pakistan is sending in drones carrying payloads or heroin in border villages. “Earlier, heroin came in 5 kg packets. Now it is coming in packets weighing 10 to 15 kg. My youngsters are being ruined. Batala’s once famed industrial units are facing closure because the Central Government is not giving them rebates like it gives to J&K and HP Heroin . and unemployment are the two biggest problems this constituency is facing. This will be my priority area once I reach parliament,” he says. Before he winds up for the day, says Randhawa, “My constituency badly needs a state-of-the-art medical college and hospital on the lines of AIIMS. We also need a sports university and a big ticket fruit-cum-agro-based industrial unit in Pathankot.” 2 held for seeking ~80 lakh extortion from industrialist Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 27 The Punjab Police have arrested two persons on charges of threatening and demanding extortion from a local industrialist here. Four days ago, the victim had received a letter on the letterhead of Babbar Khalsa International in which the suspects had sought ~80 lakh as extortion while threatening him of dire consequences in case he failed to fulfil the demand. One of the suspects was identified as Dilbagh Singh, Two suspects in custody of the police in Amritsar on Monday. a resident of Bal Kalan village. He was earlier arrested in the Shingaar Cinema continued on page 2 People are returning to Cong Shrinking green cover issue finds no in grief, claims MP Gurjeet mention in any LS candidates’ speech Tribune News Service Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 27 “It has been two and a half years since the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power in Punjab but development work has come to a complete standstill. The party that talked about making Rangla Punjab has instead turned the state into Kangla Punjab. People are returning to the Congress party in grief, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann talks about 13-0 score in Lok Sabha elections. I want to tell them that on June 4, it will be 0-13 for AAP not 13-0. Congress party , candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency Gurjeet Singh Aujla said this today during rallies held in village Khayala and Balzai Wind of Rajasansi. Local MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria and Dilraj Sarkaria were also with him. Aujla said that people have become disillusioned with the party that came to power in the Lok Sabha candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla during door-to-door election campaigning in Amritsar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO name of change and are now in a mood to teach them a lesson. He said that the only ray of light for the people suffering under AAP is to bring a Congress government to powerthe Centre. He further said that the BJP government at the Centre enacted anti-farmer laws, and after a long struggle, PM Modi had to finally withdraw the three black laws. On the occasion, MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria also appealed to the people to support the Congress and cast votes in its favour. Gurjeet Singh Aujla conducted a door-to-door campaign in the markets near Majith Mandi, Amritsar. He claimed that there was good response from the people. The campaign was conducted under the leadership of former Deputy Chief Minister Om Prakash Soni. c m y b Amritsar, May 27 The holy city has been bursting at its seams due to rapid urbanisation. However, neither the political parties nor their candidates contesting the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat have spared a thought about extending its green cover. Manreet Singh, a hotelier, said instead of lush green landscape greeting the devotees after entering the city from the GT road, tourists find rehris plying on either side of the stretch from Golden Gate to the ISBT. Unorganised flow of vehicles, vehicles laden with sand causing it to fly around besides excessive concretisation are among the other problems. He demanded that politicians contesting from the Amritsar seat which houses the holiest Sikh shrine should spare a thought on making the stretch neat and clean besides giving it a green Amrit Anand park (in pic) and the jogging track along the Upper Bari Doab Canal were among the green lungs of the city. SUNIL KUMAR look to offer a soothing sight to the eye for tourists coming from a tiresome journey. There are several claims that Amritsar used to be a city of gardens ever since its inception. Guru Ramdas, founder of the city, had planned it with gardens and dug a large sarovar near Santokhsar Bagh. Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh master, developed the first garden in the city on the eastern side of the Golden Temple, which is called Guru Ka Bagh. A century ago, the walled city had a small garden in every locality. Most of these gardens have now been encroached upon, developed as localities or turned into parking lots. Amrit Anand park and jogging track along the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) were the last parks which were added to the green lungs of the city in the past decade or so. On the other hand, fast paced urbanisation saw a number of localities coming up even beyond the bypasses in the last 24 years. Concerned citizens are of the view that these parks are insufficient in comparison to the scale on which new localities have come up in the city. They take solace from the fact that 38 parks were redeveloped under Phase I and Phase II of the Smart City project. Balram Sharma, a resident of Ranjit Avenue, demanded that green parks and playgrounds should be established in all four directions of the city for the convenience of residents and youngsters. He opined that it was possible only when the candidates in fray integrate these views in their plans.