17082024-ATR-01.qxd 8/16/2024 10:55 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 28°C MAN ARRESTED FOR CHOHLA SAHIB SHOOTING INCIDENT PROTEST TO SHIFT HADDA RORI ON IN MALERKOTLA INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST BEGINS IN SHIMLA The police have cracked a shooting incident that took place in Chohla Sahib town by arresting one. P2 Residents of two localities in Malerkotla protested as the MC had failed to remove hadda rorifrom the area. P3 The three-day event is showcasing no less than 105 films from 27 countries. P4 » » » SUNSET SATURDAY 7.11 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5.57 AM SATURDAY | 17 AUGUST 2024 | AMRITSAR ASI among 15 cops felicitated at Independence Day function Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 16 ASI Ashwani Kumar, chowki in-charge, Kot Khalsa, was felicitated by Punjab Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian for his commendable services on occasion of the 78th Independence Day celebrations here on Thursday. Apart from maintaining law and order, he is also known for his social service. During his postings in the areas where drug abuse was rampant, he helped addicts by taking them to de-addiction centres and later in their rehabilitation. Till now, he has helped as many as 50 youths in their rehabilitation. He is the recipient of the two DGP Commendation Discs and many other awards. He was also awarded this Independence Day. “I firmly believe that taking action against drug peddlers is necessary, but it is also mandatory for society to help the victims of drug abuse in shunning it by continuously motivating them and treating addiction as disease,” he said. He also distributes books and copies to schoolchildren from Class V to X and encourage children from localities such as Gumanpura, Gujjarpura and Mustafabad to complete their education. My colleagues also encouraged and helped me in Docs at GMCH, dental college go on strike in solidarity with Kolkata victim Neha Saini Tribune News Service ASI Ashwani Kumar being honoured by Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian during the Independence Day function in Amritsar. CITY LAD ARZAN GETS BRAVERY AWARD City lad Azaan Kapoor (13) was honoured with the state bravery award by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann during the state-level Independence Day function in Jalandhar on Thursday. His father Sunil Kapoor had saved the lives of many devotees during a pilgrimage to Amarnath by alerting them from a landslide. the cause, he added. As many as 14 cops were felicitated during the programme. Among others honoured included Verka police station SHO Amanjot Kaur, SI Balwinder Singh, woman constable Sandeep Kaur and two officials from the Vigilance. Inspector Amanjot Kaur, SHO, Verka police station, bravely fought with a group of hooligans leaving her seriously injured outside a tavern near Mudhal village on August 2. Besides, 65 employees of different government departments and 25 individual citizens associated with various NGOs and working for the welfare of society were also honoured on the occasion. Amritsar, August 16 Joining the nationwide protest over the rape and gruesome murder of a female medic in Kolkata, resident doctors and students of Government Medical College and Punjab Government Dental College, Amritsar, today announced a strike and staged protest, calling for swift justice and terming the Kolkata incident as ‘crime against humanity’. Wearing black ribbons and holding placards amid chants of “No Safety, No Service” and “Safety for all Women”, the junior resident doctors called for a major shutdown of medical services across the district, as they demanded stringent laws in place to ensure the safety of women and doctors. “Safety must be ensured for us to do our work without worrying about when it might be our turn. The Kolkata incident happened inside the workplace that lacked safety and security. This must stop. We must be provided with Central Protection Act, it has become a compulsion now,” said Ashnoor, a dental college intern, who led the protests at the Doctors and students of Punjab Govermnent Dental College & Hospital during a protest in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Punjab Government Dental College campus. She was joined by 100 protesters, men and women, who called for swift justice in the Kolkata case. “There was no CCTV, no security guard, who could have helped her. It’s been a week and no one knows how many culprits committed the crime or why such a grave act was committed. The government has long been ignoring the demand for safety of doctors, and this is not just about doctors, it’s about humanity, it’s about all women who live with the fear of being the next victim,” said Sameer, a medical intern at GMC. Dr Karamjit Singh, Medical Superintendent, Government Medical College and Hospital, said that the protests and strike have been announced in solidarity with the Kolkata victim. “The Kolkata incident has sparked a nationwide movement among the medical fraternity, demanding workplace safety and action against culprits. The OPD services have been shut the entire day today, while emergency services are open. We have deputed senior doctors on ward duty as junior resident doctors and interns continue with their strike.” The GMCH saw a total shutdown of OPD with only serious patients being provided medical services. The GMCH gets an average OPD footfall of 3,000-3,500 patients every day. The Amritsar chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also called for a 24-hour strike starting from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday. “This crime took place at her workplace. Doctors are on duty during the day as well as night and are vulnerable to such crimes. And this particular incident is not about doctors, it’s a heinous crime against humanity. It should be condemned on all platforms and by all citizens. It’s totally inhuman and intolerable,” said Dr Jaspreet Singh Grover, secretary, Indian Medical Association, Amritsar chapter, adding, “On nationwide call by IMA, we will observe a total strike from 6 am tomorrow till 6 am on Sunday. Only emergency services in all private and government hospitals will remain open.” A protest march will be organised where a number of organisations including teachers, students and civil society members will participate. Farmers hold tractor New Gurdaspur DC has task cut out for him 2 make vain attempt marchonI-Day to loot grocery store Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service committee. Farmers stopped the march at the District Administrative Complex (DAC) and staged a dharna on National Highway No.54 resulting in disruption of vehicular traffic for hours. Copies of the three criminal laws were burnt and leaders of the KSMC condemned the police for their failure to expedite the probe into the murder of a 17-year-old boy of Jhamka Kalan. The DSP (HQs), Kamaljit Singh, Goindwal Sahib DSP Ravisher Singh and Tarn Taran SHO (Sadar) held a meeting with leaders of the KMSC and assured them of continued on page 2 Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 16 Farmer bodies associated with the agitating Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) on the Independence Day organised a tractor march in the district and burnt an effigy of the three criminal laws of the Union Government. The tractor march by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Punjab, was led by Satnam Singh Manochahal, district president, and the other march organised by the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Kot Budha (Punjab), was led by Sahib Singh, state leader of the Gurdaspur, August 16 The new Deputy Commissioner (DC) Uma Shankar Gupta finds his hands full as he will have to handle a plethora of problems, a majority of which require his direct intervention. This is a district where the flow of deadly heroin from Pakistan through state-ofthe-art drones continues unabated. Consequently, the lives and livelihood of hundreds of youths are at risk. Although this is a problem which is being directly handled by the security agencies, yet the new incumbent will do well to generate employment opportunities. Only then can the youth be weaned away New Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur Uma Shankar Gupta from the near fatal grasp of the white powder. A few months ago, the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Himanshu Aggarwal tried to solve the traffic dilemma by asking shopkeepers and commercial establishments, including banks and private hospitals, to use their base- ments for parking purposes. The owners of these entities get the drawings of their establishments passed by the Municipal Committee (MC) in such a way that it is assumed that these basements will be used as parking lots. However, seldom do these people adhere to the norms and start using their basements illegally for commercial purposes in blatant violation of norms. DC Gupta will have to take some hard decisions and on the way he will find himself confronting the angry private doctors’ lobby who are the main offenders. The industrial town of Batala forms an integral part of Gurdaspur revenue district. The DC will have to convince the state government to give tax concessions to hundreds of once flourishing industrial units. It will require one massive effort from the officer if some oxygen has to be pumped into these floundering factories. A majority of them have either shut down or have shifted base to the neighbouring states of J&K and Himachal Pradesh which offer lucrative rebates and tax concessions. He will also have to handle the local MC with kid-gloves if he has to solve civic problems of the city. The problem here is that all the 29 councillors of the MC are Congressmen but the Gurdaspur halqa in-charge Raman Bahl is an AAP politician. The officer will have to walk like a trapeze artist if he has to keep all the stakeholders in a happy continued on page 2 Amritsar, August 16 Even as the city police claimed to have beefed up security arrangements and established check-points to nail miscreants, two armed robbers tried to loot a grocery store owner in Kot Mit Singh area located on Tarn Taran Road here on Thursday. The shop owner, Rakesh Kumar, resisted their attempt and entered into a scuffle forcing them to flee the spot. The entire incident was captured on the CCTV cameras installed in the shop. The police said a case has been registered and probe was on to identify the suspects. Rakesh Kumar said yesterday, he was sitting in his shop when two bike-borne persons with faces covered with cloth entered the shop. He said one of the accused entered the shop and pointed a pistol at him. “It took me no time to understand that they were robbers. Without losing a second, I grabbed him by his ‘parna’ (a piece of cloth) around the neck and pulled him out of the shop,” he said, adding that then he entered into a scuffle with him while nearby people remained mute spectators. He said meanwhile, his accomplice and threw a brick at him due to which he got his accomplice freed from his grip enabling him to flee the spot. The police said the accused would be held soon. — TNS Wild growth of grass on central Drug overdose claims 4 booked for removing Nishan verges of roads irks commuters 33-yr-old’s life in Ajnala Sahib from disputed land Amritsar, August 16 The wild growth of weeds and grass in central verges on most roads in the city has irked commuters. Due to the lackadaisical attitude of the Municipal Corporation, the thick vegetation is even creating a hurdle in the movement of traffic. Both sides of GT road — from Golden Gate to UBDC canal — have good plantation and shrubs on the central and side verges. But due to wild growth in the rainy season, the shrubs have started covering some areas of the road. At some places, the problem is so severe that twowheeler riders get stuck amid the overgrown shrubs. These fully grown trees have overshadowed the streetlights, forcing commuters to move on the dilapidated city roads in the dark. “On the Court Road, the Tribune News Service VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Wild growth on the dividers pose a risk to commuters in Amritsar. administration has grown beautiful bougainvillea on the central verges. But now, it needs pruning as trunks have grown toward the road. These overgrown bougainvillea pose inconvenience to the commuters. The MC should take care of it,” said advocate Randhir Kumar. It’s not just central verges. The rainy season has resulted in an increase in wild growth of grass and other weeds at vacant spaces, including the plots around government buildings and hospitals across the city. Residents complained that such wild growth provides shelter to reptiles which made them fearful. The tall grass in residential localities is worrying nearby continued on page 2 Amritsar, August 16 Rampant drug abuse claimed the life of a youth in Ajnala here on Thursday. His body was found near a canal on the ITI road in Ajnala. A syringe was found injected in his hand, indicating that he died of drug overdose. The deceased was identified as Parminder Singh (33), a resident of Dayal Bhadang village. He was married and had two children, said Avtar Singh, SHO, Ajnala police station. The SHO said yesterday, the police got information about the body of a youth lying on the ITI road. Police teams reached the spot and started a probe to identify him. A scooter was also found near the dead body. The police said there was no injury mark on the body c m y b of the deceased. They said the body has been kept in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital for recognition. A message about the dead body along with his picture has also been circulated in nearby villages for his identification. In the evening, his family approached the police. He said according to family members, Parminder left the house on Wednesday and did not return home. Even he did not take along his mobile phone. The family tried to find him, but failed to trace him. Next day, his body was found on the ITI road. Station House Officer Avtar Singh said the police have registered a case against three persons, allegedly involved in drug trafficking and providing drugs to him. Raids were on to arrest them, he added. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 16 Four persons have been booked for dismantling the Nishan Sahib installed on disputed land in Guru Ki Wadali village. The land comes under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation. Members of the farming community, organised under the banner of a Kisan Union, removed the Nishan Sahib with a tractor. The video of the incident went viral on social media. The police immediately booked four persons for hurting religious sentiments. The Nishan Sahib was installed by members of a community on the land vacated by the estate wing of MC recently. A month back, the MC had removed illegal possession by some farmers who were cultivating the land for several years. The MC had installed boards claiming ownership after taking possession of land from the farmers. Meanwhile, some persons who desired to construct a gurdwara on the land, installed a Nishan Sahib there 20 days back. Yesterday, farmers removed the Nishan Sahib and claimed their possession on the six kanal of land. Meanwhile, MC officials claimed that they have written to the Commissioner of Police and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to intervene in the matter and remove the Nishan Sahib from government land with respect. “No one from the police and SGPC responded to our request. Then we sent a reminder last week,” said estate officer Dharminderjit Singh. The MC owns around 13 acres of land in Guru Ki Wadali village which was being cultivated by local farmers. The estate wing of MC took possession of two chunks of land at various locations in the village. Sukhpal Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (West), said, “We have booked four persons immediately after the incident under Sections 298 of BNS. All the accused are absconding after the incident. Our teams are raiding their probable hideouts. Strict action would be taken against the culprits.” Dharminderjit Singh, Estate Officer, MC said, “We have informed the police about the ownership of land. The MC is owner of the land and illegal possession will not be tolerated. Both the parties are trying to occupy the MC land illegally. We are writing to the Police Commissioner that we will not allow any party to occupy government land.”