22022025-ATR-01.qxd 2/21/2025 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY ADMN, VARDHMAN STEEL DEVELOP 2.5-ACRE FOREST TALK TO YOUR KIDS IN PUNJABI: AMAN ARORA BHUMI OPENS UP ON HER ROLE IN MERE HUSBAND KI BIWI The administration in collaboration with Vardhman Steel Company Limited has developed a forest in the city. P2 State AAP president Aman Arora on Friday urged parents to speak with their kids in Punjabi at home. P2 MAX 17°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 6°C She plays role of Prableen, a typical Punjabi woman, whose personality traits drive film’s intriguing storyline.P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 6.22 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7.04 AM » SATURDAY | 22 FEBRUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Man arrested for smuggling arms from Pak Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 21 The Amritsar rural police have arrested a man, identified as Ranjit Singh, alias Sona, of Dagtoot village, following an intelligence input, said Charanjit Singh Sohal, SSP Amritsar rural, here. , Sohal said the police got a specific information that Sona had links with Pakistan-based smugglers and used to smuggle contraband and weapons from the neighbouring country. Following this, the police set up a check-point near Bhilowal village and intercepted the accused who was on a bike. During a search, the police recovered a Glock and .30 bore pistols along with two magazines, five live bullets of .30 bore calibre and a motorcycle (PB-06-C-3210) from him. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said that a case was registered under the Arms Act and the Aircraft Act against him and further probe was on to establish his backward and forward linkages. ADA tightens the noose around unauthorised colonies in dist Amritsar, February 21 The Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) on Friday demolished several unauthorised colonies on the San Sahib road, Chheharta, and Basarke Gillan village illegally developed on the outskirts of the city. Acting on the directives from Chief Administrator Ankurjeet Singh, ADA, regulatory wing officials carried out an operation under the supervision of Duty Magistrate Jagbir Singh, Sub-Divisional Engineer (JSE) of the ADA, Amritsar, and police officials from the Gharinda police station. The regulatory wing of the ADA reported that the demolition work was conducted under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), 1995, to curb the illegal expansion of unauthorised colonies. The authorities had previously issued notices to developers in compliance with the government guidelines. However, despite repeated warnings, certain developers continued to flout regulations, leading to the enforcement action. The officials further stated that individuals found guilty of unauthorized land develop- 3 miscreants injured, 1 held in two police encounters PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 21 Three operatives of infamous gangsters were injured and one was arrested in two separate encounters occurred in Jodh Singh Wala and Dadiala village falling under the Sadar Patti and Goindwal Sahib police stations, respectively, here on Friday evening. The injured were identified as Lovepreet Singh, alias Labba, of Valtoha, Lovepreet Singh, alias Labba, of Zira and Jaswinder Singh, alias Jassa, of Goindwal Sahib. The arrested miscreant was Mehakdeep Singh of Thatha village. The injured suffered bullet injuries on legs. They were admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment under police watch. Abhimanyu Rana, SSP , Tarn Taran, said both Lovepreet (of Valtoha) and Lovepreet (of Zira) along with Mahakdeep Singh were associates of foreign ADA officials along with workers demolish an illegal colony near Guru Nanak Dev Road, Chheharta Sahib, in Amritsar on Friday. ment under the amended PAPRA Act of 2024 could face severe penalties, including imprisonment ranging from five to 10 years and fines of ~25 lakh to ~5 crore. So far, the ADA has recommended the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) against 15 colonisers and unauthorised builders for violating government regulations. PUDA’s regulatory wing continues to inspect illegal constructions across the district and has been actively issuing notices to stop unauthorised activities. Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to proceed with necessary legal action against violators. In a public advisory, the ADA regulatory wing has urged the residents to verify approvals from PUDA before purchasing plots in any housing colony. Buyers are advised to demand official approval documents from the authorities concerned to avoid financial losses and legal complications. Additionally, the public has been reminded to obtain the required construction permits from PUDA before commencing any building activity within the district. — TNS The motorcycle and a pistol used by miscreants lie at the encounter site in Tarn Taran. based notorious gangster Prabh Dasuwal and had been involved in a number of firing incidents outside local residents for extortion in the recent past. Giving details, he said the police had put up a naka near the Jodh Singh Wala village drain when they spotted three bike-borne persons. The police teams signalled them to spot, but took a Uturn in order to escape. “When police teams tried to catch them, they fired at the police party. In self-defence, the cops retaliated leading to injuring of two miscreants and Mehakdeep was arrested from the scene,” said Rana. The police recovered a .32 bore pistol and four rounds apart from two empty shells from there. Similarly, a police team at the Dadiala village naka intercepted bike-borne Jaswinder Singh who fired at a police party in his desperate attempt to flee. In the counter firing, he suffered a bullet injury in the leg. The police recovered a .32 bore pistol and two live cartridges and two empty shells from the spot. As per a preliminary probe, he was an associate of a gangster, identified as German Malli. Malli was reorganising his gang and waiting for some target. He said two separate FIRs are being registered against the suspects and further probe would be carried out to identify their backward and forward links. Post-rain, waterlogged roads add to commuters’ woes Poll observer Dr Senu Duggal new bridge built at Daburji on the national highway. Officials and engineers responsible for this structure should be questioned. How can such an irresponsible work be tolerated? This is a blatant misuse of public funds. The construction was completed just a few months ago, and the road is already breaking at several places. The absence of a proper slope has led to water stagnation on top of the bridge. Who is responsible for this? The government must take strict action against the officials involved.” He further demanded a Vigilance Bureau inquiry against the responsible authorities, urging the government to hold them accountable for their negligence. The issue of substandard construction and lack of maintenance continues to frustrate city residents, who demand urgent intervention to address the deteriorating infrastructure. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service A waterlogged road at Rani ka Bagh in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR ging on its top and slope. Commuters and residents are irked over the water stagnation on the bridge slope, Youth discharged in murder attempt case Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 21 An 18-year-old Jobanpreet Singh, who was nominated by the police in a murder bid, snatching and the NDPS Act case, was discharged by the Sessions Court here on Friday. Advocate Sukhman Singh Bal said Jobanpreet was falsely implicated by the police on frivolous grounds and no recovery was made from Jobanpreet. Even he was not part of the crime based on which the FIR was lodged against him. Giving details, Sukhman Singh said in 2023, several armed persons allegedly tried to loot a liquor vend following which the police had registered a case under Sections 307 and 379-B (2) and the NDPS Act in this regard. The police had nominated three persons Ishwar Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Sukhjit Singh in the case. He said following disclosure statement of Ishwar Singh, the police also nominated Jobanpreet Singh in the case that the weapon used in the crime was picked up by him. In the order, the court pointed out that the investigating agency had not been able to recover the weapon and there was no other evidence against him regarding possession of the weapon except the disclosure report which was not permissible in evidence. Therefore, charges under provisions of the Arms Act cannot be framed against him. Further, the court said the applicant, Jobanpreet Singh, stands discharged. Sukhaman said Jobanpreet would no longer have to face the trial in the case. which is believed to be a result of the faulty design. Social worker Sarabjit Singh Sonu of Jandiala criti- Dhaliwal for bringing back Indians held in Panama hotel Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 21 Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has asked the Central Government to bring home Indians kept in Panama on the directions of the US government. On the issue of the Indians who were deported by the US and kept in Panama, the Cabinet Minister said it is now the responsibility of the Indian Government to bring them back. While settling the grievances of people by organizing “Lok Darbar” at Ajnala on Friday, Dhaliwal said, “We are in touch with the Union Government on this matter and we also appeal to them to bring back the countrymen who are stuck in a foreign country. cised the poor engineering and lack of accountability in the construction process. “Look at the condition of the holds meeting with officials Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, February 21 Election observer Dr Senu Duggal on Thursday reached here and held a review meeting with officials relating to the Dera Baba Nanak municipal committee elections slated to be held on March 2. She told officials that the elections should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner. The rules and regulations of the State Election Commission (SEC) should be followed in letter and spirit, she said. Duggal said any complaint, received from any party, related to the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) should be taken seriously “and there should be no laxity on the part of officials conducting the polls”. She urged the Gurdaspur DERA BABA NANAK MC POLL ON MARCH 2 ■ A review meeting, relating to the Dera Baba Nanak municipal committee elections slated to be held on March 2, was held with officials. Election observer Dr Senu Duggal told officials that the elections should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner. The rules and regulations should be followed in letter and spirit. district administration to ensure that women and weaker sections of society could exercise their franchise in a free and fair manner. The last date of filing nominations is February 20 and the scrutiny of nominations will be done on February 21. Voting will be held on March 2 and the counting of votes will be held on the same day. Deputy Commissioner (DC)-cum-District Election Officer (DEO) Uma Shankar Gupta assured Senu Duggal that the MCC will be strictly followed. There are a total of 13 wards. Out of a total of 7,812 voters, 3,992 are male voters while 3,820 are female voters. Uma Shankar Gupta said the first rehearsal of the polling parties will be held on February 22 followed by the second rehearsal on February 27. “The district administration is fully committed towards holding transparent polls as per the instructions of the State Election Commission,” he said. He said proper security arrangements had been made. “The polls will be held in a peaceful manner. No untoward incident will be tolerated,” he said. Planning to reconstruct 162-year-old station, Railways issues notices to private offices to vacate premises Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 21 Northern Railway’s Ferozepur division has issued notices to different government departments operating from the Amritsar railway station to vacate their premises. The notices to vacate the premises were issued to a branch of the State Bank of India (SPBI), Refreshment Room (RR) and other buildings functioning at the railway station. Insiders said the major challenge for the Railways is to get its over 80 shops vacated situated outside the railway station to pave the way for overall development on modern lines. Sources in the railways said several shops were allotted in 1981 and to get them vacated from occupants, the Railways went to c m y b PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Amritsar, February 21 Moderate rain on Friday has inconvenienced commuters a lot with roads and potholes filled with rainwater. Many roads across the city are already in a poor condition with major potholes visible at almost every stretch. Owing to improper construction, rainwater gets accumulated on roads and streets for several days even after moderate showers. The stagnant water further damages the road surfaces, leaving new potholes after each rainfall. Residents have raised concerns about the inferior quality of materials used in road construction, alleging that roads often get washed away after one or two spells of downpour. In a glaring instance of negligence, the newly completed overbridge at Daburji, which took years to complete, is already witnessing massive waterlog- The government offices at the Amritsar railway station. the court in 1995-1996. Notices stated that “codal life of building allotted to you has expired so you hereby informed to vacate the building immediately”. To the branch manager of the SBI, it added that “keeping in view the safety of man/material, vacate the said building at the earliest. Consider it as most urgent”. Sources in the railway stated that the codal life of a building is the maximum service life of a building after which it should be replaced. The codal life of a building can vary depending on the materials used in its construction and other factors. It is believed that the entire exercise was aimed at the railway all set to reconstruct the 162-year-old railway station under the ambitious Amrit Bharat Station scheme with a proposed investment running in hundreds of crores. Set up by the then British Indian government, some years ago upon consulting the old records of the Railways, its officials found that the railway station was built in four years from 1859 to 1862. However, the original building was demolished long ago to pave way for more platforms. Keeping in view the city’s heritage, the present building of the local railway station reflected Sikh architecture. Amrit Bharat Station scheme envisages development of the local railway station on a continuous basis with a long term approach. It envisages raising of a glass building reminding onlookers of entering an airport instead of railway station, similar to shopping mall experience waiting area equipped with outlets of national and international food chains to be shifted to first floor, waiting halls with modern facilities, odour-free hygienic rail tracks with underground disposal network system, modern toilets, cleaning facilities, kiosks for local products under the “One station One Product” initiative, spaces for business meetings. A total of 30 railway stations of Punjab are being upgraded in two phases and the Amritsar railway station is one of them.