23022025-ATR-01.qxd 2/22/2025 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 22°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 11°C BOOK ON MIGRATION 'PUNJAB ATAY PARVAS' RELEASED SABA AZAD SAYS ‘ALOO PARANTHA RUNS IN MY VEINS’ PUNJABI SENSATION DILJIT DOSANJH LOVES COFFEE The book is unveiled during the inauguration of a two-day seminar on 'Punjab's Global Migration' . P2 Saba Azad, who plays a journalist in the series Crime Beat, is a foodie who says ‘aloo parantha runs in my veins’. P4 Diljit took to Instagram, where he shared a video of himself sitting in a cafe and enjoying some breakfast. P4 » » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.23 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.03 AM SUNDAY | 23 FEBRUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Absence of auto stands leads to traffic chaos on city roads Two operatives of gangster nabbed Our Correspondent Tribune News Service PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Tarn Taran, February 22 The Chabal police have arrested two operatives of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria for taking extortion from a resident of Lalu Ghuman here. The police said here on Saturday that the accused have been identified as Khushpreet Singh Khush of Malakpur and Akashdeep Singh Akash of Bhaika in Gurdaspur district. ASI Kanwaljit Singh, investigating officer, said victim Dharminder Singh of Lalu Ghuman, working as a medical practitioner, in his complaint to the police stated that he has been receiving mobile messages and threat calls for the last few days seeking an extortion of ~50 lakh from the two men who claimed to be operatives of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. ASI Kanwaljit Singh said the operatives were produced in a court, which sent them to police custody for six days. 10-kg heroin seizure case: Cops seize 2-kg more heroin Chaos prevails on a road due to the absence of stands for auto-rickshaws in Amritsar on Saturday. Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 22 The absence of designated stands for auto-rickshaws is the main cause behind traffic mess on most of the city roads. Chaos prevails when auto drivers stop their vehicles anywhere, causing sudden disruptions in the flow of traffic. Commuters have to face tough times when they get stuck in a chaos. The situation is further compounded by the presence of illegal autorickshaws on roads. “It’s a nightmare to navigate city streets,” said Ramesh Kumar, a local resident. He complained that auto-rickshaws stop anywhere without caring for traffic rules or pedestrians’ safety. “It’s a miracle as no major road accident has taken place on city roads,” he added. The lack of designated stands has led to a free-for-all situation with auto-rickshaw drivers competing for passengers and stopping their vehicles at will. The presence of illegal autorickshaws adds to chaos. “These illegal rickshaws are a menace. They do not follow any rules and they are a threat to the safety of passengers and other road users,” said Rohan Sharma, a local resident. Residents are demanding that the authorities must take action to address the issue. “We need designated stands for auto-rickshaws and the authorities need to crack down on illegal rickshaws. Until then, the streets will remain a chaotic mess,” said Balwant Singh, another resident. People say that as auto-rickshaw is the most favoured and dependable mode of transportation for people, there must be some check on these to ensure public safety. Amritsar, February 22 In the ongoing investigation into the 10-kg heroin seizure case, the Counter Intelligence (CI) wing, Amritsar, has seized 2-kg more heroin concealed near a canal at Boparai Baj Singh village, based on a disclosure statement made by accused Harmandeep Singh, taking the total seizure in the case to 15 kg, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday. The development came a few days after the Punjab Police had busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of drug smuggler Harmandeep Singh of Ghumanpura village in Amritsar and recovery of 10 kg heroin from his possession. This is the second major recovery made on the disclosure of accused Harmandeep. Police teams had also arrest- The contraband seized by the CI wing of the Amritsar police. ed Harmandeep’s accomplice, identified as Lovepreet Singh, after recovering 3 kg heroin from his possession. DGP Gaurav Yadav said during the investigation of further forward and backward linkages, accused Harmandeep made another disclosure that he had concealed an additional 2 kg of heroin under a brick placed alongside the canal near Boparai Baj Singh village on the Khurmanian-Ram Tirath link road. Acting on this lead, teams from CI Amritsar managed to recover the 2-kg heroin consignment from the pinpointed location shared by the accused, he said. The DGP said the recovered heroin is part of a larger consignment smuggled from Pakistan with the assistance of a Pak-based smuggler, identified as Chacha Bawa, who used drones to transport the drugs across the border. Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the network, he added. A case under Sections 21, 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act had been registered at the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) police station in Amritsar. Meanwhile, CI Amritsar has registered a total of 14 FIRs after arresting 29 drug smugglers in 2024 (January 1 to December 31, 2024), and seized 153.6 kg of heroin, 4 kg of Ice drug, 31.9 kg of aaffeine anhydrous, 17 kg of dextromethorphan (DMR) and ~1.10 crore drug money from their possession, revealed the DGP . Joint efforts need of the hour to Residents irked over poor infra, DTF raises doubt check rising air pollution: DC sanitation in Shastri market area over timely disbursal of salary under e-sign Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 22 Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney has stressed the importance of collaboration among government agencies, healthcare professionals, environmental experts, media and the public to combat the growing crisis of air pollution and climate change. Speaking at the launch of the Amritsar Forum for Clean Air, Sawhney assured full support of the district administration for this initiative. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the CARE Foundation and the district administration, marking a significant step towards joint efforts to address air pollution. The forum serves as a multi-stakeholder platform to raise awareness, develop strategies for clean air, and promote a healthy future. The forum encourages doctors, policymakers, educationists, youngsters and media to work together to reduce the adverse effects of air pollution on health. Dr PS Bakshi emphasised the crucial role of healthcare professionals in addressing air pollution while Dr Adarsh Paul Vig discussed its environmental impact in the state. Experts from academia, the government and the medical community participated in a panel discussion to explore solutions for clean air and public health. Dedicated medical professionals received membership certificates for their commitment to advocating for clean air and public health. Dignitaries present at the event included Surinder Singh, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, and pulmonologist Dr Ravneet Singh Grover. Tribune News Service Garbage and slush prevail on the road at Shastri market in Amritsar on Saturday. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Tribune News Service Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney (third from right) along with other officials at the launch of the Amritsar Forum for Clean Air on Saturday. Amritsar, February 22 Deteriorating road infrastructure and lack of proper sanitation in Shastri market area have upset both residents and commuters. The market, a key hub for textile trade that attracts numerous traders from other states and tourists, has been grappling with infrastructure issues for years. Poor infrastructure coupled with poor sanitation in Shastri market have raised serious concerns about public safety and convenience. Local traders and commuters have urged the municipal corporation authorities to take immediate action to Pak sends back 22 Indian fishermen Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 22 Pakistan sent back 22 Indian fishermen who crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post (JCP) near here on Saturday. According to the information received, most of them belong to Gujarat, who violated the maritime boundary while fishing and entered the Pakistani territorial waters, prompting the Pakistan maritime authorities to arrest them. The fishermen have been BELONG TO GUJARAT ■ According to the information received, most of them belong to Gujarat, who violated the maritime boundary while fishing and entered the Pakistani territorial waters, prompting the Pakistan maritime authorities to arrest them. released after completing their sentence in Pakistani jail. The Border Ssecurity Force (BSF) handed them over to the district administration for their boarding and lodging arrangements till they leave for their native areas. c m y b repair the roads and improve sanitation. Despite repeated complaints, there has been little progress in addressing these long-standing issues. Voicing his concern, Yashpal Sharma, a local resident, said the potholed road remains filled with water. “There has been no improvement in infrastructure for the last 10 years. The condition of the road is so bad that many scooterists and motorcyclists have a fall almost every day. Besides, it is also difficult for pedestrian to walk on the road,” he said. Tarun Aggarwal, a resident, described the situation as “really pathetic”. He pointed out the struggles faced by rickshaws and auto-rickshaws transporting parcels through the market. “It results in accidents and injuries to people on a regular basis. We make a humble request to the authorities to look into this matter and resolve it on a priority basis,” he stated. Sunny, another resident, said, “The condition of roads in and around Shastri market is very bad. A large number of traders and tourists from other cities and states visit the markets near the Golden Temple. It leaves a bad impression on them of the city. Heaps of garbage can be seen there. We request the administration to please address this issue at the earliest.” Amritsar, February 22 The Finance Department of the Punjab Government issued a letter to the District Treasury Officers across Punjab on February 18, ordering them to issue salaries of employees under the digital signature of their Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) from the month of February, which has raised fears that many employees of the state will not receive their salaries for the month of February on time. Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) state president Vikramdev Singh said as per the new instructions of the Finance Department, salaries will be issued under digital signature. “For digital signature, a DSC (Digital Signature Certificate)/dongle will have to be issued from Punjab Infotech for which the prescribed fee for different periods will have to be submitted to the DDO. The DDO will be able to obtain the DSC/dongle from Punjab Infotech by attaching an application with the required documents and paying the REASON FOR DELAY ■ For digital signature, a DSC (Digital Signature Certificate)/dongle will have to be issued from Punjab Infotech for which the prescribed fee for different periods will have to be submitted to the DDO. The process of obtaining DSC/dongle is quite complicated and due to this there may be delay in disbursing salaries to employees across Punjab. prescribed fee. The process of obtaining DSC/dongle is quite complicated and due to this there may be delay in disbursing salaries to employees across Punjab.” The DTF members said in case of delay in getting salaries for the month, the Punjab Government will have to face the protest of the employees. “The salaries for the month of February must be issued under the already running e-signature and the government should issue DSC by paying the amount from itself through some government agency,” said Jermanjit Singh, a government teacher and DTF member from Amritsar.