26022025-ATR-01.qxd 2/25/2025 11:35 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLOUDY SKY RAIDS SPARK TENSIONS AHEAD OF MC POLLS IN TALWARA RAVEENA, HER DAUGHTER OFFER PRAYERS AT PRAYAGRAJ MAHASHIVRATRI IS A TIME FOR SPIRITUAL REFLECTION Raids on shops owned by rival party candidates has raised tensions ahead of the voting day in Talwara. P2 On Feb 24, Rasha and her mother Raveena attended Ganga Aarti, where actress Katrina Kaif was seen too. P4 MAX 24°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 14°C Sherleen Dutt says Mahashivratri is a time for reflection, devotion and connecting with Shiva’s energy. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.26 PM » SUNRISE THURSDAY 7 AM WEDNESDAY | 26 FEBRUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Swachhta Rath for awareness on waste disposal flagged off Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 25 The local unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) at DAV College, Amritsar, observed a two-period strikecum-dharna here on Tuesday. They were protesting against the Punjab Government’s failure to implement the 7th UGC Pay Commission recommendations. The protest was part of a state-wide call by the PCCTU against the government’s apathy towards college teachers. Addressing the gathering, Dr Vikas Bhardwaj, president of the PCCTU unit, criticised the state government for not fulfilling its commitment, despite Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s announcement on September 5, 2022. He alleged that the delay reflects a deliberate lack of intent on the government’s part. PCCTU will further intensity its stir against the state government if their demands are not fulfilled. Joint Secretary Dr Vikram continued on page 2 Two gang members injured in encounter with police Cops nab them after shootout at naka near Bhura Kohna village Our Correspondent The Mayor and the Commissioner flag off Swachhta Rath in Amritsar on Tuesday. Amritsar, February 25 Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia, MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh and Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh today flagged off a special vehicle for cleanliness awareness campaign (Swachhta Rath) to educate city residents about proper waste disposal. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, cleanliness drives are being launched across the country. As part of the initiative, the campaign vehicle, accompanied by officials and workers of the Health Department, will visit different wards of the city to spread awareness about segregating wet and dry waste before disposal. Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia said that Amritsar is a significant religious and historical city, attracting thousands of devotees and tourists daily. The Municipal Corporation of Amritsar is making every possible effort to keep the city clean, he said, and urged the residents to dispose of their household and commercial waste in designated dustbins rather than littering in open spaces. Additionally, he advised people to separate wet and dry waste and use separate bins for each. He also encouraged people to reduce the use of plastic usage and switch to cloth or jute bags. Mayor Moti Bhatia appealed to the residents to cooperate in maintaining cleanliness in the city. Health Officer Dr Yogesh Arora, Dr Rama, Chief Sanitary Inspectors Malkit Singh Khaira, Sarabjit Singh, Ranjit Singh, Jagdeep Singh, JP Babbar, and Sanitary Inspectors Harinderpal Singh, Amandeep Singh and Sanjeev Diwan, were also present on the occasion along with other staff. Tarn Taran, February 25 Two operatives of gangsters Prabhdip Singh alias Prabh Dasuwal and Afridi, who run their module from abroad, were injured in an encounter with the police early on Tuesday morning and have been arrested with illegal weapons. The injured accuseds have been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Patti. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhimanyu Rana told media persons that the Khemkaran police led by sub-inspector Gurinder Singh laid a naka in the area near Bhura Kohna village in the early hours today. While checking the vehicles, the police team signalled two motorcycleborne suspects to stop but they tried to flee from the spot and fired at the police. The SSP said that the PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Teachers’ body to intensify stir against govt Two injured operatives of gangsters being shifted to hospital by the police in Tarn Taran on Tuesday. accused were injured in retaliatory firing. The police recovered an illegal revolver, two live cartridges and three empty cartridges from the possession of the accused. The SSP said that the arrested operatives have been identified as Prabhjit Singh Lov of Dibbipura (Valtoha police station) and Parkash Singh Goldi of Jhugian Kalu (Patti Sadar police station). The SSP further said that the arrested persons were working as operatives of Prabh Dasuwal and Afridi who were running their module from abroad to collect extortion money. The arrested operatives were working on the instructions of gangsters settled abroad. The arrested operatives have been booked under section 109, 132, 221, 3(5) of the BNS and section 25 (6) and (7) of the Arms Act by the Khemkaran police. Two members of the gang have already been arrested with illegal weapons, said the SSP. Morning rain slows Single-gate entry of passengers at peak Gangster Dony Bal’s down pace of life, hours leads to chaos at city airport operative held after causes traffic jams encounter with cops Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 25 Morning showers played spoilsport for students heading to schools and colleges, besides those rushing to their offices and shops as they found it tough to commute on roads. The rain slowed down traffic resulting in snarls. Intermittent showers were experienced for an hour early in the day today but it helped lower the temperature. Cloudy weather visible since last evening gave way to mild showers this morning. The impact of the rain on the crops though was stated to be negligible. An overcast sky and strong winds made the weather cold. It prompted people to wear woollen caps and mufflers to protect themselves against the wind. The impact of plummeting MINOR IMPACT ON CROPS ■ Cloudy weather visible since last evening gave way to mild showers this morning. The impact of the rain on the crops though was stated to be negligible. weather was visible in terms of a large number of people using four-wheelers to move out of their houses and offices. Consequently, traffic rush was visible in the morning and evening. Gurleen Kaur, an employee and mother of two schoolgoing kids, said the rain started suddenly around 8:30 am upsetting their daily schedule. Prominent city roads were clogged with traffic, said a resident Gaurav Aggarwal. The cold weather intensified in the evening as people preferred to stay indoors. Amritsar, February 25 Air passengers at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Tuesday had to face inconvenience as they were made to stand in a long queue for 30 minutes to over 2 hours just to enter the terminal during the peak hours. With only one entry gate open for passengers and proper queue management missing, this resulted in some passengers missing their flights. This prompted some local activists to write to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority of India and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) headquarters to intervene in the matter. A recently viral video of the entry gate at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport highlighted the daily struggle of passengers, in which hundreds of passengers were seen PCS officers tasked with guiding state civil service exam aspirants Passengers had to stand in a long queue for 30 minutes to over two hours just to enter the terminal during the peak hours. standing in queues to enter the airport terminal. Sameep Singh Gumtala, an office-bearer of FlyAmritsar Initiative, said, “Despite multiple requests by FlyAmritsar Initiative and the Amritsar Vikas Manch urging the Air- DC holds meet to review bulk water supply project Tribune News Service Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney during a meeting with officials in Amritsar on Tuesday. Amritsar, February 25 In a unique initiative, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney has entrusted PCS officers posted in the district with the task of guiding PCS exam aspirants. The move aims to equip students with the skills necessary to excel in the examination. The selected officers, including some who have recently passed the PCS exam, will share their expertise and provide insights into the latest methods of examination. The guidance will be imparted through a two-day webinar on March 3-4. The workshop will be held under the district administration’s “I Aspire” programme that was launched specifically for students preparing for various competitive examinations. This will be the first time that aspirants will learn directly from those who have appeared and succeeded in administrative exams. Tirth Pal Singh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the District Employment Bureau, said the move is aimed at providing knowledge support to aspiring PCS candidates and encouraged interested candidates to register for the session via social media. — TNS Amritsar, February 25 Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney conducted a review meeting to assess the progress of the Amritsar Bulk Water Supply Project here on Monday. Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) Chairman Ashok Talwar, MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh and other civic body officials and representatives of other departments were present at the meeting. During the meeting, MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh provided an update on the project, which aims to ensure a continuous supply of clean water to residents. The initiative includes the establishment of a state-ofthe-art water treatment plant continued on page 2 c m y b ports Authority of India to open multiple departure gates just like at other airports, no action has been taken. When similar issues arise at the Delhi airport and other major airports, swift action is taken to address the situa- tion. Even digital entry is being introduced to ease congestion. But we do not know why Amritsar is being ignored. We urge the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority of India and the CISF to immediately implement multiple entry gates to resolve this longstanding issue and improve passenger experience at the Amritsar airport. This was done in the past during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yogesh Kamara, another activist, said, “Sad state of affairs at the Amritsar airport. Passengers witness total chaos at the entry gate during the peak hours. One entry gate to the terminal during peak hour check-in with over 800 passengers, parking mafia, leaking building during the rains, inoperative inline X-ray baggage system are some of the major issues being faced by the flyers.” Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 25 An operative of gangster Balwinder Singh alias Dony Bal was injured in a police encounter in Mehta area here on Tuesday. He was identified as Rohit Singh while his accomplice German Singh, both residents of Mehta, managed to slip away. The duo was wanted by the police in the recent extortion and firing case that took place on February 13. The police had lodged an FIR against unknown persons besides nominating Dony Bal in the case. Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) Maninder Singh said that the accused was injured in firing when he was taken to recover a weapon on his WAS INJURED IN FIRING ■ SSP (Rural) Maninder Singh said the accused was injured in firing when he was taken to recover a weapon on his disclosure during a preliminary probe. He was taken to hospital for treatment. The police have recovered the weapon. disclosure during a preliminary probe. Rohit Singh pushed the cops and fired with the recovered revolver at the police team. The cops narrowly escaped and fired in selfdefence with the bullet injuring Rohit Singh in the left leg. He was taken to hospital for treatment. The police have recovered the weapon. Raids were on to nab his accomplice German Singh who escaped during the operation. Senior MC officials conduct inspection of sites for EV charging stations in city Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 25 Senior officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation have conducted an inspection of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations being installed by a private firm at various locations in the city. The officials also asked the management of the company concerned to motivate the people to adopt electric vehicles. The EV charging stations are being installed to facilitate electric auto-rickshaws in the city. More than 1,000 diesel auto-rickshaw drivers adopted e-autos under the Rejuvenation of Auto-Rickshaws in Amritsar through Holistic Intervention (RAAHI) project of Amritsar Smart City Limited. The RAAHI project aimed at replacing old diesel autos with modern electric autos, offering beneficiaries a subsidy of Rs 1.25 lakh. As part of Municipal corporation officials inspect EV recharging stations in Amritsar. the initiative, 19 locations across the city were designated for EV charging stations to facilitate the transition. The contract for setting up these stations was awarded to Adani Total Energy Company, which has so far installed 15 EV charging stations. Today, Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh con- ducted an inspection of these EV charging stations, accompanied by the project manager and company officials. Upon reviewing the status of the stations, the Additional Commissioner instructed representatives of the company to launch a public awareness campaign and increase advertising efforts. This initiative aims to inform city residents about the availability and location of the EV charging stations to encourage their usage. Besides, directives were issued to ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of the charging stations. The inspection was attended by Dr Jyoti Mahajan, project coordinator and Ashish Kumar.