24092025-ATR-01.qxd 9/23/2025 10:43 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SPRING DALE DEFENDS TITLE AT INTER SCHOOL QUIZ TARSIKA RESIDENTS GRAPPLE WITH DRUG ADDICTION WOES VICKY KAUSHAL, KATRINA KAIF ANNOUNCE PREGNANCY Spring Dale School delegation once again proved its mettle by winning the Kirloskar Inter School Business Quiz. P2 The govt established an OOAT centre at the village Community Health Centre, but it failed to curb drug addiction. P3 In a joint Instagram post, the couple announced pregnancy news, bringing much excitement among their fans & friends. P4 » » » MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.24 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.20 AM WEDNESDAY | 24 SEPTEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Flood-hitAjnalafarmersstruggle with sand deposits in fields Two shot dead by group of Demand construction of bridge on the Ravi river armed men near Kairon village Four assailants arrested | Two manage to flee from the spot Our Correspondent Farmers from Chaharpur village stand on the sand deposited in their fields. Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 Farmers of Chaharpur village in the flood-affected Ajnala area are facing severe challenges as large amounts of sand and silt remain deposited in their fields after recent floods. Their farmlands lie on the other side of the Ravi river. In the absence of a bridge, they are forced to rely on boats to transport machinery and produce to their farms across the river. While small equipment and crops can be moved by boats, farmers say it is impossible to transport heavy sand deposits. “We demand that the government should construct a bridge so that transportation of machinery and produce is easy,” said Pritpal Singh, a farmer. Pritpal Singh shared that his 33 acres of farmland, once a single stretch, was now split into two plots as the Ravi river had changed its course. “While a bigger portion of land has been washed away, the remaining fields are divided on opposite banks of the river,” he said. Farmers also pointed out that the state government had earlier announced the “Jiska Khet Uski Ret” policy to support flood-hit farmers, but they had not received any effective help so far. Sitara Singh, another farmer, said, “Without a bridge, we cannot bring machinery to clear our fields. The only option is to push the sand back into the river, but even that requires heavy machines which cannot be ferried across by boats.” The situation has left farmers uncertain about their future. Having already lost their paddy crop, farmers fear that they would miss the wheat sowing season too. They alleged that the government had never compensated them for the land washed away by the river. Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said private sand mining contractors were now staking claims over sand deposits in their fields. He demanded strict government action against such elements and reiterated the call for the construction of bridge to connect agricultural land across the river. Tarn Taran, September 23 Two persons were shot dead in an ongoing conflict between two groups involved in anti-social activities. Members of an armed group fired at their rivals on Monday night near Kairon village. The police cordoned off the area and managed to arrest four accused soon after the incident. The exact number of assailants is yet to be ascertained. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravjot Grewal said on Tuesday that the deceased were identified as Samarbir Singh, a resident of Karmunwala village, and Saurav, a resident of Marhana village under the Chohla Sahib police station. The arrested assailants were identified as Jagraj Singh Jagga Pattum and Daler Singh, both resident of Khemkaran, Sona Singh, a resident of Bhai Ladhu village, and Salwinder Singh, a resident of Sankattra village. Gurpreet Singh Gopi, a resi- The four accused in custody of the Tarn Taran police. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI dent of Thakkarpura village, and Harpal Singh, a resident of Goindwal Sahib, who were also involve in the firing incident, managed to flee from the spot. The SSP said deceased Samanbir Singh and Saurav, along with their friends Gursher Singh Tung, a resident of Harike, and Jaijughar Singh, were returning home in an XUV after paying obei- Health scheme launched in Tarn Taran district Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 23 The Mukhmantri Sehat Bima Yojana (Chief Minister Health Scheme) was launched in the border district of Tarn Taran on Tuesday by Harmeet Singh Sandhu, AAP halqa in-charge. The scheme was launched in a district-level programme held at Government Elementary School, Fateh Chak, Tarn Taran. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh started the registration process for the scheme through video conferencing from Chandigarh. On the occasion, awareness vans were flagged off by Sandhu, Civil Surgeon Dr Gurpreet Singh Rai and other health officials to apprise people about how to register for the scheme. Addressing officials and residents at the event venue, Sandhu said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister 1,200 families registered at 42 camps on Tuesday AAP halqa in-charge Harmeet Singh Sandhu flags off an awareness vehicle of the Mukhmantri Sehat Bima Yojana in Tarn Taran on Tuesday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI thirty-two registration will set Tarn Taran ❝Onetillhundred andThese camps will be setcampsall 25bewardsup acrossTaran city, at the district October 1. up in of Tarn Civil Hospital and at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. ❞ Dr Gurpreet Singh Rai, CIVIL SURGEON Bhagwant Mann, was committed to providing quality healthcare to people in the state. He said to register for the health scheme a beneficiary had to provide his/her Aadhaar card, voter card, and a passport-size photo. The health card issued under the scheme would provide free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh per family each year in all listed government and private hospitals of Punjab and Chandigarh, without any money deposit at the time of admission, said Sandhu. Civil Surgeon Dr Gurpreet Singh Rai said 132 registration camps would be set up across Tarn Taran district till October 1, including all 25 wards of Tarn Taran city, Civil Hospital, and the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Rupam Chaudhary said 1,200 families were registered today at 42 camps held across the district. Health officials and representatives of the Aam Aadmi Party were present at the event. sance from Gurdwara Tahla Sahib, Chabba village, when they were chased by assailants near Kairon village and shot dead. The victims were rushed to a local private hospital where doctors declared them brought dead. The SSP said both groups were involved in criminal activities and had been chal- lenging each other over petty issues. They had fired at each other earlier too, the SSP said. Gurpreet Singh Gopi and Harpal Singh, who managed to flee from the spot after the firing incident, provided shelter and arms to the assailants. The SSP said a probe was on to ascertain links of the arrested accused with gangsters. Paddy harvesting not allowed after 6 pm in district Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 The district administration has imposed a strict ban on paddy harvesting by combine harvesters during the night. As per the orders issued by Additional District Magistrate Rohit Gupta, combines will not be allowed to operate between 6 pm and 9 am within the district limits. The decision has been taken to prevent premature harvesting of paddy and the arrival of high-moisture crop in grain markets. Officials said some combine operators start harvesting before the crop was fully ripe. They said farmers bring wet paddy to mandis. Since purchase agencies refuse to buy such stock, it often creates tension and disputes in markets, they said. Keeping this in view, the administration has made it mandatory to stop night harvesting until the end of the season. The ban will remain in force till November 21. Gupta said anyone found violating the orders would face strict legal action. He said the order was necessary to ensure smooth procurement of paddy in mandis and to protect the interests of both farmers and buyers. New track combines help farmers harvestpaddyinflood-affected areas Amritsar, September 23 At a time when farmers in flood-affected areas of the district are worried about harvesting their paddy crop, the arrival of new combine harvesters from Uttar Pradesh has come as a big relief. These machines, fitted with track chains instead of regular tyres, are proving to be a game changer in waterlogged and muddy fields. The recent floods had left large stretches of farmland submerged or softened by silt and excess water, making it impossible for traditional tyrebased combines to operate. Farmers feared heavy losses as the paddy was ready for harvest, but the machines could not enter their fields. “If these new harvesters had not come, we would have faced huge difficulty,” Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Ajnala said, while adding that machine operators were charging around Rs 3,500 per hour for harvesting A track combine harvester deployed in a waterlogged paddy field. paddy in waterlogged fields. Unlike conventional harvesters, the new machines use a track system similar to the chains used in tanks. This design distributes the weight evenly and prevents the machines from sinking in wet soil. The technology was developed keeping in view ricegrowing regions where standing water often delays harvesting of the crop. Farmers say that these track combine harvesters are not only helping them harvest their crop in time, but also saving grain from damage. “The machine moves smoothly in slush where even tractors get stuck,” explained another farmer Gurnam Singh. Agriculture Department officials confirmed that such machines had come to the district for the first time and were regularly working in floodaffected villages. — TNS Two, four-wheeler sales soared on Eminent artist Sabarimala explains why art is cathartic, not commercial first day of Navratri, say dealers Neha Saini Tribune News Service Coincides with introduction of reduced Goods & Services Tax Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 Sale of automobile vehicles jumped sharply on the first day of Navratri coinciding with the introduction of the reduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate. On normal days, around 200 two-wheelers are sold in the district. Their sale might have doubled on the first day of Navratri, said dealers. On normal days between 40 and 50 four-wheelers are sold in the district. Their sale jumped from 100 to 150 units on Monday. The vehicles sold yesterday surpassed the number recorded during the last Dhanteras, said city- based automobile dealers. They said the authentic data of the vehicles sold would be available after the conclusion of the Navratri when officials of different car manufacturing companies would share their record. Udit Kapoor, director, Speedways, an automobile agency having dealership of Kia car brand, said sales of four and two-wheelers surpassed previous records of Dhanteras. It showed that there was a pent up demand of vehicles from walkin customers. Bookings were higher than usual as a car costing Rs 8.50 lakh was available at Rs 7.10 lakh, he said. He said the higher share of customers was visible in commuter and entry segment cars. Aanshul Arora, Managing Director, Rishabh Four wheels, said before September 22 people only enquired about vehicles. The customers rush was definitely more than the last Dhanteras, a day in a year when automobile industry records extraordinary jump in vehicle sale, he said. Arora said apart from the reduced GST, Maruti was offering discounts on the purchase of cars which was the highest on Alto. A base model of Alto, which was priced at Rs 4.23 lakh, could be bought at Rs 2.95 lakh after availing consumer offer, bonanza booking and pledging old car for scrap, he said. Amritsar, September 23 Manilal Sabarimala, who holds the record of drawing 10,000 Ganeshas in one of his art works, is exhibiting creations at art gallery. Many senior artists aim for visibility and sustainability through the art they create. While the inherent purpose of creating art might not be commercial, several fall in the trap of losing the balance between the motives. Manilal Sabarimala is among them. The renowned artist, who was born and raised in Sabarimala, Kerala, believes in creating for self-improvement, a creative signature that is a piece of himself. In doing so, appreciation and sustainability might come, but that is not his priority. “I don’t need hundred people c m y b Artist Manilal Sabarimala at the SG Thakur Singh Art Gallery in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR telling me my work is great or amazing. Only one person doing so will work, only when this appreciation comes with a critical view of my art and becomes a part of my growth as an artist,” he said. Sabarimala is showcasing his latest art work, his creative drawings based on concept such as human mental agony, frustration, and settled feelings of sub consciousness at the SG Thakur Singh Art Gallery. In drawing, he has his own signature style, which creates a typical blend with stone/marble/granite carvings. These drawings, done to detail that would automatically draw appreciation for this artist, all are done with micron pen on canson paper. The black and white monochromatic treatment creates a poetic rhythm in all his works as it puts the audience in a position to self-interpret the theme. But that’s not how Sabarimala started early in his career. “It was in 1999 that I was in Bhutan and put through a stressing time that I just sat, took a pen and started drawing on the paper, random lines. Once I finished, I realised I was calm, the drawing on paper representing the outflow of my emotions. I left it at that. Years later, when I was somewhere running after creating inspired works by some artist or the other, one of the things that struck me was the pen drawings that once made,” he shared. To this day, Sabarimala now works in his signature style having come out of his comfort zone. The art work displayed at art gallery, he said, represents his inner most emotions, turmoil as he passes through them during the process of creating art. “These drawings represent my mental frustration, agony of an artist, feelings of an artist that most people would relate to. Sometimes, I might have clear mind before working while at others, I stretch as I am not in a mindset to continue. Nonetheless, the art does draw from reality,” he says.