01022026-ATR-01.qxd 1/31/2026 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune SHOBHA YATRA TAKEN OUT TO MARK RAVIDAS JAYANTI DELAY IN ACTION ON MGNREGA SCAM SPARKS CRITICISM The district administration has taken no action against the guilty for misusing MGNREGA funds. P2 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 19°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 8°C NEXT FAST & FURIOUS FILM CONFIRMED Various religious events were held across the city to mark the 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas. P2 FORECAST It is set to release in theatres on March 17, 2028. Vin Diesel plays Dominic Toretto. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.04 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.22 AM » SUNDAY | 1 FEBRUARY 2026| AMRITSAR Dismantling of BRTS station for devp draws criticism from residents Manmeet Gill Tribune News Service MC Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh during inspection at the Bhagtanwala dump in Amritsar. MC official reviews legacy waste clearance at Bhagtanwala dump Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 31 Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, Surinder Singh on Saturday visited the Bhagtawala dump site to review the progress of segregation and clearance of legacy waste being undertaken by Echo Stan Company. During the inspection, officials of Echo Stan Company briefed the Additional Commissioner on the work completed so far. It was informed that between October 1, 2025, and January 29, 2026, around 2,17,750 metric tonnes of legacy waste had been processed at the site, with an average daily processing capacity of approximately 2,639 metric tonnes. On January 30, 2026 alone, about 2,170 metric tonnes of waste was processed, taking the cumulative total to nearly 2,19,920 metric tonnes. Surinder Singh reviewed the segregation and processing operations on-site and directed the company to further intensify the pace of work. He instructed that adequate manpower and machinery must be deployed to ensure that the clearance of the Bhagtanwala dump site is completed within the stipulated timeline. He stressed that timely completion of the project is a key priority for the municipal corpora- tion, considering environmental protection, public health concerns and the city’s longterm solid waste management objectives. Representatives of Echo Stan Company assured the Additional Commissioner that the project is progressing as per schedule and that all necessary measures are being taken to meet the deadline. Surinder Singh said that the Amritsar Municipal Corporation is closely monitoring the work at the Bhagtanwala dump site and is committed to scientific and sustainable management of legacy waste. He added that any laxity or delay in execution will not be tolerated. 1 shot dead in Ajnala, woman among five booked for murder Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 31 A 37-year-old man was allegedly shot dead in Ajnala following a violent attack involving armed assailants, prompting the police to register a murder case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. The deceased has been identified as Avtar Singh, a resident of Ward No. 4, Ajnala. The case was registered on the basis of a statement given by the deceased’s wife, Parminder Kaur. An FIR under Sections 103, 61(2), 191(3) and 190 of the BNS, along with Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act, has been registered against the accused identified as Mandep Kaur of Ward No. 9, Ajnala; Harpinder Singh of Nangal Sohal village, presently residing on Fatehgarh Road, Ajnala; and three unidentified persons. According to the complaint lodged by Parminder Kaur, at around 5.30 pm on January 29, Avtar Singh received a phone call, after which he hurriedly left home on his motorcycle, telling his wife that Mandep Kaur had called him. Sensing something amiss, Parminder Kaur and her mother-in-law, Nirmal Kaur, became anxious and decided to go to Mandep Kaur’s house at around 6 pm. On reaching the spot, they allegedly saw Mandep Kaur, Harpinder Singh—who was reportedly holding a pistol— and three unidentified youths. On noticing the women, the accused panicked and fled the scene in a vehicle bearing registration number PB-10-FU-7400. Inside the house, Avtar Singh was found lying unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood, bleeding profusely from his mouth, ears, head and nose. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Ajnala, but doctors declared him brought dead after examining him inside the vehicle. The police said further investigation is underway and efforts are being made to arrest all those involved in the crime. Amritsar, January 31 The dismantling of a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) station for a development project near New Amritsar has once again brought the spotlight back on the city’s defunct public transport system. With BRTS buses not operating for more than three years, the longpromised mass transit network has effectively vanished, leaving thousands of daily commuters with limited and costly travel options. In the absence of an organised public transport system, residents are forced to depend on auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and private vehicles. This has led to worsening traffic congestion, increased air pollution and rising commuting expenses across the city. Students, office-goers and low-income workers are A view of a BRTS station in Amritsar. FILE PHOTO among the worst affected. The BRTS project, launched with the aim of easing traffic and providing affordable mobility, has now turned into a symbol of wasted public investment. Several stations and dedicated cor- ridors lie unused or are being dismantled, while buses remain off the roads. Commuters say the infrastructure could have been repurposed or revived instead of being removed without a long-term transport plan. Urban planners and residents alike argue that dismantling BRTS infrastructure without offering an alternative public transport system reflects a lack of vision. They stress that the holy city, a major religious and tourist destination, urgently Anti-encroachment drives lose impact in city as violations reappear within hours Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 31 Despite repeated antiencroachment drives jointly carried out by the traffic police and civic body authorities, the situation on city roads continues to revert to square one within hours, raising serious questions over the effectiveness of enforcement. What is projected as a strict campaign on the ground is increasingly being viewed by residents as a mere formality, with encroachments resurfacing soon after action is taken. On Majitha Road, some kiosks and temporary structures that were sealed by the municipal corporation (MC) last month were reportedly found operational again. Daily commuters and pedestrians complain that footpaths and carriageways remain blocked, forcing people to walk on busy roads and worsening traffic congestion. However, officials of the MC’s estate wing maintain that sustained efforts are being made to tackle the Staff of the Estate Wing of the municipal corporation removes encroachments in Amritsar. problem. They claim that strict action is being initiated against violators and that repeated drives are necessary due to the tendency of encroachers to return once enforcement teams leave. Meanwhile, another antiencroachment drive was conducted on Friday under the directions of Secretary Sushant Bhatia. The primary objective of the campaign was to remove illegal encroachments from roads, footpaths and public spaces across the city. During the drive, teams of the municipal corporation, led by Inspector Aman Sharma, removed unauthorised shop extensions, temporary structures, display boards, goods and other obstructions occupying government land. Officials said encroachments causing traffic bottlenecks were cleared to restore the original width of roads and footpaths, ensuring smoother vehicular movement and pedestrian safety. Shopkeepers and traders were cautioned to restrict their business activities within prescribed limits and were strictly instructed not to occupy public spaces. In addition, traders were advised to maintain cleanliness in front of their establishments and to avoid the use of singleuse plastic, in line with Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines and environmental norms. The anti-encroachment drive was also carried out on January 30 in areas including Majitha Road, Queens Road, Rehri Market and Cooper Road, where illegal structures were removed and warnings were issued against reoccupation. Municipal corporation officials reiterated that the antiencroachment campaign would continue on a regular basis and that strict penal action would be taken against repeat offenders. Citizens were urged to cooperate with the authorities and refrain from encroaching upon government land and footpaths, failing which punitive action would follow. needs a reliable mass transit solution to manage growing traffic and pollution. “The BRTS buses are getting rotten. The present government made no efforts to restart the project even after one company abandoned the service. The government could have easily roped in another company,” said Jawinder Singh, a local resident, adding that successive governments often fail to maintain projects initiated by their predecessors. Another resident, Kewal Singh, said, “The city’s population is dependent on autorickshaws. Not only are they costly, but they also contribute to traffic congestion. At the very least, there should be a bus service on the main roads, while auto-rickshaws can operate in other areas.” He suggested that the government should give the BRTS another chance. Rangrej sent to judicial custody Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 31 Shuban Rangrej, who was arrested by the Amritsar police for allegedly hurting Sikh religious sentiments, was produced before a local court on Friday after the expiry of his three-day police remand. The court sent him to judicial custody. Rangrej was arrested from Ghaziabad on Tuesday in connection with an alleged act of desecration at the Golden Temple, where he was seen washing his hands and feet and gargling using water from the Amrit Sarovar. A formal complaint in the matter was filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on January 25. The incident reportedly took place on January 13 but came to light on January 16 after a video of the act went viral on social media. The video triggered sharp condemnation and criticism from various Sikh organisations, which demanded that an FIR be registered against the accused. Man jumps off Court Unsafe bridge chokes cane movement Road flyover, injured from ‘Us-Paar’ villages across Ravi river BSF seizes over 1 kg heroin, pistol parts Amritsar, January 31 A man sustained injuries after he jumped from the Court Road flyover at Kachehri Chowk here on Saturday evening in an apparent suicide attempt. The injured has been identified as Jaspal Singh, a resident of Chabbewal village in Hoshiarpur. According to eyewitnesses, Singh climbed onto the bridge and remained hanging from the railing for nearly two to three minutes, holding on to the parapet. While some people present at the spot tried to persuade him to get down safely, others were seen recording the incident on their cellphones. Despite repeated attempts by locals to counsel him, Jaspal Singh eventually lost his grip and jumped onto the road below, suffering injuries on impact. An ambulance, Tribune News Service which had already been called along with the fire brigade, rushed him to a nearby hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. Gurpreet Singh, SHO, Civil Lines police station, said the police have informed his family members who would reach the city soon. He said further appropriate action would be taken thereafter. Vishwajeet Sharma, investigating officer who is probing the incident, said the reason behind the extreme step is not yet known. “The matter is under investigation. The victim’s statement will be recorded after doctors declare him fit,” he said. People present at the scene said the incident caused panic and led to a brief traffic disruption on Kachehri Chowk under the busy bridge. — TNS Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, January 31 Hundreds of farmers from seven ‘Us-Paar’ villages across the Ravi are unable to transport their sugarcane produce to mills as the pontoon bridge connecting them to mainland Gurdaspur has become unsafe. Nearly 300 wooden planks of the bridge are badly damaged and cannot bear the weight of sugarcane-laden tractor-trailers. Officials and locals said the rotten and damaged planks point to structural decay caused by water infiltration and longterm neglect. Sugarcane is the main livelihood for farmers in the area, many of whom are already under heavy debt. They said the inability to move their produce would further worsen their financial condition, leav- The pontoon bridge connecting Gurdaspur district with ‘Us-Paar’ villages. FILE PHOTO ing them with no option but to depend on fate to save the crop. The villages remain connected to Gurdaspur for only eight months each year through the Public Works Departmentmaintained pontoon bridge. The structure is dismantled every June to prevent it from being c m y b washed away by strong monsoon currents and is reconstructed in the first week of November. Bharial village Sarpanch Amrik Singh said, “It was a chance discovery by some farmers that the damage came to light. It is impossible for our farmers to drive trac- tor-trailers because the bridge may just collapse.” Around 800 to 1,000 acres of land in the area is under sugarcane cultivation. Dinanagar MLA Aruna Chaudhary said she was recently assured by a Cabinet minister on the floor of the Assembly that construction of a permanent bridge would begin from December 31. “It has turned out to be a false promise as not a brick has been laid so far,” she said. An agriculture officer said, “The crop is becoming dry with every passing day. The leaves have started wilting and are turning yellow. Cane develops a sour smell leading to significant yield loss, reduced sugar content and a possible total crop failure. Under these circumstances, the mills refuse to accept the produce.” Amritsar, January 31 Alert jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) have confiscated over 1 kg of heroin and parts of pistols in two separate incidents near the International Border here on Friday. The incidents came to light following the registration of FIRs in the matter. In the first case, registered under Sections 21(C), 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at the Gharinda police station, BSF personnel recovered one packet of heroin weighing approximately 1.108 kg, including packing material, during an operation in the border area. The contraband was later handed over to the police for further necessary action and investigation. Further probe is under- way to ascertain the source of the consignment and identify its intended recipients. In the second incident, BSF personnel recovered two locally made magazines, two magazines compatible with a 9 mm Glock pistol, six live cartridges, plastic hand grips of two pistols and four nuts. The seizure was made in the area of the Kassowal border outpost. The recovered arms and ammunition were handed over to the police as case property. Senior police officials said investigations in both cases are underway, with efforts focused on identifying those involved, tracing the supply chains and establishing possible cross-border links behind the smuggling of narcotics and arms.