20032026-ATR-01.qxd 3/19/2026 11:19 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune ASHA WORKERS TO CONTINUE THEIR STIR TILL MARCH 28 SAVOUR SPECIALLY-CURATED NAVRATRA DISHES AT SOCIAL Social is offering Navratra dishes like aloo & banana tikki chaat, khichdi, sabudana vada and kuttu paneer. P4 CLOUDY SKY/RAIN MAX 17°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 14°C ON INT’L DAY OF HAPPINESS, DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY The ASHA Workers Sanjha Morcha staged a dharna in front of the Civil Surgeon's office in Tarn Taran. P2 FORECAST Celebrities share what real happiness means in today's fast-paced world. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.41 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6.33 AM » FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2026 | AMRITSAR 29-year-old man dies of electrocution NCB plans stronger intelligence in villages to curb smuggling Tarn Taran, March 19 A 29-year-old man died of electrocution in the border village of Sabhra in Tarn Taran on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Dharamveer Singh, who was allegedly persuaded by villagers to climb a transformer to fix a fault without obtaining permission from Powercom officials. Residents in the area said that some residents allegedly asked him to climb the transformer, during which he suffered a fatal electric shock. He was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Pargat Singh, a relative of the deceased, said that Dharamveer was at home attending to his work when someone called him to repair a power fault, following which he was electrocuted. He had been married for three years and is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter. He was a marginal farmer. A police team from Patti Sadar reached the spot, and the body was sent to the Civil Hospital, Patti, for a postmortem examination. — OC Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service The seized contraband in the custody of the NCB. FILE PHOTO ment agencies. The agency believes that strengthening grassroots intelligence will play a crucial role in intercepting such consignments and dismantling smuggling networks. The NCB has also expressed concern over the increasing involvement of youth, particularly those in the 20-25 age group, both in drug abuse and in cross-border smuggling activities. Officials said that vulnerable young individuals are being lured into these networks, making the issue more complex and alarming. To address this, the NCB is planning to launch extensive awareness drives in schools and colleges to educate students about the dangers of substance abuse and the legal consequences of involvement in drug trafficking. Earlier in February, Anurag Garg, Director General of NCB, visited several border villages and interacted with residents to understand ground realities and encourage public cooperation in the fight against drugs. The initiative reflects the NCB’s multi-pronged approach — combining intelligence gathering, community outreach and awareness campaigns — to tackle the evolving threat of crossborder smuggling and work towards a drug-free society. Amritsar, March 19 The Amritsar Commissionerate Police have busted yet another cross-border illegal arms smuggling module with the arrest of six persons, including a juvenile, and recovered seven sophisticated pistols from their possession. Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the accused were in contact with a foreign-based handler operating from Portugal, who was facilitating the smuggling of weapons from across the Pakistan border using drones. The consignment was meant to be supplied to criminal elements, he added. Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi (27), of Burj village in Amritsar; Manish Kumar, alias Jerry (24), of Sunder Nagar in Batala; Saroop Singh, alias Roop (27), of Chuchakwal village; Chamkaur Singh (20) of Fatehpur Rajputa village; and Vansh PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, March 19 In a major step to counter the growing menace of cross-border smuggling, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has decided to enhance its intelligence network in villages located along the India-Pakistan border. The move comes in the wake of increasing instances of large-scale smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border. As part of its strategy, the NCB has begun reaching out to village panchayats and local residents, urging them to share information about drug smugglers and cartel networks. Officials said that announcements are also being made from gurdwaras in border areas to encourage community participation in reporting suspicious activities, particularly related to consignments being dropped via drones. According to NCB officials, Pakistan-based traffickers have escalated their operations by deploying heavy drones to transport narcotics and arms across the International Border, posing a serious challenge to enforce- Six nabbed with 7 pistols in cross-border arms racket Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Thursday. Sharma (23) of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran, besides a juvenile. The police recovered five 9 mm Glock pistols and two .30 bore sophisticated pistols from their possession. Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the arrests were made following specific intelligence inputs. Police teams first apprehended Gurpreet, alias Gopi, along with the juvenile and recovered two Glock pistols. Further interrogation led to the arrest of their accomplices — Manish, alias Jerry; Saroop, alias Roop; and Chamkaur Singh — and the recovery of three more Glock pistols. Subsequently, Vansh Sharma was arrested based on the disclosure of Chamkaur Singh, with two .30 bore pistols seized from him. The Police Commissioner said Manish, alias Jerry, was wanted in a case involving firing at police personnel in Batala last year and had been absconding. Saroop, alias Roop, also has a criminal background, with cases registered against him under the NDPS Act and for theft. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act at the Cantonment police station in Amritsar. Further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages of the network. Spl DGP (Rlys) Shashi Prabha Dwivedi leads CASO drive Weather turns cold again after fresh showers, disrupts life Amritsar, March 19 The Amritsar Commissionerate Police intensified its crackdown on anti-social elements, gangsters and drug smugglers by conducting a large-scale cordon and search operation (CASO) here on Thursday. The operation, carried out under the supervision of Special DGP (Railways) Shashi Prabha Dwivedi, covered all three zones of the city police commissionerate. A total of 385 personnel, including three Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officials and five Assistant Commissioners of Police along with five SHOs, besides NGOs/ORs and specialised teams such as the Quick Response Team (QRT), Armed Reserve Police (ARP), Special Operations Group (SOG) and SWAT, participated in the coordinated action. CASO operations were con- Special DGP Shashi Prabha Dwivedi talks to residents of the Anngarh area in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR ducted at six identified locations — Anngarh, Gujjarpura, Gumtala, Mustafabad, Maqboolpura, and Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar flats. Police teams carried out intensive checking, verified suspicious individuals, and closely monitored persons currently out on bail. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in Zone 1, the drive was led by ADCP City-1 Vishaljeet Singh in Anngarh and Guj- jarpura, while in Zone 2, operations were supervised by ADCP City-2 Srivennela in Gumtala and Mustafabad. Similarly, in Zone 3, under ADCP City-3 Harpal Singh, the drive focused on Maq- boolpura and adjoining flats. Bhullar said this was the 17th CASO operation conducted this year. Special DGP Shashi Prabha Dwivedi, while sharing details of recoveries made by the city police, said that from January 1 to March 18, the police registered 404 cases under the NDPS Act, arresting 693 individuals. Recoveries include nearly 25 kg of heroin, over 7 kg of opium, methamphetamine (ICE), charas, and 4,560 intoxicant capsules and tablets. Drug money worth Rs 17.33 lakh and 17 vehicles used in trafficking have also been seized. Under the Arms Act, 21 cases were registered with 50 arrests. The police recovered 48 pistols/mousers, one revolver, 49 magazines and 150 live cartridges. Additionally, hawala money amounting to Rs 3.80 lakh was seized. — TNS Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, March 19 Intermittent rain throughout the day disrupted normal life in parts of Tarn Taran district on Thursday. Light to moderate showers continued to lash remote areas of the district. Rainfall over the past four days has led to a drop in temperatures, making the weather noticeably colder. Residents have started using heated bedding again at night. A housewife, Sukhbir Kaur, said they had switched to lighter summer bedding a week ago, but the return of colder conditions has forced them to use heated bedding again, while fans have been turned off. Cloudy conditions persisted throughout the day, further contributing to the chill Rainwater accumulated on the Chabal-Amritsar bypass road in Tarn Taran on Thursday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI in the weather. Apart from Tarn Taran city, light rain was reported from almost all parts of the district, with several areas witnessing light to moderate showers. Due to inadequate drainage of rainwater in the city, waterlogging was reported on several roads, causing inconvenience to commuters. Residents faced difficulties while commuting to and from their workplaces. MC races against time to meet ~55 cr tax target Actor Nushrratt Bharuccha walks the ramp Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 19 With only 10 days remaining until the end of the financial year, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation is making intensified efforts to achieve its property tax collection target of Rs 55 crore. However, despite the push, the civic body is still considerably short of the target. According to officials of the property tax department, around Rs 42.55 crore has been collected so far. Despite the shortfall, senior officials remain optimistic that total collections will cross Rs 50 crore by the end of the fiscal year. They said that as per past trends, a significant portion of revenue is typically collected in the final days of March. Large commercial properties, with tax liabilities running into lakhs, often clear their dues during the last week, contributing substantially to overall collections. To bridge the gap, the department has intensified recovery efforts. Teams have Residents wait in a queue to deposit property tax at the MC office in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR been directed to reach out to defaulters, particularly those who have not paid taxes for previous years. Enforcement measures, including the sealing of properties, are also being undertaken to ensure compliance. Superintendents and their teams have been instructed to focus on both new taxpayers and major commercial establishments. Lists of defaulters have already been distributed to field teams for targeted action. In a bid to maximise revenue, the MC Commissioner has directed that tax collection work continue even on Saturdays and public holidays until March 31. Zone- wise targets have been clearly defined. The North Zone has been assigned the highest target of Rs 26-28 crore due to the presence of major commercial establishments. The East Zone has been given a target of Rs 9 crore, while the Central and West Zones have targets of Rs 7 crore each. The South Zone has been assigned a target of Rs 4 crore. Officials further stated that nearly 1,000 taxpayers have deposited property tax since January 1. The city has around four lakh properties in total, but a large number of houses measuring below 125 square yards are exempt from tax. Despite this, only about one lakh property owners are currently paying tax, whereas the number of taxable properties is estimated to be between two and 2.5 lakh, highlighting a significant gap in the tax base that the municipal corporation aims to address. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia urged property owners to pay the property tax on time to avoid last hour rush and heavy penalties after March 31. c m y b Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 19 FICCI FLO Amritsar brought the curtains down on its Year of Infinity with a grand finale — Rooh - The Bridal Edit. The evening stood as a celebration of elegance, individuality and the enduring spirit of womanhood, seamlessly blending fashion, culture and community. Amritsar East MLA Jeevan Jyot Kaur was the guest of honour, while actor Nushrratt Bharuccha graced the occasion as the showstopper. Known for her compelling on-screen presence, she brought poise and charisma to the runway, captivating the audience. In her address, FLO Amritsar chairperson Mona Singh reflected on a year defined by meaningful initiatives, strong collaborations, and a growing community of women supporting one another across diverse spheres. A key highlight of the evening was the Annual Actor Nushrratt Bharuccha (left) walks the ramp during a fashion event in Amritsar on Thursday. Work Film, which showcased the journey of FLO Amritsar through the Year of Infinity — marked by purpose, participation and progress. The fashion showcase unfolded through thoughtfully curated bridal segments — Jaago, Mehndi & Sangeet, Anand Karaj and reception — each capturing the beauty of tradition alongside contemporary expression. The showcase opened with a lively performance by young talents Pankaj and Preeti, setting the tone for the evening. The finale featured the graceful walk of Nushrratt Bharuccha, followed by a powerful closing moment as the chairperson and the FLO Dream Team took to the runway, symbolising unity and a shared vision.