13042026-ATR-01.qxd 4/13/2026 12:29 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune IS DR NAVJOT KAUR SIDHU TOWING BJP LINE IN PUNJAB PREPARATIONS BEGIN FOR DR AMBEDKAR’S BIRTH ANNIV The launch of the BRP by Dr Sidhu has triggered speculation about whether she was aligning with the BJP’s agenda. P2 Organisations have started preparations to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. P2 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 13°C ASHA BHOSLE’S LEGACY WILL LIVE ON THROUGH HER SONGS SUNSET MONDAY 6.57 PM Her contribution to the world of playback singing transcends scholarly analysis. P4 » SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.03 AM » MONDAY | 13 APRIL 2026 | AMRITSAR Passport Seva Kendra shifted to VRAmbarsarMallonCircularroad Truck carrying 15 cows seized Amritsar, April 12 Acting on a complaint, the police foiled an alleged cattle smuggling attempt and seized a truck carrying 15 cows, while the accused driver and his accomplice managed to escape from the spot. According to police information, a complaint was received from Pankaj Davesar, a resident of Kartar Nagar, Chheharta. The complainant alleged that unknown accused were ferrying cattle in a truck to Madhya Pradesh. Following the tip-off, a police team intercepted and took control of the truck. However, the accused fled from spot before they could be arrested. A case was registered under Sections 3, 4 and 4-A of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, along with provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The police said efforts were underway to identify and arrest the accused involved in the case. — TNS Amritsar, April 12 The Regional Passport Office, Amritsar, has issued a public notice announcing the relocation of the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) from SRK Mall to a new facility at VR Ambarsar Mall. According to the notice, the existing Passport Seva Kendra at the SRK Mall, located on Mall Road near Custom Chowk, will cease operations and shift to its new premises from April 13. The new Passport Seva Kendra will function from A Wing, Second Floor, VR Ambarsar Mall, situated at Medical Enclave, opposite Basant Avenue on Circular Road in Amritsar. The Regional Passport Officer clarified that all applicants, who have already booked appointments on or after April 13 at the SRK Mall centre, must report to the new location at VR Ambarsar Mall. Applicants are required to visit the new PSK as per Official’s suicide case: Kin to approach court for CBI probe Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service The old Passport Seva Kendra near Custom Chowk in Amritsar lacked several basic amenities. the date and time mentioned in their appointment receipt. The earlier Passport Seva Kendra near Custom Chowk lacked several basic amenities. Visitors and their attendants often faced difficulties due to the absence of proper seating arrangements, drinking water and washroom facilities. During peak summer, many people were seen sitting on the railings along the BRTS corridor to pass time while waiting for their turn. The lack of a dedicated parking facility at the old location also contributed to frequent traffic congestion on Mall Road, causing inconvenience to commuters and applicants alike. The new facility at VR Ambarsar Mall is expected to address these issues and offer a more comfortable and organised environment for visitors. — TNS Amritsar, April 12 Dejected over the Amritsar police’s failure to arrest key accused, including former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar’s father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and his personal assistant Dilbagh Singh, the family of deceased Punjab Warehousing Corporation official Gagandeep Singh Randhawa has decided to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court for transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Despite issuance of lookout circulars against the two absconding accused, they are yet to be traced, raising serious questions over the effectiveness of the city police probe. The family has also pointed out that the police failed to name in the FIR several persons who were allegedly present at the spot and had physically assaulted Gagandeep during his humiliation at Bhullar’s residence. Names of a farmer leader and a YouTuber have reportedly surfaced during the course of investigation. Speaking to The Tribune, Gagandeep’s wife Opinder Kaur said, “Three weeks have passed since the tragic incident, but the main accused, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, remains at large.” She alleged that Sukhdev had instigated his son Laljit Singh Bhullar, leading to the humiliation and physical assault on her husband. “We have no option left, but to approach the High Court for a CBI probe if the police fail to investigate the case properly,” she said. Opinder Kaur also expressed disappointment over the state government’s response. She pointed out that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had announced a high-level inquiry by the Chief Secretary into the matter involving a senior government official and a minister. However, no official had contacted the family so far for recording their statements or conducting probe, she said. Gagandeep Randhawa had died by suicide on March 21 after consuming poison. In a short video recorded before his death, he held former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar responsible for his extreme step. The incident triggered a major political controversy, forcing Laljit Singh Bhullar to resign from the cabinet. A day after the incident, the police registered an FIR against Laljit Singh Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, personal assistant Dilbagh Singh and three unidentified persons. Laljit was arrested from Mandi Gobindgarh on March 23. When contacted, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the investigation was in progress and he could not share details at this stage as it might affect the probe. He, however, maintained that the police teams were working on the case “effectively and without any bias”. MC launches ‘sharam karo’ campaign, puts spotlight on violators Society seeks restoration of Jallianwala Initiative aims to curb practice of dumping waste at public places across holy city Bagh’s original look, holds protest Municipal Corporation workers make residents aware about maintaining cleanliness; and (right) a banner displayed by the MC warns people not to dump waste in Amritsar. waste in public places. The move signals a shift from defensive sanitation management to a more aggressive enforcement strategy. The banners, installed at various garbage vulnerable points (GVPs) across the city, carry a blunt message in Punjabi “sharam karo!” (Have some shame) along with a warning that the area had been cleaned recently and should not be used for dumping waste. Acting under the directions of Commissioner Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 12 Facing criticism over persistent garbage problems, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) has launched a “shame campaign” aimed at curbing public littering by directly targeting violators. Taking its battle against filth to a personal level, the civic body has begun installing banners featuring real photographs of residents allegedly caught dumping Bikramjit Singh Shergill, all Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) have been instructed to conduct a comprehensive identification of garbage dumping hotspots within their respective jurisdictions. The initiative aims not only to eliminate existing sites, but also to prevent their recurrence through strict monitoring and community participation. As part of the campaign, MOHs have been directed to map and document GVPs, while individuals repeatedly found dumping waste are being identified. Field teams have been instructed to photograph and video-record such violations as evidence. Posters featuring habitual offenders will be displayed at prominent locations to discourage irresponsible behaviour and promote public accountability. The Municipal Corporation has already started installing awareness banners at key locations, urging residents to refrain from littering and adopt proper waste disposal practices. Officials said the campaign focuses on behavioural change alongside enforcement to ensure sustainable cleanliness across city. Shergill said, “Maintaining sanitation is a shared responsibility. Strict action will be taken against violators under relevant municipal laws, while urging residents to cooperate in keeping their surroundings clean.” Amritsar, April 12 A day before anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, members of Tarksheel Society Punjab protested in front of the historic place today, while demanding restoration of its original look. Besides, next of the martyrs kin reiterated their demand for martyr status for their families. The Punjab Government and the district administration will hold a programme to pay tributes to martyrs at the bagh in the morning. The BJP will hold a similar event at the bagh in the afternoon. Sumeet Singh, a senior functionary of society, said tampering with the historical look of the Jallianwala Bagh in the name of beautification and renovation seemed to be a controversy. Society members raised slogans against the Union and state governments, strongly demanding restoration of the bagh’s original look. Sumeet said statues of dancing people instead of martyrs PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Visitors coming out of an alley at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. had been installed in the narrow alley of the bagh. Raj Kumar Verka, Harjinder Jalalpur, Ramesh Kumar, Paramjit Singh, Anmol Singh, Suresh Pathani, Harjit Kaur and Khushpreet Kaur participated in the agitation and later paid tributes to martyrs. Jallianwala Bagh Freedom Fighters Foundation comprising families of martyrs, demanded that the living kin of martyrs must be honoured with Tamra Patra and given facilities of freedom fighter. Sunil Kapoor, chairperson, Jallianwala Bagh Freedom Fighters Foundation, said, “We have raised the issue of electing foundation’s representatives, but till date no attention has been paid to it.” A city-based architect Raj Kumar Aggarwal, who claims to have prepared the model of Jallianwala Bagh in the 1970s, said, “The bagh’s model remained at the railway station for several decades. Now, it has been relegated to a secluded place like store. The model should be reinstalled at the station.” — TNS Long procedure stalls removal of seized Priyanka pays obeisance at Golden Temple case-property vehicles from police stations Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Amritsar, April 12 A long and cumbersome legal procedure for handling caseproperty vehicles has emerged as a major hurdle in clearing abandoned and seized vehicles from police stations across the city. Despite directions issued by Local Government Minister Sanjeev Arora in January this year, the police have been struggling to implement the orders effectively. The minister had mandated the removal of all scrapped, unclaimed and confiscated vehicles lying at police stations and on government land, directing their relocation to designated dumping yards outside urban limits within 30 days. However, months later, thousands of such vehicles continue to occupy valuable space on police station premises, roadside stretches and even resi- PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Vehicles lying at the Civil Lines police station in Amritsar. dential colonies attached to police establishments. In several areas, including those near the Cantonment police station, these vehicles have virtually turned police premises into junkyards, giving them a shabby appearance. The problem has been compounded by the absence of dedicated dumping or recycling yards, making it difficult for the authorities to relocate vehicles. A senior police official, requesting anonymity, said, “The lack of infrastructure has created a major logistical challenge. Without designated yards, shifting these vehicles is extremely difficult. Moreover, we cannot move even a single case-property vehicle without prior permission from the area magistrate.” “The legal formalities under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, are lengthy and time-consuming,” he said. Another challenge is that many owners are unwilling to reclaim their vehicles due to their dilapidated condition, leaving the police with no option, but to store them indefinitely. Hundreds of seized vehicles are dumped in open spaces, including parks and playgrounds within residential police colonies. Residents complained that these vehicles were blocking roads, encroaching on public spaces and creating unhygienic conditions. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the process of shifting vehicles was underway, but acknowledged the delays. “There is a prescribed procedure that has to be followed for moving caseproperty vehicles. It is a timeconsuming process,” he said. c m y b Amritsar, April 12 Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra on Sunday paid second visit to the Golden Temple in the past two weeks. She did sewa of washing utensils at the langar hall for an hour-and-a-half. Notably, she is a relative of Raghav Chadha who was recently removed as deputy leader of the AAP from Rajya Sabha. After his removal he stated that “Punjab is his soul”. After paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, Priyanka served langar among devotees at the langar hall and washed utensils. She also listened to Gurbani. During her previous visit at the holiest Sikh shrine she had performed sewa at the langar hall. It is learnt that the Bollywood actress has been shooting for her film in Amritsar for the past few days. Her shooting wrapped last night. And as Priyanka Chopra at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Sunday. soon as Priyanka finished work, she headed straight to the Golden Temple. During this visit, Priyanka Chopra took special care to cover her head as per the Sikh tradition.