22092026-ATR-01.qxd 21-09-2026 23:23 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY RESIDENTS SUFFER AS STIRS DISRUPT SERVICES IN CITY GNDU TAKES ROBOTICS LESSONS TO SCHOOLS HOMEMAKERS ARE THE REAL CELEBS: CHEF SANJEEV KAPOOR While AAP maintains that it has fulfilled all promises, disgruntled groups contend otherwise. P2 Training sessions conducted for 2,000 students under Rashtriya Ucchtar Shiksha Abhiyan. P3 MAX 33°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 23°C The chef said: “In India — probably more than anywhere else — the real celebrities are the homemakers.” P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.29 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:19 AM » TUESDAY | 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR 5 kg heroin found near border post Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 The Border Security Force on Monday found over 5 kg of heroin near a border checkpost at Muhawa village here. The BSF lodged a complaint with the Gharinda police after handing over the contraband to them. According to information, a BSF team was patrolling in the area when they spotted the contraband. On opening the packet, 10 smaller packets containing the contraband were found. The contents were checked with a drug-detection kit, confirming that it was heroin. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. Harvest paddy on full maturity, farmers urged Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 The Amritsar district administration has appealed to farmers to undertake paddy harvesting only after the crop fully matures. Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh urged farmers to bring properly dried paddy to the mandis during the Kharif procurement season. He said the Union Government had prescribed a maximum moisture limit of 17 per cent for the procurement of paddy. “If the moisture content exceeds 17 per cent, farmers may face difficulty in selling the produce at the mandi,” he said. No HSRP, no fuel supply: Outlets Draggedfromrooftop,brutally assaulted, Ajnala youth dies directed not to serve violators Police move aims to curb use of tampered plates in crimes Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill on Monday directed all fuel stations in the city to immediately deny petrol, diesel, and CNG to any vehicle lacking a high security registration plate (HSRP). The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), comes amid concerns that vehicles with concealed, altered, or illegible registration numbers are being used not only to evade traffic enforcement but also in criminal activities. The police have flagged the use of such vehicles in hitand-run cases, chain snatchings, thefts, and other organised crimes. A vehicle with an obscured registration number can make it difficult for investigators to trace its owner or identify suspects through CCTV footage. Under the order, fuel stations have been told to deny fuel to any private or commercial vehicle on finding its HSRP missing, damaged, bent, broken, or tampered with. Vehicles on which registration numbers or letters have been changed in colour or otherwise modified will also face the restriction. Police officials said obscured registration plates could render the extensive network of surveillance cameras ineffective in identifying traffic violators and vehicles involved in offences. Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill issued the directives under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. FILE PHOTO COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST ■ New vehicles with valid temporary registrations and emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire tenders exempted from order ■ Fuel stations must keep cameras functional, record clear front and rear plates, retain footage for 30 days, and display bilingual warning boards ■ Operators are barred from selling loose fuel in bottles and instructed to dial 112 or contact police immediately if motorists create a disturbance. ■ Violations by drivers, owners, or fuel station staff invite prosecution under Section 223 of the BNSS and the Motor Vehicles Act. However, new vehicles carrying a valid registration or temporary registration number and vehicles being used for emergency services such as ambulances and fire tenders have been exempted. The order also puts additional responsibility on fuel stations. Owners and managers have been directed to keep CCTV systems functional and ensure that the front and rear registration plates of vehicles entering and leaving their premises are captured clearly. The footage will have to be preserved for at least 30 days and made available to the police when required. Fuel stations have also been directed to prominently display boards in Punjabi and English, informing motorists that fuel will not be supplied to vehicles without valid registration plates. In another direction, fuel stations have been barred from supplying petrol or diesel in bottles or other containers to unauthorised persons. The police have anticipated resistance from motorists and directed fuel station operators to immediately contact the nearest police station or dial 112 if anyone creates a disturbance, abuses staff, or otherwise causes a law-and-order problem after being denied fuel. Any violation of the order, including by vehicle owners, drivers, fuel station operators, or employees, can invite prosecution under Section 223 of the BNSS, besides applicable provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and other relevant rules. Anti-drug drives by parties mere poll gimmicks: Chawla Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 Questioning the purpose of the anti-drug campaigns being run by political parties, former Punjab minister and BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla called them “mere election gimmicks”. Mincing no words, Chawla said all political parties in Punjab were campaigning to eradicate drug abuse but “were not willing to look within.” “They are organising rallies, and prominent leaders are visiting to console families of victims. They are blaming each other, but none is willing to look within,” she said. “If the various political parties that have governed Punjab over the past 20 years have the courage, they should openly disclose how much drug was imported into Punjab during their tenure, how much was sold, and how many people died due to it,” she added. She further added, “I believe that the campaign against drugs is merely an election gimmick. States where alcohol is sold, where the excise minister, who promotes alcohol sales, is praised in the Assembly, and where liquor shops are opened near Laxmi Kanta Chawla schools, colleges, railway stations, and temples, have no right to run election campaigns in the name of drugs.” Chawla said if the parties truly wanted to eradicate alcohol, then they should first ban it. The BJP leader said the political parties should make their members pledge not to support drug dealers, consume drugs themselves, and “stop the mere election gimmick in the name of drugs.” The statement comes days before the Amritsar leg of the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra. Meanwhile, district BJP president Salil Kapoor, while addressing a meeting of the party’s senior citizen cell, said the Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra would reach Amritsar on September 23. The rally will cover Chheharta and Valmiki Chowk before concluding at Putlighar Chowk. On September 24, the yatra will commence from Lahori Gate and from there, via Lohgarh Chowk, Hall Gate Chowk, and Ram Bagh Chowk, it will reach the central Valmiki temple and later will pass through the Amritsar East constituency via Maqboolpura Chowk. On September 25, the yatra will cover the North Constituency and Majitha. Salil Kapoor said the senior citizen cell would play a crucial role in motivating the youth against drug abuse and spreading this message among the public. One lane of Rego Bridge to open by December, says Aujla Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Monday inspected the construction work of Rego Bridge, a crucial project that has missed several deadlines. The MP said one lane of the crucial city link was expected to open by December. Aujla also held a meeting with officials at the site and sought reasons for the delay in completing the project. He said the technical issues had been resolved and the second lane of the bridge would open within three months of the first. The bridge, built around 1917-18, connects the walled MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla inspects the bridge work in Amritsar on Monday. city with GT Road and adjoining areas. Its closure has added to traffic congestion in the city. Aujla said the project had received administrative approval in 2023 and the tender for it was subsequently floated. However, the final approval for dismantling the old structure was received only in January 2025. c m y b He attributed the construction delay to the shifting of Army communication and electricity lines linked to the Gobindgarh Fort area, besides pipelines and cables of the Municipal Corporation. The MP said work on the bridge’s foundation and pillars had been completed. The bridge is being reconstructed over an operational railway track and high-tension power lines, making safety clearances and technical execution critical. Aujla said the contractor and Railway officials had assured him that one lane would be made operational by December, while the second lane would be completed within three months thereafter. Amritsar, September 21 A 25-year-old man died after he was allegedly dragged from the rooftop of his house and brutally assaulted by a group of five persons at Saidpur Khurd village in Ajnala, with his family alleging that he was targeted over his role in a patch-up between two lovers. Victim Harpreet Singh’s family also alleged that the accused did not let them take him to a hospital, resulting in his death on Sunday afternoon. According to the FIR registered on the complaint of the victim’s father, Kashmir Singh, the incident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The accused have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, their mother Nanki, Pappu, and Gurnam Singh, all residents of Saidpur Khurd. The complainant alleged that the accused, armed with sharp weapons, Harpreet Singh baseball bats, and sticks, forcibly entered his house and climbed onto the roof where Harpreet was sleeping. They dragged him downstairs. After hearing his screams, the family woke up. The complainant alleged that the accused severely assaulted Harpreet and dragged him away despite pleas by family members to spare him. The complainant told the police that he, his wife Naresh Kaur, and daughter Sukhwinder Kaur later went to the accused’s house and rescued Harpreet. He was allegedly unconscious by then and was brought back home. The family alleged that they were too frightened to leave the house or seek medical treatment while the accused allegedly prevented them from coming out. Narinder Singh, SHO of the Ajnala police station, said they had registered a case under Sections 103, 191(3), and 190 of the BNS against the five accused and efforts were on to arrest them. He said though the motive behind the incident was being ascertained, the victim’s family alleged that the accused suspected Harpreet of mediating between a girl and her boyfriend over their “relationship”. He said the allegations were being verified. — TNS Civic apathy A dug-up stretch near Khanda Wala Chowk on Majitha Road continues to cause traffic snarls in Amritsar, over a month after a pipeline work was initiated and then left unattended. VISHAL KUMAR Mishap victim dies during treatment Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 21 A 47-year-old Tarn Taran resident, who was grievously injured in a road accident on September 15, died during treatment at an Amritsar hospital. The victim, identified as Gurdev Singh, was a resident of Gali Bajigaran Wali in Mohalla Nanaksar here. He was riding a scooter when a speeding motorcyclist hit him, according to the police. Gurdev Singh was initially admitted to the Civil Hospital, Tarn Taran. He was later referred to the Amritsar hospital due to the serious nature of his injuries. The police have registered a case. Assistant Sub-Inspector Narinder Singh said footage from CCTV cameras installed near the accident site was being examined to identify the motorcyclist. City resident seeks police protection after extortion threats Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 A local resident has sought police protection after receiving extortion threats from a foreign-based number. Naresh Kumar Dhammi has written to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill, and other senior police officers seeking immediate intervention. According to the complaint, Dhammi received the threatening call around noon on September 16. The caller reportedly disclosed specific details about his family and property, threatened to eliminate him and his two sons, and claimed to know that one son lives in the US while the other stays with him. Writes to DGP, senior dept officers Dhammi stated that unknown persons further heightened his fears on Sunday when they captured a video of his house. The suspects were reportedly caught on CCTV recording the premises. Apprehending a threat to their safety, he fears he and his family could be targeted and that his property could be forcibly occupied by antisocial elements. Noting that he was previously provided security by the local administration in view of his past work against terrorism, Dhammi urged senior officials to take necessary legal action and provide police protection to his family. Waris Punjab De appoints in-charges Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 21 The Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) has appointed six constituency in-charges to strengthen its organisational network and advance party activities across Punjab. Jaskaran Singh Kahansinghwala has been appointed as the in-charge of the Guru Har Sahai constituency, Sukhdev Singh Kadia for Qadian, Basant Singh Dolatpur for Nihal Singh Wala, Prabhjot Singh Raho for Nawanshahr, Gurdeep Singh Bath for Barnala, and Nirmal Singh Sekhanmajra for Rajpura. Party leaders stated that the newly appointed leaders will play a crucial role in taking the party’s policies and ideology to grassroots levels while expanding local organisation. They said the party was intensifying its outreach with a focus on Punjabiyat and Panthic issues. The new incharges have been tasked with maintaining continuous contact with residents in their respective areas.