03102026-ATR-01.qxd 10/2/2026 10:31 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY STREET PLAY ON CLEANLINESS MARKS GANDHI JAYANTI POSTCARD IS BACK, SO IS THE LOST CONNECT BIG B SUFFERS KNEE INJURY AT KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI 18 A theatre group stages a street play on cleanliness at India Gate, Chheharta, to mark Gandhi Jayanti. P2 Postcards are making a quiet comeback, with a growing number of young people using them. P3 Amitabh Bachchan recently revealed he suffered a knee injury while shooting for Kaun Banega Crorepati 18. P4 » » » MAX 33°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.11 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:22 AM SATURDAY | 3 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Clean city a far-fetched dream: Locals on MC’s sanitation goals Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 2 There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip, say locals on MC’s sanitation goals. The civic body claims that around 80 per cent of the waste is lifted daily, but the ground reality is far from different, a local said, reacting to the city’s inclusion under the Centre’s Pragati-50 initiative. “As it is, the administration faces a major challenge of handling nearly 700 metric tonnes of garbage generated every day. To set a benchmark, a lot needs to be done,” another local said. A major concern is that a large portion of the fresh waste continues to reach the Bhagtanwala dumping site as its scientific processing is yet to begin.Complaints of irregular lifting continue to pour in, with garbage strewn all around. With the lifting being irregular, the residents in several areas dispose of waste along roads and streets. The issue was also raised by 16 councillors during a recent meeting with Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatti and Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill. The councillors complained that vehicles were not reaching some wards regularly, affecting door-to-door collection. The Bhagtanwala dumping site has been in talks after a a topographic survey conducted by the Municipal Corporation stated that there was around 14.67 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at the site. In the first phase, the civic body had initiated the bioreme- Setting benchmark under Pragati-50 will take work, they say The administration faces a major challenge of handling nearly 700 metric tonnes of waste generated daily. IRREGULAR GARBAGE LIFTING IN MOST PARTS 23-yr-old youth shot at; probe on Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 2 Two masked men shot at a 23year-old youth at a religious place on the outskirts of Pandori village under the Lopoke police jurisdiction on Thursday morning. The injured, Surjit Singh, a resident of Pandori village, was taken to a civil hospital and later referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, for treatment. He sustained a bullet injury in his right thigh, with the projectile piercing through the left thigh, the police said. According to an FIR registered at the Lopoke police station, Surjit had gone to the << Garbage dumped along a road at Ranjit Avenue in Amritsar. diation of around 11 lakh metric tonnes of waste and now it claims to have processed or cleared around 9 lakh tonnes. A new company was assigned the work of waste processing last year, with plans to process both fresh and legacy waste. However, the delay in the allotment of a processing centre resulted in the transportation of nearly 700 tonnes of daily waste to Bhagtanwala. The accumulation of around 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of fresh waste at the site has also been reported. The Pragati-50 initiative aims to develop 50 selected cities as models for cleanliness and solid waste management. It focuses on urban sanitation, regular garbage collection, scientific processing of waste, management of dumping sites, wastewater and sewerage systems and citizen partic- ipation. Regular monitoring is also envisaged under the initiative. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatti said around 80 per cent of the city’s waste was being lifted and fresh waste processing at Bhagtanwala would begin soon. Baba Rohi Wala shrine around 9.30 am to perform sewa. Surjit told the police that he noticed two youths sitting near a room on the premises. Their faces were covered and they were wearing gloves. Suspecting them to be thieves, he tried to chase them away. Late-night firing triggers panic; prime accused, his allies in police net Two fraudsters traced to Chhattisgarh; arrested Tribune News Service Tribune News Service ■ The Pragati-50 initiative aims to develop 50 selected cities as models for cleanliness and solid waste management. ■Complaints of irregular garbage lifting continue to pour in, with most parts of the city littered. ■Residents in several areas dispose of waste along roads and streets. The issue was highlighted in the House by 16 councillors recently. The victim, Surjit Singh. One of the youths allegedly threatened to shoot him, following which the other fired at him with a country-made pistol. The bullet hit Surjit’s right thigh. The two suspects allegedly fled towards the fields. Surjit raised the alarm, following which his father Dilbagh Singh arranged a vehicle and took him to the Civil Hospital. He was later referred to GNDH, Amritsar. It has been learnt that some miscreants had earlier committed theft at the shrine. The Lopoke police said a case had been registered and that the identity of the assailants and the motive behind the attack were yet to be ascertained. Amritsar, October 2 Panic gripped locals after an alleged firing incident in the Bansa Wala Bazar area late last night. Divulging details, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Manmohan Singh said they had arrested the prime accused, Manohar Lal, who along with his accomplices, had created ruckus in the area and indulged in firing. He said the dispute was over the presidentship of a temple in the area. The residents had appointed a new management committee and Manohar Lal was against it. Both parties involved in the dispute had been called to get their statements recorded. One of the families said around 10 persons surrounded their sons and fired nearly four rounds after they objected to alleged gambling, betting, drug sale and open consumption of liquor in the area. They claimed that complaints regarding the alleged activities had earlier been filed with the police. Some outsiders were brought to launch the attack. The alleged assailants reportedly fled, leaving behind an Activa and a motorcycle, the complainant said. The ADC said a case of attempted murder had been registered. Also, charges under the Arms Act were also slapped on the accused, while adding that a probe was underway and efforts on to nab the remaining accused. Pathankot, October 2 The Pathankot police today arrested two persons from Raipur in Chhattisgarh for duping a local of Rs 21.9 lakh. Pathankot SSP Manpreet Singh said the accused took the amount from one Vikramjit on the pretext of getting his son admitted to a top medical college. “Earlier, they ran a fake admission and counselling set-up in Gurugram, where they promised seats in medical colleges, and later, shifted operations to Raipur, fearing police action,” the SSP added. Vikramjit, an officer employed with the civic body, had filed a complaint with the cyber cell. The SSP said a special team had been formed to raid the Continued on page 2 Bank employees booked for ~12.72-lakh embezzlement Use of drones along border belt Illegal structures removed from Verka bypass has farmers, residents worried Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 2 Concerned over the use of unmanned aerial vehicles from across the Pakistan border for smuggling, a delegation of the Border Area Sangharsh Committee on Friday handed over a memorandum to senior BSF officials at Khasa, calling for permanent measures to prevent their entry into Indian territory. The delegation, led by committee president Rattan Singh Randhawa, also raised several issues confronting residents and farmers living along the Amritsar, October 2 The Lopoke police have booked two employees, including an accountant of a cooperative bank branch located at Chogawan, for allegedly embezzling Rs 12.72 lakh. The accused has been identified as Charanpreet Singh, an accountant, and Bhupinder Pal Singh, a clerk, both residents of Chheharta. The case was registered on One is accountant, the other clerk the complaint of Brahmjot Singh, branch manager of the bank. In his complaint, he alleged that the two employees had allegedly misappropriated Rs 12,72,700 during their tenure at the branch. A fact-finding inquiry was conducted into the allegations following a complaint submitted on December 25, 2025. Based on the findings of the inquiry, the police registered the case after obtaining approval from the SSP . An FIR was registered under relevant sections of fraud and forgery and Sections 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against them. The police said the matter was under investigation and the role of the accused in the alleged financial irregularities was being examined. Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Urge BSF to keep tabs on unmanned aerial vehicles, submit memo International Border. “Repeated drone intrusions has raised security concerns in border villages,” said Randhawa, demanding sustained measures to check their use for smuggling narcotics and weapons. “Youngsters, especially drug addicts and those belonging to poor families, are being lured into arms and drug peddling. Once caught and convicted by courts, they rot in jails for years or die of drug abuse,” the delegation stated. A coordinated approach involving the BSF district , administration, political parties and the Health Department was sought to tackle drug addiction and crime among those in the 10-45 age-group. The delegation stressed that the issue required intervention beyond policing. On farm related issues, the delegation demanded that all gates along the border fence remain open from 9 am to 5 pm to facilitate paddy harvesting. It also sought identity cards for the farmers. Amritsar, October 2 The civic body removed illegal structures and seized goods kept along the Verka bypass. Civic officials said the drive aimed at keeping roads, footpaths and other municipal spaces encroachment-free. The officials also issued a warning to encroachers against bringing back the seized material or reoccupying the area. Secretary-cum-Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia said encroachments on public spaces caused inconvenience to pedestrians and motorist, obstructing vehicular movement. BKU to lay siege to DC offices on Oct 5 Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 2 Bharti Kisan Union (EktaUgrahan) state president Joginder Singh Ugrahan has appealed to farmers, labourers and women to join the October 5 protest. In reiteration of their demands, farmers have planned to gherao all DC offices in Punjab on October 5.At Gurdwara Baba Jiwan Singh in Gagomahal, union members said they were intensifying the agitation over 13 unmet demands. Ugrahan said women would hold a separate protest in the evening and perform “pitt siyapa” (chaos of mourning) against Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) members in Amritsar. the Punjab Government. The union had earlier staged a 15-day protest outside DC offices across Punjab. The members alleged that the government had failed to resolve issues raised by farmers, labourers nd other sections of society. They also criticised the reported efforts to negotiate a tariff-free trade agreement c m y b between India and the US, claiming that such an arrangement could adversely affect farmers and small industries. The BKU leader said increased imports of agricultural and industrial products could put additional economic pressure on small producers and farmers. He demanded that the Centre abandon the proposed tarifffree negotiations with the US and review trade agreements with developed countries in view of the interests of farmers, labourers and small industries. Among the organisation’s other demands include withdrawal of the government’s Continued on page 2 Civic staff remove encroachments from an area along the Verka bypass. The MCA has asked shopkeepers, street vendors and other commercial establish- ments to voluntarily remove unauthorised goods, structures and other material Two drug traffickers get 12 years in jail Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 2 A special court has sentenced two drug traffickers to 12year rigorous imprisonment in over nine-year-old smuggling case regarding the seizure of 2 kg of heroin. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Amritsar Zonal Unit, said those convicted had been identified as Omkar Singh, alias Onkar Singh, and Gurdev Singh. The judgment was pronounced on September 29. NCB officials said its team intercepted a Toyota Innova near Kamaska village on the Kamaska-Vanike road in Amritsar on March 31, 2017. During search, 2 kg of heroin was recovered from the vehicle. The two were immediately arrested. During investigation, another accused, Balkar Singh, was arrested and the NCB filed a complaint against all three before a special court on September 22, 2017. The court held that the prosecution had established the recovery of 2 kg of heroin from Omkar Singh and Gurdev Singh and their involvement in Continued on page 2 from public spaces and refrain from occupying the cleared areas. 40-yr-old killed in road mishap Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, October 2 A 40-year-old man was killed after his motorcycle collided with another twowheeler on the Tarn TaranGoindwal Sahib road. The police said the deceased, PawandeepSingh,wasaresident of Kalla village. He was returning to his village when a two-wheeler coming from the opposite directioncollidedwithhishikenearthe Jhander Wala bridge. He was rushed to hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police said a case had been registered against Bedi Ram, a resident of Jhander.