09102026-ATR-01.qxd 10/8/2026 11:36 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune WASHINGTON DIASPORA PLEDGES 75 MINI-FORESTS DOPING BAN LIFTED, JUDOKA EYES 2028 OLYMPICS IN LA Harshdeep Singh Brar back in contention after winning bronze at Senior National Championship. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C BOLLYWOOD CELEBS MOURN NANA PATEKAR Each forest will contain 550 native trees, taking the initiative’s total to more than 41,000 trees. P2 FORECAST The sudden death of the veteran actor has left those who worked closely with him in shock. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.02 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:25 AM » FRIDAY | 9 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR INBRIEF PANEL CALLS FOR TIMELY ACTION IN HIT-AND-RUN CASES PTM politics hots up; teachers Delays are par for the course, say locals as project jumps deadline say education taking back seat Charanjit Singh Teja Amritsar: A meeting of the district-level committee, constituted for the disposal of hit-and-run cases, was held at the District Administrative Complex here on Thursday. The committee called for timely disposal of such cases, stressing the need for an enhanced coordination between the police and officials of the Revenue, Transport, Health and Insurance Departments. Officials said prompt verification of cases and timely action needed to be prioritised in order to extend relief to eligible victims or their legal heirs under the applicable provisions. Amardeep Singh Bains, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), and Dalwinderjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, too gave their inputs. ONE HELD WITH HEROIN, DRONE Tarn Taran: The police claimed to have arrested a person and recovered 1.522 kg of heroin during separate operations at Havelian village.The police said during the first crackdown, 1.004 kg of heroin and a drone were recovered from Havelian village, while Lakhwinder Singh, alias Lakha, a resident of Naushhera Dhala, was held with 518 gm of heroin and a drone during the second drive. The accused was accompanied by his son, who managed to flee, they added. “A probe is on and we are trying to find out if the accused has any links with cross-border drug networks,” the police said. Also, the involvement of any foreign handler was being investigated, they added. TNS Tribune News Service MLAs, councillors invited for meeting across state schools Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 8 Not giving two hoots what the teaching fraternity says, the Education Department, in a directive, has asked all school heads to ensure elected representatives, including MLAs and councillors, show up for the mega parent-teacher meet (PTM) on October 9. Those at the helm of affairs in state schools have been asked to coordinate with local representatives, ensuring their presence during the mega PTM. The move comes at a time when teacher organisations have questioned the inclusion of activities they consider beyond the academic purpose of parent-teacher meets. Initially, a letter issued by the SCERT to District Education Officers, mandated institution heads to invite MLAs, constituency incharges and zila parishad officials for the October 9 meet. “The school heads have received letters from the District Education Office as well, with similar instructions. Additionally, teachers have been asked to record testimonials, talk about state government welfare schemes like the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana and pilgrimage tour bus scheme and get parents’ feedback. The meet has been turned into a political exercise,” said Ashwani Awasthi, district head, Democratic Teachers’ Front, Amritsar. Several school heads also received promotional pamphlets with the declaration of Teachers say the mega PTM should primarily focus on students’ academic performance, attendance, strengths and areas requiring improvement. FILE ALREADY BURDENED BY NON-ACADEMIC DUTIES: EDUCATORS ■ “The school heads have received letters from the District Education Office as well... Additionally, teachers have been asked to record testimonials, talk about state government welfare schemes like the achievements of the Aam Aadmi Party government. Teachers say the mega PTM should primarily focus on students’ academic performance, attendance, strengths and areas requiring improvement, while objecting to the orders asking them to highlight government schemes and recording beneficiary testimonials for dissemination through school social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. The instructions regarding Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana and pilgrimage tour bus scheme and get parents’ feedback. ■ “The meet has been turned into a political exercise,” said Ashwani Awasthi, district head, Democratic the presence of elected representatives are likely to add another dimension to the ongoing debate over the purpose and scope of the mega PTM. Time and again, teacher organisations have argued that they are already carrying a range of non-academic responsibilities, including duties linked to surveys, electoral work and other government programmes, and that such additional assignments could divert attention from Teachers’ Front, Amritsar. ■ Time and again, teacher organisations have argued that they are already carrying a range of non-academic responsibilities, including duties linked to surveys and electoral work. classroom teaching. “The October 9 meet is expected to bring together teachers, parents and school authorities across government schools in Punjab. The latest directions have put a spotlight on the balance between community participation in government schools and teachers’ concerns about keeping the PTM focused on students and academics,” said a Government Senior Secondary School, Kot Khalsa, teacher. Amritsar, October 8 Each time the city looks at development, the latter looks the other way, say locals. This time, the reason behind their anger is — the radial road redevelopment project. Even after a year, the project has not been completed, especially the Ghee Mandi road, the work on which was expected to be completed within two months. The project, which could not take off for years, was formally launched in October 2025 ahead of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The redevelopment aimed at improving four roads leading to the Golden Temple, but the work could only be started on the Ghee Mandi road. The civic body had planned to complete the stretch before starting the work on the next road to minimise inconvenience during the anniversary celebrations. However, a year after the launch, work on the first stretch is still underway, raising questions about the pace of execution. Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill had earlier said the Ghee Mandi road would be completed within two months. The overall project has a completion deadline of 18 months. The work involves several challenges as commercial activities and residents’ daily routine cannot be completely disrupted. Along with the road redevelopment, damaged water supply and sewer pipelines have to be replaced, while ensuring that The civic authorities had earlier said the Ghee Mandi road would be completed within two months. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR existing services remain functional until the new system is operational. Under the project, roads will be redeveloped using coloured concrete stones and tiles. Dedicated underground ducts will be constructed to accommodate electricity cables. Around 400 houses and shops along the selected routes will also undergo uniform facade development to enhance the heritage character of the area. The four roads identified for redevelopment are the Mahna Singh Road, Inside Ghee Mandi, Sri Ramsar Road and Katra Ahluwalia, covering a total stretch of approximately 4.5 km. The work is planned in phases, beginning with the Ghee Mandi road, followed by the Mahna Singh Road, the Ramsar Road and the Katra Ahluwalia Road. With work on the first stretch progressing slowly, the timely execution of the remaining phases will be crucial to completing the entire project within the stipulated 18month period. Chemists, Jan Aushadhi Kendras face heat over illegal drug sale AIT ex-chief’s arrest: Fail to produce purchase and sale records Pargat meets kin, of drugs seized during inspection calls for fair probe Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 8 The Zonal Licensing Authority, Amritsar, has cancelled the retail sale drug licences of two chemists in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts for serious violations under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules, while suspending the licences of two Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) for 45 days. The licences of Sandhu Medicos at Algon Kothi in Tarn Taran and Brother Medical Store at Khurmania near Nanaksar Gate in Amritsar were cancelled with immediate effect after the owners failed to produce purchase and sale records of drugs seized during inspections. Sharing details, Kulwinder Singh, Zonal Licensing Authority, said during an inspection on August 27, Drugs Control Officer Harpreet Singh had found that the proprietor of Sandhu Medicos could not produce the required records for three types of drugs seized from the premises. The medicines contained pregabalin as the key ingredient. The premises was subsequently sealed. Similarly, during an inspection on September 11, Drugs Control Officer Gurdip Singh seized four types of medicines from Brother Medical Store after its owner failed to produce their purchase and sale records. These drugs also contained pregabalin as the key ingredient, he said. The qualified pharmacist was absent at both establishments during the inspections. The firms were issued show-cause notices, but failed to furnish satis- factory explanations or the required records regarding the seized medicines. Taking note of the violations and their potential impact on public health, the Zonal Licensing Authority ordered cancellation of their licences. Meanwhile, the drug licences of a PMBJK at Guru Nanak Nirankar Colony on the Sultanwind Road and the one outside the Civil Hospital in Tarn Taran have been suspended for 45 days for non-compliance. The FDA Drugs Wing in Amritsar Zone has cancelled the licences of 17 chemists in recent months for similar violations, he said. Tribune News Service Officials during an inspection at a medical store in Amritsar. Scramble for coveted tweed fabric Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service The century-old industry has about 50 small units and one mega unit. Amritsar, October 8 It won’t be wrong to call Amritsar a jack of all trades. Be it food, textile or art, the city tops the chart. Talking of textiles, the one that sells like hotcakes, especially in winter, is tweed. Being its only manufacturer in the country, the city witnesses a mad scramble for the fabric made of this yarn — pheran. Tweed is made of pure wool and is comparatively expensive, owing to its slow and labour-intensive production. Since April, the tweed has witnessed a price rise of 20- FABRIC MADE OF WOOL IS COMPARATIVELY EXPENSIVE, MOSTLY USED TO MAKE PHERANS ■ Tweed is made of pure wool and is comparatively expensive, owing to its slow and labour-intensive production. has witnessed a price rise of 20-25 per cent. To meet buyers’ demands, nearly 40 per cent of about 60 lakh m tweed is manufactured in a year. ■ The century-old industry has about 50 small units and one mega unit. ■ Since April, the tweed 25 per cent. To meet buyers’ demands, nearly 40 per cent of about 60 lakh m tweed is manufactured in a year. Sudarshan Kumar Wadhwa, one of the oldest tweed manufacturers in the city, said the price of wool (per kg) had gone up from Rs 220 to Rs 280 and c m y b mixed yarn from Rs 200 to Rs 270. He added that most people might not know that blazers and high-quality tweed are manufactured only in this part of the country. “The centuryold industry has about 50 small units and one mega unit. Most of the units here are in the unorganised sector,” Wadhwa said. The only unit which comes under the organised umbrella is OCM. Its CEO Dhruv Singh Chauhan said: “The company is currently rolling out high-end segment tweed, polywool suiting and allwool suiting. Out of the entire production, 10 per cent is exported to Europe and Russia. A major part of the tweed goes to Kashmir and the textile is also used in the manufacturing of Thobe, worn in West Asia. Tweed is also used for manufacturing coats, purses, bags, beach bags and long coats. Amritsar, October 8 The new president of the Punjab Congress, Pargat Singh, today visited the residence of former Amritsar Improvement Trust chairman and senior Congress leader Dinesh Bassi, who is in police custody in a fraud case. He met Bassi’s family, enquired about their wellbeing and assured them of every possible help. The Congress leader said the party stood by Bassi and his family during this difficult time. On the sidelines, Pargat Singh targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government and the police administration, alleging that the Police Department had become a puppet at the hands of the government. He said registering false cases against opposition leaders and Congress workers did not behove of a government in power. Pargat Singh asked police officials not to succumb to political pressure, warning them of acting against those innocent. Calling for a fair probe, the Congress leader said if any innocent leader or worker would be subjected to harassment, the party would not stay quiet. Earlier, Dinesh Bassi, during a court hearing, said his passport had already been deposited with the court and that he was not planning to go anywhere. Bassi will next appear before the court on Friday. New president of the Punjab Congress Pargat Singh (in yellow turban) at the residence of senior Congress leader Dinesh Bassi.