22102026-ATR-01.qxd 10/21/2026 11:15 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C FLORAL TRIBUTES PAID TO MARTYRS OF POLICE FORCE GMC ADVANCES MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY DEEPIKA, RANVEER NAME SECOND DAUGHTER DEVI Punjab Police pay tributes to those who died in the line of duty on Police Commemoration Day . P2 The hospital has performed complex procedures, including the laparoscopic removal of a giant uterine fibroid .P3 Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have named their second daughter as Devi Padukone Singh. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 5.52 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.34 AM » THURSDAY | 22 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Grenade, pistol seized from five; targeted killing foiled, say police 3 minors among those held; cops trace arms to ISI-linked smuggler Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 The Amritsar rural police on Wednesday claimed to have foiled a targeted killing by recovering a hand grenade, a pistol and ammunition from five persons, including three juveniles. The police did not disclose whom the accused allegedly intended to target. Those held included Gurlal Singh (20), a truck driver, and Rashpal Singh (18), a carpenter, both residents of Lopoke. One of the juveniles is a Class XII student at a government school. Sharing details, Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the accused were yet to receive further instructions to carry out the attack. Gurlal and Rashpal were arrested by a police team during the Dasehra festivities in the Lopoke area. Two of the juveniles were found in possession of a hand grenade and a .30-bore pistol, while Gurlal Singh had around 10 bullets. “The Amritsar rural police have averted a potential targeted killing by timely bust- Border Range IG Gurpreet Singh Bhullar (centre) addresses the media in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR ing the module and recovering the hand grenade and pistol,” said Bhullar. The police said the investigation revealed that the hand grenade and pistol had been provided by ISI-linked crossborder smuggler Rana King, alias Gulla King. His name had also figured during investigations into earlier recoveries. A couple of suppliers linked to him are already in jail. “The weapons and explosives were being supplied to disrupt peace. The police are 2.86L metric tonnes of paddy procured in dist Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 Government agencies have procured around 2.86 lakh metric tonnes of paddy that arrived in the district’s grain markets, Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh said on Wednesday. He said 2,86,718 metric tonnes of paddy had arrived in the mandis till October 19, of which 2,86,612 metric tonnes had been procured. “Thus, 99.96 per cent of the paddy that arrived in the grain markets has been procured,” he added. Among the government agencies, Pungrain procured 1,41,615 metric tonnes of paddy, Markfed 75,232 metric tonnes, Punsup 40,170 metric Over ~17,000 cr earmarked for SC welfare: MLA Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 The state’s AAP government has allocated Rs 17,700 crore under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan for 2026-27, accounting for 35.23 per cent of the total development budget, Baba Bakala Sahib MLA Dalbir Singh Tong said on Wednesday. Tong said the government aimed to provide better opportunities in education, employment and skill development to families belonging to the Scheduled Castes community, enabling them to become economically stronger and participate in society on an equal footing. He said that during 2025-26, 97.6 per cent of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 13,987.16 crore under the SC Sub-Plan had been utilised. tonnes and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation 29,595 metric tonnes, the Deputy Commissioner said. Of the total procured paddy, 1,90,720 metric tonnes has been lifted. He said payments amounting to Rs 591.13 crore had been made to farmers till October 18, against the total payable amount of Rs 677.71 crore. The DC appealed to farmers across the district to harvest paddy only after the crop had fully matured and to bring dry paddy to the mandis in accordance with the prescribed quality standards. He said the Centre had fixed the maximum permissible moisture content for paddy procurement at 17 per cent. examining the intended target and the role of handlers operating from across the border,” said Bhullar. Two arrested with 3.5 kg heroin, pistol Meanwhile, in another operation, the rural police arrested two persons with around 3.5 kg of heroin and a pistol. They were identified as Ajay, a resident of Mudh Khokhar, and Robin Masih, a resident of Sultanwind village. Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal, SSP Amritsar Rural, said , four cases under the NDPS Act had been registered against Ajay. He said all the consignments were smuggled from Pakistan. He said the preliminary probe had yielded important leads about the network and those coordinating the movement of consignments from across the border. The police said both men worked as daily wagers and were allegedly involved in coordinating consignments linked to cross-border smuggling. Asian hockey trophy to arrive in city today Tribune News Service Bus workers’ protest disrupts services; commuters harassed Neeraj Bagga Amritsar, October 21 Around 200 players, including Olympians, are expected to witness an exhibition match here on Thursday to promote the upcoming Men’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy. To generate public enthusiasm, a trophy tour is being organised across all districts of the state in accordance with the directions of the Department of Sports, Punjab. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Palvi Mishra said the trophy would arrive in Amritsar on Thursday at 1.30 pm from the Samadhi of Baba Naudh Singh in Chabba village, Tarn Taran. Thereafter, the trophy would depart from Amritsar for Gurdaspur district at 8 am on October 23. To ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the programme, Mishra held a special meeting with the heads of various departments. She directed officials to ensure timely arrangements for the reception of the trophy and the successful execution of the entire programme. Mishra said that as part of the trophy’s reception in Amritsar, the Department of Sports would organise a hockey exhibition match at the School of Eminence, Chheharta, at 3 pm. The faithful Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 Contractual employees of state-run bus services went on an indefinite strike in Amritsar on Wednesday, demanding regularisation of jobs, withdrawal of cases lodged against protesting workers during a previous stir, and reinstatement of dismissed employees. They also demanded the rollback of the kilometre scheme, which has long drawn criticism, with employee unions claiming that it has become a source of corruption. The scheme, launched under a public-private partnership model, allows public transporters to rope in private operators to run buses on government-decided routes. Under the scheme, private bus operators are responsible for hiring drivers and bearing fuel and maintenance costs. They are paid based on the kilometres covered by their buses. Employees in the past have alleged that private players, many of whom are influential people, siphon of funds and inflate the number of kilometres covered to earn higher profits. Wednesday’s strike disrupted bus services, forcing passengers to rely on crowded private buses. The border district has around 200 PUNBUS buses and 15 Punjab Roadways buses, while no PRTC buses originate from here. Jodh Singh, state joint secretary of the Punjab Roadways, Contractual staff demand regularisation, withdrawal of cases & scrapping of kilometre scheme Passengers walk past buses at the Amritsar bus stand amid a protest on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR PUNBUS, PRCTC Contract Workers’ Union, said the 200 buses plied on long-distance routes, including Delhi, Shimla, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Haridwar and Dehradun. Baljit Singh, cashier of the union, said 450 employees associated with PUNBUS did not report for duty on Wednesday. He said the employees had served a notice before going on strike, adding that they were forced to resort to agitation as their several meetings with the authorities had failed to yield any results. He said Finance Minister Harpal Cheema had earlier assured union representatives that their demands would be met. He said several employees had been working on a contract for the past 12 to 15 years. Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 As Amritsar gears up to mark the 450th anniversary of its founding in June next year, Sikh religious leaders, environmental activists and residents are calling for urgent action to tackle the city’s mounting garbage, poor sanitation and pollution ahead of the expected influx of millions of pilgrims and visitors. The campaign for a cleaner Amritsar has gained momentum through the Chalo Amritsar, a women-led initiative that has brought together environmental organisations, social groups and local residents to press for lasting improvements in the city’s ecological health. Its demands extend beyond beautification, calling for scientific waste management, the removal of accumulated garbage, restrictions on single-use plastic and the restoration of green spaces. Women passengers affected Women were among the passengers most affected by the strike. A majority of those waiting at the ISBT were women. The number of women passengers has remained high daily since the introduction of free travel for women on state-run buses. The strike benefited private bus operators, who witnessed high passenger footfall. Parminder Kaur, a resident of Chheharta, said the strike had disrupted her travel budget. She had come to the ISBT to catch a bus to Dhariwal, where her parents live. Schoolteachers begin 2-day stir, studies disrupted across district Devotees carry an idol of Goddess Durga to a water body for immersion in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, October 21 Close to 1,000 government schoolteachers began a twoday protest here on Wednesday over pending DA arrears, pay anomalies and other service-related issues. The protest by regular employees disrupted classes in several government schools across the district. Government schools with large student strength had only contractual staff on duty. Some schools experienced major disruption, while oth- ers operated with fewer classes. “Teachers have been raising concerns about delays in mid-day meal funding and the lack of grants for school sports activities for over two months now. Besides the dearness allowance issue, other allowances and incentives have not been revived as per the poll promise of the AAP government,” said Ashwani Awasthi, district head of the Democratic Teachers’ Union. “Also, teachers have been burdened with non-aca- Calls grow for cleaner, greener city ahead of 450th anniv Neha Saini Baljit Singh said several employees had been booked under serious charges during previous protests and demanded that the cases be withdrawn. The concerns have also found an echo in Sikh religious establishments. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj recently expressed concern over the harmful effects of toxic gases emanating from the Bhagtanwala dump on the Golden Temple’s goldplated surfaces and marble, calling for the protection of its sacred spaces. “Our sacred spaces cannot be allowed to crumble under piles of garbage,” Gargaj had said during an interaction with members of the Chalo Amritsar campaign. As members of the Dharam Prachar Committee, a key religious wing of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), recently released the schedule of events to mark the anniversary, they stressed the need for night-time sweeping and the removal of garbage from streets leading to the Golden Temple. KEY ISSUES Amritsar will mark the 450th anniversary of its founding in June next year, with millions of pilgrims and visitors expected I The Chalo Amritsar campaign is demanding scientific waste management, curbs on single-use plastic and restoration of green spaces I Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj has raised concerns over toxic gases from the Bhagtanwala dump damaging the Golden Temple's gold-plated surfaces I << A pile of garbage on the roadside in Amritsar. FILE PHOTO “But the issue at hand remains larger. The civic health of the city should not be improved selectively. It requires an extensive and long-term solution,” said Indu Aurora, former presi- c m y b dent of Voice of Amritsar and a member of the Chalo Amritsar initiative. Environmental activist PS Bhatty raised concerns over rising air pollution levels. “On the eve of Dussehra, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading in Amritsar stood at 206, which shot up to 263 the next day. Toxic gases not only impact people’s health but also heritage structures and historic sites,” he said. The municipal authorities have also acknowledged the need to improve waste management and civic infrastructure. Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia recently said that work was under way at the Bhagtanwala dumping ground and that the civic body would complete the remediation of waste at the Chabal dumping site by January. The administration has also reported progress in the treatment of legacy waste at Bhagtanwala. However, the continued dumping of fresh garbage at landfill sites highlights the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable system. For campaigners, the anniversary provides a deadline against which the city’s progress can be measured. The challenge is particularly important for Amritsar, whose identity is inseparable from the legacy of Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, who founded the city in 1577. demic work throughout the year, with little regard for the disruption to classroom teaching. Even now, teachers are engaged in Census work. The government is not serious about addressing our demands,” he added. District Education Officer (Elementary) Kanwaljit Singh said, “We do not have exact data on how many schools were functioning and how many were closed.” Awasthi said 800 to 1,000 teachers were on leave today. — TNS Dal Khalsa convention on November 1 Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 21 The Dal Khalsa will hold a convention on November 1 at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh to deliberate on the challenges confronting Punjab, particularly the drug menace. Addressing mediapersons, Dal Khalsa working president Paramjit Singh Mand said the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa had forced Punjab to confront some deeply unsettling questions. Mand described Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Punjab as “politically motivated”. He alleged that instead of taking drug traffickers head-on, the BJP-led Centre “continued to patronise gangster Lawrence Bishnoi”, who is currently lodged in a Gujarat prison.