29042024-ATR-01.qxd 29-04-2024 00:49 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY RESIDENTS TO PROTEST DUMPING OF WASTE INTO TUNG DHAB DRAIN ANNE HATHAWAY ADMITS TO BEING ‘CHRONICALLY STRESSED’ AAMIR UNDERSTOOD THE POWER OF NAMASTEDURING DANGAL SHOOT Residents will demonstrate against the administration for providing no solution to pollution at Tung Dhab drain. P2 Anne Hathaway has opened up about experiencing constant stress during her younger years as an actress. P4 Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan shared that he understood the power of namaste while shooting for Dangal in Punjab. P4 » » » MAX 33°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.09 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:45 AM MONDAY | 29 APRIL 2024 | AMRITSAR Girl abducted from brick kiln Tarn Taran, April 28 A teenage girl belonging to a labourers’ family has been abducted from a brick kiln in the Bhikhiwind area. The victim was abducted after a worker gave some intoxicant to members of her family. The Bhikhiwind police have registered a case under Sections 363, 366-A and 328 of the IPC against a suspect identified as Pirchu, who works at the brick kiln. The victim’s brother in his statement to the police stated that he, along with his wife and mother, woke up quite late on the morning of April 19. He said they felt that they were under the influence of some intoxicant. He alleged that Pirchu served them some intoxicant and abducted his sister after luring her for marriage. — OC Drone seized in Tarn Taran Tarn Taran, April 28 Joint teams of the Punjab Police and the BSF recovered a China-made DJI drone from a field of farmer Balwant Singh of Manawa village here on Saturday. Preetinder Singh, DSP , Bhikhwind, said a case under the Aircraft Act, 1934, was registered by the Khemkaran police in this regard. — OC Tourism offices run from leased, rented spaces as dept’s prime properties sold off PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Despite all odds, candidates in poll fray swear to promote tourism in holy city Neeraj Bagga PRESENT SCENARIO OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 28 Though candidates contesting from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat are promising to promote the hospitality industry of the holy city, successive governments have sold off prime properties of the Tourism Department here. The department has hired staff for of its local offices through outsourcing at low wages, prompting most of them to look for employment opportunities in other avenues. Exactly two years before the first five-star hotel Ista, which is now being run under the brand name Hyatt, came into existence in the holy city, the state government had sold off three-star Amritsar International Hotel, run by Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), at Rs 56 crore in 2007. Since then, the number of luxury hotels has been growing every year in the city with the inclusion of Radisson Blu, Ramada, Holiday Inn, Taj Swarna, Le Meridian, ITC Welcome and many ■ The Tourism Department has ■ The building of Amritsar The Amritsar International Hotel that has been lying closed. SUNIL KUMAR hired staff for of its local offices through outsourcing at low wages ■ The staff strength of the Tourism Department is dismal ■ Most of the employees are looking for better employment opportunities in other avenues ■ The state government sold off three-star Amritsar International Hotel, which was run by the PTDC, at ~56 crore in 2007 International Hotel has been lying locked and abandoned since it was bought by one NRI family ■ The state government handed over the Tourist Facilitation Centre at the ICP and 10 acres around it to the Centre after the latter requested for it ■ The youth hostel on the GT road has been converted into the International Bus Terminal more in the offing. Most tourism offices in the holy city, which receives a record number of tourists every year, are being run from leased and rented properties. The Tourist Information Centre, which also doubles up as District Tourism Office, is functioning from a railway land. Besides, tourism counters have been set up at the Golden Temple and Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport. The only office being run from its own premises is at the Attari border. While all these years several new luxury hotels have been added to the holy city, the building of Amritsar ernment after the latter requested for the same. In return, the Ministry of Home Affairs gave 12.5 acres across the road to the state government a few years ago. On that land, the state government had set up a parking bay and an eating joint named Shahi Qila, which is now being run by a private company under the PPP basis. Another loss to the city was converting of the youth hostel on the GT road into the International Bus Terminal. Since then, the city never got a youth hostel where youngsters from the rest of the country were provided rooms at affordable rates. The staff strength of the Tourism Department is also dismal. The post of district tourism officer has been lying vacant for the past several months. The government has three tourism officers and one guide-cum-clerk. A tourism officer is paid around Rs 24,000 and a guide approximately Rs 15,000 per month. Low wages and uncertain jobs prompt most of the staff to look for other employment opportunities. At least four employees, including a district tourism officer, have left their job during the past six months. Most of them have gone abroad. International Hotel has been lying locked and abandoned since it was bought by one NRI family in 2007. The 55-room hotel, opened in the late 1980s, had two restaurants, a lift, a swimming pool and other facilities to draw tourists. Spread over approximately two acres, it is situated on the opposite side of the ISBT, which is less than 1 km from the Golden Temple. Similarly, the state government handed over the Tourist Facilitation Centre at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) — Aman Umeed Bhawan — formerly known as Neem Chameli and 10 acres of land around it to the Union Gov- Include stray dog issue in poll manifesto: Residents to candidates Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 28 The menace of stray dogs in the city has always remained unabated. Residents have demanded that effective sterilisation of strays dogs must be added by contenders of the Lok Sabha elections in their poll manifesto. Residents say the civic administration has not done enough to counter the problem and failed to perceive the quantum of threat to human lives. Local NGOs, political and social leaders, including Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, have already raised the demand that political parties must share their plans to curb the stray dog menace. They have also urged residents to question politicians, who visit their homes for canvassing, about a solution for the stray canine issue. Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Chheharta, said, “It is common to see a pack of stray dogs in every street of Chheharta. It is difficult for Advocate writes to DGP, seeksFIRagainstRajyaSabha MP Raghav Chadha, cops Stray dogs roam in a street of the Chheharta area in Amritsar on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO one can predict movement of stray ❝It’s common to see a packItof stray ❝NoThey run behind two-wheelers, which dogs in streets of Chheharta. is difficult dogs. for us to walk in streets, especially in the makes driving difficult for commuters. I wee hours or in the night. I come home advise political candidates to add this issue from my work at night. in their election manifesto and solve it . ❞ Abhishek Kumar, A CHHEHARTA RESIDENT us to walk in streets, especially in the wee hours or in the night.” He said, “I come from my work at night. When I walk back home, the fear of stray dog attack in a street always haunts me.” Vijay Kumar, another resident of Chheharta, said, “Political parties make tall ❞ Sarbjeet Singh, A KARTAR NAGAR RESIDENT claims these days, but no one thinks about basic problem in our localities. The issue of stray dogs is one of them.” He said, “Many incidents of stray dog bites have been reported, but the authorities concerned have never taken any lesson from them.” He said, “The government should come with up a policy to counter the stray menace so that no one is scared of dogs in the residential areas.” Sarbjeet Singh, a resident of Kartar Nagar, said, “No one can predict movement of stray dogs. They suddenly run behind vehicles, especially two-wheelers, which makes driving difficult for commuters.” He said, “I advise political candidates to add this issue in their poll manifesto and solve it immediately. The administration should start intensive sterilisation campaign for stray dogs or shift them to shelters.” Kulwinder Kaur, another resident, said, “Stray dogs bark at night and disturb our sleep. There has been a massive spurt in the number of street dogs in this area of the city, but no one is bothered about it.” ~14Lunaccounted cash recovered from resident Amritsar, April 28 The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff recovered Rs 14 lakh from a scooter rider as unaccounted money on Saturday night. The police had set a naka for routine checking when recovery was made from a resident. The videography of the recovery was done by the flying squad of the East Assembly segment and cash deposited in the malkhana after informing the Income Tax Department. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Navjot Singh said a team led by ACP (East) Gurindervir Singh, Maqbulpura police station SHO Sarabjeet Singh and CIA incharge Amolk Singh had set up a check post near DNR Pride Hotel on GT Road. During random search, the police recovered unaccounted Rs 14 lakh from a scooter storage compartment. A team of Income Tax officials was called on the spot and investigation was handed over to them. — TNS Amritsar, April 28 Vaneet Mahajan, an advocate, on Saturday shot off a letter to the DGP Punjab, urging , him to register an FIR against Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, besides an SP and an ACP rank official for involvement in drug trade as being alleged by Amritsar North MLA and retired IG, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, during a public rally held in favour of AAP Lok Sabha candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal recently. Mahajan also filed a complaint with the Majitha road police station here in this connection. In the complaint, he pointed out that in a video of the speech delivered by Kunwar Vijay Pratap, he mentioned that the said cops were never transferred from the city despite their long duration here. He alleged that the Civil Lines area comes under these officials where drug peddling was rampant. These officials were the blue-eyed boys of Chadha, he said. With copies forwarded to the Chief Minister, Police Commissioner, Directorate of Enforcement, Chief Election Commissioner, Punjab, and the Election Commission of India, Mahajan urged that immediate action be taken against the suspects by registering an FIR on the basis of the information disclosed by Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. SHO Anil Kumar of the Majitha road police station said he had informed the higher police authorities and appropriate action would be taken in this regard. Organisers left piles of garbage at the Ranjit Avenue ground after conclusion of an event in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Post conclusion of events, organisers leave heaps of garbage at public places Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 28 When it comes to use of public spaces for organising social, religious or even commercial events, organisers of these programmes often fail to clean the place and leave behind heaps of garbage. After such an event, a handicraft mela, which concluded at the Ranjit Avenue grounds, residents were astonished to see heaps of waste left at the place. Residents demanded that the municipal corporation (MC) must ensure that all organisations, which use public space for their events, clean the place after their event ends. “Heaps would remain at the place for a few days during which garbage would be scattered by winds. It is not a proper way to use public spaces,” said a resident Gurmit Kaur. She said many social and religious organisations organise langars (Community kitchens) and other events on roads, but often fail to ensure cleanliness after the conclusion of events. “After any such event, we find plastic or papers cups and plates scattered on roads. The MC must take action against all event organisers if they fail to ensure cleanliness. At least the civic body should deny permission to use public space to such organisations, which have not taken care of the waste generated during their previous event,” suggested another resident Nitin Kumar. He said social and religious organisations had a bigger responsibility to keep the city clean. MCsanitation workers’ Tardy wheat lifting in Tarn Taran dist Wheat arrival crosses 3 lakh MT in dist demands to be fulfilled puts farmers, arhtiyas in tight spot Only 32% of procured stock lifted from grain markets Assurance comes after meeting Amritsar, April 28 Sanitation workers of the municipal corporation (MC) have received an assurance that their long-pending demands would be met. The assurance came following a meeting with Municipal Commissioner Harpreet Singh. The Safai Mazdoor Union had submitted a memorandum to the MC Commissioner regarding their demands and also given a 72-hour ultimatum after which the union threatened to stage demonstrations. They held a meeting with Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh and then with MC Commissioner, who assured of fulfill- ing all their demands. Union president Vinod Bitta and chairman Surinder Tona said the provident fund and CPF dues of around 1,800 sanitation workers were pending. MC Commissioner has aksed officials to release the outstanding PF and CPF of sanitation workers. Bitta said the MC Commissioner had appointed two inspectors and a superintendent to supervise the clerical staff in all five zones of the city and maintain records of safai sewaks. One of the union’s demand was the release of salary of safai sewaks by seventh of every month. — TNS No space left to store crop arriving at grain markets Tarn Taran, April 28 Tardy lifting of the wheat from mandis has put farmers, commission agents and workers in a tight spot. There is no space left to store crop arriving in mandis of the district. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sandeep Kumar said till April 27, 5,00,888 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat had arrived in grain markets of the district of which 4,66,211 MT had been procured by government agencies. He said only 98,329 MT of crop had been lifted, which was less than 20 per cent of the procured stock. The DC said Rs 700 crore A jam-packed grain market of Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI had been paid to farmers for their procured wheat till April 27. He said it would be ensured that the produce of farmers was procured within 48 hours from it arrival in mandis. He said of the total procured c m y b wheat, Pungrain had bought 1,49,990 MT, Markfed 1,28,408 MT, Punsup 1,00, 368 MT, Punjab State Warehouse Corporation 66,508 MT, FCI 16, 523 MT and 4,414 MT of the crop was purchased by traders. — OC Amritsar, April 28 With the arrival of 56,675 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat in grain markets on Sunday, a total of 3,11,120 MT crop has reached mandis in the district. Nearly 40 per cent of crop harvesting has been completed, said officials of the Agriculture Department. District mandi officials said government agencies procured a total of 57,245 MT crop while private buyers bought only 570 MT of wheat on Sunday. The government agencies have so far procured 2,76,240 MT of crop while private traders purchased 25,482 MT of wheat during the ongoing season. Officials said 97 per cent of the wheat crop, which has Labourers sift wheat crop at Bhagtanwala market. SUNIL KUMAR arrived in mandis, had already been procured. Meanwhile, only 32 per cent of the procured stock has been lifted from grain markets so far. Agriculture officials said if the weather remained clear during the next few days, nearly 95 per cent of the total wheat fields would be harvested by the end of the week. The daily crop arrival at mandis is expected to increase from Monday. This could lead to severe space crunch for unloading fresh produce if lifting of procured grains remains tardy. — TNS
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