23052024-ATR-01.qxd 5/23/2024 12:42 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune PARTIES VIE FOR ROADSHOWS AHEAD OF PM MODI’S VISIT HEATWAVE: CANDIDATES AVOID DAYTIME RALLIES Candidates have put on hold daytime rallies and instead are focusing on door-to-door campaigns. P3 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 45°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 44°C | MIN 26°C THE TRAILER OF NI MAIN SAAS KUTTNI 2 LAUNCHED Amid heightened political activity, the police appear to be in tenterhooks over traffic management. P2 FORECAST The wait is finally over; Ni Main Saas Kuttni 2, a highly anticipated sequel is ready to hit the cinemas. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.25 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.28 AM » THURSDAY | 23 MAY 2024 | AMRITSAR Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, May 22 Harman Singh (25), a resident of Dargapur, was shot and injured on Tuesday in his village when a group of nine armed persons attacked him. Sawinder Singh, Sub-inspector, said that the cause of the incident was yet to be ascertained. According to the police, the victim was playing in the village playground when the armed group appeared on the spot, led by Akashdeep Singh of the same Dargapur village, and fired at him. The victim has been admitted to a local private hospital where his condition is said to be stable. A case under Section 323, 324, 307, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered by the Sarhali police on Tuesday. BJP won’t be able to open their account in Punjab: Sachin Pilot Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 22 The BJP would not be able to win a single seat in Punjab. This was stated by senior Congress leader and former union minister Sachin Pilot while addressing a rally at Ajnala in support of Congress candidate from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla here on Wednesday. “The BJP remained busy in the Hindu-Muslim and mandir-masjid politics and did nothing to provide better health care, education, jobs and the MSP to farmers and labourers,” he said. Pilot said the Congress had done fairly well in Punjab during the last Lok Sabha elections and it would do even better this election. He claimed that the Congress along with its political allies is going to form the next government. In all Hindi-speaking states, the Congress is way ahead of the BJP he said. , Talking about Aujla, Pilot said he is brave, hardworking, honest, besides being a farmer’s son who kept raising his voice Pharma opioid racket: Three more nabbed from Haridwar Had sold 1.18 cr pills of alprazolam in illegal manner in 3 months PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service VISHAL KUMAR Man shot at, hurt by armed assailants in Dargapur Congress leader Sachin Pilot (centre) and Lok Sabha candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla (left) during a rally in Amritsar on Wednesday. in Parliament for seven years without any hesitation. Pilot said the country belongs to every religion and the country is run by the Constitution and not by someone’s whims and fancies. Taking a jibe at the BJP he said it , is asking for five more years from people after remaining in power for 10 years, but retires Agniveer jawans just after four years of service. Pilot said after coming to power, the Congress would introduce a law to ensure the MSP and abolish Agniveer scheme. The BJP waived off a loan of ~16 lakh crore of industrialists, but did nothing for the poor farmers and workers. The Congress leader asked the public to listen to all political parties and then understand which party has done maximum for the poor. He said the Congress had brought MGNREGA and other schemes for the welfare of poor people. Amritsar, May 22 The continuation of investigations into interstate opioid manufacturing and supply racket being operated from a firm in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, the Special Task Force (STF) along with the anti-drug wing of Punjab Police has arrested three Haridwar residents allegedly involved in the illegal sale of intoxicants being misused by drug abusers. The police said they had sold 1,18,8000 tablets of alprazolam in just three months from October to December 2023. Those arrested were identified as Vishu Kumar, alias Vishal Kumar, Abhishek Chauhan and Nikhil Garg, all residents of Rawali Mehdood, Janpat (Haridwar). With their arrest, the STF has nabbed 10 persons involved in the rack- The drugs seized from a pharmaceutical firm at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. FILE PHOTO et so far, said Vavinder Mahajan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who is heading the probe. The DSP said the three suspects had created a false firm in the name of Sri Sham Medical in Saharanpur area in Uttar Pradesh. He said during a probe, it was found that there was no medical store by that name at the given address. Their interrogation revealed that they used to receive the consignments on the way before reaching the given address and later used to supply these at further destinations. The drugs were believed to be diverted to Punjab for drug abusers. “Some more names have cropped up and more heads are likely to roll during the further course of investigations,” said Mahajan adding that the trio was being brought to Amritsar. They would be produced in a local court tomorrow seeking police remand for further probe. Till now, the STF has arrested 10 persons in the case and seized about 2.70 crore of intoxicating tablets/capsules and 765 kg of narcotic powder and ~2.37 lakh drug money. The STF has been investigating the interstate racket involved in illegal manufacturing of psychotropic substances and supply for the past three months. The operation spanned five states — Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The STF arrested two drug peddlers Sukhwinder Singh of Kot Muhammad Khan village in Tarn Taran and Jaspreet Singh, alias Jass, of Govind Nagar in Amritsar, continued on page 2 Road mishap snuffs Civil Aviation Minister, AAI urged to Liquorsmugglerheld out 3 lives near Harike improve facilities at Amritsar airport Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, May 22 Three members of a family were killed and one was injured in a road accident occurred on National Highway No.54 near Harike village here on Wednesday. The victims, residents of Thakkar Kaura (near Patti), were returning home from Chandigarh in a car. The police said the deceased have been identified as Nishan Singh (45), his wife Rajwant Kaur and their son Navdeep Singh (17). The fourth person, identified as Jagjit Singh, was their relative who received serious injuries and was admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar. The family was returning from Chandigarh after depositing the fees of their son Navdeep Singh who was enrolled in a college based in a foreign country for where he was to leave shortly. The police said an unidenti- One of the victims Nishan Singh fied heavy vehicle hit their car as a result of which the couple was killed on the spot and their son succumbed to his injuries in a private hospital in Amritsar. The driver of the vehicle sped away from the spot after the accident. A case under Sections 304-A, 279 and 427 of the IPC has been registered by the Harike police. The postmortem of the bodies was conducted at the Civil Hospital, Patti. They were cremated at the village cremation ground on Wednesday. Amritsar, May 22 FlyAmritsar Initiative (FAI), a group that has been vocal about development issues at the Sri Guru Ram Dass International (SGRDI) Airport in Amritsar, has highlighted several issues troubling travellers. In a letter to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), global convener of the FAI, Sameep Singh Gumtala along with Secretary AVM Yogesh Kamra, urged the ministry and AAI to take immediate action to address the concerns and prioritise passenger safety, comfort and convenience. “With passenger footfall exceeding 10,000 daily and three million for the financial year 2023-24, the current terminal building at SGRDI urgently The international airport in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO requires immediate attention and expansion to accommodate the growing number of flights and passengers. Long queues at checkpoints, including terminal entry, X-ray and check-in counters, immigration and security checks, cumbersome maneuverability in pick/drop area, unavailability of required number of wheelchairs and baggage trolleys are causing significant delay for passengers,” Kamra said. They had on many occasions requested the local management of the airport to open multiple departure area gates to alleviate long queues and improve the flow of passengers into the terminal building. “Several people, including travellers, have also reached out to us regarding airport staff asking for tips and cash at the entrance/exit gate, inside washrooms, near boarding gates and in the parking/arrival areas, which amounts to harassment. The overcharging by parking contractor and dysfunctional FASTag systems has added to the grievances of travellers lately,” he added. The FAI has raised the issue of developing a multi-storied parking, rejuvenation of pickup and drop off area since long. A major concern that remains is that despite being well connected and having a frequent number of domestic and international flights, the airport is yet to offer air cargo service, critical for commerce and trade in the region. Other issues that needs immediate attention include slow X-ray, security and immigration process, presence of birds, rodents and mosquitoes, water seepage, cleanliness around water and toilet facilities, and early implementation of selfbaggage drop and Digi Yatra technologies at the airport. Anticipating further rise in footfall at the airport, the FAI also appealed to the minister’s office to liaison with the Punjab government for addressing the long-pending demand for local as well as intercity bus service for end-to-end connectivity with the catchment area of Amritsar airport. Amritsar, May 22 With the arrest of a liquor smuggler from Tarn Taran, the city police on Wednesday claimed to have broken the backbone of a racket being operated from the neighbouring district. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Darpan Ahluwalia said the police arrested Sajanpreet Singh, alias Sajan, of Jagatpura village falling under the Chabal police station and seized 185 bottles of illicit liquor during a raid in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. The police also confiscated a Honda City car which was being used for smuggling liquor to Amritsar. “He was arrested during interrogation of Raj Singh, alias Raju, of Anngarh area and jail inmate Sandeep Singh, alias Sunny, of Anngarh area,” she said. She said Raju was held by the A liquor smuggler arrested from Tarn Taran on Wednesday. Gate Hakima police with 160 bottles of illicit liquor recently. His interrogation led to the arrest Sandeep Singh who was lodged in Goindwal Sahib jail. He was brought on production warrant from there. His interrogation revealed that Sajanpreet was smuggling extra neutral alcohol (ENA) being used for manufacturing of illicit liquor. Immediately, a police team raided the location of Sajanpreet Singh in Tarn Taran and arrested him with the help of the Tarn Taran police. Over 6 injured as two groups clash in old veggie market Sand, gravel prices nowhere Report all chartered flights arriving at around rate fixed by govt airport to election officials, AAI told Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 22 Over six persons were injured in a clash erupted between two groups in the old vegetable market near Hall Gate over a minor issue of parking of a truck carrying bananas here on Wednesday. On receiving information, the police reached the spot and admitted the injured to the Civil Hospital for treatment. The two groups pelted each other with stones and bricks, besides attacking each other with blunt weapons. Both groups have lodged their complaints with the Rambagh (Division A) police station here. The police said they recorded the statements of both the groups and appropriate action would be taken in this connection. Akash, a resident of Verka, told the police that he reached the vegetable market with a continued on page 2 Amritsar, May 22 The government’s claim of fixing sand and gravel prices at Rs 5.5 per cubic foot at mining sites over two years ago does not seem to have had an impact on their prices in the local retail market. Satwant Singh, a contractor who has been working along with his group of labourers for the past two decades, said the price has been more or less hovering around Rs 5,000 per 100 cubic feet for a long time in the past with minor fluctuations. Despite tall claims by the AAP government of providing sand at mining sites at Rs 5.5 per cubic foot, it is available in the retail market 10 times costlier. There are two qualities of sand available in the market. One is coarse sand, which is sourced from Pathankot and its adjoining hilly areas, available at Rs 50 per cubic foot. Another is fine sand, which is sourced from Ajnala and Ramdas area Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Tractor-trolleys laden with sand and gravel lined up outside Jahajgarh on the GT road in Amritsar. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR of the district, and is available at over Rs 40 per cubic foot. Similarly, gravel is being sold at Rs 36 per cubic foot and above depending upon quality. While politicians contesting the election from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat are silent over the issue, the common people keen to own their dream homes are irked at the high cost of construction. Spiralling construction costs are acting as a deterrent for those wanting to raise a dream house. Mandeep Singh, a building contractor, said the demand for construction was missing from the market compared to last year. Otherwise, he added that construction activity picks up before and during the General Election, fearing a price rise after the formation of the next government. Harpreet Singh, who is in the middle of constructing his house, said he curtailed the construction area of his new house after finding the cost rising exorbitantly. He said similar measures were being initiated by people with modest means while constructing their houses. c m y b Amritsar, May 22 The District Election Office has asked the officials of Airport Authority of India (AAI) to report all chartered flights and helicopters landing at Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport during the election period to carry out a search of the aircraft and its passengers. In a meeting with the AAI officials here on Wednesday, District Election Officer Ghanshyam Thori said the administration should be intimated about the chartered flights in advance. He said it would enable them to carry out a search of the aircraft, passengers, their bags and baggage. It will prevent the entry of large amounts of cash and other material into the district to lure the voters. He also instructed that a record of all chartered flights arriving at the airport be maintained. MOVE TO STOP ENTRY OF CASH TO LURE VOTERS In a meeting with the AAI officials here on Wednesday, District Election Officer Ghanshyam Thori said the administration should be intimated about the chartered flights in advance. He said it would enable them to carry out a search of the aircraft, passengers, their bags and baggage. It will prevent the entry of large amounts of cash and other material into the district to lure the voters. He also instructed that a record of all chartered flights arriving at the airport be maintained The District Election Officer also appealed to the contesting candidates to make sure to inform the District Election Office about leaders or star campaigners coming to campaign in their favour so that the teams monitoring election expenses could know about their movement in advance. The District Election Office has issued a list of about 12 identity proofs that could be utilised to ascertain the identity of the person if they do not possess an election card. Any one of these documents can be carried by the voters to the polling station as his identity proof. Deputy Com- missioner-cum-District Election Officer Ghanshyam Thori informed that the voter slips issued for convenience cannot be presented as an identity card for voting. He said that according to the instructions of the Election Commission of India, those voters who are not able to present the election photo identity card during the voting can present 12 other documents as their proof of identity. He said according to the Election Commission, the voters who do not have election photo identification cards could use Aadhaar card, NREGA job card, passbook with photo issued by banks and post offices, health smart card issued under the scheme of the Ministry of Labour, driving licence, PAN card, NPR (National Population Register) issued under the RGI (Registrar General of India) smart card, Indian passport, pension document with photo, service identity card issued by Central, state government, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) or public limited companies to their employees. The voters who have been issued Unique Disability Identity (UDID) by the Social Justice and Empowerment Authority of the Central Government can also cast their votes by showing these. Giving details, the District Election Officer said 7742 men, 5843 women are PWD (disabled voters) and 14,663 voters who are above 85 years of age in nine assembly segments forming the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency.
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