11102024-ATR-01.qxd 10/10/2024 11:13 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR FIRM SUBMITS ACTION PLAN TO STREAMLINE GARBAGE COLLECTION LEGENDARY ACTOR AMITABH BACHCHAN TURNS 82 TODAY 19TH GURU ML KOSER AWARDS TO BE CONFERRED ON OCTOBER 15 The firm hired by the civic body submitted its action plan to the MC Commissioner for door-to-door waste collection. P2 Each time we think Big B has done it all, he manages to surprise us with just that new role, a new part, a new nuance.P4 The award will be bestowed upon tabla maestro Vinod Pathak & sitar player Pandit Harvinder Sharma in Chandigarh. P4 » » » MAX 31°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.02 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:31 AM FRIDAY | 11 OCTOBER 2024 | AMRITSAR 3 smugglers held; eight pistols, magazines, ammo recovered Door-to-door campaigning picks up pace PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS Tribune News Service SSP Gaurav Toora shares details of the activities of the suspect in Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI One held with rifle, two pistols, three magazines, 80 cartridges Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, October 10 The Khalra police on Wednesday arrested one person involved in criminal activities and recovered arms and ammunition from his possession. Addressing mediapersons at his office on Thursday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora said the suspect was identified as Gurlal Singh, a resident of Bainka village. The SSP said Gurlal was arrested by a team of the Khalra police led by Inspector Satpal Singh from Bhikhiwind. He said the suspect had close ties with gangsters and was responsible for the firing incident at the house of one Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Marimegha, reported three months ago. He was also involved in the firing incident at the grain market in Marimegha, the SSP said. The SSP said a rifle, two pistols, three magazines and 80 cartridges were recovered from the suspect. He was driving a Thar vehicle, which was impounded by the police, the SSP said. A case was registered against the suspect by the Khalra police. The SSP said the suspect was facing five criminal cases registered at different police stations. The suspect would be produced in a court and brought on police remand for interrogation, the SSP added. Amritsar, October 10 The Amritsar (Rural) police have busted interstate organised crime and weapon smuggling module and confiscated eight country-made pistols in two separate operations after arresting three smugglers in this connection. They used to procure weapons from Madhya Pradesh through different channels and sell these to unscrupulous elements active in the border belt. Those arrested were identified as Charanjit Singh, alias Channi, a resident of Neshta village in Gharinda, and Gurtej Singh, a resident of Navi Abadi in Attari. The police seized five pistols of .32 calibre, besides 15 live cartridges and a bike from their possession. “Some of the weapons were brought from Madhya Pradesh. We have the evidence that suggests that the two arms smugglers also have The three suspects in custody of the Amritsar (Rural) police on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR links with Pakistan-based smugglers,” said Charanjit Singh, SSP Amritsar (Rural). , In the second incident, the police have arrested Bikramjit Singh, alias Biki, a resident of Gaddua village in Sangrur district from the Chatiwind area. The police recovered three pistols along with magazines and two live bullets from him. The SSP said two separate FIRs under the Arms Act were registered at the Gharinda and the Chatiwind police stations against smugglers while further investiga- tions were in progress. They were produced in a court and brought on police remand for further interrogation, he said. “We are working to uncover forward and backward links of smugglers to bust the entire arms smuggling network,” the SSP said. Effigy makers hope for good business as festive fervour sets in Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 Effigy makers in the city hope for doing good business as Dussehra celebrations draw nearer. They have faced a few tough years post Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflation that has turned the craft into a costly affair. These 30 odd artists dedicate one-and-half-month of hard work and creativity for making colourful effigies. Vinod Kumar, who is a sixth generation effigy maker and has been doing business from the Lohgarh area, shared how making tallest effigies took a large chunk of their money. “The tallest effigy, which is 120 feet, we have made is for Durgiana Temple Dussehra celebrations this year. An amount of Rs 2 lakh was spent on making this effigy. Though our investment has increased as prices of paper, bamboo, colour paints and crackers are touching the sky, we get a few orders for effigies,” he said. Vinod, who also works as a Artists give finishing touches to effigies at Lohgarh Gate; and (right) a Tarn Taran-based family makes an effigy in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR tailor for other 10 months of the year, learnt to make effigies from his grandfather Banwari Lal, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh. He was among one of the leading effigy makers in Amritsar. “Like me, most effigy makers in the city have been doing this work from past several decades. My grandfather taught many others the craft. We used to get orders from Tarn Taran and other nearby areas. This year too, I got orders for making effigies from Dhilwan, Jandiala Guru and nearby villages,” said Vinod. He is teaching this craft to his sons despite not earning much from the business. “For us, it’s not just about doing business, but passing on the craft to the next generation. It takes two months of hard work to make effigies that everyone cheers for. These towering effigies are a symbol of faith and festivities. Effigy makers should get some subsidies on raw material during the festival season so that their hard work gets them the due which they deserve,” he said. Another effigy maker Manoj Kumar, also from Uttar Pradesh, shared that everyone in the family had some work. “Making these effigies requires family efforts. Arranging bamboos to form the skeletal structure to painting faces, pasting papers and placing firecrackers inside effigies requires all hands in the family. Even kids are engaged in drawing expressions and colouring or painting them,” he said. They spend Rs 3 to Rs 5 lakh on making effigies that go beyond 100 feet, while the smaller ones from two feet onwards carry a price tag of Rs 300 and upwards. Aujla seeks NGT intervention to solve Pedestrians forced to walk on roads risking lives Tung Dhab Drain, garbage dump issues as encroachment on footpaths goes unchecked Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has sought the intervention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for streamlining the work to clean toxic waste from the Tung Dhab drain and shifting of the Bhagtanwala dump out of the city limits. Giving more information, Aujla said he would himself be present in every hearing of the NGT and fight against the Punjab Government to ensure that the drain was cleaned and the garbage dump shifted outside the city. Untreated industrial, hospital and domestic waste flows directly into the drain, which is adjacent to the Amritsar-Attari-Wagah National Highway (NH1), creating serious health and environment issues. “The drain releases toxic gases. Residents of colonies on both sides of the drain have been suffering from respiratory problems. They are at risk of contracting cancer due to contamination of the ground water and air,” he said. Aujla said he had requested the NGT to take immediate cognizance of the issues and initiate corrective action. “The drain should either be covered or its water should be drained through pipelines to prevent release of toxic gases,” he said. Besides, Aujla also drew the NGT’s attention towards the Bhagtanwala garbage dump. Aujla said, “The municipal corporation (MC) has failed to manage the city’s waste leading to piling up of garbage at the Bhagtanwala site. This has resulted in an unprece- dented rise in pollution levels in the city. The entire area within a 25-km radius of the dump has been affected.” He further said, “There has been a significant increase in the number of residents suffering from cancers, respiratory diseases and other ailments associated with toxic emissions and groundwater pollution from the garbage dump.” He said, “The pollution from the dump is causing significant damage to two most revered religious sites — the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Temple. The toxic air and dust are reportedly damaging the structures, including gold plates of the shrines.” He urged the NGT to direct the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to shift the Bhagtanwala dump to a more suitable place outside the city limits. Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 10 Pedestrians in the city are facing immense hardships due to rampant encroachment of footpaths by shopkeepers, contractors and vendors. Dumped construction material, roadside parking and illegal vends have taken over walkways forcing pedestrians to walk on busy roads while putting their lives at risk. Fed up with encroachments, residents are demanding immediate action against errant shopkeepers and vendors who dump construction material and goods on footpaths. “Footpaths are meant for walking, not for commercial activities,” said Rohan Kumar, a city resident. He said the authorities must take c m y b Construction material dumped by the roadside on the Mall road in Amritsar. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR strict action against encroachers to reclaim footpaths. The city witnesses footfall of thousands of tourists from outside Punjab who prefer to walk in bazaars and in the old city areas. Due to encroachments on footpaths, they are forced to find their way amid heavy vehicular traffic on roads. The problem is particularly acute in areas like on Lawrence Road, Mall Road and in Hall Bazaar where footpaths are narrowed or completely blocked by dump- ing of construction material, parking of vehicles and makeshift stalls. “Walking on city roads is a nightmare. We are forced to walk on the road while risking our lives. Shopkeepers continued on page 2 Amritsar, October 10 After finalising of the candidature of sarpanches and panches, the election campaign has picked up pace in villages of the district. Posters and flex boards are being displayed by candidates at their respective villages. This is a new trend witnessed in villages ahead of the elections as almost all voters know their candidates well and there is no need for such publicity material. Candidates can be seen visiting door-to-door to ask voters to vote in their favour. “Khyaal rakhyeo” (Please take care) is a common phrase used by a candidate when he/she meets voters. Though a voter might not have decided to vote for a particular candidate, he would respond, “You are the only option,” shared Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Jahangir village. Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sohain Kalaln village, said, “In our village, the post of sarpanch is reserved for women. All contestants are visiting doorto-door while campaigning for the polls. Meetings are being held with villagers.” The panchayat elections is scheduled on October 15. The campaigning would end on October 13 evening. Only three days are left for candidates to hold public meetings. Villagers are gathering at residence of contestants to extend their support. “Liquor, meat, food and sweets are served to supporters and voters. Though contestants pay for eatables, it is not counted in the poll expenditure. There are several villages where contestants have been elected unopposed. Voters of these villages have missed election fervour,” said Surinder Singh of Dadduana village on Mehta Road. — TNS Three arrested for snatching purse, mobile phone Amritsar, October 10 The Maqboolpura police have arrested three suspects who are involved in robbery case reported a month ago. Those arrested were identified as Ranjit Singh, alias Rana, aka Fouji (40), a resident of Rajinder Nagar, Shamsher Singh, alias Shera (31), a resident of New Jawahar Nagar, and Tejbir Singh, alias Teji (21), a resident of Maqboolpura. Sharing details, Alam Vijay Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), law and order, said the police recovered a mobile phone along with a sharp weapon from the possession of the suspects. He said Deo Kumar had informed the police on September 7 that three unknown miscreants had snatched his mobile phone and purse containing Rs 5,000 in cash. He said while miscreants were snatching his purse and cellphone, he tried to resist and one of them hit a pistol butt on his head. In the second incident, the CIA staff of the police have arrested Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Basarke Bhaini village, and recovered 500gm of heroin from his possession. He was arrested near Miri Piri Academy in the Chheharta area. Further investigation was on to ascertain the source of the contraband. — TNS