18122024-ATR-01.qxd 12/17/2024 11:19 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune CITY FAMILY SEEKS CLARITY AFTER DAUGHTER’S DEATH AKSHAY KUMAR PITCHES IN FOR THE SIMIAN FRIENDS! Under Akshay Kumar-funded initiative, over 1,250 monkeys fed in Ayodhya. P4 COLD WAVE MAX 19°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 4°C JONITA MAKING WAVES WITH HER REMIX SONG NOORIE On December 7, Ritika Rajput tragically died when a tree fell on her during a bonfire near James Lake. P2 FORECAST Says crooning the number in three different languages was a challenge she relished. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.29 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7.25 AM » WEDNESDAY | 18 DECEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR MC Addl Commissioner inspects work on water treatment plant MC poll: GNDU reschedules exams slated for Dec 20, 21 Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh visited the under-construction water treatment plant located at Vallah and reviewed the bulk water supply project which will ensure canal-based 24x7 water supply to the city. The Additional Commissioner issued instructions to officials of the company to speed up the work on the project. In the review meeting held with officials of the contractor, Larsen & Toubro Company and officials of the municipal corporation participated. Surinder Singh said the municipal corporation in collaboration with the World Bank is implementing the project under Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project which would ensure purification of 44 crore litres of water at the water treatment plant at Vallah and supply to every house in the city. The water of Upper Bari Doab Canal would be purified and supplied. The construction of the modern water treatment plant, along with the construction of 51 new water tanks and Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has announced the postponement of all annual and semester (theory) examinations of courses in the colleges scheduled for December 20 (Friday) and 21 (Saturday). According to Dr Shalini Bahl, Professor In Charge (Examinations), the rescheduled dates for the postponed exams are: the exams scheduled for December 20 will now be conducted on December 30 (Monday) and the exams scheduled for December 21 will now be conducted on January 11, 2025 (Saturday). The revised examinations will take place at the previously allotted time and examination centres. Students are advised to refer to the university website gndu.ac.in – Examination-datesheet-Notifications/ for detailed updates and further information. This has been done in view of the impending local bodies’ elections on December 21. MC Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh along with other officials at the project site in Amritsar on Tuesday. installation of a 112-km-long pipeline, is going on in the city. Recently, Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh was appointed as the Nodal Officer of the project. On the occasion, Project Manager Kuldeep Singh Saini (retired chief engineer) briefed the Additional Commissioner about the project and informed him about the work done till date. While reviewing the project, the Additional Commissioner instructed the company officials to speed up the work. The number of workforce should be increased and more construction machinery pro- vided. Other necessary resources should be increased so that the work can be completed on time. He also gave instructions for the safety and convenience of general public while carrying out construction work anywhere in the city. Do not create traffic jam, keep the public safety in mind and follow the rules, said Surinder Singh to officials. On the occasion, Deputy Project Manager Narendra Pal Singh, Project of L&T Director Sanjay Singh, Ashwani Kumar, SDO Ranjit Singh, Dr Mounika, Harpreet Singh, etc, were also present. — TNS Residents want solution to pollution in Tung Dhab drain Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 16 Tung Dhab drain, one of the major issues in Lok Sabha elections is now on back seat. The residents, fighting for cause hopeless from local leadership. There are scores of localities, spanning from Ranjit Avenue to Batala Road, Fatehgarh Churian Road, around this drain where around 20,000 residents suffer with toxic fumes and pollution of Tung Dhab. On May 14, before Lok Sabha elections, the residents, NGOs and associations of various colonies along Tung Dhab drain held a demonstration at a bridge on Airport Road by forming a human-chain. They protested against the government and the administration for failing to find solution to life-threatening effects of pollution in the drain. The aim of the protest was to press the candidates and political parties concerned to take urgent action to address the dire situation. All the candidates including Congress’s Gurjeet Singh Aujla, BJP’s Taranjit Tung Dhab drain is in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Singh Sandhu, AAP’s Kuldeep Dhaliwal and SAD’s Anil Joshi promised to address the issue. However, after Lok Sabha elections, no one turn up to the Tung Dhab drian. Last week Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla raised the issue of water pollution in Tung Dhab drain in ongoing Lok Sabha ses- sion. He demanded that the government form a committee to take stock of the situation through visits of the elected representatives who are members of this panel. He also emphasised that due to toxicity in these water channels, lakhs of people are suffering. Yogesh Kamra one of the leading activist fighting for the cause said, “We recently held a meeting and asked the public to raise the civic issues in front of candidates, contesting the elections. We have highlighted that a special and effective arrangements be made to make Toxic Tung Dhab drain completely pollution-free”. Health Dept staff Actors Sanjay Dutt, Yami Gautam Pratika to play ODI to observe hunger pay obeisance at Golden Temple series against WI strike on Dec 20 Amritsar, December 17 In an expression of solidarity, prominent employee organisations of the Health Department, including the Medical Laboratory Technicians Association, Multipurpose Health Supervisors Union, and Para Medical and Health Employees Association, have extended their support to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a fast-unto-death. A meeting of the associations was held here today under the leadership of Shamsher Singh Kohri to discuss the current situation in Punjab. After serious discussions, the members unanimously decided to extend moral support Dallewal’s struggle, stated Kohri. To demand the farmer leader’s well-being and express support for the struggle, representatives of all organisations in the district will go on a one-day hunger strike on Friday, December 20, at the Civil Surgeon’s office. Leaders present at the meeting, including Malkiat Singh Bhatti, Gurdev Singh Dhillon and Paramjit Singh Sangha, condemned the anti-farmer, anti-labour and anti-employee policies of the Central and Punjab governments. They warned that taking the situation lightly would prove costly for these governments. The move comes as farmer organisations across the country continue to protest against the government’s policies, demanding better prices for their crops, loan waivers and other benefits. Former cop held for taking ~10K bribe Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 Actors Sanjay Dutt, Yami Gautam and director Aditya Dhar paid obeisance at the Golden Temple today. Yami and Aditya had their newborn son and the family along while Sanjay Dutt culminated his brief visit to the holy city after a shooting schedule for his upcoming untitled movie directed by Dhar. Sanjay Dutt, who had joined actor Ranveer Singh for the shooting of their upcoming action thriller, enjoyed gorging on kachoris with tea a day earlier at the famous Giani Tea Stall. “It always feels surreal while visiting the Golden Temple and Punjab. Yeh sadda state hai and I love it here,” shared Sanjay Dutt when asked about his stay in holy city. He shot for a few action sequences along with Ranveer Singh at various loca- PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Tribune News Service Actors Sanjay Dutt and Yami Gautam pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Tuesday. Amritsar, December 17 Pratika Rawal, a former student of Hindu College, Amritsar, is part of the Indian women’s ODI team to play against the West Indies for the upcoming ODI and T20 series. Uncapped, Pratika comes in place of Priya Punia who was recently called up for the Australia ODIs. This is her maiden call for the Indian women oneday international cricket squad and she is the sixth girl from Hindu College to achieve this incredible milestone, joining the ranks of renowned cricketers such as Renuka Thakur, Kanika Ahuja, Mannat Kashyap, Tanuja Kanwar, and Amanjot Kaur, who have already represented India at the international level. Pratika passed out as a student of the 2022-23 batch from the college. The 24-yearold right-hand batter has earlier played for North Zone women’s cricket. India Pratika Rawal began their campaign against the Caribbean side with three T20s at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on December 15, which the Indian team won by 49 runs. She did not bat thanks to the superb partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana that powered India’s win. The next match is scheduled for December 17 followed by December 19, which will be followed by the ODIs in Vadodara on December 22, 24 and 27. — TNS tions including the walled city and shared that he was enjoying coming back to the city of sumptuous food. “I had a few things on my list that I wanted to eat. I had lassi, tikki and the kachori. I want to eat the famous jalebi before I return,” Dutt said, adding that the Punjabi in him was happy after binging on these delicacies. Aditya Dhar, who wrapped his shooting schedule in the city with the visit to Golden Temple, was seen carrying his newborn son along with his wife, actor Yami Gautam. Dhar Two labourers killed by robbers in Patti Police recover drone in Sarai Amanat Khan Khase-Bakna road stretch cries for attention Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Our Correspondent Amritsar, December 17 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested retired SubInspector Daljit Singh, who was then posted at the Cantonment police station, Amritsar, for accepting a bribe of ~10,000 here on Tuesday. He was currently lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail under the NDPS Act and was brought on production warrant and was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau. Disclosing this here on Tuesday, an official spokesperson for the state Vigilance Bureau said Daljit Singh was arrested based on a complaint lodged by Joga Singh, a resident of Kotli Naseer Khan village in Amritsar. Tarn Taran, December 16 Two labourers were killed by robbers near Assal village in the border area when they were returning home after completing their work in Sabhra village. SHO, Patti Sadar, Inspector Jagtar Singh along with police force reached the spot immediately. Inspector Jagtar Singh said the deceased have been identified as Gurdial Singh (45) of Kairon village and his associate Jugraj Singh, a resident of ward number 12 in Patti. They were on their motorcycle. When they reached near Assal village, the two labourers were stopped by the robbers who They were attacked with ‘datars’ tried to snatch their motorcycle but they resisted. The robbers attacked them with ‘datars’ (sharpedged weapons). Jugraj was killed on the spot while Gurdial Singh had to be admitted to the Civil Hospital, Patti, from where he was referred to the local districtlevel hospital, but he breathed his last on way. The SHO said that a case under Section 103 of BNS has been registered against the unknown robbers. Ladi Singh, a contractor, alleged that robbers ruled in the border belt and no one was safe. Tarn Taran, December 17 The Sarai Amanat Khan police recovered a drone from the fields of a farmer, Sukhdev Singh of Burj 169 village, on Monday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhimanyu Rana informed here today that the police team led by ASI Karam Singh searched the fields of farmer Sukhdev Singh following a tip-off and recovered a drone. The SSP said that the drone was brought from Pakistan by some antisocial elements who the police was trying to locate. A case under Section 10,11 and 12 of the Aircraft Act has been registered. c m y b had previously begun the shooting of his new film by paying obeisance at Golden Temple along with Ranveer Singh. The movie, yet untitled, also stars R Madhavan, Akshay Khanna and Arjun Rampal and will be an action thriller. Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 17 Nearly 4.5 km road stretch from Khasa to Bakna, a historic and important village, has become a commuters’ nightmare. The road, which connects dozens of villages beyond Bakna and the city, has been in very bad shape and seems to be non-existent. It has developed large potholes, making it difficult for vehicles to ply. While Khasa is known for its distillery, Bakna is the native village of freedom fighter Baba Sohan Singh Bakna. The stretch is crucial for residents of over two dozen villages as it leads to medical and educational facilities in the city. However, commuters get a painful experience while driving down the horrible stretch. To make the matters worse, The Khasa-Bakna road stretch in bad shape near Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR a RCC slab on the nullah bridge near Chak Mukand village on the stretch has caved in, further complicating the things. Astonishingly, no warning sign has been put at the place to alert com- muters about the potential danger ahead. Residents of the affected villages are frustrated over the apathetic attitude of the authorities concerned. “We have been complaining about the condition of the road for months, but nothing has been done in this regard,” said Bikkar Singh, a resident of Bakna village. He said the battered road has not only become a nuisance, but also a safety hazard. The residents have urged the authorities to take immediate action to repair the road and restore the bridge. The road is also used by a large number of government and private employees living in the city to reach their offices, places of work and shops in rural areas. Sandeep Singh, a daily commuter, said, “The stretch is giving us trouble daily as we have to shift gears every few seconds to cross hurdles.” He said people have to spend more on maintenance of their vehicles that get damaged due to the bad road.