20122024-ATR-01.qxd 12/19/2024 10:47 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune ROADSIDE ENCROACHMENTS GALORE IN TARN TARAN FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR GNDU GETS PROJECT TO SCREEN PREGNANT WOMEN University has bagged ~3.59 cr project for “screening pregnant women & newborns for genetic disorders”. P2 Representativesofpoliticalandsocial organisationshavetakenaseriousnoteof encroachmentsalongroadsinTarnTaran.P2 » KRITIKA KAMRA WILL BE SEEN IN FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Kritika, who impressed audience with Gyaarah Gyaarah, believes she has become more experimental with her roles. P4 » » MAX 20°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 4°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5.30 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7:26 AM FRIDAY | 20 DECEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR One arrested with pistol MC polls: Campaigning ends after rallies, voting on Dec 21 Amritsar, December 19 The Amritsar (Rural) police arrested Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, of Butari falling under the Khalchian police station for allegedly possessing a country-made pistol here on Wednesday. According to officials, a police team led by ASI Sukhwinder Singh was checking vehicles near Ravi Karyana Store when a youth on foot was stopped on suspicion. During checking, the police team seized a .32 bore country-made pistol along with two bullets from his possession. As the youth failed give satisfactory reply to police queries about weapon, he was arrested. The police said further probe was on to ascertain the source of weapon. A case under the Arms Act was registered against Love, the police added. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR/SUNIL KUMAR Tribune News Service (From left) Navjot Kaur Sidhu campaigns for Shalinder Singh Shally; Ward No.1 candidate Satinder Kaur Aujla with her supporters; and Kulbeer Singh Zira and Jasbir Singh Dimpa with Ward No. 28 candidate Mithu Madan in Amritsar. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 19 The high-decibel campaigning for the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) elections came to an end at 4 pm today. Voting for the elections is scheduled for December 21 from 7 am to 4 pm. Results are expected to start trickling in within an hour of end of the polling. Today, various political parties, including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) organised rallies in the city. Senior party leaders attended all rallies. Apart from others, former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Con- gress leader Kulbeer Singh Zira, former MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa, Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, former Deputy CM OP Soni, BJP national secretary Tarun Chug and Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla organised political rallies in favour of their candidates here today. Leaders of the AAP the Con, gress and the BJP are claiming victory of their respective parties in the civic body polls. Congress leaders claimed that they would win more than 65 MC seats in the city. AAP leaders claimed that Mayor would be from their party. As per tradition, the party in power in Punjab wins the MC elections in the holy city. However, the elections are being conducted around two years after the formation of the AAP government in Punjab. There is a major anti-incumbency factor against the ruling dispensation in the state. During his road show in Amritsar, BJP leader Tarun Chug said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made false claims that his party had fulfilled poll promises. Navjot Kaur Sidhu, while campaigning for Congress candidate Shalinder Singh Shally, said people felt betrayed after electing the AAP government in the state. With 85 wards in the Municipal Corporation and five MLAs in the city, the total number of electors for the Mayor’s post is 90. The mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor would be from the party which has majority in the MC House. The AAP already has five MLAs in the city. If the AAP wins in 41 wards out of 85, it could secure the mayor’s post. Other parties, however, need 46 councillors to get their candidate elected as mayor. District Magistrate declares polling day as dry day 307 booths declared sensitive, 245 very sensitive Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 19 Acting on the directions of the State Election Commission, Punjab, and the Excise Commissioner, Punjab, under the provisions of Section 135(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the District Magistrate (DM), Amritsar, Sakshi Sawhney, while exercising her powers under Section 54(1) of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, has declared December 21 as a “dry day” for the polling and counting of votes within the revenue limits of the Municipal Corporation, Nagar Panchayat, Amritsar district. She said there would be a complete ban on the sale of any kind of intoxicants, storage and sale of liquor in the areas falling under the Municipal Corporation and Nagar Panchayats, Nagar Councils where elections would be held and the areas which come under the model code of conduct. These orders would also be fully applicable on hotels, restaurants, clubs and premises built in the areas of Munici- pal Corporations and Nagar Panchayats where consumption and sale of liquor was legally permitted, she said. Besides, the District Magistrate issued an order prohibiting carrying of any kind of firearms, ammunition, explosives, flammable materials and sharp weapons such as takua, spear and trident within the limits of the civic bodies in the district where elections would be held or the areas falling under the model code of conduct under Section 163 of the BNSS was in force. This order would remain in force till December 22, she said. There would be a holiday for workers of registered industries falling within the limits of the civic bodies. District Election Officer said no leave of workers would be marked in lieu of this. She said apart from this, a holiday had been declared for those workers, who were working at registered shops and establishments located in the district to enable them vote during the elections for the Municipal Corporation, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats. Three drones, heroin recovered from border belt Tribune News Service The eight smugglers in custody of the Amritsar (Rural) police. Gym trainer held in paying guest accommodation drug seizure case Audi, racer bike allegedly bought from drug money seized PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service| Amritsar, December 19 The Amritsar (Rural) police have nabbed a gym trainer in the cross-border smuggling module case busted four days ago. Earlier, the police had arrested eight persons, including two porters working at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP), besides a notorious criminal Jagroop Singh, alias Jupa, in the case. The police have recovered 4.5 kg of heroin, seven pistols, ~1.5 lakh drug money and 10 mobile phones from the possession of the accused. Jupa was associated with foreign-based gangster Pavitar Singh Chaura wanted by the police in many heinous crimes in Punjab. The police arrested Rohit, a gym trainer, who originally hailed from Kaithal district in Haryana. He used to visit Jupa and others at the paying guest (PG) accommodation located in the posh Kabir Park area opposite Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) here. “As per probe, Rohit along with Lovepreet Singh, a porter at the ICP used to retrieve drug and weapons consignments smuggled from Pakistan,” said sources in the Police Department wishing not to be named. The police seized a luxury Audi car, besides an expensive brand new racer bike worth ~2.5 lakh from Rohit’s possession. “He purchased second-hand Audi car to avoid drawing attention of the police while transporting heroin. He also purchased bike from drug proceeds,” said a police official. Rohit had purchased a house in Guru Ki Wadali village, the official said. Meanwhile, PG owner Kulwant Singh failed to respond to notices of the police for joining the investigation. The police said legal action would be taken against him. Apart from Jagroop Singh, the police arrested Karandeep Singh of Jalal Usma village, Gursewak Singh, alias Sandhu Majhail, of Mehsampur Khurd village, Nishan Singh of Dhianpur Baba Bakala, Varinder Singh of Wadala Khurd, Lovepreet Singh of Masid Wali Gali, Attari, Lovepreet Singh of Ram Bani Mandir, Darzi Wali Gali, Attari, and Jugraj Singh of Mehsampurkhurd in this connection. The module used to retrieve contraband and weapons smuggled through drones at the international border and later store them at the PG accommodation located opposite the GNDU. They used to supply drugs in different parts of the city. Amritsar, December 19 During the last 24 hours, the Border Security Force (BSF) troops recovered three drones and a big packet suspected to be of heroin in the border area of the district. During the night hours, on the information of the intelligence wing, a big packet of suspected heroin (gross weight 4.840 kg) was recovered by the BSF troops at 12.50 am from an agricultural field adjacent to Rajatal village in Amritsar district. The packet was wrapped in a yellow adhesive tape with a steel hook and six illuminating strips attached to it. On opening the big packet, nine small packets of suspected heroin were found inside. In other incidents, three drones were recovered at different locations in the border belt. A search operation by the BSF troops, which culminated at 8 am today, led to the recovery of one DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from a farming field ahead of border security fence in the area adjacent to Babe Dariya village in Amritsar district. In second incident, the BSF troops recovered one DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone at 12.10 pm from a farming field adjacent to Rajatal village in Amritsar district. In the third incident, the BSF troops recovered one DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone at 3.05 pm from a sugarcane field adjacent to Dhani Natha Singh village in Ferozepur district after receiving information from a villager. c m y b Amritsar, December 19 Of the total 811 booths set up for elections for 85 wards of the Municipal Corporation on December 21, 307 booths have been declared as sensitive and 245 as very sensitive by the district election office. District Election Officer- cum- Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Paramjit Kaur said a total of 841 booths had been set up in the district for elections of the Municipal Corporation, Nagar Panchayats and Municipal Councils. She said 13 booths had been set up in 13 wards of Baba Bakala Sahib. She said five booths were declared sensitive in Baba Bakala. The elections of one booth each in Rayya and Majitha were also being held. Both of these booths were declared sensitive, she added She said elections were also being held for 13 wards in Rajasansi and two wards in Ajnala. She said voters could get information about their booth by visiting the link — https://amritsar.nic.in/municipal-corporation-elections-2024 — the official website of the administration. — TNS