23122024-ATR-01.qxd 12/22/2024 11:06 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY TARN TARAN SCHOOL ORGANISES ANNUAL FUNCTION ROADWAYS DEPOT WORKERS SEEK REGULARISATION DHILLON SHARES EVIDENCE IN ONGOING FEUD WITH DOSANJH The annual prize distribution function of Punjab Children's Academy was based on the theme of “Otherhood”. P2 Taran Tarn roadways depot workers presented a charter of demands to AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal. P2 AP Dhillon recently accused Diljit Dosanjh of blocking him on social media. He shared ‘proof’ to back his claim. P4 » » » MAX 18°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 6°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.31 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:27 AM MONDAY | 23 DECEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR Armed men open fire at Sohal village Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, December 22 Panic gripped residents of Sohal village on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday when a group of unidentified bike-borne armed persons fired at the gate of one Balwinder Singh and managed to flee from the spot. In his statement to the Chabal police, Balwinder Singh said he and his family members were sleeping at home when some armed men fired at the gate of his house. ASI Ram Singh said seven empty cartridges were recovered from the spot. A case under Section 125, 193 (3) and 190 of the BNS and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered in this connection against unidentified persons, the ASI said. The activities of gangsters, who have been committing such type of crimes to seek extortion from the people, badly affected the normal life of border residents and the business in the area. Do MC poll results point towards loss of face for AAP, failure of party leadership? Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 22 The victory in Assembly bypolls had certainly emboldened the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had been shying from holding the Municipal Corporation elections for the past one year. The ruling dispensation in the state hurriedly announced elections for the local bodies earlier this month. However, the ruling party lost face after its dismal performance in the city as it managed to win only 24 seats out of the total 85 wards. With blame game among the AAP leaders and workers already beginning, the election results clearly proved that the ruling party failed to meet expectations of the electorate which had given 91 seats in the state Assembly elections to the party. Moreover, the AAP also cre- RESULTS OF 85 WARD Former Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni (3rd to left) with Congress candidates; and (right) Shruti Vij of the BJP, who won the MC elections from Ward No. 10, in Amritsar. ated history by losing the MC elections to the Congress as it was for the first time that the ruling party lost in the civic body polls. Generally, due to support of the government machinery and various other reasons, local body elections in the city are usually won by the ruling party in the state. After the election results were announced, an old-time AAP volunteer expressed his anguish on social media by positing, “Lots and lots of respect to AAP Cabinet Minister and in-charge for the MC elections Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal for losing in 61 wards of the city.” Dhaliwal was made in-charge of the MC elections as he was the MLA from the Amritsar (Rural) constituency. The party had ignored five MLAs from the city and made Dhaliwal in-charge for the elections in the urban area. Though Amritsar North MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh had clearly expressed his displeasure with AAP leaders by fielding his own candidates as independents, other MLAs also not so vocal too did not have much say in the party affairs, claimed an insider. However, Congress’ victory in MC polls cannot be attributed to charisma or policies of the party. “It is just because people did not have any choice. Voters had to choose between bad, ugly or good,” quipped a local professor. Tribune News Service The two drug smugglers in custody of the Amritsar police. 65 lakh drug money, one pistol and one rifle from them. Sukhdev came out of jail last year, while Avtar was released from prison in September this year. The DGP said preliminary investigations revealed that after coming out of jail, Sukhdev and Avtar again contacted Pakistan-based smugglers and managed to retrieve at least three consignments of heroin dropped through drones in the last few months. Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said based on reliable intelligence inputs, a police team from the CIA staff-1 led by Inspector Amolakdeep Singh apprehended both the accused near Mullechak village at Sua Bridge, while they were enroute to supply heroin to another smuggler in their car, he said. A case was registered at the Gate Hakima police station, he added. — TNS Amritsar, December 22 Congress Lok Sabha member Gurjeet Singh Aujla demanded resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, while accusing him of using abusive language against Dr BR Ambedkar. Aujla alleged that the BJP was forming a dictatorial government, crushing the Constitution, and disrespecting Ambedkar’s legacy. During a press conference here on Sunday, Aujla thanked voters for posing faith in Congress. He said his party would work up to the expectations of the public. He said love given by the people in the civic elections had proved that if public wanted, the country could change. Aujla emphasised on the importance of the Constitu- Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla (right) addresses mediapersons in Amritsar on Sunday. tion, which he said was being undermined by the BJP’s actions. He also criticised the government for prioritising its own interests over the people’s issues, such as the situation in Manipur and the privatisation of the country’s assets. Aujla condemned the BJP’s alleged attempts to distort facts, particularly regarding a scuffle in the Parliament, and demanded that the party should release footage to clear up the matter. He also accused the BJP of suppressing opposition voices, both within and outside the Parliament. “The Congress has vowed to continue fighting to protect the Constitution and may take to the streets if necessary,” he said. Aujla congratulated 85 councillors of Amritsar city, who won the MC elections, while terming their victory as a sign that people supported those who protect the Constitution. Tourism industry wants better civic amenities for trade to thrive Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 22 People earning their bread and butter from the tourism industry in the holy city want nothing special, but an assured delivery of ordinary services, including clean roads, quick lifting of garbage, removal of encroachments, traffic snarls and dust on plants and trees besides safety and security on roads. That said, the year gone by was marked by the absence of these ordinary amenities required by both visitors and residents alike. Yet, their absence pinched the tourism industry the most as it entirely depends upon quality civic amenities. Tourists visiting the holy city from across the country and the world find themselves caught unawares in rampant traffic jams stretching for hours. Charanjit Singh, a pilgrim, who frequently visits here from Delhi, says growing traffic jams and mugging are a matter of grave concern for visitors. Waiting for hours in traffic jams to enter the city RESULT TOTAL WARDS: 85 AAP: 24; INC: 40; BJP: 9; SAD: 4 INDEPENDENT (IND): 8 Manmeet Singh Gill Two held with 10kg heroin Aujlacongratulates,thankscityresidents for supporting Congress candidates Amritsar, December 22 The police have busted a transborder narco-smuggling module with the arrest of two habitual offenders, who were earlier caught in 2015 with two Pakistani nationals. The arrested accused have been identified as Sukhdev Singh (60), a resident of Talwani Bharath village in Batala, and Avtar Singh, alias Tari (45), a resident of Baghiari village in Amritsar. The police also impounded their Toyota Etios car used for transporting heroin. Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, said the police recovered 10 kg of heroin from Sukhdev Singh and Avtar Singh, alias Tari. As per information, two Pakistani nationals had crossed border in 2015 to deliver the 19.5 kg of heroin to Sukhdev and Avtar. The accused had also provided shelter to Pakistani nationals at their house. The police had arrested all four accused after recovering 2.5 kg of heroin, Rs AAP FAILS TO GET CLEAR MAJORITY Visitors at the heritage street; and (right) tourists at the Gobindgarh Fort built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar. PHOTOS: SUNIL KUMAR amounts to harassment of tourists who come here after travelling hundreds of kilometres. Tourists, especially those visiting with their families, are vulnerable to mugging. Tourists and staff employed in hotels and eating joints and working in the late night hours have become victims of snatching and theft incidents. In a majority of the cases, miscreants waylaid victims in the middle of the road, brandished weapons and slipped away with their cash, mobile phones and other costly items. In many instances, they do not hold back from injuring and killing their victims. Navdeep Singh, a hotelier, said tardy garbage lifting remained the biggest problem for the tourism industry this year. After a disagreement erupted between the MC and Averda company, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (AMC) woefully failed to make alternate arrangements. It was only in September that the district adminis- tration woke up and intervened to instruct the garbage collection firm to increase the number of garbage collection vehicles to 200, by adding 90 more. Most of these vehicles are yet to be deployed for garbage lifting. c m y b For the industry, the year began with a slow start as the harsh cold wave conditions resulted in decline of footfall of tourists and room occupancy. Frequent farmers’ stir remained a matter of concern for hoteliers, guides, tour and taxi operators. In February, the “Delhi Chalo” movement of farmers let to a dip in room occupancy of hotels. Among the new introduction for the city’s tourism industry were luxury hotels and restaurants. A long awaited train-themed restaurant was opened for the public this year where one could enjoy a delectable meal in the ambience of a restaurant-onwheels 24x7. Food bloggers played a positive role by bringing in foodies in search of a variety of kulchas, chholebhature and tandoor cooked non-vegetarian delicacies. Manufacturers of indigenous products, including shawls, stoles, Punjabi Jutti, papad-warriyan, achaar, murabba and others rue that the government hardly put in any effort to promote these items this year, despite the fact that the hospitality industry had been the mainstay of the local economy for long. They urged the government to chip in for these projects next year. Gurinder Singh Johal, founder of Amritsar Foundation, said the city where nearly one lakh tourists come every day, needs more planning, resources, manpower and technological know-how to keep it safe, clean and free of traffic jams and encroachments to beckon more tourists. Ward 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 Candidate Party Kuljeet Kaur AAP Amarjeet Singh AAP Dr Navdeep Kaur INC Mandeep Singh Ahuja IND Kriti Arora BJP Amandeep Aery BJP Kajal AAP Balwainder Singh AAP Dr Sohbhit Kaur INC Sharuti Vij BJP Priyanka Sharma AAP Narinder Singh INC Gurwinder Kaur AAP Raj Kawal Preet Pal INC Rama Mehra BJP Sandeep Sharma (Rinka) INC Priyanka Sharma INC Navdeep Singh Hundal INC Navjeet Kaur AAP Gurinder Singh INC Kulwinder Kaur INC Sujinder Bidlan INC Kulwinder Kaur INC Satnam Singh INC Monika Sharma INC Jatinder S Bhatia AAP Preet Kaur BJP Saurab Madan Mithu INC Shweta INC Avtar Singh Truckanwala SAD Sukhbir Kaur AAP Jagmeet Singh IND Ashnoor Kaur AAP Amritpal Singh INC Amarjit Kaur BJP Ashok Kumar AAP Gurjit Kaur AAP Bhgwant Singh AAP Manpreet Kaur AAP Gurwinder Singh AAP Sukhwinder Kaur INC Gagandeep Singh INC Inderjeet S Pandoori SAD Jaswinder Singh Gill INC Sukhbir Kaur INC Navpreet Singh INC Kiranpreet Kaur AAP Ashwani Kale Shah INC Rittu Kundra INC Ritu AAP Sarita INC Vikas Soni INC Komal Shah INC Amit Kumar INC Kulbeer Kaur Dara INC Vicky Datta AAP Manju Mehra Pappal INC Jarnail Singh Dhot AAP Gurmeet Kaur INC Gaurav Gill BJP Rajni BJP Sameer Dutta INC Usha Rani INC Neetu Tangari IND Neeraj Chaudhary INC Virat Devgan AAP Anita Rani IND Vikas Gill BJP Gurpreet Kaur INC Kashmiri Lal IND Surjit Kaur AAP Avtar Singh INC Kuldeep Singh INC Paramjit Kaur SAD Kashmir Singh INC Sukhbeer S Soni AAP Sunita Sharma INC Anita Sharma Bhakna IND Shivali INC Raman Kumar INC Nisha Dhillon INC Sandeep Singh AAP Nagwant Kaur SAD Rachhpal Singh INC Natasha Gill IND