16012025-ATR-01.qxd 1/15/2025 11:23 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST DENSE FOG MAX 16°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 17°C | MIN 3°C GOVT SCHOOLS STRIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE WASTE MGMT FOOD SAFETY OFFICIALS URGE EATERIES TO IMPROVE HYGIENE WINTER CALORIES SIMPLY DON’T COUNT FOR FOODIES The SoE, Chheharta, was the first school in the district to set up a plastic bank for recycling of single-use plastic waste.P2 Food Safety officials have identified poor hygiene in restaurants' kitchens as the main cause of food contamination.P3 Sarson ka saag drenched in desi ghee or melt-in-mouth alsi ki pinnis, winter in North India is rich in flavour. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 5.50 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7.30 AM » THURSDAY | 16 JANUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR DC takes stock of preparations for Republic Day celebrations Snatcher held, accomplice absconding Our Correspondent Delay in new sand auction policy leads to revenue loss for state Around 16 quarries lying closed in dist for over last two years Tarn Taran, January 15 With the timely intervention of passersby at Jandiala Road, a snatcher was nabbed while his accomplice managed to escape on Tuesday when they made a failed bid to snatch the purse from a woman. The woman was going on foot carrying a lunchbox for her husband. The passersby handed over the nabbed snatcher to the local city police. ASI Gurbhej Singh of the city police said that the arrested snatcher has been identified as Rachhpal Singh of Iqbal Avenue and his absconded associate as Babbu of the local Kajikot road. The motorcycle-borne snatchers had tried to snatch the purse from the woman who bravely resisted. The passersby immediately intervened and nabbed one of the snatchers. ASI Gurbhej Singh said that a case under Section 304, 62 and 3 (5) of the BNS has been registered in this connection. Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney (2nd from left) takes stock of the preparations being made for the R-Day celebrations at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Amritsar on Wednesday. Amritsar, January 15 Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney led a meeting of officials at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium to review preparations for the Republic Day celebrations here on Wednesday. They discussed how to ensure a seamless and enthusiastic celebration of the national festival. Sawhney emphasized the importance of responsible behaviour among officials, stating that any form of arrogance would not be tolerated. She announced that a full dress rehearsal would take place on January 24. The district administration will honour the freedom fighters who made significant contributions to the country. Besides, employees with special achievements from various departments would be recognized. The DC instructed the police to ensure proper security arrangements and take steps to ensure proper parking and cleanliness. The Health Department has been directed to deploy a medical team to provide necessary medical facilities. Various departments will showcase tableaux reflecting government achievements during the celebrations. Sawhney directed the officials concerned to ensure that the tableaux are displayed on time and as per the order. MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh, DCP Alam Vijay Singh, and Additional DC Harkamal Kaur, among others, were also present on the occasion. — TNS Amritsar, January 15 A long delay in introducing a fresh policy on sand mining from quarries in the district is causing losses in crores to the state exchequer. On the other hand, people are also bearing the brunt as they are forced to buy it at exorbitant rates over the years. District Mining Officer Gurbir Singh said there are a total of 16 quarries in the district and all of them have been lying closed for the past over two years. Obviously, the government did not earn revenue from the stalled quarries. Yet, the Department of Mines and Geology, which functions under the Punjab Water Resources Department, has so far issued 200 challans against illegal mining over the past two years. All these 16 quarries are situated close to the Ravi and Beas rivers in the district, which are preferred for fine sand. Coarse sand is sourced from quarries All these 16 quarries are situated close to the Ravi and Beas rivers. in Pathankot and surrounding areas. They were closed following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s stay order directing that no extraction of minor mineral was permitted without the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Army and the BSF . Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Mines and Geology, which looks after quarries, said the demand of PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR local consumers in the district are being met by a quarry operational in Tarn Taran and from Jalandhar. That is the main reason of spiralling sand prices in the city. High transportation costs is another major reason behind exorbitant rates for fine sand. The AAP government’s poll announcement of providing ~5.5 per cubic foot sand at the mining site Six-year-old’s death reflects danger of 27 cellphones seized from jail electrocution from banned kite string Tribune News Service Manmeet Singh Gill Amritsar, January 15 The tragic death of a six-yearold in Tarn Taran who was electrocuted after touching a plastic kite flying thread has once again highlighted the dangers posed by such strings, particularly those made of plastic, which can conduct electricity when wet, dirty or after coming in contact with metal. The incident has sparked widespread concern among residents, who are demanding stricter measures to prevent such accidents, especially as loose plastic thread can be easily spotted on electricity poles and wires. In most cases, the thread is PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Plastic kite thread entangled in wires in Amritsar on Wednesday. entangled in wires while the other end hangs loosely Fire outbreak in house after LPG leakage towards the ground. With people commuting through these streets and roads, the chances of anyone coming in contact with the dor are high “It’s a ticking time bomb,” said local resident Jaswinder Singh. These threads are everywhere, hanging from electricity poles and dangling on wires. It’s only a matter of time before another tragedy strikes, he added While the administration has banned the sale and use of plastic kite flying thread, its rampant use raises a question mark on the efforts made and seriousness towards restricting its use. In the last few years, hundreds have been seriously injured after coming in continued on page 2 Amritsar, January 15 Around 27 mobile phones were seized from inmates of the Amritsar Central Jail during surprise checking in the past two days. Two separate FIRs have been registered in this connection. While 15 of the mobile phones were found abandoned, 12 were recovered from prisoners. Besides, jail staff also seized 19 SIMs, three chargers, a headphone, a data cable and one adaptor. Of the seized 27 cellphones, seven were touch phones while 20 were keypad phones. The majority of them were apparently thrown into the jail complex by outsiders. In view of unabated instances of seizure, senior police officials led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishaljit Singh today met jail officials though they termed it a routine affair. “It was a routine coordination meeting in which usual matters were discussed,” said Vishaljit Singh. Meanwhile, the police have booked Sajanpreet Singh, alias Kala of Pakhoke (Tarn Taran), Jagjit Singh of Rangarh village, Sagar Kumar of Qadian (Gurdaspur), Pardeep Singh of Parkash Vihar, Akashdeep Singh of Kaler Mangat village, Gursewak Singh of Naseerpur, Lovejit Singh of Bhagwanpura village (Tarn Taran), Gupreet Singh of Rorawala Kalan, Anokh Singh of Salimpura village in Ludhiana, Shivam Kumar of Adarsh Nagar, Sarabjit Singh of Chuhewal village (Batala) and Sukhjiner Singh of Makhu (Ferozepur). Jail staff confiscated 12 mobile phones from their possession. They were booked under the Prisons Act. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishaljit Singh said the seized cellphones would be sent for forensic examination to know the details of the calls made through the phones. He said the accused would be arrested in the case. “We would also ascertain how the mobile phones were sneaked into the jail complex during their interrogation,” he added. has remained non-implemented till date. Parminder Singh, a consumer, who is getting his house constructed, said despite tall claims by the government to provide sand at low prices, consumers, especially from low and middle-income group families, are having to pay through the nose to buy construction materials. Petrol pump owners give call for strike today in city Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 15 Days after an incident of burglary at a petrol pump in Jalalabad, filling stations of the district will go on a strike tomorrow to put pressure on the authorities to take action against the perpetrators of the crime. The decision to go on strike was taken after petrol pump dealers in Jalalabad expressed growing resentment over the alleged inaction of the police following a series of looting incidents. On December 23, three petrol pumps located along continued on page 2 Medals won but resource constraints hamper judokas Trained at Shaheed Bhagat Singh JFI Centre, talent of players under threat of wilting for lack of financial aid Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service The house engulfted by fire in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. Tarn Taran, January 15 Fire broke out at the house of one Joginder Singh, a resident of Gali No. 4 of the local Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, causing damage to the building on Wednesday. However, the owner of the house was away in the market to buy medicines as a result of which any loss of life was averted. Kanwaljit Singh, an elderly person living in the area, who was present at the time of the incident, said the fire broke out after leakage in an LPG gas cylinder and the PVC sheets pasted on walls in the house caught fire. Rescue efforts by local residents did not prove to be of much help and the flames entered all rooms of the house within no time. The fire could be controlled only after two hours of toil by fire engines of the local Municipal Council. Satpal Singh, Fire Brigade Officer, said traffic jam at the local Chaunk Bohri delayed the arrival of the fire tenders. Kanwaljit Singh said the loss is estimated to be around ~20 lakh. Inspector Harpreet Singh, SHO, City Police, said that Duty Officer Gurmeet Singh, ASI, visited the spot to supervise the rescue operation. — OC Gurdaspur, January 15 The career of half a dozen prodigiously talented but underprivileged judo players is hanging in the balance for want of financial aid. Come rain, sunshine or hail, these gifted judokas wake up every morning, fight the vagaries of an empty stomach, and still manage to win medals. Their coaches fear that these youngsters may be lost to the world of crime and drugs if they are forced to discontinue the sport. Senior players admit such things have happened in the past and they do not want the dreadful phenomenon of getting trapped in the quagmire of heroin and crime to repeat itself. The players train at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh JFI Centre which has already produced more than 40 international players, including Olympians. Abhishek Kumar (18), the son of a plumber, is ranked at No. 2 in his 81kg weight cate- ABHISHEK KUMAR gory on the national circuit. After winning a gold medal in the All-India Inter University Championships, he was selected for the Asian Open Championships held in Aktau in Kazakhstan last year. Fearing he may not make the trip, senior judokas got together and collected Rs 1.50 lakh for his travel expenses. Experts opine that he is the best thing to happen to Indian judo in recent years. “Being born poor is no crime, but dying poor certain- c m y b RAGHU MEHRA AMANDEEP SINGH ly is. I want to earn enough to ensure my family lives without the fear of not paying bills,” says Abhishek. Raghu Mehra (17) had the tragedy of seeing his father, an electricity mechanic, dying a year ago following a kidney ailment. Apart from winning a gold medal in the 2022 sub-junior national meet, he has won medals in as many as four SGFI school nationals. Amandeep Singh (14) was a child when his father died. VAMEET SINGH Days later, his mother left him for another man. Hurt, he takes out his agony and angst on the judo mat from morning till evening. He has won a bronze and a gold in the 2023 and 2024 SGFI nationals. His two brothers do odd jobs to ensure lack of finances do not force him to leave the sport. Varneet Singh (14) has won numerous medals in the subjunior circuit. His father drives an auto-rickshaw for a living. One-fourth of his SUKHJINDER SINGH monthly earnings go to his son’s diet and kitting. Sukhjinder Singh (14), whose father is a plumber, won a medal in the 2024 SGFI nationals in the 45kg weight category. His aim is to be the No. 1 in his weight class. He is too young to understand that aims are fulfilled only if you have money in your pocket. “If footballer Ronaldo, who came from a small-time working class family, can make it to the top, why can’t I,” he quips. Piyush Kumar PIYUSH KUMAR (13) won a gold in the Raipur SGFI nationals in January. His father is a newspaper hawker and does not know from where his son’s next installment of school fees will come from. Coach Amarjit Shastri says his wards have been regularly winning medals but the Punjab government has yet to pay the promised prize money. “Experts say the judokas are destined for bigger things in life. Their only problem is money,” he says.