09022025-ATR-01.qxd 08-02-2025 23:16 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune MEDICAL CAMP FOR CENTRAL JAIL’S WOMEN INMATES POLICE RECOVER 30 STOLEN VEHICLES, 6 ARRESTED DCP stated the mastermind behind the thefts, a person from a nearby area, has been identified. P2 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 24°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 6°C AGONY & ECSTASY AT CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS Aimed to raise awareness about health, hygiene and overall wellness among the femals prisoners. P2 FORECAST Anora, Emilia Perez win big, while All We Imagine As Light, Citadel: Honey Bunny lose out. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.06 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7:07 AM » SUNDAY | 9 FEBRUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Army jawaan held for spying Govt to launch 100 e-buses in Amritsar despite past transport project failures Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service SSP (Amritsar Rural) Charanjit Singh Sohal apprises mediapersons of the arrest on Saturday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 8 The rural police have arrested another army jawaan for allegedly leaking confidential information to Pakistanbased intelligence agencies. The accused, identified as Sandeep Singh from Sardoolgarh, is currently stationed at the Nasik Army camp. He was arrested in Patiala while on leave. This marks the second arrest in the past three days. Earlier, the police apprehended Amritpal Singh from Chamba Kalan village in Chohla Sahib, Tarn Taran. Amritpal was reportedly part of a syndicate involved in espionage and cross-border drug smuggling. The police have also booked another army jawan, Rajbir Singh, in the same case and teams have been dispatched to arrest him. Sandeep Singh’s arrest followed the interrogation of Amritpal Singh. The police seized three mobile phones from Sandeep, which have been sent for forensic examination to determine the extent of the information he shared with the agencies. Authorities say Sandeep Singh provided vital details such as Army movements, ammunition information and locations of various army units to Pakistan’s ISI. The espionage racket is believed to have been operating for the past two years. In addition to Amritpal, the police had earlier arrested Mandeep Singh alias Maddy and Madhav Sharma of Rajasthan. The police seized 500g of heroin, Rs 10 lakh in drug money, a cash counting machine and a .30 bore pistol from their possession. The car they were travelling in was also impounded. SSP (Amritsar Rural) Charanjit Singh Sohal said the army authorities have been notified about the involvement of Amritpal, Sandeep Singh and Rajbir in transferring sensitive information to Pakistan’s ISI and their role in cross-border drug smuggling. He said Sandeep Singh would be produced in court and brought on police remand for further investigation. Amritsar, February 8 Despite the failure of two major public transport projects — the City Bus Service and the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) — the state government is set to introduce 100 electric buses on city roads under a Centrally sponsored scheme. The Local Bodies Department has already initiated the procurement process following a recent meeting. As part of the initiative, the government plans to procure 347 electric buses for five cities in the state, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala. Amritsar would receive 100 buses, Jalandhar 97, Ludhiana 100 and Patiala 50. Local Governments Minister Dr Ravjot Singh met with Municipal Corporation (MC) officials to discuss the purchase of these buses. The electric bus fleet in Amritsar would consist of 50 small and 50 large buses. The smaller buses would operate within the city limits, while the larger ones would connect the city to nearby towns. These electric buses would also be integrated with the existing BRTS to improve Plans afoot to procure 347 electric buses for five cities of Punjab Out-of-service buses parked at the Mall Mandi bus stand in Amritsar on Saturday. PHOTO SUNIL KUMAR public transport connectivity. The initiative aims to enhance travel facilities and contribute to a cleaner environment. It is important to note that this project has been launched by the Central Government. Minister Dr Ravjot Singh said the introduction of electric buses would strengthen the public transport system and promote green mobility in the state. He also high- lighted the ongoing efforts to replace 1,200 diesel autos with electric auto rickshaws in Amritsar and the distribution of 160 pink e-autos to women, with a 90 per cent subsidy. However, the initiative comes after the failure of previous transport projects. In 2016, over 60 buses from the City Bus Service were damaged due to administrative negligence and around 90 buses from the BRTS project have been off the road since July 2023. Despite efforts, the Municipal Corporation has struggled to streamline the bus services. Local activist Pawandeep Sharma criticised the failure of these projects, blaming politicians and bureaucrats for the lack of accountability. “The people pay taxes through their hard-earned money, yet 60 buses from the City Bus Service and 92 buses from the BRTS are parked at Mall Mandi and the Vallah bypass,” he said. Sharma urged the state government to hold officials and politicians accountable for the previous failures and to provide a written assurance regarding the sustainability of the new electric bus project. Dist BJP celebrates Delhi election victory Police arrest 2 in connection with Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 8 The president of the district unit of BJP Harvinder , Singh Sandhu, congratulated party supporters on the formation of a BJP government in Delhi with an absolute majority, stating the people of Delhi had decisively rejected the AAP’s freebie politics. Sandhu celebrated the win with BJP workers at the Shaheed Harbans Lal Khanna Memorial District Office in Delhi. Workers danced to the beats of drums, distributed ladoos and burst firecrackers. Senior BJP leaders, including state secretary Rakesh Gill, Suraj Bhardwaj, Reena Jaitley and Bakshi Ram Arora, were BJP supporters celebrate the party's victory in the Delhi Assembly elections in Amritsar. SUNIL KUMAR present for the occasion. Sandhu praised Delhi voters for choosing progress over freebies. He stated, “The people of Delhi have proven they want business, employment and development, not hand- outs.” He added the victory was a lesson for the AAP, with Delhi residents rejecting the party because of unfulfilled promises. He also expressed confidence that the BJP would replicate this success in Punjab in 2027. “Just as the people of Delhi exposed Kejriwal’s lies, the people of Punjab will do the same with the CM Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government,” Sandhu claimed. Senior BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina also hailed the party’s resounding victory in Delhi, calling it a vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Maha-Vikas’ (mega-development) and India’s progress. Chhina emphasised the people of Delhi had placed their trust in PM Modi’s leadership, voting for development rather than populism. water supply employee’s murder Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 8 The Mehta police have arrested two individuals in connection with the murder of Shamsher Singh, a 39-year-old employee of the Water Supply Department, who was shot dead on January 31 at a water tank in Ghanshampur village. The police said the accused have been identified as Karan Singh from Cheema Bath village (Beas) and Jaspreet Singh alias Lalla from Dubgarh village (Beas). Police officials said two other accomplices, Harpreet Singh alias Happy of Rampur Bhut Wind village, Vairowal (Tarn Taran); and Raja aka Kattu of Dubgarh village, are at large. During questioning, the accused said the motive behind the murder was Shamsher’s harassment of Harpreet Singh’s girlfriend. The police have produced the accused in court and obtained police remand for further investigation and raids are ongoing to apprehend the remaining two accomplices, including the prime accused, Harpreet Singh. The police action follows a complaint filed by Shamsher Singh’s wife, Bhupinder Kaur. She told the police her husband left for duty around 9 am on the day of the incident. She had a doctor’s appointment in Mehta and planned to meet him at the water tank later that afternoon. Upon arriving, she went inside the tubewell room while Shamsher continued working outside. Around 1.30 pm, she reported, three individuals arrived at the water tank and one shot Shamsher. As he fell to the ground, the other two suspects attacked him with a sharpedged weapon, killing him. The investigation continues as police work to track down the remaining suspects and uncover further details of the crime. School principal gets ~4 cr green belt project under flyovers in ruins due to neglect extortion call from gangster Dony Bal Tribune News Service PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 8 Notorious gangster Balwinder Singh alias Dony Bal who is based abroad has demanded extortion money from a private school principal who has lodged a complaint with the Jandiala police in this connection. Jandiala police registered a case against Dony Bal under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Bal originally hails from Sathiala village here and has a number of criminal cases, including that of murder, attempt to murder and robbery, against him. He is an associate of Bambi- ha-Rana Kandowalia gang and somehow managed to flee to foreign shores on a fake passport and forged documents. The victim said that he has been working as principal in a private school for the past 11 years. Since January 25, he received a number of calls from different foreign numbers. The caller identified himself as Doni Bal Sathiala and demanded Rs 1 crore in extortion money from him while threatening to shoot him and his family in case of failure to cough up the money. Police sources said they were verifying the facts and a probe is on. Amritsar, February 8 The green belt developed under flyovers in Amritsar has deteriorated due to poor maintenance and neglect by the authorities. The Municipal Corporation had invested Rs 4 crore in 2019 to revamp the space under elevated roads, completing the project in May 2021. A significant portion of the funds came from the Smart City initiative, which included the installation of 2,000 LED lights on the ceilings under the Bhandari Bridge, Taranwala Pul and Kachehri Chowk flyovers. The project also involved the installation of 101 ground-embedded lights, decorative lanterns on posts, interlocking pavers, an upgraded drainage system, landscaping, horticultural work and the construction of The barren green belt under the bridge in Amritsar; and (right) temporary shelters set up by homeless individuals. PHOTOS: SUNIL KUMAR planter walls and designer guard rails. However, despite the substantial investment, these areas have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of maintenance and administrative neglect. Stray cows, illegal parking and the homeless have taken c m y b over these spaces, leaving them unkempt and unused as originally intended. Although the Municipal Corporation provides shelter facilities at the Gol Bagh Shelter Home, many homeless individuals prefer to remain under the flyovers, setting up makeshift shelters instead. Local residents are concerned about the poor upkeep of the area. Rajinder Singh, a shopkeeper near the civil hospital here, remarked, “The government spent a huge amount on beautifica- tion, but now it has turned into a mess. Stray animals roam freely and garbage is piling up.” Residents are calling on the authorities to take immediate action to restore the spaces, ensuring proper maintenance and enforcement of regulations to prevent encroachments. Another resident, Ravi Sharma, said, “At night, these areas become unsafe due to poor lighting and illegal activities. We expected the project to improve our city, but it feels like a waste of money.”