13042025-ATR-01.qxd 4/12/2025 11:24 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY LADY GAGA BRINGS ‘MAYHEM’ TO THE MASSES AT COACHELLA NEW VERSION OF ICONIC FILM THE BODYGUARD IN THE MAKING PAMMI BAI ANNOUNCES THE WORLD BHANGRA LEAGUE American singer Lady Gaga returned to a massive audience for the first time in eight years. P4 Warner Bros. is set to bring a new version of the iconic 1992 film The Bodyguard to the big screen. P4 MAX 32°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 17°C Introducing bhangra as a sport, the aim is to have the same format — making teams &auction of artistes.P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.46 PM » SUNRISE MONDAY 5.56 AM SUNDAY | 13 APRIL 2025 | AMRITSAR Tramadol pills seized, case filed against city chemist Hundreds turn up for Punjab Police braveheart’s cremation Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 12 Drug Control Officer Sukhdeep Singh along with a police team led by ASI Rajbir Singh conducted a joint inspection at Dhunna Medical Store in Mudhal Colony, Verka, and recovered 820 tramadol tablets from the shop. Health Department officials stated that Shamsher Singh, in charge of the shop and pharmacist, failed to produce valid permission for stocking and selling the tramadol tablets stored in his residence connected to the shop premises. ASI Rajbir Singh said an FIR has been registered against shop owner Shamsher Singh under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. The officials also found that the labels of the tablets were tampered with. Sukhdeep Singh said the manufacturer’s name, batch numbers, manufacturing dates, and expiry dates were erased from the tablets. He said several regulatory violations were also found. The store did not maintain a Schedule H-1 register and sales records were incomplete and not up-to-date, he added. Additionally, an air-conditioner was not installed at the time of the inspection. Had attacked some who refused to pay extortion money Our Correspondent Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav pays homage to the slain Punjab Police Sub-Inspector Charanjit Singh in Amritsar on Saturday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 12 Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav attended the cremation of martyr Sub-Inspector Charanjit Singh at Theh Sarhali village here on Saturday. He paid homage the brave officer, who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. SI Charanjit Singh, 57, had joined the Punjab Police as a constable in 1989. He was currently posted at the Goindwal Sahib police station and lost his life in the line of duty on April 9 at Kot Muhammad Khan village. He was also a wrestler. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daugh- ters. His son and two daughters are settled abroad. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had already announced to give ~2 crore to the martyr’s family. The ~2 crore amount includes ~1 crore as ex gratia by the state government, whereas, another payment of insurance cover of ~1 crore will be made by HDFC Bank. Expressing his heartfelt condolences, DGP Gaurav Yadav assured the bereaved family of full support and every possible help from the Punjab Government and the Punjab Police. Most of the leaders of political parties termed the death of Sub-Inspector Charanjit Singh as murder by armed men associated with the ruling AAP . The DGP appreciated the police officer for his immense courage and unwavering commitment to service, assuring the family that his sacrifice would never be forgotten. Meanwhile, the financial assistance to the martyr’s family is in consonance with the commitment of the state government to ensure the well-being of police personnel and their families. The pyre was lit by the son of late SI Charanjit Singh and a large number of area residents along with policemen and Khemkaran MLA Sarwan Singh Dhunn attended the cremation. DGP inspects night domination ops in city Amritsar, April 12 The Punjab Police will strengthen the second line of defence in the border villages by installing over 2,100 highly advanced CCTV cameras in order to check the movements of cross border smugglers and anti-national elements. This was stated by Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav during the Punjab Police’s night domination operation in the border belt. The DGP carried out checking of police checkpoints at the Golden Gate, the Amritsar railway station and Chheharta under the city police commissionerate and Gharinda in Attari. He was accompanied by senior police officials, including Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Deputy Commissioner of Police Alam Vijay Singh, DCP Jagjit Singh Walia, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav (L) along with police officials at the Chheharta police station in Amritsar. DIG (Border Range) Satinder Singh and SSP Amritsar (Rural) Maninder Singh during checking in border villages. Speaking to mediapersons, he said apart from installing CCTV cameras in border villages, the Punjab Government has also sought permission from the Central Government for putting up anti-drone system near the International Border with Pakistan for curbing drone incursions smuggling drugs and weapons. “Anti-drone system would be installed in coordination with Central agencies and the Farmers flay govt decision to allow paddy sowing from June 1 Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 12 Members of the Young Innovative Farmers Group, active since 2014 under the mission “Pesticide-free, stubble-burning free agriculture”, have raised strong objections to the government’s recent decision to allow sowing of paddy from June 1 in some areas of Punjab. In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister, Agriculture Secretary and Director of Agriculture, the group highlighted the harmful consequences of early sowing of paddy and urged immediate reconsideration of the order. The farmers argued that the decision contradicts the state’s own long-term envi- Gangster Dasuwal’s operative held after encounter near Patti ronmental and agriculture sustainability goals. “Since 2008, the state’s law mandating paddy transplantation after June 10 (later shifted to June 15 in 2014) helped save water, electricity, fertilisers, and reduced unnecessary expenses. Agricultural institutions began developing water-efficient crop varieties and techniques and farmers adapted to those timelines,” the letter stated. The group led by Gurbinder Singh Bajwa criticised the inconsistency in government’s approach. “On the one hand, the government is promoting crop diversification and discouraging waterintensive paddy varieties like Pusa-44, and on the other, it is advancing the transplanting date,” said Bajwa. He warned that sowing paddy in early June would expose crops to extreme heatwaves, humidity, methane emissions and lead to late monsoon rains, all while doubling the demand for electricity and groundwater. Particularly concerning, the farmers said, is the fact that sustainable agricultural methods such as Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and paddy sowing techniques that begin after June 25 would also be affected. This shift could also harm vegetable growers and basmati farmers who rely on optimal climatic windows for sowing and harvesting. “Allowing puddling from June 1 could disrupt the entire ecosystem,” they warned, pointing to additional concerns over below average water levels in dams this year. Border Security Force to completely eradicate the menace of smuggling via drones,” he said, while adding that the police were in touch with various stakeholders in this connection. He said after launching a special campaign against drugs in the state, the police have now launched operation Satark (night domination) for nailing criminal elements. “The Punjab Police have achieved success by arresting big fishes in the illegal drug trade during the last one month,” he said, while seeking cooperation from the people of Punjab to nail the perpetrators and eradicate the scourge of drugs. Answering the queries about involvement of cops in the drug trade, he categorically stated that no drug smuggler would be spared even if he was a cop. — TNS Tarn Taran, April 12 An operative of infamous gangster Prabh Dasuwal was nabbed after he was injured in a police encounter near Patti town here on Friday night. The police recovered a country-made pistol, five empty cartridges and the motorcycle the operative was riding in the area. The operative of the gangster has been identified as Harinder Singh, a resident of Thakarpura village near Patti, stated Lovekesh, DSP Patti. , DSP Lovekesh said here on Saturday that on a tip-off, a Patti police team, led by SHO Inspector Harpreet Singh, installed a naka near the railway bridge crossing on Friday night. On seeing him coming from the Sarali Manda village side, the police party signalled him to stop. But instead of stopping, he opened fire on the police party. The DSP said he made four to five fires at the police party. The DSP said Harinder Singh was injured when the police fired in self-defence. He said the accused, being an operative of Prabh Dasuwal, Projects worth ~1 cr approved for Ajnala Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 12 Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal presided over a Lok Darbar at Ajnala, where he approved development proposals worth over ~1 crore for villages. The minister directed the Panchayat Department to prepare for the timely commencement of these projects. Dhaliwal said that the Lok Darbar serves as a platform for resolving issues, redressing complaints and gathering feedback from villagers. The initiative, now in its third year, aims to foster transparency and accountability in governance, he said. The approved projects continued on page 2 Cops inspect the encounter spot and (below) a pistol recovered from the place near Patti town. was targeting those who refused to pay him extortion. He said during the last few weeks, he had fired at a Patti town-based advocate from whom Prabh Dasuwal had demanded an extortion of ~1 crore; fired at a petrol pump in Khemkaran town; and at the car of the owner of a school at Dasuwal village. Cases in connection with the incidents have been registered and in the incident of last night, the Patti police have registered a new case under Section 109 of the BNS and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. The DSP said Harinder Sikhiya Kranti leading to credit war, Opposition mocks AAP MP Aujla accuses party of disrespecting national anthem Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 12 As leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), MLAs and ministers go on a ribbon-cutting spree in the state under the ‘Sikhiya Kranti’ initiative, political circles, especially in the Opposition, are abuzz with criticism of the credit war among state AAP leaders even for works like repair of toilets and renovation of boundary walls. Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla called out AAP for being ‘Mashoori Magan’ (focused on fame). Citing an incident where development works were inaugurated in Govern- ment Primary Smart School, Guru Ka Bagh, in village Ghukkewali, Ajnala, Aujla said on a social media platform that AAP leaders disrespected the national song by putting up the ‘mashoori’ plaque on a wall that has Jan Gan Man written in Punjabi. Calling it a gross insult to the national anthem and a “shameful act” in a viral post on Facebook, Aujla has asked the state government to take action against such ignorant actions of its leaders. The plaque, as seen in the photographs shared by Aujla, seemed to have been taken down after Aujla’s post went viral and the damaged portion of the wall that remains is visible. The school had received grants for building smart classrooms and other technological upgrades. Cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had inaugurated the works. Ever since the launch of Sikhiya Kranti initiative by the state government, the AAP has been facing a string of criticism by the Opposition, with some calling it ‘petty theatrics’ to ‘waste of public money’ as Punjab leaders of the party leave no stone unturned (or inaugurated, in this case) to publicise the development works being carried out in government schools, including continued on page 2 No longer in sync with crop harvest, Baisakhi retains its joie de vivre College teachers under DAV hold black badge protest Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 12 The teaching staff of most city colleges under DAV management observed a symbolic protest today by wearing black badges during the working hours. The protest was carried out in response to a call given by the DAV College Coordination Committee to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. It is pertinent to note that in an online meeting held on April 10, the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) had decided that teachers will be wearing black badges on April 11 and 12. The demonstration, held continued on page 2 Amritsar, April 12 Baisakhi, the vibrant festival of harvest, is just around the corner, but presently, it seems to be out of sync with the traditional rhythm of the agricultural cycle. The festival, which is typically celebrated after the wheat harvesting, is only two days away, yet farmers are still waiting for their crops to ripen. With no harvest as yet, the farmers said that it would take another seven to 10 days for the crop to be ready for harvest. The Punjab Mandi Board had announced the start of wheat procurement from April 1, but so far, not even a single farmer has arrived with the harvest. This delay is c m y b Singh was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Patti, under police security. Students in traditional dress stand in a wheat field in Amritsar. not a new phenomenon, according to farmers. “It is not just this season. Harvesting has been getting delayed for years due to late sowing,” said Harnam Singh, a farmer from Jhabal. He said that in their childhood, farmers used to start harvesting before Baisakhi. “Times have changed now,” he observed. The shift to machine harvesters has also changed the way farmers approach harvesting. “Earlier, we used to harvest crops by hand, and the grain would dry while waiting for threshing,” said Balwant Singh, another farmer. “Now, with machine harvesters, the harvesting season gets over within a week,” he added. However, despite the change in farming practices, the essence of Baisakhi remains the same – a celebration of the harvest season. However, it is now celebrated before the actual harvesting takes place. “Farming has become easier with machines. Even the seeds have changed. Moreover, due to paddy cultivation, sowing of wheat gets delayed,” said Mandeep continued on page 2