27042025-ATR-01.qxd 4/26/2025 11:45 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune GOVT TO SET UP SOLAR POWER PLANT AT GOINDWAL SAHIB: ETO ABHISHEK BELIEVES CRAFT WITHOUT EMOTION IS POINTLESS The Punjab Government will set up a 125 MW solar power plant in Goindwal Sahib to provide better supply of electricity. P2 Abhishek Chaubey is a director who is known to explore complexities of human nature and harsh realities of society. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR CELEBRITIES: SMALL CHANGES CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE “If I had to share tips about taking care of health, they would be eat right and think right,” says Shubhangi Atre. P4 MAX 40.7°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 40.6°C | MIN 19°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.07 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:47 AM » SUNDAY | 27 APRIL 2025 | AMRITSAR PHOTOS: SUNIL KUMAR Pahalgam terror attack: Shopkeepers down shutters to express solidarity with victims Members of the SAD trade wing and Bhartiya Beopar Mandal hold a march; and (right) a deserted Katra Jaimal Singh market during the bandh call in Amritsar. Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 Shops in markets of the city were closed here on Saturday as part of the bandh call given by trade organisations and political outfits. In most markets, shopkeepers kept their shops closed throughout the day to express soli- darity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The Bhartiya Beopar Mandal and trade wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also took out marches in city bazaars and demanded from the Indian Government to take action against those involved in the terror attack. The protesters raised slo- gans against Pakistan and alleged that it was nurturing terrorist organisations. At places, protesters also burnt effigies and flags of Pakistan. Rajinder Singh Marwaha of the SAD trade wing said they condemn the violence against innocent tourists in Kashmir. He said it was the responsibility of the govern- ment to ensure safety of its citizens. Residents also expressed their anguish and demanded that whosoever was responsible for the ghastly act should be punished. Karamjit Singh Gill of Samvidhan Suraksha Samiti said it was time for the Indian Government to take strict action against terrorists and Pakistan. Employees of Health Department also expressed their resentment by wearing black badges while on duty. Employees’ leaders Shamsher Singh Kohri and Ashok Kumar said the government should investigate who all were involved in the violent act and take strict action against them. Property of six drug smugglers worth ~ 2.42 cr frozen in Tarn Taran district Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 26 The district police with the orders of authorities of the department concerned of the Union Government have frozen property worth Rs 2.42 crore of six drug smugglers. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhimanyu Rana said here today that of six drug smugglers five were residents of Mehandipur village under the Khemkaran police station and one of Havelian village under the Sarai Amanat Khan police station. The SSP said the orders issued by the appropriate authorities of the Union Government regarding freeze property was pasted on gates of residence of smugglers. Besides, a copy of orders was given to their families. The SSP said this year, property worth Rs 7 crore of 17 drug smugglers was frozen till date. “The value of frozen properties at Mehandipur village is Rs 40.80 lakh of Hardial Singh, alias Sewak, Rs 56.60 lakh of Baljit Singh Ladi, Rs 40.10 lakh of Arashdeep Singh Arash, son of Harpal The police hand over a copy of the order to freeze property to family members of a smuggler in Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI ❝Five out of six drug smugglers are residents ofstation Mehandipur village under the Khemkaran police and one of Havelian village under the Sarai Amanat Khan police station. Orders issued by the appropriate authorities of the Union Government regarding freeze property has been pasted on gates of residence of smugglers. ❞ Abhimanyu Rana, SSP, TARN TARAN Singh, Rs 38.45 lakh of Arashdeep Singh Arash, son of Sukhwant Singh, Rs 24.75 lakh of Gurmej Singh, and Rs 41.40 lakh property of Jodhbir Singh, a resident of Havelian village,” he said. The SSP said people must help the state government to make the campaign launched under “Yudh Nashian Virudh” a success. College teachers go on hunger strike, demand uniform implementation of 7th Pay Commission 34-yr-old man from Tarn Taran village dies in New Zealand Our Correspondent Heroin and weapon recovered by the police and the BSF personnel in Tarn Taran district. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI 2 kg heroin, pistol, damaged drone recovered from border villages Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 26 Smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the international border using drones continues in this border district. The Border Security Force (BSF) have seized 2 kg of heroin, a drone in damaged condition and a pistol from two different places in the district. A motorcycle was also impounded by the BSF on Friday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhimanyu Rana said here today that the BSF recovered 1.499 kg of heroin, a pistol and motorcycle near the Baba Peer border outpost (BOP) at Kalsian village on Friday night. Seventy-four packing material, hanging from a mango tree, was also recovered from the spot, he said. In another incident, the Khalra police headed by Sub- Inspector Amritpal Singh conducted a joint search operation of the police and BSF at Dall village. A packet of heroin weighing 558 grams, including 52 gram weight of the packing material, was recovered from a spot at the village. Two cases have been registered by the Khalra police under provisions of the NDPS Act, Aircraft Act and Arms Act in this connection. Amritsar, April 26 Teachers of BBK DAV College for Women today joined the local unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) of DAV College, Amritsar, in a day-long hunger strike to protest against the persistent non-fulfilment of their legitimate demands by the college management. The hunger strike was observed for roll back of autonomous status of HMV College, Jalandhar, and to get Seventh Pay Commission implemented from the DAV College managing committee. Teachers observed six-hour hunger strike to get their longpending demands approved from the managing committee. The Central Government had approved the Seventh Pay Commission in 2016. Even after nine years, college teachers are struggling for their rightful salaries. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Seema Jaitley, president, PCCTU and unit head of the college, said, “It is high time that genuine rights and long-pending Tarn Taran, April 26 A wave of shock engulfed the area when a family of Bharowal village received the news of death of its member in a road accident in New Zealand on Friday. The deceased was identified as Sukhkarman Singh Bharoal (34). DAV College teachers sit on a hunger strike in Amritsar on Saturday. demands of the teaching community should be fulfilled.” The PCCTU announced a series of protests across DAV Colleges in Punjab in response to the continued indifferent and discriminatory attitude of the DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi. Despite earlier symbolic protests organised by the DAV Colleges Coordination Committee, the administration failed to address teachers’ genuine and legitimate demands. The issues highlighted during the hunger strike, include the arbitrary grant of autonomous status to HMV College, Jalandhar, biased practices regarding the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for regular faculty, deductions in CPF on the basic salary of teachers appointed against 1,925 posts, delays in career advancement scheme (CAS) promotions and non-payment of arrears related to the CAS and salary matters in some colleges. Teachers will also hold a protest dharna at the DAV CMC headquarters in New Delhi on April 29. Additional demonstrations, including a protest at Punjab University, Chandigarh, on May 2, and an extended hunger strike by teachers of HMV College, Jalandhar, from April 30 to May 3, are planned. At DAV College, Amritsar, unit president, Dr Vikas Bhardwaj and secretary Prof Ashu Vij said, “Teachers are demanding uniform implementation of the revised pay commission, the application of a uniform CPF deduction policy for regular teachers, immediate approval of longpending CAS promotion cases and prompt payment of pending salaries in some colleges.” — TNS Sukhkarman Singh. FILE PHOTO His father Amrik Singh Raju said the family received the sad news on Friday from a friend of his son. The deceased was married and is survived by two-year-old son. Amrik Singh said his son left home in his vehicle for work when he met with an accident and died on the spot. He had gone to New Zealand 10 years ago and was well settled there. MC preparing proposal to outsource property tax collection 4-hour power supply irks farmers ❝ Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 The Municipal Corporation (MC) is preparing to privatise property tax collection in a bid to increase its revenue. A six-member committee has been formed to draft a request for proposal (RFP) aimed at outsourcing the task. The committee includes Additional MC Commissioner, Joint MC Commissioner, three Assistant MC Commissioners and a Deputy Controller of Finance and Accounts (DCFA). The committee will soon present a formal proposal to the Municipal Commissioner, after which it will be tabled in the next General House meeting of the civic body for approval. If the proposal gets the approval The office of the Municipal Corporation in Amritsar. of the MC House, tenders will be invited from private companies for property tax collection. Although no official deadline has been set for submitting the proposal, sources indicate that the plan to hand over tax recovery to private agencies is in its final stages. The move, however, has raised several questions. MC The Municipal Corporation has some officials who have been able to recover double the property tax amount as compared to last year, but they are being sidelined. Private firms can't compete with the experienced civic body staff. An MC official officials pointed out that the five city zones already had assistant commissioners, superintendents and inspectors who had consistently met and often exceeded the corporation's revenue targets by up to 10 per cent annually. This brings into question the very need for privatisation. Some officials working in the property tax wing of the MC ❞ claimed that efficient officials, who gave good results in the past, were being ignored. “The MC has some officials who have been able to recover double the property tax amount as compared to last year, but they are being sidelined. Private firms can't compete with the experienced MC staff,” said an MC official. c m y b The Congress leaders and councillors are also criticising the MC's move. Former Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi flayed the move, stating that when all property tax data was already recovered and available, why can't the existing municipal officials manage the collections themselves? He warned that privatisation would open the door to widespread blackmail. “If everything is privatised, what supervisory role will be left for government officers and staff? They might as well be privatised too,” Bakshi said. He alleged that private agents could demand bribes under the threat of placing properties under scrutiny. Bakshi said after bringing proposal to the MC House, a lengthy procedure would follow to scrutinise it. Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 Despite state government’s announcement of Rs 19,000 per hectare financial assistance for adoption of horticulture, farmers are sceptical about the success of such measures to enable them switch over from traditional crops (wheat and paddy) to cultivate fruits, vegetables, nuts and ornamental plants. Farmers say the power supply schedule and canal water release are still a priority for the paddy cultivation, leaving horticulturists and vegetable growers struggling to meet their crop needs. “It’s ironic that the government provides assured eighthour power supply during the paddy season, while our orchards require maximum irrigation during April and May when the trees are bearing flowers,” said Joginder Singh, a local horticulturist. He emphasised that the government’s policy on canal water and electricity supply for tubewells should consider needs of farmers growing crops other than wheat and paddy. Vegetable cultivators are also facing challenges, having to rely on costly diesel generators to run their tubewells due to reduced power supply hours. At present, the power supply schedule for tubewells has been reduced to four hours, from 4 am to 8 am, to prevent fires during wheat harvesting. Farmers complained that four-hour power supply was not even sufficient to irrigate an acre of land. Farmers said even during the supply time, there were repeated power outages which made their work even more difficult. “We need the power corporation to consider our needs as well. We’re not just paddy farmers,” said Jagtar Singh, a farmer. Lakhbir Singh Nizampura of the Vegetable Growers Association said, “Financial incentives are welcome, but marketing facilities are vital for farmers so that they can benefit from horticulture.” “The huge price difference between what farmers sell their vegetables for and what consumers pay indicates a need for a more streamlined market system,” Nizampura said. “We can cultivate orchards without this small incentive if we have proper marketing facilities,” he emphasised.