28062025-ATR-01.qxd 6/27/2025 11:39 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY GNDU TO OPEN FIRST OFFSHORE CAMPUS IN US STATE’S FIRST CINEMA HALL BREATHES ITS LAST TIMELESS REKHA RECREATES HER UMRAO JAAN LOOK Guru Nanak Dev University has approved a proposal to establish its first offshore campus in California, USA.P2 On June 15, 1915, Mahna Singh Naggi opened Punjab’s first cinema hall and named it Crown Cinema. P3 MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 26°C Director Muzaffar Ali and Rekha hosted a special re-release screening of the film on June 26 in Mumbai. P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:24 AM » SATURDAY | 28 JUNE 2025 | AMRITSAR Museum as storage room? Panaroma faces neglect Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 27 The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama is in a state of neglect, with the museum now being misused as a storage facility. Construction materials, garbage bins, brooms and sanitation equipment related to the Smart City project are lying stored inside the museum. Despite receiving around 20 to 50 visitors daily, most tourists leave disappointed due to the poor upkeep of the site. In the sweltering summer heat, with air-conditioners lying defunct, it becomes difficult to spend even a few minutes inside the museum. Makeshift fans have been installed in the main hall to provide some relief. The Panorama, an aesthetically designed cylindrical building located near the historic Summer Palace in Ram Bagh, was built in 2006 at a cost of Rs 5 crore by the National Council of Science A view of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama in Amritsar where goods have been stored in the halls of museum. The facility was handed over to the Municipal Corporation for upkeep. Museums, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was created to visually document and celebrate the life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The facility was later handed over to the Municipal Corporation, which is now using it as a storehouse. Large amounts of sanitation equipment, along with tractors and garbage trucks, are parked in the main green park area of the Panorama. Ironically, after spending a huge amount on repair and maintenance several times, there has been no change in the condition. Amit Kumar, a visitor from Jhansi, expressed his disappointment: “It looks more like a dump yard than a museum. We hired a taxi from the Golden Temple after seeing the Panorama listed as a tourist spot by the Tourism Department. But we were shocked to see bins and other sanitation material stored inside. It’s disheartening, the government is misleading tourists.” VISHAL KUMAR Advocate Kuljeet Singh, president of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Virasat Manch, strongly criticised the development: “The government should take back Ram Bagh from the Municipal Corpora- tion and hand it over to an agency concerned with heritage and tourism. The historic garden has been reduced to a parking lot, and the museum is being used as a storage room. What kind of cultural and heritage promotion is this?” Spl Gurmat programme The SGPC has announced it will organise a special Gurmat programme at Ram Bagh, which also houses the Summer Palace of the legendary Sikh King, on June 29 to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja ranjit Singh. The three-hour long religious programme will commence at 10 am. The decision was taken on the directions of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. After a Sikh jatha to Pakistan to observe the death anniversary was cancelled this time due to India-Pakistan hostilities, Sikh bodies and the Sangat approached the Akal Takht to observe it in Amritsar. Walkie-talkie for MC officials to boost sanitation Man dies, narrow escape for wife, son as bikes collide Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 27 In a significant move to enhance sanitation management in the city, Municipal Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh has distributed 10 GIS-based walkietalkie sets to officers of the Health Department. The initiative aims to streamline real-time communication among field personnel, ensuring faster response to sanitation issues and improving coordination on the ground. The walkie-talkies are pro- CHANGING WITH TIMES ■ 10 GIS-based walkie-talkie sets given to MC health officers. ■ Initiative aims to streamline communication among field personnel. ■ Walkie-talkies programmed with zone-specific frequencies. ■ Four sets given to health officers, two to chief sanitation officers, three to chief sanitary inspectors, and one to a senior official. grammed with zone-specific frequencies, allowing seamless contact with officers in different areas. The system ensures that messages can be relayed instantly to relevant officials, thereby strengthening the communication chain within the sanitation wing. It is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of cleanliness operations across the city. These 10 devices have been introduced on a trial basis. Their usage and impact will be monitored during this pilot phase. Based on the outcome, the Municipal Corporation is considering a broader rollout, which may include the purchase of more such devices. According to the current distribution plan, four walkie-talkies have been allotted to health officers, two to chief sanitation officers, three to chief sanitary inspectors, and one to a senior official. The devices are also equipped with GIS technology that supports location tracking and issue mapping. The feature is expected to enhance accountability, improve field-level coordination and speed up problem solving. MC Commissioner Aulakh emphasised that effective communication is a key component of urban cleanliness. He noted that the GIS-enabled system would help officers remain in constant contact, thereby ensuring timely action and better on-ground implementation.The initiative has been taken to modernise municipal functions through technology. If successful, similar systems may be extended to other departments within the Municipal Corporation to further improve urban governance, stated the MC Commissioner. Admn bans sale of methanol Youth leaves for USA via to check its potential misuse ‘dunki’ route, goes missing Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 27 Days after the hooch tragedy that claimed over 25 lives in several villages in Majitha assembly constituency here, the district administration has restricted the sale of methanol or methyl alcohol in the district in order to curb its potential misuse. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, in her orders issued today, said that some unscrupulous elements were indulging in the illegal trade of methanol which is also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol in the district and there was all possibility of its misuse. “Its misuse poses a serious threat to human life,” she said. Methanol is used as feedstock, solvent, fuel and anti-freeze substance. She pointed out that “in view of the risks associat- HOOCH TRAGEDY ed with methanol, it has been declared a poisonous substance under the Punjab Poisons Act, 2012.” Therefore, in order to prevent its unauthorised and unlicensed sale, the Deputy Commissioner while exercising her powers vested under section 163 of Bharatiya Nagrik Surksha Sanhita 2023, has completely banned the sale and delivery of methanol through courier services. Apart from this, unauthorised and unlicensed sale of methanol was also strictly prohibited and all authorised handlers and sellers of methanol will also have to submit their stock register and monthly stock information to the Assistant Commissioner of Excise and Taxation concerned in Amritsar. She directed the Assistant Commissioners (Excise & Taxation) to strictly monitor the compliance of the order. The DC also asked senior police officials including Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar (Rural), Maninder Singh and other concerned law enforcement agencies to take appropriate action to prevent the illegal sale and misuse of toxic substances and protect public health. The order will remain in effect from today until further orders. As many as 27 people, a majority of them daily wagers, lost their lives in several villages in Majitha here last month. During a probe, it was found that they had consumed spurious liquor manufactured using methanol which was purchased online. The police had arrested several persons, including two Delhi-based factory owners, who had supplied the methanol. Amritsar, June 27 Despite repeated instances of people being cheated by fake travel agents who send gullible youth on the dangerous ‘dunki’ route to reach USA in search of greener pastures, people are not learning their lessons. In a recent incident, a youth from Patalpuri village in Kathunangal area has been missing for the past six months. The victim Jeetpal had last spoken to his family around six months ago when he was yet to reach Mexico. The family sold their land and took loan from a commission agent to arrange Rs 44 lakh for sending their son. And now, they do not know the whereabouts of their son. Mukerian-based fake travel agent Ranjit Singh, a resident of Palaki village in Hoshiarpur, told him that he was held captive by ‘donkers’ who were seeking ransom for his release and to facilitate his further journey. Apart from Ranjit Singh, originally a garment trader, the Kathunangal police have booked Pallavi, a resident of Dina Nagar (Gurdaspur), who had introduced the family to him. The FIR was registered under section 318 (4) and 61 (2) of BNS added with section 13 of Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act that pertains to human smuggling activities. “We last heard from him on December 21, 2024, and since then there has been no contact with him,” said Inderpal, father of the victim youth. “We have given whatever amount we had and then Ranjit Singh demanded more money for releasing Jeetpal,” he said. He alleged that the accused were now threatening them. The family lodged a complaint with the police on May 12 and after a preliminary probe, the police registered a case on Tuesday (June 24). Jaswinder Singh, SHO, Kathunangal police station, said that the accused were yet to be arrested while further investigations in the case was in progress. BSF, Punjab Police arrest two drug smugglers in joint operation Amritsar, June 27 The Border Security Force, in a joint operation with Punjab Police, arrested five criminal elements including two drug peddlers and confiscated over 300 grams of heroin, two mobiles, a car and a bike from their possession. In a statement released on Friday, a BSF spokesman said that in a joint operation with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Punjab Police, two alleged smugglers were arrested while they were delivering the drug consignment near Khasa area. “As the team observed exchange of a suspicious packet between a motorcycle rider and an individual in a car, it acted swiftly and arrested both. A packet of suspect- ed heroin (gross weight 313 grams), two mobile phones, a motorcycle and a car have been seized from their possession,” said BSF officials. The two smugglers belonged to Shahura village and Jandiala Guru. c m y b In another intelligencebased operation, a proclaimed offender was arrested along with his two associates near Ajnala grain market. The accused were of Karailyan, Malikpur and Raipur villages. — TNS Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, June 27 A man died while his wife and three-year-old son had a narrow escape in a road accident near Dehra Sahib village on Thursday. The incident occurred after a head-on collision between two motorcycles. ASI Gurdev Singh of Goindwal Sahib police station said that the deceased has been identified as Gurjant Singh (28), a resi- The deceased has been identified as Gurjant Singh of Chaudhriwala village. dent of Chaudhriwala (Naushehra Pannua) village who was on way to Dehra Sahib on a motorcycle. Jaspreet Kaur, wife of the deceased, said they met with the accident as their motorcycle collided with another motorcycle. She said that her husband received serious injuries and was taken to a nearby private hospital where the doctors declared him dead. Jaspreet Kaur and her three-year-old son who were also on the motorcycle had a narrow escape. Ajay Singh, a resident of Lohar village who was driving the other motorcycle, has been booked under section 106 (1) and 81 of the BNS. He absconded from the spot.