07072025-ATR-01.qxd 06-07-2025 22:13 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune JUDGES LEAD GREEN INITIATIVE WITH PLANTATION DRIVE AKALI DAL (WARIS PUNJAB DE) PEOPLE’S 1ST CHOICE: LEADERS Leaders claim that the party is fast becoming the first choice of people across all sections of Punjab. P2 GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C NASEER’S FACEBOOK POST THAT VANISHED Judges of the Amritsar Sessions Division have come together to plant saplings at various locations. P2 FORECAST Naseeruddin Shah’s vanished Facebook post sparks debate on art, freedom & censorship. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.38 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:31 AM » MONDAY | 7 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR SAD leader leaving for Mohali to support Majithia detained Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ward number 43 councillor Inderjit Singh Pandori was reportedly detained by the police while he was leaving for Mohali to show support for senior SAD leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Pandori claimed that when he, along with other SAD leaders and supporters, was leaving for Mohali, the cops from the B-Division police station intercepted and detained them at their homes. He alleged that the local authorities had been pressuring him over the past week not to attend the Mohali gathering. Despite this, Pandori remained defiant, stating that the Punjab Government’s attempts to demoralise him and his supporters would not succeed. “The Akali Dal and its supporters are in ‘charhdi kala’ (high spirits), and no force can shake our resolve,” Pandori said before his detention. The SAD strongly condemned the police action, terming it an attack on democratic rights and freedom of assembly. Party leaders are Akali leader Inderjit Singh Pandori and a few other leaders at his house after police detention. expected to raise the issue at the higher level in the coming days. The police also detained several prominent SAD leaders and workers in different parts of the state in the morning to prevent them from heading toward Mohali. Monu, son of SAD councillor Nagwant Kaur, stated that he was already out of the house when the local police called his family to inquire about his whereabouts. He also criticised the government’s action against Majithia’s supporters. The Vigilance Bureau (VB) had arrested Majithia from his Amritsar house on June 25 in a case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was brought to Mohali the next day. The court had initially sent him to a seven-day VB remand, which was later extended by four days. Today, the Mohali court sent Majithia to judicial custody after the end of his fourday remand. He has been lodged in New Jail, Nabha, till July 19. MC organises property tax camp, collects over ~1.71 lakh Amritsar, July 6 Following the directives of the Commissioner and Joint Commissioner, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation organised a two-day tax collection camp in Roop Nagar, which concluded today. The camp was held to help residents and shopkeepers in availing the benefits of Punjab Government’s One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, which offers tax payment without penalties or interest. Under the guidance of Secretary Sushant Bhatia, a team, led by supervision of Superintendent Raj Kumar and Inspector Sita Ram, facilitated the smooth conduct of this camp under the Property Tax Department (Central Zone). The initiative received an enthusiastic response from the public, with several local residents and traders clearing their pending property tax dues. On July 4, a total of 76 Property Tax Receipts (PTRs) were issued, collecting Rs 82,702. On July 5, 54 PTRs were issued, bringing in Rs 88,973. In total, the camp recorded 130 transactions and deposited Rs 1,71,675 into the Municipal Corporation’s account. Ward in-charges Lakhwinder Singh, Baljeet Singh, Rishi Sareen and Pradeep Shori were also present. — TNS Peddler arrested, 1.2 kg drug, pistol seized Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 The Amritsar Rural Police arrested one person with a substantial quantity of narcotics and illegal arms during a special operation near Jagdev Khurd village here today. Acting on a tip-off, the special cell of Amritsar Rural Police arrested Ravinder Singh, a resident of Kakkar village under Lopoke police station. The accused was apprehended near a canal bridge at Jagdev Khurd with 1.227 kg of ice drug (methamphetamine), a Glock pistol, an unregistered Hyundai i20 car and a mobile phone. The operation was carried out under the supervision of SSP Maninder Singh and DSP Ajnala Gurvinder Singh. Providing further details, DSP Gurvinder Singh stated that the accused and his accomplice Armandeep Singh, a resident of Lodhi Gujjar village (Lopoke police station), were believed to be in contact with Pakistani smugglers and were involved in large-scale drug trafficking across Punjab. The police laid a naka near the canal bridge based on the tip-off and manage to arrest Ravinder Singh. His associate Armandeep Singh managed to evade arrest. A case has been registered at Ajnala police station under Sections 21(C), 22(C), 25, 29, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. Students at Government Medical College protest against the use of playground as helipad. After students’ protest, plan to build helipad on college playground shelved Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 After a protest by students and faculty at Government Medical College here recently, the local administration has decided not to use the college playground for setting up a helipad for the helicopter of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during his visit to the city next time. The administration has also announced that the temporary helipad being set up at the place would be removed by Wednesday. The students and faculty at the college stated that the college was being frequently used by the government to land the Chief Minister’s helicopter. Archit Bawa, president of the Government Medical College Students’ Association, said, “The college has only one playground. Owing to its use for landing of a helicopter, the sports infrastructure MOVEMENT RESTRICTED ❝ Students have to go to their classes and other places of duty even at night. The restrictions on movement are imposed two days prior to the visit of a VIP and remain in force for some time even after the VIP has left. ❞ — A FACULTY MEMBER gets damaged every time.” He said the VIP protocol also forced restrictions on the movement of students and faculty. The students stated that hostels of female and male students are located on the periphery of the playground. “Students have to go to their classes and other places of duty even at night. The restrictions on movement are imposed two days prior to the visit of the VIP and remain in force for some time even after the VIP has left,” said a faculty member. Though the college ground had been used for the landing of a helipad earlier too, but this time, the move to install permanent structures on the ground had forced the students to raise their voice. “We are being told that a permanent helipad would be set up here. It means that there would be no playground anymore,” said another student. The students alleged that the sprinkler system installed on the ground was often damaged due to the movement of security vehicles on the ground. They complained that the students are not allowed to use their two-wheelers whenever security forces are in the college due to the visit of a VIP. Officials of the administration stated that no permanent helipad is being set up at the place. They stated that the structures on the ground, formed mainly of bricks, would be removed soon. A short stretch, but commuters’ nightmare One arrested Road connecting GT Road, Hall Bazaar near Old Sabji Mandi full of potholes for stealing cash from Manmeet Singh Gill gurdwara Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 A short stretch of road connecting the GT Road and Hall Bazaar near Old Sabji Mandi has become a nightmare for commuters. The road, which always gets submerged after a spell of rain, is riddled with potholes that remain hidden under water, posing a serious threat to commuters’ lives, especially at night. Though most of the residents are aware of the situation, as the road is flooded after every rain, outsiders are often caught off guard. With the onset of an early monsoon, the road is already in a pool-like state, and after every short spell of rain the situation is same. Even as the municipal corporation officials have appointed employees to oversee the condition of various roads, the apathy towards this stretch has exacerbated the situation, with rainwater remaining accumulated since the first rain of the season. Local shopkeepers have taken matters into their own hands, using stones and makeshift signs to alert drivers, especially three-wheeler operators, who often get stuck in these deep potholes. Commuters are forced to Our Correspondent The link road connecting the GT Road with the Hall Bazaar in Amritsar has remained waterlogged since the start of the monsoon. find alternative routes or drive over scattered garbage heaps or use footpaths, causing inconvenience, particularly to those unfamiliar with the area. “It is a deadly stretch for outsiders who are unaware of the road’s condition,” said Rajesh Kumar, a fruit seller. He said that the vehicles often get stuck here, and some are even towed away. Residents demand that the municipal corporation should at least install warning signs to inform commuters about the hazardous road conditions. “If finding the source of flooding is too challenging, putting up a warning board can be a helpful alternative,” said Jaswant Singh, a local resident. They have urged senior officials to take immediate action to address this critical issue and ensure com- muter safety. The road is used by commuters to get to Hall Bazaar from the bus stand side. Besides, the submerged road has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, adding to the health concerns of the residents. The situation demands immediate attention from the authorities to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of commuters. c m y b Tarn Taran, July 6 The Chabal police on Saturday arrested a person for stealing offerings (cash) from Gurdwara Baba Inder Das, Thathgarh, late on Friday night. The accused has been identified as Daljit Singh, a resident of Thatha village. The incident was brought to the notice of the management when a granthi came to the gurdwara on Saturday morning for routine duty to perform ‘nitnem’ (path). Baba Nirmal Singh, organiser of the gurdwara management, in his complaint to the police said that according to the video recording of the Close circuit TV cameras installed in the complex, the accused entered the gurdwara complex around 1.05 am and with an iron rod of a mike broke open the golak of the gurdwara and stole Rs 10,000 approximately and fled the spot. ASI Jatinder Singh of Chabal police said that the accused had been booked under Sections 331(4) and 305 (A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney and other officials during a visit to the Heritage Street in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Road adoption scheme launched, 41 stretches identified in 1st phase Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 6 In a bid to make the roads of cities and towns in the district safe and more commuter friendly, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, has launched a road adoption campaign, wherein all senior administration officials have been asked to look after the road assigned to them. The initiative aims to ensure that the roads in the district are safe for commuting and provide a comfortable journey to the people. As part of the campaign, senior officers, including additional deputy commissioners, SDMs and tehsildars will be responsible for adopting 10km stretches of roads in cities and towns. They will oversee the maintenance of these roads, including repairs, plantations and installation of safety features such as streetlights, reflectors and information boards. The officers will also be responsible for identifying areas prone to road accidents and taking measures to prevent these. The campaign will be implemented in consultation with the traffic police to ensure that the roads are safe for commuters. In the first phase, 41 roads have been identified for adoption in the district. The Deputy Commissioner expressed hope that the campaign would be successful and extended to all cities and towns, providing safety and comfort to the people. Sawhney said that the initiative was a step towards improving the infrastructure and safety of the roads in the district, and it is expected to make a significant difference in the lives of commuters. By adopting roads and taking responsibility for their maintenance, the officers are expected to play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and comfort of the people, she added.