15072025-ATR-01.qxd 7/14/2025 10:37 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLOUDY/RAIN NEWLY BUILT COWSHED OPENED AT OLD FOCAL POINT RAIN DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE IN TARN TARAN RANDEEP HOODA HAS FOUND A NEW CREATIVE CALLING The Focal Point Industrial Welfare Association has initiated construction of an additional cowshed. P2 Rain in Tarn Taran district disrupted normal life and impacted the livelihood of daily wage earners. P2 MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C He said while acting remains his first love, writing has emerged as most rewarding part of his creative process. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7.36 PM » SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.36 AM TUESDAY | 15 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR KMSC holds protests across 14 districts over govt move to privatise power utility Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 14 The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) held a protest against the alleged government move to privatize the electricity department here on Monday. The protests were led by state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra and state general secretary Rana Ranbir Singh. Sukhwinder Singh said protests were held across 14 districts of the state, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana. The state leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee condemned the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government’s move to privatise the electricity board. They alleged that the government is misleading the public through propaganda while working against their interests. The leaders criticised the Electricity Act 2003, which allows private companies to earn at least 16 per cent profit and gives them permission to generate and supply electricity. They claimed that under agreements, the government is purchasing electricity from private companies at higher rates, Non-functional lifts at hospital’s child care centre irk visitors Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Members of farmer unions during a protest in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR indirectly looting the public of their tax money. Sukhwinder Singh demanded that the government should cancel the power purchase agreements and stop selling the electricity board to private companies. He alleged that the government had promised to cancel these agreements before forming the government but has failed to do so. The leaders also opposed the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, which proposes to revise electricity rates and give private companies the right to decide and supply electricity. They claimed that the Bill is designed to benefit private companies at the expense of the public. The leaders criticised the government’s decision to install prepaid meters in homes and government institutions, saying it will further burden the public. They demanded that the government should focus on providing affordable and reliable electricity to people rather than privatising the electricity board. The protesters also opposed the land pooling policy adopted by the Punjab Govern- ment and signing of tax-free trade agreement between India and America reasoning that it would destroy the agriculture sector. Dharnas in Tarn Taran The district unit of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, staged a daylong dharna in front of the local circle office of the Powercom here on Monday against the move of the Union and the state government against the privatisation of Powercom. In spite of the day-long continued on page 2 Amritsar, July 14 Patients and their attendants at Bebe Nanaki Mother and Child Health Care Centre in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) are a harried lot as only one lift is functional there while two others, including those for staff members, were non-functional. There is also no ramp in the building, thereby amplifying the problems of the visitors. “How can an expecting mother climb the stairs in case of an emergency situation when only one lift is occupied? Will she climb the stairs to reach the labour room or other wards,” asked Sushil Kumar, an attendant who came with a newborn child for examination. During a visit to the hospital, the patients, including their attendants, were found waiting in queues outside the only lift functional while a couple of middle-aged women, who had come to meet patients, were seen climbing the stairs with difficulty. The centre was inaugurated in November 2011 by the then SAD government. How- District Bar Association, police Hotelier booked for on the warpath in Gurdaspur abetting flesh trade racket, two nabbed Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, July 14 The Gurdaspur District Bar Association (DBA) and the local police are on the warpath with lawyers not approving the decision of the police to transfer Dinanagar SHO Amritpal Singh to the Police Lines. Instead, they have demanded an FIR to be registered against him and also want him to be placed under suspension. Apart from shifting the SHO, SSP Aditya has also initiated a departmental inquiry against him. However, the DBA, which went on an indefinite strike today against the action of the SHO of arresting Pawan Kumar from the chamber of lawyer Dilbagh Singh Saini, a few days ago, were not satisfied. Pawan Kumar is a disabled ex-Army man. The SHO, at that time, had claimed that he had arrested Pawan Kumar because there was an FIR registered against him and that he was on the Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Lawyers in the Gurdaspur SSP office. wanted list of the police. The lawyers said that shifting an officer to the Police Lines “is no punishment”. DBA president Raj Paul Singh said they were very clear that they want an FIR against him apart from placing him under suspension. The SHO’s action had invited the ire of the lawyers’ fraternity and consequently all of them came on a joint platform to confront this action of the cops. Today, lawyers from Batala subdivision said they will also be joining the strike tomorrow. Dilbagh Singh Saini had also claimed that the SHO had spoken in a threatening tone and said “a case should also be registered against you advocates for sheltering criminals in their chambers”. A delegation led by Raj Paul Singh met SSP Aditya at the District Police Office (DPO) today. A senior advocate claimed “transfer and departmental inquiry” were not a punishment “while an FIR and suspension was the real punishment”. Raj Paul Singh said he added that he had convened a meeting of the DBA tomorrow to sort out the issue. Amritsar, July 14 Tightening the noose around hotels allegedly involved in flesh trade rackets, the city police have booked a hotel owner and arrested two persons, including its manager, in this connection. The hotel owner was identified as Vinod Kumar, a resident of Kad Gill Khurd village in Tarn Taran. He was yet to be arrested. This was the fourth such case in recent past. Among those arrested were Sahil, a resident of Sundar Nagar, who is manager of the hotel and a Delhi resident, Himanshu of Tilak Nagar area, in New Delhi. Amandeep Kaur, SHO, Division A police station, said the police got a tip-off that Deep Hotel located near Hussainpura Chowk, was owned by Vinod Kumar and that he along with his manager was luring and pushing innocent girls into flesh trade. Following this, a case under section 3, 4 and 5 of Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act was registered against the three accused. She said that a raid was immediately conducted and the police arrested Sahil and Himanshu from the spot. Raids were on to nab the suspects, she said. Evidentially, the Hussainpura chowk is also located near the interstate bus terminus (ISBT). Recently, a video of an RTI activist had gone viral in which he highlighted rampant flesh trade rackets flourishing in hotels located near the bus stand in connivance with the police which did not raid these hotels because of their ‘setting’. Many hotels near the bus stand had come under the scanner later on. The police launched a crackdown and registered several FIRs in this regard. Parts of a damaged lift dumped on the ground floor of the Bebe Nanaki Mother and Child Health Care Centre in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR ever, within some years, the centre associated itself with Government Medical College but has now started showing signs of aging because of lack of maintenance and upkeep by the authorities and the government as well. One of the lifts near the stairs was closed after a mishap when it fell, claiming the life of a man over a year ago. The parts of the damaged lift, apart from doors, were dumped on the ground floor which gave it a shabby look. Apart from this, the visitors also complained of inadequate arrangements for the attendants who were seen sitting or lying on the ground outside the different wards, including paediatric, of the nine-storey building. They brought folding beds and bedding from their homes to stay with their kin admitted to different wards of the centre. While pointing towards the cockroaches ‘roaming’ on the walls and near the fire extinguishing system, people also complained of unhygienic conditions at the centre. Ideally, the hospital should have been free of pests, but here they can be seen frequently. Dr Karamjit Singh, Medical Superintendent, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH), could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts. Three killed in road accident Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 14 Three persons were killed when the car they were travelling in rammed a tractor trolley moving ahead of it here on Sunday evening. The three victims were killed on the spot. Three others, who were on a tractor trolley, were also injured in the mishap. The deceased were identified as Bikram Singh (18) of New Amritsar, Manish Kumar (35) of Guru Amardass Colony and Kamalpreet Singh of Bhalla Colony. Bikram Singh was the grandson of a petrol pump owner, Avtar Singh. The petrol station is located on the Amritsar-Attari road. The bodies were handed over to the family members who urged the police not to initiate any action in this connection. According to the police, the trio was going from Khasa to the Attari side when the incident took place near Thodi village. The police said Bikram Singh was driving the car at The tractor involved in the accident on the Amritsar-Attari road. a very high speed. They could not control and consequently rammed the rear of the tractor-trolley. The impact was so strong that their car struck beneath the tractor trolley and was badly damaged. The trolley also got detached from the tractor and turned turtle. Bikram Singh was the only son of the family and his father had already died. Manish and Kamalpreet used to work at the filling station. Manish is survived by wife and two minor children. Setback for commuters as Metro bus service withdrawn Restart water supply schemes lying shut for long, officials told Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 14 The Metro bus service, which was partially resumed in December last year, has unfortunately been withdrawn again. The Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) project, built at a cost of nearly Rs 550 crore, had a fleet of 92 buses. The dedicated route was designed to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution. The bus service was started in the year 2016 under the Central Government project. Initially facing a few hiccups as infrastructure was incomplete, the bus service had gradually grown popular among residents. However, the first major trouble came in July 2023 A view of the BRTS road in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR when the bus service, despite having a daily ridership of 45,000 passengers, was stopped. Though partial serv- ices were resumed on the route till Chehharta in December last year, residents had hoped that the govern- ment would revive the public transport system to address traffic chaos and pollution. For students and working people, the Metro bus service was a lifeline. It was an economical and convenient way to commute to schools, colleges and workplaces. Many students, who relied on the Metro bus service to reach their educational institutions, are now forced to spend more on private transportation, adding to their financial burden. The Metro bus service was not only a cost-effective option but also a reliable one. It helped reduce traffic congestion and pollution, making the city a better place to live. The discontinuation of the service has left residents disappoint- c m y b ed and concerned about the lack of efficient public transportation in the city. “The city at present has no convenient public transport. Auto rickshaws are the only means available, but these lead to traffic chaos. Restarting the bus service would be a boon for the city,” expressed Joginder Singh, a senior citizen. With a growing population and increasing traffic congestions, a reliable public transport system is essential to reduce pollution and make cities more livable. The government needs to take immediate action to revive the Metro bus service or provide alternative public transportation options to meet the needs of the city’s residents, they added. Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 14 The district administration has directed the Rural Development and Panchayat Department and Water Supply Department to restart water supply schemes in the district which have been lying shut for a long time. The schemes, which were stopped due to lack of repair, left many residents without access to clean water. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, in a meeting with officials, emphasised the importance of providing clean water to the people of villages and towns, stating that the government’s investment of crores in building water tanks and repairing them should not go waste. The Deputy Commissioner directed the officials of the Panchayat Department to complete the repair work of 60 closed water supply schemes immediately in various blocks of the district. The officials were asked to raise necessary funds for the repair and ensure that the schemes are restarted soon. The panchayats will be responsible for maintaining the schemes and ensuring water supply to the residents, she said. According to officials of the department, 60 water supply schemes were closed in various blocks of the district due to lack of repair. The blocks affected include Majitha, Harsha Chhina, Chogawan, Ajnala, Verka, Raiya, Tarsikka and Jandiala Guru. The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Paramjeet Kaur, DDPO Sandeep Malhotra, XENs Harinder Singh, Charanjit Singh, and officers of other departments. The DC emphasised the importance of coordination between departments to ensure the successful implementation of water supply schemes in the district.