04082025-ATR-01.qxd 8/3/2025 11:33 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C ~2.69-CRORE FINE COLLECTED FROM TICKETLESS PASSENGERS MC INTENSIFIES FOGGING AS DENGUE RISK INCREASES PUNJABI FILM GODDAY GODDAY CHA WINS AWARD Northern Railways’ Ferozepur division has collected Rs 2.69 crore from ticketless passengers. P2 The Municipal Corporation has ramped up its anti-mosquito measures across the city. P2 To be recognised at national level is a blessing, says Sonam Bajwa as film Godday Godday Chawins award. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.14 PM » SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.44 AM MONDAY | 4 AUGUST 2025 | AMRITSAR Farmers protest govt’s land pooling policy Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 3 Farmers and other sections of society affected by the state government’s proposed land pooling held a well attended meeting in a gurudwara in Chutala village on Sunday under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharash Committee, calling upon farmers not to get misled that the land was being pooled only in a few villages and not all villages across the state. The activists, while protesting against the state government, burnt the effigy of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. They also organised a motorcycle march in the villages of the area. Sawinder Singh Chutala, state leader of KMSC, Sarwan Singh Valipur and other leaders of the union, in their address on the occasion, called upon farmers MC removes encroachments near GNDH on Majitha Road Tribune News Service Farmers take out a motorcycle march to protest against the land pooling policy of the state government. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI not to get misguided by the statements of the state government that land only in a few villages was being pooled. The farmer leaders said that the state government was eyeing the chance to grab the land of the farmers without giving them compensation prior to acquiring the land. The leaders said that they would not allow the government officials to even step on their land without taking compensation. The farmers also organised a motorcycle march in the surrounding villages urging people to keep a close watch on their land. One lands in police net in Nawi Abadi murder case Amritsar, August 3 In an attempt to clear encroachments, the estate wing of the Municipal Corporation today removed a few unauthorised kiosks installed near Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) on Majitha Road. The drive was carried out under the directions of Joint MC Commissioner Jai Inder Singh, with Estate Officer Dharminderjeet Singh and his team leading the action in the morning hours. Using a ditch machine, the team dismantled kiosks set up illegally on government land. Officials stated that the action was in compliance with the orders of the court, which prohibits the installation of any kiosk on public or government property. Despite today’s action, a large number of unauthorised kiosks continue to occupy major portions of Majitha Road. The stretch from Ghala Mala Chowk to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital has long been plagued by encroachments, particularly by vendors selling cooked food, vegetables and fruits. These kiosks not only narrow the road but also lead to frequent traffic snarls, as the area experiences a high volume of vehicles throughout the day. Majitha Road is one of The estate wing of the MC remove unauthorised kiosks near Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on Majitha Road in Amritsar. the busiest stretches in the city, with important institutions like Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Government Medical College, ESI Hospital, Sacred Heart School, Government Polytechnic for Girls, and several densely populated colonies situated along it. Local residents and commuters have repeatedly raised concerns over the encroachments and the traffic hazards they pose. Officials acknowledged that earlier attempts to clear the road of unautho- Amritsar, August 3 The police have arrested one suspect in the killing of a man in Nawi Abadi in Kishan Kot area falling under Islamabad police station here yesterday. He was identified as Narinder Kumar while his wife Paina, his son Babak and daughter Gori who were also nominated in the FIR, are yet to be arrested. Vickey (38), a resident of the same locality, was killed by the accused with sharpedged weapons here yesterday. Babak and Vickey were friends and had returned De-addiction centre being run illegally at Asal village raided by police Commuters harried as road Panel formed to study plans for dug up near Putlighar Chowk Tung Dhab drain redevelopment Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service after visiting a religious shrine at Jammu, a day before the incident. Jasbir Singh said that as per the family members of the victim, the accused called them to their house and bolted it from inside. After sometime, they had a quarrel following which the accused killed him using a sword. He said that raids were on to nab the prime suspect. The family members alleged that Vickey and Babak were friends. Vickey, who used to live with his wife and children in Gate Hakima area, used to visit his house on a regular basis. They alleged that the accused also used to perform black magic. They said that after the murder, they started alleging that Vickey had molested their daughter which was totally untrue. They demanded the immediate arrest of Babak who fled away after the incident. Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 3 A team of the Patti Sadar police busted a de-addiction centre being run illegally in the border village of Assal on Saturday. One of the members of the management running the illegal centre has been arrested and his three associates are on the run. Sources revealed here on Sunday that the accused were running the illegal centre in the name of Naya Sawera Drug Foundation Rehabilitation Centre, Assal, where alternative drugs were being given to the patients during the treatment to make them dependent on their medicines rather than curing them. The members of the management used to lock addicts in a room and torture them in case they demanded medicine. The police team led by ASI Nirmal Singh arrested one Tejpal Singh, a resident of Mari Kamboke during the raid while his accomplices, Pawan Kumar Sharma of Nadala, Harpal Singh, a resident of Pandori Ran Singh and Paramjit Singh, a resident of Valtoha, managed to escape from the spot. Sub-inspector Vipin Kumar, SHO, Patti Sadar, said that he was unaware of the illegal de-addiction centre being busted in Assal village. The police said that the management has neither got any permission from the government nor were there qualified doctors. The accused have been booked under section 318 (2), 318 (4), 127 (2), 127 (3) and 127 (4) of the BNS. Amritsar, August 3 Despite repeated promises made during the past elections, there has been no concrete progress on addressing the issue of Tung Dhab drain. The residents of several colonies along the bypass continue to battle severe health issues due to the foul smell and polluted water from the Tung Dhab drain. The open drain originates near the bypass and passes through more than 100 residential localities, including Mahal village, Gumtala, Jujhar Singh Avenue, Ajnala Road, Defence Colony, Holy City, Swiss City, Gobind City, Anmol Enclave, DS Estate, Baba Darshan Singh Colony, Rose Avenue and Ashok Vihar. The portion of the road dug up near Putlighar Chowk in Amritsar. Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 3 The ongoing repair work on the road near Putlighar Chowk, one of the busiest market areas in the city, has turned into a nightmare for residents and shopkeepers alike. The slow pace of work, coupled with frequent showers, has made commuting difficult and has also affected local business. The road has been dug up, leaving a large trench in the middle of the street, making it challenging for vehicles to navigate through the area. The situation is further exacerbated by the presence of mud and debris on the road, which has become a hazard for pedestrians and motorists. The area is congested, with vehicles and pedestrians struggling to navigate through the narrow passage. Shopkeepers in the area are complaining of losing business due to the inconvenience caused by the repair work. “The slow pace of work is affecting our business badly. It’s been eight days already. We request the administration to speed up the work so that we can get back to normal,” said a local shopkeeper, Amanpreet Singh. He said that customers are avoiding this area due to the mess and it is impacting their sales. “We are losing our regular customers and it is a huge loss for us,” added another shopkeeper, Rakesh. Residents are also facing difficulties in commuting through the area, with many having to make detours to TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR avoid the congested road. “It is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate through this area. We hope the administration takes immediate action to complete the repair work at the earliest,” said a resident. The residents and shopkeepers have urged the administration to take immediate action to speed up the repair work and minimise the inconvenience being caused to them. The work should be completed as soon as possible to restore normalcy in the area, they demanded. “We request the authorities to deploy more manpower and resources to complete the work at the earliest. The current pace of work is unacceptable and is causing a lot of hardships to the people,” said a local resident Balkar Singh. c m y b The open drain originates near bypass and passes through 100 drains Residents of these areas report recurring cases of typhoid, malaria, dengue fever, kidney stones, and other water-and air-borne diseases attributed to the toxic waste flowing through the drain. During election campaigns, leaders of various political parties, including Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, promised a complete overhaul of the drain. However, nearly three years after the elections were held, no significant steps have been taken. Concerned residents pointed out that access to clean water has become a major issue, forcing many households to install borewells over 500 feet deep, an unsustainable and worrying trend. Residents have urged the administration to expedite efforts and end years of neglect that have turned the drain into a public health hazard. Officials of the district administration stated that a committee has been formed to evaluate the Tung Dhab drain redevelopment. Multiple departments are involved, and a detailed report has been sought. A decision will be taken based on the committee’s recommendations. Residents have urged the administration to expedite the efforts and end years of neglect that have turned the drain into a public health hazard. rised kiosks have met with limited success, as vendors often return within days of eviction. However, the estate wing has assured that enforcement actions will continue and also be intensified to reclaim public space and ensure smooth traffic movement on this critical road. Municipal Corporation officials have appealed to residents not to support or allow illegal encroachments, emphasising the need for collective responsibility in maintaining order and civic discipline in the city. Man accuses AAP leader of land grab Amritsar, August 3 Gurinder Singh, a resident of Rajasansi, has accused the Amritsar rural police of inaction while alleging that it has failed to take action against an AAP leader who wanted to grab his ancestral land. Gurinder Singh alleged that the accused leader along with his accomplices had attacked him and his advocate son Bikramjit Singh on July 27 when they had gone to the tube-well room in their fields. He said they also attacked his nephew who was tilling the fields at that time. He has submitted a complaint to the DIG (Border Range) for probe. Till now, the police have not registered an FIR or provided us any security, he added. The victim has also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for security. Police said it was a land dispute and a probe was in progress. — TNS Hind-Pak Dosti Manch to hold candlelight vigil at Attari-Wagah joint check-post Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 3 With a fervent appeal to Pakistan to stop sending drugs and weapons from its soil to Indian territory through drones, the HindPak Dosti Manch has announced to hold candlelight vigil at Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post on the intervening night of August 14 and 15. Even as relations between India and Pakistan continue to remain frozen, the Manch in association with farmers, employees and writers’ organisations, decided to hold programmes encouraging peace and harmony between the nucleararmed neighbours. Hind-Pak Dosti Manch, Folklore Research Academy, SAFMA and Punjab Jagriti Manch will hold an IndiaPakistan summit at Khalsa College here on August 14. Addressing the gathering, Folklore Research Academy general secretary Satnam Singh Manak said all those organisations which are keen to have close and harmonious relations between the two countries were coming together to hold the event. He said these programmes would offer them an opportunity to appeal to governments to resolve all their bilateral issues peacefully through dialogue. He asserted that they were against war between the two countries as bloodshed does not solve any issue but exaggerate them. At the same time, he strongly criticised the massacre of innocent tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam and appealed to the government of Pakistan to stop patronising terrorist organisations. Folklore Research Academy president Ramesh Yadav informed that this year, they would be holding the 30th edition of the Indo-Pak Friendship conference in which important personalities from the country and abroad and peace lovers from different corners of Punjab will participate. There will be a seminar on the current state of relations between India and Pakistan at Khalsa College. After this, candles will be lit in favour of peace and friendship and against war and terrorism on the intervening night of August 14-15 at the border.