25092025-ATR-01.qxd 9/24/2025 11:32 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS CHECK INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES OF KIDS FATTY LIVER DISEASE BECOMES A SILENT EPIDEMIC INDIAN FILM FEST OF SYDNEY TO SHOWCASE RESTORED SHOLAY Students from the Psychology Department of GNDU along with an NGO assessed intellectual abilities of children. P2 Dr Aseem Watts, associate consultant gastroenterology, highlights prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. P3 MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C The IFFS has announced that the newly restored version of Sholay to be its centrepiece film this October. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 6.22 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.20 AM » THURSDAY | 25 SEPTEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR 52-yr-old dies in road mishap Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 24 Amarjit Singh, a resident of Dharamkot village, was allegedly run over by a tipper at Ramdass border town in Ajnala subdivision here on Wednesday. The driver tried to speed away from the spot, but was stopped after a chase by a security vehicle of a local political leader. The deceased was identified as Amarjit Singh (52) of Ghaniye Ke Bet village. He along with his wife Harjit Kaur was returning home when the tipper truck allegedly hit the bike they were riding. While Harjit Kaur fell on a side, Amarjit’s head was run over by the tipper. He died on the spot. Agyapal Singh, SHO, Ramdas police station, said the tipper driver was returning after unloading earth at Ghonewal Dhussin Bundh when the incident took place. He said driver Sarwan Singh of Mehta village in Dera Baba Nanak was arrested by the police and a case has been registered. BSF, NCB personnel arrest two smugglers with heroin in dist Farmers upset as wild boars from across border damage crops Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Two suspects in custody of BSF jawans in Amritsar. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 24 In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) successfully arrested two narcotics smugglers here on Tuesday evening. The coordinated action led to the recovery of heroin and the seizure of a motorcycle. Acting on credible intelligence by the NCB, BSF and NCB personnel launched a swift operation in the Khasa market area, resulting in the arrest of two suspects. Officials confirmed that a packet of heroin weighing 365 grams was recovered from their possession. Besides, a motorcycle used in the illicit trade was also seized. Those arrested have been identified as Akashbir and Jodhbir Singh, both residents of Chawinda Khurd village in Amritsar. They would be produced in a court, said NCB sources while adding that certain big names have cropped up during their preliminary probe. “Both the suspects are currently in the custody of the NCB,” said the NCB sources. Amritsar, September 24 Already reeling under the devastating floods and erosion of farmland, farmers cultivating fields across the barbed fence along the International Border with Pakistan are now facing fresh losses. They are worried as wild boars from across the border are damaging their remaining paddy crop. Farmers say while wild boars continue to destroy standing crops, they are helpless as the Border Security Force (BSF) does not allow installation of electric cobra wires to prevent their entry and the government rules prohibit the killing of such animals. “Wild boars from Pakistan enter Indian territory along water bodies, including Sakki Nallah, a seasonal rain-fed stream, and the Ravi river,” said Harjit Singh, a farmer Wild boars from Pakistan enter Indian territory along water bodies, including Sakki Nallah and the Ravi. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR from Kakkar village. He said the recent floods had washed away temporary fences, facilitating the entry of animals into fields. “Only 20 per cent of the crop has survived the floods and now even that is being destroyed by wild boars,” he rued. Jasbir Singh, another farmer, said wild patches across the barbed fence were acting as a corridor for wild animals. “Since we are not allowed to go across the fencing from dusk to dawn, our crops remain unattended. Every year, herds of Pakistani wild boars enter and destroy the standing paddy,” he said, adding that earlier farmers had used cobra wire for protection, but the practice was later banned on security grounds. Ratan Singh Randhawa said around 2,000 acres of land belonging to the Forest Department, the Punjab Government, and other agencies lay unattended across the fencing. “A thick wild growth has turned these tracts into ideal hiding spots for wild boars. The government must frame a policy to tackle this menace that is inflicting huge losses on farmers,” he urged. Farmers cultivating tracts across the fencing, who had already seen their livelihoods battered by the floods, now fear their surviving harvest may not withstand the marauding herds. Car dealers, pharma, brick kilns Police nab peddler Pingalwara provides relief items demand relief amid GST reshuffle with 6 kg heroin in flood-hit areas across Ravi Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 24 The reduction in GST has delighted consumers, boosting their buying power and fueling brisk sales across many sectors. Yet some industries claim they were overlooked as the government unveiled the new rates. Car dealers, brick kilns, and pharmaceutical firms are now facing losses, contending that the Centre did not protect their interests during the tax restructuring. On behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, Amit Kapur says the new slab structure produces a serious mismatch: raw materials (chemicals) still attract 18 per cent GST, while finished products are taxed at 5 per cent. Earlier, companies purchased inputs at 18 per cent and sold finished goods at 12 per cent, a differential of 6 per cent. That gap was manageable. But now, the 13 point difference must be recovered through input tax credit (ITC). Given that profit margins in the competitive generic medicines market are already slim, firms must await government ITC disbursals — often delayed by more than two months — just to realize earnings. Brick kiln operators echo similar frustrations. According to Mukesh Nanda, procurement of coal and other raw materials is now taxed higher, while the sale of bricks faces a lower GST. As a result, kiln operators will increasingly depend on ITC and must contend with heavier paperwork and refund delays. Car dealers handling vehicles over 1,200 cc are also voicing objections. The government has removed the 17 per cent compensation cess, but many dealers still hold inventory purchased under the old regime. They fear their stock will suffer losses, as the prior cess paid may not be recoverable. While consumers are enjoying benefits — hotel room tariffs are expected to fall, and railway approved bottled water prices have already been reduced (for example, 1litre Rail Neer from Rs 15 to Rs 14) — these industries argue the transition costs are too heavy. Officials have stated that industry feedback will be monitored and “pain points” addressed, but for now these sectors are demanding clear transitional rules, faster refunds, and mechanisms to adjust or carry forward legacy tax burdens. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 24 Cracking the whip against cross-border drug smuggling, the Amritsar Rural Police on Tuesday night arrested a notorious peddler with 6 kg of heroin, a motorcycle and a mobile phone. The accused has been identified as Jobanpreet Singh, a resident of Narli village falling under the Khalra police station in Tarn Taran district. While examining his mobile phone, it was found that Jobanpreet was in touch with Pakistani smugglers and was tasked with delivering the contraband to different parts of Punjab. “The police said a tip-off revealed that he was going towards the city for delivering the consignment of contraband. Acting swiftly, a team WAS IN TOUCH WITH PAKISTANI PEDDLERS ■ While examining his mobile phone, it was found that Jobanpreet was in touch with Pakistani smugglers and was tasked with delivering the contraband to different parts of Punjab. intercepted him near the Khasa bridge while he was riding a Splendor motorcycle and recovered the heroin from his possession,” said Attari DSP Lakhwinder Singh. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at the Gharinda police station. He was produced in a court and brought on police remand for further interrogation. Officials confirmed that further investigation is on to trace the forward and backward links of the racket. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 24 A team of the All India Pingalwara Charitable Society led by its director Dr Inderjit Kaur visited flood-affected areas in Ramdas and Ajnala. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, AAP’s suspended MLA from Amritsar North, too accompanied the team that attempted to reach most affected areas and provide immediate assistance to affected families on priority. The team of Pingalwara society brought with it a huge amount of essential relief material, especially fodder for animals, clothes for affected families, blankets, dry milk, some food items and gas-chulha cylinders for cooking. Providing medical relief to sick people on the spot was PEOPLE WERE GIVEN TETANUS VACCINES ■ Providing medical relief to sick people on the spot was an important part of this mission and hundreds of people were given tetanus and hepatitis B vaccines, along with other necessary medicines. The Pingalwara society organised a medical camp to prevent the spread of diseases in the flood-affected areas. an important part of this mission and hundreds of people were given tetanus and hepatitis B vaccines, along with other necessary medicines. The Pingalwara society organised a medical camp to prevent the spread of diseases in the flood-affected areas. The team faced difficulty in reaching villages across the Ravi as the only bridge connecting them to the mainland has been washed away. “From Makora Pattan across the Ravi, passing through various villages like Toor, Chib, Bharyal, Lasian Via and Dera Kajal, the journey had to be made first by boat and then by tractors due to high water levels. Local villagers played a vital role by providing their tractors and trolleys and ensured that relief materials and medicines reached every needy person in their villages,” said Dr Inderjit Kaur. She said fulfilling the mission set forth by its founder, Bhagat Puran Singh, Pingalwara stands ready to provide a ray of hope to the needy. The Pingalwara society promised to provide motorboats to people there. After the deluge: Schools turn a place for collaborative healing for students of border villages Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 24 For 16-year-old Gurpreet Singh, life is not the same. It probably never was. After the chaos caused by the devastating floods, he is scrambling to find a sense of normalcy and his school provides it with a side of security, at least for the six-odd hours in a day. A student of Class X at Government Senior Secondary School, Gaggomahal, Gurpreet has lost most of his books in the chaos of floods, but hopes to complete the academic session and take boards. “We have lost everything. My house has big cracks and one of the walls has sunken keeping us worried every minute whether it may fall. I was looking forward to coming to school, I have my friends here. They too have stories like mine,” he said. Gurpreet hails from Bedi Chinna village, a few kilometres away from Gaggomahal and this is the only senior secondary school nearest to his village. While Gurpreet wants to complete his studies, his elder brother Sarabjeet has to Books and other learning material lie destroyed at a goverment school, Kotli Kotutana, in Ajnala; (right) Students attend class at a school in Gaggomahal village on Wednesday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR make a hard choice. “I have to drop out now that I am working as a daily wage earner. We lost our father and elder brother to accidents and after them, I am the only one who can provide for the family,” shared Sarabjeet. The brothers have an elder sister, who studied till Class V and now helps their elderly mother at home. “We don’t know how things will be but I really want to complete school,” said tearyeyed Gurpreet when asked to recall the floods. Post floods, schools have become a vital space for recovery, learning and healing for children. This is the reason why most of the primary and senior secondary schools across the affected border belt c m y b in Ajnala and Ramdas has high attendance after the schools reopened. Despite the children losing their books in the floods, the spirit and determination to learn and continue their studies has never been stronger for them. “I was waiting for my school to open. When I was at home, I used to feel scared that I might not see my friends again or if my parents would shift us to my maternal aunt’s village nearby. We were staying there till the water in our home receded,” said Sharandeep Kaur, a Class VIII student of Government School, Pandori. While schools are trying to help prevent the disruption in education and rebuild a community scattered by the floods, it’s a collaborative recovery. Many schools have been damaged in floods and now have to rely on locals’ help to sustain. Like the Government Primary Smart School, Kotli Korotana, a quaint village just a few kilometres away from the International Border in Ajnala. With 28 students, most of whom belong to the village and had their belongings and homes washed away in floods, the two teachers at the school made sure that return to school was not just comfortable but also reaffirming. “We had to make sure that we run the classes for the first two days after re-opening at the local gurdwara so that the children are not discouraged from returning to school. The school has incurred a lot of damage, our kitchen and two classrooms have a lot of water seepage and structural damage. But we are making sure that kids do not feel any discomfort,” said Sukhbir Singh, head teacher at the school. They are also talking to parents and ensuring they serve the mid-day meal to kids despite the disruption.