06012026-ATR-01.qxd 1/5/2026 11:58 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY NON-FUNCTIONAL SIGNALS DRIVE TRAFFIC INTO CHAOS GNDU OFFICIALS CRY FOUL OVER NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF DA HIKE ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, SUBVERSIVE COMEDY, WINS BIG Traffic congestion has become a routine affair at the busy Hall Gate crossing due to non-functional traffic lights. P2 GNDU Officers’ Association appeals to Chief Minister, Finance Minister to announce the DA hike. P3 The Pitt, Adolescence, The Studio dominate TV prizes at the Critics Choice Awards 2026. P4 » » MAX 13°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 13°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.41 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7.30 AM » TUESDAY | 6 JANUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR New machinery to double waste processing capacity at Bhagtanwala Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 5 Bioremediation of legacy garbage at the Bhagtanwala dump site is gaining momentum. This was stated by senior Municipal Corporation officials here on Monday. Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh inspected the dump site to review the ongoing bioremediation work. During the visit, he assessed various locations where modern machinery has been deployed for the scientific processing of waste and reviewed the daily progress of operations. The Additional Commissioner also held discussions with officials of the EcoStan Company and directed them to further expedite the process to ensure completion within the stipulated timeframe. He emphasised the need to keep access routes clear for vehicles involved in the collection and transportation of fresh garbage from different parts of the city, so that routine waste-lifting operations are not affected. According to official data, between October 1, 2025, and January 4, 2026, a total of After delays, radial roads project near Golden Temple set to begin Tribune News Service MC Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh reviews the ongoing bioremediation work at the Bhagtanwala dump in Amritsar. 1,50,551 metric tonnes of legacy waste has been processed at the site, with an average processing rate of 2,452.5 metric tonnes per day. Up to December 31, 2025, 1,40,741 metric tonnes of waste had already been scientifically treated. In the first four days of January 2026, daily waste processing ranged between 2,415 and 2,490 metric tonnes, indicating an improved pace of work. Surinder Singh stated that new machinery has been installed at the site, which is expected to significantly enhance daily waste processing capacity from the existing 2,400 metric tonnes to around 5,000 metric tonnes per day. Officials said the Amritsar Municipal Corporation is closely monitoring the bioremediation process to ensure timely clearance of legacy waste and effective management of current municipal solid waste, reiterating its commitment to a cleaner and environmentally sustainable city. Amritsar, January 5 The Amritsar Municipal Corporation is set to soon launch the long-awaited radial roads project aimed at beautifying and upgrading four major roads leading to Darbar Sahib on the lines of the Heritage Street project. Under the project, the roads will be redeveloped using coloured concrete stones and tiles, while damaged water supply and sewerage pipelines will be replaced. Provision will also be made for undergrounding electricity cables by constructing dedicated ducts. Around 400 houses and shops located along these routes will undergo uniform facade development to enhance the overall heritage character of the area. The four roads selected under the project are Mahna Singh Road, Inside Ghee Mandi, Sri Ramsar Road and Katra Ahluwalia, covering a total stretch of about 4.5 km. The redevelopment will be Slain sarpanch Jarmal Singh ’s son alleges repeated warnings ignored by authorities Tarn Taran, January 5 The body of Jarmal Singh Thekedar (50), sarpanch of the border village Valtoha Sandhun, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants, was cremated at his native village here on Monday amid heavy mourning. District AAP president and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora visited the village to express condolences to the bereaved family. However, Lovepreet Singh, the NRI son of the deceased sarpanch, questioned the minister over the alleged lack of security provided to his father and left him unanswered on several issues. Lovepreet Singh raised sharp questions about why his father’s security had been withdrawn despite repeated attacks in the past. He alleged that his father had been attacked four times earlier PHOTO BY WRITER Gurbaxpuri Khemkaran MLA Sarwan Singh Dhunn and others attend the cremation of the deceased sarpanch in Tarn Taran on Monday. but was provided only one policeman for security. He further questioned why the weapon issued to his father’s gunman was not replaced despite repeated requests to the authorities. The last rites were performed with hundreds of mourners in attendance, many of them in tears. Jarmal Singh was shot dead at Marigold Palace in Amritsar on Sunday. State AAP president Aman Arora reached the family residence to offer condolences and assured that the accused involved in the murder would not be spared under any circumstances. On the occasion, Aman Arora directed the ADGP (Security) to immediately provide security to the bereaved family. He also asked the Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran, to expedite the issuance of a firearm licence for the family. Lovepreet Singh expressed resentment over what he described as “loose and inadequate security” for his father, stating that the administration failed to act despite repeated warnings and requests. He reiterated that his father had repeatedly demanded the replacement of his gunman’s outdated weapon, but no action was taken. The cremation was attended by Sarwan Singh Dhunn, MLA, Khemkaran, along with a large number of sarpanches and village elders from the surrounding areas. Many sarpanches expressed anguish over the failure of the administration to provide proper security to the deceased sarpanch. A view of one of the radial roads leading to the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR carried out in a phased manner, with work scheduled to begin from the Ghee Mandi area, followed by Mahna Singh Road, Ramsar Sahib Road and Katra Ahluwalia. The project has undergone a prolonged approval process. In 2024, a tender worth Rs 49 crore was prepared under the Smart City Mission to develop these roads on the Heritage Street pattern. The original scope included the replacement of sewerage and water supply lines along with the undergrounding of electricity cables. However, these components were later removed from the tender. When the revised tender was sent to Chandigarh for financial vetting, a committee of chief engineers raised objections regarding changes in the scope of work and other issues. This led to the cancellation of the tender and the decision to re-tender the project. During this period, a bidder approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 17, 2024, following which a status quo order was issued on January 25. The petition was later dismissed by the High Court in March, clearing the way for the project to proceed. The project has now been reworked with an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore and is expected to be completed within one-and-a-half years. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia said the work to upgrade the four roads leading to Darbar Sahib would commence shortly. He said the project would focus on modern development while preserving the heritage character of the area, including the replacement of faulty water and sewerage lines and the creation of ducts for underground electricity cables. He added that buildings along the roads would be given a heritage-style facade similar to Hall Bazaar. Two gangsters injured in police encounter near Khadoor Sahib Gunshots fired at jewellery shop in Jandiala Tarn Taran, January 5 Two gangsters were injured in an encounter with the police near Khadoor Sahib village here on Monday. Both suspects were admitted to the local Civil Hospital, where their condition is stated to be stable. SSP Surendera Lamba visited the spot and said the injured men were identified as Sukhpreet Singh, a resident of Mallhia near Tarn Taran, and Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Chamba Khurd near Chohla Sahib. The SSP said the suspects were travelling on a motorcycle when their suspicious movement was noticed by Inspector Prabhjit Singh, SHO of Goindwal Sahib police station. Acting swiftly, a joint team of the Goindwal Sahib police and the AntiGangster Task Force (AGTF) chased them and signalled them to stop near the railway track close to Khadoor Sahib. Instead of stopping, the sus- Tribune News Service SSP Surendera Lamba along with other officials at the encounter spot near Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran. pects allegedly opened fire on the police party. The police retaliated, during which Sukhpreet Singh sustained a bullet injury to his knee. The second suspect again fired at the police, following which the police retaliated and injured him as well. Both injured gangsters were first taken to the Civil Hospital in Khadoor Sahib and later referred to another Civil Hospital in view of their condition. The SSP said the two were part of a three-member gang involved in firing at a fertilizer store in Fatehbad on December 29 last year. He added that the third accomplice is yet to be identified and may be traced after further interrogation. — OC Amritsar, January 5 A couple running a jewellery shop in the Jandiala area, on Monday evening, had a close shave as two unidentified assailants fired gunshots at their outlet. Complainant Sonu said they were at the shop when two youngsters came on a bike, and the pillion rider fired gunshots aimed at the shop. The accused fled the spot, and nobody was hurt. The police was informed, with personnel reaching the spot to conduct a probe. Situated over 12 km from Amritsar, Jandiala has a thriving market, offering all kinds of merchandise for customers. Polls for vacant gram panchayat posts on Jan 18 Dalits’ body stages dharna at DAC over MGNREGA workers’ pending demands DC seeks public cooperation to curb Chinese kite string use Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, January 5 The district unit of the Dalit Dastan Virodhi Andolan (DDVA) staged a dharna in front of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here on Monday. They were highlighting the pending demands of MGNREGA workers. The union also submitted a memorandum of demands to the Deputy Commissioner. Workers, including women, from various villages across the district participated in the dharna. Addressing the gathering, Ranjit Singh Shakri, district president of the DDVA, said the state government had failed to provide compensation to people whose houses collapsed during the floods. He said the DDVA had submitted applications of 336 flood-affected fami- Tarn Taran, January 5 Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rahul has sought the cooperation of district residents to stop the sale and use of Chinese kite string. He said parents should counsel their children against using the synthetic string for flying kites so that this dangerous practice can be curbed in the interest of public safety. The DC said the district administration has issued special instructions to civil and police officials to prevent the sale and use of the banned synthetic string. He added that special raids are being conducted by district administration teams to check violations. He warned that legal action would be taken against those found selling or using the plastic kite string. Cases will be registered under Section 188 of the Gurdaspur, January 5 The State Election Commission (EC) has issued a notification pertaining to the conduct of elections to the vacant posts of sarpanches and panches of Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts. Elections will be held in the gram panchayats of Kalanaour Mojowal, Kalanaour Purani, Kalanaour Chakri, Kalanaour Dhaki and Kalanaour Zaildara (all Gurdaspur district) and Kazi Kot, Nalagarh, Kakka Kandiala, Pandori Gola and Mari Kamboke (all Tarn Taran district). The final date for filing nomination is January 8 while the poll will be held on January 18. The counting of continued on page 2 MGNREGA workers stage a dharna outside the DAC in Tarn Taran on Monday. lies from different villages, but officials flatly refused to accept them. He further stated that while the Union Government claims to provide 150 days of employment annually under NREGA, workers are not being provided even 100 days of work. He demanded that unemployment allowance be paid to workers who are denied employment. Union leaders Aroor Singh, Joga Singh, Hira Singh, Amandeep Kaur, Kuldeep Singh Kirian, Gurnam Singh Chamba and Nirmal Singh Narli, among others, addressed the gathering. The c m y b leaders condemned the replacement of MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G. They alleged that ruling party leaders in villages were using the NREGA scheme as a political weapon, depriving people with opposing views of employment under the MGNREGA scheme. — OC Deputy Commissioner Rahul has said that special raids are being conducted by district administration teams to check violations. Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act. Under these provisions, offenders may face imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. The Deputy Commissioner said the use of this deadly string has been banned and residents must strictly follow the administration’s directions, failing which strict legal action will be taken. He called upon the public to come forward and help stop the harmful practice of using synthetic kite string for the safety of humans, birds and animals. — OC