21022026-ATR-01.qxd 2/20/2026 10:57 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY DECADE ON, CONVENTION CENTRE HANGS FIRE WOH AFSANA— A SOULFUL EPIC ROMANCE THEATRICAL CINEMA BETS ON STORIES INSPIRED BY REAL-LIFE EVENTS AAP supremo Kejriwal’s promise to holy city for showcasing local products remains unmet. P2 Play by Rabtaa presents love story between Amrita Pritam and Sahir Ludhianvi. P3 From war heroes to sports icons, Bollywood doubles down on real-life dramas with high stakes, heartfelt storytelling. P4 » » » MAX 25°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 11°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.15 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:56 AM SATURDAY | 21 FEBRUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Police nab ‘Youth Cong’ leader in extortion case Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 20 The Amritsar rural police have arrested an alleged Youth Congress leader and ground-level operative of Australia-based gangster Karan Bath in connection with a Rs 30 lakh extortion case registered at Jandiala Guru here. The arrested accused, identified as Azad Singh, is a resident of village Butari, falling under jurisdiction of the Khalchian police station. He was currently under police custody for further investigations. The probe revealed that he was using his gangster's connection to pressurise people for winning the Punjab Youth Congress election from Baba Bakala assembly constituency, said SSP Amritsar Rural Sohail Qasim Mir. The case was registered following a complaint by Deepak Julka, a resident of Patel Nagar locality in Jandiala Guru. In his statement to the police, he alleged that since January 14, 2026, he had been receiving threatening WhatsApp calls and messages from foreign numbers. The callers allegedly identi- fied themselves as accomplices of notorious gangsters, Keshav Shivala, Satta Naushehra and Karan Bath, wanted by the Punjab Police in a number of extortion and other criminal cases, and demanded Rs 30 lakh as extortion money. They reportedly threatened to kill him and his family if the amount was not paid. A complaint was lodged with the police on February 9 following which a case was registered under Sections 308(4), 351(2) and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Jandiala Guru police station in this regard. The SSP said the police carried out a detailed probe using technical analysis and human intelligence inputs. On the basis of evidence collected, Azad Singh was arrested. He was earlier booked in a kidnapping and theft case registered at Dhilwan police station in Kapurthala. A mobile phone has been recovered from the accused. The SSP said the device will be sent for forensic and technical examination to establish further links and identify other possible associates in the racket. Mayor approves e-auction of 116 plots to shift dairies Nine-member committee to oversee the auction process Union asks PSEB to rectify exam error Gurbaxpuri Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 20 Following strict directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Municipal Corporation has accelerated preparations to shift dairies outside the city limits. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia has approved the e-auction of around 116 vacant plots at the Fatehpur Dairy Complex by exercising his powers. According to officials, the plots include 74 measuring 600 square yards each and 42 measuring 300 square yards. The reserve price has been fixed at Rs 12,500 per square yard. The e-auction process will open on February 25 and bidders will be able to participate until February 27. Meanwhile a nine-member committee has been constituted under the direction of the MC Joint Commissioner to oversee the auction process. The committee comprises the MC Assistant Commissioner, Estate Officer, two councillors, DCFA, Health Officer, Legal Advisor and Superintending Engineer (Civil). A similar auction was conducted in 2002-03, when Dairy owners allege that basic amenities at Fatehpur Dairy Complex remain inadequate. FILE PHOTO MC SETS THE BALL ROLLING ■ Seventy four plots measuring 600 square yards each and 42 measuring 300 square yards. ■ The reserve price has been fixed at Rs 12,500 per square yard. ■ The e-auction process will open on February 25 around 100 plots were sold. Of these, 35 allottees have reportedly paid all installments, but the Municipal Corporation has yet to register their plots. Many others have not completed their payment of installments. However, the move has triggered concerns among dairy and bidders will be able to participate until February 27. ■ A similar auction was conducted in 2002-03, when around 100 plots were sold of which 35 allottees have paid installments. owners. Dairy owners alleged that basic amenities at the Fatehpur Dairy Complex remain inadequate. They questioned whether the reserve price of Rs 12,500 per square yard is justified given the lack of infrastructure. "This is meant to be a rehabilitation exercise, not a commercial deal," said a dairy owner. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia said, "We will shift all dairies outside the city limits. The appropriate space is being allotted and they have to shift the dairies one by one." Tarn Taran, February 20 Gurmeet Singh Bhullar, state general secretary, Master Cadre Union Punjab, today expressed deep concern over the nonprinting of questions of 15 marks in Punjabi medium in class 8 science subject paper. While calling it an excess on innocent children, he demanded that strict action should be taken against the officials who committed such gross irregularities. Bhullar said that as soon as the question papers for science subject were handed over to class 8 students this morning, instead of a total of 30 questions in those question papers, only 27 question papers were found in the Punjabi medium section. This caused great concern among the students and also created a commotion among the district officials. District Controller of Examinations, Principal Avtar Singh, said that as soon as the mistake came CLASS 8 PAPER to his notice, he issued instructions to the superintendents of all the examination centres to correct this mistake and asked the children to get these three questions translated into Punjabi. Bhullar, a teacher union leader, said that this mistake has blown away the claims of the government that it is hedging with Punjabi. He demanded that justice should be done to the children by giving them additional marks for this mistake of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB). The mistake has created uproar at examination centres across the district. Mobile jammers in Central Jail Minister inspects govt school at Jhita affecting phone network in villages Kalan, says good work must be shared MC set to hold House meeting Gurbaxpuri Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, February 20 The strong network of jammers installed in the premises of Central Jail, Sri Goindwal Sahib, is affecting the normal working of the people in surrounding villages. Due to the sudden shutdown of internet services, there has been an outcry among people. In this regard, social worker Jobanjit Singh Hothian has handed over a memorandum to Jail Superintendent Manjit Singh and demanded from the government that the problems faced by the common people due to the installation of jammers in the jail premises be resolved. Jobanjit Singh Hothian said that installing jammers in the jail for security reasons is a good step but the common people were facing problems because of this. He said that due to the installation of jammers in jail, there were problems in mobile network services. Digital services related to every profession are being affected as internetrelated businesses have been The jammers installed at the Goindwal Sahib Central Jail are causing disruption in connectivity services, including mobile and internet, for people living in the vicinity of the prison. GURBAXPURI hit because of the jammers. He said due to the presence of a large historical Gurdwara in the area, devotees from the different parts of the country and abroad come in large numbers, and are facing problems due to lack of network while using mobile phones. Even during emergency situations, the common people are facing problems while using mobile phones. He added that the students studying online too are affected. So, the residents of the area and devotees are demanding that mobile jammers installed inside the jail be limited to jail premises only. AIG, Jail Department, Simranjit Singh did respond when contacted for his version while Jail Superintendent Manjit Singh said that the residents of the area must inform the higher authorities about the problems being faced due to jammers. Amritsar, February 20 With election year ahead, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains conducted a surprise inspection at Government Senior Secondary School, Jhita Kalan, as part of his ongoing drive to strengthen and overhaul the state's government education system. During the visit, he announced that he has completed ground inspections of over 2,000 government schools across Punjab since assuming office, setting what he termed an unprecedented benchmark in the state's history. During this, the minister said, "I have set a new record by conducting ground visits to more than 2,000 government schools across the state since I assumed office. This marks the first time in Punjab's history that an Education Minister has undertaken such an extensive, grassroots-level review.” "There is no district left, from Pathankot to Fazilka, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains carried out inspections across several government schools even as exams are being conducted. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Ferozepur to Mohali. This is my passion, this is my obsession. There are 20,000 schools in Punjab, and I am on a mission." During his interaction with staff and students, Bains reviewed the standards of education and management at the school and assessed the progress of the 'Samarth' programme, a flagship initiative aimed at addressing the learning crisis in primary classes. Bains was also seen taking up the case of ETT teachers, who were found not working or teach- ing up to standards. He said that a significant percentage of children at the primary level were unable to read or write. The Education Minister interacted with students, who have progressed from struggling to identify letters to confidently reading words and sentences, underscoring the impact of the initiative in bridging the learning gap. "Through the 'Samarth' programme, we identified these children and worked on them. Where we have good teachers, the results are excellent. But those who are tampering with the future of children will not be tolerated." Reaffirming the zero-tolerance policy of the AAP government towards negligence, Bains warned that strict action would be taken against educators who fail to discharge their responsibilities. Highlighting steps taken to ensure safety and a conducive learning environment, Bains said that campus managers and security guards have been deployed at all Government Senior Secondary Schools with enrollment exceeding 500 students. He also had something to say to the media, "A negative thing goes viral very quickly. The good work being done by our dedicated teachers should also be shared. I appeal to you all to show the good work happening in schools like this one at Jhita Kalan. We have improved this school campus and infrastructure. The results here are shining, a student from the school cracked the JEE." Charanjit Singh Teja Amritsar, February 20 After a gap of nearly 11 months, the Municipal Corporation is preparing to convene its much-awaited General House meeting, with more than 25 proposals slated to be tabled. The exact date of the meeting, however, is yet to be formally announced. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia was elected on January 27, 2025, and had convened the first General House meeting on March 29, 2025. Since then, no meeting has been held, leading to growing discontent among councillors across party lines. Representatives elected from various wards have publicly expressed resentment, stating that development works in their respective areas have been adversely affected due to prolonged delay in holding the House proceedings. Councillors say without House approval, several key proposals related to infrastructure upgrade, sanitation improvement, road repairs and other civic amenities remain pending. Contd on Pg 2 Conference deliberates on role of AI in preserving Punjabi language Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 20 In the backdrop of the AI Summit underway in New Delhi, Guru Nanak Dev University opened the first edition of the three-day World Punjabi Conference, bringing together eminent scholars, policymakers, technologists and representatives of Punjabi diaspora to deliberate on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the future of Punjabi language, culture and society. Member of Parliament Vikramjit Singh Sawhney announced a grant of Rs 1 crore for the Centre of Ethical Artificial Intelligence at the university, stating that the initiative would help align students with emerging technologies while strengthening linguistic and cultural roots. Vice-chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh, while welcoming the delegates from India and abroad, described the conference as a forwardlooking initiative that would guide future academic and cultural engagement. He observed that AI is currently one of the most significant areas of knowledge, but emphasised that technology must remain a tool guided by Dignitaries on the opening day of World Punjabi Conference at Guru Nanak Dev University on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO ethical consciousness. "The real success of humanmachine interaction will lie in ensuring that technology serves human sensitivity rather than replacing it," he said, expressing confidence that Punjabi would emerge as a language capable of engaging meaningfully with the future in the digital age. Speakers at the conference c m y b underlined that while AIborn of human intellect-is reshaping the world, its direction must remain rooted in spiritual and ethical awareness. Ex-Chief Secretary, KBS Sidhu noted that deliberations could lead to a roadmap connecting Punjabi language with global technological systems. The event seeks to integrate AI not only with technical disciplines but also with language, literature and culture. Former MP Tarlochan Singh said AI could play a transformative role in preserving Punjabi literature, folklore and historical her- itage while enabling their wider dissemination. "The larger part of Punjab across the border has seen a resurgence of Punjabi over Urdu as they continue to preserve their Shahmukhi script and language. Meanwhile, on this side, we see an inclination to disassociate ourselves from the Gurmukhi Punjabi. While our young understand and speak Punjabi, most cannot read the script as such," he said. He also mentioned that for the purpose of development and preservation of Gurmukhi, he has set up the first ever Gurmukhi Script Centre at Delhi University. Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, vicechancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, remarked that with nearly 150 million speakers, Punjabi holds strong potential in the AI era. He cautioned, however, that machine intelligence learns from human-generated data, and biases present in datasets could be amplified if not addressed responsibly. Punjab MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also assured financial support for AI Centre, established in memory of late Surjit Patar, on behalf of Punjab Government. Among the distinguished personalities honoured were Surinder Pal Singh Oberoi, internationally known for humanitarian work; Charanjit Singh Bath, founder of Bath Farms (USA) and a leading global raisin producer; Ranjit Singh, an industrialist and promoter of sports among youth; and Swinder Pal Singh, known voluntary service at Sri Harmandir Sahib. A theatrical production titled '1675', dedicated to the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, was staged. Written by Amarjit Singh Grewal and directed by Kewal Dhaliwal, it highlighted the enduring relevance of the Guru's sacrifice in the age of AI.