02032026-ATR-01.qxd 3/1/2026 10:57 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune THREE-DAY RANGLA PUNJAB UTSAV CONCLUDES IN CITY The three-day Rangla Punjab Utsav organised by the Punjab Government in Amritsar concluded on Sunday. P2 » VIOLA DAVIS CALLS LIFE A ‘HERO’S JOURNEY’ FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 28°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C TRICITY GEARS UP FOR A VIBRANT HOLI ON MARCH 4 Viola Davis delivered one of the night’s most resonant speeches at the 57th NAACP Image Awards. P4 From poolside splash parties to luxury Holi carnivals, the tricity is all set to paint the town in vibrant hues. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 4.28 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.55 AM MONDAY | 2 MARCH 2026 | AMRITSAR Fatal accident on bypass leaves two dead, two injured Opium, banned articles recovered from jail Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, March 1 Opium weighing 105 gm and certain other prohibited articles were recovered from two convicts lodged in the Central Jail, Goindwal Sahib, here on Saturday. Arjun Singh, Assistant Superintendent of the jail, said the accused from whom the articles had been recovered were Sukhpreet Singh, a resident of Kot Budha, and Avtar Singh, a resident of Bhaowal (Patti). He informed the police that the accused managed to get the prohibited articles by getting those thrown from outside the jail complex. The Assistant Superintendent said that besides opium, one touchscreen mobile, one keypad mobile, 30 bundles of bidi, 15 packets of Cool Lip, five packets of tobacco, and one headphone were seized from the duo. ASI Arjun Singh said that a case under Sections 18-A, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act, and Sections 52-A and 42 of the Prisons Act had been registered. The Goindwal Sahib Jail is infamous for the recovery of drugs and the seizure of restricted articles is a routine phenomenon. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service ASHA and mid-day meal workers during a protest outside Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO’s residence in Amritsar on Sunday. ASHA, mid-day meal workers protest outside minister’s house Amritsar, March 1 Hundreds of ASHA workers, facilitators and mid-day meal workers from Amritsar and Tarn Taran on Sunday staged a protest outside the residence of Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on the call of the Maan Bhatta Sanjha Morcha Punjab. The protesters accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of failing to enhance the workers’honorarium before the Assembly elections. Addressing the protest rally, led by Democratic ASHA Workers and Facilitators Union leader Paramjit Kaur Mann and Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union leader Mamta Sharma, Sarabjit Kaur Chhajjalwadi said that the Aam Aadmi Party had promised to double the meagre honorarium paid to these workers. “After coming to power, the Bhagwant Mann government has reneged on its promises. It has been four years, but no increase has been made in the honorarium. We receive only Rs 3,000, which is insufficient to survive,” said Mamta Sharma. Members of the Democratic Employees’ Federation also extended their support to the demand for a hike in the minimum wages of ASHA and mid-day meal workers, along with payment of retirement benefits. The worker unions gheraoed the residences of six Cabinet Ministers, demanding that the honorarium be doubled in the upcoming Budget session beginning March 6. Paramjit Kaur Lehrka, a union leader from Tarn Taran, demanded that arrears for the past four years be released for ASHA and mid-day meal workers. She also sought free insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and a pension of Rs 10,000 per month, along with a gratuity of Rs 5 lakh upon retirement. — TNS Amritsar, March 1 A road accident on Sunday claimed two lives near the Amritsar-Attari bypass road under the jurisdiction of the Verka police station in the district. The mishap occurred when a sand-laden tipper truck overturned onto three cars, crushing them under its weight and leaving others injured. The incident triggered panic along the busy stretch as people rushed to rescue the victims. The accident also led to a massive traffic jam on the bypass road. According to the police, two persons died in the mishap, while two others sustained injuries and were admitted to a nearby private hospital for treatment. The deceased were identified as Chandan Malhotra of Railway Mandi, Hoshiarpur, and Suresh Kumar, a resident of Bharat Nagar near the Nabha railway station in Patiala district. Eyewitnesses said the tipper truck (PB02-EC-7695) was travelling from the Verka side towards the Celebration Resort when it suddenly mounted the Devotees head to Anandpur Sahib for Hola Mohalla Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 1 With the festival of Hola Mohalla just days away, a large number of devotees from the city and surrounding rural areas are leaving daily for Anandpur Sahib to take part in the grand religious celebrations beginning March 4. The bypass road has been witnessing heavy movement of trucks, tractor-trailers and buses heading towards the holy town. Roadside traders have set up temporary stalls selling blue and kesari (saffron) flags, which pilgrims proudly carry during the annual event. While the festive spirit is clearly visible, serious safety concerns are also emerging. Many devotees are seen travelling atop buses, trucks and open trailers, risking their One held with illegal weapon Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, March 1 A party of the Sarai Amanat Khan police, led by ASI Narinder Singh, arrested a man with an illegal weapon while on patrolling duty in the area here on Saturday evening. The accused has been identified as Gurdeep Singh Kala of Khairdeenke village. The accomplice of the accused is said to be absconding. ASI Narinder Singh said that accused Gurdeep Singh, alias Kala, was arrested from a brick kiln at Manakpur village and a pistol along with magazine was recovered from his possession. His accomplice, identified as Yusuf, is a resident of Khalra. The police are conducting raids to arrest Yusuf. A case has been registered under Section 28 (6), (7), (8) of the Arms Act in this regard and raids are being conducted to arrest Yusuf. Devotees leave for Anandpur Sahib on the occasion of Hola Mohalla in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR lives in their eagerness to participate. Several goods carriers and tractor-trailers, which are not legally permitted to transport passengers under the Motor Vehicles Act, are being widely used to ferry people. Tractor-trailers remain a preferred and economical option for group travel, especially among villagers. Overcrowded buses, with passengers packed tightly, are also a common sight. Some truck drivers have even installed wooden planks to increase seating capacity. With excess load affecting braking systems and vehicle stability, these vehicles can easily turn into hazards on wheels. Youngsters riding motorcycles in groups are also heading to Anandpur Sahib, often without helmets. Traffic violations and rash driving further heighten the risk of acci- dents on busy roads. “When safety takes a back seat, accidents are bound to happen,” said Harmeet Singh, a local resident, adding that people should understand the value of their lives. A few hours of thrill are not worth a lifetime of regret, he said. Gurpreet Kaur, another commuter, voiced similar concerns. “The administration should conduct regular checks. Devotees must also act responsibly. Celebrations should not turn into tragedies,” she said. While Hola Mohalla draws an overwhelming response every year, residents believe that greater awareness and stricter enforcement of traffic rules are essential to ensure that the spirit of devotion is not overshadowed by avoidable mishaps. The mangled remains of the cars that were crushed under a sand-laden truck in Amritsar on Sunday. footpath and lost balance. At the same time, three cars were passing alongside. Within moments, the heavily loaded vehicle toppled over, trapping the cars underneath and causing chaos at the scene. The truck driver fled immediately after the accident. Local residents and commuters rushed to help the victims, stopping their vehicles and attempting to rescue those trapped inside the mangled cars. Police teams soon reached the spot and a crane was pressed into service to lift the overturned tipper. Varinder, who was travelling in a car (PB34-B-8578), and Chandan Malhotra, who was in another car (PB07-CA7075), were pulled out from the wreckage. The injured, identified as Kuljit Singh and Shamsher Singh, were shifted to a private hospital. The accident caused a traffic jam stretching nearly one kilometre along the bypass. Senior officials, including Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Amandeep Kaur, reached the scene to supervise rescue and clearance operations. The damaged tipper, crushed vehicles and spilled sand were removed from the road, and traffic was restored after nearly one-and-a-half hours. The police have initiated further investigation and launched a hunt to nab the absconding truck driver. Festive fervour People take part in the Holi celebrations organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR MP Aujla directs phased plan to decongest key city roads Family files complaint daysafterfatalaccident Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 1 Taking serious note of the continuously worsening traffic congestion on Airport Road, Member of Parliament from Amritsar, Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Friday stepped onto streets to assess the ground situation. During the visit, he reviewed key congestion points along with officials from various departments and issued necessary directions on the spot. Aujla inspected the Gumtala bypass flyover, the area outside InOut Bakery, Grewal Farm and other establishments along the Majitha Road bypass, Loharka Road and other major junctions on Airport Road. Officials from the Irrigation Department, Public Works Department (PWD) and the NHAI were present during the inspection and instructed to take immediate as well as long-term corrective measures. During the visit, Aujla pro- MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla along with other officials inspects the area near an underpass in Amritsar. posed the development of a service lane near the Gumtala bypass flyover and suggested extending the road further to ease vehicular pressure. He also put forward a proposal to construct a parallel road alongside the drain from Gumtala to Loharka Road, which would serve as an alternative route and significantly reduce the load of traffic on the main Airport Road. Later, at the Majitha Road bypass near Grewal Farm, he proposed the installation of two new traffic cuts to streamline vehicular movement and directed that traffic lights be installed at the location. The MP emphasised that the process should begin with the installation of traffic c m y b signals to provide immediate relief. He instructed officials to install traffic lights beneath the Gumtala flyover, outside InOut Bakery and outside Gurdwara Shri Chand Ji to control congestion at these critical points. Speaking on the occasion, Aujla stated that the traffic situation on Airport Road has become so severe that pas- sengers have, on several occasions, missed their flights due to heavy congestion. He termed the situation as unfortunate, saying that it not only causes inconvenience to the public but also affects the image of the city. He directed the departments concerned to work in coordination and prepare a phased action plan for early implementation. The issue, he said, would be addressed through road widening, construction of service lanes, creation of new traffic cuts and installation of traffic signals to ensure a long-term solution. On the occasion, former MLA Raj Kumar Verka, former MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma and District Congress Committee president Mithu Madan were also present. The MP assured that resolving the Airport Road traffic issue is a top priority and expressed confidence that concrete steps would soon bring relief to residents of the holy city. Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, March 1 The Chabal police on Saturday registered a case against the unidentified driver of a car (JK-02 BG-3990) in connection with the death of Dalbir Singh, a resident of Khairdinke village here. He was killed in a road accident that occurred on the Amritsar-Khemkaran National Highway a few days ago. Jaskaran Singh, son of the deceased Dalbir Singh, told the police that on February 16, his father was returning home from his fields on an Activa scooter when he was hit from behind by a car near their village, Khairdinke. Dalbir Singh sustained serious injuries and was admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The family neither conducted a postmortem examina- VICTIM WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY CAR ■ Jaskaran Singh, son of the deceased Dalbir Singh, told the police that on February 16, his father was returning home from his fields on an Activa scooter when he was hit from behind by a car near their village, Khairdinke. tion nor informed the police at the time, and the body was cremated. The complaint was filed later after the family collected CCTV footage from the area and compiled hospital bills as evidence. The driver of the car had fled the scene after the accident. On Saturday, the Chabal police registered a case under Sections 106 and 281 of the IPC. ASI Jatinder Singh, the investigating officer, said the case has been registered and further investigation is underway.