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P4 » SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6.19 AM » TUESDAY | 31 MARCH 2026 | AMRITSAR MC passes ~481 cr budget amid uproar 35-year-old man shot Opposition councillors hold protest | House proceedings end abruptly dead in border village Charanjit Singh Teja Amritsar, March 30 The Municipal Corporation (MC), Amritsar, on Monday passed its estimated budget of Rs 481.19 crore for the financial year 2026-27 amid uproar, sloganeering and protests by opposition councillors, with the proceedings ending abruptly within minutes. The General House meeting, held at the MC headquarter in Ranjit Avenue, witnessed high drama as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pushed through the budget despite stiff resistance from the Congress, the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillors, who alleged lack of transparency and violation of the democratic norms. The meeting began on a sombre note, with members paying tributes to Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, District Manager, Punjab Warehousing Corporation, who died by suicide recently. Following this, Assistant Commissioner Daljit Singh presented the proposed budget for approval. He stated that the budget was prepared after seeking detailed inputs from all departments. He said revised estimates for 2025-26 and projections for 2026-27 were finalised accordingly. As per the budgetary allocation, nearly 66 per cent of the expenditure has been earmarked for establishment costs, 30 per cent for development works and four per cent for meeting contingencies. However, even before proposals could be discussed, Congress councillors led by Leader of Opposition Vikas Soni objected to the proceed- PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia and MLA s during the budget meeting of the Municipal Corporation; and (below) opposition councillors protest at the Ranjit Avenue office of the civic body in Amritsar. ings, demanding detailed accounts of last year’s budget and expenditure. They alleged that funds had not been utilised appropriately and sought a comprehensive discussion before approval. Ignoring objections, Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia put the budget to vote through a show of hands. Amid loud protests by opposition councillors, AAP members supported the proposal, leading to its pas- sage in the House meeting. The situation escalated further during discussion on the supplementary agenda. As the Assistant Commissioner began reading out proposals, opposition councillors again raised objections, alleging that their concerns were being ignored. Soon, Congress councillors staged a dharna inside the House and raised slogans against the ruling dispensation. Amid chaos, the Mayor adjourned the meeting within around 10 minutes and left the hall. The protesting councillors, however, continued their dharna for nearly half an hour, highlighting various civic issues. Speaking to mediapersons later, Vikas Soni levelled serious allegations against Mayor, claiming misuse of “anticipatory approval of the House” provisions. He alleged that development works worth over Rs 200 crore had been executed without prior approval of the General House. He said such provisions were meant strictly for emergency situations when convening a House meeting was not possible. “This is a gross violation of the norms. We will approach the High Court and are confident of getting justice,” he said. Soni further alleged that the Mayor had failed to convene regular House meetings over the past one year and was avoiding discussions on key civic issues. He also questioned the ruling party’s majority, claiming that around 52 councillors from the Congress, the BJP and the SAD were present at the meeting, while only a handful of the AAP councillors attended it. Some councillors and leaders, including Congress leader Damandeep Singh and BJP councillor Aman Aeri, criticised the manner in which the meeting was conducted and termed the budget approval undemocratic. Responding to allegations, Mayor Bhatia maintained that the budget and all listed proposals had been duly approved by the House. He said around 82 agenda items, along with tabled proposals, were cleared during the meeting. On civic issues, the Mayor admitted that the performance of the private company handling the city’s sanitation work was not satisfactory. He said the firm had been issued notices and its accountability was being fixed. He added that the Municipal Corporation had already floated a fresh tender to improve the city’s sanitation system. Union minister virtually inaugurates Salary cut sparks massive passenger-centric facilities at airport strike, health services hit NURSES VERSUS GOVT Tribune News Service Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 30 A controversy over salary cuts has triggered an intense showdown between Punjab’s nursing staff and the government, as the indefinite strike entered its fifth day on Monday, severely affecting medical services in key cities. Nurses working at government medical colleges alleged they were cheated at the time of recruitment in 2019. As per union leaders, they were initially given appointment letters with a grade pay of Rs 4,600, which was later reduced to Rs 2,800 within just eight months. “This has directly slashed our salaries. With Rs 4,600 grade pay, we should get around Rs 44,900 per month, but now we are receiving only Rs 29,200,” said Ramanjit Singh, president of the Punjab Nursing Association. The ongoing protest has dis- A dedicated kids’ play area; and (below) “Flybrary” will provide books to travellers at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. has been set up, which will provide a curated collection of books for travellers. Free high-speed Wi-Fi services have also been introduced to ensure better connectivity at the airport. For families travelling with children, a dedicated kids’ play area has been established to make journeys more enjoyable. Officials said new facilities were expected to significantly improve the overall passenger experience and strengthen the airport’s position as a key aviation hub in the region. Addressing those present during the inauguration, the Union Civil Aviation Minister lauded efforts of the Airports Authority of India in upgrading airport facilities. “These developments will help transform Amritsar airport into a smart and passenger-friendly hub,” he said. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, March 30 In a bid to enhance passenger experience and modernise airport infrastructure, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu virtually inaugurated passenger-centric facilities at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here today. The newly launched amenities aim to streamline travelling, improve comfort and reduce waiting time for passengers, positioning the airport as a more efficient and user-friendly hub. Airport Director Bhupinder Singh reiterated that the focus remains on delivering world-class services to passengers. “Our goal is to provide seamless and reliable facilities to passengers. These upgrades are a step in that direction. We are continuously working to make Amritsar airport one of the most efficient and smart airports in the country,” he said. Among the key features introduced are “Digi Yatra”, a contactless travel solution that enables biometricbased entry and security checks, significantly reducing processing time. Passengers will also benefit from the “Udaan Yatri Cafe”, offering affordable food options within the airport premises. In addition, a “Flybrary” rupted healthcare services at government medical colleges in Amritsar, Patiala and Mohali, with patients facing difficulties due to reduced staff availability. The Punjab Government had imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on March 25 in an attempt to control the situation. However, the nursing union went ahead with the strike the very next day, intensifying the standoff. “We even gave prior one month notice before starting the protest. If the government was serious, it should have resolved the issue by now,” Ramanjit Singh added. Apart from the grade pay dispute, nurses also pointed out that pending dearness allowance dues had worsened their financial condition, making it difficult to manage household expenses. “Emergency wards and labour rooms are functioning. But the government is trying to intimidate us,” said another union leader. Members of the United Nurses Association of Punjab protest in Amritsar. c m y b Amritsar, March 30 A 35-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified assailants in a border village here on Monday morning, the police said. The deceased, identified as Sohna Singh, a resident of Rajatal village near the IndoPak border, worked as mason. Sohna Singh was on his way to work when he was attacked near Khera village along the dhussi bandh (earthen embankment). He was going from Rajatal village to Khera village when the assailants intercepted him and opened fire, leading to his death on the spot. The accused also decamped with his bike and mobile phone. A team from the Gharinda police station, led by Additional SHO Jasdeep Singh reached the crime spot soon after receiving information and initiated an investigation into the incident. The police cordoned off the area and were examining evidence collected from the spot. Inderjit Singh, DSP said , statements of the victim’s family members were recorded. On the basis of their statements, the police booked Garibu, Happy, Malkeet Singh, Harry and Sherry of Rajatal village on the charge of murder. The victim’s body was taken into custody and sent for a post-mortem examination, the DSP said. As per the victim’s family members a personal dispute with neighbours over drainage of water in street may have been the possible reason behind his murder. The DSP said though a case had been registered, the police were examining all possible angles to ascertain the exact motive behind murder. — TNS 1 dies, another hurt in accident Tarn Taran, March 30 One person died and another was injured in a road accident near Kajikot village on the Chabal-Amritsar bypass here on Sunday evening. The deceased has been identified as Major Singh (50), a resident of Lalu Ghuman village. The deceased and his younger brother Sonu Singh were returning to their Lalu Ghuman village on a motorcycle after finishing work at Tarn Taran when they were hit by a car coming from the opposite direction near Kajikot village. Major Singh and Sonu Singh were injured and rushed to the Tarn Taran Civil Hospital. Major Singh succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital. Sonu Singh is undergoing treatment at the hospital. The police registered a case against car driver Kuljit Singh, a resident of Fatehchak village, Tarn Taran, under relevant sections of the BNS. — OC Two arrested for snapping power supply of district manager’s house Amritsar, March 30 While denying any conspiracy into snapping of the power supply at residence of deceased district manager of the Punjab Warehousing Corporation, the city police commissionerate today claimed to have arrested two persons involved in the incident. “The police have arrested Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, and Gurbakshish Singh, alias Bakshi, both residents of Faizpura area here,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Sirivennela. Sharing details he said the duo cut power supply line to steal wires. They had stolen power supply wires in the Civil Lines area earlier also, he pointed out. Panic gripped Randhawa family after unknown persons snapped the electricity supply to their residence located in the posh Ranjit Avenue locality. The incident also drew sharp political reactions. Opposition leaders accused the AAP government for indulging in cheap tactics for pressuring the bereaved family. While condemning the incident, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar alleged that the incident reflected the “deteriorating moral standards” of the ruling dispensation. Former Punjab minister and sen- ior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia also condemned the incident, terming it an attempt to intimidate the bereaved family, and supported the demand for a CBI probe into district manager ending his life by suicide. Randhawa died after consuming Celphos. He had blamed AAP minister Laljit Singh Bhullar for taking the extreme step. The incident forced the government to take resignation from Bhullar who was booked by the Ranjit Avenue police for abetment to suicide and criminal intimidation after a long delay which led to protests by opposition leaders. — TNS