08042026-ATR-01.qxd 4/7/2026 11:40 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 22°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 19°C TOURIST FOOTFALL HIT AS LPG SCARCITY CHOKES EATERIES BASARKE, THE CRADLE OF A GUIDING LIGHT — GURU AMAR DAS 9TH EDITION OF ‘INDIA 2030 LEADERSHIP CONCLAVE 2026’ Several establishments have either scaled down or halted operations; tourist flow declines by 40%. P2 15 km from Amritsar, the third Guru’s birthplace is steeped in Sikh history and spiritual serenity. P3 Actors Radhika Madan, Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui honoured at India 2030 leadership conclave. P4 » » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.54 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.09 AM WEDNESDAY | 8 APRIL 2026 | AMRITSAR West Asia conflict triggers spike in construction costs Divine glow Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 7 The district witnessed an incident that has raised concerns over law and order after a police team was attacked while carrying out an investigation. According to officials, a case has been registered against six persons following an attack on a police team that had gone to question Manjit Singh in connection with a grenade attack at the Bhindi Saida police station on March 30. Manjit Singh, who has 14 criminal cases registered against him, was released on bail in February. The incident took place on April 4 when the police team reached Manjit Singh’s residence for questioning. According to the police, the situation suddenly turned tense, and it is alleged that his family members attacked the team with bricks and stones without warning. The attack was so sudden that the police personnel had little time to react. Amid the chaos, the attackers managed to free Manjit Singh from police custody, after which he fled from the spot. Two police personnel were injured in the incident and continued on page 2 Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service A view of the illuminated Golden Temple on the occasion of the birth anniversary of ninth Sikh master Guru Tegh Bahadur in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR 4missingGhaziabadchildren traced in city Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 7 Four minor children who had gone missing from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh were successfully traced by the Amritsar police and reunited with their families, officials said on Tuesday. The children, identified as Anshu, Anshika, Khushi, and Kajal, had reportedly left their homes earlier this month, prompting their parents to file a complaint at the Nandgram police station on April 3. Acting on the information received, the Ghaziabad police alerted the Amritsar police after suspecting that the children might have travelled to the city. Confirming the development, ACP (East) Anubhav Jain said that multiple police teams were immediately formed to trace the minors. “We received inputs from the Nandgram police that the children could be in Amritsar. Acting swiftly, our teams launched a search operation and successfully located them,” he said. During preliminary questioning, it was revealed that the Suhel Seth calls for arts to be made mandatory in education NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK Citing quality concerns, Aujla for probe into flyover project Tribune News Service Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 7 A self-confessed believer in the idea of India and its contradictions, Suhel Seth, known for his sharp wit and even sharper one-liners, was received with applause and occasional astonishment by the Amritsar audience. The noted actor, author and speaker addressed a session hosted by Spring Dale Senior School, centred on resilience, branding and navigating life’s challenges. In conversation with Spring Dale Educational Society chairman Sahiljit Singh Sandhu, Seth was candid in expressing his views, stating that he challenges the radicalised definition of nationalism. “I am a realist, a firm believer in the idea of India — a nation that belongs to children, who lived in the same neighbourhood, were not allowed to interact due to disputes between their families. Feeling distressed and wanting to stay together, they decided to leave their homes without informing anyone. The police said although the children had no harmful intentions, their decision to leave home unaccompanied was risky. After completing the necessary formalities, the children were handed over to the Ghaziabad police, who ensured their safe reunion with their families. Author, actor and speaker Suhel Seth addresses the audience during a session in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR everyone. Guru Nanak and Sikhism gave us the concept of Ek Onkar, of sewa and universality. The problem is that we have infected and infested everything with politics. We want to define everything while lateral thinking goes out of the window,” he said. A man deeply rooted in the arts, Seth described theatre as sacred and called for arts and theatre to be made mandatory in the education system. “You must be divinely curious or you stop learning. Constant self-enrichment through arts, theatre and books is how you enrich society and humanity. Now, that has collapsed. The language of knowledge, of Amrita Pritam and Khushwant Singh has been replaced by superficial trends. Art cinema has faded and theatre is continued on page 2 Amritsar, April 7 The Daburji (Golden Gate) flyover in Amritsar, currently operational and carrying regular traffic, has come under controversy. Amritsar Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla has raised serious concerns over the quality of the constructed flyover and has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, demanding a Vigilance Bureau (VB) inquiry. Aujla alleged that substandard materials were used in the construction of the flyover, raising questions about its strength and durability. He stated that the issue had been brought to the notice of authorities earlier as well, but the department concerned and project officials ignored repeated warnings. He expressed concern that continued on page 2 Continuous rain damages wheat crop, delays harvesting across Tarn Taran Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, April 7 Intermittent light to moderate rain continued throughout the day in remote parts of the district, adding to farmers’ woes. The rainfall is proving extremely harmful for the main wheat crop, as well as for vegetables and the horticulture sector. The rain is not only delaying the harvesting process but is also damaging ripe wheat ears, which is likely to affect overall yield. Dilbagh Singh, a farmer from Lalughuman village, said that continuous rainfall over A farmer shows his damaged wheat crop after rain in Ajnala. the past few days has caused considerable damage to the wheat crop in the area. Pal Singh, a vegetable grower from Aladinpur, said that veg- etables and orchards are also being adversely affected by the rain. Chief Agriculture Officer Tejbir Singh Bhangu said that reports of damage to the wheat crop are being received from various parts of the district. He added that there have been reports of a hailstorm in Gandiwind and Khadoor Sahib, which could lead to further damage. Rain was reported on Tuesday from Tarn Taran city and several towns in the district, including Chabal, Gandiwind, Sran, Khalra, Khemkaran, Harike, Sarhali, Naushera Pannuan and Chohla Sahib. Water accumulation on village roads has made movement difficult. The rain has also delayed wheat procurement, as high moisture content in the crop is creating problems. c m y b Amritsar, April 7 The cost of construction materials has surged by over 30 per cent in the past 35 days amid the West Asia conflict, leaving nearly 50 per cent of labourers unemployed. Prices of bricks have risen sharply over the past month, even as most brick kiln owners are incurring losses due to a steep rise in coal prices. The cost of coal has nearly doubled following supply disruptions triggered by the conflict. Coal is currently priced at around Rs 25 per kilogram for kiln owners purchasing in bulk, while retail rates have crossed Rs 50 per kilogram. As a result, the price of a lot of 1,000 bricks has increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,500, significantly pushing up construction costs. Davinder Singh, a contractor, said prices of PVC pipes, water supply pipes, sanitary fittings and electrical wires have surged in the market. The steepest increase has been observed in electric cables, where the price of a bundle has risen from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,800. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Probe turns violent as police team faces attack Labourers pile a stack of bricks outside a construction material shop in Amritsar on Tuesday. He questioned the sudden spike in prices of construction materials that were manufactured months ago and are still lying in stock. He added that factories and kilns would take months to produce new batches, which may be further affected by the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. Architects Satwinder Singh and Atinder Pal Singh said the price escalation has forced many customers to halt con- struction work, while others have slowed down projects to manage rising costs. As a result, nearly 50 per cent of labourers in the district are now unemployed. The situation has created a double burden for contractors, who must either pay labourers in advance or provide monthly wages to retain them and prevent them from leaving. Contractors also noted that they had entered into agree- ments with clients based on earlier cost estimates for labour and materials. However, with construction costs rising by over 30 per cent, their calculations have been disrupted, leaving them staring at potential losses. They have urged the government to regulate manufacturers and dealers of construction materials to curb the rising prices, which are causing economic distress in the market.