22042026-ATR-01.qxd 4/22/2026 12:13 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY WRESTLING, KABADDI OFFER HOPE AGAINST DRUG MENACE ACTOR NEERU BAJWA ON PARENTING & PRESENCE PUNJABI ACTOR NEERU BAJWA ON PARENTING & PRESENCE A handful of residents have taken it upon themselves to steer youngsters away from drugs. P3 At the trailer launch, Neeru opens up on mindful parenting, staying youthful and finding joy both on & off-screen. P4 At the trailer launch of film Jawaak in Mohali, Punjabi film star opens up on mindful parenting, staying youthful. P4 » » » MAX 37°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 18°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.04 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.53 AM WEDNESDAY | 22 APRIL 2026 | AMRITSAR Man killed, AI, Arijit and NCERT books got grandson him 100% in CBSE Class X injured in road accident NEWSMAKER Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 21 A man was killed and his grandson seriously injured in a road accident near Madar Mathura Bhagi village in the border area on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Sakattar Singh, while his grandson, Sahilpreet Singh, has been admitted to a private hospital in Bhikhiwind. Sakattar Singh, along with his grandson, was on his way to administer an injection to their dog and was crossing the defense drain when a tipper hit their motorcycle. Sakattar Singh sustained severe injuries and died on the way to the hospital. The police have registered a case against the owner of the tipper, Dharam Singh, a resident of Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, under Sections 106, 281, 125(A), 125(B), and 324(4) of the BNS. ASI Shingara Singh, in-charge of the Rajoke police post, said that the accused fled the scene and police teams are conducting raids to arrest him. OF THE WEEK Neha Saini ROB delay sparks traffic chaos in Tarn Taran village Gurbaxpuri Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 21 A clear head, sticking to NCERT books and Arijit songs helped Mudit Jain get a perfect score in the CBSE Class X exams, the results of which were recently announced. Mudit, a student of Sri Ram Ashram School, Amritsar, scored 500/500 with 100 per cent making history and turning into a local celebrity, especially among his peers and juniors. “I feel that consistency with my study hours and keeping a clear head is what gave me the clarity over concepts. I stuck to NCERT books, studied not for more than five-six hours every day to avoid exhaustion,” he shared his mantra. As an academic achiever and an allrounder in school, who participates in debates, MUNs and extra-curricular activities, one would take Mudit as an overthinker. But his confidence and nonchalance might be the key to his success. “I do not believe in excess of anything. I keep sharing it with my friends — do not Mudit Jain along with his parents in Amritsar on Tuesday. VISHAL KUMAR cram, do not over think or over study. Stick to a disciplined plan and it is enough to get you through the boards,” he shared. When he got tired of studying, his choice of calm was listening to Arijit’s songs. Mudit’s favourite subject is mathematics and while studying for it, he used AI to help him get over difficult concepts. “I used ChatGPT and Perplexity to help me solve difficult concepts and find methods to attempt challenging questions. It helped a lot,” he said. His mother Parul is an English teacher in Mudit’s school. Her initial reaction of Mudit’s perfect score was disbelief, being a teacher first. “I told him that it must be his subject score. But as a teacher, I must say that this year, the CBSE has made a shift towards concept-based questions and relaxing the evaluation and marking process to encourage critical thinking and expression among students. To get full marks in languages is not about fancy words, but clarity of thought, structure and key words. If you have that, you can score well,” she added. Tarn Taran, April 21 There appears to be little hope for the timely completion of the four-lane railway overbridge (ROB) near Kakka Kandiala village at the A25 railway line crossing in Tarn Taran. This comes despite earlier claims by Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO that the project would be completed ahead of the prescribed deadline. As a result, residents of the area are likely to face trafficrelated hardships for several more months. Commuters have already been dealing with significant inconvenience for over two years. With traffic closed on the Kakka Kandiala road, vehicles are being diverted through the roads of Tarn Taran town, leading to frequent congestion since the beginning of the ROB construction. The foundation stone for the project was laid in January 2024, with an initial completion deadline set for June 2026 at an estimated cost of Rs 82.88 Work on the ROB moves at a snail’s pace near Kakka Kandiala village in Tarn Taran. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI crore. During a site visit in May 2025, Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO announced that the project would instead be completed six months earlier, say by December 2025. The minister had also claimed that early completion would reduce the project cost to Rs 70 crore, resulting in savings of Rs 12.88 crore from the initially projected Rs 82.88 crore. However, Simranjit Singh, Executive Engineer (XEN), PWD (B&R), Amritsar, stated that the work is now expected to take another five to six months. At the current pace observed at the site, this timeline also appears difficult to achieve. The officer maintained that work is progressing on a war footing but acknowledged challenges. He explained that the project involves coordination not only with the state government but also with the Ministry of Railways, which has caused procedural delays. Additionally, issues related to funding have contributed to the slow progress. Due to the closure of the Kakka Kandiala road, both heavy and light traffic has been rerouted through Tarn Taran town, where roads remain frequently congested. Traffic jams have become a continued on page 2 Divjyot tops dist in JEE Main session 2 MLA reviews wheat Cross-border drug cartel busted, procurement at Attari five arrested with 7 kg heroin Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 21 Divjot Singh, a student of Spring Dale School, has emerged as the district topper in the JEE Mains 2026 Session 2 results, securing an impressive 99.86 percentile. The National Testing Agency (NTA) officially released the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 (April Attempt) results on April 20. Divjot had earlier scored 99.77 percentile in Session 1. He now plans to pursue a career in electrical engineering or computer science. His mother, Dr Amanpreet Kaur, is a professor at Shri Guru Ram Das Hospital, while his father, Dr Jagdeep Singh, is associated with Fortis Hospital. Another Spring Dale student, Jafarjot Singh, secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 2683 with 99.83 percentile, followed by Shramay Mahajan with 99.77 percentile and Aarav Mahajan with 99.60 Tribune News Service Divjyot Singh Jafarjot Singh percentile. Other high achievers from the school include Harkabir (99.60 percentile), Suvanjot Kaur (99.41 percentile), and Saviroop Singh (99.02 percentile). From Senior Study II, Sukhamrit Singh Sandhu scored 99.34 percentile, while Satyam, a student of both Wisdom and Spring Dale, achieved 98.79 percentile. Sahiljit Sandhu, chairman of Spring Dale Educational Society, said the students’ success was the result of consistent hard work and determination. Other meritorious students include Aditya Dhanda (98.53 percentile), Ishika Agarwal (98.48), Virender Goswami (98.27), Satyam Vashisht (98.79), Asees Kaur Bajwa (97.68), Rhythmpreet Singh (97.49), Parv Dua (96.96), Shaan (96.75), Bhavya Mehra (96.50), Vanshika Chopra (96.17), Amogh Anand (96.03), Sartaj Singh (93.33), and Lakshaydeep (92.50). Amritsar, April 21 MLA Jaswinder Singh Ramdas on Tuesday visited the Attari grain market to review the ongoing wheat procurement process. During his visit, he interacted with farmers, commission agents and labourers to understand the ground situation and the arrangements being made in the mandi. Seema Sodhi, chairperson of the Market Committee, Attari, Seema Sodhi, Hardeep Singh Lali Khalsa, Randeep Singh Kotli, Harmesh Singh, Kuldeep Singh Modhe and officials of procurement agencies were also present. Ramdas said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Holy city push leaves fish traders in limbo Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 21 What is Amritsar without its iconic Amritsari fish or the ever-popular Amritsari kulcha? Among the city’s many culinary treasures, these two stand out. Both are celebrated not just locally, but across the world. For many residents, spotting “Amritsari fish” on a menu anywhere instantly stirs a sense of nostalgia and pride. But that sentiment is now tinged with disappointment. Visitors arriving in the holy city, often with Amritsari fish high on their food itinerary, may find themselves let down. The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has sealed the oldest and only wholesale fish market inside Hall Gate, enforcing the government’s push to grant a “holy city” character to the walled city. While the demand for a tobacco-free Amritsar has A view of a shop that sells fish in Amritsar. long resonated with residents, a ban on meat, especially fish, has come as a surprise. “Amritsar is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, but the community has never demanded a ban on meat or fish within the city,” said local resident Raghubir Singh. He added that in its effort to project religious sensitivity, the Aam Aadmi Party government appears to have gone too far. For decades, the Hall Gate fish market functioned not as a place of consumption, but as a vital supply hub. Before dawn, traders gathered to receive consignments, strike deals and dispatch fresh stock to retailers, dhabas and households across the city. It was a system built on trust and routine, quietly sustaining the fame of Amritsari fish far beyond the narrow lanes where the trade originated. “With shops sealed, traders will first need to find a new location, make it functional, and only then will supply gradually stabilise,” said a worker seated outside a locked shop. He pointed out the irony that the market lies on the periphery of the walled city. “If the same trade shifts just across the wall, it may be legally acceptable, but what really changes? Just a few metres,” he remarked. As shutters come down, an older chapter of missed planning has resurfaced. Near the Vallah Bypass, a purposebuilt fish market was once developed to relocate wholesale trade out of the congested old city. Yet the facility never fully took off. For years, it remained underutilised, lacking the ecosystem and steady footfall that traders continued on page 2 c m y b Mann, the Punjab Government is committed to purchasing every grain of farmers’ produce at the minimum support price (MSP). He added that efforts are being made to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience in the mandis. He further said that all agencies and commission agents have been directed to make proper arrangements such as tarpaulins and crates to protect the harvested crop from adverse weather. The MLA also instructed officials to ensure that there is no negligence in procurement work and that farmers and traders do not face any problems. He said that payments for the procured crop are being made within 24 hours. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 21 The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on Tuesday claimed to have busted two interlinked cross-border narcotics smuggling cartels with the arrest of five persons and the recovery of 7 kg of heroin from their possession. The accused have been identified as Deepak Singh, alias Deepu (22), a resident of Harkrishan Nagar in Chheharta, Amritsar; Prince Singh, alias Prince, a resident of Kohala village in Amritsar; Rajinder Singh, alias Ghuddu (23); Randeep Singh, alias Dil (19); and Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi (21), all three residents of Sensra Kalan village in Amritsar. Apart from the heroin, the police also impounded a motorcycle being used for drug trafficking. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar along with other officials addresses mediapersons in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler, who was sending consignments via drones and coordinating the distribution of drugs across the state through local handlers. He Fish sellers allege forced closure by MC, demand alternative site Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 21 Members of the Amritsar Wholesale Fish Association have alleged that the Amritsar Municipal Corporation sealed shops in the city’s wholesale fish market without issuing prior notices, triggering protests and raising concerns over livelihoods. Office-bearers of the association said they had already agreed to shift their businesses outside the walled city limits, but urged the municipal corporation to allot them suitable space. The traders said they were served a notice on March 24 regarding the relocation of their trade, to which they responded in writing, expressing their willingness to comply. However, association leaders stated that they had requested the district administration and the municipal corporation to allot a common site for all fish traders before enforcing the relocation. “We had requested that until a designated fish market is allotted outside the walled city, we should be allowed to continue operations at the existing site,” said Rajinder Kumar, a leader of the association. The traders alleged that on April 20, MC officials sealed their shops “forcibly and without showing any sealing notice”, leaving perishable stock worth lakhs trapped inside. Highlighting the historical significance of the market, Rajinder Kumar said the wholesale fish market has been operating for the past 7080 years and is among the oldest in Punjab. He added that nearly 50,000 people are directly or indirectly associated with the trade, with suppliers and traders coming from Amritsar city and surrounding rural areas, as well as towns including Ajnala, Tarn Taran, Majitha, Jandiala Guru, Batala, Baba Bakala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Kapurthala and even Jammu. Demanding immediate intervention, fish traders urged the government to unseal the shops at the earliest, citing heavy financial losses due to perishable goods lying inside. They also reiterated their demand for the allotment of a unified site outside the walled city, similar to arrangements made earlier for vegetable markets and dairy units. Until such a facility is provided, the association has requested permission to continue business at the current location to sustain their livelihoods, Rajinder Kumar added. added that further investigation is underway to establish both forward and backward linkages of the network. Sharing operational details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on specific intelligence inputs, police teams first arrested continued on page 2 SGPC celebrates Bhagat Dhanna’s birth anniv Amritsar, April 21 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday celebrated the birth anniversary of Bhagat Dhanna with religious fervour at Gurdwara Sri Manji Sahib Diwan Hall, situated inside the Golden Temple complex. After the Bhog of Akhand Path, a jatha of Hazuri Raagi Bhai Balwinder Singh of Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib performed Gurbani Kirtan and Ardas was performed by Bhai Sarwan Singh. The Hukamnama was presented to the sangat by Granthi Singh of Harmandir Sahib, Giani Baljit Singh. Sharing the life story of Bhagat Dhanna, Giani Baljit Singh said his life inspires reciting the name of the Almighty and unflinching trust in Him. — TNS