20052026-ATR-01.qxd 5/20/2026 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY DC TAKES STOCK OF MONSOON PREPAREDNESS MEASURES MAHAN KALI MANDIR IN NOORDI DRAWS GLOBAL DEVOTEES JACQUELINE STUNS IN BLACK SEQUIN DRESS AT CANNES The district administration on Tuesday conducted a review meeting on flood protection measures. P2 The Prachin Mahan Kali Mandir in Noordi attracts worshippers from the country as well as abroad. P3 The actor makes another high-profile appearance at the 2026 edition of the prestigious global event. P4 » » » MAX 43°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 42°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.23 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.30 AM WEDNESDAY | 20 MAY 2026 | AMRITSAR 17-year-old succumbs to injuries at GND Hospital Tarn Taran, May 19 Seventeen-year-old Eknoor Singh, who was seriously injured in an attack at Jodhpur village near Tarn Taran city on Sunday, succumbed to his injuries on Monday night. DSP Goindwal Sahib, , Harinder Singh said on Tuesday that the victim was standing near his house on Sunday when a resident of the village, Gurvinder Singh, alias Ginder, allegedly came to buy drugs from him. Eknoor’s father, Gurdev Singh, who was present at the spot, told him that his son neither consumed nor sold drugs. Angered by the response, Gurvinder Singh allegedly attacked Eknoor twice with a sharp-edged weapon. Eknoor sustained serious stomach injuries and was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Tarn Taran. Owing to his critical condition, he was later referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. Eknoor Singh succumbed to his injuries late Monday night. DSP Harinder Singh said Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has now been added to the case and arrested the accused. — OC Social worker Bikramjit leads blood donation, welfare activities NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 19 Forty-five-year-old Bikramjit Singh is a well-known face in the field of social service, blood donation and humanitarian work in the city. His contribution has also earned recognition from the district administration. In acknowledgement of his dedication, the District Red Cross entrusted him with the operation of two libraries in the district that were built at a cost of Rs 110 crore. A qualified physicist, Bikramjit Singh has been running a non-profit organisation — Knowledge Villa Integrated Education and Welfare Society —since 2012. Since its inception, the organisation has been conducting blood donation camps and supporting the education of students from economically weaker sections. The Punjab State Blood Transfusion Council has honoured him three times with the state award for blood donation. In 2020, he Bikramjit Singh donates blood during a camp in Amritsar. obtained a licence for a standalone blood bank and established one on Majitha Road. The blood bank also functions as a charitable initiative, charging only Rs 1,300 for a unit of blood, compared to nearly Rs 1,600 charged elsewhere. For thalassemia patients, blood is provided free of cost along with 15 blood filters every month. Each blood filter costs around Rs 1,100 and is required frequently by such patients. The society has also recent- ly set up an inn inside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, offering accommodation to nearly 22 people daily at a nominal cost of Rs 100. The building had remained unoccupied for years and the organisation invested around Rs 11 lakh to make it habitable. Knowledge Villa Integrated Education and Welfare Society is currently operating and managing two libraries in the district — one at Guru Ramdas Nagar in the Amritsar South Assembly continued on page 2 213 candidates in fray for civic body elections Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 19 A total of 213 candidates remain in the fray after the scrutiny and withdrawal of nomination papers for elections to five civic bodies scheduled for May 26. The district election office stated that 172 candidates withdrew their nominations on Tuesday. Earlier, the election office had rejected 72 nomination papers after they were found invalid on technical grounds. A total of 467 aspirants had filed nominations for the 67 seats across five local bodies, including three municipal councils — Jandiala Guru, Majitha and Ramdass — and two nagar panchayats, Ajnala and Rayya. Among the municipal councils, Jandiala Guru received 82 nomination papers, of which 80 were accepted. Following the withdrawal of 37 nominations, 43 candidates remain in the contest. Majitha received 82 nomination papers, out of which 74 were accepted after eight rejections. Following the withdrawal of 27 candidates, 45 candidates remain in the fray, Strong action ordered against officials skipping Census work Amritsar, May 19 The MC Commissioner-cumPrincipal Census Officer has taken serious note of officials and employees who remained absent from Census-related duties despite repeated instructions, official reminders and mandatory training sessions conducted by the administration. Acting firmly on the matter, Principal Census Officercum-Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill has written to the Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, recommending the registration of FIRs under relevant provisions of the Census Act, 1948, against employees who failed to report for assigned Census duties without valid justification. In addition, directions have been issued to officials of the Education Department to attach the salaries of staff members who remained absent from Census duty. The administration stated that Census work is a matter of national importance and that 88% pre-SIR mapping work completed in district: DC Tribune News Service Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that nomination papers of party candidates from four wards were rejected. He claimed it was done because the AAP had anticipated defeat in the elections. FILE while two seats have been declared elected unopposed. Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that nomination papers of party candidates from four wards were rejected. He accused the ruling party of misusing power and claimed it was done because the AAP had anticipated defeat in the municipal elections. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that no nomination papers of opposition candidates were rejected in the Ramdass and Ajnala local bodies. He said the AAP would seek votes from the public based on its performance report of the last four years. Dhaliwal also criticised Congress and SAD leaders for allegedly ignoring the development of both towns during their respective governments. Among the nagar panchayats, Ajnala recorded the highest number of nominations at 125. After scrutiny, 118 papers were accepted and seven were rejected. Following withdrawals, 66 candidates remain in the contest. In Rayya, 88 nomination papers were received, of which 49 were rejected, leaving 39 valid nominations. After withdrawals, only 15 candidates remain in the fray, while eight candidates have been elected unopposed. Officials said the scrutiny process was conducted peacefully and in accordance with election rules. Necessary information has also been shared with election observers and district authorities, they added. Amritsar, May 19 As per the directions of the Election Commission of India, a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will begin in Punjab from June 25. During the exercise, booth-level officers (BLOs) will conduct door-todoor verification and fill forms related to the revision from June 25 to July 24. Chairing a special meeting with representatives of various political parties at the DC office, Dalwinderjit Singh asked them to appoint booth-level representatives for the process. He said that under the preSIR exercise, 88.27 per cent of the mapping work in the district had already been completed. The district has a total of 2,134 polling stations and 1,971,179 voters. Of these, 1,739,946 voters have been mapped, while 231,233 voters are yet to be mapped. continued on page 2 Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh during a meeting with members of various political parties ahead of the Special Intensive Revision and Census 2027 in Amritsar. negligence, deliberate absence or non-cooperation in the execution of Census-related assignments adversely affects planning, governance, welfare schemes and policy formulation at both the state and Central Government levels. According to official communication, several employees deputed as Census Supervisors failed to join duty despite repeated telephonic reminders and written communications issued by the department. The MC clarified that dereliction of Census duty would not be tolerated under any circumstances. The administration warned that strict disciplinary and legal action would be initiated against all defaulting officials. Officials stated that the administration is committed to ensuring the smooth, transparent and timely conduct of Census operations in the city and that every employee assigned duty is legally bound to cooperate under the provisions of the Census Act. The MC Commissioner has also initiated action against MC officials for dereliction of duty. The civic body further appealed to all officials and staff deputed for Census work to immediately report for duty, attend pending training sessions and fully cooperate with the administration to avoid punitive action. CI wing nabs two with grenades Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 19 The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing, Amritsar, claimed to have busted a module allegedly backed by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) with the arrest of two associates linked to foreign-based handlers. The police also recovered two hand grenades from their possession on Tuesday. The arrested accused have been identified as Ajay, a resident of Bazigar Mohalla in Ajnala, and Jodhbir Singh, a resident of Fattewal Kalan in Amritsar. Apart from the grenades, the police also impounded their motorcycle. Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that the recovered grenades were part of a larger conspiracy aimed at targeting government institutions or infrastructure to disturb peace and law and order in the state. Sharing operational details, the DGP said police teams had received reliable information that foreign-based The seized hand grenades in the custody of the Amritsar police. handlers had supplied hand grenades to their associates and instructed them to coordinate with another associate in the Loharka Road area of Amritsar. Acting swiftly on the input, the police set up a naka and intercepted the suspects, Ajay and Jodhbir Singh. During the search operation, two hand grenades were recovered from their possession. The DGP said further investigations are underway to establish both forward and backward linkages in the case and identify other associates connected to the network. In this regard, a case has been registered under Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar. BJP national secy Chugh launches ‘Chai Pe Overflowing drains, heaps of garbage mar pilgrims’ route to Golden Temple Charcha’says state ready for political change , Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 19 As Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Punjab begins on June 25, BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh launched a sharp offensive against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claiming that the state is ripe for political transformation. Chugh, who is in Amritsar, hosted a Chai Pe Charcha event at the famous Sharma Tea Stall near DAV College, Hathi Gate, echoed the party’s recent electoral successes in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry. BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh prepares tea at a tea stall in Amritsar on Tuesday. Chugh addressed party workers and locals during the event, where he also distributed sweets to celebrate the party’s recent assembly victories. Chugh called Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration a “disaster government” defined by arrogance and failure. He accused the administration of letting the drug crisis spiral out of control while “looting” state resources. Chugh targeted the AAP on its core poll guarantees, asserting that promises regarding free electricity, absolute drug eradication continued on page 2 c m y b Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 19 Even as the government has started work on the ambitious radial road project aimed at beautifying roads leading to the Golden Temple, commuters and pilgrims continue to face unhygienic conditions on several key stretches connecting the shrine with the walled city. One such stretch is Mahana Singh Road, which links the Golden Temple with Sultanwind Gate through Kahian Wala Bazaar. Despite being one of the busiest routes used daily by thousands of pilgrims An open drain along Mahana Singh Road, which links the Golden Temple with Sultanwind Gate in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR and local residents, the area is plagued by heaps of debris, overflowing open drains, sewer overflow and foul smell. Residents allege that irregular lifting of garbage and poor maintenance of civic infrastructure have turned the road into an eyesore. Locals said the condition of these roads leaves a poor impression on visitors arriving from outside the city. They stressed that the roads leading to the Golden Temple require special attention in terms of sanitation and upkeep due to their religious and tourism significance. Resident Ramesh Kumar said the biggest issue was the open drains running along the road. “The drains continued on page 2