25052026-ATR-01.qxd 5/24/2026 10:28 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FARMER’S DREAM TO TURN FELLOWS INTO STUDENTS OF AGRI-SCIENCE POOR REGULATION OF STREET FOOD A RECIPE FOR CONCERN Fast food, slow checks: Residents seek stronger enforcement of safety norms for vendors. P3 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 41°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 41°C | MIN 25°C FJORD SHINES AT CANNES CLOSING NIGHT The story of a Machhiwara farmer has blossomed into a movement reshaping the state’s agricultural landscape. P2 FORECAST Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set drama about political polarisation wins Palme d’Or. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.26 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:27 AM » MONDAY | 25 MAY 2026 | AMRITSAR 2 killed, 9 hurt as shuttering collapses at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib Devotees had gathered to participate in weekly ‘chaupehra sahib’ congregation Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 24 In a tragic incident at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Baba Deep Singh on Sunday, two women devotees lost their lives and nine others sustained injuries after iron shuttering from an underconstruction langar hall building in the shrine complex collapsed during a religious gathering. The mishap took place around 1:30 pm when a large number of devotees had gathered to participate in the weekly “chaupehra sahib” congregation, a continuous four-hour prayer session involving recitation of hymns. According to eyewitnesses, strong winds reportedly caused iron plates and shuttering material installed for the building’s roof construction to give way, falling directly on to the seated devotees. One of the deceased has been identified as Rajrani, a resident of Sathiala village, while the identity of the sec- SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami meets a victim in an Amritsar hospital on Sunday. ond was yet to be confirmed till the filing of this report. Those injured in the incident included Rajni of Sathiala, Seema from Batala, Daljit Kaur from Ludhiana, Bavreet Kaur from Guru Ram Dass Avenue, Paramjit Kaur from Fatehgarh Churian Road, Baljeet Kaur from Moga, Manisha Dhawan from Ferozepur, Raj Kaur from Rajatal and Kashmir Kaur from Tarn Taran. The injured were immediately rushed to Sri Guru Ram Das Hospital, while critically injured victims were referred to private hospitals for treatment. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishaljit Singh said police teams reached the spot immediately after receiving information about the collapse. He stated that an investigation was underway to ascertain the exact cause of the incident and determine whether negligence was involved in the construction work. Reacting to the tragedy, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and visited the injured devotees at the hospital. He also inspected the accident site and gathered details about the incident. Announcing financial assis- tance for the victims’ families, Dhami said the SGPC would provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased women. He added that free medical treatment was being provided to all injured devotees at the hospital. Dhami stated that large congregations were held at the gurdwara every Sunday and construction was currently underway at the site with the support of Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuriwale. He claimed that the accident occurred after strong gusts of wind caused portions of the shuttering plates fixed for the building’s roof slab to collapse on to the devotees sitting below. Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuriwale also expressed condolences and separately announced financial aid of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased. Meanwhile, dean of Sri Guru Ram Das Medical University AP Singh said expert doctors were monitoring the condition of the injured. Campaigning for civic bodies polls ends in Amritsar dist Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 24 Campaigning for the elections to three municipal councils and two nagar panchayats in Amritsar district ended on Sunday evening ahead of the polling scheduled for May 26. The local body elections will be held for the municipal councils of Jandiala Guru, Baba Bakala and Ramdas, besides the nagar panchayats of Rayya and Ajnala. With the campaigning ending, candidates and political parties have now shifted focus on door-to-door outreach and voter mobilisation within the limits permitted under election rules. Meanwhile, the Punjab Government has announced a “dry day” in all areas going to polls on May 26 to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. Punjab Excise Commissioner Jatinder Jorwal said the decision had been taken in accordance with the directions of the state election commission. He said the sale, distribution and consumption of liquor would remain completely prohibited within the jurisdiction of the municipal councils and nagar panchayats concerned on the day of polling. All liquor vends, bars, hotels serving liquor and other licensed premises would remain closed during the period. The Excise Department said the restrictions were aimed at maintaining law and order and preventing any activity that could influence voters during the election process. Officials have been directed to ensure strict implementation of the orders and take legal action against violators. Canvassing for Patti Nagar Council, Bhikhiwind Nagar Panchayat ends Tarn Taran: The campaign for the election to the Nagar Council, Patti, and that of Nagar Panchayat, Bhikhiwind, in the district to be held on May 26 ended today. In this election EVMs will be used. Around 38 polling stations have been set up for the total 19 wards of the Nagar Council, Patti. The total number of voters in this Nagar Council is 29,561, including 15,307 males, 14,252 females and two others. The Nagar Pan- chayat, Bhikhiwind, has a total of 13 wards, 14 polling booths and 12,143 voters, including 6,466 males and 5,675 females and two others. Apart from some sporadic incidents, the campaigning process remained peaceful for both places. As many as 74 candidates are trying their luck for the 19 wards of Patti and 53 candidates for 13 wards of Bhikhiwind. Many multi-cornered contests are expected. Ward number two of Bhikhiwind is the only ward from where the ruling party Aam Aadmi Party candidate has won unopposed. The candidates contacted voters by going from door-todoor. During the campaigning, the issues concerning people were mostly found missing and personal contacts were being preferred. In this election, apart from the ruling party Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and many Independent candidates are in the fray. Mainly, senior leaders of the parties had taken charge of the campaigning of their candidates. The results of these elections will be declared on May 29. — OC Cop with MC sent back to parent Accidental firing dept after parking fee row leaves child dead, Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 24 After the allegations of illegal overcharging at the Guru Nanak Bhawan parking stand surfaced, the Additional Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation has initiated action by ordering the transfer of a police employee deployed with the civic body back to his parent department. The action follows an inquiry into the functioning of the parking stand at Guru Nanak Bhawan, where alleged irregularities in parking fee collection had come to light. Reports had highlighted that visitors were allegedly being charged four times the approved parking fee. According to the findings mentioned in the case file, the parking contractor’s father, who was posted with the municipal corporation as a police employee, was allegedly collecting parking charges in civil dress. Instead of the officially approved overnight parking fee of Rs 50, visitors were allegedly being charged Rs 200. It was also alleged that Rs 100 were charged for merely 15 minutes of parking. On May 20, directions were issued for an action taken report and the official concerned was asked to vacate the position immediately. Acting on the recommendations, the Additional Commissioner signed the file and directed the security incharge to relieve the employee and send him back to his parent cadre with immediate effect. On April 24, The Tribune had highlighted the over- charging at parking lots, being operated by the municipal corporation at Machhi Mandi and Guru Nanak Bhawan in the city. Residents had complained that contractors had been asking for more parking fee against the approved rate list at key parking locations. As per the MC’s approved rate list, the maximum parking fee for 24 hours for a car is Rs 50, while that for a bus is Rs 100. The bus parking is permitted only at Guru Nanak Bhawan and the Old Sabzi Mandi parking sites. PC Sharma, complainant in the case, has expressed satisfaction over the action and demanded regular checking by the authorities with regard to overcharging at parking lots in the city. grandmother hurt Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 24 A tragic accident claimed the life of a child and left his grandmother injured after a licensed pistol allegedly went off accidentally at a house in Chheharta on Saturday. According to information received, the child’s father, Sajan, had taken his children to school earlier in the day for a parent-teacher meeting. He was reportedly carrying his licensed pistol at the time. After returning home, he allegedly placed the loaded weapon on a bed while changing clothes. During this time, the child, identified as Vansh, reportedly picked up the pistol while playing and accidentally pulled the trigger. The bullet passed through the child and also struck his grandmother, who was standing nearby. Family members rushed both to a hospital, where doctors declared Vansh dead on arrival. The grandmother sustained injuries and was undergoing treatment. Sources said the deceased child was a twin, and the tragedy had left the family devastated. SHO Balwinder Singh stated that preliminary findings suggest that the incident occurred due to negligence as the pistol was allegedly left unlocked and easily accessible to the child. The police have started inquest proceedings and are examining all aspects of the case. Congress leaders campaign in favour of its candidate in Patti. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI Notice to poll officials absent at rehearsal Tarn Taran, May 24 District election officer-cumDeputy Commissioner Rahul has ordered action against those who do not follow the guidelines of the Punjab State Election Commission. He has issued notices to the election officials who were absent during the rehearsal of the elections of Municipal Council, Patti, and Nagar Panchayat, Bhikhiwind, on May 23. The district election officer has sent the list of absent election officials to the heads of their departments on behalf of the returning officers, and has written that the employees had been absent during the election rehearsal, which was a serious matter. Therefore, they should strictly instruct the officials/employees under them to immediately report for their election duty. In case of failure to do so, disciplinary action will be initiated against such employees under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and FIRs will be registered against them. — OC PPCB, industry assn & NGO join hands to stop waste flow into Tung Dhab drain Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 24 The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Amritsar Textile Processing Association and an NGO, Earth Grow Organics, have joined hands to stop waste generated at dairies from flowing into the Tung Dhab stormwater drain, also known as Hudiara drain. Dug in 1955 to prevent floods, effluents of the drain have become dangerous for humans, becoming an unending source of inconvenience and leading to a host of health problems for residents living in the colonies set up along its sides. A progressive farmer, Sukhdeep Sigh of Ramdas, has taken an acre for a year on lease on the Fatehgarh Churriyan road to turn dairy waste into vermicompost. He said the association provided financial assistance of Rs Office-bearers of the Amritsar Textile Processing Association hand over a cheque to Sukhdeep Singh, a progressive farmer, in Amritsar on Sunday; and (right) vermicompost prepared from cow dung. 80,000 which went into paying the lease amount. Before starting the project, Sukhdeep, along with Lakhwinder Kumar, Assistant Environment Engineer, studied making of vermicompost at a plant spread over 5 acres at Hindon river Metro station in Delhi. At home, the vermicompost plant is situated nearly 15 km away from the drain. Initially, the NGO will lift livestock waste generated from only 25 diaries situat- ed in the catchment area of the drain. Transporting about 15 tonnes of cow and buffalo dung to the plant will be a challenging task and it will take three months to enable it to become manure. c m y b Lakhwinder said it was financially viable to sell manure to apple orchards in Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir, where its demand is more. Gradually, local farmers will understand the significance of organic manure. Residents say the operationalisation of two sewerage treatment plants (STP) at Khapar Kheri and Baserke Bhani villages to remove effluents in the nullah did not elicit the desired results. Set up under a Union Government scheme funded by the JICA, these STPs are supposed to clean the nullah. Those living in the colonies set up near the drain said effluents in the drain emit strong pungent smell throughout the year, which became more intense in the summer season. About 550 kilolitres per day (KLD) waste is discharged by 170 dairies along with livestock dung and other animal waste that is routed through the drain. Similarly, industries discharge millions of litres of effluents per day into the drain. These industrial effluents mix with dairy waste. Sukhdev Singh, Executive Engineer of the PPCB, says the STPs are capable of treating only residential waste, whereas the drain receives effluents from three separate categories — dairies, industries and houses. The waste from these sources need to be separated for treatment. He said the project was in nascent stage as it had just been initiated and it would require more land, especially near the drain to stop the flow of dairy waste into the Tung Dhab Drain. Under this project, cow dung and other organic waste being discharged into the drains by dairies and other sources will be collected and segregated at the dairy units. This waste will then be processed scientifically and converted into organic manure, which will further be made available to farmers. He informed that only 11 industries, including 10 textile dyeing and one paper mill, are discharging water into the drain after being treated at the by internal effluent treatment plants. Krisham Kumar Sharma, president of the Amritsar Textile Processing Association, said the PPCB initiated an important project to eliminate pollution in the drain and under this initiative the association was extending financial assistance to the NGO, whose main objective is to clean the Tung Dhab Drain and other connected drains. He said the PPCB took a commendable and environment-friendly step towards pollution control and sustainable waste management. “We are proud that the Amritsar Textile Processing Association is also extending full support to this noble cause and is providing financial assistance and complete cooperation for the successful implementation of the project.”