26062026-ATR-01.qxd 6/25/2026 11:53 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY GNDU HOSTS SEMINAR ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP KATARUCHAK HOLDS THIRD ‘LOK MILNI’ IN 2 DAYS SINGER-ACTOR DILJIT DOSANJH TO STAR IN RANNA CH DHANNA Guru Nanak Dev University organised a seminar on women entrepreneurship at Guru Nanak Bhawan. P2 Cabinet Minister and Bhoa MLA Lal Chand Kataruchak held his third ‘Lok Milni’ in the last two days. P2 Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh is set to headline the upcoming Punjabi entertainer Ranna Ch Dhanna. P4 » » » MAX 37°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.39 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5.27 AM FRIDAY | 26 JUNE 2026 | AMRITSAR House-to-house enumeration BJP suspends district president process begins under SIR in dist SCMorchaof son after arrest ARMS HAUL CASE Neha Saini Tribune News Service COOPERATE WITH OFFICIALS, CITIZENS URGED ■ The draft electoral rolls will be published on August 3, while the final voter list is scheduled for publication on October 1. ■ District Election Officer Dalwinderjit Singh has urged citizens to ignore rumours and cooperate with officials during the enumeration process. ■ Political parties have appointed over 5,200 Booth Level Agents to support the voter verification exercise across the district. ■ Voters can now directly contact their BLO through the Election Commission’s ‘Book a Call with BLO’ feature for information related to SIR and electoral rolls. << Officials during door-to-door enumeration for the SIR voter list in Amritsar on Thursday. tember 28. The final electoral roll will be published on October 1, he added. Dalwinderjit Singh said that 88.61 per cent of voters in Amritsar district had already been pre-SIR mapped. To ensure transparency and efficiency in the process, political parties have also appointed booth level agents (BLAs), who will help ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of exercising his or her franchise. He urged residents not to pay heed to misleading rumours regarding the SIR SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT LOPOKE CHC SSP, Civil Surgeon told tosubmitreports Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 25 The Punjab State and Chandigarh (UT) Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the suspicious death of a local resident, Vinod Kumar, at the Community Health Centre (CHC), Lopoke, earlier this year and sought status reports from the Civil Surgeon, Amritsar, and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar (Rural). The Commission acted on a complaint filed by Parveen Kumar, the elder brother of the deceased, who died under suspicious circumstances at the CHC on January 13 this year. The complainant alleged that despite approaching various authorities, no independent or impartial investigation had been conduct- ed into the circumstances surrounding Vinod Kumar’s death. Observing that the allegations prima facie involved issues related to possible human rights violations, the Commission directed the SSP Amritsar (Rural), to sub, mit a comprehensive report at least one week before the next hearing scheduled for July 13, Parveen Kumar said. The Commission also sought a fresh status report from the Civil Surgeon, Amritsar, after the complainant expressed dissatisfaction with the findings of an earlier inquiry. The Commission noted that an inquiry report had been submitted on May 19 and communicated to the complainant. However, fresh continued on page 2 process. For information related to SIR, citizens can contact the Election Commission’s toll-free helpline number 1950. In addition, District Grievance Redressal Officers (DGROs) have been appointed to address complaints related to the revision exercise. The District Election Officer also highlighted the ‘Book a Call with BLO’ feature launched by the Election Commission of India. Through the feature available on the Election Commission website and the ECI NET mobile application, voters can directly contact the BLO of their polling booth and seek information regarding the voter list and SIR process. Earlier, District Election Officer Dalwinderjit Singh held a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties regarding the Special Intensive Revision. During the meeting, information related to the distribution, collection and verification of enumeration forms during house-to-house visits by BLOs was shared. He informed political parties that a total of 5,251 BLAs had been appointed across the district. Of these, 2,094 were appointed by the Aam Aadmi Party, 1,887 by the Congress, 814 by the Shiromani Akali Dal, 390 by the Bharatiya Janata Party and 66 by the Bahujan Samaj Party. He appealed to all political parties to appoint BLA-2 representatives in every Assembly constituency to ensure the smooth conduct of the SIR exercise. Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 25 Taking serious note of the arrest of Rohan Khosla, son of BJP district SC Morcha president Shiv Kumar, the party on Thursday suspended Shiv Kumar from its primary membership. Rohan Khosla was arrested on June 19 during a joint operation conducted by the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) and the Border Security Force (BSF). Security agencies recovered 26 sophisticated weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle, from his possession. During interrogation, he allegedly revealed that he had smuggled weapons on previous occasions as well. He is currently in police custody for further investigation. Confirming the development, BJP district president Harwinder Singh Sandhu said that although Shiv Kumar had not been actively involved in party affairs for several months, the seriousness of the case could not be ignored. “Even though he has remained inactive in party activities for the past several months, we cannot overlook an issue of such gravity, especially when it concerns Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 25 The Amritsar Bar Association (ABA) has secured possession of 2.45 acres of land adjoining the Judicial Court Complex, paving the way for the expansion of the court complex and the construction of a multi-level lawyers’ chambers complex, which has been a longpending demand of the legal fraternity. ABA president Gurpreet Singh Panesar said on Thursday that the project aims to provide modern chamber facilities, improved infrastructure and adequate parking space, particularly benefiting young lawyers. A joint site inspection was conducted on Thursday by representatives of the Bar association along with Dis- Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Former SAD leader Guriqbal Singh with CM Bhagwant Mann. votes from the Qadian constituency, finishing behind Congress leader Partap Amritsar, June 25 A city-based trader and gym owner has alleged that despite repeatedly submitting complaints regarding extortion demands and death threats, no concrete action has been taken by the authorities, leaving his family living under constant fear. Chandeep Singh, a resident of Sultanwind Road who runs a gym and a tiles showroom in the city, said he has been receiving threatening WhatsApp calls and voice messages from unknown international numbers for the past two-and-a-half months. The callers allegedly claim links to a notorious gangster network and initially demanded a large sum of money as extortion. According to Chandeep Singh, after he refused to pay and stopped responding to the suspicious calls, the threats intensified. He alleged that the callers are now openly threatening to kill him and his family members. In a fresh complaint addressed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav and Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, he stated that he had earlier lodged a complaint and received only an continued on page 2 Dist Bar Assn gets possession of land for court complex expansion Sessions Judge Jatinder Kaur (4th from left), along with Additional Sessions Judge Parinder Singh (3rd from right) in Amritsar. trict and Sessions Judge Jatinder Kaur, Additional District and Sessions Judge Parinder Singh and officials of the Public Works Department, including the Executive Engineer (XEN) and the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). Panesar said demolition work at the site was scheduled to begin this week, marking the first phase of one of the most significant infrastructure projects undertaken for the legal community in Amritsar. He added that the project would also facilitate the planned expansion of the Judicial Court Complex. Describing the development as a historic milestone, Panesar credited the achievement to the persistent efforts of the association’s executive body. He reiterated the ABA’s commitment to ensuring the timely completion of the project and providing advocates with a state-of-the-art chambers complex equipped with modern amenities. SAD leader Mahal from Qadian joins AAP Cellphones seized from Goindwal jail Qadian (Gurdaspur), June 25 Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Guriqbal Singh Mahal joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday. His defection is being viewed as a setback for the SAD as Mahal is considered an influential grassroots leader in the region. Political circles are abuzz with speculation that he may be considered for the party ticket in the next Assembly elections. In the 2022 Assembly elections, Mahal secured 41,505 national security. Therefore, he has been suspended from the party with immediate effect,” Sandhu said. The arrest triggered a political controversy, with AAP chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal targeting the BJP and alleging that the incident exposed the party’s purported attempts to disturb peace and communal harmony in Punjab ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections. Dhaliwal questioned senior BJP leaders, including Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and national general secretary Tarun Chugh, asking whether the party would act against what he described as “criminal elements” within its ranks. He also raised concerns over border security, stating that despite the BSF functioning under the Union Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah, weapons and narcotics continued to enter Punjab. “Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has repeatedly sought anti-drone systems to strengthen border security, but the BJP-led Centre has failed to provide adequate support. This exposes the BJP’s anti-Punjab stance,” Dhaliwal alleged. Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Singh Bajwa, who polled 48,679 votes. AAP candidate Jagroop Singh Sekhwan came third with 34,916 votes. Sources said Mahal’s move to the ruling party was not entirely unexpected, with senior SAD leaders reportedly aware of his intentions. Speaking after joining the AAP Mahal said, “Senior , Akali leaders knew I was planning to shift allegiance to the AAP and were preparing to expel me from the party. When I learnt about the proposed action, I sent feelers to the Chief Minister. He responded positively and invited me to Chandigarh to formally join the party.” Mahal added that Chief continued on page 2 c m y b Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, June 25 Prohibited items and narcotics were seized from the Central Jail at Goindwal Sahib here on Wednesday. According to Additional Superintendent of Jail Jaswant Singh, several packets containing banned and non-permitted items, allegedly thrown into the jail premises from outside, were recovered from different parts of the prison. The recovered items included 11 mobile phones, 668 bun- dles of bidis, 329 packets of tobacco, 67 packets of Cool Lip, 47 packets of cigarettes, 12 lighters, data cables, handsets and heater springs. Investigating officers Angrej Singh and Pargat Singh said a case had been registered against unidentified persons in connection with the recovery of the unclaimed prohibited items from the jail premises. It is pertinent to mention that incidents of drug packets and other illegal substances being thrown into the jail from outside have reportedly increased. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Amritsar, June 25 The door-to-door enumeration process under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) began in the district on Thursday. District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh said that 2,134 booth level officers (BLOs) would visit households to distribute enumeration forms to voters and assist them in filling these forms. The District Election Officer said that for the effective implementation of the SIR, 11 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 22 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), 110 Additional AEROs, 213 Sector Officers and 2,134 BLOs have been deployed across the 11 Assembly constituencies of Amritsar district. He said the rationalisation of polling stations would be completed by July 24, while the draft electoral rolls would be published on August 3. According to the Election Commission’s schedule, claims and objections regarding the voter lists can be submitted from August 3 to September 2. These claims and objections will be disposed of between August 3 and Sep- Trader seeks FIR, protection after receiving death threats A waterlogged road in the Police Lines in Amritsar. Inadequate desilting raises questions over monsoon readiness Tribune News Service Amritsar, June 25 With the monsoon season approaching, concerns are mounting over the city’s preparedness to tackle waterlogging, a recurring problem that affects more than 30 lowlying localities every year. One of the major reasons behind prolonged water accumulation during heavy rainfall is the inadequate desilting of sewer lines before the onset of the monsoon. Civic experts and residents say the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has consistently failed to clean the sewer network to the required extent, resulting in rainwater remaining stagnant on roads for hours after showers. The municipal corporation launched its annual desilting drive on April 23, targeting identified hotspots across the city. Officials said desilting work has so far been carried out on around 65 km of sewer lines. However, with nearly 185 km of main sewer lines in the city, concerns remain over whether the exercise will be completed before the rains arrive. Several vulnerable locations continue to face the threat of waterlogging. These include Town Hall, Taran Taran Road, Batala Road, Court Road, Gandhi Ground, Madan Mohan Malaviya Road, Putlighar, Beri Gate, Hathi Gate, the bus stand, the railway station, Circuit House Road, Maqbool Road, Mahna Singh Road, the Chatiwind area, Chamarang Road, GT Road near Alpha One Mall, Sultanwind Road, Cooper Road, Crystal Chowk and several stretches along Circular Road. The civic body has also constructed seven rainwater harvesting pits at key locations and is working on five more. However, these structures are expected to provide only limited relief. The city continues to rely largely on sanitary sewer lines for drainage as it continued on page 2