08072025-ATR-01.qxd 7/7/2025 11:07 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLOUDY/RAIN ACTRESS DAKOTA TO DIRECT FEMALE-CENTRIC STORIES MADHAVAN & FATIMA STARRER ADDRESSES LONELINESS SARBALA JI TRAILER LAUNCH UNVEILS WITH WEDDING VIBES Dakota Johnson shared her plans for directing her first feature based on a script by an autistic actress. P4 Actors R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh are gearing up for the release of their film Aap Jaisa Koi. P4 The trailer launch, hosted by Tips Films at The Mohali Club, Wyndham, turned out to be a proper celebration. P4 » » » MAX 30°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.38 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.32 AM TUESDAY | 8 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR MP Aujla inspects rly crossings, assesses need for overbridges Govt tells DCs, SSPs to take action against travel agents violating rules Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla along with officials of Indian Railways visits the Jora Phatak railway crossing in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 7 MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Monday visited all the railway crossings of Amritsar city and villages. A team of Central Railway officials accompanied him to assess the ground situation and the need for building underbridges or overbridges as per the requirement. Aujla said a feasibility report will be prepared first and sent to the Centre for review. MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla first visited Shivala Gate, Kot Khal- Take care of health during rainy season: Health experts Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 7 Health experts have urged residents to take necessary precautions to stay safe from mosquito-borne and waterborne diseases amid the monsoon season. With the increased risk of waterlogging and mosquito breeding during this time, the Health Department is emphasising the importance of preventive measures to avoid the spread of diseases. Residents are advised to eliminate standing water around their homes to prevent mosquito breeding, use mosquito repellents, and wear protective clothing, said Civil Surgeon Dr Kirandeep Kaur. She said they are also cautioned to avoid consuming contaminated water and ensure that their food is properly cooked to prevent water- sa, Joda Phatak, Putlighar, Chheharta Gate and other gates, including the Jahangir and Majitha railway crossings. MP Aujla said about 16 gates in the city, where he inspected the ground reality with the team, are in need of underbridges or overbridges. “Earlier, a feasibility report was sent to the state government, but the state government does not have the money, due to which this project could not proceed. Now, the feasibility report will be sent to the state as well as the Centre,” he said. He said the construction work on the lane leading to Pathankot is the responsibility of the MC, but it is lacking in funds. “Earlier, the MP brought funds from the Centre for the Rigo bridge, in the same way, now funds for development for the convenience of people at railway crossings will also be sought,” he said. Some of the aforementioned railway crossings witness traffic congestion on a daily basis, especially during the closure of the railway crossing gates. Amritsar, July 7 To tighten the noose around travel agencies violating the Emigration Act, the Punjab government has directed deputy commissioners and district police heads to ensure the implementation of rules under the Act in letter and spirit apart from taking necessary action against the violators. While ordering the deputy commissioners to monitor the promotional and advertisement activities of these agencies, it has also directed the travel agents to submit details of their monthly expenditure on advertisements to the administration by way of selfdeclaration forms. The orders were passed by the state government after it received complaints from the Protector General of Emigrants, New Delhi, and Protector of Emigrants, Chandigarh and the Ministry of External Affairs about violations of various provisions of The orders were passed by the state government after it received complaints from the Protector General of Emigrants, New Delhi, and the Ministry of External Affairs about rule violations. FILE the Emigration Act. In the complaints, the authorities concerned pointed out that numerous travel agents registered under Punjab Travel Professions Regulation (PTPR) Act, 2012 were engaged in activities that contravene provisions of the Emigration Act. As per the orders passed by government in June-end, certain PTPR Act licensed travel agents were advertising and promising employment and work visa opportunities for foreign countries apart from assisting individuals with ‘work permits’, ‘employment visas’ and other job related travel services which was beyond the scope of permissible services for travel agents. Certain travel agents were also found to be operating without requisite, recruiting agent certificates or foreign employer permits mandated under the Emigration Act which amounts to a clear violation of various provisions under the Act. It also added that several FIRs had already been lodged by the NRI wing of the Punjab Police. The Punjab government has asked the DCs to monitor the activities of travel agents, especially on different social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. It asked them to obtain monthly self-declarations from all licensed travel agents under the PTPR Act regarding their advertisements and publicity practices. It also directed all the Police Commissioners and SSPs to take legal action against the offenders under the Emigration Act in addition to the continuing enforcement drive against illegal and unregistered travel agents. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney has further forwarded the orders to police authorities and sub- divisional magistrate to implement the orders in letter and spirit and take necessary action against the violators. Downpour leaves city waterlogged, residents suffer Man killed as Bolero rams into scooter Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 7 Heavy rain brought the city to a near standstill with almost all the roads getting waterlogged. From the inner streets to elite neighbourhoods, waterlogged roads and overflowing drains turned daily commuting into a challenge. The situation was particularly dire at the iconic Heritage Street, a major attraction for visiting tourists, which resembled a pond. Despite repeated claims of de-silting and drain-cleaning by the municipal corporation, road gully chambers remained uncleared before the rains, reportedly due to a shortage of funds. As a result, rainwater overcame the city’s drainage capacity, and several sewer manholes were seen overflowing. The failure of the sanitary sewer system to drain rainwater further worsened the flooding, especially in low-lying areas. Tourists from various parts of the country had a hard time The waterlogged Heritage Street in Amritsar on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR navigating flooded pathways. The Heritage Street, usually bustling with foot traffic, became nearly impassable for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders, with many forced to wade through knee-deep water. Several upscale and densely populated areas, including Batala Road, Majitha Road, Madan Mohan Malviya Road, Taylor Road, Railway Road, Link Road, Basant Avenue, Prince Avenue, Lawrence Road, New Amritsar, Sultanwind Road, Narayan Garh, Mall Road and Ranjit Avenue, experienced severe waterlogging. Despite the deployment of nodal officers to oversee drainage in key areas, there has been no lasting solution to the recurring problem. According to residents, in several wards, either new gully chambers are required or the existing ones have not been cleaned for months. Naveen Kumar, a local resident who visited the Company Bagh for an evening walk, shared, “The internal paths and lawns of the garden were completely submerged. The situation in Kartar Nagar and along Cheharta Road was also dismal, with stagnant water remaining long after the rain had stopped.” Though MC authorities claim that the de-silting work has been carried out in all constituencies and that water now drains within two to three hours, locals contest these claims. Many allege that super sucker machines, used to clean sewers, have not been seen in several areas for over six months. Most parts of the city still rely solely on the overburdened sanitary sewer system, causing repeated overflows. The lack of road patchwork has further worsened the issue as uneven surfaces trap water, increasing the risk of accidents. Power outages added to chaos. In several parts of the city, including the City Circle and Sub-Urban Circle, electricity supply was cut for durations ranging from one to four hours. Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 7 A rashly driven SUV killed a man near Lakhuwal village in Baba Bakala area here on Sunday. The victim, identified as Bakhshish Singh, a resident of Sudhar Rajputa village, was standing on his scooter parked by the roadside. He was waiting for his wife who had gone to a nearby shop when the car rammed into him leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The onlookers nabbed the car driver who was identified as Jaspal Singh, alias Saabi, of Thathia village and handed him over to the police. He was later released on bail by the court, said investigating officer ASI Balwinder Singh, adding that a case has been registered in the matter. He said as per a preliminary probe, Jaspal Singh was under the influence of some kind of drug. His medical examination was conducted and the report is awaited, he added. Simarjit Kaur, wife of the deceased, told the police that yesterday they had come to Baba Bakala on their scooter (PN-06-AA0178) for some work. She said while returning, they had stopped near the Lakhuwal village crossing to procure milk from a dairy. Bakhshish was on the parked scooter by the roadside when a rashly driven Bolero hit his scooter. He was critically injured and the scooter was badly damaged. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital nearby where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Dubai-based gangster Billa, aide Food startup begins journey with grandma’s recipes booked in another extortion case Neha Saini Tribune News Service Had demanded ~30L extortion from grocery store owner Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 7 The Amritsar rural police have slapped another extortion case against Dubaibased gangster Jobanjit Singh, alias Billa, of Arjan Manga village. The police also booked his brother Gurwinder Singh in the case. They had allegedly demanded an extortion of Rs 30 lakh from a small grocery store owner, Ranjit Kumar, of Udoke Kalan village. In his complaint, he alleged that Gurwinder Singh, who was currently lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail, called him from the jail compound and demanded extortion mon- ey, adding that his brother would take money from him. The accused also threatened victims of dire consequences if they did not give extortion money. Following his complaint, the police have registered a case under Sections 308 (4), 351 (2) and 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita against Billa and Gurwinder Singh. Bikramjit Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Mattewal police station, said the police would bring Gurwinder Singh on production warrant for further investigations. He said Billa Arjan Manga had a number of extortion cases registered against them. Earlier on May 18, the police had booked Billa in a similar case. The police had nabbed his accomplices Deepak Kumar of Jandiala Guru, besides nominating another accomplice Hardev Singh of Thathiara Bazaar. Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, of Sarli Kalan village in Tarn Taran, in his complaint lodged with the Jandiala Guru police station, alleged that the accused demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion from his brother, threatening to kill their family members in case they failed to give the money. In the end of April, the police had arrested his shooter Daljit Singh, alias Billa, of Mehnia Kohara village after a brief exchange of fire at Dharad village. Amritsar, July 7 Pushing aside fad diets and health monitors to track our daily dose of calories, traditional recipes and ingredients from our grandmothers’ kitchen are making a comeback and how. These locally sourced, authentic flavoured foods not only qualify as healthy but are also sustainable. And if one is able to build a brand out of these time-tested culinary heritage passed down generations, it literally amounts to dipping all your five fingers in ghee! City-based young entrepreneur Gagandeep Singh Pahwa seems to be having quite a time with his home- grown brand, ‘Dadi’s Recipes’. A food technologist by profession, who previously worked with Nestle and other food industry bigwigs, Pahwa eventually found his purpose c m y b Gagandeep Singh Pahwa. inside the kitchen in his home. He recently won a first prize of Rs 50,000 in the Open Category at the Future Tycoons of Amritsar for his food startup called ‘Dadi’s Recipes’, which uses naturally grown fruits and ingredients like dates and ghee to produce a line of organic sher- bets and traditional sweets. What drove him to shun the mundane routine of his corporate job to start from scratch was the desire to share with the world the joy of relishing food that evokes a sense of home, nostalgia and tradition. “It all began last summer, when my in-laws and I, as is the tradition in our family, decided to make traditional panjiri. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, which was when I first dabbled with the idea of cooking traditional sweets and savories at home, we make traditional Punjabi recipes like panjiri, gond laddoos and fruit sherbets at home. Last year, near Diwali, we decided to try and gift these homemade sherbets and sweets among friends and family. Their response was tremendous, given that these were organically sourced, home-made delicacies,” he says. That’s when ‘Dadi’s Recipes’ first began its entrepreneurial journey. Months down the line, ‘Dadi’s Recipes’ is now already producing a line of seasonal fruit sherbets, traditional sweets using whole grains and other ingredients and they have also introduced chocolate laddoos for kids. Their USP? “We do not use white sugar in our products. We use dates and jaggery and all our products depend on seasonal availability of products. We have now started getting orders from overseas as there is a growing interest in nostalgia, driven by health benefits of these recipes,” says Pahwa. Their customers are limited but loyal and drawn to their motto of not compromising on quality for quantity. Pahwa says that Amritsar has immense potential for food business, given that people here are passionate for food and flavours. “Food economy is what Amritsar is known for. The city has talent, knowledge, passion and entrepreneurial skill to become a global food business hub. We offer rich flavours and ingredients with an unmatched experience in terms of food tourism. Our recipes come with history.”