19032026-ATR-01.qxd 3/18/2026 11:18 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY ASHA WORKERS STAGE DHARNA IN TARN TARAN MODERN EATING HABITS GIVING RISE TO DISEASES SAVOUR PAHADI FLAVOURS AT SHIMLA’S HIMACHALI RASOI Say state govt paying them meagre allowances, made no provision for them in Punjab Budget P2 With traditional diets taking a backseat, nutritionists warn of lifestyle hazards. P3 Himachali Rasoi in Shimla offers dham thalis like Kangri and Mandyali, along with Sidu, Babroo and Patande. P4 » » » MAX 20°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.33 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.26 AM THURSDAY | 19 MARCH 2026 | AMRITSAR Govt teachers stage protest at DAC on mandatory TET Say Punjab govt has not enough much to improve teachers’ lot Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 18 The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) has become a bone of contention between the AAP government in state and government teachers. Leaders of various teacher organisations, including the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) and Government Teachers' Union, led a protest at the District Administrative Complex (DAC) in Amritsar today against what they called the imposition of mandatory condition of TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) by the Supreme Court at the behest of the Central Government. The teachers described it as the failure of Punjab Government to bring about a Bill for the security of service of teachers during the budget session of the assembly and its failure to file a review petition in the Supreme Court. They also called out the Education Department's rejection of a letter exempting some categories from TET, the indiscriminate use of water cannons, lathicharge and tear gas shells on Members of Democratic Teachers’ Front burn an effigy of Punjab CM as they held a protest on the issue of Teacher Eligibility Test in Amritsar on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR teachers during their protest in Chandigarh recently. The teacher organisations said that instead of resolving the problems of teachers during its four-year tenure, the AAP government in Punjab has been struggling to resolve the issues. "Police action has become a norm against any form of dissent, especially on teachers. Despite issuing a lame notification for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, it has not been implemented yet. The arrears of salary revision, restoration of Punjab pay-scales by cancelling the new scales, remaining installments of dearness allowance (DA) and the arrears of installments issued, have been mixed up and now the TET is being made mandatory. The full report of the Pay Commis- sion has not been released as well," said Baljinder Singh Mann, a government school teacher in Amritsar. If the financial issues of the teachers are not being resolved, they also lament that the state government, despite tall claims of bringing about a Shiksha Kranti, has not been able to fill the vacant posts of principals and head teachers. Police conduct special search operations in city Youth suffers gunshot injury; police say accidental firing Tribune News Service Pawan K Jaiswar Amritsar, March 18 To strengthen public safety, the Amritsar city police carried out an extensive special search operation on Wednesday. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that teams of the local police along with the Special Operations Group (SOG) launched coordinated patrolling and checking drives in several sensitive areas. The operation covered key locations including Yasin Road, Liberty Market, Heritage Street, Katra Jaimal Singh, Guru Bazaar and multiple blocks of Ranjit Avenue. Police personnel conducted thorough vehicle checks and questioned suspicious individuals, recording their details for verification. The drive was further intensified at major transit points, including bus stands and the railway station, where security teams carried out detailed searches. The luggage of commuters was carefully inspected and individuals found loitering without valid Tribune News Service Police personnel conduct checking at the railway station under search operations in Amritsar on Wednesday. VISHAL KUMAR reasons were questioned. Officials said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance surveillance and deter criminal activity in both the inner city and its peripheral areas. The presence of SOG commandos added an extra layer of vigilance during the operation. The police have also appealed to the public to remain alert and cooperative. Citizens have been urged to immediately report any suspicious person or illegal activity in their vicinity, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential. Soni warns of stir over Rego Bridge delay Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 18 Former Deputy Chief Minister Om Parkash Soni has raised serious concerns over delay in the reconstruction of the historic Rego railway bridge here, calling it a major issue affecting daily life and public safety. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Soni said the matter is not just about a bridge but is directly linked to the convenience, safety and routine of lakhs of city residents. The bridge, originally built in 1905 during the British rule, had an expected lifespan of around 50 years but continued to be used for over a century. It was declared unsafe in 2023, and reconstruction work was announced soon after. Soni said that a tender for the construction of the bridge was issued in February 2024 with a deadline of two years for completion. However, by March 2026, only around 30 per cent of the work has been done, which he termed as worrying, and pointed towards negligence by the government and its departments concerned. The former Deputy CM said the closure of the bridge has caused major inconvenience to residents of the walled city. A journey that earlier took about two kilometers, now stretches to 7-8 kilometres, affecting students, traders and daily commuters, he added. Soni added that emergency services such as ambulances and fire brigade vehicles are also facing delays, posing a serious risk to public safety. Continued on page 2 Amritsar, March 18 Love, a resident of Chheharta and the relative of a former councillor, sustained a bullet injury reportedly in a case of accidental firing here late last night. The family members had initially alleged that he was shot at by an unknown scooter-borne person. DCP Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu said that last night around 10 pm, Chheharta police received information that a youth, identified as Love alias Sagar, a resident of Guru Bazaar in Chheharta, was admitted to a private hospital with a gunshot injury. He said senior police officials, including ADCP Sirivennela and ACP (West) Shivdarshan Singh reached the spot for inquiry. The victim was standing outside his house and feeding stray dogs along with his sister when the incident took place. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital for treatment. DCP Sandhu said that initially, family members told the police that when Love was feeding stray dogs, a scooter-borne person appeared and shot at him. During a preliminary probe, it was found that the victim's cousin, Danish, was holding a 'licensed' pistol which went off while cleaning. The bullet hit Love in the stomach. The DCP said that the cops were verifying the circumstances which led to the firing apart from examining the legality of the pistol. He said after recording the statements of the family members of the victim, a DDR has been filed. The DCP said the cops were contemplating action against the family for misleading the police. c m y b Cross-border module had trafficked 25 pistols from Pak Newborn baby stolen from GND Hospital Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 18 The cross-border weapon smuggling module, busted by Amritsar rural police recently, had already got around 25 sophisticated pistols trafficked from Pakistan and delivered further. The rural police have arrested their three more accomplices in the case. The trios, identified as Vanshdeep Singh, Avinash alias Kaka and Sukhwinder Singh alias Babble, all residents of Navi Abadi in the Attari area under Gharinda police station, were currently in police custody and would be produced in court on Thursday after the expiry of their police remand. On March 14, Gharinda police had arrested Gursewak Singh alias Suraj alias Gabbar, a resident of Navi Abadi in Attari, and Amarjit Singh alias Rohit of Subhash Road, Chheharta. Police had recovered an AK-47 rifle, three Turkeymade Glock pistols and 36 live cartridges from their possession at that time. A total of five persons have been arrested by the police so far. A police official privy to the investigations revealed that Vanshdeep, Avinash and Sukhwinder's name cropped up during the interrogation of Gursewak and Amarjit. Along File photo of AK-47 and three Glock pistols seized by Amritsar rural police. with them, the trio used to retrieve the weapons consignments from villages along with India-Pakistan border and later deliver it further at the behest of their ISI-backed Pakistan-based handlers. Superintendent of Police (Detective) Aditya Warrier said that mobile phone data analysis also confirmed contact between the three newly arrested accused — Vanshdeep, Avinash and Sukhwinder — with Gursewak and Amarjit arrested earlier. They used to accompany their accomplices to border areas to collect the weapons consignments dropped from across the border. Preliminary investigations have revealed that all five accused were in contact with their foreign handlers through various social media platforms and were allegedly working in coordination with Pakistani smugglers to receive consignments of arms and heroin and supply them further within the state. According to police, the weapons were meant for delivery in the border district of Gurdaspur, targeting senior police officials in the aftermath of the flagship programme of the state government and the Punjab Police, 'Gangstara Te Vaar'. Earlier, an ASI and a Home Guard jawan were shot dead at the Dorangla police outpost in Gurdaspur in February. Further investigation is underway to identify the other members of the network and trace the remaining weapons dropped along the border. Amritsar, March 18 The shocking case of a newborn baby being stolen has been reported from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, raising serious concerns about safety inside hospitals. Rani Kaur, a resident of Dhand Kasel village in Tarn Taran district, said that she had given birth to a child four days ago. On Wednesday, she brought her child to the hospital for a check-up. However, an unidentified woman allegedly picked up the baby and fled from the premises. The distressed mother told the police that this was her first child and she wanted to ensure the baby's safety at all costs. Eyewitnesses, including the hospital staff, said that the woman suddenly took the baby and walked out before anyone could react. The hospital authorities immediately informed the police. Medical Superintendent Dr Karamjeet Singh said that an investigation has been launched. He added that CCTV footage from the hospital is being carefully examined to identify the suspect. Ranjit Singh, SHO, Majitha road, said that all angles are being investigated and that the culprit would be nabbed soon.