3 die of virus, 69 new cases in Amritsar distrct

Amritsar: The district reported three deaths due to the Covid-19 contagion pushing the toll to 519 on Thursday. The deceased have been identified as 52-year-old Usha Rani of Chowk Mawa Singh, 60-year-old Ishwar Singh of Fateh Singh Colony and 80-year-old Kamla of Guxbax Nagar. The district health authorities also reported 69 new cases with which the total count has increased to 13,769. The new cases include 45 persons who were found to have symptoms like influenza-like illness and 24 contacts of positive patients. The recovery count has increased to 12,448 with 39 more patients recovering. At present, the district has a total of 802 active cases. TNS

GND varsity inks pact with CSE

Amritsar: The Centre for Sustainable Habitat (CSH) of Guru Nanak Dev University signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, to share knowledge and conduct need-based collaborative research and capacity building to address various issues and challenges occurring in environment of cities and villages. Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu, V-C, GNDU, said, “The CSE will act as a knowledge partner of the CSH to help mainstream sustainability concerns in the built environment to attain sustainable development goals. A state-of-the-art research lab will be established in the university to carry on the inter-disciplinary research work.” TNS

Two held with 5 kg of opium

Tarn Taran: A team of the CIA staff, Patti, led by Sub-Inspector Sukhraj Singh, arrested two persons of Rajasthan with 5 kg of opium. The police said the suspects had been identified as Dheeraj Singh, alias Sonu, of Matonda village, (District Booti) and Mandeep Singh of Ratta Bardaa (Booti). According to the police, the suspects were in a Safari car No RJ-07, UB-6258 near Gohalwar village on Tarn Taran-Amritsar road today when the intoxicating material was recovered from their possession. The police have filed a case under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. oc

Labourers hold demonstration

Tarn Taran: On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, labourers, including women, under the banner of the Dalit Dastan Virodhi Andolan held a demonstration in front of the DAC here on Thursday. The aim was to highlight inequality and discrimination being faced by weaker sections of society. While addressing on the occasion, speakers stressed on the need to review minimum wages of daily wagers, withdraw the orders to take back the letter regarding increasing labour wages, provide drinking water, provision of toilets at the brick kilns and fix Rs 361.39 daily for MGNREGA workers. oc