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CONFLICT & CATASTROPHE
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Muslim ire has world on fire
Gaza carnage spreads anger across Mideast, alarming US allies and threatening to widen conflict
AP / Cairo
Within hours after a blast was said to have
killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital, protesters
hurled stones at Palestinian security forces in
the occupied West Bank and at riot police in
neighbouring Jordan, venting fury at their
leaders for failing to stop the carnage.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt,
King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas - friends of the US
who normally relish the chance to meet with
American presidents - called off a planned
Wednesday summit with Joe Biden, who will
now only visit Israel. US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken spent much of the past week
meeting with Arab leaders to try to ease tensions, but those efforts are now in doubt following the hospital blast.
The raw nerve of decades of Palestinian suffering, left exposed by US-brokered normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab
states, is throbbing once again, threatening
broader unrest. "This war, which has entered a
dangerous phase, will plunge the region into
an unspeakable disaster," warned Abdullah,
who is among the closest Western allies in the
Mideast. There was no doubt among the Arab
protesters who gathered in several countries
late Tuesday to condemn what they saw as an
Israeli atrocity.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which
has been under lockdown since a bloody October 7 rampage by Hamas militants ignited the
war, protesters clashed with Palestinian security forces and called for the overthrow of Abbas. Jordan, long considered a bastion of stability in the region, has seen mass protests in
recent days. Late on Tuesday, pro-Palestinian
protesters tried to storm the Israeli Embassy.
"They are all normalising Arab rulers, none
of them are free, the free ones are all dead!" one
protester shouted. "Arab countries are unable
to do anything!" Protests are rare in Egypt,
where authorities have waged a heavy crackdown on dissent for over a decade. But fears
that Israel could push the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula,
and soaring consumer prices due to runaway
inflation could prove a volatile combination
where a popular uprising toppled a US-backed
autocrat in 2011.
A small group of activists protested late
Surgeries sans
anaesthesia
Ramallah
AP / Khan Younis (Gaza Strip)
D
People clash with anti-riot policemen outside the Israeli consulate during a protest in Istanbul
Lebanon, where Hezbollah has traded fire with
Israeli forces at the border, threatening to enter
the war with its massive arsenal of rockets.
"The Arab street has a voice. That voice may
have been ignored in the past by governments
in the region and the West . but they cannot do
this anymore," said Badr al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University. "People are on
fire." Recently, the regional outlook seemed far
different. Despite all the high-level diplomacy,
ordinary Arabs and Muslims still express
strong solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
During last year's World Cup soccer tournament, for example, Palestinian flags were
waved in abundance even though the national
team did not compete.
The recent devastation in Gaza has stirred
those sentiments again. "No Arab government
is able to extend its hand to Israel amid its aggression on the Palestinians," Ammar Ali Hassan, an Egyptian political scientist, said. "The
Arab people won't accept such a move. Even
the rulers wouldn't benefit from such ties at
this time."
Despite all high-level diplomacy,
Arabs and Muslims still express
strong solidarity with the
Palestinian cause. During last year's
World Cup soccer tournament,
Palestinian flags were waved in
abundance even though the
national team did not compete
Tuesday near the US and UK embassies in central Cairo, calling on Egypt to cut ties with Israel and expel its ambassador. Authorities have
beefed up security in the south Cairo district
where the Israeli Embassy is located.
"The US administration is a partner through
supporting the crimes committed by the occupation military against the people of Gaza,"
said Khaled Dawoud, the spokesperson for a
coalition of opposition political parties and
public figures. Protests also erupted in
ELSEWHERE
Putin guest of honour in China,
Xi hails friendship with Russia
TAIPEI: The leaders of Russia and China met on Wednesday in
Beijing and called for close foreign policy coordination, as
concerns grow about possible conflicts with the West over
Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and Beijing's rising threats against
Taiwan. At their morning meeting, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin
discussed trade and the 10th anniversary of Xi's trademark Belt
and Road Initiative that has built highways, ports and power
plants across Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere. The policy
has left many states deep in debt to Chinese banks, and the
attempt to pump new life into it comes at a time when China's
own economy has slowed considerably due to huge overinvestment in real estate. "In the current difficult conditions,
close foreign policy coordination is especially required," Putin
said in his opening remarks.
"So, in terms of bilateral relations, we are moving forward very
confidently," he said, noting that bilateral trade was on track to
surpass a record $200 billion this year. China is a key customer
for Russian oil and gas, providing Moscow with an economic
lifeline in the face of punishing Western sanctions imposed over
its campaign against Ukraine.
‘Hopes of sealing India-UK trade fading’
LONDON: The hope that the ongoing 13th round of negotiations
towards an India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) could conclude
with a deal for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to sign off in
time for the India versus England World Cup cricket clash in
Lucknow on October 29 seem to be fading, according to a UK
media report on Wednesday. 'The Financial Times' quoted
officials briefed on the negotiations to say that a lack of
movement towards opening up of the Indian market to British
professional services in the field of law and accountancy is
among the factors for the slowdown. So much so that cricket fan
Sunak's proposed return visit to India after an inaugural visit as
UK Prime Minister to New Delhi for the G20 Summit last month
is looking "very, very unlikely to happen. The discussions are not
where we want them to be," the newspaper quoted a British
official familiar with the talks as saying. Speculation around his
second visit to the country close on the heels of the first one has
been rife for weeks, with Indian officials indicating that the
prospect of such a trip was quite high. However, with general
elections expected in both countries next year, the window for
an FTA sign off seems to be shrinking.
octors hamstrung by dwindling medical supplies rushed on Wednesday to
save people badly wounded in a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital the day before, performing surgery, often without
anaesthesia - on patients lying on floors, as
Israel kept up its attacks on the besieged territory. The blast left gruesome scenes. Hundreds of Palestinians had taken refuge in alAhli and other hospitals in Gaza City,
hoping they would be spared bombardment
after Israel ordered all residents of the city
and surrounding areas to evacuate to the
southern Gaza Strip.
Ghassan Abu Sitta, a plastic surgeon
working at al-Ahli, said he heard a loud explosion and the ceiling of his operating
room collapsed. "The wounded started
stumbling toward us," he wrote in an account posted to Facebook. He saw hundreds
of dead and severely wounded people. "I put
a tourniquet on the thigh of a man who had
his leg blown off and then went to tend to a
man with a penetrating neck injury."
Ambulances and private cars rushed
some 350 casualties from the al-Ahli blast to
Gaza City's main hospital, al-Shifa, which
was already overwhelmed with wounded
from other strikes, said its director, Mohammed Abu Selmia. "We need equipment,
we need medicine, we need beds, we need
anesthesia, we need everything," Abu
Selmia said. He warned that fuel for the hospital's generators would run out within
hours. The death toll was in dispute, even
among those in Gaza.
Al-Ahli officials said only that the toll
was in the hundreds. Selmia said he thought
the toll was closer to 250.
The bloodshed unfolded as the US tried to
convince Israel to allow the delivery of water, fuel and food to desperate civilians, aid
groups and hospitals in the tiny Gaza Strip,
which has been under a complete siege
since Hamas' deadly attack.
Ground invasion: Politics at play?
The tragic events of October 7, where 1300 Is- Highlighting a potential weakness, Carmon
raeli citizens lost their lives to a Hamas as- believes the IDF may be struggling due to
sault, have created deep fissures in Israeli so- inadequate on-the-ground intelligence. Inciety. The lapse in the nation's renowned intel- terestingly, Carmon revealed that MEMRI
ligence, and the subsequent accountability had flagged a potential Hamas offensive
for the attacks, remains a hot topic of debate. back in August. "There were abundant dis"Launching a ground invasion is akin to cussions and openly available data suggestcommitting a second crime," remarks Yigal ing Hamas was preparing for such a largeCarmon, a security advisor to former Israeli scale attack. They weren't hiding their inPrime Ministers Yitzchak Rabin and Yitzhak tentions. Yet, it went largely unnoticed,"
Shamir. Carmon, a respected authority Carmon lamented.
within the Israeli intelligence community, beCarmon also expressed concerns about Nelieves that the intelligence apparatus dropped tanyahu's interactions with Qatar. "Qatar has
the ball. He feels that the
a dubious history, backing
Netanyahu administragroups like ISIS and the Taltion should primarily foiban," Carmon claimed. Furcus on airstrikes rather
ther critique was reserved
than a full-scale ground asfor the IDF and the Israeli
sault. Speaking to Free
Air Force.
÷Kashif
Khusro
Press Journal from his
"Historically, breaches at
Jerusalem residence, Carthe Gaza fence would be met
mon, with past credentials as a colonel in Is- with swift aerial responses. The absence of
raeli Military Intelligence and current presi- such a reaction this time around is alarming,"
dent of the Middle East Media Research Insti- observed Carmon. Addressing the ongoing
tute (MEMRI), emphasised the challenges hostage crisis, Carmon suggests a potential
posed by Hamas's tunnel network in Gaza. "A prisoner exchange using Hamas detainees in
ground invasion would pose significant chal- Israeli custody as leverage. In closing,
lenges for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Carmon drew parallels between Israel and Inconfronting the militants. Our focus should dia, pointing to the shared challenge both naremain on aerial strikes until Hamas is inca- tions face from hostile intelligence agencies.
pacitated.
He emphasized, "The value of open-source inVenturing into Gaza at this stage seems telligence is often underestimated, but it can
politically motivated," Carmon asserts. sometimes surpass that of covert sources."
War Dispatch
Ground Zero
US sanctions against Hamas
FATIMA HUSSEIN / Washington
The US announced sanctions
on Wednesday against a
group of 10 Hamas members
and the Palestinian militant
organization's financial network across Gaza, Sudan,
Turkey, Algeria and Qatar as
it responds to the surprise attack on Israel that left more
than 1,000 people dead or kidnapped.
Targeted for sanctions by
the Treasury Department's
Office of Foreign Assets Control are members who manage a Hamas investment
portfolio, a Qatar-based fi-
nancial facilitator with close
ties to the Iranian regime, a
key Hamas commander and
a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange. Iran is Hamas'
main sponsor.
Treasury Secretary Janet
Yellen said the US "is taking
swift and decisive action to
target Hamas's financiers
and facilitators following its
brutal and unconscionable
massacre of Israeli civilians,
including children." "The US
Treasury has a long history
of effectively disrupting terror finance and we will not
hesitate to use our tools
against Hamas," she said in
an emailed statement. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally
Adeyemo told reporters on
Wednesday that Treasury officials will be travelling to the
region in the coming days to
further their sanctions work.
Brian Nelson, US Treasury's under secretary for
terrorism and illicit finance,
said at a Deloitte anti-money
laundering conference on
Tuesday that the US is renewing its plans to pursue
Hamas funding streams and
made a call for American allies and the private sector to
do the same or "be prepared
to suffer the consequences.
Agri expert among
those held hostage
FPJ IN ISRAEL
War Bytes
÷Priyanka Chandani
Dr Shoshan Haran, founder
of an NGO Fair Planet, has
been held hostage by the
Hamas post the October 7 attack. Her son, Yuval Haran,
hasn’t heard from his parents
since Saturday morning,
when he rang his mother and
she told him they were
hiding inside the shelter of
their home in Be’eri Kibbutz.
His mother told him that
they could hear gunfire outside and disconnected the
call. Around 10 am when Yuval tried calling her again,
she didn’t answer. “One of
my family members called
them at 9.30 am and they told
him that terrorists are entering their shelter. After that I
haven’t heard about them
and haven’t been able to contact them since,” said Yuval,
who grew up in Kibbutz in
Southern Israel, a few miles
from the Gaza border. “We
lost contact with her after the
attack by Hamas, but my fa-
QUICK TAKES
EGYPT REJECTS CALLS TO
MOVE PALESTINIANS TO SINAI
E
gyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi says his country
rejects what he calls efforts to force Palestinians in Gaza
to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, warning that such an effort
would jeopardise his country's peace with Israel. Speaking
at a joint press conference in Cairo with German Chancellor
Olaf Scholz, el-Sissi said on Wednesday that his
government views Israel's siege on Gaza, including cutting
off water, food and fuel and preventing humanitarian aid
from flowing into the territory as a scheme to expel the
Palestinians to Egypt. "We are rejecting the liquidation of
the Palestinian cause and the explosion of Palestinians to
Sinai," the Egyptian leader said, adding that Sinai would be
turned into a launching ground for "terrorist attacks"
against Israel, which would in turn blame Egypt for such
attacks.
HEZBOLLAH MILITANTS DEAD
A
Hezbollah spokesperson said the Lebanese Red Cross
has collected the remains of four of the group's
militants. An AP photojournalist saw three body bags and a
bag of remains transferred from the Lebanese Red Cross to
Hezbollah's Islamic Health Unit at Hiram Hospital, which is
near southern Lebanon's city of Tyre. The spokesperson said
the bodies belonged to militants who were pronounced
dead Tuesday. He did not say how they died.The Israeli
military said Tuesday that its forces killed four militants
who were allegedly carrying an explosive device and were
suspected of attempting a cross-border operation.
FORMER AP VIDEOJOURNALIST KILLED
Y
aniv Zohar, a former Associated Press videojournalist
and beloved colleague who covered conflicts and major
news in his native country for three decades, was killed in
his home during Hamas' bloody
cross-border rampage on October
7 along with his wife and two
daughters. He was 54. Zohar
worked for the AP's Israel bureau
for 15 years, from 2005 to 2020,
covering all the major news
events in the country. But his
area of expertise was the
intermittent warfare on the
doorstep of his home in the
Nahal Oz kibbutz near the border
with the Gaza Strip. Zohar was
often the first to alert the news desk of violence nearby
and the first to arrive on the scene. Most notably, he was
deeply involved in coverage of the Israeli withdrawal from
Gaza in 2005 and was the first newsperson on the scene of
the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit by Palestinian
militants the following year.
ther Avshalom's phone was
tracked to Gaza and they believe the whole family was
taken.”
“I fear the worst but they
may be alive and held
hostage in Gaza. I don’t know
if they are all together or
have been separated,” says
Yuval and urged Red Cross
and other humanitarian
NGOs to get him some information about them. “I want
this to end. We have lost
enough and I hope there are
no more casualties,” he says.
Shoshan's NGO's mission
is ‘no child in the world
should remain hungry’. She
was working in Africa with
marginalised people to teach
them farming and how to live
a sustainable life.
Yuval also says that those
living on the Kibbutz did really fear the atrocities for a
few months on a similar
scale. “In the last one year
more than 1,000 citizens have
evacuated. There was also
fear of tunnels being built
that would allow Hamas to
launch cross-border raids
and that’s exactly what happened,” says Yuval.
Iran calls
for Israel
embargo
AGENCIES / Doha
Members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) should impose an oil
embargo and other sanctions
on Israel and expel all Israeli
ambassadors over a deadly
strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, according to
Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Amirabdollahian’s remarks
came in a statement on
Wednesday amid an emergency OIC meeting in the
Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss the escalating IsraeliPalestinian conflict, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran min called for
formation of a team of
Islamic lawyers to
document potential
war crimes committed
by Israel
“The foreign minister
calls for an immediate and
complete embargo on Israel
by Islamic countries, including oil sanctions, in addition
to expelling Israeli ambassadors if relations with the
Zionist regime have been established,” the ministry said.
Amirabdollahian also called
for the formation of a team
of Islamic lawyers to document potential war crimes
committed by Israel in Gaza.
Iran has no diplomatic relations with Israel. On
Tuesday night, an Israeli air
raid on a hospital in Gaza
killed about 500 people.
Biden walks tight rope on Israel-Gaza, as stakes are high
—
A priest inspects the Holy Intercession Cathedral in Ukraine on
Wednesday amid Russian invasion ANDRIY —ANDRIYENKO / AFP
Poland: Voters reject right-wing govt
BRUSSELS: Poland's voters delivered a clear verdict. After
eight years of rule by a right-wing government, they have
had enough. While the conservative ruling Law and Justice
party won more votes than any other single party in a
parliamentary election on Sunday, it lost its majority and
will not hold enough seats to govern the country. Three
opposition groups who waged an energetic campaign on
promises to help restore national unity, rule of law and
cooperative ties with the European Union and other allies,
are poised to get their turn to steer the Central European
nation of 38 million people. But the path ahead will be
demanding. A Third Way leader, Szymon Holownia, said in
a campaign debate that Law and Justice loyalists who
thrived like "fat cats" in state jobs should start "packing their
litter boxes."
SHANKAR RAJ / Washington
After receiving strong backing from Democrats and Republicans over supporting Israel following the October 7
attack by Hamas,
President
Joe
Biden is now facing some serious
headwinds, especially after the bombing of a
hospital in Gaza.
Biden, who is in Tel Aviv to
demonstrate American solidarity with Israel after the
deadliest attack it has faced in
50 years, major rifts are appearing even within his party
leaving him presiding over a
party struggling to resolve
where it stands. Reports indicated that anger is creeping
fast within his party’s left and
threatens to grow further as
the US faced major embarrassment as Jordan, Egypt
and the Palestinian authorities cancelled
a
crucial
meeting minIN US
utes before
Biden’s flight had taken off
from Washington..
Progressive Democrats are
accusing Biden of abetting a
war that has already killed
thousands of Palestinians.
The anger and confusion is indicative of how precarious a
tightrope Biden is walking.
Some Democrats have
The discontent was
evident in the letter
signed by 55
progressive members
of Congress calling for
the restoration of
food, water, fuel and
other supplies Israel
had cut off to Gaza
THE FPJ
warned that if Biden gets too
close to Israel, he will get
blamed if many of the party’s
voters come to believe that Israel slammed Hamas with too
much force.
Representative
Rashida
Tlaib of Michigan, the only
Palestinian American in Congress and a Democrat, blamed
Biden directly for war deaths
after the Gaza hospital explosion. “This is what happens
when you refuse to facilitate a
ceasefire & help de-escalate,”
she wrote on social media.
The discontent was evident in
two documents in recent days.
The first, a letter signed by
55 progressive members of
Congress on Friday, called for
the restoration of food, water,
fuel and other supplies Israel
had cut off to Gaza. Another, a
House resolution with 13 Democrats as co-authors, demanded “an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.”
Representative Mark Pocan
of Wisconsin, who signed the
letter, said he had received
more calls from constituents
in his Madison-based district
who were worried about Is-
rael’s expected military response to the Hamas attack
than about the initial assault
itself.
The White House believes
Biden is acting with broad
support from American people in defending Israel. Officials think that those protesting Biden’s position are not
representative of much of the
electorate — and that Democrats are hardly likely to abandon Biden if it means helping
former President Donald
Trump. However, a wider war
involving Israel could drag
the US in – a scenario that
could represent a nightmare
for Biden politically and
diplomatically.
Vol. 67 No. 18 | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023 | 22 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only
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FCRA NOD FOR
AYODHYA TRUST
T
he Union home ministry has
granted approval to the Shri
Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth
Kshetra to receive contributions
from foreign sources for the
construction of Ram temple in
Ayodhya, according to the
trust’s general secretary,
Champat Rai. “Kindly note that
such contributions can be sent
to only the designated bank
account of the State Bank of
India, Main Branch, situated at
11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi,”
he said. “No such contribution
shall be accepted in any
branch or any other bank
account of the trust,” the trust
said.
Sluggish trend in
global equity
markets dragged
the indices lower
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / TEL AVIV
President Joe Biden began
his visit to Israel on Wednesday neither with a word of
condemnation, nor condolences, but with an endorsement of the Israeli stand on a
hospital explosion in Gaza, in
which 500 Palestinians have
perished.
“Based on what I've seen, it
appears as though it was done
by the other team, not you,”
Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
during a meeting, pointing an
unwavering finger at Hamas
militants. Later, Biden said he
had been told by US sources
H
itting out at the Nationalist
Congress Party boss Sharad
Pawar for his remark on the
Israel-Palestine conflict, Assam
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarma on Wednesday said that
Pawar would send his
daughter Supriya Sule to Gaza.
"I think Sharad Pawar will send
Supriya madam to Gaza to
fight for Hamas," said Sarma,
when asked about Pawar's
take on the ongoing conflict.
Sarma's remarks came days
after Sharad Pawar said that
former prime ministers of India
“stood firmly with Palestine”.
Terming Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's support for
Israel as "unfortunate", the NCP
chief said that he had
disregarded the real issue. "The
entire land is of Palestine and
Israel encroached on their
land. That place, land and
houses, everything was of
Palestine and later Israel took
over. Israel is an outsider and
the land is originally of
Palestine," Pawar had said.
Union Minister Piyush Goel
said it was very disturbing
when a senior leader like
Sharad Pawar makes
"preposterous statements."
that that evidence includes
data gathered by American
intelligence agencies, not just
by Israel.
Earlier, Biden left no doubt
where his loyalties lie when
he opened his remarks with
the assertion, “I come to
Israel with a simple message:
You are not alone.’’ But while
he said he understood the “all
consuming rage,” and said it
was much like what Americans felt more than two
decades ago, he warned
against making the same mistakes that the United States
did by letting it drive bad
decisions.
CONTD. ON NATION
Who fired the rocket?
W
ho fired the misone
alleged
Hamas
sile that killed 500
member asks in the clip. ‘‘It
Palestinians in a
looks like it,’’ the other rehospital in Gaza? Hamas
sponded. ‘‘It misfired and
instantly pointed a finger ÷Priyanka Chandani
fell on them... God bless at an Israeli airstrike while
couldn't it have found anIsrael claimed a Palestinian rocket misfired other place to explode?’’ The alleged recordand killed the hundreds of wounded and ing came after Israeli officials released a
other locals who were taking shelter in the video which shows a rocket streaking
hospital. Israel's Defence Forces released an towards Israel from Gaza; it appears to suffer
audio clip in which they claim Hamas mem- a problem and suddenly changes course bebers confirm that a misfired rocket fore flaming out. In the darkness, it is not
launched by Palestinian Islamic Jihad was clear whether the rocket broke apart or simresponsible for the destruction.
ply lost its trajectory. But moments later, exIn the audio clip, two alleged Hamas ter- plosions erupt in the city below -- the result of
rorists can be heard discussing the explo- what Israel claims was the rocket falling back
sion. ‘‘They are saying (the rocket) belongs to Earth and striking the al-Ahli Hospital in
to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It's from us?’’ Gaza City.
CONTD. ON NATION
IIT STUDENT
HANGS SELF
FPJ IN ISRAEL
War Bytes
15 yrs on, 4 convicted
for journalist’s murder
A
fourth-year student of
electrical engineering at IIT
Kharagpur was found hanging
in his hostel room, the
institute said on Wednesday,
adding that the family of the
deceased, K Kiran Chandra,
has arrived on the campus.
“Till about 7:30 pm, Chandra
was with two of his
roommates in their hostel
room. Later, the other two
students left for academic
activities. Subsequently,
around 8.30 pm, fellow
boarders of the LBS Hall found
his room locked from inside.
The door was forced open and
he was found hanging,” the
institute said. “The security
and other students brought
him to the B C Roy Technology
Hospital immediately. Despite
all efforts by the doctors,
Kiran was declared dead
around 11:30 pm.”
Hit by heat, city T
flocks to OPDs
SWAPNIL MISHRA / MUMBAI
here has been a surge in
upper respiratory tract
illnesses in Mumbai,
particularly among children
and the elderly, with the air
quality index of the city being
in the ‘very poor’ category for
the second consecutive day.
The poor air quality has led
people to flock to outpatient
departments of hospitals with
complaints of running noses,
breathlessness, throat infections and other ailments.
Health officials have urged
senior citizens to avoid going
for morning walks because of
the risk of exposure to toxic
air. People who already suffer
from lung problems should be
more careful, the officials
said.
CONTD. ON NATION
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NEW DELHI
A Delhi court on Wednesday
convicted four people for the
murder of television
journalist
Soumya
Vishwanathan,
who
was shot dead 15
years ago on her
way home from
work.
Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra
Kumar
Pandey convicted
Ravi Kapoor, Amit
Shukla, Baljeet Malik and
Ajay
Kumar
under
provisions of the stringent
Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The fifth accused, Ajay
Sethi, was convicted under
Indian Penal Code section 411
(dishonestly receiving stolen
property) and under MCOCA provisions for conspiring to abet, aid
or knowingly facilitate organised
crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised
crime.
The prosecution
has proven beyond
reasonable doubt
the charges against the accused, the judge said and listed the matter for sentencing
on October 26.
CONTD. ON NATION
Lebanon warns Israel of 'uncontainable escalation' as protests break out across Arab
world – in Jordan, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia,
Turkey, Morocco and Iran – over the Gaza
hospital blast.
DRUG CARTEL
OPERATOR IS
CAPTURED
VISHAL SINGH / BENGALURU
Mumbai Police have arrested
the absconding accused operator of a drug cartel, Lalit
Patil, from Bengaluru. Patil,
accused of drug smuggling,
had been absconding since
October 2, having escaped
from Sassoon Hospital in
Pune, where he was being
treated for more than nine
months. Joint Commissioner
of Mumbai Police (Law and
Order) Satyanarayan Choudhary said that a few days ago,
Sakinaka Police had arrested
some accused with drugs and
further investigation had revealed a Nashik connection.
CONTD. ON NATION
36.4°
Mumbai on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of 36.4
degrees Celsius, the highest in the month of October, thus far this
year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. “This is the
highest temperature recorded this season for October," IMD said.
US warships, fighter
jets for Middle-East
FPJ DISPATCH
WASHINGTON
÷SHANKAR RAJ
H
ours after the disastrous strike on a hospital in Gaza and
growing tension in the
region, the US is ramping up
military support to Israel, deploying warships and aircraft. The move also comes
amidst fears of a wider regional conflict following the
recent attack by Hamas.
One US aircraft carrier and
its strike group are already in
position in the eastern
Mediterranean and a second
one has left the US. In addition, three Marine warships
are being rushed to the region. Scores of aircraft were
dispatched to US military
DHARMESH THAKKAR / MUMBAI
The Goods and Service Tax authority has sent tax notices to
the Indian arms of around
1,000 multinational corporations (MNCs), for 18 per cent
tax payable on salaries and allowances to foreign expatriates
(expats) by their overseas parent companies. The tax
amounts owed range from Rs 1
crore to Rs 150 crore, for the period between FY’18 and FY’22.
The matter came to light
during audits of the local arms
of the MNCs across various
sectors, including smartphones, automobiles, software,
FMCG, consumer durables,
Taxes due range
from `1 crore to
`150 crore, from
FY 2018 to FY 2022
and cosmetics, he said
Maruti Suzuki was asked to
pay Rs 100 crore and the FMCG
giant Hindustan UniLever
(HUL) has to pay Rs 144 crore,
for salaries paid to employees
from
overseas
parent
companies.
The tax issue cropped up after a Supreme Court verdict in
May 2022 held that salaries
paid by Indian entities for the
expats seconded by the foreign
parent company to the Indian
entity are liable to service tax
under reverse charge basis, as
the payment will be considered as ‘manpower supply’
services provided by the foreign parent company to the Indian entity. After the verdict,
the GST department has shot
off tax notices to several
MNCs, making tax demands.
CONTD. ON NATION
AFTERMATH
ISRAEL WON’T BLOCK:
Israel says it "will not
thwart" the delivery of
food, water and medicine
from Egypt for civilians in
Gaza as long as this aid
does not "reach Hamas."
The agreement was
announced by US
President Joe Biden just
before he left Israel after
visiting the country in a
show of support. The
President also announced
$ 100 million in aid to
help civilians in Gaza and
the West Bank.
SYNAGOGUE ATTACKED:
Berlin's Jewish community
has been shaken by two
petrol bombs thrown at a
synagogue amid a spike
in anti-Semitic incidents
in some European
countries, reports BBC.
Police said two people
threw "burning bottles
filled with liquid" in what
was described as
attempted arson. The
attack came as Lebanon's
Iran-backed militant
group, Hezbollah, called
for a "day of rage" over
an explosion at a hospital
in the Gaza Strip.
OIL EMBARGO: Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein
Amirabdollahian has said
all Islamic countries must
sanction and implement
an oil embargo on Israel,
in addition to expelling
Israeli ambassadors,
according to Jerusalem
Post.
DRONE STRIKE ON BASE:
Two drones launched at a
base hosting US troops in
western Iraq were
intercepted on
Wednesday, a US defence
official said. Hours later,
an Iranian-backed militia
in Iraq announced it had
launched another drone
attack on a second base.
TAILPIECE
Can trees in Jalgaon make up for loss of mangroves?
land in Raigad district will be
diverted. While applying for
diversion of forest land including compensatory plantation, the CIDCO had pointed
out the need to provide an exclusive
road
to
serve
increased traffic load arising
from on account of the future
Navi Mumbai International
Airport (NMIA) and the
JNPT, which is the largest
container port in India. It has
stated that the coastal road
serves an important link in
the overall transport network
around the proposed NMIA,
as it provides connectivity
with the MTHL, Amra Marg,
bases around the Middle
East, and American special
operations forces are working
in tandem with Israel’s military.
The NYT said the build-up
reflects growing US concern
that the deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel will
escalate into wider regional
conflict. So the key mission
for American ships and warplanes is to establish a large
and visible presence that
will deter Hezbollah, Iran or
others.
The USS Gerald R. Ford
carrier strike group was ordered to go to the eastern
Mediterranean within hours
after the attack by Hamas. A
few days later, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
carrier to join the Ford.
CONTD. ON NATION
GST notices to Indian
arms of 1,000 MNCs
ROOT OF THE MATTER
Environmentalists have questioned the wisdom of
carrying out compensatory
plantation in another district
for the loss of mangroves in
Navi Mumbai. The city is already grappling with rising
pollution and further deforestation and the removal of
mangroves will only exacerbate the current situation.
For the proposed coastal
road from Amra Marg to
MTHL Junction, including
the airport-link road at
Targhar village in Panvel
taluka, 32.6921 ha of forest
SKANDAMATA
US Prez points finger ‘at the other team’ for hospital bombing even
as Hamas accuses Washington of being complicit in cover-up
SUPRIYA MADAM
KO GAZA BHEJIYE
AMIT SRIVASTAVA / MUMBAI
TODAY’S
COLOUR
EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper
the Airport Terminal Road
and already developed nodal
arterial roads for optimal and
judicious use.
To compensate for the man-
groves that will be destroyed,
compensatory mangrove plantation will be carried out on
degraded forest land in the village of Shevare Khurd, Parola
taluka, in Jalgaon district.
The so-called infrastruc-ture
development is already playing
havoc with the lives of people
in Navi Mumbai, causing unseasonal floods and leading to
rising air pollution, according
to the NatConnect Foundation.
The development of the
coastal road is bound to impact
the ecologically sensitive
coastal area, considering the
fact that as much as an area of
4.4 lakh sq m, including the
CRZ1, will have to be aligned,
or in other words, will be impacted, NatConnect Director B
N Kumar said.
CONTD. ON NATION
TWO WOMEN POISONED
FIVE RELATIVES TO DEATH
GADCHIROLI
T
wo women have been
arrested in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district for using a heavy metal-based chemical to kill five
members of their family
over 20 days and trying to
pass off the murders as food
poisoning, a senior police
official said on Wednesday.
The two women allegedly
mixed the poison, which
they sourced from Telan-
gana, in food and water to
get rid of the victims. One
of the accused was apparently enraged at being
taunted by her husband and
in-laws every now and then,
while the other woman had
disagreements with the victims over the sharing of
their ancestral property, the
official said.
The poison also left two
other members and their
family driver sick. The
three are now stable after
treatment, said a statement
by Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal.
The deaths, which initially
left the relatives and locals
puzzled, happened between
September 26 and October
15, with the victims having
a tingling sensation in the
limbs, severe lower back
and head pain, blackened
lips, and a heavy tongue.
According to the release,
one Shankar Kumbhare and
CONTD. ON NATION
his wife
MUMBAI
Government floats new idea: Fancy ferries at Gateway of India
Mumbai: Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar on
Wednesday said the government plans to replace old and
unattractive ferry boats at Gateway of India with new ones
so that the public and tourists have a better experience. The
government is in talks with the maritime boards; the new
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
We had no support
from Pawar: Activist
Lalit Patil’s dizzying rise in the drug mafia
How trafficker went from being an employee of a wine manufacturing unit to running a drug empire
VISHAL SINGH / Mumbai
Jarange-Patil in city to drum up support for campaign
Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil
on Wednesday denied charges
that his agitation for Maratha
reservation received support
from NCP leader Sharad Pawar.
“If it is proved that I received
help from Sharad Pawar, I will
retract two steps,” JarangePatil, who was on a two-day visit to Mumbai, said.
Jarange-Patil, 40, was on
hunger strike in Jalna district
earlier this year over his demand for reservation for the
Marathas under the OBC category. He ended his fast on the
17th day (September 14) after
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
met him and promised to fulfil
his demand. The activist set a
40-day deadline before the government for taking steps to implement reservation for the
community.
In the meantime, JarangePatil started a whirlwind tour
that received a huge response
from across Maharashtra. The
tour culminated in a rally at his
village, Antarwali Sarate. The
activist began his Mumbai tour
with a visit to Siddhivinayak
Temple at Prabhadevi. He also
visited media houses and gave
interviews to news channels.
“The government had asked
for one month’s time. We have
VIJAY GOHIL
ABHIJIT MULYE &
RAJA MANE / Mumbai
MARATHA
RESERVATION
given 10 more days to them.
Now it is their responsibility to
keep their word,” Jarange-Patil
said, adding that the Maratha
community is eagerly waiting
for the government to come
forth with a lasting solution.
Told that the chief minister
has promised other communities like the OBCs and the
Dhangars that their demands
for reservation will also be met,
the activist said, “That’s the
funny part. The government
says ‘yes’ to everything. However, we are concerned only about
the promises made to us. How
to fit it in the legal framework is
their problem. We are ready
with not just one but thousands
of pieces of evidences.”
“Some people are trying to
pit Maratha and OBC communities against each other. I will
not let that happen,” he added.
Asked about the 50% reservations limit, Jarange-Patil
claimed that the community
wants a quota within that limit.
“We lie within the 50% limit
and it is our right to get the quota,” he said.
“I’ll need a concrete and lasting solution,” he said while explaining what he expected from
the government.
Centre appoints 3 HC additional judges
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / Mumbai
The central government on
Wednesday notified the appointments of three judicial officers as additional judges of
the Bombay High Court.
They
are
Abhay
Jainarayanji Mantri, Shyam
Chhaganlal Chandak and Neeraj Pradeep Dhote.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law &
Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal
announced their appointment
in a social media post.
“In exercise of the power
conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to
appoint S/Shri (i) Abhay
Jainarayanji Manta, (ii) Shyam
Chhaganlal Chandak, and (iii)
Neeraj Pradeep Dhote, to be Additional Judges of the Bombay
High Court for a period of two
years, in that order of seniority,
with effect from the date they
assume charge of their respective offices,” the notification is-
sued by the Centre read.
The names were recommended by the Supreme Court
Collegium headed by Chief
Justice of India DY Chandrachud in a resolution passed on
October 10.
At present, the Bombay HC
functions with 66 judges as
against the sanctioned strength
of 94. On October 24, one of the
senior judges, Sunil Shukre, is
due to retire. After his retirement, the strength will go down
to 65.
From being an employee of a
wine manufacturing unit in
Nashik, Lalit Patil, 37, has
come a long way to become an
alleged member of the narcotics mafia.
Patil was a resident of Mulru in Nashik and has passed
the 12th standard examination. He was leading a quiet
life with his parents, brother,
wife and two children. After
his wife died he remarried,
but she too died, apparently in
a road accident.
It was then that he came
into contact with a woman.
This was the turning point in
his life. This woman used to
help those accused of nar-
A
n internship is the first thing
that you need to do to get a job.
Many MBA and engineering
students in Mumbai did their summer
internships with different companies.
At the same time, the Free Press Journal (FPJ) gave these youngsters a place
in the newspaper to work on their writing skills and launched Summery - an
exclusive writing competition based
on individual internships. We had to
choose the best six stories from the
many that were sent in because of the
amazing response.
The FPJ talked to these winners today at the office, where they were gathered to collect their prizes and awards.
In a breezy informal session with the
FPJ, students were asked to take part
in a group talk about their internships.
The Summery winners include
Saket Marathe from K J Somaiya College of Engineering, Parag Pande
from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Neelima Dubey from
Vivekananda Business School, Meet
Chande from DY Patil School of Management, Krishna Gautam from IIT
Bombay and Divyanshu Kumre from
Chetana's Institute of Management
and Research.
Below we give a glimpse of our conversation with the winners.
What was different about the work
experience from what you learn in
textbooks in college?
Students said that the theory they
learned in college did not match up at
all with the real-world experience they
gained during their internships.
Putting forward the reason why college is mostly about conceptual sub-
jects. Neelima Dubey gives an example:
"In the HR specialization, the curriculum was mostly about motivation theories or what HR management is. However, during the internship, I was in
charge of hiring people."
"There's no plan that can teach you
how to sometimes just get work done."
"It's a whole different experience to
learn theory and put it into practice,"
said K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering student Saket Marathe.
Everyone agreed that practical understanding can't live up to what is
taught in college.
Did you enjoy your internship? Would
you work for the company again if
you had the chance?
Saket Marathe did his internship with
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He said, "I would love to
work for ISRO if I had the chance, but
I'm also looking forward to many other
opportunities at other companies."
Divyanshu Kumre, who interned as
a sales representative at the dairy firm,
Amul, said, "Even though I'm more interested in marketing, I was a little let
down that I was given a sales job, which
doesn't fit my career goals." I'm looking
forward to getting more job chances in
marketing, which is my area of expertise.
Do you guys read a lot, given that the
language in your essays was of good
calibre
After finishing his internship at FACOR Vedanta Ltd. in Odisha in the HR
department, Parag Pandey said, "Even
though I'm very good at English, I don't
think that should get in the way of
communication." While I was doing
my job, I met people who spoke Hindi
cotics offences get bail. The
monies involved were big and
this was when Patil realised
that big amounts can be made
through the drug business.
One of the accused with
whom he came in contact was
Tushar Kale of Chhota Rajan
gang, who was lodged in
Kalamba Central Jail, Kolhapur. Kale and two other accused, Shelke and a Nigerian
who was simply known as
Zubi, met inside the jail. After
their bail, Zubi gaveKale and
Shelke the idea of making big
money by manufacturing
mephedrone, aka MD. Zubi reportedly promised to buy the
entire production of the drug.
He introduced his former jail
mates to one Bhanudas More,
Patil once led a quiet
life with his parents,
brother, wife and two
children before a
chance meeting
changed his life
an accused in a drugs case
who was lodged in a Thane
jail, who had the know-how to
manufacture MD.
Thereafter, whenever More
came to court, Kale visited
him as a relative or friend and
gathered information about
making MD drugs. Zubi had
told Kale that “I myself will
buy whatever MD you make”.
Information received from
More, Kale, with the help of
one Rakesh Khanwadekar
bought a farmhouse at Karjat
and processed MD drugs
there.
However, as the MD made
at the farmhouse in Karjat
was not of good quality, Kale
and Khanwadekar identified
another accused, Parshuram
Jogal, a drug dealer residing
in Thane city, and took training at Mahad. When the police
cracked down on these persons, Patil secured bail for
them and subsequently started dealing in narcotics himself, according to police
sources. He was helped in the
business by his female friend.
Patil’s drug business grew
by leaps and bounds not only
within India, but also abroad.
However, his nemesis caught
up with him and he was arrested. He managed to get admitted in Pune’s Sassoon Hospital, from where he escaped.
But the law caught up with
him and he was finally
nabbed on Wednesday from
Bengaluru.
ALL UDDHAV THACKERAY’S MEN
S BALAKRISHNAN / Mumbai
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray carried out an organisational reshuffle recently, appointing six close confidants as party leaders. In effect, these six
people will form the core committee of
ANIL DESAI: A sophisticated and low-profile
person, Desai rose up
the ranks of the party as
a leader of unions of insurance companies. A
man with proven organisational skills, he is loyal to the Thackerays and
has been assisting them
behind the scenes for the
past several years. He is
considered to be excellent at managing elections, legal matters and
back room activities. A
man of few words, he is
regarded as a person
who can deliver whatever task is assigned to
him. He was rewarded
with a seat in the Rajya
Sabha.
FPJ's ‘Summery’ Winners
Talk About Their Internships
SUNDER GARIYA
boats will attract more tourists and improve the income of
ferry owners, he said. The minister said that the government
wants to “make Mumbai beautiful in the truest sense”.
Kesarkar was speaking at the BMC headquarters, where he
had gone to listen to people’s grievances.
better than English. We sometimes
have to be open with languages
because we need to talk to them in their
own languages.
Neelima Dubey, who also did an internship in the HR department of Radio Mirchi in Mumbai, said that she
loved reading books, which helped her
learn the language quickly.
During my school years, I spent a lot
of time in the library reading books,
which really helped me improve my
English. As an intern in the media
business, I knew how important it was
to be able to speak and understand the
language well. However, my skills only
got better by working with professionals in the field, Neelima said.
Do you think AI is affecting how
well youngsters write and think
critically?
Meet Chande is a student at DY Patil
School of Management and one of the
winners of our Summery program. He
thinks that AI is a big problem for
young people because "a lot of students
in my college use these AI or Chat GPT
tools to finish their assignments and
projects, which makes them very dependent on them."
He also said, "Students often use
these programs without understanding what they're for, and it's killing
their creative minds."
Saket agreed with Meet and said, "AI
should be seen as a tool, not a replacement. We need to use our brains sometimes, and we can't just copy and
paste."
The winners said they liked the Free
Press Journal's Summery project and
were thankful for the opportunity to
have their articles published in the
newspaper.
the organisation assisting Uddhav and
his son Aaditya in finalising the party’s
strategy for the general and assembly
elections. Since the party is a part of the
INDIA alliance, there will be a need for
tremendous skills in negotiations vis-avis seat-sharing.
RAJAN VICHARE: Along
with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Vichare built
up the party in Thane after
the demise of Anand
Dighe. When Shinde
raised the banner of revolt
in June 2022 and helped
the BJP pull down the
MVA government, it was
taken for granted that
Vichare would abandon
the Thackerays. However,
he surprised everybody by
casting his lot with Thackeray. Over the years he has
carved out a base for himself in Thane district. Uddhav trusts him implicitly
and he will be the pointman for the Sena (UBT) in
neutralising Shinde in his
home turf of Thane.
VINAYAK RAUT: A party veteran, Raut has
been loyal to the Thackerays over the years.
Though from Mumbai,
he has created a powerful base in the Konkan
region, where he is
known to openly take
on the might of Union
minister
Narayan
Thackeray. He was also
at the helm of the agitation against the Nanar
oil refinery and the
Jaitapur atomic project
in the Konkan. If the
Sena (UBT) wields considerable influence in
the Konkan belt, it is
largely because of
Raut, who is a fearless
leader.
The party has a humongous task at
hand, with the ruling BJP determined to
wipe it out from the face of Maharashtra. But then Uddhav is a man of steel
who is at his best when he is pushed to
the wall. He is ably assisted by Aaditya,
who is a remarkably articulate leader
RAVINDRA
WAIKAR:
Waikar started his career
as a corporator and graduated to become an MLA
and a minister. A resourceful person, he is a
major fundraiser for the
organisation. Recently, he
found himself embroiled
in a controversy following his move to build a
five-star hotel on a public
plot in Jogeshwari. He
suffered a setback in the
Bombay High Court. But
that has not deterred
him. He is one man who
uncomplainingly
executes the orders of Uddhav and Aaditya. He has
a good mass base in the
western suburbs of
Mumbai.
who shares his father’s strong sense of
determination.
The six leaders are Anil Desai, Rajan
Vichare, Vinayak Raut, MLAs Ravindra
Waikar and Sunil Prabhu, and MLC
Anil Parab. The FPJ takes a look at each
of them.
SUNIL PRABHU: Prabhu
is among the few Shiv
Sainiks who resisted efforts by the Shinde camp
to desert the Thackerays.
There were allegations
that crores were paid to
persuade Sena MLAs to
defect.
But
Prabhu
spurned efforts to woo him
and decided to remain
with the Thackerays. He is
active in Dindoshi and other areas of the western
suburbs. He has roots
among the rank and file of
the party and the cadres
often depend on him to
convey their views to the
leadership. With his sharp
brain, he is known to have
solved innumerable problems for the party.
ANIL PARAB: Parab is
an advocate by profession
who was recently in the
news over the controversial resort he built at
Dapoli in the Konkan. Despite threats from the Enforcement Directorate
and other central agencies, he has steadfastly remained with Thackerays.
Parab was much loved by
the late Bal Thackeray
and now he is assisting
the second and third generation
of
the
Thackerays in their political battle against the
BJP. He is a daily visitor
to the Thackeray household at ‘Matoshri’ and enjoys the full confidence of
the family.
PIL ON SSR-DISHA SALIAN DEATHS
Aaditya wants HC to hear him first
URVI MAHAJANI / Mumbai
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya
Thackeray approached the
Bombay High Court on October
13 praying that the court should
hear him before passing any order in a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding a CBI
probe into the alleged connections between the deaths of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and
his former manager Disha
Salian.
Thackeray filed an application, through advocate Rahul
Arote, in the PIL contending
that the plea was not maintainable as the case was being investigated by the state.
In September, the PIL was
filed by the ‘Supreme Court &
Mahavitaran
to soon install
prepaid meters
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / Mumbai
Maharashtra State Electricity
Distribution Co Ltd (Mahavitaran) is giving the final touches to its plan to install prepaid
meters to help customers keep
a tab on their energy bills, officials have said.
In the first phase, 2.41 crore
prepaid meters will be
installed at a cost of Rs26,291
crore, the officials said.
Consumers’ right to have
control over expenditure on
energy bill is part of Mahavitaran’s ‘quality service’ initiative and accordingly the smart
meters will be installed over
the next few months, the officials said.
Once the meters are installed, the consumers will be
able to track energy usage on
their mobile devices. The consumers will be able to know
their balance and how much
they need to pay, and plan their
budgets accordingly, the officers added.
Though the meters cost
around Rs12,000, the consumers won’t have to pay anything. The cost will be recovered from Central government
grants and from the funds
available with Mahavitaran.
The meters will also reduce
the incidents of disconnections
and other inconveniences, the
officials said. Electricity supply
will continue even if the prepaid amount is exhausted between 6pm and 10am.
High Court Litigants Association of India’ through its president, Rashid Khan Pathan,
seeking the immediate arrest
and custodial interrogation of
Thackeray in connection with
the deaths of Salian and Rajput.
The PIL is yet to come up for
hearing before the high court
bench led by a Chief Justice DK
Upadhyaya.
Arote said: “We have filed an
intervention application saying
we should be given an audience
before any order is passed by
the court in the PIL.” He added
that the PIL is not maintainable
as the investigation in Rajput’s
matter is already on by CBI.
The PIL has urged that the
CBI be directed to initiate a
probe against Thackeray and
submit a comprehensive report
before the court.
On June 14, 2020, Rajput was
found dead in his apartment in
suburban Bandra.
The Mumbai Police had initially registered an accidental
death report case in his death.
Subsequently, the actor’s father
lodged a complaint with the Bihar Police in July 2020 alleging
that Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea
‘COVID KHICHDI SCAM’
Senior BMC official
among 7 raided: ED
ASHISH SINGH / Mumbai
The Enforcement Directorate
(ED) conducted searches at
seven locations – the premises
of Deputy Commissioner of
the BMC, Sangeeta Hasnale,
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Suraj
Chavan, and five private contractors – on Wednesday in
connection with the Rs6.7
crore Covid-19 ‘khichdi scam’.
The searches were carried
out at: Vaishnavi Kitchen /
Sahyadri Refreshment,
Parel; FNJ Enterprises,
which operates Persian
Darbar Hotel,
in Goregaon;
Hasnale’s residence
in
Chembur;
Sneha Caterers and Decorators, Mulund; Golden Star
Hall and Banquet, Mulund;
Fire Fighter Enterprises, Govandi; and Western India Logistics, Chembur.
The Economic Offence
Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police is investigating the case.
The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information
Report (ECIR) under the provisions of the Prevention of
Money
Laundering
Act
against Shiv Sena (UBT)
leader Sanjay Raut’s aide
Sujit Patkar and six others.
According to the ED,
Patkar received Rs45 lakh
from Sahyadri Refreshments
to provide consultancy services. Additionally, Rs53 lakh
was transferred to the account of Amol Kirtikar, son
of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Gajanan Kirtikar, and Rs37 lakh
to Chavan’s account. The
EOW
had
named Patkar,
Sunil
alias
Bala Kadam,
Sahyadri Refreshment’s
Rajeev
Salunkhe,
Force
One
Multi
Service’s partners
and employees,
Sneha
Caterer’s partners and other
BMC officers as accused.
The EOW claims to have
found that the BMC committed financial irregularities in
awarding the contract for distribution of ‘khichdi’ to migrants during the pandemic.
It said that the contractors
that were given the task of
making khichdi subcontracted the work to others.
– Full story on
www.freepressjournal.in
Chakraborty and her family
had abetted his suicide.
The investigation was then
handed over to the CBI. The
central agency has said that the
case is still under investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigations allegations of money laundering
against Rhea and her family
and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is looking into
claims that Rhea used to consume drugs and had also given
the same to Rajput.
Salian died on June 8, 2020,
after falling off the 14th floor of
a residential building in suburban Malad. The police had then
registered an accidental death
report. The Malwani police is
still investigating the case.
RTO transfers
will now be
made online
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / Mumbai
Transfers of RTO inspectors
– motor vehicle inspectors
(MVI) and assistant motor vehicle inspectors (AMVI) – in
Maharashtra went ‘online’
on Wednesday. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde pressed a
key to release a list of transferable officers from the department.
In the past the process of
transfers was riddled with
malpractices because officials
preferred
plum
postings.
The issue also used to be
raised
in
successive
assembly sessions without
much change in the system.
However, in March, when
the issue arose again, Shinde
directed officials to develop a
system to make the process
transparent and free of human intervention.
A presentation of the newly developed system, based on
blockchain technology, was
made at a meeting on
Wednesday by Principal Secretary Parag Jain. Senior officials like Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar,
Additional Commissioner Jitendra Patil were present on
the occasion.
The new system will also
help in filling vacancies, the
officers said.
Use of blockchain technology leaves no room for manipulation, officials said.
MUMBAI
4 students held for disrespecting Israeli flag, granted bail
Mumbai: Four students were arrested on
Wednesday by the JJ Marg police for insulting the
Israeli flag. They are accused of pasting the flag
stickers on the ground at Bhendi Bazar Junction so
that pedestrians would step on them. Those arrested
Teen drowns
while hanging
out with friends
KALPESH MHAMUNKAR
MUMBAI
A 17-year-old boy drowned in
the sea near Mahim dargah
on Wednesday while trying
to clean mud on his body during high tide. Piyush Oberoi,
a resident of Sion Koliwada,
accompanied with a group of
friends had gone to hangout
at the shore after visiting
dargah. According to the fire
brigade, the incident occurred at 1.50pm behind the
Mukhdoom Sea Palace, Custom Road.
A junior college student,
Oberoi and his five-six
friends decided to visit dar-
The 17-year-old went
near sea to clean mud
on his legs but later
entered the water
gah after returning from
their institute in Wadala.
According to his peers, they
later went near the sea
for frolicking, but the teen's
legs got muddy and went to
wash them. Subsequently,
the
deceased
removed
his clothes and jumped into
the sea. When he didn't
return, his friends informed
the life guards and the
police.
Immediately, a search was
launched and the body was
fished out after three hours.
The boy was pronounced
dead by the doctors at the
Sion Hospital.
were Moin Mansoori, Atif Mansoori, Danish Mansoori
and Abbas Shaikh. They were later granted bail on a
surety of Rs3,000 each. The police said they had also
burnt the Israeli flag and posted the video on social
media platforms.
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Hsg society secy accuses
neta of attempt to murder
Attack is a sequel to issue of redevelopment project located in Mazgaon,
says 50-year-old victim; police say they are still ‘investigating’ the matter
S BALAKRISHNAN / MUMBAI
A senior Shiv Sena (Eknath
Shinde faction) leader is at
the centre of a controversy
over the brutal assault of the
secretary of a cooperative
housing society in Mazgaon
on October 6. The attack by
two motorcycle-borne men
with a sharp weapon was so
severe that it's a sheer miracle
how the victim Dharmesh
Mulji Solanki, 50, survived it.
On the fateful day, Solanki,
who is a businessman, met a
friend Samir Bharmare at the
Green Field Hotel near GST
Bhavan (erstwhile Sales Tax
Office) at Mazgaon around
6.30pm. Subsequently, he
walked towards his scooty
when the assailants approached him and the pillion
rider stabbed him with a
sharp weapon. The men, both
of whom were wearing helmets, mentioned that he was
being punished for taking on
the Shiv Sena leader and
melted into the traffic.
Solanki's entire right hand
shoulder was ripped open.
Even though he mentioned
the name of this leader, the
Byculla police didn't include
his name in the first information report (FIR). In his written complaint to Deputy Com-
Samajwadi Party MLA Abu
Asim Azmi shared a video on
X – which shows a scuffle between cops and a group of
young men – and urged
deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the
Mumbai police chief to take
action against cops for resorting to 'brutality'. The clip has
gone viral and several netizens echoed sentiments similar to Azmi. Two people have
been arrested in this connection.
The video shows the incident which took place on October 10 in Sion. Two cops can
be seen hitting a man while
he keeps saying, “I am a student and you are beating me
for no reason.” Shortly after, a
melee ensues between the
personnel and the group of
men. Both the policemen can
be heard abusing and assaulting them with their lathis. In
their defence, the men were
To be built at a cost of `2 crore, the project awaits green signal
from MCZMA; nod is expected to come by October end;
construction likely to finish in 4 months once it begins
MANOJ RAMAKRISHNAN
MUMBAI
missioner of Police (Zone III)
Akbar Pathan, Solanki said
that the attack took place in
full public glare and the intention of the duo was to murder
him. However, he was saved
by his helmet. He was rushed
to the JJ Hospital by a friend
where an emergency threehour reconstructive surgery
was performed to connect the
hand with the shoulder.
An officer from the Byculla
police station, Dyandev
Kolekar, recorded his statement in the hospital, but he
omitted the name of the Sena
leader despite Solanki specifically naming him. The cop
did
not
even
take
photographs of the stab injuries. Next morning, the victim's brother Mukesh went to
the Byculla police station and
handed over the bloodstained clothes. He demanded
that the Indian Penal Code
section 307 (attempt to murder) be included in the FIR,
but the officer refused to do
so.
Talking to the FPJ on
Wednesday, Solanki said that
he is the secretary of his
building located on Shivdas
Chapsi Marg, near Hancock
bridge, Sandhurst Road railway station. The society had
decided to go in for redevelopment of the property measuring 3,855 sq m and Samarth
Erectors & Developers, a partnership firm of Malad, was
given the contract. “We were
not aware that one of the
partners was Bimal Agarwal
who had a criminal record
and had even gone to jail.
Apart from that, the firm did
not give Rs1 crore towards
corpus fund as promised earlier. Hence, we decided to terminate the contract. Ever
since then I have been under
tremendous pressure,” said
Solanki.
Senior inspector Nandkumar Gopale told the FPJ,
“The case is under investigation and the footage of the incident is on record. All electronic evidence is being collected. We are examining all
angles.” Meanwhile, the
Solankis, who are now living
in a transit accommodation
at Chunabhatti, are living in
terror of being attacked,
while the Sena leader appears
to have gone scot-free. Several
efforts to contact him were in
vain.
MLA calls out police ‘brutality’, cops defend action
AISHWARYA IYER / MUMBAI
Soon, East Indian-themed
zero carbon park in Juhu
saying that they were out
there just to buy paan.
Talking to the FPJ on
Wednesday, an official from
the Sion police station said
that the duo are constables
cum beat marshals and were
assigned night patrolling on
the day of the incident. “It
was around 1.30am at the Indira Market Post Office area
when our officers found fivesix men standing near a paan
shop, smoking cigarettes. The
cops told them to disperse as
it was late at night, but they
started giving back answers.
Shortly after, one of them
started making gestures and
came near the officers to attack. In cases like these, anyone would retaliate, and they
were police officers on-duty,”
said the official. The viral
video just shows their side,
but the police have CCTV
footage which clearly depicts
that the group disrupted the
duty of the cops. This footage
will be presented in the court,
he said, adding that the men
even abused the policemen.
One Ayan Rizwan Khan,
20, ran away from the area
and got himself admitted to
the Sion Hospital, said the police. The other two partners
were underage. Khan has applied for pre-arrest bail.
Those arrested have been
charged under section 353 (assault or criminal force to
deter public servant from discharge of duty) of the Indian
Penal Code.
A zero carbon park – whose
design is themed after the villages of the East Indian community – will soon come up in
the Juhu village at a cost of
Rs2 crore. It will feature elements, including Portuguesestyle architecture, roadside
crucifixes, grottoes, chapels
and wells. The project on the
half-acre garden plot, which
is currently owned by the
suburban district collector, is
expected to start after getting
clearance from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). The nod is significant as
the land is located near the
coast and hence there are restrictions on construction.
The proposal came into being after the East Indians approached the state government, seeking land for building a community headquarters. “This plot was reserved
as a recreation space. As the
land comes under the Coastal
Regulation Zone, no construction would have been allowed
on it. I thought it would be appropriate for a park,” said
Andheri West MLA Ameet
Satam, who is involved in the
project.
He continued that the permission from MCZMA is expected to come by the end of
October. “We expect the work
to be completed in three-four
months once the permission
comes in,” he informed. The
legislator highlighted that the
garden will have rainwater
harvesting provision and
perennial plants that can sequester more carbon from the
atmosphere. Being a 'zero carbon' space, it will also use less
concrete and incorporate
more hedges than cement and
stonewalls.
The construction will be
funded by the District Planning
Development
Who are East Indians?
Known as one of the oldest residents of Mumbai, they are mostly
found on India's west coast. They are referred to as East Indians
because many of them believe that their ancestors worked for
the British East India Company, giving them the name. Some
community members prefer to call themselves Marathi Catholics
or Christians. They are descendents of Kolis, Agris, Bhandaris and
other groups who were converted to Roman Catholicism in the
16th century. Some of their surviving settlements like
Khotachiwadi and Matharpacady in Mazgaon still feature houses
built in a blend of Indian and Portuguese architectural styles.
Committee also known as the
MLA funds, said Satam,
adding that once the garden is
built, it will be handed over to
the BMC for maintenance.
“We are also willing to hand it
over to the Mobai Gaothan
Panchayat (MGP) if they volunteer for maintenance,” he
added.
The MGP is the main representative body of the East
Indians. Gleason Barretto,
one of its members, said the
garden will be named after
Joseph Baptisita, popularly
known as Kaka Baptista. He
was a lawyer who served as
the Mumbai mayor in the preindependence era. Baptista,
an East Indian, was an associate of Lokmanya Tilak and
also a prominent figure in the
freedom movement. “We
wanted a memorial in the
name of Kaka Baptista. This
would be appropriate,” hailed
Barretto.
MUMBAI
Bangladeshi man held for making passport with forged docus
Mumbai: A Bangladeshi national has been arrested for
travelling with a passport made with forged documents. Joy
Bablu Choudhary arrived at Mumbai airport from Bangkok
and was detained due to a lookout notice. Interrogation
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
FB ‘friend’
held for raping
Juhu woman
Mira-Bhayandar: The central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police in association with their Mumbai
counterparts have arrested a
34-year-old man for allegedly
raping a woman he met on
Facebook. The woman had
registered a complaint at the
Juhu police station on September 12. Under the pretext
of marriage, the accused sexually exploited her on multiple occasions between July2022 to September 2023. However, the accused who also
threatened the woman with
dire consequences had remained untraceable and continued to change his locations. As cops recieved information that the accused lives
in Mira-Bhayandar, he was
subsequently nabbed.
SURESH GOLANI
CCTV grabs
help cops nab
ATM crook
Mira-Bhayandar: Less than
12 hours after he fled after
duping a 48-year-old man by
fraudulently withdrawing
Rs40,000 from his bank account on the pretext of helping them use Automated
Teller Machine (ATM), the
crook landed into the custody
of the Kashimira police.
The action followed after
Rajesh Gupta registered a
complaint that he was cheated by an unidentified man
when he had gone to withdraw cash from an ATM. He
told police that the crook posing as a customer stepped inside the booth under the
guise of helping him withdraw money. However, the
crook who had apparently observed the personal identification number (PIN) before
cunningly exchanging the
card with the sleight of his
hand, fled the spot on a bike.
The original card was later
used to withdraw Rs40,000
from another booth. Police
scanned 150 CCTV cameras
and finally arrested the accused in Vasai.
SURESH GOLANI
Rly official
booked by CBI
in graft case
Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
has registered a graft case
against a senior ticket collector (TC) for allegedly demanding a bribe from a man
to revive the cancelled ticket
booking counter at Panvel,
Navi Mumbai of the complainant. The complainant
was alloted a ticket booking
counter allotted by Central
Railway (CR) and the permission of the same was later
cancelled. He had made various applications for the revival of allotment; however,
there was no response from
CR. The complainant contacted Ramesh Nayak, TC at
Tilak Nagar railway station
and
Nayak
demanded
Rs40,000 to get the work done.
On September 11, Nayak
called a fake official infront
of the complainant and the
complainant was assured
that his work would be done.
However, the complainant
later
filed
a
written
complaint to the CBI.
SOMENDRA SHARMA
The National Centre for Coastal Research recommended installation of 97 additional AWS
throughout the city, cost of each is up to `7 lakh; to collect data rainfall, humidity and wind
FPJ NEWS SERVICE/ MUMBAI
5 NCCR recommended
planned 60 additional
1 BMC
AWS for Mumbai this
This monsoon, the BMC had
planned to install 60 additional automatic weather stations
(AWS) across Mumbai. However, only 43 were set up and
17 are underway due to technical difficulties and security
reasons. These weather stations will collect information
on rainfall, temperature, humidity as well and the speed
and direction of wind. The
collated data will be available
on the civic disaster management portal and updated
every 15 minutes. This will
help citizens to plan their activities accordingly during
the next monsoon.
The National Centre for
Coastal Research (NCCR) recommended the installation of
97 additional AWS throughout the city, to obtain an accu-
97 more stations
monsoon
2
Only 43 were set up due to
technical and security issues
3 17 still in progress
4
6 AWS will
Each
installation
costs
be placed
at every
four sq km
`7 lakh
AWS will collect data on
rainfall, temperature,
humidity, wind
speed, and
direction, updated
every 15 minutes
on the civic
disaster
management
portal
rate local date of rainfall. Due
to cost and security issues,
the civic authority decided to
install only 60 AWS. The installation work started at lo-
cations such as schools, residential societies, hospitals,
etc. However, the BMC could
complete the installation of
43 by this monsoon, which is
60 AWS
connected to a
central server
at the Worli
data centre,
providing data
accessible on
dm.mcgm.
gov.in
yet to be activated. Out of the
remaining 17, the civic body
had to locate four AWS. The
installation cost of each AWS
is up to Rs7 lakh. The contrac-
tor will also have to maintain
the AWS as well as the disaster management portal for
three years.
The weather stations will
be installed at a distance of
every four sq km, which will
update the citizens with micro-level information. The
rainfall
data
collected
through AWS will also help
the BMC to send warnings to
citizens besides strategically
preparing and implementing
disaster plans during heavy
rainfall.
Currently, there are 60 AWS
installed at civic ward offices
or at fire brigade stations in
the city. These weather stations are connected to a central server located at the
Worli data centre of the civic
body. The gathered information will be updated on
dm.mcgm.gov.in.
City to get anti-smog guns to battle air pollution
SHEFALI PARAB-PANDIT
MUMBAI
The BMC is planning to get
vehicle-mounted 'anti-smog
guns' in Mumbai to spray
water in an effort to settle
dust in areas with poor air
quality. This comes amid increasing construction activities in the city which are
adding to the air-pollution.
A tender has been invited
to purchase 30 anti-smog
guns. The city has been witnessing poor air quality for
the past few days. Several
parts of the suburbs recorded a poor air quality index
(AQI) on Tuesday, with Andheri 346 and Mazgaon 317.
However, the situation improved on Wednesday with
Mazgaon 197, Bhandup162
and Andheri 139. AQI between 301 and 400 is consid-
How does the
gun work?
SALMAN ANSARI
Mira-Bhayandar: Four days
after a shootout bid was reported in Kashimira, the police arrested the shooter on
Tuesday. According to the police, the incident was reported from the outlet of International Baking Company located in the busy Kashimira
Junction area. The accused,
who was later identified as
Akbar Ali Shafique Shaikh,
28, a resident of Dharavi,
wearing a helmet walked into
the bakery and pointed a revolver on the present employees. Despite several attempts,
the revolver failed to fire, following which the shooter fled
the spot along with the biker
who was waiting outside.
Based on CCTV footages and
technical surveillance, the
team apprehended Shaikh.
However, his accomplice and
the mastermind who ordered
the hit are still on large.
While the bike and pistol
used in the crime is yet to be
recovered, the duo are said to
be hardcore criminals.
SURESH GOLANI
43 out of 60 weather stns installed
ered very poor and triggers
a health alert for everyone.
Lower the AQI value, cleaner the air. Higher AQI indicates greater air pollution
A
nti-smog gun is a
propeller gun
connected to a water
tank mounted onto a
vehicle, which spews
fine nebulised water
droplets that absorb
small dust particles and
settle on the ground. It
is designed to convert
water into a fine spray
with a droplet size of
50-100 microns using
high-pressure
propellers.
and health concerns.
Deepak
Kesarkar,
guardian minister (city)
said, “The construction activities have increased in
Mumbai, which have added
to air-pollution. However, it
is not chemicals but dust
pollution, so we need to
spray water to settle the
2 Punjab gangsters nabbed from Kurla hotel
attempted murder registered in Jalandhar, Punjab,
on October 13.
The case was registered
against 10 persons, including
Mukesh Sethi, Pancham and
Himanshu, under sections
307 (attempt to murder), 365
(kidnapping) and 120-b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian
Penal Code.
The Jalandhar Commissioner of Police Kuldeep
RAJESH MOUDGIL / MUMBAI
Two wanted gangsters from
Punjab were nabbed from a
hotel
in
Kurla
on
Wednesday in a joint operation conducted by the Punjab police and the Mumbai
crime branch. Gangsters
Pancham Noor Singh, 32,
and Himanshu Mata, 30, had
been absconding in a case
involving kidnapping and
Singh Chahal told newspersons that a police team acted
following a tip-off about Pancham and Himanshu hiding
in Mumbai and a joint operation was planned with the
Mumbai crime branch unit 5
(led by police inspector
Ghanshyam Nair), leading to
their arrest from Vinoba
Bhave Nagar in Kurla.
The police learnt about a
conflict between two groups
after the arrest of Sethi, an
aide of Jalandhar West Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator
Sheetal Angural.
The Jalandhar police said
that the accused duo, both
residents of Jalandhar, face
charges in as many as 15 cases, including attempt to murder, kidnapping, firing, creating terror and the Arms Act,
would be brought to Punjab
for further investigation.
NAGPADA DARGAH GETS A NEW GATE
Mumbai: The 269-year-old
Hazrat Sayed Hussain, also
known as Mastan Shah Qadri
dargah, in Mastan Talao,
Nagpada, inaugurated its
new Buland Darwaza on
Wednesday.
The dargah, which is the
resting place of a Sufi saint,
is an important place of worship in Central Mumbai. The
25-feet-high gate was built after Member of Legislative
Assembly (MLA) Amin Patel
provided funds for it.
Patel said the area is historic because the Mastan Talao playground, which is one
of the recreational grounds
in a congested locality and
was originally a pond located
in front of the dargah.
“The pond was filled up
and converted into a public
ground which was the venue
for protests and meetings
during the independence
movement.
SALMAN ANSARI
Firing at
bakery: Cops
nab ‘shooter’
revealed that he had come to India last year and stayed in
Kolkata. He then travelled to Panaji where he got a passport
with forged documents for a new identity. With this passport
he had travelled to Thailand and was now on his way back.
dust particles. Like Delhi,
we have decided to use vehicle-mounted
‘anti-smog
guns’ in here as well.” “The
vehicle mounted machine
will be available for the city
in the next two months,”
said a civic official.
As per civic data, around
5,000 construction and infrastructure projects are
underway in the city. In order to curb air pollution, a
seven-member committee
formed by the BMC prepared a 'Mumbai Air Pollution Mitigation Plan' in
March.
It suggested immediate
and long-term measures in
the same regard. The civic
body has also formed a task
force at ward level to
inspect the construction
sites and take action on the
violators.
CM steps in as AQI
remains unhealthy
NMMC to take it up with MPCB, notices
issued to builders following complaints
AMIT SRIVASTAVA
NAVI MUMBAI
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
has asked the Thane district
collector to check the complaints of rising air pollution
in Navi Mumbai that has irked
citizens. Navi Mumbai's air
quality index (AQI) was very
poor at 336 on Wednesday
morning.
Responding to the non-governmental organisation NatConnect Foundation’s email,
Shinde asked the collector of
Thane to look into the issue.
Even as Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has
promised to take up the issue
with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).
NMMC will also serve notices on builders and construction contractors to take care of
dust blowing into the air, additional city engineer (Environment) Shirish Aradwad said.
NatConnect demanded that
the civic body impose exemplary punishments and fines
on erring builders since the
NMMC had already served
these notices last winter following a series of complaints.
Reckless digging, blasting
and even careless transportation of construction material
by open rucks are all contributing to the menace and resulting in PM2.5 and PM10
Woman loses `6 cr
in crypto scam, accts
with `32 cr frozen
cybercrime analyst at the
Navi Mumbai Police ComThe Navi Mumbai cyber po- missionerate, the cyber
lice have arrested two police
made
significant
persons in connection with a progress by freezing the inimulti-crore cryptocurrency tial bank accounts used for ilinvestment fraud. The cell licit transactions. A total of
also froze several bank ac- Rs32,66,12,091 was successfulcounts with deposits exceed- ly blocked across various
ing Rs32 crore.
bank accounts with investThe arrested persons are ments from possibly many
Balu Sakharam Khandagale, other victims.
42, and Rajendra RamkhilaThrough meticulous analyvan Patel, 52, both residents sis of bank account numbers
of Ghatkopar.
and mobile
The case un- Woman initiated crypto numbers used
folded
last
for fraudulent
investments after
month at the
activities, the
newly estab- she was prompted by police
suclished cyber
cessfully
unknown woman
police station
tracked two
in Nerul when a complaint suspects in Ghatkopar and
was filed by a woman who arrested them on September
had fallen prey to a cryp- 29.
tocurrency scam and inDuring the course of their
curred a substantial loss of
investigation, it came to light
Rs6.62 crore.
that the arrested individuals
She initiated crypto invest- had provided mobile numments following a call from bers, bank account details,
an unidentified woman who cheque books and ATM cards
prompted her to transfer of various people to other cofunds into multiple bank ac- conspirators involved in the
counts. The complainant ini- scam on different fronts
tially received returns to the across India. Intriguingly,
tune of Rs75 lakh but commu- both arrested persons were in
nication from the other party touch with the other accused
ceased later.
outside the state. The police
Under the leadership of
are trying to unravel other dePunam Gadge, first woman tails in this intricate case.
AMIT SRIVASTAVA / MUMBAI
(particulate matter) levels remaining way beyond the
World Health Organisation
(WHO) prescribed norms, NatConnect director B N Kumar
said.
Residents from sector nine,
where massive redevelopment
of dilapidated JN Type buildings is in progress, said the
builders were blasting rocks as
pile foundations progressed.
“It is a double whammy for us
with noise and air pollution,”
a resident said.
Uran continues to top the
all-India pollution chart for
several days now and even at
midday on Wednesday it
ranked four and poor at 200.
PM10 was 121 and carbon
monoxide 1,233. Many citizens
complained that they are hesitant to venture out into the polluted air. Evening walks have
become very irritating due to
the strong chemical stink that
fills the air from Ghansoli to
Sanpada and beyond.
A group of Kopar Khairane
residents threatened to go on a
sit-in strike (dharna) to protest
against the nauseating air pollution, but an MPCB officer
said it did not find any signs of
pollution. The Board official
found that some tankers carrying benzene were leaking.
Activist Chaya Taralekar complained of brick kiln smoke
filling the air at Kharghar.
Cops reverse
`3.14L lost to
cyber fraud
SURESH GOLANI
Nearly a month after they received a complaint from
Baburaj Acharya, a resident
of Naya Nagar in Mira Road,
that Rs4.19 lakh had been siphoned off from his bank account by a fraudster who
posed as customer care executive of a multi-national
bank, the cyber cell of the
Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar
(MBVV) police managed to
make a reverse transaction.
In his complaint, Acharya
stated that he tried searching
for the helpline number of
the bank on the search
engine, but ended up calling
the cyber-fraudsters. The
fraudsters
managed
to
extract crucial banking details by convincing him to
download and click a link.
After receiving the complaint, the cyber cell team
managed to reverse the transaction amounting Rs3.14 lakh
by establishing contact with
the gateway of the digital
platform that provided payment solutions. With the current recovery, the total figures
have soared from Rs86.72 lakh
to more than Rs1.13 crore in
ten months between January
to October, this year. Cyber
cell officials said that people
can directly approach or call
the cybercrime cell on 1930 or
even email at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Groom-seeker on matrimonial BMC to track reasons behind dengue spike
website scammed by ‘Canadian’ 11 wards account for 40-50% of dengue, malaria cases recorded across state till Oct 7
SOMENDRA SHARMA / MUMBAI
A 32-year-old woman was recently cheated on a matrimonial website purportedly by a
man from Canada. The fraud
came to light at a stage when
she waited for him for three
hours outside Mumbai International Airport to receive
him but he didn’t turn up.
A few days prior to the
man’s so-called promised
visit “to resettle in Mumbai”,
he had sought financial help
of over Rs2.6 lakh from the
woman on the pretext of being detained at Delhi airport
by the customs department.
The woman, a resident of
Nallasopara, met the man
three months ago on a community matrimonial website
where he had claimed to be a
civil engineer. The two began
chatting and he said he would
be resettling in India. On the
phone one day, he claimed to
be detained by the customs
department at Delhi airport
and sought Rs2.6 lakh from
the woman. He told her he
only had Canadian dollars
and currency exchange
would take at least 24 hours.
She was also convinced by his
ruse that he had in his luggage jewellery worth lakhs of
rupees meant for their wedding.
Later, the woman received
another call from a woman,
purportedly from the immi-
gration department, saying
that the man’s luggage had
been taken into custody. The
complainant was then induced to pay Rs93,000 in two
online transactions.
Later, the fraudster told the
woman that he would arrive
at Mumbai airport by 8.30
pm. She waited with her family for three hours but he never turned up. The woman
then realised she had been
scammed as the man had
deleted his matrimonial profile and become incommunicado.
The police last week registered a case under section 420
(cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property)
of the Indian Penal Code and
sections 66C (identity theft),
66D (cheating by personation
by using computer resource)
of the Information Technology Act.
SWAPNIL MISHRA/ MUMBAI
The Directorate of Health
Services (DHS) has directed
the BMC to conduct a study in
the K East and K West wards
of Andheri to understand the
reasons for the surge in
dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases.
The health authority has
also written to the municipal
corporations of Thane and
Mira-Bhayander to take necessary measures to curb the
rising water-borne diseases.
According to the data, 38%
of overall dengue and
malaria
cases
recorded
across Maharashtra are from
Mumbai especially Andheri
which has 12% of these cases.
A senior health official said
that measures need to be implemented including mapping of patients, population
and disease. Health officers
should conduct a survey at
the ward level and take mosquito preventive measures in
at least 200 houses or premises of the suspected patients at
their homes and workplaces.
“This year cases have doubled compared to last year
which has raised concerns
over the working of the
public health department.
However, the intermittent
rains and fluctuations in
weather are the major cause
for the surge,” the official
said. He further said that
there is also a need to spread
awareness related to dengue
and malaria and their precautions.
“Mumbai is the financial
capital of the country, the
number of migrants in this
city is large and the possibility of spreading these diseases
to other districts can not be
ruled out. In addition, since it
is the festival days, it is requested to kindly give in-
n 38% of dengue and
malaria cases in the state
are from Mumbai, with
12% from Andheri
n Health officers urged to
survey 200 houses of
suspected patients,
implement mosquito
preventive measures, and
spread awareness on
precautions.
n Mumbai’s cases doubled
compared to last year due
to intermittent rains and
weather fluctuations.
structions to the concerned
from your level to implement
effective preventive measures,” the official added.
“The civic body can also
take help from external
sources including the United
Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) Commonwealth
Human Rights Initiative
(CHRI) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) for
curbing the high prevalence
of all three monsoon ailments, which is high in Andheri,” one of the DHS officers
said.
“With the withdrawal of
monsoon, there might be infrequent rains causing water
stagnation, resulting in more
breeding spots,” said an official from K West ward.
The eleven wards of Mumbai account for 40-50% of
overall dengue and malaria
cases recorded across the
state this year until October 7.
The BMC’s 11 wards account
for 50% of dengue and 41% of
overall malaria cases reported across Mumbai until October 7. City witnessed 8,713 of
the 23,004 dengue and Malaria
cases recorded in Maharashtra until October 7.
MUMBAI
3 booked for bank loan by mortgaging fake gold
Mumbai: The Colaba police have booked three persons
for taking a loan of Rs18.7 lakh by pledging fake gold
with GS Mahanagar Co-operative Bank Ltd. The gold
valuer appointed by the bank has also been booked. As
per the bank, the key accused, Anil Mote, mortgaged his
gold and paid instalments which stopped coming after
some time. He asked the bank to sell the gold to recover
the loan. However, the valuables turned out to be fake.
Mote accused one Devidas Kawad of giving him the gold.
The valuer has been identified as Bhairawlal Jain.
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
‘MUMBAI CABBIES DON’T CARE A DAMN’
On first day of revived anti-RTP drive, Free Press Journal found that 80% out of 100 drivers brazenly refused short-distance fares
KAMAL MISHRA / MUMBAI
On the first day of its revived
campaign against refusal to
ply (RTP), the Free Press Journal on Wednesday found that
around 80% of taxi drivers,
who were asked to ply shortdistances in south Mumbai,
brazenly refused. This newspaper asked more than 100
taxis for a ride on prominent
short routes between CSMT,
Mantralaya, Churchgate and
Metro Cinemas, but most of
them outrightly rejected the
fare.
The RTP continues to be a
menace despite the existence
of
several
helplines
launched by the state transport department. Many errant taxi and auto-rickshaw
drivers continue to refuse
short-distance passengers
without fear of repercussions. To check the ground
reality, the FPJ hit the roads
and tried to find a taxi for
popular routes like CSMT to
Churchgate,
CSMT
to
Mantralaya, Mantralaya to
Churchgate, CSMT to Metro
and Mantralaya to CSMT.
However, like scores of commuters, this newspaper also
couldn't find a taxi for these
destinations.
What's even more concern-
ing is that many drivers displayed no fear of the law and
bluntly refused passengers
in front of Mantralaya.
Summing up the annoying
experience, commuter Santosh Thakur said that
finding a taxi for CSMT or
Churchgate is like winning a
lottery given the scarcity of
drivers willing to accept such
fares. While RTP is not a novel problem in Mumbai, the
sheer number of refusals has
grown substantially. When
questioned about this issue,
officials from the state transport department expressed
their commitment to investigate each case reported by
passengers. However, they
said that many people don't
Shops issuing
SIMs on fake
docus busted
Accused of
stealing `1cr,
driver held
AISHWARYA IYER / MUMBAI
VISHAL SINGH MUMBAI
Two mobile shop owners
have been booked by the
Matunga police for allegedly
issuing SIM cards based on
forged documents in the
name of different people with
the photograph of one
person. The FIR was registered by Vodafone-Idea (VI)
after being alerted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
In April, the DoT had detected cases of SIM cards being issued to multiple persons
with photographs of a single
customer but different names
and
Aadhaar
cards.
Following an inquiry, officials
zeroed in on three shops from
where more than 120 SIMs
were issued. VI approached
the police and filed an FIR
against the three shops managed by two owners in Matunga and Dadar.
A team was formed by senior inspector Deepak Chavan,
led by police sub-inspector
Mahesh
Lad,
who
ascertained ‘gaining incentives’ as the motive. All SIM
cards are not older than three
months, said Lad. “They are
given targets by distributors.
Every team manager of 30
shops appoint promoters for
sales. For target completion,
these promoters receive Rs
2,000,” he explained. Subscriber detail records and call
detail recorders didn’t reveal
any criminal activity.
A 48-year-old man, who allegedly stole Rs1 crore from
his employer and also fled
with his car on October 11,
was arrested on Tuesday
from Akola district. The accused, Santosh Sudam Chavan, was caught within two
days of registering the case.
Around Rs96 lakh and the
stolen car has been recovered
from him, said the Oshiwara
police. The Free Press Journal had reported about the
case on October 16 and the
stolen amount was mentioned Rs25 lakh. However,
the police typist erred while
making the first information
report and had incorrectly
typed Rs25 lakh instead of
Rs1 crore.
The accused was working
for Dhirendra Amitlal Sheth,
who has a construction business, for the last 17 years. Last
week, he drove with Chavan
to the sub-registrar office in
Jogeshwari.
The
complainant asked the accused to
stay back in the car given the
hefty amount kept in it.
Sheth was shocked not to
find his car and Chavan upon
his return from the office.
During the investigation,
the police got a tip-off that he
was hiding in Akola along
with his wife and children.
Subsequently, a special team
was dispatched, which succeeded in catching the accused.
ANTI-RTP DRIVE
complain and instead look
for another cab. The officials
appealed to Mumbaikars to
report each and every instance of RTP so that effective action can be taken
against the errant drivers.
Many citizens remain unaware that cab drivers
cannot refuse passengers
without a valid reason and
the passengers have the right
to register a complaint if
they do so. But, most commuters are reluctant to lodge
to see efforts like the FPJ's
campaign which shed light
on the issue, but a collective
endeavour involving the authorities as well as passengers is necessary to address
the
problem,”
said
Laxmikant Shah from Borivali, who works with a Nariman Point-based law firm.
Stricter enforcement of existing regulations coupled
with greater awareness
among the public can help to
solve the issue, he said.
What action can
passengers take?
PICS : VIJAY GOHIL
If you face RTP, first you
should politely remind
drivers that they are not
allowed to refuse a fare. If
drivers don't pay heed, the
aggrieved can call on
helpline number 100. To file
a complaint, passengers
should WhatsApp the
details of the incident,
including the registration
number, location, time, and,
if possible, a picture on the
following contacts.
COMMUTERS SAY…
a formal grievance, thinking
MUMBAI CITY
ANDHERI
little will be done to rectify
9076201010
the
situation. “RTP 9920240202
issue is a
long-standing problem that
WADALA
BORIVALI
continues
to plague the
city's
9152240303
8591944747
commuters.
It is heartening
People can also send an email to
fpjreaderreporter@gmail.com with the
vehicle's photograph displaying the
registration number. The FPJ will raise the
issue promptly. It's essential to provide
specific information about the incident
and communicate in either English or
Marathi.Passengers can also share their
grievances on social media platforms like
X, with hashtags #EndTaxiProblem and
#EndRickshawProblem tagging
@fpjindia.
It is heartening to see
efforts like the FPJ's
campaign which shed light
on the issue, but a
collective endeavour
involving the authorities
as well as passengers is
necessary to address the
problem.
BMC working to
deploy clean-up
marshals soon
SHEFALI PARAB-PANDIT
MUMBAI
If all goes according to the
plan, clean-up marshals will
be back on the city roads before Diwali. The BMC had
planned to deploy them earlier as well, however, the idea
didn't take off as no manpower agency showed interest. To
keep street discipline in
check, the marshal will be
empowered to collect fines
ranging from Rs100 to
Rs1,000, said the civic
sources.
The civic body is also keen
on the plan owing to the fact
that 5,709 complaints were received in four months on the
WhatsApp chatbot started exclusively for garbage-related
woes. “We immediately attended to the complaints, but
to stop these nuisance, we
need a strict vigil on roads,”
said an official. However, the
plan was delayed due to no response from the agencies in
the beginning. “Finally, we
could find one agency for
each ward and the marshals
will be back on roads after administrative approval,” the
official added.
They will have power to
collect fines for spitting, littering, dumping waste and
debris on road, and for open
defecation.
Couple booked for abetting
suicide of wife’s lover
ma and they were living like
husband and wife,” said the
The Bhandup police has complainant. She then conspread a dragnet for a couple, tacted Sachin to inquire about
accused of abetting the his wife, but he said that he is
suicide of their friend. Initial- no longer living with Reshma
ly, an accidental death report and has moved out of the
was registered in the case, but Bhandup residence. On Septhe duo was booked after the tember 17, Koli returned to Alcops discovered a suicide note ibaug and said that he is going
and even the wife of the de- forever, said Pratiksha, adding
ceased approached them on that he packed all his stuff and
Tuesday. The accused were left.
identified
as
On SeptemSachin Solanki
ber 20, Reshma
Suicide note
and Reshma.
sent a photo of
In her police mentions that couple her along with
statement, the
Koli
to
forced deceased to Pratiskha's
30-year-old complainant, Pratikbring more money WhatsApp. “I
sha, said that
tried to call my
her husband Dattaguru Koli, husband, but his phone was
35, was a fisherman and they switched off from September
lived in Alibaug, Raigad dis- 21 to 25. Then I received a call
trict. She said that they came from the police and they inin Sachin's contact in 2021 formed me that my husband
when one of their community died by hanging himself at
member was admitted to the Reshma's residence on SepJJ Hospital where he worked tember 25,” Pratiksha said.
in the postmortem depart- She later found that her husment. Sachin then introduced band had borrowed huge debt
them to Reshma. Subsequent- from their acquaintances and
ly, Koli and the woman ac- relatives.
cused initially started talking
The suicide note read that
on phone, but later he made the couple forced Koli to
rounds to Mumbai to meet bring more money, said the
her, said Pratiksha.
police. “According to the wife,
“He would disappear for a the deceased didn't give her
week or fortnight every the borrowed money. We are
month. When I asked him, he questioning some people to
told me that he is living with check the sequence of events.
the couple at their residence The couple was not present at
in Bhandup. Later, my hus- their residences, so we have
band (Koli) told me that he declared them wanted,” said
was madly in love with Resh- a police official.
AISHWARYA IYER / MUMBAI
DGIPR 2023-24/4278
MUMBAI
Road accidents claim 218 lives in Raigad in 9 months
Alibaug: As many as 218 people were killed in road
accidents in Raigad district in the first nine months of this
year, with the Mumbai-Goa highway seeing 60 deaths, the
traffic department said on Wednesday. Until September
30, 516 accidents took place in the coastal district, leaving
420 people seriously wounded and 191 with minor
injuries. The busy Mumbai-Goa highway saw 60 deaths in
145 accidents, which also left 157 seriously injured.
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Saviour 2 For Hanging Garden
Guardian minister for city Deepak Kesarkar says he has discussed
the reservoir reconstruction with the CM; calls for reaudit of the
project and says they will not move an inch without a fresh report
SHEFALI PARAB-PANDIT /
MUMBAI
After guardian minister (suburbs) Mangal Prabhat Lodha,
city guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar has entered the
fray over the issue of Malabar
Hill reservoir. Kesarkar has
directed the civic authorities
to reaudit the project and
check if the reservoir can do
with repairs instead of reconstruction. He also assured the
residents that the work currently being carried out will
be halted until a fresh report
is presented.
Local residents met Kesarkar on Wednesday to discuss the issue. The minister
said, “I have already discussed the matter with Chief
Minister Eknath Shinde.
There may be several gardens
in the city, but the Hanging
Garden is iconic. We will consult a few experts to know if
the reservoir work can be carried out without demolishing
the garden.”
Kesarkar said there is an
option to increase the reservoir capacity near the post office in the area. He said it was
constructed in the British era.
“At that time, construction of
overhead reservoirs was a
very costly affair, but now
many new technologies are
available. We need to check if
we have any other option other than reconstruction,” said
Kesarkar while talking to the
media after the meeting with
the residents. He said formal
directions will be issued to the
BMC to stop work and reaudit the tank. “We will also
try to find alternate sites to
augment its storage,” he said.
Lodha, who is an MLA
from the Malabar Hill constituency, has already taken
up the issue and conducted a
public hearing last month.
The BMC has undertaken the
reconstruction of the 136year-old Malabar Hill reservoir to increase its capacity
from 147.78 million litres to
191 million litres for water
supply to south Mumbai.
More than 389 trees on the
earmarked plot will be
hacked for the project. Residents have requested to scrap
the proposal and find an alternative location for the new
tank. Also, a core committee
of residents has been formed
to suggest alternate locations.
For now, the proposal has
been sent back to the water
supply department of the
BMC to verify that the trees
are to be saved.
I have
already
discussed
the matter
with Chief
Minister
Eknath
Shinde.
There may
be several gardens in the
city, but the Hanging
Garden is iconic. We will
consult a few experts to
know if the reservoir work
can be carried out without
demolishing the garden.
There is an option to
increase the reservoir
capacity near the post
office in the area. It was
constructed in the British
era. At that time,
construction of overhead
reservoirs was a very
costly affair, but now many
new technologies are
available. We need to
check if we have any other
option other than
reconstruction.
Deepak Kesarkar
Guardian Minister (City)
‘No admission without caste validity certificate’
URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI
An 18-year-old is likely to lose
a year after the Bombay High
Court refused to reinstate his
admission, which was cancelled as he failed to submit a
caste validity certificate on
time due to a delay by the
Caste Scrutiny Committee.
Deadlines are a matter of
policy and the court could
only direct authorities to relax it when necessary to protect fundamental rights or
rectify illegalities, reasoned a
division bench of Justices
Sunil Shukre and Firdosh
Pooniwalla, adding that there
was no such necessity in the
present case.
“It would be not appropriate on the part of this court to
direct the authorities to restore the admission of the petitioner on the ground that
there was no fault on his part
in submitting the certificate
on or before the last date fixed
for that purpose,” the bench
said.
The bench further said that
deadlines are sacrosanct in
nature, otherwise it would
disturb the entire admission
process.
“If there is any delay at the
beginning of the academic
year, it would necessarily adversely affect the quality of
education. These reasons
would show the sacrosanct
nature of various cut-off
dates and timelines prescribed for completion of the
admission process,” the
judges noted.
The judges noted that although the Caste Certificate
Rules (2012) prescribe a timeframe, they do not specify any
consequence if not adhered
to.
The court said, “Rules
nowhere say that if the claim
of caste certificate is not decided within the prescribed
time of 45 days, it shall be
deemed to be issued.”
The HC was hearing a petition by Bhushan Chaudhari
who had been admitted to Sir
JJ School of Arts on a reserved seat with the condition
that he must produce a Caste
Validity Certificate on or before August 14. As he failed to
produce the certificate within
the specified time frame, his
admission was cancelled.
His advocate Shrirang Katneshwarkar argued that
there was no delay on Chaudhari’s part. He had applied for
the same in November 2022.
He was issued a certificate on
August 16, two days after the
deadline for submission.
Emphasising the sanctity
of the deadlines, the court
said the admission process
must proceed smoothly and
should not be hindered by delays in document submissions. The admission process
involves multiple stages, each
of which must be completed
within the prescribed time
limit to ensure the orderly
functioning of the academic
year.
Deadlines “have their own
sanctity and the rationale is
that the admission process
must go on smoothly and
must not be hindered and
halted…
otherwise, the
schedule of whole academic
year of students will go haywire in the sense that there
would be no finality attached
to
the
admission
of
students”, the judges underlined.
“In the result, we find that
there is no merit in the petition,” the judges said while
dismissing the petition.
L&T Infra Credit Limited
(formerly known as L&T Infra Debt Fund Limited)
(A Subsidiary of L&T Finance Holdings Limited)
Registered Office: Plot No. 177, CTS No. 6970-6971, Vidhyanagari Marg
CST Road, Kalina, Santacruz (East), Mumbai 400 098
CIN: L67100MH2013PLC241104, T +91 22 6212 5500, F +91 22 6212 5553
E-mail ID: investorgrievances@ltfs.com Website: www.ltfs.com
STATEMENT OF UNAUDITED FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
(` in crore)
Sr.
No.
Particulars
Quarter ended
Year ended
September 30, September 30,
2023
2022
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
March 31,
2023
(Audited)
1
Total income from operations
116.39
177.08
2
Net profit/(loss) for the period/year (before tax, exceptional and/or extraordinary items)
13.63
14.21
55.67
3
Net profit/(loss) for the period/year before tax (after exceptional and/or extraordinary items)
13.63
14.21
(181.33)
4
Net profit/(loss) for the period/year after tax (after exceptional and/or extraordinary items)
10.20
7.37
(147.02)
5
Total comprehensive income for the period/year [comprising profit for the period/year (after
10.06
7.90
(148.94)
685.47
tax) and other comprehensive income (after tax)]
6
Paid up equity share capital
571.63
490.18
571.63
7
Reserves (excluding revaluation reserve and capital redemption reserve)
833.35
770.04
770.86
8
Securities Premium Account
272.29
133.83
272.29
9
Net worth
1,404.29
1,259.53
1,342.19
4,400.11
7,382.33
5,347.02
-
244.53
-
3.13
5.86
3.98
(i) Basic EPS (`) (*not annualised)
*0.18
*0.15
(2.89)
(ii) Diluted EPS (`) (*not annualised)
*0.18
*0.15
(2.89)
14
Capital redemption reserve
68.85
68.85
68.85
15
Debenture redemption reserve
-
-
-
16
Debt service coverage ratio
NA
NA
NA
17
Interest service coverage ratio
NA
NA
NA
10
Paid up debt capital/outstanding debt
11
Outstanding redeemable preference shares
12
Debt equity ratio
13
Earnings per equity share ( of ` 10/- each) (for continuing and discontinued operations)
Notes:
1 These financial results have been reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on
October 18, 2023. The Statutory Auditor of the Company have carried out a Limited Review of the aforesaid results.
2 The above is an extract of the detailed format of quarterly financial results filed with the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE
Limited (“Stock Exchanges”) under Regulation 52 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The full
format of the quarterly financial results are available on the website of the Stock Exchanges i.e. www.nseindia.com and www.bseindia.com
and on the website of the Company i.e. https://www.ltfs.com/infra-credit.
3 For the other items referred in regulation 52 (4) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, the pertinent
disclosures have been made to the Stock Exchanges and can be accessed on the website of the Stock Exchanges i.e. www.nseindia.com and
www.bseindia.com and on the website of the Company i.e. https://www.ltfs.com/infra-credit.
4 These financial results have been prepared in accordance with the requirement of Regulation 52 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and
Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, as amended.
5 Previous period/year figures have been regrouped/reclassified to make them comparable with those of current period.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors of
L&T Infra Credit Limited
(formerly known as L&T Infra Debt Fund Limited)
Sd/Place: Mumbai
Date: October 18, 2023
Rupa Rege Nitsure
Whole-time Director
(DIN: 07503719)
De novo status for JJ School of Art
MUSAB QAZI / MUMBAI
Sir JJ School of Art, along
with two of its adjoining institutes, may finally get the
de novo deemed university
status. The decision is likely
to be announced today (October 19) by Union education
minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who will visit the 166year-old institute to unveil
the foundation stone. The education ministry, though, is
yet to release the notification.
The de novo category is
awarded to institutions devoted to innovations in
Freeway-Grant
Rd link tender
cancelled
SHEFALI PARAB-PANDIT
MUMBAI
The BMC’s plans to construct
a 5.6km elevated road connecting Eastern Freeway
with Grant Road has hit a
roadblock. Due to technical
issues, the civic body will
have to first take an NOC
from the Central Railway
(CR) and the Mumbai Port
Trust (MPT). As a result, the
tendering process has been
cancelled and will be re-tendered later.
Motorists headed towards
eastern suburbs from south
Mumbai areas such as Grant
Road, Nana Chowk, Nepean
Sea Road, Pedder Road and
Tardeo usually take 30-50
minutes during peak hours.
The new flyover will cut travel time to six minutes. The
BMC invited a tender for the
project in February. After extending it for seven months,
the BMC received a response
from five bidders.
An official said alignment
issues were raised by the CR
and
MPT.
“Moreover,
prospective bidders raised
several queries regarding the
flyover design, estimated
cost, tender conditions in the
pre-bid meeting,” he said.
There was no response from
additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu despite
repeated attempts.
teaching and research in
unique and emerging areas
of knowledge. With the Centre’s approval in place, Sir JJ
School of Art, Architecture
and Design will become the
state’s only government-run
decked up in anticipation.
Pradhan will visit the three
colleges and speak at the
event, which will also have
Chief
Minister Eknath
Shinde, two deputy CMs,
school and higher education
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra
Pradhan likely to announce the status today
deemed-to-be university and
one among the handful with
the de novo tag across the
country.
Lying scruffy for a long
time, the institutes’ heritage
campus in Fort is being
ministers and the legislative
assembly speaker in attendance.
The process to merge the
country’s oldest art college
with the adjoining Sir JJ College of Architecture and Sir
JJ Institute of Applied Art
into a university has been in
the works for the last several
years. A proposal to do so
was submitted by the state to
the University Grants Commission (UGC) in March
2020, following which the
apex higher education body
issued a letter of intent in
October 2021, asking the state
to fulfil around nine conditions for the de-novo status.
In June, Maharashtra cabinet gave its approval for
moving ahead with the plan
and also pledged an annual
grant of Rs50 crore to the
proposed university.
Next year: One State One Uniform
Instead of paying `600 for two school uniforms to each student,
Maharashtra to standardise fabric vendor and style attire across
state-run schools; women’s self-help groups to sew dresses
MUSAB QAZI / MUMBAI
The Maharashtra government will implement its plan
of a common uniform for all
primary grade students
across state-run schools from
2024-25 academic year. The
plan was to be implemented
from the current academic
year but didn’t take off.
Under this plan, the government will centrally procure uniforms for around 50
lakh students of Classes 1-8.
Each student will get two uniforms comprising a sky-blue
shirt and dark blue shorts or
trousers for boys and a topskirt or a salwar-kameez of
similar colour pattern for
girls. One of the uniforms,
which is to be worn for Scout
and Guide hours, will also
have shoulder stripes and
double pockets.
The ‘one state, one uniform’ initiative will replace
the current practice of providing Rs600 each year for
every student to school management committees (SMCs)
of respective schools, which
get them stitched locally.
While the state had come
up with the idea in May this
year, it was unable to implement it in the current academic year due to opposition
from private vendors, who
Centrally procured
uniforms for 50 lakh
students
Scout and Guide uniform
with shoulder stripes,
double pockets
Classes 1-8 across
state-run schools
Idea mooted in May 2023;
too late for current year
Sky-blue shirt and
dark blue shorts
Women’s self
or trousers;
help groups to
top-skirt or
sew uniforms
salwar-kameez
had already begun manufacturing the uniforms. However, the government asked the
schools to standardise the design and colour of one of the
two uniforms.
“We think that school uniforms should be from a standard company and that students get them on the first
school day itself,” said Ranjit
Singh Deol, principal secretary with the school education department.
The state will procure the
entire fabric from a single
vendor through competitive
bidding and plans to employ
women’s self help groups
from across the state to sew
the dresses. The move has
been criticised by educationists who believe that it will
lead to corruption and take
away the autonomy of
Procurement of
entire fabric from
a single vendor
through competitive
bidding
schools and students in deciding their own uniforms.
“At a time when students are
being given a choice to decide
their own curriculum, it’s
preposterous to not give them
a choice on what to wear. The
government should have better priorities,” said an education expert.
In December 2016, the state
had briefly switched to the
Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT) mechanism, where
the money for uniforms was
deposited directly into the
students’ bank accounts.
However, the decision was
withdrawn in 2018, after the
government realised that applying various charges on
beneficiaries’
accounts,
which is making it difficult
for them to access the
money.
PUNE
IAF’s industry outreach programme launched
T
he Indian Air Force (IAF) launched its Industry Outreach Programme,
promoting collaboration between the defence sector and private
industry. The inaugural event at the Air Force Station Pune on Tuesday
brought together key stakeholders from aerospace, defence, technology,
and academia.
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Maharashtra is on top
in foreign investments
once again: Fadnavis
ICC WORLD CUP 2023
India’s winning momentum
faces Bangladesh challenge
STAFF REPORTER / PUNE
After securing comprehensive victories against Australia, Afghanistan, and
Pakistan, Rohit Sharma's
Team India has arrived in
Pune to face Bangladesh in
the league stage match of
the ongoing ICC World Cup.
The match, set to be played
at the Maharashtra Cricket
Association (MCA) Stadium
in Gahunje today, promises
to be a treat for cricket fanatics. Judging by the current
form of the teams, India is
undoubtedly the favourite.
However, Bangladesh has
beaten India three times in
the last four ODIs - twice in a
bilateral series in December
2022 and then in the Asia
Cup Super Four match recently. Additionally, in this
tournament, the underdogs
have already demonstrated
how to defeat the giants. If
in doubt, inquire with England and South Africa about
their sentiments after their
shocking
losses
to
Afghanistan and the Netherlands, respectively. India
would certainly want to
avoid that slip-up and maintain their strong run in this
World Cup.
'COMMITTED TO
IMPROVING THE
FAN EXPERIENCE'
'CLEAR SKIES
FORECASTED'
Cricket enthusiasts are in for a
treat as clear skies have been
forecasted for the match day.
Dr Vineet Kumar Singh, a
research scientist at Jeju
National University in South
Korea, assured that sunny
skies are expected on the day,
with no chances of rain. "As
per the latest forecast, on the
day of the match, the
maximum temperature will
range from 31 to
33 degrees
Celsius, and
no rain is
expected.
Humidity levels are
predicted to be low,
with mild winds," the
weather expert stated.
On the batting front, captain Rohit will aim to continue his dominant form, while
top-order batters Shubman
Gill and Virat Kohli will be
eager to post substantial
scores.
Among
others,
Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten fifty
against Pakistan has indicated that India's batting is firing in unison with no real
concerns. Indian bowlers
have also performed collectively, with Jasprit Bumrah's
brilliance and Kuldeep Yadav's guile setting them apart
from the rest in the competition. They have the ability to
keep the opposition team's
scoring rate in check and
consistently make inroads
even on the flattest of pitches.
Meanwhile, even after
three back-to-back victories, the Indian team has
not let their intensity wane.
During a training session at
the MCA Stadium, the team
practiced diligently. Sharma,
Gill, and Kohli were the first
to hit the nets, and the team's
fast bowling attack was in
full operation, including all-
RECENT ODI MATCHES IN PUNE
n India (317-5) vs England (251-10) - India won by 66 runs
(March 23, 2021)
n India (336-6) vs England (337-4) - England won by 6 wickets
(March 26, 2021)
n India (329-10) vs England (322-9) - India won by 7 runs
(March 28, 2021)
PMPML TO RUN SPECIAL BUSES TO MCA STADIUM
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has taken the initiative to run special buses
from three different city locations to the MCA Stadium for the World Cup matches. With five matches
scheduled to be played in Pune, these buses will depart from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Katraj, and
Nigdi Chowk on all five days. The fare for each passenger travelling from PMC and Katraj Bypass stops will be
₹100, while passengers boarding from Nigdi Chowk to the MCA Stadium will be charged ₹50 per person.
For the days of October 19, October 30, November 1, and November 8, three buses are scheduled from PMC
to the stadium. They will depart from PMC at 11am, 11:35am, and 12:05pm. Similarly, two buses are
arranged from Katraj Bypass, leaving at 11am and 11:30am. Additionally, two buses are organised from
Nigdi Chowk, departing for the stadium at 12pm and 12:30pm respectively.
For the 10:30am match on November 11, three buses are scheduled at 8:25am, 8:50am, and 9:05am to
leave from PMC, while two buses are planned to depart from Katraj Bypass at 8:15am and 8:35am. Two
buses are also arranged to leave from Nigdi Chowk at 8:30am and 9am.
rounder Hardik Pandya.
Among the top-order batters,
Kohli spent the most time in
the nets, while Pandya unleashed powerful shots, including some spectacular
hits that sailed into the
stands over the cover region.
R Ashwin bowled to Ravindra Jadeja when the next set
of batters took their turn in
the nets. In the adjacent nets,
Ishan Kishan, who played in
the first two games against
Australia and Afghanistan,
faced Mohammed Siraj and
Kuldeep Yadav in tandem.
Wicketkeeper-batter
KL
Rahul participated in fielding drills before padding up
to bat. The skipper was even
seen rolling his arm over for
some time.
For this World Cup, the MCA
has committed to improving
the fan experience. During a
press conference held recently,
MCA President Rohit Pawar
highlighted the extensive
upgrades made to the venue.
Pawar stated, "The stadium
has a seating capacity of
approximately 37,400,
designed to offer an
uninterrupted view of the
match to every fan. We have
recently conducted a thorough
cleaning of the entire
stadium." He also mentioned,
"We have completed the
stadium's waterproofing work,
and the painting work is
nearing completion. Sanitation
and related infrastructure
have also been upgraded."
In addition to these
enhancements, Pawar
announced that free
drinking water will be
provided to all fans.
Furthermore, the MCA has
secured a 42-acre land lease
within a 1.5 km radius of the
stadium to offer parking
facilities. "These facilities can
accommodate 7,500 fourwheelers and 15,000 twowheelers. Traffic approaching
the stadium from Pune,
Pimpri-Chinchwad, and
Mumbai will be directed
accordingly, with the
assistance of colourcoordinated coding, air
balloons, and Google Maps,"
he explained.
‘WICKET WILL FAVOUR BOTH BOWLERS AND BATSMEN’
When it comes to the pitch, India cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad said that it would favour both bowlers and
batsmen. "I believe the wicket at the MCA Stadium will favour both bowlers and batsmen. The pitch typically
offers support to fast bowlers, with substantial pace and bounce. Consequently, I'm eagerly looking forward
to witnessing thrilling and highly competitive matches."
Local players echoed similar sentiments. Kartik Pillay, who has been part of selection matches for the Ranji
Trophy and a bowling camp for the IPL, commented, "The matches here would be high-scoring because the
MCA stadium is known for its flat pitches, and the boundaries are not significantly large."
Kshitiz Kabir, another player who has participated in selection matches for the Ranji Trophy, concurred with
Kartik's assessment. "While there might be some assistance for spinners due to the presence of dry grass and
spongy bounce, the track is tailor-made for batsmen, and all the matches are likely to witness high scores. If
India bats first against Bangladesh, the Men in Blue are expected to score 350+," he added.
PMPML commences training for Sharad Pawar to flag off ‘Yuva Sangharsh Yatra’
drivers in electric bus operations
STAFF REPORTER / PUNE
STAFF REPORTER / PUNE
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan
Mahamandal
Ltd
(PMPML) has initiated a new
programme to provide training for its bus drivers to operate electric buses seamlessly.
The move was prompted by
a strike involving contractual
drivers under a private bus
contractor in August 2023. To
safeguard PMPML's bus services against such disruptions
in the future and to ensure
passengers continue to receive uninterrupted service,
Chairman and Managing Director Sachindra Pratap
Singh (IAS) has taken a significant step by implementing
training for drivers to operate
electric buses, announced
PMPML through its official X
(formerly Twitter) handle.
The statement further provided details about PMPML's
fleet, which consists of a total
of 2,089 buses. Among these,
991 buses are owned directly
by PMPML, while the remaining 1,098 buses are
under the ownership of contractors. This contractor-provided category includes 640
CNG buses and 458 electric
buses. As part of the training
initiative, which commenced
on August 26, a total of 484
drivers from PMPML received training for operating
electric buses. This group includes 272 permanent drivers
and 212 daily contractual
drivers, as mentioned by
PMPML.
NDA cadet dies following
head injury in boxing match
STAFF REPORTER: A cadet of
the 145th course of the
National Defence Academy
(NDA), who had sustained a
head injury during a boxing
match on Monday, succumbed
to his injuries in the early
hours of Wednesday.
The cadet was identified as Pratham Mahale.
NDA officials said he
held the position of a
Squadron Cadet Captain
and was a part of the course
that is set to pass out of the
academy by the end of November this year.
A press statement from the
NDA said, "The National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla,
mourns the loss of Squadron
Cadet Captain Pratham Mahale. The cadet was a native of
Maharashtra and had joined
the academy on 18 April 2021 as
a part of the 145th course. On 16
October 2023, while taking part in the Inter
Squadron Boxing Competition, the cadet sustained a head injury."
The statement added,
"The cadet underwent
surgery for internal bleeding
in the head at Command Hospital, Pune. However, despite the
best efforts, the cadet could not
be revived. The cadet succumbed to the injury at 5am on
October 18.”
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar will flag off his grandnephew Rohit Pawar's 'Yuva Sangharsh
Yatra'. The foot march is scheduled to
commence in Pune on October 24 and
conclude in Nagpur during the winter
session. It will traverse 28 talukas and 420
villages across ten districts, covering a
wide geographical area, including Pune,
Nagar, Beed, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli,
Washim, Amravati, Yavatmal, and Nagpur.
The Karjat Jamkhed MLA shared a
video on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote,
"Respected Pawar saheb is coming to
give the green flag to the 'Yuva
Sangharsh Yatra'... You should also join...
(sic)."
During this yatra, a wide range of topics will be addressed, including government exam paper leaks, corruption, pending teacher vacancies, the establishment
of a youth commission, special programmes to support young farmers, interest waivers on education loans for unemployed youth, district-wise hostels for
working women, empowerment initiatives for organisations like Sarathi, BARTI, and Mahajyoti institutions, reskilling
efforts, plans for a separate policy to attract IT companies to tier-two cities, the
establishment of industrial units at the
taluka level, student hostels in every district, and opportunities for youth in
sports, among other significant issues.
Additionally, the yatra will call for the
state government to revoke the government resolution (GR) on contractual recruitment in its departments, refund
₹1,000 collected from aspirants during talathi recruitment, and annul the GR concerning the adoption of government
schools, among other pivotal concerns.
Recently, Rohit Pawar launched the
website for his yatra and asked
interested participants to register.
GUNWANTI PARASTE / PUNE
At an event in Pune on
Wednesday, Deputy Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis
highlighted the economic
achievements
of
Maharashtra and the growing
significance of digital transactions in the banking sector. He
said, "Once again, Maharashtra has taken the lead in the
country in terms of foreign investments, and the role of financial institutions is crucial
in this context. With the surge
in digital transactions, the
banking landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. Banks must swiftly
adopt modern systems to tap
into the digital market."
Fadnavis praised India's
economic progress and acknowledged the efforts of
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in driving this growth.
He also emphasised the essential role of cooperative banks
in building trust among the
general public.
Furthermore, Fadnavis discussed
the
changing
dynamics of international investments, particularly concerning China. He stated, "In
the backdrop of disruptions in
the global supply chain during
the COVID-19 pandemic, China's dependability has been
questioned, prompting numerous nations to reevaluate
their investments in the country. Large corporations are
now being cautious about investing in China, while India's
potential is gaining consider-
India's democratic values,
robust justice system, efficient
digital transactions, and
industry-friendly policies are
making India a preferred
destination for international
investments.
– Devendra Fadnavis
able faith. Several significant
industries are in the process
of setting up operations in India." Fadnavis highlighted India's appeal as a preferred destination for diversifying supply chains, pointing out that
India offers an abundance of
manpower, electricity, and
land for investment. He also
commended India's democratic values, robust justice system, efficient digital transactions, and industry-friendly
policies.
In a separate interaction
with the media at the airport,
Fadnavis spoke about the Lalit
Patil drug case, anticipating
that the arrest would reveal a
significant drug network. He
stated, "There will soon be a
major revelation regarding
Lalit Patil and his drug network in the state. Those who
are currently making casual
remarks about the state's affairs will be silenced." Lalit
Patil, a key figure in a drug
seizure
case
involving
mephedrone worth nearly
₹300 crore, was arrested by
Mumbai's Sakinaka police
team near Bengaluru on Tuesday night.
PSI Zende, who won ₹1.5 cr
on Dream11, suspended
after preliminary inquiry
GUNWANTI PARASTE / PUNE
Pimpri-Chinchwad
Police
Sub-Inspector
Somnath
Zende, who recently won ₹1.5
crore on the popular fantasy
gaming app Dream11, was
suspended from his duty on
Wednesday following a preliminary inquiry.
Assistant Commissioner
of Police Satish Mane had
earlier confirmed the initiation of
a preliminary
inquiry into PSI Zende's sudden windfall. The inquiry
quickly gained momentum
as a significant number of
people questioned the legality of a police officer participating
in
gambling
activities. Deputy Commissioner Swapna Gore was
leading the inquiry.
Mane had stated, "We have
asked the concerned deputy
commissioner of police to
conduct an inquiry into the
matter and submit a report.
The scope of the inquiry will
be to check whether the conduct of a serving government
official is in accordance with
the rules while playing the
lottery."
After winning the amount,
Zende spoke to the media and
shared that his journey with
Dream11 began just 2-3
months ago when he decided
to try his luck. During the ongoing ICC World Cup, he
crafted his Dream11 team for
the England vs Bangladesh
match, and his thoughtful
player selections paid off
handsomely, earning him a
reward of ₹1.5 crore.
However, Zende was quick
to offer a word of caution, emphasising the associated
risks with such games. He advised potential players to exercise great care and prudence when investing their
money in such ventures.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what happens
now and how it will affect
Zende's career.
LAST WORD
Golden Glory: Yerawada prison chess team shines in global championship
STAFF REPORTER / PUNE
A nine-member team of inmates from Pune's Yerawada Central Prison clinched
the gold medal for India in
the third Intercontinental
Online Chess Championship for Prisoners by defeating the El Salvador
team in the men's finals.
The championship witnessed participation from
118 teams representing 50
countries.
The Yerawada Central
Prison chess team, comprising inmates Shankar
Subrav Pawar, Manoj Tulsi
Paswan, Satish Bansi Lagad, Dada Mahadev Naiknaware, Vijaypal Vikki
Singh, Satish Ashok Pawar,
Akshay Rajesh Naik, Lahu
Subrav Pawar, and Ashish
Vilas Pundalik, honed their
skills during their incarcer-
ation and demonstrated remarkable chess prowess
throughout the championship.
Initially, the state prison
department
shortlisted
over 20 inmates who
showed interest and willingness to learn online
chess. In August, the inmates' training was initiated. Nine inmates were finalised after getting the
contenders to play rounds
against each other.
This nine-member team
secured the top position in
the All-India Inter-Central
Jail Chess Tournament
and qualified for the Intercontinental Online Chess
Championship for Prisoners.
This chess event, hosted
by the International Chess
Federation (FIDE), in collaboration
with
the
Chicago Cook County Sheriff's Office, is a component
of the 'Chess for Freedom'
programme. It is a continuation of the international
championship that was ini-
tially held in 2019, followed
by the Intercontinental Online Chess Championship
for Prisoners in 2021 and
2022.
FIDE President Arkady
Dvorkovich expressed his
congratulations to the winners
and
emphasised,
"This event has been filled
with remarkable stories,
incredible talent, and a
shared commitment to the
transformative
power
of chess and the resourcefulness of the human spirit.
Most importantly, over
the past three days, we have
all taken part in something
new and meaningful that offers a chance for change
and improvement. You are
now part of the global chess
family, and wherever your
life may take you, remember FIDE's motto in Latin,
which reads 'Gens Una
Sumus,' meaning 'We are
one family'."
MARKET WATCH
SENSEX
NIFTY
USD/INR
GOLD
SILVER
65,877.02
19,671.10
83.27
60,650.00
74,700.00
▼
551.07
▼
140.40
▼
0.02
▲
500.00
▲ 1,000.00
BIZ BULLETIN
China's economy
grows 4.9% in Q3
China's economy slowed in the third
quarter, amid muted global demand,
deflationary pressures and an ailing
property sector. The world's secondlargest economy grew 4.9 per cent yearover-year in the July-September quarter,
beating the 4.5 per cent forecast by
analysts but slowing from the 6.3 per
cent growth in the previous quarter,
according to official data released on
Wednesday.
GPT Infraprojects bags
`739-cr order from NHAI
Kolkata-based infrastructure firm GPT
Infraprojects Ltd (GPT) on Wednesday
said it has bagged a contract worth Rs
739 crore from National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI). "The company
has bagged...order... valued at Rs 739
crore," GPT Infraprojects said in a stock
exchange filing. The project entails
construction of four-lane Prayagraj
Southern bypass on NH-19 in Uttar
Pradesh.
ICICI Pru MF cuts stake
in Gujarat Pipavav by 2%
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund sold
451,671 equity shares of Gujarat
Pipavav Port Ltd on Tuesday, bringing
down its stake to 5.61%, according to a
press release by ICICI Prudential Asset
Management Co. The mutual fund
company further said that since Jan 5,
2023, it has sold 9.78 mln equity shares
of the company, which includes the
shares sold on Tuesday, amounting to
2.03% stake. Before these transactions,
the mutual fund held 7.64% stake in
Gujarat Pipavav Port.
Infosys, Google Cloud to
build generative AI Labs
Infosys on Wednesday expanded its
alliance with Google Cloud to help
enterprises build artificial intelligencepowered experiences using generative AI
Labs, the company said in an exchange
filing. In order to develop industryspecific AI platforms and solutions,
Infosys will establish new global
Generative AI Labs as part of the
expansion. These labs will assist
businesses in integrating generative AI
into their business processes.
HPCL to rent out space in
retail outlets for Petromin
Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd will rent
out space in its retail outlets in India for
Petromin Express stations of Saudi
Arabia's Petromin Corp, the company
said in an exchange filing on Tuesday.
Petromin Corp, whose parent company is
Al Dabbagh Group Holding Co Ltd, deals
in automotive services, vehicle
distribution, fuel retailing, lube
manufacturing and distribution, and
advance mobility solutions.
Indiabulls Hsg Fin's `2 bn
NCD issue to open on Fri
Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd plans to
raise up to 2 bln rupees through a public
issue of secured non-convertible
debentures, the company informed
exchanges on Wednesday. The issue will
open for subscription on Friday and is
scheduled to close on Nov 3. The issue
has a base size of 1 bln rupees and a
greenshoe option of 1 bln rupees.
Kotak MF to float Kotak
India Consumption Fund
Kotak Mutual Fund is likely to launch
Kotak India Consumption Fund on Oct
25, and subscription is likely to close on
Nov 8, a source in the know told
Informist. The fund house had sought
approval of the Securities and Exchange
Board of India in April to launch the
fund. According to the draft scheme
information document filed with SEBI,
the scheme will allocate at least 80% of
its assets in equity and equity-related
securities of companies engaged in
consumption and consumption-related
activities.
Airtel extends 5G network
to 33 districts in T’gana
Bharti Airtel Ltd on Wednesday
announced that it has extended its fifthgeneration mobile network coverage to
all the 33 districts in Telangana, catering
to 3 mln unique customers, the company
said in an exchange filing. The 5G
services have been made available to all
districts in the state within 12 months
from its launch.
Belora Cosmetics to shut
shop amid funding crunch
Gurugram-based D2C makeup brand
Belora Cosmetics, which dreamt to
become a Rs 500 crore brand in the next
couple of years, is reportedly shutting
down its operations amid severe funding
crunch and not being able to raise fresh
funds. Founded in 2019 by Ainara and
Akaljyot Kaur, the company raised funds
from Peak XV Partners' Surge, DSG
Ventures and a few angel investors.
Future Generali unveils
its annual report
In line with its continued thrust on
‘Innovation’, Future Generali India
Insurance Company (FGII) launched its
Annual Report for FY 2022-23 in a neverseen-before avatar. This innovative report
is one of India’s most comprehensive
cricketing memoir-cum-annual report. The
intriguing annual report consists of a
specially curated collector’s item penned
by the eminent sports journalist, Ayaz
Memon.
—Agencies
MONEY
Gujarat govt signs MoU with IN-SPACe to set up space mfg cluster
The Gujarat government on Wednesday signed an
agreement with the Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to set up a space
manufacturing cluster at Sanand in Ahmedabad district. IN-
SPACe is an autonomous agency of the Department of
Space that works to promote various space activities of nongovernmental entities including building launch vehicles
and satellites and providing space-based services, etc.
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Sensex sinks 551 pts to slip below 66K
on spike in oil prices, weak global trend
Sluggish trend in global equity mkts following lingering geopolitical worries also sapped the risk appetite of investors
PTI / Mumbai
Equity benchmark index Sensex tumbled 551 points to
close below the 66,000 level on Wednesday due to profittaking in banking, financial and energy stocks amid a
sharp jump in global crude oil prices.
A sluggish trend in global equity markets following
lingering geopolitical worries also sapped the risk appetite of investors, traders said.
After a day's breather, the 30-share BSE Sensex
plunged 551.07 points or 0.83 per cent to settle at 65,877.02.
During the day, it fell 585.99 points or 0.88 per cent to
65,842.10. The Nifty declined 140.40 points or 0.71 per cent
to 19,671.10.
"Profit booking ensued in Indian markets, spurred by
weak global sentiments and escalating Middle East tensions. A sudden rise in the tension has led to instability
in energy prices; Brent prices rapidly rose above USD
92.5 by the day's closing time.
"The initial Q2 earnings disappointments by the IT
and financials sector may have prompted attention in the
domestic markets. All these factors are presumed to be a
knee-jerk reaction as the total outlook on the domestic
market is stable, underpinned by healthy Q2 result forecast and favourable fiscal position," Vinod Nair, Head of
Research at Geojit Financial Services, said.
"Fresh weakness in banking and financial majors
combined with a downtick in other heavyweights like Reliance is pointing towards further slide," said Ajit
Mishra, SVP - Technical Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
"The market is showing early signs of fatigue within
the mid and small-cap space and there is a clear investor
shift to large caps and safe havens. While the geopolitical
events have not yet cracked the Indian market, it has definitely slowed the momentum.
"The Indian markets hence appear relatively better
placed compared to its regional peers. US markets have
caught a bit of a tailwind with the Fed speakers highlighting that there is a lower need to raise rates going forward," Jaykrishna Gandhi, Head - Business Development, Institutional Equities, Emkay Global Financial
Services, said. The BSE midcap gauge declined 0.85 per
cent and smallcap index dipped 0.32 per cent.
CONCERNS OVER LAPTOP IMPORT CURBS
ONGC, OIL to gain as govt
cuts windfall tax on crude oil ‘India to ensure trusted supply
IANS / New Delhi
The central government has reduced the windfall tax on domestic crude oil with effect from October 18 from Rs 12,200 a tonne to
Rs 9,050 in its fortnightly review
which will benefit upstream oil
companies, including ONGC and
Oil India Ltd (OIL).
The windfall tax on petroleum
crude was raised to Rs 12,100 a
ton from Rs 10,000 with effect
from September 30 as oil prices at
the time had soared to $95 a barrel. Oil prices came down but
have started heading north again
in the wake of the Israel-Hamas
conflict.
The windfall tax on aviation
BoB suspends officials
linked to 'bob World'
manipulation case
The windfall tax on ATF
has also been cut from
Rs 3.50 a litre to Re 1
turbine fuel has also been cut
from Rs 3.50 a litre to Re 1 and that
on diesel from Rs 4 a litre to Rs 3
which is expected to benefit the
downstream oil refiners that export petroleum products.
The government first imposed
the windfall tax on crude oil producers in July last year and extended the levy on exports of
gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel
after private refiners started
making gains from robust refining margins in overseas markets,
instead of selling at home.
chain for its digital ecosystem’
PTI / New Delhi
India is determined to ensure a
trusted supply chain for its
digital ecosystem and will not
compromise on the security of
the internet, an IT Ministry official said on Wednesday, after the
US, China and Korea raised concerns over the decision to impose
import curbs on laptops and
computers at a recent WTO
meeting.
These concerns were flagged
in the meeting of the WTO Committee on Market Access. It was
chaired by Renata Crisaldo of
Paraguay on October 16 in Gene-
va. The senior IT Ministry official on Wednesday affirmed that
India is determined, indeed justified, in ensuring that the digital
backbone and ecosystem are
trusted and without any compromise.
"...We are very clear and determined that we want an
absolutely trusted supply chain
for the Indian digital ecosystem,
and especially, when we are just
going to take off, and the entire
internet is going to be built on
servers, clouds and data centres,"
the official said in response to a
question on the US and Korea
raising concerns over India's decision to impose import restrictions on laptops and computers.
Ensuring security and trust
are not in contravention to trade
agreements or commitments, the
official said, adding that India
wants to build a trusted digital
backbone and ecosystem, and on
that, there is "zero compromise".
HUDCO OFS
subscribed
2.1 times
Govt to exercise
greenshoe option
INFORMIST / Mumbai
The government intends to exercise
the greenshoe option to sell up to
7.0% stake in Housing and Urban
Development Corp Ltd through an
offer for sale, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management said today. The development
came after non-retail investors subscribed 2.1 times the base size of
70.06 mln shares, representing 3.5%
of the government's stake in HUDCO's offer for sale on Wednesday.
The OFS came with an additional
sale of 70.06 mln shares equalling to
3.5% stake, in the case of over subscription. Retail investors will place
on Thursday their bids for HUDCO,
a
housing
finance
and
infrastructure development company under the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs.
HUDCO is the fifth company in
which the government has decided
to sell its stake through offer for sale
route in the current financial year
that started April. So far this year,
the government has sold stakes
through OFS in Coal India Ltd, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Rail Vikas
Nigam Ltd, and SJVN Ltd.
The government has set the divestment receipt target at 510 bln rupees for this year. On Wednesday,
shares of HUDCO closed 10.78% lower at 80.25 rupees on the NSE.
DELOITTE REPORT
IBM, MeitY partner to boost innovation India to grow
at 6.5-6.8% in FY24
in AI, semiconductor and quantum tech Festive, higher govt spending to drive growth
PTI / New Delhi
IANS / New Delhi
Days after the Reserve Bank of India
barred state-owned Bank of Baroda
from onboarding fresh customers on
its mobile application, the Mumbaibased lender has suspended some officials related to alleged manipulation of 'bob World'.
According to sources, some officials as high as assistant general
managers have been suspended in
connection with the alleged tampering of customer accounts with the
intention to inflate registrations on
the bank's mobile app, 'bob World'.
A mail sent to the bank seeking
comments on the matter did not elicit any response. On October 10, the
RBI had directed BoB to halt fresh
onboarding fresh customers on its
mobile application 'bob World'.
IT major IBM on Wednesday
signed three MoUs with three
entities engaged with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to
advance and accelerate innovation in AI, semiconductor and
quantum technology for the
country.
In a fillip to the IndiaAI initiative, the company will establish a
world-class national AI Innovation Platform (AIIP) to focus on
AI training, ecosystem development, and integrating advanced
foundation models and generative AI capabilities with access to
the IBM watsonx AI and data
platform. The firm will cooperate with the India Semiconduc-
No decision yet on India joining
trade pillar of IPEF, says official
In a fillip to the IndiaAI
initiative, IBM will establish
a world-class national AI
Innovation Platform (AIIP)
tor Mission (ISM) for establishing a research centre that catalyses the development of the semiconductor R&D ecosystem
in the country, for which IBM
would be a knowledge partner.
IBM said it also aims to collaborate with the Centre for Devel-
Tesla may get lower
duty if they promise
local production
opment of Advanced Computing
(C-DAC) to help grow the quantum workforce, develop applications and foster economic opportunities in India towards building a quantum industry.
"Semiconductors, AI, and
Quantum present tremendous
opportunities for our academic,
startups and innovation ecosystem," said Minister of State for
Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
"The broader opportunity lies
in creating a global standard talent pool in India, capable of taking advantage of the opportunities in quantum computing, AI,
and semiconductors. Congratulations to IBM, and thank you for
your partnership with the Ministry," the minister added.
Deloitte India on Wednesday said
it expects GDP growth in the current fiscal to be in the range of
6.5-6.8 per cent primarily due to
upcoming festive spending as
well as higher government expenditure before the national
elections mid-next year.
In its India economic outlook
report, released earlier this
month, Deloitte said India will
need at least 6.5 per cent growth
every fiscal to become the world's
third largest economy by 2027,
with its Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) crossing USD 5 trillion.
The country needs 8-9 per cent
economic growth to become a developed country by 2047, it added.
The Indian economy grew 7.8
Gilt market expects sword of
RBI OMO sales to fall early Nov
PTI / New Delhi
FPJ BUREAU / Mumbai
INFORMIST / New Delhi
The government has not yet taken
any decision on the issue of India
joining the trade pillar of the
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a 14-member grouping, a senior official said.
The IPEF was launched jointly
by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on
May 23 in Tokyo. The 14 IPEF
partners represent 40 per cent of
global GDP and 28 per cent of
global goods and services trade.
The framework is structured
around four pillars relating to
trade, supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy (issues like
tax and anti-corruption).
India has joined the three pillars except the trade part. The
member countries are holding negotiations to sign separate agreements on these subjects.
Talks are already concluded on
the supply chain resilience and
the process for domestic approval
in India for this agreement is underway.
The member nations are hold-
In a bid to spur domestic manufacturing, the Central Government may consider providing
companies like Tesla a reduction
in import duty on fully built units
in the initial years, a report said
on Wednesday.
According to The Economic
Times report, the government
may create a policy regime for
technologically sophisticated vehicle manufacturers, which involves local sourcing.
Citing highly placed sources, a
TOI report claimed that import
duty on green cars may be reduced from 100 per cent to as low
as 15 per cent if the carmakers
agree to start work on manufacturing their vehicles in India, and
source components locally.
"The government will also take
guarantees from the companies
towards creating an ecosystem
for suppliers, with around 20% of
parts being sourced locally in the
first two years which would go up
to 40% by the fourth year," the
source told TOI’s Pankaj Doval.
After two weeks of false flags,
traders in the government bond
market are warming up to the
idea of the Reserve Bank of India
starting its potential open market
operation sales of government
bonds in early November, dealers
said.
The timing would be a confluence
of
several
liquidity
additions to the banking system,
which has largely been languishing in deficit since mid-September. Uncertainty about the timing
and quantum has been a constant
overhang on the bond market,
since RBI Governor Shaktikanta
Das said the central bank was
mulling OMO sale auctions to
drain liquidity.
"It is all speculation at this
point, but if the RBI wants to actually do something on liquidity,
then the first week of November
looks like the ideal time to start,"
a treasury head at a state-owned
bank said. "Already, liquidity is
tightening because of the festival
season, so if there is a concern on
ing talks on clean economy, and
fair economy pillars under the
sixth negotiating round, which is
undergoing in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia from October 15 to 24.
The commerce ministry, which
is leading the talks, is holding inter-ministerial discussions on the
option to join the trade pillar.
"We are observing, taking feedback, and seeing convergences on
the issue. We have not yet taken
decision on joining the trade pillar. After the conclusion of an
IPEF round, we share all the developments with different ministries," the official said.
The objective of the IPEF is creation of a more conducive environment for enhancing trade and
investment
linkages,
development of resilient supply
chains and acceleration of sustainable development.
PTI / New Delhi
core liquidity, it would be good to
capture and match it with the redemptions that will add durable
liquidity."
Between Nov 2 and Dec 15, four
government securities worth 2.22
trln rupees are due for redemption, which is likely to push banking system liquidity into surplus.
The government's month-end
spending on salaries and
pensions will also move net
durable liquidity, in surplus of
about 2.5 trln rupees as on Sep 22,
into the banking system.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das
said the central bank would mull
OMO sales in an effort to drain
liquidity. Such operations are considered a durable withdrawal of
liquidity as banks park their cash
until the maturity of the security
that they buy from the RBI.
Cement sales volume to grow 10% in FY24 led by demand from infra, urban hsg
The cement sales volume is expected to
have a healthy 9 to 10 per cent growth in
the current fiscal, led by demand from infrastructure and urban housing sectors,
according to a report.
In the first half of this fiscal, the industry had a volume growth of around 12 per
cent in the April-September period, said a
report from rating agency Icra.
However, there would be "some moderation in growth in H2" on account of belownormal monsoons on the overall crop output, adversely impacting farm incomes
and demand for rural housing in some
markets, it added.
"Moreover, with the upcoming state elec-
tions the release of funds towards ongoing
infra projects may slow down, posing some
downside risks to cement volume off-take
in H2 FY2024," it said.
However, the operating margins for the
cement industry is expected "to improve
by 260-310 bps to 16.0-16.5 per cent in
FY2024".
The increasing focus on green power is
likely to lower the cement industry's dependence on high-cost thermal power and
grid for power requirements, thereby reducing the operating costs, it said.
"Assuming thermal power cost at Rs
6.5/unit, waste heat recovery system
(WHRS) power cost at Rs 0.75/unit and solar power cost at Rs 4.5/unit, a 25 per cent
replacement of thermal power consumption by green power could lead to cost savings of around 15-18 pc, while also
Govt bonds fall
on rise in US
yields and
crude oil prices
INFORMIST / New Delhi
ICRA REPORT
PTI / New Delhi
per cent in the June quarter,
higher than the 7.2 per cent in the
year-ago period.
"In light of the Q1 GDP growth,
we have revised our growth estimate for this year to reflect it. We
expect GDP to grow in the range
of 6.5-6.8 per cent primarily due
to festive spending in the coming
months followed by higher government spending before the upcoming national elections midnext year," Deloitte India said.
reducing the carbon footprint," it said.
Besides, the cement industry would also
continue
its
capacity
expansion,
supported by healthy demand prospects, it
said.
"The capacity addition in the cement industry is estimated at 63-70 million MT
during FY2024-FY2025, of which around
33-37 million MT will be added in FY2024,
the highest addition in the last five years.
The eastern and central regions are expected to lead the expansion," said Icra.
In the last fiscal year, the industry had
added a total capacity of 27 million metric
tonnes per annum (MTPA).
According to the data from the Cement
Manufacturers' Association (CMA), India's
installed cement capacity is 541 MT.
Government bond prices ended
lower because of the impact of a
rise in crude oil prices and US
Treasury yields, though losses
were limited as traders stepped
up purchases when the 10-year
benchmark yield rose above the
crucial 7.35% mark, dealers said.
The 10-year benchmark 7.18%,
2033 bond closed at 98.84 rupees,
or 7.35% yield, against 98.97 rupees, or 7.33% yield, on Tuesday.
US Treasury yields surged
after higher-than-expected
retail sales for September
The yield on the benchmark 10year US Treasury note rose to
4.82% at the time of the Indian
market close on Wednes
day, as against 4.76% on Tuesday.
A rise in US Treasury yields narrows the interest rate differential
between the safe-haven asset and
emerging market debt, making
the latter less appealing to foreign
investors. US Treasury yields
surged
after
higher-thanexpected retail sales for September. The data showed a 0.7% increase for the month, topping the
0.3% estimate, according to economists polled by Dow Jones. Retail sales, excluding the sales at
automobile dealerships, were at
0.6%. This was well above the estimates of 0.2%.
The robust economic data led
to uncertainty in the markets
ahead of the US Federal Open
Market Committee's policy review meeting, scheduled at the
end of this month. US Federal Reserve officials have suggested
they may hold off on further rate
hikes, but inflation data for September also suggested the US
economy may not be cooling as
fast as anticipated.
MONEY
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
BIZ BULLETIN
Polycab net profit jumps
59% to `429 crore
Polycab on Wednesday reported a 59 per
cent year-on-year jump in net income at
Rs 429 crore for the quarter ended
September 30, 2023. The company
reported a revenue of Rs 4,217 crore for
the July-September quarter, up 27 per
cent from the year-ago period, said a
release. Inder Jaisinghani, the chairman
and managing director of the company
attributed the strong set of numbers to
favourable demand environment and the
company's strong focus on execution.
UTI AMC's Q2 profit
declines 8% to `183 crore
UTI Asset Management Company on
Wednesday reported an 8 per cent
decline in profit after tax to Rs 183 crore
in the September quarter. It had posted
a profit after tax of Rs 200 crore in the
same quarter of the preceding fiscal,
according to a regulatory filing.
IIFL Finance Q2 consol
net profit rises 25%
IIFL Finance Ltd's consolidated net profit
for the September quarter rose 25% on
year to 4.74 bln rupees on the back of
higher interest and fee income.
Sequentially, the bottomline rose 11.5%.
In Jul-Sep, the company's interest income
rose 33.9% on year and 7.2% on quarter
to 23.58 bln rupees. Fee and commission
income grew 189.8% on year and 22.6%
on quarter to 1.04 bln rupees.
Astral Q2 consol PAT
rises 90% on yr to `1.31 bn
Astral Ltd's consolidated net profit for
the September quarter surged 89.9%
year-on-year to 1.31 bln rupees.
Revenue from operations for the quarter
rose 16.3% to 13.63 bln rupees.
Sequentially, the net profit rose 9.5%
and revenue was up 6.2%. The
company's other income rose to 134 mln
rupees from 109 mln rupees a year ago.
Bandhan Bank Q2 PAT
rises 245% to `721 crore
Private lender Bandhan Bank on
Wednesday reported a whopping 245
per cent jump in its net profit to Rs 721
crore in the second quarter of the 202324 fiscal as compared to Rs 209 crore in
the year-ago period. The loan portfolio
of the Kolkata-headquartered bank at
the end of the July-September quarter
stood at Rs 1.08 lakh crore, reflecting a
12.3 per cent rise over the
corresponding period last year.
Persistent Systems Q2
consol PAT rises to `2.6 bn
Persistent Systems Ltd's consolidated net
profit for the September quarter rose
15.1% sequentially to 2.63 bln rupees.
Revenue from operations for the quarter
grew 3.9% to 24.12 bln rupees. On a
year-on-year basis, the net profit rose
19.7% and revenue rose 17.7%. The
company's other income rose to 372.82
mln rupees from 216.47 mln rupees a
quarter ago.
Happiest Minds Q2 PAT
marginally falls to `58 cr
Happiest Minds Technologies has
reported a 1.6 per cent decline in net
profit to Rs 58 crore for the September
quarter. The company had posted a
profit of Rs 59 crore in the year-ago
period, it said in a regulatory filing late
on Tuesday. Revenue in constant
currency terms for the company rose
14.3 per cent to Rs 406.6 crore from Rs
355.5 crore a year earlier.
Can Fin Homes Q2 PAT up
12% as total income rises
Can Fin Homes' net profit for Jul-Sep
rose 11.6% on year to 1.58 bln rupees
on account of a surge in total income.
Sequentially, the bottomline fell 13.8%.
For the half year ended September, the
company's net profit rose 12.4% on year
to 3.42 bln rupees.
CMWSSB signs MoU with
German Water Partnership
Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and
Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has signed a
MoU with the German Water Partnership
for the joint development of a conceptual
design for the upgrade of an existing
wastewater treatment plant under local
conditions in India, which will then serve
as a show-case plant for adapted
German wastewater technologies.
BAJAJ AUTO JUL-SEP NET PROFIT
JUMPS 20% TO `1,836 CRORE
INFORMIST / Mumbai
Two- and three-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto Ltd
posted healthy growth across most earnings
parameters in the quarter ended September,
led by price hikes, moderation in raw
material costs and richer product mix. The
company also reported an improvement in financial performance on a sequential basis.
Bajaj Auto's net profit in Jul-Sep rose 20%
on year and 10% on quarter to 18.36 bln rupees. Analysts had estimated its bottomline at
17.67 bln rupees. Cash profit from operations,
or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, came in at 21.33 bln rupees, slightly higher than analysts' estimate
of 21.06 bln rupees. Its EBITDA grew 21% on
year and 9% sequentially.
Similarly, the EBITDA margin also expanded 260 basis points on year to 19.8%, driven by
price hikes and richer product mix. Even on a
sequential basis, its margin expanded by 80
bps, led by slightly higher sales volume
during the quarter.
The company's topline rose 6% on year and
IndusInd Bank
Q2 profit up
22% to `2,202 cr
PTI / New Delhi
IndusInd Bank on Wednesday reported a 22 per cent growth in the
September quarter net profit at
Rs 2,202 crore on the back of a
surge in core income and also dip
in provisions.
The city-headquartered private sector lender had reported a
net profit of Rs 1,805 crore in the
year-ago period.
The Bank had reported a
net profit of `1,805 crore
in the year-ago period
Its core net interest income increased 18 per cent to Rs 5,077
crore on the back of a 21 per cent
jump in advances. The net interest margin widened to 4.29 per
cent in the period under review,
from 4.24 per cent in the year-ago
period. Its other income increased to Rs 2,282 crore during
the reporting quarter, as compared to 2,011 crore in the JulySeptember period last year.
Its managing director and
chief executive Sumant Kathpalia said the bank could manage
to expand NIMs despite a 0.23 per
cent increase in the cost of deposits during the quarter, and
added that the bank is able to
withstand the pressures coming
by way of jump in deposit rates
amid what the industry calls as
'war for deposits'. The bank is
able to do so because of the mix
of its loan assets and the costs of
borrowings, he said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday
pulled up a bench of the National
Company Law Appellate Tribunal
for defying its orders in a case involving Orbit Electricals Ltd and
Finolex Cables Ltd, and issued contempt notices to tribunal members.
It further set aside the tribunal's
5% on quarter to 107.77 bln rupees, missing
analysts' estimate of 109.25 bln rupees.
Addressing reporters in a virtual earnings
call, Bajaj Auto Executive Director Rakesh
Sharma said the company has been able to deliver "record breaking" performance in the
midst of difficult international trading conditions. He said the drop in volumes of twowheelers was due to the high base effect of the
corresponding period last fiscal.
Led by strong performance in the 125cc and
Oct 13 judgement in the case, which
had allowed Deepak Chhabria to
continue as the executive chairman
and whole-time director of Finolex
Cables.
The bench led by Chief Justice of
India D.Y. Chandrachud directed
the chairperson of the appellate tribunal, Justice Ashok Bhushan, to
hear the case afresh.
above motorcycle segment, Sharma said Bajaj
Auto has been able to increase its market
share, which, along with better product mix,
resulted in better revenue realisation.
PTI / New Delhi
T
he Indian agrochemical sector
has played a vital role in the
country's agricultural
landscape. With a rich agricultural
heritage, India has been both a
producer and consumer of
agrochemicals for decades.
However, recent times have brought
significant changes to the industry,
introducing new challenges and
opportunities that are reshaping its
trajectory.
What’s Happening?
According to a report by CRISIL, as
cited in the Economic Times, the
Indian agrochemical sector may
experience a decline in revenue and
operating margins for the first time
in a decade. The report suggests
that revenue is expected to
decrease by 3% in FY 2024, and
operating margins may decline by
400-450 basis points.
This decline in revenue is attributed
to several factors, including falling
global prices, weak export demand,
and the impact of Rabi sowing due
to low reservoir levels. These
challenges contribute to the
anticipated decrease in the
agrochemical sector's financial
performance.
Reason for Decline Forecast
IT company Wipro on Wednesday reported almost
flat growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 2,667.3
crore for the September 2023 quarter and projected a
3.5 per cent fall in revenue in the current quarter on
a weak global economic outlook. The company had
posted a profit after tax of Rs 2,649.1 crore a year ago.
Its lower IT services growth estimate for the December 2023 quarter by 3.5-1.5 per cent is in the range
of USD 2,617-2,672 million in constant currency
terms or about Rs 21,642.59 -- Rs 22,097.44 crore.
The consolidated revenue from operations declined marginally to Rs 22,515.9 crore during the reported quarter from Rs 22,539.7 crore it registered in
the September 2022 quarter.
"The business environment has been uncertain,
inflation and interest rates have stayed high. Clients
are continuing to take a much more rigorous look at
their investments, they are hyper-focused on efficiency, on optimisation of existing investment and
faster return on new ones," Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte said.
According to a report by Economic
Times, Poonam Upadhyay, Director
at CRISIL Ratings, has highlighted
several factors contributing to the
challenges faced by the Indian
agrochemical industry. Increased
supply of low-cost agrochemical
products from China has led global
agrochemical companies to
accumulate 45 days' worth of
inventory between January and
June 2023. Concerns about the
global economy drove this
inventory surge, coinciding with a
decline in exports from India during
the first half of the financial year.
Furthermore, low volume growth is
anticipated for the current fiscal
year as domestic manufacturers
hold high inventory levels due to
reduced exports. The drop in
reservoir levels, caused by irregular
monsoons, poses a threat to Rabi
sowing, which could reduce the
consumption of pesticides. Lower
exports and domestic demand may
impact the operating profitability of
agrochemical companies.
What’s Next?
The future of the agrochemical
industry in India will be shaped by
several key factors, as reported by
the Economic Times. These factors
include the pace of demand both
within India and abroad, weather
conditions in crucial export markets,
particularly in China, and the prices
of essential products and raw
materials. In addition to these
considerations, according to IBEF,
NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand
has highlighted the industry's
potential for growth beyond its
current rate of 9%, even in the face
of competition from China. He also
emphasised the industry's need to
pay attention to the shift from
traditional agrochemicals to biopesticides, a transition that is taking
place in Western countries.
Teji Mandi (TM Investment Technologies Pvt Ltd) is a SEBI registered Research
Analyst (RA). Information in this article should not be construed as
investment advice. Please visit www.tejimandi.com to know more.
Adani Group in talks to Revenue dept agency detects `570 bn
GST evasion since April 2020
buy Jaypee's cement unit
INFORMIST / Ahmedabad
Adani Group is in talks with
Jaiprakash Associates to acquire Jaypee Shahabad cement
plant, television channel ET
Now on Wednesday reported
quoting sources.
Jaypee Shahabad cement
plant in Karnataka primarily includes 1.2 mln tn per annum cement grinding unit.
There has been speculation
that the Adani Group is
planning to buy cement companies since it announced the buyout of Ambuja Cements and
ACC from Holcim and followed
it up with buying a stake in
Sanghi Industries. The group
has already announced its intent
to raise the capacity of its ce-
PTI / New Delhi
Telecom regulator Trai has
asked the Department of Telecom to consider its recommendations made last year on spectrum
auctions to plan the sale of radiowaves, a senior government
official said on Wednesday.
DoT Joint Wireless Advisor
Gulab Chand, during a panel discussion at the India Spectrum
Management Conference, said
the government is trying its best
to hold spectrum auctions by the
end of the current fiscal or early
next fiscal.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked
the department to go ahead with
recommendations for lower frequency bands last year for 5G
spectrum auction, and it will
take time to come up with suggestions on pricing and other
Bajaj Auto Ltd has amended its dividend
distribution policy. Following this, its overall
payout to shareholders will be greater than
70% of its standalone profit after tax if the
company has surplus funds of over 150 bln
rupees, it said in a filing with stock
exchanges on Wednesday. The automaker
will pay up to 70% of the standalone profit if
its surplus funds are 75-150 bln rupees and
up to 50% if these are less than 75 bln
rupees. "Overall payout to shareholders shall
be defined to mean a combination of
dividends, share buybacks, or any other such
route or routes, including the tax thereon,
taken together", it said.
Wipro Q2 PAT remains almost flat at `2,667.3 cr
Trai asks DoT to consider
previous recommendations
for next spectrum auction
SC raps NCLAT, junks nod to Deepak
Chhabria as Finolex Cables chairman
INFORMIST / New Delhi
Bajaj Auto amends dividend
distribution policy
Agrochemical Sector May
See Revenue Decline. Why?
modalities for new frequency
bands, he added.
"They (Trai) said reserve
price, eligibility criteria, everything is with you for legacy
bands. Why don't you go ahead
with all those conditions and immediately conduct the auctions.
For the new bands - Q (33-50 Ghz)
band and V (40-75 Ghz) band,
they will need more time,"
Chand said.
He said much of the spectrum
allocated in the lower band earlier is due to expire this fiscal and
telecom operators would like to
acquire it again.
ment business to 140 mln tn per
annum in 2-3 years from the current 110 mln tn.
Adani Enterprises had in October 2022 denied reports that it
was evaluating proposals to acquire Jaypee Cement.
On Wednesday, The Economic
Times reported that Orient Cement promoter C.K. Birla has
approached Gautam Adani to
sell a stake in the company. Orient Cement has 8.5 mln tn per
annum cement capacity. Orient
Cement has three plants in Karnataka,
Maharashtra,
and
Telangana.
Adani Group spokesperson
did not reply to queries on reports that the group is planning
to buy stakes in Jaypee Shahabad plant and Orient Cement.
Air India Express
unveils new
brand identity
Piramal Enterprises Limited on
Wednesday said it plans to raise
Rs 1,000 crore from maiden issuance of Non Convertible
Debentures (NCDs) to fund business growth.
The tranche I comprises the
base issue size of Rs 200 crore and
a green-shoe option of up to Rs
800 crore, aggregating up to Rs
1,000 crore, which is within the
shelf limit of Rs 3,000 crore.
The issue opens for subscription on October 19 and closes on
November 2, 2023 with an option
of early closure as per the Securities and Exchange Board of India
norms. According to Jairam Sridharan, MD, Piramal Capital &
Housing Finance Ltd, 60 per cent
of issue is reserved for high networth individuals and retail investors.
The Directorate General of GST
Intelligence detected over 6,000
fake input tax credit cases involving Goods and Services Tax evasion of more than 570 bln rupees
from April 2020 to September
2023, and it arrested 500 persons
during the same period, a government release said.
The agency had initiated a special drive against the practice of
claiming fake Input Tax Credit to
plug the leakage in government
revenue from November 2020, the
release issued by the finance ministry stated.
A total of 1,040 fake input tax
credit cases involving 140 bln rupees have been detected in the
current financial year 2023-24 and
PTI / New Delhi
Tata Group-owned Air India Express
on Wednesday unveiled its new
brand identity and aircraft livery
that mainly features the colours of
orange and turquoise. Air India
Express is in the process of merging
AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India)
with itself and the entity will be the
low cost carrier of the Tata Group.
The unveiling of the new visual
identity was done at Mumbai
airport, little over two months after
Air India unveiled its new brand
identity.
"The airline's new visual identity
features an energetic and premium
colour palette of Express Orange
and Express Turquoise with Express
Tangerine and Express Ice Blue as
secondary colours," Air India Express
said in a release.
The dominant Express Orange
symbolises the airline's brand values
of enthusiasm and agility, while
reflecting the positioning of
quintessential Indian warmth.
The country's sixth biggest IT
services company by revenues,
LTIMindtree, on Wednesday reported a decline in September
quarter net profit at Rs 1,162
crore.
The city-headquartered company had a net profit of Rs 1,189
crore in the year-ago period, and
the same stood at Rs 1,152 crore in
the preceding June quarter.
Its overall revenues grew 8.2
per cent to Rs 8,905 crore for the
reporting quarter, from Rs 8,228
crore in the year-ago period and
Rs 8,702 crore in the June quarter.
However, there was a sharper
contraction in the operating profit margin to 16 per cent, as
against 17.5 per cent in the yearago period, which seems to have
been the biggest reason for the
decline in the overall profits.
The company's managing director and chief executive Debashis Chatterjee said the mar-
The tranche I comprises
the base issue size of
`200 cr and a green-shoe
option of up to `800 cr
The secured, rated, listed, redeemable, non-convertible debentures of the face value of Rs 1,000
each is proposed to be listed on
BSE and NSE, with BSE being the
designated stock exchange for the
issue. The minimum application
size is Rs 10,000 and thereafter in
multiples of Rs 1,000.
The issue has maturity/tenure
options of 2 years, 3 years, 5 years
and 10 years with annual coupon
payment being offered across series I, II, III, and IV respectively.
Effective yield for NCD holders
in various categories ranges from
9 per cent to 9.34 per cent per
annum.
GST authority asks India
arms of MNCs to pay
GST on expat pay
91 fraudsters have been apprehended till date, the release said.
The release said that an overall
GST evasion of 1.36 trln rupees
was detected in the current financial year, which includes false input tax credit claims.
In order to tackle the menace
of GST evasion, the agency has
developed intelligence, especially
in new areas of tax evasion,
through advanced tools for data
analytics besides using its intelli-
LTIMindtree Q2 PAT declines
as profit margin contracts
PTI / Mumbai
Piramal Enterprises' maiden
NCD issue opens on Thursday;
to raise up to `1,000 crore
PTI / New Delhi
INFORMIST / New Delhi
Suzuki eyes to make
India its global
electric car mfg hub
Indian arms of around 1000
multinational corporations recently
received goods and services tax
notices, the Business Standard
reported. The authorities have
asked the companies to make tax
payments on salaries and
allowances paid to foreign
expatriates. The tax demands
which were issued range from 10
mln rupees to 1.50 bln rupees for
the period 2017-18 to 2021-22
(Apr-Mar), the article said.
gence network across the country
to collect such information, the
release said.
‘Akasa Air gets
traffic rights for
Riyadh, Jeddah,
Doha, Kuwait’
PTI / New Delhi
gins were impacted by the wage
hikes given out from July 1, and
exuded confidence of gains on
the same to exit the fiscal year at
17-18 per cent.
He said the company is not witnessing any pressures on margins
despite
the
volatile
economic environment at present.
Deal pipeline is also flowing,
and the company reported new
wins of USD 1.3 billion for the reporting quarter, he said, adding
that discretionary demand is being replaced with long-term engagements focused on cost optimization.
Akasa Air, which is in a "very exciting phase", has received approval from the government to
operate flights to Riyadh,
Jeddah, Doha and Kuwait, and
expects to start international
services "soon enough", according to its chief Vinay Dube.
Asserting that Akasa Air is in
a "growth mode" with strong financials, Dube said the airline
will announce a triple-digit aircraft order in 75 days or by the
end of this year.
"We have just been given
traffic rights for Riyadh, Jeddah,
Doha and Kuwait. The process
will take time... we will let the
process unfold.
"We continue to be in a very
very exciting phase in our lives
now. We are doing strong financially. We have a good cash position," he told PTI in an interview.
Maruti Suzuki crosses 10 lakh
automatic vehicle sales milestone
IANS / New Delhi
Maruti Suzuki's parent Suzuki
Motor Corporation plans to
make India its global electric car
manufacturing hub with the first
batch of vehicles expected to be
rolled out as early as 2025, according to a news report.
Suzuki will start producing
electric vehicles at the Gujarat
plant and export them to Japan
as well.The company will also
consider supplying India-made
EVs to partner Toyota Motor for
European markets that would be
sold under the Toyota brand, the
report published in Japan's
Nikkei
newspaper
on
Wednesday stated.
Nikkei said Suzuki will set up
a new production line for electric
cars at the Gujarat plant which
also produces petrol cars. The
battery-powered cars that Suzuki
plans to export to Japan would be
small SUVs priced around 3 to 4
million yen ($20,043), Nikkei said.
In 2014, Maruti Suzuki India Limited
(MSIL) introduced AGS technology
which instantly received
overwhelming customer acceptance.
Today, 65% of the automatic
vehicles sold by MSIL are equipped
with AGS technology. The share of
AT automatic transmission models
account for 27% of total MSIL
automatic sales, while the Hybrid eCVT transmission constitutes about
8% of MSIL automatic sales.
Overall, MSIL has crossed the 10
lakh automatic vehicle sales
milestone. As a pioneer brand in
automotive innovation, Maruti
Suzuki has played a critical role in
popularising two-pedal automatic
car technology in India. Speaking on
the achievement, Shashank
Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer,
Marketing and Sales, MSIL, said, “At
Maruti Suzuki, we are passionate
about providing our customers with
the best driving experience. We
have made it our mission to spread
the 'Joy of Mobility' to all! This spirit
has enabled us to democratise
automatic transmission technology
with numerous types of options.
And we are truly humbled by the
customer response we have
received. MSIL’s automatic car sales
have been on the rise constantly.”
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
CORPORATE GALLERY
Mumbai Port Authority's stall at Global
Maritime India Summit inaugurated by
Sarbananda Sonowal
Mumbai Port Authority's stall at the Global Maritime India Summit
@GMIS2023 was inaugurated by Hon'ble Minister Shri
Sarbananda Sonowal. The theme of the stall is to demonstrate
the transition from the rich history to a prosperous future.
SJVN ropes in EKI Energy Services for
issuance of international RE certificates
State-owned power
producer SJVN Ltd has
roped in carbon credits
developer EKI Energy
Services for registration,
issuance and trading of
international renewable
energy certificates for its
1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri
hydro power project in
Himachal Pradesh. An
international renewable energy certificate (I-REC) means one
MWh (1,000 units) of electricity was produced from renewable
energy sources, SJVN said in a regulatory filing. "SJVN has issued
a letter of award to EKI Energy Services for registration, issuance
and purchase/trading of I-RECs for 1,500 MW NJHPS (Nathpa
Jhakri Hydroelectric Power Station)," the filing said. I-RECs can
originate from wind, solar, ocean energy, biomass, hydropower,
landfill gas, aerothermal, geothermal, and landfill gas projects.
This will have significant impact on the environment as it will
lead to reduction in carbon emissions. SJVN's NJHPS has been
registered in IREC registry mechanism for January 1, 2023 to
December 31, 2027, the filing said. SJVN expects the total annual
revenue per annum Rs 10 crore from I-RECs. Under the
administrative control of the Union Ministry of Power, SJVN Ltd is
a joint venture of the central government and the government of
Himachal Pradesh.
CII organises Supply Chain Jugaad Summit
CII Institute of Logistics (IL)
creates a platform for the
Industry to gain more
insights into the emerging
trends, industry specific
problems and global best
practices in logistics &
supply chain management.
IL enables the industry to
improve efficiency &
effectiveness thus enhancing profitability. CII Institute of Logistics
(IL) organised CII Supply Chain Jugaad Summit, to inspire the
Industry to raise the bar with minimalist resource deployment
and hence achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
REC along with BoI to co-finance projects
worth `30,000 crore in next 5 years
whispersinthecorridors
Dr Suresh Mehrotra
: Vijoy Singh formally joins BJP
Vijoy Kumar Singh has officially joined the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The induction
ceremony was graced by Jharkhand BJP President
Babulal Marandi. He is a retired IAS officer of 1990
batch.
REC Limited signed an MoU with Bank of India (BoI) on
Wednesday to explore the possibility of funding the Power Sector
and Infrastructure & Logistics Sector projects under the
consortium arrangement. REC and BoI will partner to co-finance
loans amounting to Rs. 30,000/- crore for projects implementable
in 5 years. T.S.C. Bosh, Executive Director (Infra & Logistics), REC
and Nitin G. Deshpande, CGM, BoI signed the MoU in the
presence of Vivek Kumar Dewangan, CMD, REC, Rajneesh
Karnatak, MD & CEO, BoI, Ajoy Choudhury, Director (Finance),
REC and other senior officials from REC and BoI. REC Limited, a
Maharatna CPSE established in 1969, under the Ministry of
Power, provides long-term loans and other finance products for
the Power-Infrastructure sector comprising of Generation,
Transmission, Distribution, Renewable Energy and new
technologies like Electric Vehicles, Battery Storage, Green
Hydrogen etc. REC has also diversified into the core infrastructure
sector comprising Roads, Metro, Airports, IT, Ports, etc. The Loan
Book of REC stands at Rs 4.54 Lakh Crore, ending first quarter of
current financial year.
POWERGRID organises talk on Corporate
Governance, Biz Ethics, Preventive Vigilance
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a
Maharatna PSU under Ministry of Power, Govt. of India organized a
talk on ‘Corporate Governance, Business Ethics & Preventive
Vigilance in PSUs’ at its corporate center on 16th October 2023, as
precursor to Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW) – 2023. P. Daniel,
Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission and M. Damodaran, ExChairman, SEBI were the eminent guest speakers in the Talk
organized. P. Daniel, Secretary, CVC, in his address gave an
overview of Central Vigilance Commission jurisdiction &
functioning. He interacted & stressed upon Preventive Vigilance
measures & adoption of ethical conduct in Govt. organizations. He
appreciated work carried out by POWERGRID w.r.t. PIDPI resolution
& public campaign carried out during G-20 Anti-corruption working
group meeting held earlier in Gurugram. M. Damodaran, ExChairman, SEBI (Retd. IAS) spoke about the role and responsibilities
of Independent Directors, internal auditors, management, and
board members for a corruption free work environment for
Corporate Governance. D. K. Madan, CVO, POWERGRID, in his
inaugural address welcomed the dignitaries invited and briefed
them about Leveraging technology to eradicate corruption,
promoting of PIDPI resolution & capacity building, implementation
of Commission guidelines and online complaints monitoring
system by the Vigilance Department in POWERGRID.
: Will BJP defeat BJP?
In BJP-ruled states, there are a lot of groups and it
is said that BJP is going to defeat BJP in these
states.
: Will Ajai Kumar be new TRAI Chairman?
Name of former Defence Secretary
Ajay Kumar is now doing the rounds
for the post of Chairman of Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He is a former
1985 batch IAS officer.
: Who will be new Spokesman of MEA ?
Who will succeed Arindam Bagchi as Spokesman of
the Ministry of External Affairs? The tie is between
Nagraj Naidu and Nandani Singla, HC in Mauritius
(and wife of Sanjeev Singla, Ambassador in Israel).
: Announcement of 4% DA to Central Govt employees
likely today
The Government of India is expected to announce
a 4% Dearness Allowance (DA) to the central
Government employees on October 18, 2023.
: Bonus to central government employees granted
The Government of India has granted nonproductivity linked bonus to 30 days emoluments
for the accounting year 2022-23 to the central
government employees in group ‘C’ and all nongazetted employees in group ‘B’, who are not
covered by any productivity linked bonus.
: Pawan Kumar likely to get extension
as DMD, IIFCL?
Pawan Kumar is expected to get an
extension to the post of Deputy
Managing Director (DMD), India
Infrastructure Finance Company
Limited (IIFCL), for a period of one year? His tenure
already came to an end in September.
: Who leads National Medical Commission?
Term of the entire board of the National Medical
Commission (NMC) has ended. Now the question is
who is running NMC. The NMC acts as India's top
regulator of medical education and practice.
: Tenure of Ravi Jha as Private Secretary
to Piyush Goyal extended
The deputation tenure of Ravi Jha
working as Private Secretary to
Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce
and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public
Distribution and Textiles, has been extended on coterminus basis with the Minister. He is a 2011
batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.
Send your CORPORATE / EVENTS / HEALTH / ART news and pictures to Sachin Tikare. Email: sachin@fpj.co.in
: Amanpreet Singh appointed ADG Philately, Postal
Directorate
Amanpreet Singh has been posted as ADG
(Philately), Postal Directorate. He is a 2014 batch
Senior Time Scale officer of Indian Postal Service
(IPoS).
: Two judicial officers recommended for Judges in
Patna High Court
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the
proposal for the appointment of two judicial
officers as Judges of the Patna High Court. They are
Rudra Prakash Mishra and Ramesh Chand Malviya.
: Two advocates recommended for Judges in
Gauhati High Court
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the
proposal for the appointment of two advocates as
Judges of the Gauhati High Court. They are N Unni
Krishnan Nair and Kaushik Goswami.
: Two advocates recommended for Judges in
Uttarakhand HC
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the
proposal for the appointment of two advocates as
Judges of the Uttarakhand High Court. They are
Siddhartha Sah and Alok Mahra.
: Five advocates recommended for Judges in Punjab &
Haryana HC
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the
proposal for the appointment of five advocates as
Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They
are Harmeet Singh Grewal, Deepinder Singh Nalwa,
Sumeet Goel, Ms. Sudeepti Sharma and Ms. Kirti
Singh.
: Five judicial officers recommended for Judges in
Madhya Pradesh HC
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the
proposal for the appointment of five judicial
officers as Judges of the Madhya Pradesh High
Court. They are Rajendra Kumar Vani, Shri Pramod
Kumar Agrawal, Binod Kumar Dwivedi, Shri
Devnarayan Mishra, and Gajendra Singh.
: Search for Director (Fin), BHEL begins
The Public Enterprises Selection Board
(PESB) has started searching for a
candidate for the post of Director
(Finance), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) fell
vacant in April this year after the tenure of the
present incumbent was not extended.
— Correctness of this content is the responsibility of the author.
By arrangement with whispersintheccorridors.com
Check the news online at www.freepressjournal.in/corporate-gallery/
GADAR EK
P LL KATHA
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
‘Denied’ loan, man
immolates himself
outside UP bank
l GONDA: A man set himself ablaze outside a bank in
UP’s Gonda on Wednesday
and his family alleged he
tried self-immolation as his
loan was not sanctioned.
Divyaraj Pandey, 25,
sustained 70% burns and is
critical. He was taken to
Lucknow. Pandey’s friend
Pradeep too sustained burns
and is in hospital. A magisterial probe has been
ordered, police said.
Rice export to 7
nations allowed
l MUMBAI: The government has permitted the
export of 1.03 mln tn nonbasmati white rice to seven
more countries through
National Co-operative Exports
Ltd, a notification by the
Directorate General of Foreign
Trade said. The countries are
the Philippines, Cameroon,
Nepal, Malaysia, Cote
d’Ivoire, Republic of Guinea,
and Seychelles. Previously,
the government allowed
exports to the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, and Mauritius.
Curbs on sugar
exports extended
l NEW DELHI: The Centre
on Wednesday extended
again restrictions on sugar
exports beyond October 31
and till further orders, a
move aimed at rising the
availability of the commodity
in the domestic market
during the festive season.
Earlier, the restrictions were
imposed till Oct 31.
“Restriction on export of Sugar (Raw Sugar, White Sugar,
Refined Sugar and Organic
Sugar) is extended beyond
31.10.2023 till further order.
Other conditions will remain
unchanged,” the DGFT said.
BSF men hurt as
Pak Rangers fire
l JAMMU: Two BSF men
were injured after Pakistan
Rangers “resorted to unprovoked firing” on border guards along the International
Border in Jammu, officials
said. The Pakistan Rangers
opened fire around 8.15 am
on Tuesday on the troops at
the Vikram post in the Arnia
sector, following which the
BSF jawans fired in
retaliation, the BSF said.
Truck crushes 4
to death in K’taka
l VIJAYAPURA: Four people
sitting on a road divider were
crushed to death by a speeding truck in Karnataka’s Vijayapuraa police said on Wednesday. The truck driver fled
the spot along with the vehicle. The deceased are Shivananda Choudhari, 25, Sunil
,26, Eranna, 26, and Patil, 40.
MAN RUNS CAR OVER 5,
WOMAN KILLED: 5 people
walking on a footpath in
Karnataka’s Mangaluru were
hit by speeding car, white
Hyundai Eon, on Wednesday.
A woman died and another
woman and three girls were
injured in the hit and run
case, police said.
Woman jumps into
well with children
l RAISEN: A woman, 32,
allegedly jumped to death in
a well along with kids —
son, 9, and daughter, 7 —
as her husband did not allow her to go to her parents’
home in MP’s Raisen Tuesday afternoon, police said.
l JAWAN LEARNS OF
WIFE’S SUICIDE, KILLS SELF:
A BSF jawan posted in J&K
shot himself dead on learning
that his wife had ended her
life back home in Rajasthan
after a quarrel on the phone.
QUOTE UNQUOTE
Congratulations to all
those honoured with
the 69th National Film
Awards. Each awardee has
made exemplary contributions
to Indian cinema. I would also
like to specially congratulate
Waheeda Rehman Ji on being
honoured with the Dadasaheb
Phalke Lifetime Achievement
Award.
—PM MODI
BJP
netas
‘revolt’
in
Raj
4% DA hike for central staff,
CABINET DECISIONS
bonus for railway workers
Wheat MSP raised by `150 to `2,275 per quintal for 2024-25
PTI / NEW DELHI
Ahead of the festive season,
the central government on
Wednesday decided to hike
the dearness allowance for its
employees by 4% to 46% of
the basic salary and pay 78
days of salaries as bonus for
non-gazetted railway staff.
Briefing reporters about
the Cabinet decisions, Information and Broadcasting
Minister Anurag Thakur
said the increase in dearness
allowance and dearness relief will benefit 48.67 lakh
central government employees
and
67.95
lakh
pensioners, respectively.
DA and DR are given
twice a year to compensate
employees and pensioners,
respectively, for price rise.
The combined impact on the
exchequer on account of
both DA and DR would be
`12,857 crore per annum. In
March this year and September last year also, the increase in DA and DR was 4%
points. The DA and DR hikes
are applicable from January
1 and July 1.
Thakur also said railway
employees will receive a
Union Minister Anurag Thakur addresses the media in Delhi
bonus equivalent to their 78
days' salaries, benefiting over
11.07 lakh non-gazetted staff
of the national transporter.
The payment of the Productivity Linked Bonus to the
railway staff is expected to
cost the exchequer `1,968.87
crore, he said. “In recognition
of an excellent performance
by the railway staff, the Centre has approved the payment
of a PLB of `1,968.87 crore to
11,07,346 railway employees.
“The performance of the
railways in 2022-2023 was
good. The railways loaded a
record cargo of 1,509 million
—PTI
tonnes and carried nearly 6.5
billion (650 crore) passengers,” a statement said.
Further, ahead of the assembly polls in key wheat
growing states, the government announced a rise in the
minimum support price of
wheat by `150 to `2,275 per
quintal for the 2024-25 marketing season. This is the highest
quantum of increase in MSP
for any marketing season
since the Modi government
came to power in 2014.
Besides, the Minimum
Support Price for five other
rabi crops — gram, barley,
Our govt has taken a very important decision for small
and poor farmers in this festive season
—PM Modi
Cong will end
all schemes,
alleges KCR
PTI / HYDERABAD
Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi offer
prayers at the Ramappa Temple in Telangana’s Mulugu
—ANI
BJP, BRS, AIMIM working together
to defeat Cong in Telangana: Rahul
PTI / MULUGU
Attacking the BJP and ruling
BRS in Telangana, Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi on
Wednesday said the fight in
the November 30 Assembly
election in the state is between his party and the Chief
Minister K Chandrashekar
Rao-led outfit only.
Addressing a public meeting in Mulugu after offering
prayers at the historic
Ramappa temple along with
his sister Priyanka Gandhi
Vadra, Rahul said the BJP
wants the BRS to win in the
Telangana poll and the saffron party, the BRS and the
Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM are working together in
trying to defeat the Congress.
“In the Telangana election,
the fight is between the Congress and BRS. We have defeated the BJP already. But,
the BJP wants the BRS to win
in Telangana. Both are working together. And, AIMIM is
also with them,” he added.
Alleging that there is a
tacit understanding between
the BJP and the BRS, Rahul
said whatever the saffron party wanted in Parliament the
BRS did and cited the BRS’s
“support” to the BJP on farm
laws, GST. These three
parties are working together
and trying to defeat the Congress party in Telangana, he
claimed.
According to him, the
biggest proof was there was
no CBI, ED or IT inquiry
against the Telangana Chief
Minister, while there are cases against opposition leaders
in the country. “Twenty-four
cases are lodged against me.
My house was snatched and I
was disqualified from the Lok
Sabha, but there are no cases
on Telangana Chief Minister,” Rahul said.
Telangana Chief Minister K
Chandrasekhar
Rao
on
Wednesday alleged if the
Congress comes to power after the November 30 assembly
election in the state, they will
discontinue schemes such as
Rythu Bandhu, Dalit Bandhu
and 24-hour free electricity
supply to farmers.
At a rally at Jadcherla, 90
km from Hyderabad, KCR,
charged Congress leaders
filed false cases when the BRS
government took up irrigation projects, aiming to provide water facilities to undivided Mahabubnagar.
“The BRS government has
waived farm loans worth
`37,000 crore. We did this during the previous term (2014)
and also this time (2018)... if
we struggle for another decade, Telangana farmers will
become great in the Indian
farming community,” he said.
Rajnath to Army commanders: Expect
the unexpected & prepare accordingly
PTI / NEW DELHI
Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh on Wednesday commended the Army for its high
standard of
operational
readiness and said “war preparedness” should be a continuous phenomenon and
that the military should always be ready for the uncertainties.
In an address to the top
commanders of the Army,
Rajnath, referring to the situation in eastern Ladakh, expressed full confidence in the
force to effectively confront
any contingency even as he
noted that the ongoing talks
between the two sides for
peaceful resolution of the
row will continue at all levels.
The defence minister complimented the BRO for carrying out an “incomparable improvement” of road networks
in areas along the Western
and Northern frontiers while
working under difficult conditions.
Rajnath said the present
“complex and ambiguous”
global situation affects everyone and called on the Army
top brass to “expect the unexpected” and plan, strategise
and prepare accordingly.
The minister said unconventional warfare will be part
of the future conventional
wars as it is evident in the recent conflicts happening in
various parts of the world.
lentil (masur), rapeseed-mustard seed and safflower —
have been hiked.
A decision was taken at the
meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
chaired by PM Modi.
Thakur said the CCEA has
approved the increase in MSP
of six mandated rabi crops
for the 2024-25 marketing season. Wheat MSP has been increased by Rs150 per quintal.
The MSP of barley has
been increased by Rs115 per
quintal to Rs1,850 for 2024-25.
Among rabi pulses, the MSP
of gram has been increased
by `105 to `5,440 per quintal
for 2024-25 as against `5,335
per quintal in 2023-24 while
that of lentil (masur) has
been hiked by `425 to `6,425
from `6,000 per quintal.
Meanwhile, the government okayed a `20,773.70
crore-transmission line for
evacuation of solar power
from a 13 GW renewable energy project in Ladakh to
Kaithal in Haryana. The project will be set up by financial
year 2029-30 with estimated
`20,773.70 crore and 40% central financial assistance estimated at `8,309.48 crore.
After ticket denial, they decide to contest poll as independents
MANISH GODHA / JAIPUR
LEADER QUITS 2 MONTHS
AFTER JOINING BJP IN MP
It has been a over week since
the BJP released its first list
of 41 candidates in Rajasthan
on October 9, but it is strugormer legislator Abhay Mishra on Wednesday resigned from the
BJP within two months of joining the party. Mishra and his wife
gling to pacify the protests on
Neelam Mishran, also a former legislator, took the party membership
over half a dozen seats.
on August 11. Mishra is considered a detractor of Rajendra Shukla, a
Party’s decision to field
minister from the Madhya Pradesh’s Vindhya region.
MPs is not going down well as
Mishra wanted a BJP ticket from the Semaria constituency in
most contenders have revoltRewa district, but Shukla wants ticket for legislator KP Tripathi from
ed. The BJP head office in
this constituency. When Mishra came to know of it, he resigned
Jaipur was flooded with anfrom the party and decided to rejoin the Congress. In 2008, Mishra
gry supporters of contenders
was a legislator from Semaria, and in 2013, his wife was an MLA
after the denial of tickets. To
from the BJP. Mishra joined the Congress before 2018, and the
control the damage, the party
party gave him a ticket from the Rewa assembly constituency, but
formed a committee of senior
he returned to the BJP. Now, he is planning to return to the
leaders. But the leaders have
Congress. Mishra met Congress leaders last week. He went to Delhi
decided to contest the election
and met leaders seeking party membership. On Wednesday, when
as independents. However,
state in charge of the party Randeep Singh Surjewala gave green
the leaders are confident the
light, he resigned from the BJP.
things will fall in place.
—FPJ News Service / Bhopal
Opposition
leader
Rajendra Rathore said, “An the Vasundhara Raje govern- pose Devji Patel. Recently,
immediate reaction is normal ment and a known Raje loyal- there was a bid to attack Pabut we are a cadre-based par- ist. Ashu Singh Surpura has tel’s vehicle.
ty. Things will soon be announced to contest the elecThe BJP has given a ticket
brought under control.”
tion as independent. In such a to Rajsamand MP Diya KuOver half a dozen con- situation, chances of a trian- mari from Vidyadhar Nagar.
tenders are opposing the de- gular contest are high.
Narpat Singh Rajvi, son-inclared candidates.
BJP has given a law of former Vice-President
MP from Alwar
ticket to Ajmer MP Bhairon Singh Shekhawat,
Baba Balaknath will
Bhagirath Chaud- wins from here. The party reSPECIAL hary
contest the Tijara
in Kishangarh. placed him with Diya. Rajvi
Assembly seat, and he is be- He is being opposed by sup- opposed the decision only to
ing challenged by the former porters of Vikas Choudhary, follow the order after a meetMLA Maman Yadav.
who unsuccessfully contested ing with in-charge Arun
Jhotwara MP from Jaipur the 2018 poll. It has fielded Singh. Additionally, the trouRural Colonel Rajyavardhan Jalore MP Devji Patel as its ble is brewing in Bharatpur's
Singh Rathore has been given nominee from Sanchore. Sup- Nagar, Kotputli in Jaipur,
a ticket from Jhotwara. The porters of contender Da- Sawai Madhopur, Jhunjhunu
strong contender was Rajpal naram Chaudhary and forand Lakshmangarh in Sikar.
Singh Shekhwat, who won mer MLA Jeevaram Chaud- The deliberations on the sectwice and was a minister in hary have joined hands to op- ond list are in the final phase.
F
THE FPJ
Cong releases 2nd list of
53 candidates for C’garh
Party has announced nominees for 83 of 90 seats
OUR BUREAU / PTI
NEW DELHI
The Congress on Wednesday
released its second list of 53
candidates for the assembly
election in Chhattisgarh,
fielding party veteran Motilal
Vora’s son Arun Vora from
Durg City. With the second
list, the number of candidates
declared by the Congress
went up to 83 of the total of 90.
The party fielded sitting
MLA Vikas Upadhyay from
Raipur City West, Pankaj
Sharma from Raipur Rural
and Mahant Ram Sundar Das
from the Raipur City South
constituency. Jitin Jaiswal
will contest from Jagdalpur
and Shailesh Pandey from Bilaspur, the state’s ruling party
announced. Sitting MLA
Arun Vora has been renominated from Durg City. His father Motilal Vora was the CM
of united Madhya Pradesh.
Will file nomination as
independent: Cong MLA
Chhattisgarh Congress MLA
Anoop Nag, who has so far
been denied a ticket by the
party for the next month’s assembly poll, said he would
submit his nomination as an
independent from his Antagarh constituency.
The ruling Congress de-
—ANI
RIPPLES
BJP names
21 nominees
in Mizoram
Party fields Bhawna
Bohra from Pandariya
seat in Chhattisgarh
PTI / NEW DELHI
Congress discusses Rajasthan candidates
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday discussed the probable
candidates for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly election. The party’s
Central Election Committee, chaired by AICC president Mallikarjun
Kharge, held a meeting, which was also attended by party leaders
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, to
deliberate on the names of candidates for the November 25 poll in
the desert state. AICC in-charge of state Sukhjinder Randhawa,
Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Dotasra, general
secretary organisation KC Venugopal, party’s Rajasthan screening
committee chief Gaurav Gogoi attended the meet. The screening
committee has held discussions on candidates’ names for all seats.
nied tickets to eight sitting
legislators, including Nag, in
its first list of 30 candidates
released on Sunday.
Nag had won from Antagarh, a seat reserved for the
Scheduled Tribe category, by
13,414 votes against BJP’s
Vikram Usendi in 2018.
The Congress has fielded
Roop Singh Potai from the
seat this time around, while
the BJP has re-nominated
Usendi, a former state minis-
ter and ex-MP. After purchasing the nominatio, Nag said,
“I have purchased the nomination form as an independent candidate and will submit
it on October 20, the last day
of filing of nominations.”
Antagarh is among the 20
seats going to poll in the first
phase of voting on Nov 7.
The legislator said people
of his constituency as well as
adjoining areas are dismayed
he has been denied a ticket.
The BJP on Wednesday released the names of its candidates for 21 seats in Mizoram,
where the poll is slated to be
held on November 7. Also, the
party named Bhavna Bohra
as its candidate for the Pandariya assembly seat in
Chhattisgarh, where polling
will be held in two phases on
November 7 and 17.
Now, the BJP has announced candidates for 86
seats for the polls to the 90member Chhattisgarh assembly. As per the party’s
first list for Mizoram, R Lalbiaktluangi will contest from
Lunglei West, Shanti Bikash
Chakma from Thorang, Malsawmtluanga from Hachhek
and Vanlalhmuaka from
Dampa. There were 12 names
on this list. In the second list
of nine candidates, BJP nominated Judy Zohmingliani for
Tuivawl, F Lalremsangi for
Aizawl South-I and K Vanlalruati for Serchhip. There are
40 seats in Mizoram House.
The BJP’s central election
committee, which includes
PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party
chief JP Nadda, approved the
names of the candidates.
FORGOTTEN BAGGAGE: INDIGO Grandson of ex-MP speaker
FLIGHT RETURNS TO SINGAPORE Srinivas Tiwari joins BJP
PTI / NEW DELHI
An IndiGo flight en route to
Bengaluru returned to Singapore after take-off
on
Tuesday morning as the airline had forgotten to offload
the baggage of passengers of
an earlier flight.
“We acknowledge the baggage error on the part of our
service partner at Singapore
airport with respect to flight
6E 1006 operating from Singa-
pore to Bengaluru, due to
which the flight returned to
origin. The passengers were
kept informed of the delay
and served refreshments.”
Social media users complained about it. Tagging IndiGo, an X user said, “Congratulations on achieving the
impossible... Singapore Bengaluru flight at 5 40 am made
to turn back because you
guys forgot to offload luggage
from incoming flight”.
BHOPAL: In a jolt to the Congress in the Vindhya belt,
grandson of former Assembly speaker late Srinivas Tiwari,
Sidharth Raj Tiwari left the grand old party to join BJP on
Wednesday. Tiwari, also son of former Congress MLA late Sundar Lal Tiwari, was upset with the party after being denied
ticket from the Teonthar assembly seat in MP’s Rewa.
Tiwari took the BJP membership in presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP state president VD Sharma at BJP Office in Bhopal on Wednesday. After joining the saffron camp, he lambasted on Congress by saying Rahul Gandhi
has given the contract of running Congress to veteran leaders
Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh. They are acting according to
their own whims. Political circles are abuzz with the murmus
that the BJP may field him from Teonthar. —FPJ News Service
Same-sex marriage will one day RLY RESERVATION MADE EASY Panel calls BJP MP,
advocate for statement
JAL KHAMBATA / NEW DELHI
become reality: Dutee Chand
NEW DELHI: The Lok
PTI / BHUBANESWAR
India’s fastest woman Dutee
Chand has expressed optimism
that
same-sex
marriage will become a reality one day. She made the remark while expressing her
views on the apex court’s
judgment on the legality of
same-sex marriage.
“The Supreme Court has
not prevented same-sex persons from staying together.
As the country has no such
legislation for marriage between same-sex persons, the
court did not interfere in it,”
she said.
Chand, who had no hesitation in revealing she was in a
relation with her partner for
five years, said they love each
other and would get married.
“We are optimistic that the
Centre and Parliament will
certainly consider the case
and make a proper legislation
for marriage between samesex persons in future.
The Railways have decided to make the reservation charts online to make the reservation easy as those in the waiting list
will be able to get the confirmed reservation online after the release of the first chart four hours before start of the train. The
second chart will be issued 30 minutes before the train’s departure from the starting station.
All the details will be available on the “Indian Railway Passenger Reservation Inquiry” on the website of the Railways.
The vacant seats that used to be available only on the TTE’s
hand-held terminals. One can check the berths using mobile
or laptop. The website will also show the map of every coach
and its position from the engine to facilitate easy access by
the passengers instead of running to search their coach that
becomes difficult when the train stoppage is for very short
duration of a minute or two.
Sabha’s Ethics Committee on
Wednesday asked BJP MP
Nishikant Dubey and advocate
Jai Anant Dehadrai to appear
before it for “oral evidence” on
October 26 in connection with
his “cash for query” allegations
against TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
“Oral evidence of MP Nishikant
Dubey in respect of complaint on
October 15 given by him against
Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged
direct involvement in cash for
query in Parliament,” the subject
of the communication read. —PTI
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NATION
Morbi bridge: HC hearing of Oreva Group MD's plea adjourned
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on
Wednesday adjourned hearing on the interim bail
application of Oreva Group Managing Director Jaysukh
Patel, the main accused in the collapse of a bridge in
Morbi last year which claimed 135 lives. The court of
FROM FRONT PAGE
Biden wades into the fog...
Just before the US president touched down in
Tel Aviv, the Israeli military held a news briefing
where it assiduously continued to insist that a
rocket misfired by Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian
militant group, was responsible for the hospital
blast, a claim that was immediately debunked
by the Palestinians.
Israel also published a slew of evidence it said
showed a misfiring Palestinian rocket that
caused the blast; neither side’s account could,
however, be verified; both the cause of the blast
and the death toll also remained unclear.
Experts were examining the evidence when
reports last trickled in. Biden was scheduled to
visit Jordan after the stop in Israel, but the
meetings with Arab leaders were called off after
the hospital explosion. Biden told Netanyahu he
was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the
explosion. But he also said it was not hyperbole
to say Hamas had “slaughtered” Israelis in the
October 7 attack. After the meeting, the
president met with relatives of victims of the
Hamas attack. The blast at Gaza hospital left
bloodied and charred bodies strewn across a
courtyard. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
told President Biden that Hamas “is responsible
and should be held accountable for all civilian
casualties,” including the explosion at the Gaza
hospital.
Hamas, in turn, accused Washington of being
complicit in the Gaza massacre.
Hit by heat, city flocks...
“Already people are suffering from illnesses
related to the monsoon and from viral fever. The
poor air quality will have a severe impact on
their health. Daily there are 10 to 15 patients in
the OPDs of civic hospitals complaining of
respiratory illness and joint pains,” said a doctor.
The population of Mumbai is swelling and
construction work goes on unabated, said a
general physician at a private-run hospital. This
is compounded by vehicular pollution, industrial
pollution, and pollution from the use fossil fuel,
as well as waste burning and deforestation and
all this impairs lung function, he said. This
causes ailments such as allergic bronchitis,
asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, the doctor said.
“There is a surge in the number of patients with
Justice Divyesh A Joshi declined to urgently hear the
plea by Patel's lawyer Nirupam Nanavati seeking
interim bail for his client pending his regular bail
application, and posted it on October 27, the day
when his regular bail plea will come up for hearing.
allergic bronchitis, asthma, and COPD. In
children, pollution stunts lung growth and
increases the risk of respiratory diseases later in
life. Avoiding exposure to pollutants while
travelling or exercising, as well as using a mask
is helpful,” said the doctor.
Air pollution affects the well-being of children,
who inhale toxins and other particulate matter
that can tremendously affect the growth of their
organs, especially lungs, which leads to
respiratory issues in the near future, according
to Dr Nihar Parekh, a paediatrician.
“Air pollution can turn into an epidemic. To
combat this, parents should follow basic
protocol and teach their children that it is a
silent menace that can jeopardise their
breathing capacity. Make children wear masks if
they are going out,” he said.
“In the last month, those with chronic breathing
problems and allergies have been coming into
the OPD more frequently. Exposure to high
pollution levels worsens existing respiratory
illnesses and contributes to new cases,” said an
official.
Who fired the missile?
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari showed a
series of infrared images and satellite photos
which he said proved the damage caused at
the hospital could not possibly have come
from an Israeli strike. He explained the images
showed there was no structural damage to
buildings around the hospital, no craters in the
adjacent car park, and no debris consistent
with an air strike, implying thereby a direct hit
from an Israeli missile would have caused far
more destruction.
“According to our intelligence, Hamas checked
the reports, understood it was an Islamic Jihad
rocket that had misfired — and decided to
launch a global media campaign to hide what
really happened. They went as far as inflating
the number of casualties. They understood,
with absolute certainty, that it was a rocket
misfired by Islamic Jihad — that damaged the
hospital,’’ said the IDF spokesperson.
The explosion at the hospital left painful
scenes. Videos shared by a foreign media
outlet showed fire engulfing the building and
the hospital grounds filled with torn bodies,
blankets and school bags indicating that many
children were among the victims.
The Israeli clip was released amid a torrent of
fury from the Arab world and Israel's foes over
the explosion, with Iran declaring last night
that 'time is up' and Tehran-backed terror
group Hezbollah calling for a 'day of rage' after
hundreds were killed.
US warships, fighter jets...
The Pentagon said it was sending the USS
Bataan, comprising three massive ships
carrying thousands of Marines, into the region.
A US official said the USS Mesa Verde, an
amphibious transport dock, is already in the
Mediterranean Sea. The USS Carter Hall, a
dock landing ship, was heading toward the
Red Sea. Reports said the warships have
historically proven to be an effective deterrent
against Iranian and other militant activity in
the Middle East. The carriers serve as
command-and-control centres and can conduct
information warfare. Meanwhile, US transport
planes loaded with US weapons are regularly
making sorties to Israel.
GST notices to Indian...
GST authorities insist the salary or allowance of
expats paid either fully or partially by the
foreign company and later reimbursed by the
Indian company to the foreign company, is akin
to a ‘supply of manpower’ and hence, taxable
under the GST regime. ‘‘If salaries are directly
paid by the Indian company to the employees
and not reimbursed, they won’t attract GST, as
in this case, expats are perceived as employees
of the Indian company only,” clarified a senior
GST official. Their salaries are subject to TDS
provisions under Section 192 of Income Tax Act
and PF provisions in similar ways as are
applicable to any Indian employee engaged by
the same company.
15 yrs on, 4 convicted...
Vishwanathan, a 25-year-old journalist with
Headlines Today, was shot in the head on
Nelson Mandela Marg in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar
around 3.30 am on September 30, 2008, while
on her way back from work. Her body was
found in her car.
Five people were arrested for the murder and
have been in custody since March 2009.
The first breakthrough for the police came when
it recovered the weapon used in the murder of
IT executive Jigisha Ghosh, who was found
dead in Faridabad months after Vishwanathan.
Kapoor, Shukla and Malik had been arrested in
connection with the IT executive’s death. During
Azam Khan, wife, son
get 7-year jail term
FPJ BUREAU / Lucknow
The Special MP/MLA court of Rampur has
found Azam Khan, his wife Tazeen Khan and
son Abdullah guilty in the fake birth
certificate case and sentenced them to seven
years of imprisonment.
Special magistrate Shobhit Bansal after delivering judgment in the case on Wednesday
asked the police to take Azam, his wife and son
into custody. All the three, who were out on
bail, were later sent to Rampur jail.
Soon after the verdict, Azam Khan said that
he would appeal against it in the higher court
and very soon his lawyers will decide the future course of action. Samajwadi Party chief
Akhilesh Yadav, while reacting on the judgment, said that he and the party stands with
Azam Khan. He said that Azam’s family would
get justice one day.
It may be recalled that a BJP legislator from
Rampur, Akash Saxena, had lodged a complaint against Abdullah Khan, accusing him
of having two separate birth certificates. He
had alleged that both the birth certificates
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
FAKE BIRTH CERTIFICATE CASE
Azam Khan, his wife Tazeen Fatima and son
Abdullah being taken to prison on Wednesday
were fake and used while filing nomination in
the assembly elections of 2022. While one birth
certificate was made from Rampur another
was obtained from Lucknow and both had different dates of birth. The court after hearing
the pleas from the prosecution and the defense
counsel found Azam, wife Tazeen and Abdulla
guilty and awarded them a 7-year jail term.
PTI / Bengaluru
A fire broke out at a multi-storied building in the posh Koramangala area of the city on
Wednesday leaving two people seriously hurt, sources in
the fire brigade said.
A man jumped from the
terrace to escape from the
blaze. He and one more person sustained grievous injuries. Both are being treated
in a private hospital.
JAL KHAMBATA / New Delhi
The Press Council of India
is holding a public hearing
on
the
issue
of
retrenchment of journalists
during the Covid Pandemic
at the Press Club of India
here on October 28 from 11
am to 5 pm.
The Council is seeking
representations from experts, individual journalists,
journalist unions, press
workers unions, press clubs,
journalist
associations,
news media companies, etc,
who were affected by the issue – laid off, forced to take
VRS, put on furlough, put on
leave without pay, asked or
forced to resign, terminated
from
their
positions,
affected by non-renewal or
changed terms of contract,
etc.--during the Covid pan-
JAL KHAMBATA / New Delhi
The government on Wednesday promptly appointed and
transferred 35 judges and additional judges of various
High Courts even as the Supreme Court collegium on
Tuesday recommended 20 more names, 13 of them lawyers
and seven judicial officers, for their appointments in High
Courts. Justice Arun Monga from Punjab & Haryana HC
and Justice Munnuri Laxman from Telangana HC were
transferred to the Rajasthan HC.
In its meeting on Tuesday, the Supreme Court collegium
appointed five judicial officials and four lawyers as judges
of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, five lawyers as judges
of the Punjab & Haryana High Courts and two lawyers
each as judges of the Uttarakhand and Gauhati HCs and 2
judicial officials as judges of the Patna HC.
NewsClick hearing in SC adjourned
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday while hearing the
plea by NewsClick Chief Editor Prabir Purkayastha petition and its
Human Resources head Amit Chakraborty challenging their arrest
by the Delhi Police under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act
(UAPA) adjourned the matter to Thursday.
–FPJ Bureau
The Sakinaka police had busted a drugs factory
in Nashik and seized 150 grams of MD
(mephedrone) worth Rs 300 crore.
When the mobile phone of one of the 12
accused arrested in the case was checked, an
unknown number was found, which the
accused had communicated with, several times.
When the police verified the number, they learnt
that it was Lalit Patil calling from this number.
From then on, a team of Sakinaka Police began
tracing that particular number, a police officer
said.
A search was launched for Patil, and he
reportedly travelled from Pune to Karnataka, by
car, for 10 days. After escaping from Sassoon
Hospital in Pune, he first reached Chalisgaon in
Dhule. From Chalisgaon he went to
Aurangabad, then to Jamnagar in Gujarat,
where he stayed for three days.
A total of five teams of Mumbai Police were
searching for him. From Gujarat, Patil reached
Solapur by taking the Samruddhi Highway, from
where he entered Karnataka.
Sakinaka Police were on his trail and when he
reached Bengaluru, Karnataka, they were
waiting for him and he was arrested from a
hotel there. Police sources said that Patil was
preparing to flee abroad from Bengaluru.
On Wednesday, as Patil was being presented in
Andheri court, he declared to the media present
there, “I did not run away on my own but was
made to run away.” He further said that he was
in danger from Pune Police.
The Andheri court has remanded Patil in police
custody till Monday. Since he remained
absconding for 15 days, police are trying to
demic
(March
2020February 2021).
Representations made at
the hearing will form a part
of the final report to be submitted to the Press Council
of India.
establish the source of his funding in this
period.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare and
Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress had launched
a major attack on Patil after his escape from
Pune hospital. These leaders have alleged the
involvement of a ruling coalition minister in his
getaway. Just three days before his escape,
Pune Police had caught his associate Subhash
Mandal, with a packet of over 1.70kg of drugs
worth Rs 2 crore, from outside Sassoon
Hospital. It was suspected that Patil had
supplied drugs to Mandal through a canteen
boy.
In 2020, a drug manufacturing factory was
busted in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, and ever
since, Patil was in jail. While in judicial custody,
he was being treated at Sassoon Hospital and
escaped at the first available opportunity. Earlier
this month, Mumbai Police raided a factory in
Nashik and exposed a drug manufacturing
factory, said to be owned by Bhushan Patil,
brother of Lalit Patil.
Bhushan Patil and Abhishek Bilas Balakwade,
the manager of Lalit Patil’s drug business, the
two accused who had absconded during the
recovery of drugs worth Rs 300 crore from
Nashik, were arrested by a joint team of the
Uttar Pradesh STF and Maharashtra Crime
Branch in Barabanki on October 10. Both had
planned to escape to Nepal, police said.
After the arrest of Lalit Patil in 2020, upon his
instructions, Bhushan and Balakwade had taken
command of the gang.
Can trees in Jalgaon...
“With huge flyovers and wide roads already
under development in the areas connecting
the upcoming airport, JNPA and the Mumbai
Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), do we need the
coastal road?” he asked.
Green groups have also questioned the
wisdom of allowing compensatory plantation
in Jalgaon district for the loss of mangroves in
Navi Mumbai. How will these native plants
thrive more than 360km away and
compensate for the lost mangroves on the
coast, Kumar asked.
Reminding that the world over, planners were
grappling with the impending crisis due to the
rising sea levels, said Nandakumar Pawar,
head, Shri Ekvira Pratishthan, while in stark
contrast, here, the government was planning
increased construction into the sea.
The Anti-Gangster Task
Force (AGTF) of Punjab police arrested an operative
of notorious Lawrence
Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang
from Kharar town of Mohali district, director general of police (DGP), Punjab,
Gaurav Yadav, said here on
Wednesday.
The arrested accused has
been identified as Sachin
alias Bacchi, of Mangali
village, Hisar, Haryana, and
four pistols along with 12
cartridges were recovered
from his possession, the
DGP said.
Vijaya Kumbhare of Mahagaon village in
Aheri tehsil took ill on September 20 and
their condition deteriorated in no time. They
were first taken to Chandrapur and then to a
reputed hospital in Nagpur.
However, Shankar died on September 26,
followed by his wife the next day, the official
said. Shankar's son Roshan and daughters
Komal Dahagaokar, and Ananda, alias
Varsha Urade, developed similar symptoms
and were admitted to different hospitals.
The three died between October 8 and
October 15, said the police release.
Shankar's other son Sagar, who lives in Delhi
and had come to their village to perform his
parents' last rites, took ill after he went back.
He required hospitalisation following which
his condition stabilised, the police said.
The family's driver, who first took Shankar
and Vijaya to Chandrapur, became sick and
needed hospital care. A relative, who visited
Chandrapur and Nagpur to assist the family,
showed symptoms like tingling sensation in
the limbs, severe lower back and head pain
and blackened lips and had to be admitted
to a hospital.
While doctors suspected that the victims had
been affected by some kind of poisoning,
preliminary examinations could not establish
it, the official said.
Amid the spate of deaths in the Kumbhare
family, Roshan's wife Sanghamitra, and Rosa
Ramteke, the wife of a brother-in-law of
Shankar, maintained that they were due to
food poisoning, said the police. The police
formed five teams to probe the matter, said
SP Neelotpal.
During investigations, the police learnt that
Sanghamitra had married Roshan against her
parent's wishes. On the other hand, Rosa
Ramteke had disagreements with the victims
over the sharing of their ancestral property.
They centred their probe around the two
women and cracked the string of murders.
As per the release, Sanghamitra and Rosa
conspired to eliminate whom they considered
their enemies. Rosa travelled to Telangana to
get some heavy metal-based poison and the
two mixed it in the food and water of the
victims whenever they found an opportunity.
SP Neelotpal said the two women were
taken into custody on Wednesday morning.
-- PTI
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PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given to the General Public that we, M/s. Universal
Corporation And M/s. Samson Extrusions Industries Pvt Ltd., Intending to offer
our properties described herein below as a mortgage to HDFC Bank Ltd., by
way of security to secure the banking facility granted to us., by the said HDFC
Bank Ltd
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY :1. Plot No. 2 admeasuring 1196 sq.mtrs bearing Survey No. 86, Hissa No. 2
part, Survey No. 87, Hissa No. 2 part situated at Village Asangaon, Taluka
Shahapur, District Thane belonging to M/s. Samson Extrusions Industries Pvt
Ltd
2. Sub-divided Plot No. 66 admeasuring 897 sq.yards i.e 750 sq.mtrs bearing S
No. 87, 39/1 situated at Village Aliyali, Taluka & District Palghar belonging to
M/s. Universal Corporation
It is further notified that the following Original Documents pertaining to above
referred property is misplaced /not available / not traceable, which are as under:
In respect of Plot No. 66
Sr.
No.
1
'+6,#,'6, ,1 - 4, Natasha Manor ‘A’, Chandavarkar
Road, Borivali (West) Mumbai - 400092. 32"., 022-28955868/28955858
%0$, ,borivali@indianbank.co.in
2
Appendix IV POSSESSION NOTICE
[Rule-8(1)] (FOR IMMOVABLE PROPERTY)
3
Whereas the undersigned being the 6543210/.-, +*)(.1 of Indian Bank,
'210&%$0, #./4, '1%"(3 under then Securitisation and Reconstruction of
Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (second) Act, 2002
and in exercise of powers conferred under section 13(12) read with rule 3 of
the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002 issued Demand notice dated
13th !.( , calling upon Amit Kumar (Borrower / Mortgagor) and Rukshar
Parveen (Borrower / Mortgagor) to repay the aggregate amount motioned in
the said Notice being / , ,5../,."4,251,%3,.&."4,
2,325/%"-,$.&.",+"$,together with interest from together
with, incidental expenses, cost, charges etc. within 60 days from the date of
the said notice.
The Borrower/ Mortgagor / Guarantor having failed to repay the amount, notice
is hereby given to the Borrower and public in general that the undersigned
has taken 2$0(, 2//.//02" of the property described herein below in
exercise of powers conferred on him under Section 13(4) of the said Act read
with the Rule 9 of the said Rules on this 16th,+(4 ,
The Borrower/ Mortgagor/ Guarantor mentioned hereinabove in particular and
the public in general are hereby cautioned not to deal with the property and any
dealings with the property will be subject to the charge of Indian Bank Borivali
West Branch for an amount of being / , ,5../,."4,251,
%3,.&."4,2,325/%"-,$.&.",+"$,and interest thereon.
The borrowers attention is invited to the provision of Sub- section (8) of section
(13) of the Act, in respect of the time available, to redeem the secured assets.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURED ASSET
All that piece and parcel of Unit No. 803 on 8th Floor, Admeasuring area 50.82
Sq. Mtr. in “C Wing” of Building No. 6 known as “Sunteck West World” situated at
Village Tivri, Taluka Vasai, Dist. Palghar 401 207, '25"-.-,', ,2143, Open
Plot,,2543, Nakshtra Building,%/4, Unicorns Global Arena,,#./4, ,,Open Plot.
Sd/Dat.,, , ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$%(., ,5 %0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Authorized Officer, Indian Bank
Two women poisoned...
dgB©-{dama eha ‘hmZJanm{bH$m
RAJESH MOUDGIL /
Chandigarh
IN THE COURTYARD
Govt promptly appoints
35 judges & addl judges
Drug cartel operator is...
Press council meet on
journos’ retrenchment
Bengaluru: Fire breaks out Bishnoi gang
in multi-storey building operative held
Man jumps from top floor; 2 seriously hurt
questioning, police found their links with the
Vasant Vihar murder. Thereafter, two more
accused were arrested.
The motive behind Vishwanathan’s murder was
robbery, Delhi Police had said in a 620-page
chargesheet filed in 2009. “They are charged
under murder, destruction of evidence, forgery
and criminal conspiracy. MCOCA has also been
slapped against the all five accused,” senior
police officer HGS Dhaliwal had then said.
“We lost our daughter, but this will act as a
deterrent for others,” Madhavi Vishwanathan,
the mother of the slain journalist, said after the
judgement was delivered. “We demand life
term for the convicts as they should suffer what
we went through,” she said.
Name of Documents
Original Registration Receipt of Registered Sale Deed dated
11.01.1985 between Mr. Vasant Kumar B Jain and M/s. Universal
Corporation
Original Registration Receipt of Registered Sale Deed dated
04.12.1982 between M/s. Palghar Industrial Development Corporation
and Mr. Vasant Kumar B Jain
4
Original Sale Deed dated 15.10.1982 between Mr. Laxmiprasad M
Shukla and M/s. Palghar Industrial Development Corporation
Original Commencement Certificate
5
Original Occupancy Certificate
In respect of Plot No. 2
Sr.
Name of Documents
No.
1
Original Indenture of Sale dated 13.02.1991 between Ms. Heeral M
Shah through guardian Mr. Mahesh Shah and M/s. Samson Extrusions
Industries Pvt Ltd alongwith original Registration Receipt
2
3
Original Agreement dated 11.04.1989 between Dattatray Bapu and
Mrs. Shivdevi Singh alongwith original Registration Receipt
Original Commencement Certificate
4
Original Occupancy Certificate
If any person / persons or institutions claim to have any charge,
encumbrance, right, interest or entitlement of whatsoever nature over the
said property or any part thereof, they should make known the same in
writing along with supporting document and evidence thereof to M/s Bejai
and Co., Advocates and Notary having their Office at 102, 1st floor, Bldg
No. 28, Harsh Vihar, Sector 1, Shanti Nagar, Mira Road (E), Thane 401
107; within 14 days from the date of publication of this notice, failing which
the mortgage with HDFC Bank Ltd., shall be complete without reference to
any such claim, right, interest, charge, encumbrance or any other right or
entitlement of whatsoever nature of anyone.
M/s. Universal Corporation
M/s. Samson Extrusions Industries Pvt Ltd
Place :- Mumbai
Date :- 12.10.2023
GOA
MONDAY
| AUGUST
Thursday
October29,
19,2022
2023
log on to thegoan.net
NH officials retreat as
Bhoma locals oppose
survey work
THE GOAN I NETWORK
OLD GOA
The PWD’s National Highway
officials who had come to undertake a survey of structures
which would be demolished
for the proposed Bhoma highway expansion on Wednesday had to retreat as locals
opposed the survey till their
demands for a bypass were
met.
The officials along with a
strong police force went to
Bhoma to survey the structures that would be demolished for the highway expansion.
However, the locals objected to the same and questioned
whether they have any order
from the government to conduct the survey of the structures.Police officials present
at the site informed that they
were undertaking the survey
based on the Gazette notification which has already been
published. However, the locals refused to allow the survey to go ahead as they said
the issue is in the High Court
and that they will not allow
read more on thegoan.net
IN SHORT >>
Man falls for ‘easy
money scheme’,
duped of ` 58 lakh
MAPUSA: Falling to the temptation of making easy money,
a local from Assonora to his
bad luck found that he had
been duped of Rs 58 lakh
by a couple who resided as
tenants in his house.
Restricted water
supply in Bardez
@thegoanonline
Facebook.com/thegoan
SAYS THESE VILLAGES DON’T MEET MoEF CRITERIA
THE GOAN I NETWORK
PANAJI
The Goa government has
urged the Centre to drop 40
villages from being categorised as Ecologically (Eco)
Sensitive Areas (ESAs) since
they do not meet the criteria
set out by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
The seven-member committee headed by retired IFS
Sanjay Kumar, constituted by
MoEF&CC to finalise the ESAs
of Goa region, on Monday
held a meeting with the Chief
Minister Pramod Sawant and
Environment Minister Nilesh
Cabral. During the meeting,
the State reiterated its demand for exclusion of 40 villages from ESAs.
Speaking to media persons
on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that 40 villages need to
be dropped from the 99 villages, which are identified in the
draft notification of ESAs. He
said that in 59 villages that are
proposed for inclusion no red
SAWANT SPEAKS
„„40 villages need to be dropped from
the 99 villages, which are identified in
the draft notification of ESAs
„„In 59 villages that are proposed for
inclusion no red category industries
including commercial mining would be
allowed
„„If they want, they can add another 10 villages that are
contiguous, but, actually these 40 villages do not meet the
criteria
category industries including
commercial mining would be
allowed.
“I have been following up
on the issue since I became
the Chief Minister in 2019.
They had earlier proposed
that 99 villages should be categorised as ESAs. They had
three criteria – the village
has to be contiguous with
the Western Ghats, should be
at a certain elevation above
sea level and the presence
of diverse species of plants
and animals. After understanding the issue, we pro-
Max:
31 C
Min:
25 C
Humidity: 82%
TIDES
Low:
High:
07:05 19:15
01:29 12:12
PANAJI
Chief
Minister
Pramod
Sawant has assured to reallocate shacks on Calangute
and Candolim beaches and
also agreed to revert the total
number of shacks to eight on
Ozran beach.
These assurances come in
response to the issues raised
A police team and rescue personnel with one of the bodies at
Arambol beach on Wednesday.
THE GOAN I NETWORK
PERNEM
A holiday in Goa ahead of a
marriage ended in tragedy
when two brothers from Jammu and Kashmir drowned
in the sea off Arambol on
Wednesday morning.
According to reports, the
brothers Aman (28) and Abhishek (34) along with two
others from Delhi were in Goa,
to celebrate the forthcoming
THE GOAN I NETWORK
B
VIBHA VERMA
PANAJI
In striking contrast with regards to the current batch
of constable recruits, while
the 374 trainees await practical training in handling
firearms at a shooting
range, their counterparts
at the Delhi Police Training
Academy (DPTA) have already progressed through
the intricate process.
Around 500 trainees
are currently undergoing
training in mastering a
wide range of firearms and
honing their skills in firing exercises. On the other
hand, the Police Training
School (PTS) in Valpoi has
been limited to instructing
trainees in the art of aiming
rifles by utilising its open
ground for instructional
purposes.
“It's a plain ground
within the campus where
aiming of rifles is taught,”
a police inspector said,
admitting the department
does not have a shooting
range after Maulinguem.
Also, the Third Military
Training Regiment (MTR)
has not responded to its
request allowing access to
their shooting range for practical training.
Sources said that while the
department awaits confirmation of slots from 3MTR, the
current PTS batch is being
taught to 'hold' a rifle. The
training has started just recently. "The opening and closing of bolt titles and marching
with the rifles are some basic
teachings currently underway... The aiming of targets
(paper targets) is taught to get
familiar with rifles," he said.
TRACKING POLICE
RECRUITS
It will be interesting to
witness that both groups of
the same batch will soon be
deployed for the upcoming
National Games 2023. The
trainees from the DPTA are
expected to arrive in Goa later
this week only to report back
to the institute to resume their
training after the Games. The
same follows with the trainees
at PTS.
Besides the theory, the
Goan recruits in DPTA are also
undergoing outdoor training
consisting of one of the crucial
courses – obstacles. This too
allegedly lacks at PTS, Valpoi
besides the non-operational
THE GOAN I NETWORK
wedding of Abhishek.
The brothers were staying at
Baga and had gone for a swim
at 6.30 am in the sea near the
Sweet Water Lake, when they
began to struggle in the water.
The police and fire services
were alerted and a search and
rescue operation was initiated.
Both bodies were retrieved
from the sea and sent for an
autopsy. Pernem police is investigating the incident.
Diwali bonus likely for Goa
government employees
PANAJI
abus in Goa in the ‘B’
and ‘C’ category are in
for a bonanza this Diwali
as a proposal to pay them a
non-productivity linked bonus
is under the State government’s consideration and is
likely to be approved by it in
this week itself.
Official sources said, the
file with the proposal to pay
non-productivity linked bonus
almost equivalent to a month’s
salary has been moved on the
lines of a similar bonus announced by the Union finance
ministry for all eligible Central
government employees, including paramilitary forces.
The Union finance ministry
had announced that the bonuses will be credited to the
employees’ accounts before
Diwali.
“The proposal has routinely
posed that 40 villages can be
dropped.... I had sent a proposal to environment minister Bhupendra Yadav, last
year, to have them dropped,”
Sawant said.
“If they want, they can
add another 10 villages that
are contiguous, but, actually
these 40 villages do not meet
the criteria,” he added.
Sawant said that it is very
important that we protect the
environment, especially the
Western Ghats. “There are
some doubts in the minds
of villagers. But it is not like
if a village is notified as an
ESA, farming and building
of houses will be disallowed.
They can go ahead with their
day to day activities. There
are list of activities that are
allowed and not allowed.
Only red category industries
and commercial mining are
banned in ESAs,” Sawant
said.
The High Level Working
Group in its report submitted in 2014- based on which
four draft notifications were
issued with latest one in 2022
– had divided Goa’s Western
Ghat region into three talukas
identifying 99 villages – Sattari (56), Sanguem (38) and
Canacona (3).
Raising its strong objection, the State had pointed
out that out of Goa’s total geographical area of 3,702sq km,
it is hardly left with 342 sq km
area (only 9.25%), which can
be made use of for growth
and development. He said
that the rest comprises forest
area, CRZ, agricultural land
and green cover.
In the range of fire: Valpoi
school vs Delhi training
firing simulators.
“Newly recruited Probationary Sub-Inspectors
(PSIs) and Recruit Constables have been undergoing
basic training since March/
April 2023. This training
includes both indoor and
outdoor activities. We also
have laid down guidelines
for the period to assess
their performance,” Director, DPTA, Vijay Singh told
The Goan, when contacted
for details on the status of
training.
Around 4,000 trainees –
both newly recruited and
serving – are currently undergoing various training
courses at the Academy,
considered as the country’s
best institute. Amongst
these, around 500 recruit
constables and a batch of
130 PSIs from Goa Police
are being trained.
Singh revealed they are
undergoing training in
terms of a comprehensive
defined syllabus for both
indoor and outdoor activities. “In indoor training,
emphasis is on Law subject and other theoretical
subjects whereas in
read more on thegoan.net
Holiday ends in tragedy, Sawant agrees to reallocate shacks at Calangute, Candolim
two J&K brothers meet
The Chief Minister has assured to reallocate
shacks on Calangute and Candolim beaches, and
revert the total shacks on Ozran to eight,”
watery grave at Arambol
—Cruz Cardozo,
Tout, 2 others held
for cheating tourist
WEATHER >>
Instagram.com/thegoanonline
40 villages should be
out of ESA list: CM
MAPUSA: A breakdown of
the 1000 mm water pipeline
has affected water supply to
Mapusa and other areas in
Bardez on Wednesday even
as the PWD has issued restricted water supply notification for Thursday and Friday
to most parts of the taluka.
MAPUSA: Calangute Police
on Wednesday arrested a
tout and two of his friends
on charges of assaulting and
robbing a tourist but the case
clearly indicates that illegalities are on the rise in the
beach village
The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS)
The proposal has routinely
gone to the finance
department which has
to approve it before the
State government gives it
the final nod. By the end
of this week a positive
decision is likely,”
—Senior bureaucrat
gone to the finance department which has to approve it
before the State government
gives it the final nod,” a senior
bureaucrat said, adding that by
the end of this week a positive
decision is likely.
A day after the Centre announced the ‘Diwali’ bonus for
its employees, the proposal
was readied by the State government.
However, some employ-
ees who are in the B and C
category will be excluded since
their salary scale makes them
ineligible under the Bonus Act.
They similarly were denied
bonus in previous years that it
was paid.
The Centre’s announcement
of the bonus for ‘B’ and ‘C’ category employees had come on
Tuesday wherein the finance
ministry spokesperson had
said that the non-productivity
linked bonus equivalent to a
month’s salary will be paid to
non-gazetted central government employees who are not
covered under any Productivity
Linked Bonus Scheme. Diwali
this year is on November 12.
According to the proposal
moved by the State government, its employees who were
in service till March 31 this
year and worked for at least six
months during the year 202223 will be eligible to get this
bonus.
President of Shack Owners Welfare Society
by aggrieved shack operators
who met with the Chief Minister on Wednesday regarding the abrupt reduction of
shacks from eight to three on
Ozran beach and the chang-
ing of wards for some shacks
on Calangute and Candolim
beaches.
This is the second time
Chief Minister Sawant addressed their concerns, with
the first related to the shack
policy and coordination issues between the tourism department and the shack operators.
President of Shack Owners
Welfare Society Cruz Cardozo
said the CM heard their grievances and assured to resolve
them.
"He has assured to reallocate shacks on Calangute and
Candolim beaches, and revert the total shacks on Ozran
to eight," he told The Goan,
emerging from the meeting,
read more on thegoan.net
MMC puts ball in GSPCB’s court over
delay in issuing ‘consent to operate’
QUESTION OF DISPOSAL OF SLURRY IN LAST MONTH RETURNS TO HAUNT CIVIC BODY
THE GOAN I NETWORK
MARGAO
Goa State Pollution Control
Board (GSPCB) notice on the
5TPD bio-methanation plant
at the SGPDA market has
thrown up a host of questions
for the Pollution Control Board
as well as the Margao Municipal Council to answer.
One, leave alone obtaining
the Consent to operate from
the GSPCB, did the Margao
Civic body in the first place
apply to the Pollution Control
Board for the Consent to establish the bio-methanation
plant at the SGPDA market.
This question may be redundant now considering that the
Bio-methanation plant was
inaugurated around two years
ago in November 2021 and is in
operation since then.
Secondly, the question
whether the MMC had applied
to the GSPCB to issue Consent
to operate and whether the
GSPCB had delayed in issuing
the consent has come to the
fore with the Pollution Control
board itself has now stating
there’s no consent to operate
the plant.
MMC officials say the civic
body had in the recent past
applied to the GSPCB to issue
the consent to operate the
bio-methanation plant, but
pushed the ball in the court
of the Pollution Control Board
for the delay in issuing the
consent.
A two-member team of
MMC officials comprising of
engineers on Wednesday vis-
Bio-methanation plant should either be shut
down or made fit for ‘consent’, says GF chief
The bio-methanation plant.
ited the GSPCB to find out
the delay in issuing the consent to operate the bio-methanation plant till date. MMC
sources, however, remained
tightlipped on the outcome
of the meeting with the GSPCB officials, only saying
that things will soon fall in
place.
The MMC, however, have
another major query to answer
– how and where is the Civic
body disposing off the slurry
generated at the bio-methanation plant, when the GSPCB
during the inspection carried
out in June last had found
the slurry finding its way into
the adjoining fields. A similar
charge was leveled by Fatorda
MLA Vijai Sardesai on Monday, saying the slurry from the
bio-methanation plant is discharged in the open, devastating the adjoining fields.
Last month, the MMC had
found itself in a tight spot after the PWD, sewerage had
stopped accepting the slurry
generated by the bio-meth-
anation plant at the Sirvodem Sewage Treatment plant
(STP). That’s not all. A similar
move by the MMC to transport
the slurry to the Vasco Sewage
treatment plant (STP) had also
come a cropper after the PWD
officials refused to accept the
slurry at the STP.
This has thrown up a question for the MMC to answer –
how and where did the MMC
dispose of the slurry generated
at the Bio-methanation plant
for the last one month.
A MMC official in private
said the Civic body had roped
in a private contractor to dispose of the slurry. One question that has remained unanswered is where exactly did
the private contractor dispose
of the slurry at the PWD-run
STPs in the state or elsewhere.
In its report, the GSPCB had
pointed out that the bio-methanation waste handles could
produce the receipts issued
by the STP, Sirvodem up to the
period of September 2022, indicating the MMC has no proof
MARGAO: A day after the Goa State Pollution Control Board
(GSPCB) pointed out the Margao Municipal Council’s 5TPD
bio-methanation plant at the SGPDA market is operating sans
consent to operate, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has demanded that the plant should be either shut down or it should be
made fit for consent to operate.. He has demanded to know
why is the GSPCB only telling the Council not to discharge the
slurry when it should actually be telling them to shut down.
Further demanding to know whether the GSPCB will extend
the same privilege to common Goemkars operating a plant without consent to operate, Sardesai warned that Fatorda will not
tolerate this filthy dealings that destroy its fields anymore.
“Keep your filth to yourself. Don’t dump it on Fatorda. The
ongoing slimy relationship between Margao Municipal Corporation and Goa Pollution Control Board has resulted in the
MMC’s bio-methanation plant ‘operating’ without GSPCB’s
‘Consent to Operate’. Why is GSPCB only telling them to not
discharge the slurry when it should actually be telling them to
shut down? Will GSPCB extend the same privilege to common
#Goemkars? Fatorda will not tolerate this filthy dealings that
destroy its fields anymore”, Sardesai took to the social media
on Wednesday.
Demanding that the Goa government must act now, he
said the he plant should be either shut down or make it fit for
Consent to Operate. “Don’t force citizens to run to the judiciary for even the most basic and routine work that the MMC
should be doing. Correct your ways or we’ll correct you. For
me, Goan Health Matters”, he said.
to say that they slurry was being discharged at the PWD-operated STPs.
Incidentally, an audit conduct on the bio-methanation
plant last year had stated that
the plant operator is struggling for the disposal of the digested slurry.
“There is no mechanism
established for measuring the
incoming waste and for maintaining the required ratio of
the waste/ water. Further, the
power generation engine is not
connected to the GRID/GED.
Presently, power generated
is partly utilised for self-consumption only and the power
generating unit is operated
on neutral load,” the audit
had stated.
GUJARAT
Conmen offset repute earned by state achievers
Gandhinagar: Ever since Gujarat gave two of its prized sons
to prime positions in the country’s top echelons, a number
of conmen from the state have gone to work trying to cash
in on it. One Mayank Tiwari of Vadodara has posed as an
officer of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to make the
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Campaigning for
Assembly elections
cost parties `168cr
Gujarat units collected Rs
111.573 crore and spent Rs
All political parties together 168.653 crore for the campaign.
spent Rs 168 crore in the GuIn the two states' assembly
jarat Assembly elections held elections campaign, the highin December 2022, according est expenditure of Rs 209.446
to the Association for Demo- crore went on publicity. Rs
cratic Reforms (ADR). Inter- 57.115 crore was paid to candiestingly, the BJP spent Rs dates
towards
travel
763.34 lakh on social media expenses. Political parties incampaigns, wherevested Rs 92.653
as the Aam Aadmi The BJP spent crore behind media
Party (AAP) spent
advertisements inRs 95.28 lakh on it. `763.34L and cluding print, elecFor its social media AAP `95.28L tronic, bulk SMS,
campaigns,
BJP
cable, websites and
on social
also paid Google InTV channels in Gumedia
dia Pvt Ltd. The
jarat. For publicity
Congress party has
campaigns material, they spent
not shown any exRs 34.514 crore and
penditure for its social media Rs 11.969 crore on public
campaigns.
meetings by political parties
The Association for Demo- in Gujarat.
cratic Reforms (ADR) in its
Publicity expenditure of
analysis has reported that for the Gujarat state unit was the
political campaigns of Gujarat highest at Rs 139.136 cr or
and Himachal Pradesh assem- 66.43% of the total expendibly elections, a total of 11 polit- ture on publicity, followed by
ical parties collected Rs Rs 60.572 cr or 28.92% from
2,077.815 crore funds, against Central Headquarters, Rs
which they have shown ex- 9.738 cr or 4.65% from Hipenses of Rs 288.356 crore. The machal Pradesh state units.
central headquarters of these Expenditure on publicity was
parties collected Rs 1,943.639 48.59% of the overall expendicrore, against which they ture declared under various
spent Rs 110.943 crore, whereas heads.
FPJ BUREAU/ AHMEDABAD
NIFT celebrates
Khadi spirit,
Swadeshi values
FPJ BUREAU / GANDHINAGAR
The National Institute of
Fashion Technology (NIFT)
hosted an inspirational event
here that focused on the Khadi spirit and the essence of
Swadeshi. The event, graced
by esteemed experts and professionals, aimed to deepen
understanding of Khadi and
its cultural, economic and environmental
significance,
while honouring the spirit of
self-reliance. It also marked
the announcement of winners of the Cleanliness Drive,
aligned with the ‘Swachhta
Hi Seva’ campaign as per
Prof. Dr. Sameer Sood, director, NIFT Gandhinagar.
Dr Sood’s remarks underscored the importance of embracing Swadeshi in a globalised world, emphasising its
role in economic sustainability and as a testament to cultural preservation and environmental
responsibility.
Khadi, representing this
ethos, stands as a symbol of
India’s rich textile heritage
and the exceptional craftsmanship of local artisans.
A highlight of the event
was a captivating composition recited by Pratiksha
Choudhary, a textile design
student, vividly showcasing
her deep connection to Khadi
and its cultural significance.
SMIMER hospital faces flak
Man with disability forced to drag himself around for want of a wheelchair
FPJ BUREAU / SURAT
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC)-run SMIMER
hospital is facing criticism
and outrage after a patient
with disability, 42-year-old
Rampal, was compelled to
drag himself on the hospital
floor as he suffered from “unbearable pain” in his leg and
was not provided with a
wheelchair by the hospital
staff.
Rampal, who resides near
Surat railway station and is
disabled in one leg, sought
medical treatment for “agonising” pain in his other leg.
However, the absence of a
wheelchair at the SMIMER
Hospital forced him to navigate the hospital's various departments while dragging
himself along.
The distressing incident
caught the attention of an
alert citizen who was at the
hospital. The concerned citizen promptly contacted a hospital employee and arranged
for a wheelchair to assist
Rampal. Nevertheless, the
employee left with the wheelchair after transporting the
patient to the X-ray department and did not provide further assistance.
Hospital plagued
by controversies
S
urat Municipal Institute of
Medical Education and
Research was established by
the SMC in 2000. It has been
embroiled in many controversies. A few days ago, AAP
corporator Vipul Suhagiya
was arrested by Surat police
after he physically assaulted
the hospital staff for causing
“extended delays” for
patients seeking benefits
under the Ayushman Bharat
Yojana.
The callousness exhibited
by the hospital attendants,
“including marshals and other staff members”, has left
many in shock. Such a scene
would evoke sympathy from
any onlooker, yet the hospital
staff appeared unresponsive
to the patient's plight.
Anti-dumping duty may force
50K Surat weavers to shut shop
MELVYN THOMAS / SURAT
With the Directorate General
of Trade Remedies (DGTR)
submitting its final proposal
to impose Anti-Dumping
Duty (ADD) on Viscose Rayon
Filament Yarn (VFY) imported from China PR, industry
leaders fear that more than
50,000 weavers could be forced
to cease operations, leaving
thousands of workers jobless
in the city.
This decision, which is
seen as protecting domestic
interests, is poised to disrupt
the largest man-made fabric
(MMF) manufacturing centre
in the country. Surat's textile
industry, known for its vibrant powerloom sector, is
grappling with concerns over
the scarcity of high-quality
VFY imports from China.
The ADD on VFY is expected to cause a significant price
hike for domestic manufacturers, particularly in the
powerloom sector, with anticipated increases ranging
from Rs 40 to Rs 80 per kilogram of VFY. This places substantial strain on an industry
that relies heavily on these
imports to sustain its operations.
Critics argue that the imposition of ADD is unfairly
favouring large domestic
players, such as Grasim Industries Limited, at the expense of smaller businesses
and weavers. Mayur Golwala, a prominent leader in
the powerloom sector, highlighted the importance of
high-quality VFY for Surat's
textile industry. He explained that over 4,700 hitech Airjet machines operating at 1,000 RPM are dependent on these imports, which
are not readily available
within India.
The
DGTR's
decision
stemmed from an application
submitted by the Association
of Man-Made Fiber Industry
Limited and Grasim Industries Limited, requesting an
anti-dumping investigation
into VFY imports from China
PR. This move has sparked
concerns that the closure of
powerloom units in Surat
may result in substantial losses for banks, as weavers have
often borrowed significant
sums to install expensive Airjet machines. Defaults on
loan repayments could become a pressing issue if
weavers are unable to meet
their obligations due to business closures.
Mayur Golwala expressed
his concern about the situation, stating, "There was ADD
on VFY from 2006 to 2017.
Anti-subsidy duty was proposed in 2019-20 on VFY,
which was stalled by the government. Now, the DGTR has
taken an arbitrary decision to
favour Grasim Industries."
High-rise flat owners at risk due to AAI lapse
MELVYN THOMAS / SURAT
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is
under scrutiny for its failure to conduct
a crucial Obstacle Limitation Surface
(OLS) survey for the proposed parallel
runway at Surat airport, as outlined in
the AAI Master Plan 2035. This negligence has left tens of thousands of flat
owners in high-rise apartments in
Surat's diamond city at risk, as they may
face legal battles in the future due to potential height obstructions.
An alert citizen from Surat raised this
critical issue by filing a complaint with
the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). The primary concern is the absence of the OLS survey for the 3,810-meter runway specified in the Surat Airport
Master Plan 2035.
It was only on December 20, 2020, that
the Gazette of India officially declared
the existing and proposed runway length
of 3,810 meters at Surat Airport. Howev-
er, this declaration coincided with surface surveys being conducted only for
the existing airstrip, covering a length of
2,906 meters. This incomplete approach
has left many questioning AAI's diligence.
Over the past six years, five OLS surveys have been carried out, from 2016 to
2022. Unfortunately, each of these attempts fell short of a comprehensive assessment, suggesting a systemic issue
within AAI's survey practices.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation
gazetted the runway length of both the
existing 2,906 meters and the proposed
parallel runway of 3,810 meters, thus reinforcing the need for an accurate OLS
survey to secure the airspace. Despite
the requisite parameters for maximum
permissible height of the buildings is in
place under the NOCSA2 since 2016, no
OLS survey has been executive for the
proposed parallel runway at Surat airport in alignment with the Master Plan
2035 for airport extension.
The existing runway at Surat Airport is 2,906 meters as per authorized
standards. However, temporary displacement of 615 meters towards
RWY22 has occurred due to height constraints. The AAI indicated that extending the airstrip to RWY04 (Dumas)
was unfeasible because an ONGC
pipeline runs through the airport
premises. Even if this underground
pipeline is shifted, it would still face
hindrances from three legal multistory buildings in Dumas.
Dr. Jitendra Darshan, the
medical superintendent of
SMIMER Hospital, said that
he would review the CCTV
camera footage and initiate
an investigation into the incident. Dr. Darshan also mentioned that a wheelchair was
indeed made available to the
FPJ BUREAU/ GANDHINAGAR
Chief Minister Bhupendra
Patel announced on Wednesday that salaries of fixedsalaried employees would be
increased by 30%, to the benefit of 61,560 employees with
the decision taking effect
from October 1, 2023. This
move will incur an additional
financial burden of Rs 548.64
crore on the state exchequer.
Announcing the state government decision, Health
Minister Rishikesh Patel said
Class-3 employees falling in
the grade pay of Rs 4,400 and
drawing salaries of Rs 38,090
will now be drawing Rs 49,600
from this month. Salaries of
Class-3 employees with a pay
grade of Rs 4,200 and 2,800,
will increase from Rs 31,340 to
Rs 40,800. Class-3 employees
ever karaoke version of the
Maa Amba aarti song.
During Navratri, devotees
often come together in garba
venues, streets, residential
apartments and houses to
sing aartis with a shared tune
and rhythm. Many use
recorded versions of the song
played on music systems to
kick off the garba event. The
introduction of the karaoke
version of Maa Amba aarti
now allows devotees to participate in the song's melodious rendition, even if they
don't remember all the words
and the tune.
Explaining the idea, Jitendra Bandhaniya, owner of
The Visualizer, said, "During
Navratri, parents usually
sing aartis, and children sing
along. However, when children have to sing alone, they
may struggle with the words
and tune. By providing them
with a karaoke version, children can engage with Maa
Amba's aarti in a more musical and enjoyable way."
Bandhaniya also added,
"Rather than singing a
recorded Aarti in small pandals and societies, singing
aarti in one's own voice with
karaoke enhances the experience. Shivanand Swami's
with pay grades of Rs 2400,
2000, 1900, and 1800, and drawing salaries of Rs 19,950, will
now draw Rs 26,000. Whereas
Class-4 employees with pay
grades of Rs 1,650, 1,400, and
1,300 will now get Rs 16,224 to
21,100 per month.
The highest benefit will go
to head constables, junior/
senior clerks and Vidya Sahayaks. In all, 40,386 employees will benefit from this decision. As many as 14,103 head
clerks, office superintendents
and field assistants will get a
pay hike. Some 6,780 deputy
mamlatdars, deputy sections
officers, and police sub-inspectors will now get Rs
49,600 as salary.
The last time the state government gave pay rise to
fixed-salaried employees was
in January 2017.
HC directs police
to act on complaints
over noise pollution
on Tuesday, Sanghvi said, "I
have given oral instructions
Gujarat High Court on to the police not to disturb
Wednesday directed the state garba up to 2 am."
police to ensure action on
Citizen Ravindra Parmar
complaints of noise pollution in a letter addressed to the
after midnight through use of
Chief Justice has requested
loudspeakers or sound sys- to initiate contempt of the
tems. The court made it clear court proceedings against
that police have to abide by the Harsh Sanghvi and oththe orders passed by it in the ers for wilful violation of the
past and that there cannot be Supreme Court and HS judgany compromise on it.
ment regarding noise polluThe court had initiated a tion in case number CA
hearing on Wednesday
3735/2005 and even the Gubased on a complaint
jarat Pollution Control
that loudspeakers
Board notification
The
are allowed to be
issued on 25-09court made it
used in Navratri
2023, the Forest
clear that police
garba even after
and
Environhave to abide by
midnight.
An
ment
Departorders passed by
alert
citizen
ment notification
sought the interdated 18-09-2023
it in the past
vention of the high
and Ahmedabad
court after Minister
Police Commissionof State for Home Harsh
er's notification dated 9Sanghavi was quoted on 10-2023.
record that he had given oral
He complained that people
instructions to the police not are by and large harassed by
to disturb garbas up to 2 am. the use of loudspeakers, muThe oral instructions, appar- sic systems, public address
ently violated earlier HC or- systems,
drums
and
ders that the use of all public crackers, by religious groups
address systems for relaying mainly Hindus, and Muslims
music cease past midnight.
with the Azaan. Especially
A citizen has written a let- festivals like Ganpati, Navrater to the Chief Justice of Gu- tri, Azaan and political
jarat, requesting to initiate a rallies violate standard
suo motu PIL banning loud- norms for noise in public.
speakers/ sound systems and The police have got more
public address systems from than 10,000 complaints re12 midnight till 6 am. This let- garding noise pollution, but
ter was written after Harsh have acted on very few.
Sanghvi announced on TuesCiting the GHC’s recent diday that police have been rections to the police to conorally instructed not to dis- trol noise pollution, no conturb the Navratri garba. crete actions are being taken
While speaking to the media by the police.
FPJ BUREAU/ AHMEDABAD
SVPI airport gets
bigger departure
immigration area
Exciting themes
for artisan
awards 2024
FPJ BUREAU / AHMEDABAD
FPJ BUREAU / SURAT
An all new and expanded immigration area on departure
was unveiled for the passengers travelling through the
International Terminal T-2
of the Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel International (SVPI)
Airport.
This strategic addition will
enhance passenger flow during peak hours, ensuring a
smoother and more efficient
departure experience for all
the travellers heading to international
destinations.
Currently, the international
terminal caters to a daily average of over 2500 passenger
departures
connecting
Ahmedabad to more than 14
destinations
worldwide
through 17 airline partners.
The project is part of our
continuous commitment to
providing an elevated passenger experience. By streamlining processes and optimising
infrastructure, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International
Airport aims to offer all travellers a remarkable and
seamless journey.
The new departure immigration area at Terminal 2 is
equipped with state-of-the-art
facilities and modern technologies.
The Gem & Jewellery Export
Promotion Council has unveiled two unique themes for
the 7th edition of The Artisan
Awards 2024: ‘Unusual Materials’ and ‘Objet Trouvé.’
These innovative themes
promise to redefine artistic
expression and inspire designers to think out-of-thebox and blend alternative and
precious aspects to create
avant-garde fine jewellery.
The first theme, ‘Objet
Trouvé’ (Found Objects) will
explore art crafted from
openly visible yet frequently
altered objects that don’t typically serve as art materials
due to their non-art function.
A ‘found object’, whether
it's natural, man-made, or
even just a fragment, is kept
and preserved due to an inherent connection and interest the artist has with the object. It can be treated as a
work of art in itself, and as a
muse for inspiration.
The idea is to design a
piece of jewellery that
depicts the essence of ‘Objet
Trouvé’ by taking an object
of your past and reimagining
it in a modern form. ‘Found
object’ may be modified and
presented as art.
Jai Adhyashakti aarti karaoke adds to Navratri revelry
FPJ BUREAU / RAJKOT
patient, but Rampal chose to
continue without it.
“Hospitals, especially government-run ones, are expected to provide essential facilities like wheelchairs to ensure that patients, particularly those with mobility issues,
can access medical care with
dignity and without further
discomfort. The incident has
raised questions about the
quality of patient care and
the need for better assistance
for those visiting a hospital,
especially those with disabilities,” said Darshan Naik, a social activist.
Salary increase to cost
exchequer `500 crore
LAST WORD
Devotees in Gujarat now have
a unique way to celebrate
Navratri, as musicians from
the region have introduced a
karaoke version of the Maa
Amba
aarti
'Jai
Adhyashakti.' This innovation allows devotees to sing
the revered aarti with
melody, rhythm and lyrics
from the comfort of their
homes, party plots and garba
venues during the ongoing
festival.
The brainchild of Rajkotbased musician Dharmesh
Pandya's Sai Krupa Studio
and production and branding
company 'The Visualizer,'
this initiative marks the first-
most of the authority of the office. The CBI has registered
a case and arrested the conman. Interestingly, Chirag
Panchal, Under-secretary in the PMO had complained
against the “unworthy” to central investigating agencies
last year.
wonderful aarti of Mataji has
been given a fresh dimension
by presenting it to the people
in a karaoke version."
While karaoke versions of
Bollywood songs are popular,
this innovative approach
brings the same musical experience to religious songs,
aartis, and kirtans, aiming to
connect people with their
faith
through
music.
Dharmesh Pandya of Sai
Krupa Studio expressed his
intentions to launch karaoke
versions of 51 songs in the
first phase, including Hanuman Chalisa and Shiv Bhajans, with plans to expand the
repertoire to 108 songs, encompassing kirtans, aartis
and more
Shramik Annapurna
benefits 50L state workers
FPJ BUREAU / GANDHINAGAR
Subsidised meals provided to
construction labourers in the
state have benefitted 50 lakh
people so far, the Gujarat government has claimed. Construction site and other contractual workers are provided
meals at a cost of Rs 5 by the
state government under the
Shramik Annapurna Yojana.
The programme was discontinued because of Covid-19
and resumed in October 2022.
With technological development, the government has introduced the E-Nirman Card
at all centres, where workers
can scan a QR code and can get
a one-time meal on the spot.
Beneficiaries, who do not have
an e-Nirman card, are regis-
tered temporarily at the booth
and then they can get food for
15 days. Now, meals are provided to labourers at 118 ‘kadianakas’ (worker’s corner) in 10
districts, including big cities
like Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat and Vadodara.
Currently, meals are being
delivered at 13 construction
sites, including cities such as
Ahmedabad,
Gandhinagar,
Surat and Vadodara. These districts include Ahmedabad (47
kadianakas), Gandhinagar (4),
Vadodara (12), Surat (18),
Navsari (3), Rajkot (9), Mehsana
(7), Valsad (6), Patan (8), and
Bhavnagar (4 kadianakas).
Under this scheme, workers are provided with meals
that include pulses, potatoes,
mixed vegetables and roti.
Mission 84: SGCCI all set to
launch Surat Economic Forum
FPJ BUREAU / SURAT
The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry is gearing up to introduce
the Surat Economic Forum as
a significant component of
the SGCCI Global Connect
Mission 84. This strategic
move aims to cultivate an enabling environment and
ecosystem for trade and commerce throughout the South
Gujarat region.
A pre-launch meeting of
the SEF was convened at the
SGCCI,
where
Ramesh
Vaghasia, president of SGCCI, provided an insightful
overview of the SGCCI
Global Connect Mission 84
project. Hemant Desai, advi-
sor of the Chamber’s Capital
and Commodity Market Committee, shed light on the SEF.
He underscored that SEF’s
primary objective is to establish a conducive environment
that fosters an ecosystem for
The SEF draws
inspiration from the
World Economic Forum
the greater South Gujarat,
with Surat at its heart.
This initiative is promoted
as a specialised endeavour
under the SGCCI Global Connect Mission 84 project. The
project’s central goal is to
drive rapid economic devel-
opment, benefitting every citizen, not only in Surat but in
the entire country.
The SEF draws inspiration from the World Economic Forum and is poised to become a robust platform for
gathering global knowledge,
information, analysis and research. The intention is to
harness this wealth of insights for the betterment of
the local economy. Following
the strategy of ‘Think Global, Act Local,’ the forum will
serve as a think tank, uniting
industrialists,
entrepreneurs, professionals, economists, academicians, government officials and other
stakeholders on a single platform.
Jagan to have darshan of Goddess Kanaka Durga
Vijayawada: : As part of the onging Nava Ratri celebrations, Chief Minister Jagan
Mohan Reddy to have darsan of Godess Kanaka Durga on Friday on the occasion of
Moola Nakstram. The Chief Minister will offer the traditional silk robes to the Almighty
on that day wherein the presiding deity will appear as Sri Saraswathi Devi Alankaram
Vzm police crack
the whip
VISAKHAPATNAM: Under the
orders of Vizianagaram District
SP Ms. M. Deepika, the police
conducted raids on illegal
activities like liquor, sand,
ganja, cattle smuggling, cock
betting and poker games. Police
and SEB officials conducted
raids as part of inspections,
registered 5 cases, arrested 5
people and seized 5.4 liters of
IMFL liquor and 2 liters of ID
arrack.Two persons who were
transporting sand illegally were
arrested and two tractors and 9
tons of sand was seized in
Pusapati Rega and Bhogapuram
Twenty two cases were
registered against those who
consumed alcohol in public
places and disturbed public
peace. 7 cases have been
registered against those who
drank and drove vehicles. Police
officers and personnel across
the district conducted vehicle
checks and made people and
motorists aware of road safety
and issued e-challans to
motorists who violated the
rules. To create awareness
about Disha App in the district,
a drive was undertaken and
options to download and
register cases on the Disha App
were explained. As part of the
annual inspections, S. Kota and
Vizianagaram Traffic PSs were
visited by Visakhapatnam
Range DIG Mr. S. Harikrishna
and checked the records and
CD files.
on Friday. As Moola Nakshtram is very important in the Nava Ratri, over one lakh
pilgrims are expected to have darshan of the Goddess on that day. The temple
authorities have made necessary arrangements to meet the rush of the pilgrims like
setting up of additonal counters and facilities for drinking water and parking.
Vizag police
register cases
HYDERABAD: The Vizag city
police officers and staff
conducted raids and
registered cases on Tuesday
against unsocial activities
like sand, liquor, NDPS cases,
gaming like poker, cock
fighting , town nuisance
cases (T.N Act) and public
drinking. City Police
Commissioner Dr. A. Ravi
Shankar, instructed his
officers to take strict action
against these offenders.
Town nuisance cases have
been registered against 15
people in various parts of the
city. Police, SEB officials
conducted awareness classes
on ganja, drugs and other
narcotic drugs. Suspicious
places, parcel godowns and
shops were searched. Cases
were registered against 38
people who consumed
alcohol in public places and
disturbed peace.
HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
SAJJALA UPSET OVER TDP
LEADERS’ BEHAVIOUR
FPJ BUREAU/AMARAVATHI
Coming down heavily on the
TDP leaders for coming onto
the roads protesting against
the arrest of their leader
Chandrababu Naidu, advisor
to the Andhra Pradesh Government and YSRCP general
secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Wednesday felt
that the behaviour of the TDP
leaders is very strange.
As the innocent voters have
given power to the TDP in
2014, none other than the party chief has resorted to
largescale corruption, Sajjala
Ramakrishna Reddy told media persons at the YSRCP party office in Tadepalle. There is
clear evidence that Chandrababu has committed the
crime, Sajjala remarked.
The TDP leaders are
making baseless allegations
that the State Government is
acting inhumanly with Chandrababu, he said. "This is nothing but a high drama by the
TDP leaders. Chandrababu did
commit a mistake and is seek-
As the innocent voters have given power to the TDP in
2014, none other than the party chief has resorted to
largescale corruption
– Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Advisor of AP Govt
ing people's support," Sajjala
Ramakrishna Reddy stated.
Chandrababu has the history of backstabbing his own
father-in-law, Sajjala remarked and said that the agitational programmes being
organised by the TDP in vari-
ous parts of the State prove
beyond doubt that the party is
stooping so low. Within two
months of coming to power
Chandrababu resorted to this
scam and people are now
aware
of
the
facts
irrespective of court orders,
Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy
maintained.
He felt that the TDP activities are causing great inconvenience to the people as they
are creating trouble for the
common man. All this drama
is only to divert the public attention and the TDP leaders
are diverting the main issue
by highlighting the technical
points, he added.
As chief minister Chandrababu looted Rs 371 cr
through fake agreements of
which Rs 241 cr was diverted
to shell companies through
which he has withdrawn
these funds, Sajjala said. The
TDP leaders are not denying
this fact but claim that Chandrababu Naidu has no connection with it, he observed.
The official records and the
communication clearly indicate that the whole scam has
taken place with the direct involvement of the chief minister, Sajala Ramakrishna Reddy said adding that the files
contain the signatures of
Chandrababu too.
Go Green,
Go Electric'
campaign
Mega eye camp in
tribal belt
VISAKHAPATNAM: an
awareness programme for
tribals in Paderu and Araku
remote areas and conducted
a free mega eye camp on
Tuesday. About 400 tribals
were examined and free
power glasses were given.
Those with severe problems
were given appointment for
free treatment with free
transport under the auspices
of Sankar Netralaya. The
tribals and Girijans thanked
the CM for the good
governance in Uttara Andhra
especially dominant with
tribal population and BCs.
Paderu MLA Bhagyalakshmi
and Araku MLA Phalgun
participated while offering
prayers to the famous
goddess of Uttaranchal Moda
Kondamma Talli. JAC
chairman Prof Lajipathirai
wished all tribal areas in the
region would get priority,
under the present
Government. MLA
Bhagyalakshmi said with
Vizag becoming the
administratuve capital,
Girijans would develop in all
spheres.
MLA Phalguni also opined
the three capital system
would bring integrated and
even development in Andhra
Pradesh.
HYDERABAD
FPJ BUREAU/VISAKHAPATNAM
AP needs a combination of
Naidu and Pawan Kalyan
FPJ BUREAU/KOTHAPETA
Andhra Pradesh now badly
needs the vision of Jana Sena
chief Pawan Kalyan and the
prolonged experience of former chief minister and TDP
supremo
Chandrababu
Naidu, said Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee (PAC)
chairman
Nadendla
Manohar here on Wednesday.
Both the parties will combinely move ahead to build
YSRCP-free Andhra Pradesh,
Nadendla Manohar told media persons here. The Jana
Sena PAC chairman is on a
visit to the East Godavari district to console the family
members of party activists
who died in various accidents.
Making it clear that the
Jana Sena-TDP combine will
certainly extend better wel-
We certainly give up
the system of pressing
the buttons but will
ensure that all the
eligible persons get
the benefits of the
welfare programmes
fare programmes than the
YSRCP, Nadendla Manohar
said that the alliance government will take the State in the
progressive path. "We certainly give up the system of
pressing the buttons but will
ensure that all the eligible
persons get the benefits of the
welfare programmes," the
Jana Sena PAC chairman
said.
Both the Jana Sena and the
TDP will soon formulate a
Petition filed against CM
combined action plan to go to
the people, he said, adding
that the activists of both the
parties will approach every
doorstep to explain to the people the failures of the YSRCP.
The activists also explain to
the people the welfare programmes to be taken up once
the alliance government is
formed in the State, he stated.
Observing that Jana Sena
is the only party in the country that solidly stands by the
party activists considering
them as the family members
of the Jana Sena, Nadendla
Manohar said that he has
handed over cheques for Rs 5
lakh each for 10 families
whose family heads died in
various accidents.
Party leaders Kadula
Durgesh, Pitani Bala Krishna
and
Bandaru
Srinivas
besides others were present.
FPJ BUREAU/ANANTAPUR
Family responsibilities, daily
labour work and poor financial status couldn’t stop
Bharati from getting Ph D degree.
Bharati is one of the three
daughters of her parents. After completing inter, she got
married to their relative. She
lives with her husband and
daughter in the remote Nagulaguddam village in Singanamala mandal in the district.
She couldn’t realise her
dream of pursuing higher
studies due to poverty. She
started working as a daily
wage labourer. But her illiterate husband came to know
about her dream, encouraged
her and admitted her in college. Amid household works,
daily labour work, she completed degree and PG also
with Chemistry as the main
subject in SSBN College.
Due to financial problems,
FPJ BUREAU/VISAKHAPATNAM
A writ petition has been filed
with the Supreme Court challenging the decision of Chief
Minister Jagan Mohan
Reddy to move to the port city
of Visakhapatnam.
In a public interest litigation filed by one Lingamaneni
Siva Rama Prasad in his appeal said that the Coastal Regulation Zone notification of
2011 came into effect with the
objective of protecting and
conserving
the
coastal
Andhra University Registrar
Prof M. James Stephen made
a surprise visit to the hostels
of Andhra University Engineering Colleges on
Wednesday. First he
went to the students'
rooms and talked to the
students. He himself inquired about the welfare
of the students. Similarly,
students were advised to keep
their rooms clean and keep
their clothes and books in
their designated places.
Students were told to use
the cupboards arranged in
the rooms and keep the rooms
clean. As some students were
in the hostel rooms, even
after 9 am, he called
and talked to them.
Students staying in
hostels should note
that they should reach
the college by the time
the classes start. He noticed that some students were
in the hostel with mild illness
and inquired about their well-
Here, I present a few fundamental requirements:
Well-Maintained Roads:
Cities should feature well-laid
roads free from potholes,
equipped with road dividers
for smooth traffic flow.
Clean and Hygienic Footpaths: Tiled footpaths should
be
clean,
devoid
of
unpleasant odors, human
spittle, or animal waste.
Availability of public
utilities: Clean and usable
public toilets are essential to
avoid use of street walls as
urinals
Functional Street Lights:
Adequate street lighting is essential to enhance safety and
aesthetics.
Traffic
Management:
Traffic lights, pedestrian
crossings, and rule-abiding
drivers, riders, and pedestrians should be standard, eliminating the need for daring
street crossings.
Garbage-Free
Streets:
Cities must be free from debris and boast conspicuous
dustbin placements for waste
disposal.
Underground Wiring: Unsightly cable bundles should
be replaced with organized
underground wiring.
Vendor
Management:
Separate enclosures for local
markets and street vendors
can declutter sidewalks and
roadways.
Parking Solutions: Wellmanaged parking spaces can
generate revenue and discourage haphazard parking,
promoting better civic sense.
Aesthetics: Streets should
remain free of posters, ban-
ners, and buntings, preserving the city's appearance.
Encroachment Regulation: Shops and illegal extensions on pavements must be
regulated.
Signage and Posters:
Stricter measures are needed
to deter individuals from defacing signage.
Street Furniture Maintenance: Vandalism should be
addressed promptly to maintain the integrity of public infrastructure.
Drain Maintenance: Regular maintenance of drains,
with proper manhole coverage, is a basic yet vital expectation.
Waste Management: Efficient waste segregation and
management systems are nonnegotiable, as piles of colorful
plastic waste mar city streets.
she used to walk 8 km from
her village to a point, to
lessen bus charges and from
there she used to go to the college by bus. She used her
scholarship to take care of
her education expenditure,
even while continuing to
work as daily wage labourer
to make both ends meet for
her family.
After PG, following the advice of well-wishers, she went
ahead for Ph D. Fortunately,
she was encouraged by Prof.
Dr MCS Shuba, who suggested her to do research on ‘Binary Mixtures’.
Finally, her dream came
true. AP Governor M Abdul
Nazeer recently has awarded
her Ph D degree amidst a
galaxy of intellectuals, teaching faculty and university
FPJ BUREAU/AMARAVATHI
Minister for Information and
Public Relations Chelluboyina Srinivas Venugopala Krishna on Wednesday made it
clear that there is no possibility of the Centre immediately
conducting the census of
Backward Classes (BCs) in
the State.
Thus, the State Government
has decided to conduct this BC
census and appointed a committee with the senior officers
of various welfare departments to study the possibilities, the Minister told media
persons here. Observing that
the Assembly has passed a resolution making an appeal to
the Centre to conduct the BC
population census as there are
139 BC communities in the
State, Mr Chelluboyina Venugopal said that as the overall
population census is due the
Centre does not appear to be
conducting the BC census in
the State now.
"This is the reason as to
why we have taken a decision
to conduct the BC census on
our own and the committee
being. "If necessary, go to the
hospital" , he told them.
After that, he checked the
quality of food in the mess
along with the students. The details and quality of the food provided to the students was examined. The Registrar had tiffin
with the students and took suggestions of the students in improving the quality of food
served to them. As the students
demanded improvement in the
quality of food served, the concerned staff were called and
asked to do the same.
Reviving India's Urban Landscape: A Call for Civic Responsibility
I
had the privilege of traversing
the
nation,
visiting cities both large
and small, from Hyderabad to
Delhi, and Mumbai to
Bhubaneswar. I've witnessed
a wide array of urban environments. To my chagrin,
while some areas, like Hitex
city in Hyderabad or
Luteyens in Delhi, exemplify
the grandeur of a cityscape,
many others resemble glorified slums or disorganized
villages. These sights leave
me disheartened, disappointed, and, at times, disgusted.
But is it too much to expect
that our cities should, well,
look like cities?
The sorry state of our urban centers begs us to ponder:
What is needed to transform
our cities into vibrant and
welcoming
metropolises?
She couldn’t realise her dream of pursuing
higher studies due to poverty. She started
working as a daily wage labourer.
‘Centre will not conduct
BC survey in the state’
AU Registrar visits hostels
FPJ BUREAU/AMARAVATHI
stretches and its unique marine ecosystem. The notification also promoted development in a sustainable manner
based on scientific principles,
the petitioner mentioned.
RWS Executive Engineer T
Sivaprasad said that electric
vehicles can be used at a very
low cost along with avoiding
noise and air pollution. He
formally launched the "Go
Green....Go Electric Campaign" at the Zilla Parishad office premises on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion as
part of the promotion campaign of Life Mission programmes for Go Green....Go
Electric by Andhra Pradesh
Government with specific objectives following the directives of the Union Energy Department, he said that awareness campaign will be conducted with electric scooters,
electric autos, electric four
wheelers.
Developing new
technologies that support environmental protection will help provide a
healthy environment for future generations, he said.
Nedcap District Manager
MVK Raju said that by using
electric vehicles, the environment can be saved and infectious diseases prevented. By
using electric vehicles, transportation costs can be saved
without foreign exchange and
petrol yields and noise pollution can be avoided. Using
electric vehicles can save fuel
and contribute to the
progress of the country. He
said that vehicles are being
provided to state government
employees on easy installments under EMI scheme.
Poverty no factor
to be a Doctorate!
While the government
bears a significant responsibility for establishing and
maintaining essential urban
infrastructure, it's essential to
recognize that building better
cities requires a collective effort from all citizens. Are we
genuinely proud of our
cities? Do we cherish them
enough to actively participate
in their improvement?
The vandalism, defacement, and public apathy we
witness daily should not be
the norm. If we genuinely
love our cities, we must collectively take ownership of
their well-being. The time has
come for residents, merchants, and street vendor associations to play their part in
transforming our localities.
Dr AL Sharada
will study the poosibilities
and submit its report soon,"
the Minister for Information
and Public Relations said.
Various communities in the
BCs need to know their
strength in the State and
holding the census is the only
way to produce the actual
facts on this, he felt.
Stating that the services
of village volunteers and
employees of the village secretariats wil be utilised for
conducting this census, Mr
Chelluboyina
Venugopal
said that meetings of BCs
will be organised in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam,
Tirupati,
Rajamahendravaram and Kurnool.
students.
Bharathi received the honour accompanied by husband
and daughter. Nagulaguddam
villagers were shocked to
know that Bharathi was
awarded Ph D and fondly
called as ‘doctaramma’.
Interacting with 'Free
Press Journal', Bharathi said
she owed her success to her
parents, husband and Prof
cum guide Shuba, who was
with her and made the ‘Mission Impossible’ as ‘Mission
Possible’. She dreams to join
the ranks of teaching faculty
someday in SKU and inspire
and give a helping hand to the
less privileged like her.
Daily
wage
labourer
Bharati, a PhD holder along
with her illiterate husband
and daughter.
Spot admissions
in JNTUA
FPJ BUREAU/ANANTAPUR
JNTUA is conducting spot admissions for M Tech/M.Sc.
programs for vacant seats under sponsored category. Prof
R Kiranmayi, Director of Admissions informed that the
admission counseling for
spot admissions for the sponsored category will be on October 20 at 10 am in the University. The details of the left
over seats are in the M Tech
courses offered at JNTUA
College of Engineering in
Structural Engineering-06
seats, Structural Engineering
(Bridges and Tunnels)-07
seats of the Civil Engineering
department: in Electrical
Power Systems- 07, Power
and Industrial Drives-07 seats
of the EEE department.in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning -07 seats , Advanced
Manufacturing Systems-07
seats of the Mechanical Engineering department; in Digital Electronics and Communication Systems, VLSI System of the ECE department
and in Computer Science of
the Computer Science and
Engineering department.
Jagananaku Chebudam'
at Pendurthi
FPJ BUREAU/VISAKHAPATNAM
Visakhapatnam District Collector Dr. A. Mallikharjuna
said under the Jagananku
Chebudam, Pendurthi mandal level programme was conducted at the local district
union
building
on
Wednesday. Joint Collector
K.S. Viswanathan, GVMC
Commissioner CM Saikanth
Verma received complaints
from the people. Seventy nine
petitioners have submitted
petitions regarding re-survey,
land boundaries, area differences, encroachment, construction of infrastructure
within GVMC, digging of
sewers, installation of taps
from house to house, installation of street lights and other
issues related to the revenue
department.
The Collector personally
went out to the disabled persons who had brought applications asking for an electric
battery powered tricycle and
received the requests. Responding positively to their
problems, the Collector directed the AD of the differently abled and elderly welfare
department to take steps to
provide electric vehicles.
The Collector said that the
complaints received from the
public should be examined
and studied and action
should be taken to find a permanent solution to ensure
that the same complaints are
The Collector personally
went out to the disabled
persons who had
brought applications
asking for an electric
battery powered tricycle
and received the
requests.
not re-opened. He ordered
that if there is a problem of
two or three departments,
they should coordinate and if
necessary, they should conduct joint field level visits to
solve the problem.
He said that people should
be satisfied with the solutions
shown by the officials. Joint
Collector K.S. Viswanathan,
GVMC Commissioner CM
Saikanth Verma, RDO Hussain Saheb, local Tehsildar
Shyam, MPDO Apparao, district level officials of all departments and others participated.
EDIT
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Among those who dislike oppression
are many who like to oppress.
— NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
SINCE 1928
Has hate become mainstreamed and normalised?
FOUNDER EDITOR: S SADANAND
A long wait for
same-sex marriage
T
he headline in a contemporary on the judgment of
the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court said
it all: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer
people will have to wait for same-sex marriage to be accorded legal recognition. How long that wait would take
depends on whether the decision is left to the politicians,
as the apex court order advised, or another court following Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud’s grants the LGBTQ+
community its right to marry like any heterosexual couple. Parliament is unlikely to move in the matter, given its
concerns about social mores and the centuries-old sanctity of a union only between man and woman. But just as
the apex court in 2018 had suo moto virtually decriminalised homosexuality, another court led by another
chief justice might remove the last but important barrier
in bestowing official recognition on same-sex marriages.
As Justice S K Kaul said, Constitutional morality
cannot be equated with social morality. However, in this
case the court did not go far enough to assert that vital
difference, and chose to stop short of challenging social
morality. The court however granted the same-sex
couples certain rights, removing discriminatory treatment for them as against heterosexual couples. Expanding the scope of the right to privacy to legalise same-sex
marriages is well within the ambit of the highest court in
the land. Very often it takes a few men and women or
courage and initiative to break the acceptable social
mould in order to become harbingers of change. Courts
have in recent times moved ahead of politicians in recognising societal changes. Whether or not the conservative
majority baulks at the mere mention of homosexuality,
never mind the whole abracadabra compressed into the
LGBTQ abbreviation, higher judiciary can move a step
forward to bestow equality on a community whose numbers seem to be substantial. As CJI Chandrachud noted
in his judgment it is a mistake to think that the LGBTQ+
people live in urban centres alone, and “queerness is a
natural phenomenon known to India since ancient times.
It is not urban or elite”.
Admittedly, coming from the five-member bench of the
CJI Tuesday’s order did cause a surprise. The large number of LGBTQ+ people assembled outside the court
precincts felt let down, having reposed hope in the progressive-liberal instincts of CJI Chandrachud. But ,as we
said, another court at another time will remove the last
vestiges of a legal barrier in the same-sex marriage, expanding the contours of fundamental rights to include
the freedom to choose one’s marriage partner and grant
such same-sex unions the same rights as those available
as a matter of fact to heterosexual unions. The 3:2 verdict
by the apex court revealed nuanced differences between
the CJI and brother judges, especially Justice S R Bhat.
The latter did not agree with the CJI on granting
adoption rights to same-sex couples. Justice Bhat is due
to retire at the end of October but he was one with the CJI
in denying legal sanction to same-sex unions. Since the
court threw the ball in the court of Parliament, it was reported that the government has promised to set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary
to examine the issue with all its facets. Simply put, the
matter will now be put in cold storage where it will lie till
another bold and forward-looking court examines afresh
the issue of same-sex unions. In any case, with the Assembly and Parliamentary polls looming on the horizon
the issue will recede into the background for some
months.
Meanwhile, it was interesting to see the RSS, VHP and
the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind on the same page, hailing the
SC order. Even AIMIM leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi
welcomed the judgment, saying the apex court has
upheld the supremacy of Parliament. Not surprisingly,
the ruling party and the Opposition Congress party declined to comment. The fact that the Solicitor General
hailed the judgment might give an inkling as to the ruling
regime’s thinking. Another long and arduous political
and legal battle lies ahead for the LGBTQ+ community
before it can expect to get legal sanction for same-sex
marriage and the attendant rights that flow with it for
heterosexual couples.
FPJ Archives
INDIA 75 YEARS AGO
OCTOBER 19, 1948
Comment
÷ A L I Chougule
W
e do not have to guess any
more about the extent of
hate that has spread to the
heart of Indian society. The epidemic
of hate is not just confined to stray incidents of hate speech and violence
that can be dismissed as the handiwork of misguided fringe elements
and which can easily be controlled by
strict enforcement of the law. On the
contrary, minority-bashing has
steadily spread in many ways and at
many levels, from politics to society,
over the last nine years. It can be seen
almost everywhere — in schools and
colleges, on social media, on television and in films, on roads and in
trains, in religious gatherings and
public addresses of politicians. Recently, it also entered Parliament, India’s highest democratic forum.
If it does not require a trigger or
spark and nobody can tell where the
next incidence of hate speech or conflagration will occur, it is because
hate has reached a level where it requires no friction or altercation but
mere prejudice and anger against a
particular faith, aided by lack of action on the part of the law-enforcing
authorities.
Whether the hate we see in everyday life emanates from the top of the
current political dispensation or is
the result of some careful political
calculation is difficult to say, but the
silence of political leadership and
lack of intent to enforce the rule of
law and punish the guilty gives rise to
an impression or suspicion that it
may be all a part of a design.
India was never like this before 2014
and no government in the past supported discriminatory national and
state policies that severely restricted
the rights and religious freedom of
minority communities. This is not to
say that there was no hatred in India
before the current regime came to
power. After all, independent India
was created out of partition and, by
extension, out of hatred and bloodshed. But ever since then, most leaders, political parties, social and cultural organisations worked hard to
heal the wounds and create social
and communal harmony. Of course,
there were communal conflagrations
and minor and major riots but they
did not lead to the kind of communal
poison that we see today. But over the
past decade, it seems the old wounds
have been reopened with religious
nationalism, divisive politics, and frequent reminders about our history of
the last 1,000 years.
The kind of polarisation and communal speeches one gets to see on television during election campaigns,
and the way religious fault lines are
exploited by senior BJP leaders in violation of model code of conduct and
democratic norms, cannot be dismissed as mere compulsions of electoral politics. They are rooted in their
ideological moorings and socio-political agenda. So even if post-election,
Paris, October 18. People all over the world want to live and live
in peace; they are terribly tired of war and of all that war — even
successful war — brings in its train. That was the keynote of Sir
B.N. Rau’s address to the Political Committee of the United
Nations which resumed discussion on the report of the Atomic
Energy Commission on Monday.
the top leaders are responsible in
their speech and conduct in public,
their silence and inaction in preventing fringe elements, fanatics, fundamentalists and the rest from spreading their gospel of hate and bigotry
amounts to indirect approval of dehumanising religious minorities
through disinformation and hate.
Most distressing of all, and the more
worrying thing about the poison of
hatred and majoritarian politics, is
the effect it will have on the web of interactions and connections that
binds us all as a society.
In a Hindu majority country, not all
BJP supporters are Muslim-haters;
neither are all Muslim-haters RSS
a matter of faith that was not open to
a negotiated settlement. It united people in the Hindi heartland and became a rallying point for the BJP.
Hindutva was one of the factors
that helped the BJP come to power at
the Centre in 2014, though it was camouflaged as economic development,
jobs, and prosperity for all. Uninterrupted political power over two terms
has emboldened the saffron party to
use religion to unite the majority
community under the broader Hindutva umbrella.
Majoritarian politics has empowered hardline elements of the RSS
Parivar and others like them to
demonstrate in public their hatred
The kind of polarisation and communal speeches one
gets to see on television during election campaigns, and
the way religious fault lines are exploited in violation of
model code of conduct and democratic norms, cannot be
dismissed as mere compulsions of electoral politics
supporters. India has no state religion, but religion plays a central role
in daily life of people through its festivals, temple ceremonies, pilgrimages, family religious traditions and
the like. As most people are deeply religious, religious nationalism is a potent force for politicians and communal organisations to polarise people
on religious lines. Take the case of
the Ram temple movement. Whether
the Babri mosque was built over a
Ram temple was archaeologically
never established, but it was given a
hardline political spin and made into
and bigotry, aided and supported by
social media campaigns to justify
acts of hate and violence. Whenever
the BJP is questioned about the
status of minorities in the country,
its templated response is that there is
no discrimination against anyone in
India and the social welfare is extended to everyone. But when the whole
party apparatus is involved in creating an environment of hate and discrimination, can one get away by
claiming that poor Muslims also get
access to ration?
When the ecosystem is polarised,
the poison of hate gets mainstreamed
and normalised. That is precisely
what is happening. It started with
lynching years ago and gradually
spread to other types of hate crimes.
The hijab and halal controversies,
love jihad, anti-conversion laws and
bulldozer justice are some of the examples of targeting a particular community. When a railway cop kills
Muslim passengers in a train or
school teachers target Muslim students, it is a sign of gravity of the
problem that the ruling establishment seems reluctant to control. It is
not just individual or local, it is systematic and deeply rooted in prejudice. The bigger problem is such incidents are resorted to with impunity
and are being legitimised.
The special session of Parliament
last month will be known not only for
the welcome passage of the Women’s
Reservation Bill but also for the vicious message of communal hatred
sent out by a member of the Lok Sabha. Parliament in its history has not
heard such crude words as hurled by
BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri at a fellow
MP, Danish Ali. The latter was attacked for being a Muslim with words
of abuse specifically used against
Muslims. If the BJP’s creed is “Sabka
saath sabka vishwas”, then Bidhuri
has blatantly violated it. His words
are an expression of a mindset which
is being sought to be legitimised.
The important question is: what
kind of a country are we becoming?
The writer is a senior independent
Mumbai-based journalist. He tweets at
@ali_chougule
Some unpleasant truths & the prospects for peace
Dissenters’
Corner
÷Conrad Barwa
A
ny understanding of the
conflict in Palestine must confront some uncomfortable
truths in order for there to be a viable
path to peace.
The first is the inextricable linking
between ending the occupation and
finding an end to violence, as former
Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis eloquently stated: “The path to
ending the tragic loss of innocent lives
— both Palestinian and Israeli —
begins with one crucial first step: the
end of the Israeli occupation and
apartheid.” Numerous other observers,
including all former living directors of
Shin Bet, the Israel Security Agency,
have stated on record that ending the
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza
is the only way to really achieve both
aims; the current director of Shin Bet,
Ronen Bar, warned Prime Minister of
Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in a briefing that settler violence was fuelling
Palestinian terrorism. Unfortunately, it
is by now difficult to avoid the fact that
Israel is at best reluctant, at worst unwilling to end this occupation.
In the West Bank, especially, this history of creeping annexation since 1967
has only increased with time. Even after the Oslo Accords were signed, settlement activity exploded, with the number of settlers increasing several-fold.
The significance of this region and the
emotional resonance it has cannot be
overstated as it encompasses the old
Kingdom of Judah and contains many
of the Biblical sites of antiquity and
important religious landmarks for Judaism. Arguably, it is this that makes it
so difficult to give up. David Ben-Gurion, the architect of modern Israel, had
advised a retreat to the 1967 borders after the successes of the Six-Day war, a
proposal which was rejected by the
then IDF Chief of Staff, Yitzhak Rabin;
after which settlement activity surreptitiously began and never looked back
since. Estimates by the Israeli NGO
Peace Now say that 32% of land held in
the West Bank for building settlements
was owned by Palestinians, and this is
land which Israel never intends to return. The gradual extension of control
increased settlement activity entails —
such as the building of security roads
only usable by settlers, discriminatory
use of water resources, extensive
checkpoints which act as chokepoints
for Palestinian civilians and the carte
blanche given to settlers to harass and
damage Palestinian property with impunity — make it very difficult to roll
back. In practice as opposed to rhetoric,
the refusal of consecutive Israeli governments to rein in growth in settlement activity, much less reduce it, casts
severe doubts on their intentions regarding the West Bank.
Without a genuine commitment to
end the occupation and withdraw from
the occupied territories, as an essential
step towards establishing an autonomous and viable Palestinian state,
the Two-State solution is essentially
dead and with it any realistic chances
for a peaceful settlement. The difficulty
has been in finding an Israeli leader
A response to
end moral crisis
M
— Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji
ost of us, when faced
with a problem or a
situation, naturally
give a physical, mental, verbal,
psychological, emotional or
spiritual response to it. This is
obvious because every emotional situation works as a
stimulus and draws some kind
of response from a person.
The response to a problem
may be political, economic, legal, social, militaristic, diplomatic, technological or any other. Take, for example, a difficult
situation, created by a large
group of people in a particular part of the country
who demand autonomy because, for a long
time, they have been
neglected by the
government.
Now, in these kind of situations, the government can
make either a political
response and give them a solution by passing an act in Parliament or they can make an economic response by assuring
them that they will now spend a
big amount for their development, or they can make a military response, ie they can use a
large military, para-military or
police force to suppress their
demand. Likewise, when there
is a conflict between two countries, they may address the
problem politically, diplomatically or militarily.
Apart from these, there is
something called a Spiritual
Response
which
is
ideologically, qualitatively and
experientially much different
from all these kinds of response. ‘Spiritual’, in this context, does not mean ‘religious’.
A Spiritual Response is based
on the understanding that in
our body dwells a soul, ie a being which, by its very nature, is
altogether different from the
physical, the transitory, the
ephemeral, the phenomenal or
the perishable. This being is not
material in its nature but is divine. An essential characteristic of this is that it is conscious
in the sense that it is capable of
thinking, understanding,
judging, feeling, remembering, learning and
of being morally good
or bad.
The Spiritual Response, therefore, implies a
Response that is based on
moral goodness, love, peace and
purity of motives, thoughts and
actions. This goodness, love,
peace, etc., is derived from a
spiritual outlook. It is based on
the belief in the brotherhood of
man and the Fatherhood of
God. This response is hinged on
the firm faith that we must do
good and never do bad because
the law of Karma is inviolable
and we will suffer as a result of
our bad actions.
(to be continued)
GUIDING LIGHT
INDIA’S EFFORTS TO HALT EAST-WEST DRIFT
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
The writer is a spiritual
educator and popular
columnist for publications
across India, Nepal and the UK.
He can be contacted at
nikunjji@gmail.com /
www.brahmakumaris.com
from the Left, which traditionally represents the peace camp, who is willing
to do this. The closest was Ehud Barak,
who did talk of a Palestinian state but
one which could only be described as
“semi-sovereign” at best, bisected into
several cantons, with no control over its
own airspace and borders and no selfdefence force to speak of. A state that
would in other words be a dependent
protectorate rather than an independent one. Leaders from the Right, ranging from Ariel Sharon to Netanyahu,
have never accepted the Two-State solution, seeking instead a de facto annexation of most of the West Bank and con-
gether estimated to be about 40,000),
forming an entire array of institutions
that are responsible for governing
Gaza, whose absence would form a devastating vacuum. Those who believe in
eviscerating Hamas completely as a political organisation would do well to remember what happened in Iraq in 2003,
when American governor Paul Bremner summarily dismissed thousands of
civil servants because they were members of the Ba’ath party, causing widespread chaos and setting back rehabilitation and the economy by years.
Another uncomfortable truth is that
Hamas is not just a splinter cell that
As difficult as it is to accept under the current
circumstances, there can be no military solution to the
Israel-Palestine conflict; only a political one
trol over the rest as well as Gaza. Until
an Israeli leader emerges who has the
courage and imagination to make the
leap of faith required, any Two-State
solution will remain an elusive goal.
The second uncomfortable truth is regarding Hamas and the numerous calls
for its complete elimination. The problem here is that Hamas is not just a terrorist organisation but, as Mukul Kesavan has said, it is also a “protection
racket, social welfare organisation and
national liberation movement”. It has
gained legitimacy and credibility
amongst the local population by laying
down deep roots; apart from the muchdecried “terrorist infrastructure”, it
also provides most of the civilian administration for Gaza, ranging from
teachers, doctors, imams, engineers,
bureaucrats and police officers (alto-
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
A fine line
U
S President Joe Biden’s visit to Tel Aviv
could result in some positives for him
and the US politically. But he has to walk a
fine line in standing by Israel while seeking
to defuse a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He
may be able to cool a war that is already
flaring out of control, but his visit also
carries the risk that he will become linked
to the ongoing destruction of Gaza. More
bombing in Gaza with a full-scale assault
will result in loss of more lives of Palestine
civilians. This will only make things worse
for Israel, the Middle East, and importantly
for America. Biden may have already
achieved something just by going to the
Middle East. But given the stakes of the
current war, the depth of US involvement in
support of Israel, and the potential risk of a
catastrophic regional conflict, that is just
not enough.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Who is the real culprit?
T
reatment of patients depends on the
laboratory reports. If the labs making
MIKA’S MATRIX
achieved political power through a military coup. In the last elections held to
the Palestinian authority in 2006, it far
outstripped its main rival Fatah in the
number of seats won and should have
formed the next government. It was
only prevented from doing so after immense pressure from Israel, and from
the Quartet of the UN, US, EU and Russia supervising the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process, compelled Mahmoud
Abbas as President of the Palestinian
Authority to suspend the government
and legislature and refuse to allow it
form a new administration. Since then,
no new elections have been held; but it
would be naïve to think that Hamas
does not have popular support or could
not credibly win another election.
Part of any genuine Palestinian selfdetermination must mean the ability to
these reports are bogus, then wouldn't the
treatment given to patients based on such
reports put the lives of patients at risk?
Recently in Vasai-Virar area, the
Maharashtra Medical Council issued
licenses to bogus labs in Mumbai area in
the name of a suspended doctor. Reports
from these bogus labs were being
submitted to insurance companies to get
false medical reports made. The real
question is how such licenses were issued
in the name of a single person, that too a
suspended doctor. Who is the real culprit?
The municipal health department or the
suspended doctor?
Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai
Flyover collapse
I
t is not unusual in India to have underconstruction flyovers collapsing, as
happened in Chiplun. Some others have
not lasted even for weeks. This gives an
opportunity for political parties to fling mud
at each other; but all are equally guilty of
siphoning off money from the projects to
some extent. Are those entrusted with the
construction of various projects ever
penalised? The most is that they are
blacklisted, and will bid for other tenders
under different names.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
choose their own leaders, and any credible negotiation must be with representatives that have critical support from
their people. There can be no wish-fulfilment exercise where Israel gets to
choose who its partners on the Palestinian side in negotiations are going to be.
Every time Israel has interfered internally in Arab polities to try and set up a
partner it would prefer to deal with —
from the self-government village authorities in the West Bank in the 1980s,
the Phalangist strongman Bashir
Gemayel in Lebanon, to the decrepit
current Palestinian authority under
Abbas — it has backfired and ended in
disaster. Whosoever the Palestinian
representatives are in any peace negotiations, they must be chosen by the
Palestinians themselves.
Lastly, as difficult as it is to accept under the current circumstances, there
can be no military solution to the conflict; only a political one. Israel has invaded Gaza four times since its withdrawal from the territory in 2005, each
time leading to considerable loss of life
on the Palestinian side. There have
been two major intifadas against the occupation since 1987. Palestinian nationalist self-consciousness and determination to resist have not appreciably declined but, if anything, become more
entrenched. The old dictum that Palestinians only understand the language
of force has proved false. The language
of force and war must be replaced by a
dialogue of peace and compromise to
end the cycle of violence.
Conrad Barwa is a senior research
analyst at a private think-tank, and a
senior research associate at the
Birmingham Business School
Land ahoy
T
his refers to the statement made by
Deputy Chief Ministger Ajit Pawar on the
transfer of police land in Pune (Oct 18).
When the Harit Vasai Suraksha Samiti in
Vasai was generating awareness about
saving Vasai-Virar from the builder lobby,
both Pawars, Sharad and Ajit, helped the
builders. Once this area was providing
oxygen to Mumbai and it is now full of
concrete. I salute Meera Borwankar
for her courage to speak openly in the
matter.
Marcus Dabre, Vasai
Shot in the paw
T
he report that 14,491 strays got the
rabies vaccination (Oct 17) is heartening.
The drive should be made even more
effective with identification tags indicating
date and expiry of the vaccination. The
same should be done for dog and cat
owners after which they can be given
licences for their pets.
Peter Castellino, Mumbai
Dear reader,
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CRICKET KA MAHAYUDH
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
INDIA FACE
BANGLADESH
CHALLENGE
‘No change
in winning
combination’
PTI / Pune
Aiming for their fourth
consecutive victory in World
Cup, India would not tinker
with their winning
combination in the clash
against Bangladesh,
bowling coach Paras
Mhambrey said on
Wednesday, suggesting
that the likes of
Suryakumar Yadav
and Mohammed
Shami would
continue to warm the
bench.
In a scintillating
start to their
campaign, India
floored five-time
World Cup winners
Australia in their
tournament-opener
and followed that up
with dominating
victories over
Afghanistan and archrivals Pakistan.
Mhambrey said the team
has taken tough decision to
bench players of the caliber
of Shami, Suryakumar and
Ravichandran Ashwin but the
choices have been keeping in
mind the best interest of the
side.
"It is important to maintain
the start. As of now, there is
no discussion of rotation
from our point of view. We
want to carry this
momentum to the next game
as well," Mhambrey told the
media ahead of India's
training session.
Mhambrey acknowledged
that it is difficult to see a
quality fast bowler like
Shami not getting a game so
far in the World Cup, adding
that the team management
has had conversations with
the player.
"Honestly, it is never easy
to see. But right now the
conversations are on, we had
a clear chat with him.
Whenever we select a squad
the message from us is clear
that we pick a team we feel
is the best for that wicket,"
Mhambrey said.
Confident,
Rohit-led side
likely to
continue
their winning
juggernaut
against rivals
Iyer's unbeaten fifty against Pakistan
has signalled that India's batting is firing in unison and there are no real
concerns. As such, the team may not
want to tinker with the winning combination just yet.
While India will look to make the
most of batting-friendly conditions
here at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, their mixed record
of four wins in seven matches at this
venue in ODIs, combined with the recent run against Bangladesh – three
defeats in the last four
Going by the current form of the
Rohit has been
one-dayers – makes
teams, the popular pre-match predic- at the forefront
the bowlers' role all
tion of India's World Cup game against of India's domithe more important.
Bangladesh here on Thursday will be a nation in the last
No doubt, India will
World Cup
romp for Rohit Sharma's men.
couple of match- Bangladesh have
be firm favourites
beaten India
appearance
But if the glossy surface is es with stunning
against Bangladesh,
scratched, one will have to tear away knocks of 86
considering
their
that view based on the form book.
against Pakistan and 131
bowlers' top class performBangladesh have beaten India three against Afghanistan. India
ances in restricting Australia
HIT MAN
times in the last four ODIs – twice in a are perched on the top spot
for a mere 199 and Pakistan
ON RUNS
bilateral series in December 2022 and in the points table and they
for a poor 191. Bangladesh are
then in the Asia Cup Super Four would aim to extend their
not to be blamed if they spend
match recently.
winning run.
a large part of their preparaIn this tournament, the underdogs
While the two knocks of
tion time drawing up plans
Against
have already shown how to slay the gi- highest quality have put Roagainst Rohit, whose red-hot
Pakistan
form promises a third century
in a row in World Cup encounters against the Tigers. Rohit's
stupendous 137 in the quartern India (317-5) vs England (251-10) - India won by 66 runs (March 23, 2021)
final in Melbourne (2015
Against
World) and 104 in Birmingham
n India (336-6) vs England (337-4) - England won by 6 wickets (March 26, 2021)
Afghanistan
(2019) ensured his side exceedn India (329-10) vs England (322-9) - India won by 7 runs (March 28, 2021)
ed the 300-run mark for a third
consecutive time since 2011
ants. If in doubt, check with England hit in the limelight, his younger open- edition against Bangladesh, with India
and South Africa about their feelings ing partner Gill would be itching to get burying their opponents under a
after their shock losses to Afghanistan a big score for himself, given that he is mountain of runs on each of these
and Netherlands respectively.
back to full fitness and has had an im- occasions.
India would certainly want to avoid pressive run in the ODIs this year.
that banana peel and keep
For Kohli, a mistimed hit
The Squads (from)
India: R Sharma (c), H Pandya (vc), S Gill,
their good run intact in this
against Pakistan led to an
V Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), R Jadeja, S
World Cup.
early dismissal but that was
Thakur, J Bumrah, M Siraj, K Yadav, M
In the batting front, capa minor blip, as the batting
Shami, R Ashwin, I Kishan (wk), S Yadav.
tain Rohit will look to conmaestro previously proMatch starts at
Bangladesh: S Al Hasan (c), L Das (wk), T
tinue his imperious form
duced a masterful 85 against
2.00 pm
Hasan, N H Shanto (vc), T Hridoy, M
while top order batters
Australia and a match-winLive on
Rahim (wk), M Riyad, M H Miraz, N
Shubman Gill and Virat
ning 55 not out against
Star Sports
Ahmed, M Hasan, T Ahmed, M Rahman, H
Kohli will be eager to score
Afghanistan.
Mahmud, S Islam, T H Sakib.
big.
Among others, Shreyas
2
4
86
131
RECENT ODI MATCHES IN PUNE
HIGH FLYING KIWIS
RACE TO TOP TABLE
SCOREBOARD
Young, Latham, Phillips steer New Zealand to
comfortable win over Afghanistan
dle and had no answers for
Mitchell Santner's (3/39 in 7.4
In less than 96 hours after they overs) deliveries, which at
beat
reigning
World times, turned a mile.
Champions
England,
This was after triple halfAfghanistan got a solid reality centuries from Will Young (54),
check from a ruthless New Tom Latham (68) and Glenn
Zealand, which recorded a Phillips (71) ensured that New
thumping 149-run victory in a Zealand put up a winning total
thoroughly one-sided World of 288/6 in 50 overs.
Cup match here on Wednesday.
While chasing, Afghanistan
As a result of this conquest, were down to 43 for 3 by the
the Black Caps remain unbeat- 14th over, with skipper Hashen in the event so far, taking the matullah Shahidi (8) being the
top spot again with its fourth third man to be dismissed,
straight victory.
with Ferguson having his
Chasing a tough target of
number. Earlier, New Zealand
289 on a spinnerrecovered
well
friendly wicket at
from a mini midChepauk,
innings slump to
Afghanistan could
post a commendmanage only 139 in
able total. However,
ODI wickets for
Mitchell Santner, in
34.4 overs. The
a total of five
98 matches. Av
Afghans
found
dropped catches
36.68, Ec 4.85, 2x5a
Lockie Ferguson's
did make things a
Test playing nation
(3/19 in 7 overs)
bit hard for the
in their World Cup
pace too hot to hanAfghans, especially
history
PTI / Chennai
100
Warner urges for
DRS transparency
He was frustrated at decision against him
144
Runs for fifty wicket
partnership between Tom
Latham and Glenn Phillips
Rashid, who saw a couple of
his chances go abegging.
Young , Latham and Phillips'
half-centuries ensures that the
Black Caps posted an abovepar total on a track where
stroke-making wasn't an easy
proposition.
Phillips and Latham put on
144 invaluable runs for the fifth
wicket and it could well prove
to be a game-changer.
As the pair began upping the
ante and the scoring rate post
the 45th over, the partnership
was broken by pacer Naveen-
‘We can beat any side if
we play our best brand
of cricket’
PTI / Dharamsala
Veteran Australia opener
David Warner is "annoyed"
and "frustrated" at the DRS
call which went against him
in his side's World Cup match
against Sri Lanka and has
called for more "accountability" in the system.
In the match, which Australia won by five wickets in
Lucknow on Monday, Warner
fell LBW to Sri Lanka pacer
Dilshan Madushanka. The
left-hander went for review
but the DRS call went in favour
of the on-field umpire, who
had originally given him out.
The prolific southpaw, who
was batting on 11, left the
ground fuming. He was seen
smashing his bat against his
pad and turned back to yell towards the wicket as he
walked off.
Warner said he wanted
greater transparency on how
DRS
decisions
were
adjudicated.
"I've never had Hawk-Eye
The historic upset win over
South Africa is not a fluke as
Netherlands have the potential to beat any side in the ongoing World Cup if they play
their best brand of cricket, asserted captain Scott Edwards.
The Dutch stunned South
Africa by 38 runs in their
round-robin league clash
here on Tuesday, their first
come in and explain to us
how the technology actually
works, it's just for the TV," the
36-year-old was quoted as saying by 'cricket.com.au' after
Australia's five-wicket win
over Sri Lanka on Monday.
PTI / Pune
There are no big teams in
the World Cup and upsets at
the mega event happen
when the conversation
revolves around the more
successful teams, star India
batter Virat Kohli said on
Wednesday.
Kohli's statement comes
following two major upsets
in the ongoing World Cup.
While Afghanistan stunned
holders England by 69 runs
in New Delhi on Sunday,
Netherlands recorded their
biggest win in the history of
the game when they shocked
South Africa by 38 runs in
rain-curtailed affair in
Dharamsala on Tuesday.
"There are no big teams in
the World Cup. Whenever
you start focusing only on
bigger teams, an upset
happens," Kohli told Star
Sports ahead of India's World
Cup match against
Bangladesh.
India have dominated
Bangladesh in World Cup
and have not given them
much after losing to the
Asian neighbours in 2007 in
the Caribbean but Kohli
reminded of the threat
skipper Shakib Al Hasan
poses with the ball on
Thursday.
"Over the years, I've played
a lot against him (Shakib).
He's got amazing control.
He's a very experienced
bowler. He bowls very well
with the new ball, knows
how to deceive the batsman,
and is also very economical,"
Kohli said.
"You have to play your best
against all these bowlers,
and if you aren't able to,
these bowlers are able to
create pressure and increase
the chances of getting you
out."
India all-rounder Hardik
Pandya agreed with Kohli.
"He is a very street-smart
cricketer. He has been
carrying Bangladesh on his
shoulders for the longest
years," Pandya said.
For us it's just about playing our best brand of cricket and we
feel like if we play well enough on the day
– Scott Edwards, Dutch skipper
A pair of power-hitters have
soared higher in the ICC
Men's ODI batting rankings,
while a veteran pacer is on
the brink of top spot in the
bowling.
Quinton de Kock, Rohit
Sharma and Trent Boult
have each made their move
T
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
PT
8
6
4
4
2
2
2
2
2
0
NRR
1.923
1.821
1.385
-0.137
-0.084
-0.699
-0.734
-0.993
-1.250
-1.532
TRENDING
TRANSPARENCY IN DRS...
David Warner said, "I would like to see
umpire's stats going on the big screen
about the right and wrong decisions
they've made in their career".
@mufaddal_vohra
Quick Singles @ World Cup
Dutch are here to win, says Edwards
Dharamsala: Netherlands wicketkeeper-captain Scott Edwards
expressed his delight after the Orange army stunned South
Africa by 38 runs in the World Cup 2023 match at the HPCA
Stadium, here on Tuesday night. First time the Netherlands has
beaten a Test-playing nation in the ODI World Cup. This was the
same Dutch side that knocked Proteas out of the T20 World Cup
2022 and now they have defeated them in a 50-over World Cup
convincingly. Netherlands will lock horns with Sri Lanka in their
next game on October 21 in Lucknow.
Stokes hopes Stokes makes it: Coach
Mumbai: England white ball head coach Matthew Mott is
keeping his fingers crossed and is hoping star all-rounder Ben
Stokes will make a full recovery for the ICC World Cup encounter
against South Africa. Stokes has missed England's opening three
World Cup games due to a hip complaint, and he stood on the
sidelines while his teammates suffered crushing defeats to New
Zealand and Afghanistan. "So fingers crossed, he can tick off all
the things that need to be ticked off and he comes back into
that side," Matthew Mott was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
It's not panic stations yet: England coach
Mumbai: England white-ball head coach Matthew Mott
confessed that his team 'didn't fire a shot' in Sunday's shocking
69-run defeat against Afghanistan and that they needed to reestablish confidence to make a comeback in their ICC World Cup
campaign. “The facts were, we were just a bit off in every
aspect of the game. It's not panic stations yet, but it's nowhere
near the start that we were hoping for and the time is now to
really turn that around," Mott was quoted as saying by
ESPNcricinfo.
Shane Bond parts ways with MI
Mumbai: Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond ended his
nine year stint as Mumbai Indians bowling coach, the franchise
said on Wednesday. Bond, who has been associated with MI
since 2015, won four IPL trophies as the bowling coach of the
team. The 48-year-old Kiwi also quit as MI Emirates head coach.
He was at the helm of affairs of MI Emirates team in the
inaugural season of ILT20 this year. "I would like to thank the
Ambani family for the opportunity to be part of MI”.
South Africa coach Rob Walter has blamed the shock 38run defeat at the hands of
the Netherlands in the ongoing World Cup to his side's
disappointing death bowling
and poor start with the bat.
The Netherlands recovered from 140 for 7 to post 245
for eight in the rain-hit
match on Tuesday and then
bowled out South Africa for
207 in 42.5 overs to cause the
second major upset of the
ongoing showpiece.
Afghanistan pulled off the
first upset on Sunday, shocking defending champions
England by 69 runs in New
Delhi.
The 38-run win was also
Netherlands' first against a
Test playing nation in their
World Cup history.
A disappointed Walter
win against a Test playing nation in World Cup history. The
match was reduced to 43-overa-side affair due to rain.
"We go into every game
with our plans and our ways
that we're going to try and
win the game. For us it's just
about playing our best brand
of cricket and we feel like if
we play well enough on the
day, we can beat any side," Edwards said at the post-match
press conference.
It was also Netherlands'
third 50-over World Cup win
and first in 16 years.
38
Runs was also
Netherlands' first
win against a
Test playing nation in their
World Cup history
minced no words, saying his
side were below-par against
the Dutch.
"At 140 for 7, you're in control of the game really. So, to
not be able to close it out at
the death is disappointing,
20 and sparking a matchturning South Africa batting
collapse of 4/8 against
Netherlands.
...obviously we'll sit and
do a proper dissection of
the game. Win or lose, what
are the lessons that we take
and how do we use those to
be better next time round
– Ron Walter, SA coach
of course, and certainly the
momentum shifted in the
game then," Walter said at
the
post-match
press
conference.
Viral fever hits Pak team
PTI / Bengaluru
Most of the Pakistani players
who were down with viral
fever after their arrival in
Bengaluru have recovered
though some are still under
medical observation, PCB’s
media
manager
Ahsan
Iftikhar Nagi said on
Tuesday. Pakistan will be facing Australia in a highprofile World Cup clash here
on October 20.
Pakistan team arrived in
Bengaluru on Sunday after
its seven wicket defeat
against arch-rivals India in
Rohit has made an even
bigger jump of five places to
sixth after amassing 131 runs
against Afghanistan then
backing it up with an
imperious 86 from 63 balls
against arch-rivals Pakistan.
nament with back-to-back
tons but missed an opportunity to climb even closer to
top spot when dismissed for
L
0
0
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
PTI / Dharamsala
Explosive openers inch closer to ODI summit
towards the peak of the
Men's ODI Player Rankings
in the latest ICC update.
Devastating displays from
South Africa opener de Kock
and India captain Rohit at the
ICC men's cricket World Cup
2023 have propelled the duo
higher in the ODI batting
rankings.
De Kock started the tour-
W
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
0
Coach blames shock defeat to Netherlands on his side's bowling and batting
Race heats up for ICC ranking
IANS / Dubai
M
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
3
Death bowling and poor
start lets SA down
Dutch ooze with confidence
PTI / New Delhi
(The ball) kept low and
normally when something hits me on the leg on the
outside, I know it's pretty much
going down leg. So he (Wilson)
said it was swinging back, (but)
from my perspective on the
replay, it wasn't
– David Warner,
Aussies opener
ul-Haq in the 48th, with both
the set batters departing in the
same over. But, there was still
some work to be done, and it
was Mark Chapman (25 not
out) who came up with some
late blitz, including two fours
and a six, to ensure that the
Black Caps went past the 275run mark on this track.
For Afghanistan, Omarzai
and Naveen were the stars with
the ball, seizing a couple of
wickets each, whereas Rashid
was a no-brainer with his economical spell.
NEW ZEALAND
D Conway lbw b Mujeeb 20
W Young c I Alikhil b Azmatullah 54
R Ravindra b Azmatullah 32
D Mitchell c I Zadran b R Khan 1
T Latham b N-ul-Haq 68
G Phillips c R Khan b N-ul-Haq 71
M Chapman not out 25
M Santner not out 7
Extras: (LB-4, W-5, NB-1) 10
Total: (For 6) 288
FoW: 1-30, 2-109, 3-110, 4-110, 5-254, 6255)
Bowling: M Ur Rahman 10-0-57-1, F
Farooqi 7-1-39-0, N-ul-Haq 8-0-48-2, M
Nabi 8-1-41-0, R Khan 10-0-43-1, A
Omarzai 7-0-56-2.
AFGHANISTAN
R Gurbaz b Henry 11
I Zadran c Santner b Boult 14
R Shah c&b Ravindra 36
H Shahidi c Santner b Ferguson 8
A Omarzai c Latham b Boult 27
I Alikhil (not out) 19
M Nabi b Santner 7
R Khan c Mitchell b Ferguson 8
Meb ur Rahman c Young b Ferguson 4
N-ul-Haq c Chapman b Santner 0
F Farooqi c Mitchell b Santner 0
Extras: (w-5): 5
Total (all out in 34.4 overs) 139
FoW: 1-27, 2-27, 3-43, 4-97, 5-107, 6-125,
7-134, 8-138, 9-139
Bowling: T Boult 7-1-18-2, M Henry 5-2-161, M Santner 7.4-0-39-3, L Ferguson 7-1-193, G Phillips 3-0-13-0, R Ravindra 5-0-34-1.
There are no
big teams:
Virat Kohli
WORLD CUP POINTS TABLE
TEAMS
NEW ZEALAND
INDIA
SOUTH AFRICA
PAKISTAN
ENGLAND
BANGLADESH
AUSTRALIA
NETHERLANDS
AFGHANISTAN
SRI LANKA
The South Africa keeperbatter has nonetheless risen
three spots to third in the ODI
batting rankings, leapfrogging teammate Rassie van
der Dussen in fourth.
Rohit has made an even
Ahmedabad on the previous
day.
The ‘Garden City’ has witnessed several cases of viral
fever in the past few months
though it could have been a
case of weather change that
led to minor health issues to
the members of the visiting
team.
“Some players got fever in
the past few days and most of
them have fully recovered
from it. Those who are in the
stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s
observation,” Ahsan told PTI
on Wednesday.
bigger jump of five places to
sixth after amassing 131 runs
against Afghanistan then
backing it up with an imperious 86 from 63 balls against
arch-rivals Pakistan.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (up 19
spots to 18th) and Netherlands captain Scott Edwards
(up 16 spots to 27th) have also
surged in the batting rankings
following
superb
innings that inspired each of
their teams to shock
victories.
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GAMES
Polosak and Sheridan first female umpires to officiate in Sheffield Shield
Sydney: Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan are poised to make
history for Australian cricket by becoming the first female umpires to
officiate in the Sheffield Shield. They have been nominated to
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
SPORTS CAFE
Manipur, Mizoram, Jharkhand qualify
New Delhi: T.G English School, Bishnupur, Manipur, Govt.
Haulawang High School, Haulawang, Lunglei, Mizoram and
Mother International School, Zahir, Brambey, Ranchi, Jharkhand
booked their places for the quarterfinals from Group C, E and
Group F respectively in the 62nd Subroto Cup Inter School
International Football Tournament being played at various venues
of the national capital. Mizoram beat Mamta Modern School,
Vikaspuri, New Delhi, 3-2 in a tight contest and T.G English School,
Bishnupur, Manipur got the better off Shri Sainik Awasiya
Mahavidyalaya, Bhaktapur, Nepal 3-0, while Jharkhand
comprehensively beat Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Maheshpur,
Pakur, Jharkhand 5-0 to confirm their places in the knockout stages.
ITF Dharwad: Suraj, Madhwin win
Dharwad: Karnataka's Suraj Prabodh and Gujarat's Madhwin
Kamath scored upset victories to make it to the main draw after
knocking out fancied players in the ITF Dharwad Men's World
Tennis Tour 2023 at the Dharwad District Lawn Tennis
Association courts. The main draw of the US $ 25,000 began on
Tuesday. While Madhwin staged a superb comeback win against
former Indian Davis Cupper and Asian Games medalist Vishnu
Vardhan 5-7, 6-3, 10-5, Suraj sidelined 14th seed Yash Yadav in
straight sets 6-4, 6-1. In only two singles matches played on the
opening day of the main rounds, third seed Digvijay Pratap
Singh overcame a fighting Siddhanth Bhatia 6-2, 7-6 (7) while
Nitin Kumar Sinha sent wild card entrant Rishi Reddy home with
a facile 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Roque likely to join Barcelona
Madrid: FC Barcelona could promote 18-year-old striker Victor
Roque from Brazil to their first-team squad as early as next
January, the club's Director of Sport, Deco, revealed. Barca
initially signed the young forward during the summer, planning
for him to join the first-team squad for the 2024-2025 season.
However, in an interview with El Mundo Deportivo newspaper,
Deco disclosed that the move might occur sooner if Barcelona
can comply with La Liga's financial fair play requirements.
Despite his age, Roque has already netted 27 goals in 77
appearances for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil, although he is
currently sidelined due to an ankle injury.
Indians aims to popularise softball
New Delhi: With the inclusion of softball as one of the five
sports disciplines for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the
Softball Association of India (SBAI) views this as a golden
opportunity to promote and popularize the sport within the
country. Softball has a substantial presence in India, with players
and enthusiasts across all states and union territories. Indian
women's teams, spanning various age groups, consistently
participate in international events. Neetal Narang, the president
of the Softball Association of India, expressed her excitement at
the sport's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics. She emphasized the
determination to elevate India's global and Asian rankings and
pursue Olympic qualification.
Toto Wolff backs Hamilton and Russell
Texas: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated that it was
disappointing not to score more points in Qatar after Lewis
Hamilton and George Russell crashed on the first lap. The
Mercedes Team Principal supported the pair to move on from the
incident as they prepare to return to the track in the United
States Grand Prix this weekend. Russell and Hamilton collided in
Turn 1 at the start of the Grand Prix, with the latter attempting
to round the outside of the former. While Hamilton's race ended
in the gravel. Despite his obvious frustrations, Wolff was eager
to put the incident behind him and focus on this weekend's
Circuit of The Americas action, which begins off the triple-header
that continues with Mexico and closes in Brazil.
Lionel Messi scores twice
Argentina in their World Cup qualifying win over Peru
AP / MONTEVIDEO (URUGUAY)
Lionel Messi scored twice in
Argentina's 2-0 win at Peru in
a World Cup qualifier on
Tuesday, playing the entire
match for his national team.
The 36-year-old appeared fit
after he was sidelined for several matches with his club Inter Miami because of muscular pain.
Also on Tuesday, Brazil the archrival of the defending World Cup
champion - took
two serious blows
at Uruguay. Brazil
Soteldo
opened
lost 2-0 to the
the scoring shorthosts, its first dely
before
the
Goals scored
feat in 37 World
break, Salomón
Cup
qualifying
Rondón added a
matches, and saw
goal in the 72nd
its star Neymar
minute, and DarInternational
leave the Centewin
Machis
appearances
nario Stadium in
scored seven minMontevideo
on
utes later. Last
crutches with a left knee in- week, Venezuela earlier had
jury.
a 1-1 draw against Brazil.
Elsewhere,
Venezuela
Ecuador and Colombia
beat Chile 3-0. Yeferson had a scoreless draw, and
MESSI
106
178
St. Anthony’s
stun IC ‘A’
Borivali 2-0
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI
St. Anthony’s (Vakola) sent
fancied Immaculate Conception ‘A’ (Borivali) crashing out by registering a
comfortable 2-0 victory in a
men’s open second round
match of the Willingdon
Catholic Gymkhana organised 5-a-side Rink football
tournament, played under
floodlights
at
the
gymkhana’s tennis courts.
Earlier, Our Lady of Salvation (Dadar) struck good
form to overcome Our Lady
of Egypt ‘E’ (Kalina) by a 42 scoreline. Leading Our
Lady of Salvation’s charge
was striker Troy D’Souza
who scored two goals and
Pranit Kadam and Dawson
Rebello with one each,
while Aldrin Fernandes
scored both goals for the
Kalina team.
Pak first-ever win
Islamabad: Pakistan's
national soccer team won a
World Cup qualifying game
for the first time, beating
Cambodia 1-0 here to
advance to the second round
in Asia. After the first leg in
Phnom Penh finished 0-0, an
angled left-foot half-volley
from Harun Hamid on
Tuesday was enough to
secure victory.
Paraguay beat Bolivia 1-0
on Antonio Sanabria's goal
in the 69th minute.
Argentina leads South
American qualifying with
12 points in four matches.
Uruguay,
Brazil
and
Venezuela
have
seven
points and are separated by
goal difference. Colombia
has six points, and Ecuador,
Paraguay and Chile have
four each. Peru has one
point and Bolivia has zero.
Neymar injured
Neymar was in tears as he left
the field with a left knee injury
at the end of the first half of
Brazil's 2-0 World Cup
qualifying loss at Uruguay. The
31-year-old striker tripped and
fell during a run in the 44th
minute at the Centenario
Stadium on Tuesday and was
immediately surrounded by
players from both teams as he
held his knee. Neymar was
carried off on a stretcher.
officiate two games in November. Both umpires have previously
stood in Marsh Cup and BBL matches in Australia, but no female
umpire has previously stepped on the pitch for a Shield match.
Myrah, Ahaan
rule the pool
FPH NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI
Khar Gymkhana’s Myrah
Deshpande
stole the
limelight as she made a clean
sweep in the girls under-9 section
of
the
GMAAAKhar
Gymkhana Lower
Age Group swim
meet held at their
swimming
pool,
here. While in the
boys under-9 category,
MGMO’s
Ahaan Dave took
the honours by
winning
three
golds. Myrah triumphed in 50m
Free style (00:35.69
secs), 50m butterfly
All the winners
Girls: (U-9): Myrah Deshpande (KG)- 5; (U-8): Devika Kharude
(MSP)- 2; (U-7): Pahel Shah (CSMSS) – 3; (U-6): Shaurya Kharude
(MSP) 2;
(U-5): Dhea Pareikh (JVPG) 2
Boys:U-9: Ahaan Dave (MGMO)- 3; U-8: Shivaansh Athalye
(Renaissance Club)- 4; U-7: Malhar Gitaye (CSMSS) 2; U-6: Dhruv
Khandwala (JVPG) 4; U-5: Agastya Rao (Murbalidevi) 3
Shabaz impresses with neat 81 break
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI
Shabaz Khan was in impressive form
and constructed breaks of 81 and 38 in
winning both his frames and helping
Bombay Gymkhana ‘Predators’ to prevail over Matoshree Club 3-1 in a round
of 32 match of the GreatWhite Electricals-NSCI BSAM Mumbai Snooker
League 2023, and played at the NSCI billiards hall.
Similarly Manav Panchal and Kanishk
Jhanjharia played significant roles in leading Malabar Hill Club ‘Matka Kings’ and
Cricket Club of India (CCI) ‘Dark Knights’
to victories and a place in the last 16.
The Bombay Gymkhana cueist Shabaz
(+10 handicap) started with a bang rolling
in the 81 point break in defeating Rahul
Narang (+35) 96-35 in the 15-Red first
frame. Matoshree Club drew level as their
doubles combination of Anil Sagar and
Janesh Nair (+30) overcame the Bombay
Gymkhana pair of Zareer Shroff and
Vivek Wadhwa (+26) 82-55 in the 9-Red
doubles second frame.
Later, Vinay Swaminathan (+6) beat
Yash Rungta (+18) 53-18 in the 6-Red third
frame before Shahbaz returned to the
table and once again defeated Narang 8836 in the 4th frame to wrap up the match.
In two other round of 32 encounters,
Panchal played a stellar role in shaping
the fortunes of Malabar Hill Club ‘Matka
Kings and leading them to a 3-1 win
against Park Club ‘Beach Boys’. After
Park Club won the 9-Red doubles tie, Pan-
(00:4 1.96), 50 breast stroke
(00:49.58), 50 back stroke
(00:44.50) and 100m individual
medley( 1:33.40 secs) to take
the top honours in the girls
section.
chal (+8) overcame Amit Sapru (+14) 48-27
in the 6-Red second frame before Akshat
Kejriwal (+45) cruised past Park Club’s
Sanjiv Bijlani (+36) 107-77 in the 15-Red
third frame to give Malabar Hill Club a 2-1
advantage. Panchal (+20) produced another fine performance and went on to quell
the challenge from Vishal Gehani (+30) by
posting a comfortable 86-69 victory and
completing the team’s success.
Kanishk Jhanjharia also played a significant role in guiding Cricket Club of India (CCI) ‘Dark Knights’ to a thrilling 3-2
win against Matunga Gymkhana ‘6 Sigma’ in a closely contested match. Jhanjharia potted steadily and confidently in
winning both his 15-Red first and fourth
frames.
He first defeated Rushubh Jain (+25) 9044. Later, his teammates Pranav Todi (+18)
lost to Darshan Shah (+16) 54-62 and then
their doubles pair of Sameer Gupta and
Krish Arora (+30) lost to Matunga
Gymkhana’s duo of Naresh Sadarangani
and Aditya Agrawal (+2) 60-70. Jhanjharia
defeating Darshan Shah (+40) 98-88 in the
fourth frame before Todi (+45) outplayed
Aditya Sgrawal (+20) cruising to 93-43 victory to close out the match in CCI’s favour.
Easy for Kalina
United
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI
Last year’s runners-up Kalina
United dished a brilliant combined performance and
charged to a facile 6-0 win
against Oceanics Sports Club
in a round-2 match of the Kalina Football League (KFL)
2023, organised by the Our
Lady of Egypt Church Sports
Committee under the auspice
of the Mumbai Football Association (MFA) and played at
the Our Lady of Egypt
Church ground, Kalina.
Kalina United outfit dominated play from the outset
and scored at regular intervals to run away to a big win.
Air India Colony Boys had
quite a fight on hand before
they managed to carve out a
hard-fought 1-0 win against a
spirited Kalina Village Boys
Green in the second match of
the day. Striker Kalpesh Rane
scored the decisive winning
goal.
VASTU | LIFESTLYE
HEALTH & WELLNESS
www.freepressjournal.in
How to use
Urban Gardening
A smarter way
to a green lifestyle
Urban garden ideas and gardening plants
Anjana Ns
3 Jade Plant
This houseplant is called
jade for its color, the plant
doesn’t even need a container
but can easily grow in a
bottle of water. It can also be
a hanging plant and always
looks green. Growing
F
or urbaners,
the best
way to
have an organic
garden is by
having an urban
garden. Urban
gardening, also
called container
gardening, refers
to growing plants
in containers or
pots. Since it is
difficult to have
big gardens in
the urban areas,
some container
gardening
plants will help
in maintaining
greenery in the
house. Take a look
at these simple
urban garden
ideas and also the
different types of
urban gardening
plants.
Growing Conditions:
Light: Indirect Sunlight
Water: Soil needs to be
2 Tomatoes, chillies and
ginger
Growing vegetables is a great
way to utilize the small space of
your house. They can be easily
grown in containers and don’t
need much care. Watering is the
only requirement they demand
and yield good even in the small
area.
Growing Conditions:
Light: These vegetables
thrive in indirect sunlight.
Water: Keep the soil
consistently moist.
Soil: Use loose, well-drained
soil to provide them with the best
growing environment.
moist always
Soil: Loose, well-drained
soil
4 Spider plant -
Spider plants are
magnificent houseplants,
they can be grown even
in baskets. Sometimes the
plantlets even hang from
the plant. It is very easy to
grow them, they aren’t fussy
plants, be it with soil, water
or light.
Growing Conditions:
Light: Undemanding
Water: Moist soil
Soil: Well-aerated potting
mix.
5 Dracaena fragrans
1 Golden pothos
vine
If you like to have a “Mini
Hanging Garden” then nothing
can match your ideas like the
Vine plant. Golden Pothos grow
fast and give good shade
with their gigantic yellow
green leaves. The houseplant
doesn’t ask for any care apart
from watering. They will easily
grow even with a glass of
water.
These are popular drought tolerant plants,
often known as false palms. They
are succulent and cacti. The only
problem the gardeners
need to face is dusting
the thick and fleshy leaves.
Although they are slow
growing, they end up
eating spaces so pruning
is necessary.
Growing Conditions:
Light: Although
they are very forgiving, the
sansevieria prefers bright light
with some sun. They can adapt
to full sun.
Water: Every alternative day
Temperature: Preferably warmth
Soil: Loose, well-drained sandy soil.
Growing conditions:
Light: Indirect Sunlight
Water: Soil needs to be moist
always
Soil: Loose, well-drained
soil.
Luna Dewan
F
asting, performing
several pujas,
cleaning the house,
indulging yourself in
garba and dandiya during
navratri will surely make
one feel weak and giddy.
If this is the case then
you need not worry. A
few basic precautionary
home remedies will help
you prevent the giddiness.
Feeling of dizziness is
quite common during
festivals, especially when
you are fasting. One
tends to have a feeling
of lightheadedness and
they tend to lose the
balance of the body and
lead to fainting. Though
it isn’t a serious issue, if
you are really looking at
keeping yourself fit and
enjoying the festival then
you need to be a little
careful. As it is well said
that prevention is better
than cure, so there is no
better way than taking up
natural home remedies
as a precautionary
measures few days ahead
of the festival to prevent
dizziness and fainting
during the navratri
festival. The best part
about home remedies
is that there are no side
effects and it does not
harm the body. So one
could take it up without
any second thought.
Here is a list of 12 home
remedies to prevent
dizziness during navratri.
Neha Ghosh
S
evere pain in
the lower righthand side of
the abdomen can
be a symptom of
appendicitis. Most of
the time, appendicitis
is a medical emergency
and requires surgical
treatment to avoid
complications.
What is appendicitis?
Appendicitis is the
inflammation of the
appendix, a small pouchlike tissue projecting
from your colon or large
intestine on the right
side of your abdomen.
This causes severe pain
and most often occurs in
people between the ages
of 10 and 30. Appendicitis
can be acute or chronic.
Monika Khajuria
Benefits of bitter gourd for
skin & hair
for amazing skin and hair
How to use bitter gourd for skin
1 Bitter
2 Bitter gourd with
gourd and
neem and turmeric
Neem has antioxidant
cucumber
Cucumber
has a high water
content that keeps
the skin moisturised.
Additionally, it cleanses
the skin and soothes skin
irritation. This blend of bitter
gourd and cucumber will
cleanse your skin and leave
your skin with a natural
glow.
Ingredients: ½ bitter
gourd, ½ cucumber
Method for use: Deseed
the bitter gourd and the
cucumber and slice them into
smaller pieces. Blend both
of these together in a mixer
to make a paste. Apply this
paste on your face and neck.
Leave it on for 10-15 minutes.
Rinse it off using cold water.
Repeat this remedy every day
for the desired result.
Yogurt:
Almond:
Water:
Dehydration leads to
dizziness.Getting oneself
hydrated is one of the
best ways to keep away
giddiness.
Chamomile Tea:
Sipping a cup of
chamomile tea helps in
providing mental relief
and energizing the body.
It provides the body
the needed energy and
prevents dizziness.
Proper Breathing:
A proper inhalation
of oxygen helps in
calming the mind and
provides the body the
needed relaxation.
Hence, taking long
deep breaths for a
few seconds helps in
preventing dizziness.
Peppermint Oil:
Amla:
Rich in vitamin C amla
helps in driving away
dizziness. One could consume
it as a fruit or make it as a
paste, add it with water and
coriander, keep it overnight
and then drink it.
Coriander Seeds:
Take about
a tablespoon of
coriander seeds, add
it to a glass of water,
keep it overnight.
Strain it and then
drink it early in the
morning. It helps in
preventing the symptoms of
dizziness.
Cumin Seeds:
Consuming cumin seeds
mixed with nutmeg powder
helps in preventing dizziness
and also cures it.
Take a few drops of
peppermint oil, gently
massage the forehead
using the oil. This
will help in treating
dizziness.
properties that prevent
skin damage. When applied
topically, it can treat
skin issues such as acne
and pimples. Turmeric
present in the blend
possesses antimicrobial
and antioxidant properties
that soothe the skin and
calm down acne and
inflammation.
Ingredients: 1 bitter
gourd, a handful of neem
leaves, 1 tsp turmeric.
Method of use: Pop all
the ingredients in a blender
and grind them together to
get a paste. Apply this paste
on your face. Leave it on
for 10-15 minutes. Rinse it
off using lukewarm water.
Repeat this remedy 2-3
times a day for the desired
result.
Basil:
Add a few basil
leaves to a glass of
milk, boil it and then
have it before going to bed.
This helps to get rid
of dizziness.
Almond is one of
the best nuts. Soak a
few almonds in water
overnight and have it in
the morning. You could
have it with milk as
well. This helps in doing
away with the dizziness.
Celery Juice:
Celery is one of
the best ingredients
that helps in providing
relief from dizziness
caused due to low
pressure. When one
gets too exhausted,
lowering of blood
pressure is common.
Lemon:
Rich in vitamin
C, lemon helps in
preventing dizziness.
Crush half a lemon in
a glass of water, stir it
and then drink. It helps
in providing the needed
energy.
Taking care of your health during Navratri
fasting is essential to ensure a safe and
enjoyable celebration. Here are some tips:
Stay hydrated: Dehydration is a
common issue during fasting, so drink
plenty of water, coconut water, and
herbal teas to keep yourself wellhydrated.
Listen to your body: Pay attention to
how you feel. If you start to feel dizzy or
fatigued, take a break, rest, and seek shade if
you’re outdoors.
Adequate rest: Ensure you get enough rest and a
good night’s sleep to prevent fatigue.
Monitor blood sugar: If you have diabetes or
experience fluctuations in blood sugar, monitor
your levels and have a quick source of sugar on
hand in case of sudden drops.
Appendicitis occurs
when there is a blockage
in the lining of
the appendix,
resulting in
infection
due to the
multiplying
of bacteria,
causing the
appendix
to become
inflamed,
swollen and filled
with pus.
A build-up of
hardened stool, tumours,
intestinal worms, a
traumatic injury or
enlarged lymphoid
follicles are some of
the ways in which
your appendix can get
blocked.
Praveen Kumar
E
lectrolytes play a very
important role in our
survival. What are
electrolytes? Well, they are
nothing but minerals that
possess electric charge.
Your blood and some of
the bodily fluids contain
electrolytes.
They are ions that
carry an electrical charge.
They carry out various
important functions in
your body. They also help
in controlling the acid
balance in the body. They
also regulate the nerves and
muscles.
Chloride, potassium
and sodium are some of
the electrolytes seen in the
human body. Electrolytes
play an important role in
maintaining fluid levels
in your body. When the
electrolytes exceed their
levels, your kidneys excrete
the excess amounts to
maintain the right balance.
But that is why you
might need to replenish
minerals in order to
compensate for the
lost electrolytes. Even
movements like contraction
of muscles need electrolytes.
Your body needs to
maintain proper electrolyte
levels to function efficiently.
When the minerals
potassium or sodium are
deficient or in excess, you
may suffer dehydration and
various other health issues.
Now, let us discuss some
natural electrolytes....
Complications of appendicitis
Peritonitis: When the
appendix ruptures and spreads
the infection into the abdomen,
it is called peritonitis. This
causes bowel movements to
shut down.
Abscess: If your appendix
bursts, you may develop an
abscess. If the abscess isn’t
treated, it can cause peritonitis.
Symptoms of
appendicitis
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal bloating
Fever
Constipation or diarrhoea
Painful urination
Sudden pain on the right side
of your lower abdomen
Sudden pain that begins
around your navel and shifts to
the lower abdomen
Risk factors of
appendicitis
Age: Appendicitis
most often affects people
between the ages of 15
and 30 years old.
Sex: Appendicitis is
more common in males
than females.
Family history: People
who have a family
history of appendicitis
have a higher risk.
Orange peel contains
antioxidant properties
that cleanse the skin
and remove the dirt and
toxins from the skin.
Ingredients: 1 bitter
gourd, 2-3 dried orange
peels
Method of use:
How to use bitter gourd for hair
Bitter gourd with curd: Bitter gourd mixed
with curd promotes healthy hair and gives a natural
shine to your hair.
Ingredients: 1 bitter gourd, ½ cup curd
Method of use: Grind the bitter gourd to obtain its
juice. Add this juice to half a cup of curd and mix
everything together well. Apply this mixture on your
hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Rinse it off later.
Bitter gourd rub: Rubbing a slice of bitter gourd
on your scalp will give you relief from a dry and
itchy scalp.
Ingredient: A few slices of bitter gourd
Method of use: Chop the bitter gourd into slices.
Divide your hair into smaller sections. Rub the bitter
gourd on the scalp in circular motions for a couple of
minutes. Rinse it off later.
Bitter gourd with cumin seeds: This blend
is effective in treating the issue of dandruff. Cumin
extracts have antifungal properties that help to
maintain a clean and healthy scalp.
Ingredients: 1 tbsp bitter gourd juice, 1 tsp cumin
seeds paste
Method of use: Mix both the ingredients together
well. Apply the mixture on your scalp. Leave it on
for 20 minutes to dry. Rinse it off using lukewarm
water.
Natural sources of
electrolytes
Coconut Water: Tender
coconut water provides all
important electrolytes. In fact, it
is very hydrating and also works
as an energy drink.
Spinach:
Leafy green vegetables offer
sodium, potassium, magnesium
and calcium. Include them in
your diet.
Fruits & Veggies: Some
fruits and vegetables which are
rich in magnesium, calcium and
potassium tend to work well.
For example, spinach contains
calcium, sweet potatoes contain
potassium and okra contains
magnesium.
Nut Butter: Minerals
like phosphorus, sodium and
magnesium are present in nut
butters. Eating even a small
amount can give you some
electrolytes that are lost.
Salt: Too much salt can
cause health issues but you
also need a bit of salt as
it contains sodium. Salty
food can provide
electrolytes but don’t
overeat them.
Lemon Water:
Lemon water is a
great source to get
some potassium
and magnesium.
It can give a quick
boost.
Bananas: Do
you know why
bananas prevent
muscle cramps
and fatigue? Well,
they are rich in
potassium.
Appendicitis: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
What causes appendicitis
Bitter gourd and
orange scrub
Deseed the bitter gourd
and add the seeds in a
3 Bitter gourd
mixer. Add the dried
orange peels in
with egg yolk and yogurt
the mixer and
Loaded with nutrients, egg
blend both the
yolk keeps the skin hydrated and soft.
ingredients
Besides, it also protects the skin from UV
together.
damage. The lactic acid present in the yogurt
Gently
helps to tighten skin pores and improves skin
scrub
elasticity. This mask, therefore, helps to reduce
your face
signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles.
using this
Ingredients: 1 tbsp bitter gourd juice, 1 tbsp
mixture
yogurt, 1 egg yolk.
in circular
Method of use: Mix all the ingredients together
in a bowl. Apply this mixture evenly on your face motions for
about 5-10
and neck. Leave it on for 20-25 minutes. Now,
minutes.
sprinkle some water on your face and gently
Rinse it
massage your face in circular motions for
off using
a few seconds. Rinse it off using warm
lukewarm water.
water. Repeat this remedy every
Use this scrub
alternate day for the desired
once a week for the
result.
desired result.
It gives a natural glow to
your skin.
It removes the toxins and
impurities from our skin.
It treats acne, pimples and
blemishes.
It prevents signs of ageing
such as fine lines and wrinkles.
It improves the elasticity of
the skin.
It prevents the skin from
sun damage.
It promotes hair growth.
It prevents hair fall.
It treats dry and itchy
scalp.
The moment you
feel kind of dizzy,
having half a bowl
of yogurt helps in
preventing dizziness
and fainting in the
middle of the festival
time.
4
bitter gourd
B
itter gourd or karela,
is a vegetable that
most of us didn’t like
as kids and some of us still
don’t. And our elders would
constantly brag about its
benefits. Well folks, they
weren’t wrong! Did you
know bitter gourd has a lot of
benefits to offer for your skin
and hair? It is an amazing
veggie packed with nutrition
that can help you tackle
various skin and hair issues.
The antioxidant
properties of bitter gourd
maintain the skin and
scalp health, thus leaving
you with nourished skin
and hair. Also, apart from
treating issues like acne it
also effectively reduces the
inflammation caused due
to acne. Furthermore, the
healing properties of bitter
gourd help to heal and soothe
your skin. Who would’ve
thought that bitter gourd
has so much to
offer! Listed
below are
the ways
in which you
can include bitter
gourd in your
beauty regime. But
before that, let’s have
a look at the various benefits
bitter gourd has to offer for
skin and hair.
Navratri: Home remedies to
prevent giddiness
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
Diagnosis of appendicitis
The symptoms of
appendicitis are similar
to other health conditions
like urinary tract infection,
gastritis, intestinal infection,
gallbladder problems, and
ovary problems. So, diagnosing
appendicitis can be difficult.
The tests which are used to
diagnose appendicitis are a
blood test, urine test, physical
examination, and imaging tests.
Watermelon:
Watermelon is not only
refreshing but also a good
source of hydration and
electrolytes. It contains
potassium, magnesium,
and calcium, making it a
tasty and natural way to
replenish these minerals.
Oranges: Oranges
are rich in potassium
and also provide a good
dose of vitamin C, which
is essential for overall
health. You can enjoy
fresh orange slices
or make a homemade
electrolyte drink with
orange juice.
Cucumbers:
Cucumbers have a high
water content and are a
good source of potassium.
They make for a crunchy
and hydrating snack,
especially on hot
days.
Chia Seeds:
Chia seeds can be
soaked in water to
create a chia gel,
which is a fantastic
source of hydration
and electrolytes.
They are
rich in
potassium,
calcium,
and
magnesium.
Plus, they
provide a
satisfying
texture to
your drinks
and snacks.
Prevention of appendicitis
Appendicitis cannot be
entirely prevented.
Including highfiber foods in your diet
Treatment of appendicitis
may reduce the risk
of appendicitis by
Appendectomy (Surgery to
promoting regular
remove the appendix)
bowel movements.
The surgery is normally
The role of
performed using 3 small
dietary fiber is
incisions (each ¼ to ½ inch)
to prevent fecal
known as laparoscopy. During
blockages in the
the laparoscopy, the surgeon
appendix.
inserts special surgical tools
High-fiber foods
and a video camera inside the
include fruits, vegetables,
abdomen to remove the appendix.
whole grains, legumes,
This surgery helps you recover
Lifestyle
and seeds.
faster and you may return to
changes to recover
A highnormal activities in 2 to 3 weeks.
faster from appendicitis
fiber diet offers
Strenuous activity can be done
Avoid strenuous
various health
within 4 to 6 weeks.
activity for 10 to 14 days
benefits beyond
If your appendix has
Sleep when you feel
appendicitis
ruptured and the infection has
tired
prevention.
spread to other parts of the
Drink plenty of fluids
Consult
abdomen, you may require an
Go for a gentle
a healthcare
open appendectomy, which allows
walk every day
professional for
the surgeon to clean the abdominal
proper guidance if you
activity. In this case, you will have to
suspect appendicitis.
spend more time in the hospital to recover.
Disclaimer: The Free Press Journal bears no responsibility for the content that appears on this page.
B
ritney Spears wrote that she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake more than 20 years ago, according to a
peek inside her hotly anticipated memoir. "If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it," she writes
of the procedure, according to the excerpt from "The Woman in Me" published Tuesday in People magazine. "And
yet Justin was so sure that he didn't want to be a father." The pregnancy "was a surprise, but for me, it wasn't a
tragedy," she wrote in the excerpt, saying that she had wanted to start a family with Timberlake - it was just earlier than
expected. "But Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives, that
we were way too young," she wrote. The couple broke up in 2002. It's unclear when the pregnancy happened. epresentatives
for Spears declined to offer further comment. Representatives for Timberlake did not respond to requests for comment from The
Associated Press. The AP has not been able to independently review a copy of the "The Woman in Me" yet.
— CJ Desk
Britney had
an abortion
at 20 while
dating
Timberlake
MUMBAI | THURSDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2023
THE ‘NEW’ ME
ROHIT BHATNAGAR
ctor Meezan, who marked his
dream debut under the safe
hands of maverick Sanjay Leela
Bhansali with Malaal has carved
his own name soon after. Earlier
Hungama 2, and now with Yaariyan 2, actor seems to be unstoppable. In an exclusive chat with The Free Press Journal,
Meezan takes the trip down the memory
lane when he started off as an actor, his
association with the part twos of commercial franchises and more. Excerpts:
A
Being a star kid, how difficult was it for
you to pave your own path?
When I did my debut with Malaal, it was
my learning experience. I didn’t know
A still
from the
film
what to expect or what not. I was so
caught up in promoting the film and so
never really thought about anything,
good, bad. Malaal was a tragic love story
and it left a huge impact on people. You
need so much patience with to see that intense film. It is a mature and deep rooted
love story. Back then, the time was unexpected but now with Yaariyan 2, I am
kicked.
Go on…
Today, I know what I am doing, how much
invested I am in the promotions of
Yaariyan 2. I know what impact it does on
the film. With a film like this, where we
don’t have big faces to promote, it is important to go an extra mileage to put out
our film to the public. The promotions are
stressful but finally the film is coming
out.
Being a new entrant, are you more nervous than Divya Khosla Kumar?
Don’t know about being more nervous but
I am equally nervous. However, she has
been a part of the first one, but this one is
entirely a new and fresh film. At the end
of the day, only this film matters. I know
what is at stake but then a lot of people
advised me to not be stressed.
Do you feel that you are the shining star of part twos?
It’s a beautiful coincidence. I feel
fortunate to have been a part of a
big franchise like Hungama and to
be able to work with Priyadarshan
sir was just wonderful. There’s a
certain relatability if you are a part
of a successful franchise. I always had
great music in my films and now with
Yaariyan 2, the graph is only elevated.
I had seen the first part of Yaariyan
and I am so excited for all of you to experience the music in the second part. We
have delivered the expectations I feel.
Actor
reveals that
he had no clue
about the
aftermath
of his
debut
Were you okay to see Hungama 2 released digitally despite making a
theatrical debut prior to it?
I think, one has to always
evolve with the times.
Hungama 2 came in middle of the pandemic and
theatres were shut so
there was no other option but to come on
OTT. I believe everything has a timing. We
had to release it else it
would have been dated.
I also feel that Hungama 2 made people
laugh in such depressing times. Although, I
debuted with Malaal
but people recognised
me through
Hungama 2.
JUST THE BEGINNING
Influencer-actress opens up on how pretence becomes difficult after a point
OSHIN FERNANDES
ctor-Influencer Dolly
Singh, who recently featured in Thank You For
Coming speaks to The
Free Press Journal on how
the acting bug got to her, breaking
stereotypes, and more.
Dolly, who rose to fame as a content creator, made her Bollywood
debut with Bhaag Beanie Bhaag
in 2020. She recalls being insecure
despite her love for being on
screen. “Acting was something I've
always manifested since childhood. I loved watching TV and
wanted to be inside that box, I was
jealous of all the child actors I
would see around in shows like
Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Just Mohabbat, and Disney shows, but I
was also an insecure, underconfident kid. At that time the industry
thinking was the heroine had to
look a certain way, conventionally
extremely beautiful. But nobody
wants to play supporting characters in their dreams. I grew up in a
realistic way aware of what I
could and couldn't do. I thought
people would make extra fun of
me,” says Dolly.
When asked if her journey from
A
A still from the film
being an influencer to now doing
projects as an actor was a smooth
ride, Dolly asserts, “My transition
has been easier than if I was not
an influencer trying to act because you make contacts in the industry, know how to get an audition, might work a lot swifter,
that's honestly it. In the beginning, it helps because you already
know some people from the same
circle which might be hard when
you're not someone with a big following. This stage makes it easy
but most of us are self-made, so
we've put that struggle elsewhere,
trying to build that empire on our
social media. There's also the fear
of being stereotyped which has
happened, like I've played so many
best friend roles, blink and miss,
and to be able to move away from
that has been my action plan.
Thank You For Coming was my
How far do you
agree that choices do make or
break you?
I totally agree. My
producer Bhushan
Kumar called me
and offered this
role. He also explained to me the
vision he had for
this film. It was a
win-win situation
for me. My character has so much to
do in it
especially that I
haven’t done before. He is a biker,
who sees several
ups and downs
on both personal and professional front.
opportunity to do a significant
role, has an arc, and a lot of
character depth.”
Earlier this year, Dolly
walked the red carpet at
the prestigious Cannes
Film Festival. Needless
to say, she drew flak
for the same. On the
criticism she encountered, Dolly
maintains, “I'm
aware of the
arguments
that were
there and
honestly
I agree
with
them.
The fact
that film
people
should be
more on
that stage
rather than influencers, and
as someone who loves looking
out for good cinema, I agree.
The blame was valid but it was
on the wrong people. I don't
think influencers in general are
the problem, it is the fact that
the audiences today are more
interested in who is wearing what
on the red carpet rather than
which movie is being screened.
Of course, brands are going to
capitalise on that.”
Dolly believes that representation matters and when other
girls see her they feel more confident and don’t belittle themselves as less beautiful. Stating
what she would tell her
younger self, Dolly concluded,
“Pretending becomes difficult
after a point. I was extremely
hard on myself growing up. I
was in a zone where I would
just keep calling myself ugly
and not enjoy my physical body,
and say bad things to myself. I
would like to go back in time
and tell her that it's okay, take a
break, it's fine, there's nothing
really bad about you. This is
what people have made you believe.”
PICS: VARINDER CHAWLA
CAUGHT ON CAM
Director’s Cut
Between
Lenses
Filmmaker/Actor
Ashutosh Gowariker
weighs in on how he
does not let his
filmmaking abilities
get in the way of his
acting
VIJAYALAKSHMI NARAYANAN
acing the camera is not
a new feat for filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker,
the creative genius who
has helmed some of Indian
cinema’s most defining films
(read Lagaan, Swades, Jodhaa
Akbar) in the millennial generation. For many who grew up in
the late 90s, his acting stint in the
television series Woh in 1998, remains an early memory of him as a
performer. In recent times,
cinephiles will remember him as
Raja Karmerkar, the righteous son
in the National Award-winning
Marathi film Ventilator. But truth be
told, the man has been acting alongside actor Aamir Khan since the latter’s cinematic debut in 1984 with
Holi.
With Kaala Paani, the new show
which premieres on OTT from October 18 onwards, Gowariker is excited about venturing into new
realms. That he collaborates with
Sameer Saxena and Amit Golani,
two names who have fronted
some of Indian OTT’s most
defining shows in the last
decade, speaks about his strive
to better himself as a creative
visionary.
When asked about having witnessed more than three
decades of transition since his
debut in the industry, the filmmaker shares, “I think speed
is the biggest element that
has come into the shooting styles, across differ-
F
ent platforms. Earlier we would do
three scenes in a day. You could interact with your co-stars and engage
with one other in rehearsals. As
time has progressed, we have now
come into a space where we are given twelve scenes a day. And you’re
supposed to deliver these scenes
while performing. I’m not just
speaking for web or television. It is
the same story with film also. So,
you have to deliver, you have to
perform and do your best within
that time zone where if your coactor is delivering at a certain
pace, I have to deliver at that
pace. If I don’t deliver, I’m going to be out. As a creative
conglomerate, anyone who
delays the process cannot be
taken again.”
Gowariker plays Admiral
Zibran Quadri in Kaala
Paani, a righteous bureaucrat who always wants to do
the right thing.
When prodded to reveal if he
ever exchanged footnotes with
Saxena and Golani over how to
crack the OTT code or has there
been an instance where he has
shared an anecdote or two with
them, he shares, “I’m a director by
Celebs were spotted as they
were out and about in
Mumbai
Kareena
Kapoor Khan
looks vibrant in
a green dress
A still from the show
observation. While I have acted, I
have always observed my directors,
whoever I have worked for, even if I
was not required on-set. So, that became my schooling. While I really
looked forward to working with both
Sameer and Amit and I’m grateful I
got the opportunity sooner than I
anticipated, when I’m not shooting,
I’m observing how they are operating and approaching their material.
That has been a great learning
curve for me.”
As we conclude our chat, Gowariker shares his acting process. “Acting
is so difficult; I do not have the time
to think as a director. That’s where I
draw the line between the two,” he
signs off.
Divya Khosla
Kumar spotted at
Mumbai airport in a
traditional pink suit
Shriya Saran is all
smiles in a white-red
attire at an event
Mughda Godse
looks ravishing
in a beige gold
saree
Karan Johar
flaunts his
oomph factor at
an event