PUBLISHED FROM DELHI & KOLKATA NO HALF TRUTHSVOL. 13, ISSUE 228 | Saturday, 18 August 2018 | New Delhi | Pages 16 | Rs 3.00

millenniumpost.in RNI NO.: DELENG/2005/15351REGD. NO.: DL(S)-01/3420/2018-20

In today’s paper

...CITY

ATTACKERS OF UMAR KHALID DODGE POLICE 4

NATION

CBI QUESTIONS FEROZEPUR RANGE IG 7

EDIT

THE MASTERCLASS OF POLITICS 8

INTERNATIONAL

IMRAN KHAN FORMALLY ELECTED PAKISTAN PM 11

BUSINESS

GAIL MAY FORAY INTO SOLAR POWER PLANTS 13

SPORT

INDIA SET FOR RESHUFFLE IN DO-OR-DIE TEST 14

Income Tax collection at record `10.03 lakh crore in 2017-18

MPOST BUREAU

GUWAHATI: Income Tax collection in the country stood at a record Rs 10.03 lakh crore during 2017-18, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said on Friday.

Addressing a two-day conference of Income Tax Administrators of Eastern Zone here, Shabri Bhattasali, Member of CBDT said that during 2017-18, a record number of 6.92 crore I-T returns were filed, which was 1.31 crore more than 5.61 crore returns filed in 2016-17.

The I-T Department added 1.06 crore new return filers during 2017-18 and aims to add 1.25 crore new filers for the current year. In the North East region, this number was 1.89 lakh, she said.

L C Joshi Ranee, Principal Chief Com-missioner of Income Tax, North Eastern Region said that Rs 7,097 crore tax was collected from the region during 2017-18.

This is 16.7 per cent higher than Rs

6,082 crore collected in the preceding year, Ranee said.

He said the target in the region for 2018-19 has been fixed at Rs 8,357 crore, 17.75 per cent more than last years collection.

Stating that the department is com-mitted to meet the target tax collection, increase taxpayer base and deliver supe-rior services, ‘Aaykar Seva Kendras’ have already been opened in 22 out of 29 sta-tions in NER.

New offices are being opened in far-flung areas to deliver taxpayer services, he added.

MPOST BUREAU

NEW DELHI: Kerala’s most brutal monsoon in a century has killed 324 people over the last nine days, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said, issu-ing a fresh rain alert for the bat-tered state. Nearly 2 lakh people have been displaced. The state, battling floods and landslides, plunged deeper into crisis on Friday, with hospitals facing a shortage of oxygen and fuel sta-tions running dry. Rescue efforts have been progressing on a war footing, and Vijayan said he had spoken to Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi, who reached Kerala on Friday evening.

“Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 80 dams

opened, 324 lives lost and 223139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps,” read a tweet from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Till now, 42 Navy, 16 Army, 28 Coast Guard and 39 National Disaster Relief Force teams were engaged in rescue operations. Another 14 NDRF teams are expected to reach shortly. The military has pushed in more than 200 boats. Another four aircraft and three Coast Guard ships have also been brought in.

Flood waters from the Peri-yar river and its tributaries have submerged many towns in Ernakulam and Thrissur. An alarming situation has developed in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thris-sur and Pathanamthitta districts, where roads have become com-

pletely submerged. Thousands of people are still perched on trees and rooftops, waiting to be res-cued. Water has started entering relief camps.

On Friday morning, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Had a telephone con-versation with Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan just now. We discussed the flood situation across the state and reviewed

rescue operations. Later on Fri-day evening, I will be heading to Kerala to take stock of the unfor-tunate situation due to flooding.”

Though the met office has said the rainfall will continue till Saturday, the intensity has lessened slightly. A tweet from the Chief Minister’s Office on Friday morning said, “All dis-tricts apart from Kasargod are under red alert. The Meteoro-logical Department warns that heavy rains may affect these 13 districts.”

Domestic airlines have been asked to keep a check on airfares for flights operating to and from Kerala. Telecom operators have announced free call and data ser-vices and other relief measures for a week for users in Kerala. P6

324 killed, nearly 2L displaced in KeralaFLOOD FURY

Atal laid to rest SAYANTAN GHOSH

NEW DELHI: The former PM’s body was kept overnight at his bungalow on Krishna Menon Road, where he spent the last few years away from public life. From there, it was taken with military honours to the BJP office. Ironically, the BJP patriarch could never visit the new, sprawling headquar-ters symbolic of the rise of the party he nurtured for decades.

Vajpayee, who ruled the country thrice in the 1990s, had retreated from politics over the last few years because of his health.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several ministers and top BJP leaders were present as Vajpayee’s body, in a glass cas-ket draped in the national flag,

was carried into the building by soldiers.

The young and old, men and women, some with chil-dren, collected outside the gates of the BJP office, anxious for a last glimpse of the late leader. Some clambered on a neem tree outside, desperate to be part of the proceedings but unable to get inside.

Hundreds of people filed past the body in silence, with a large portrait of a smiling Vajpayee - a BJP flag on either side - in the backdrop.

Earlier on Thursday morn-ing, hundreds of people chanted “Atal Bihari Amar Rahe” as Vajpayee’s cortege made its way from his home through the city to reach the BJP office about five kilometres away. See P3

VAJPAYEE CREMATED WITH FULL STATE HONOURS

ABHAY SINGH/YOGESH KANT/SAYANTAN GHOSH

NEW DELHI: Bugles sounded the last post, uniformed sol-diers gave a gun salute, and a hush descended over the crowd as former prime minis-ter Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s mor-tal remains were consigned to the flames on Friday evening, the sun setting on the life of a poet-politician who combined accommodative politics with graciousness.

Foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya lit the pyre as cries of “Atal Bihari Amar Rahe” rent the air and a light drizzle fell.

President Ram Nath Kov-ind, Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were among the thou-sands of people at the Rash-triya Smriti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna, the BJP patri-arch’s final resting place along the stretch which also houses the memorials of Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shas-tri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Several foreign dignitar-ies, including Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wang-chuck, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mah-mood Ali and Pakistan’s Law Minister Ali Zafar were pres-ent as Vajpayee was cremated with full state honours.

The tricolour draping Vajpayee, who died on Thurs-day at the age of 93 following prolonged illness at the All India Institute of Medical Sci-ences, was folded and handed over to his granddaughter Niharika.

It was a sea of white, with most mourners dressed in the colour of mourning to remember the man who wove together pragmatism and his vision for an inclusive India. Some could be seen fighting back the tears.

The intensity of the

moment and the heat led to some mourners fainting.

Thousands of mourners poured into the streets of the national capital as Vajpayee’s cortege made its way from his home to the BJP headquar-ters on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and then to the Rash-triya Smriti Sthal.

As the crowds surged for-ward, some running, some walking, the prime minister and BJP president Amit Shah were among those who walked behind the flower-bedecked gun carriage.

There were people every-where, covering the roads along the route from the BJP headquarters to the Smriti Sthal from side to side, with security personnel maintain-ing strict vigil to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

These were extraordinary scenes last seen when Con-gress leader Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991, and his funeral procession was taken from Teen Murti Bhavan to the banks of the Yamuna, recalled, old-timers.

Seen as a moderate face of BJP, Vajpayee first became prime minister in 1996, lead-ing a shaky coalition whose members were suspicious of the BJP’s right-wing politics. It lasted for 13 days and col-lapsed after losing a vote of no-confidence.

His second stint as prime minister was in 1998 when the National Democratic Alliance again came to power, but that lasted for just 13 months.

Finally, the NDA with Vajpayee as PM returned to power in 1999 and was voted out in 2004.

END OF AN ERA » Foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya lit the pyre » President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh were among the thousands of people at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal » Vajpayee served thrice as Prime Minister

» Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Pakistan’s Law Minister Ali Zafar were present

» Vajpayee was the first non- Congress PM to complete the full five-year term

» Vajpayee spent the last few years at Krishna Menon Marg away from the limelight

Crowds throng the BJP headquarters, in New Delhi on Friday PTI

Sea of people flood BJP HQ for final glimpse

PIC/NAVEEN SHARMA

PM Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, other leaders and general public participate in the last journey of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as his mortal remains are taken for cremation to Smriti Sthal PTI

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2 MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018mp around town

TAKING THE LEGACY FORWARD

Aryan Lal left the audience mesmerised with his Kathak solo performance, held on August 17 at Alliance Francaise, New Delhi. The dancer was accompanied on-stage by Pranshu Chaturlal on tabla, Rishi Shankar Upadhaya on pakhawad, Salim Kumar on sitar and Vidha Lal on padhant for the festival ‘Into the future’ by Guru Pradeep Shankar Academy of performing arts and Saurang Parampara Music Society of Moradabad Gharan. Aryan ‘s parents – Guru Abhimanyu Lal and Vidha Lal – are world famous Kathak exponents and his grandmother Guru Geetanjali Lal is the Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee. Presently studying at Delhi Public School R K Puram, he is undergoing Kathak training at the National Institute of Kathak – Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. Apart from dancing, he also plays tabla and western drums.

A CHOCOLATE FEASTWhat can be the better way to ring in the 72nd Independence Day weekend, than have delicious aroma of chocolate seeping into your happy souls! Come and enjoy an afternoon feasting on the fun collection of chocolates with ‘Spin to Win’ contest. Celebrate the Independence and taste of chocolate this weekend with 15% off on selected chocolate bars. WHEN: August 16 – 18 WHERE: Fabelle, Luxury Chocolate Boutique, Select City Walk

AN AUTHENTIC EUROPEAN DELIGHTAmuse House, the authentic European Bistro, is set to serve the peeps with its rich, diverse, elegant and cultural cuisine. Step in with your favourite people and cherish the uniquely crafted and enticing menu. Pamper yourself with the finest and fascinating European delight curated by the chef such smoked mushroom risotto, manchego stuffed chillies, grilled goat cheese beetroot and much more to crave upon.WHEN: Until September 30 WHERE: C- 108, Ansal Plaza

TIMINGS: 12 pm – 1 am

THE BOLLYWOOD MAGICAfter a successful run in Bombay last year – Wizcraft’s stunning Bollywood musical production – Balle Balle is all set to hit the stage in the Capital now. The two-hour spectacle features 48 talented stars singing 25 iconic Bollywood songs live as they entertain the audiences with their phenomenal performances, breath-taking visuals and sizzling choreography. WHEN: August 11 onwards WHERE: Kingdom of DreamsTIMINGS: Tuesday, Friday to Sunday – 7 pm; Wednesday and Thursday – 2:30 pm

A DISTINGUISHED VISION OF ARTAn exhibition titled ‘Planart’ is being organised as an initiative to create “cultural enlightenment” through art. It is a mix of “distinguished” and “emerging artists”, including differently-able artists. The works would include canvases, sculptures and installations. WHEN: August 19 WHERE: Alliance Francaise de Delhi TIMINGS:12pm – 9pm

DAYINDAYOUT What’s on Around Town

UMA NAIR

Dr Alka Pande is more than a curator, more than a critic, more than the spine and force behind Delhi’s most popular

exhibition space The Visual Arts Gallery at IHC. At the newly curated epic exhibi-tion of Gaj Mahotsav at the IGNCA, she goes beyond convention to present a quar-tet of photographs by the giant Bandeep Singh who has been doing photography and design for more than two decades.

Singh’s quartet of four elephant images are called ‘Airavat’ and he gives MP an exclusive. “These are a part of a larger body of work I am working on. I am working on a personal project photographing captive wild animals in a manner we photograph people. These are portraits done with stu-dio lighting and are shot on locations where the animals are held captive,” says Singh.

“The dominant imagery about wildlife consists romanticised photographs of wild animals shot in idyllic surroundings. While this creates majestic images and shows wildlife in its natural grandeur,  however a surfeit of such imagery over time subcon-sciously creates and perpetuates the myth that all is well and that nature abounds

with wildlife. On the other hand, news images of poaching and ani-mal deaths due to human negligence are so gruesome and graphics that we deliberately explain them away from our minds. We choose to see them as tragic images that are sad but ‘don’t concern us’. Nothing sticks and punc-tures our consciousness,” he adds.

For Singh, the core idea behind this work is to break the pattern of imagery that surrounds wildlife. This is to show animals with the tools and the visual language we showcase humans and in the process disrupt the blindness of routine of idyllic images.  Singh also clarifies that this is not to be critical of wildlife imagery or news imag-ery but to open another door to see the predicament of animals.

“There is a whole range of human issues that need to be addressed before we even arrive at doing something for the animals,” states Singh.

Explaining the technique of freezing the frame on these magnificent creatures Singh elucidates. “When I was shooting the elephants on the bank of Yamuna, I had placed a couple of strobe lights around the animal. The moment the lights flashed they

not just lit up the elephants but all the mos-quitoes and insects in the air around them. While processing the images, I saw these lit insects as stars around the elephant. The white dots of skin pigmentation on the ele-phant lit up as constellations.”

“I worked with this metaphor – a cos-mic elephant – Airavat. The technique I used was to process the white areas of the image separately to heighten the white. The black of the elephant was subdued to merge with the dark. Both were then combined to print the final images.”

Singh’s quartet of works helps us to understand that elephants need to be sanc-

tified and venerated rather than abused and used as beasts of bur-den like they are done in places like Rajasthan and even the temples in Kerala where they are chained for years if not months while being used for trials and relics.

While the WWF is looking at important progressives in the care and habitation of wildlife India’s ele-phants have a top priority in terms of the cruelty they have borne in the hands of humanity. In more ways than one, these portraits reminded me of Sebastian Salgado who said

“But I tell you, for me, each photographer brings his own light from when he was a kid – in this fraction of a second when you freeze reality, you also freeze all this background. You materialize who you are.”

Singh’s images probe questions of kind-ness and cruelty as a double-edged sword and we recall Salgado’s famous lessons to photographers.

“This is why if you give the same cam-era to two different people and ask them to shoot the same scene, something different will always emerge. Personality seeps into the mechanism. Magical thinking maybe, but true.”

Airavat: An elephant’s eyesTo celebrate the grandeur of our national treasure - the Asian Elephant - an exhibition by Bandeep Singh was organised at IGNCA. Singh has been doing photography and design for more than two decades

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Orientation ceremony for the new students of MCIT wing and Law wing was organised on August 8 and August 10

respectively.The orientation ceremony of MCIT

wing, was inaugurated by Chief Guests - Veena Kumari, Senior manager (SEBI), Dr Abhishek Jain, General Secretary, Yugank Chaturvedi, Director-General, Professor JP Mohla, Director-Academ-ics and Dr DC Agarwal, Director-MCIT.

All the students assembled in the auditorium of the college to inter-actswith the faculty. The students were

also given an overview of the college and campus facilities after the introduc-tion session.

Then, there was an address by Yugank Chaturvedi, Director General – which was attended by all the new students and faculty, followed by an interaction with Veena Kumari, Senior Manager, SEBI.

Taking forward the program, Amit Bhardwaj, Associate Profesor, IT and TPO, discussed various aspects of inter-action with the industry, exploring ave-nues for skill-based training, short-term projects and finally recruitment and get-ting jobs in the industry.

The orientation of the Law wing was

inaugurated by Chief Guests R S Gos-wami, Chairman Bar Council, Delhi, Dr Abhishek Jain, General Secretary, Yugank Chaturvedi, Director-General, Professor JP Mohla, Director-Academ-ics, Dr DC Agarwal, Director-MCIT.

Addressing the students and intro-ducing them to the college, Neeta Beri, Principal, School of Law, explained various aspects of Law and its impor-tance. She exhorted the students for hard work and honesty and encouraged them to take up the challenges and be the forerunners in the development of the country.

Finally, each faculty member of the department introduced himself/herself to the students and discussed various research topics they are involved in car-rying out the research in their respective areas. The final phase of the program ended with refreshments, and a group photograph of students, faculty mem-bers, and the staff.

CPJ college organises orientation for newcomers

OUR CORRESPONDENT

PRITHVI FINE Art and Cultural Centre launched Sangeeta Gupta’s book, ‘EKAM: The Supreme One’ – at a private event jointly organised with Ratan Kaul.

The book of photographs and poetry is inspired by the different moods of the Dal Lake in Srinagar.

The book was unveiled by eminent Kash-miri, K L Ganju (Consul General (Hony.) of the Republic of Union of Comoros and Member of the (Hony). He is also Consular Corps Diplomatique – India, Director - F I C A C (AISBL), World Federation of Consuls). Other guests present at the launch were writer and curator – Sushma K Bahl, Lorraine Young (Vice President, Australia New Zealand Asso-ciation Delhi), Peter Stall, Geoffrey Lepps, Maneesh Baheti (Founder Director, South Asian Association for Gastronomy), Neelima Agrawal (CEO, The Luxury Chronicle), Renu Hussain (Wife of Syed Shahnawaz Hussain), Fashion Designers Preeti Ghai and Shilpa Raina Wahal among others.

This is a book of photographs of vari-ous moods of the beautiful  Dal Lake in Srinagar, as it kept changing with the dif-

ferent seasons, further embellished with poetry written by  Sangeeta Gupta. She shot these pictures when she was posted in Srinagar as the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax of Jammu and Kashmir. She cap-tured the beauty of the lake in every medium of art, in her photographs, her poetry, her paint-ings, as she returned from work in her Shikara, or walked on the banks of the Dal.

The canvases of her works are also on display at the Prithvi Gallery as part of the on-going exhibition ‘Neel-Mysteries of Blue’. As Kashmir remains on the boil, the beauty of the region and its simple and gentle denizens, continue to inspire the artist.

A photographic and poetic description of ‘Dal lake’

Ceremony for the students of MCIT wing and Law wing was held on August 8 and 10

mp city 3MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

YOGESH KANT

NEW DELHI: Braving the sultry weather, thousands of mourners walked in solidarity and some clambered on trees to catch a glimpse, as former prime minister and Bharat Ratna recipient Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cortège left the Bharatiya Janata Party head-quarters at Deen Dayal Upad-hyaya Marg towards Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for the last rites of the beloved poet-politician.

A sea of white clad-in mourners gathered to remem-ber the BJP patriarch. With parched throats and empty stomachs, many were even be seen wiping their tears for Vajpayee, who wove together pragmatism and his vision for an inclusive India.

Moreover, the intensity of the moment and the heat led to some mourners fainting during the funeral.

Vajpayee, 93, passed away at the All India Institute of Medi-cal Sciences (AIIMS) here on Thursday evening after pro-longed illness.

The air was solemn as Vajpayee’s body draped in the tricolour, and placed on a plat-form of white flowers. Hun-dreds of people filed past the body in silence, with a large portrait of a smiling Vajpayee and BJP flags on either side in the backdrop.

The young and the old, men and women, gathered outside the gates of the BJP headquar-ters and were anxious for a last glimpse of their beloved leader,

before the state funeral at the Raashtriya Smriti Sthal on the banks of the river Yamuna.

Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, accompanied by a few BJP leaders, joined the proces-sion and travelled by foot all the way to the cremation site.

Several people travelled by trains and buses and took the pain to reach Delhi on time to pay their last respects to

Vajpayee. Among these was Aakash Kumar, 25, who rode his scooter from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, cover-

ing a distance of around 70 km.He said Vajpayee’s ‘Kaal ke

kapaal pe likhta aur mitaata hoon’ is his favourite poem.

“I was probably in Class III or IV, when I heard one of his speeches and was drawn towards him. I really liked his

poems,” said Kumar.“Atalji worked for the

nation. It did not matter for him whether someone was a Hindu or a Muslim. All com-munities had faith in him,” said Sudhir Kumar Ojha, a 49-year-old advocate from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. Ojha had been waiting outside Vajpayee’s resi-dence at Krishna Menon Marg late since Thursday evening to pay his last respects.

Earlier in the morning, hundreds of people chanted “Atal Bihari Amar Rahe” as Vajpayee’s cortege made its way from his home through the city to reach the BJP office.

Mourners walked and ran beside the carriage, also rais-ing slogans like “Jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Atal ji ka naam rahega”, punctuated by patri-otic cheers of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.

The funeral procession passed through Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi Gate, Netaji Subhash Marg, Nishadraj Marg and Shanti Vana, before reach-ing Smriti Sthal, Delhi Traffic Police said in a tweet.

The journey took nearly 90 minutes to reach the Smriti Sthal on the bank of river Yamuna. Upon reaching the Smriti Sthal, the hearse was escorted by slow marching col-umns of personnel drawn from the three services of the Indian defense forces.

Vajpayee’s foster daughter Namita Bhattacharya lit the funeral pyre and the legend-ary leader was also given a 21 gun salute.

Thousands take part in Vajpayee’s last rituals

(Clocwise from top left) Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya looks on during his cremation; Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with BJP leaders at the funeral procession; Vajpayee’s mortal remains being carried by an Indian Army gun carriage; the crowd of mourners at ITO; BJP president Amit Shah pays his last respect to Vajpayee at the new BJP headquarters PICS/MPOST/ NAVEEN SHARMA

ABHAY SINGH

NEW DELHI: One of the tall-est leaders in Indian politi-cal history left the world on Thursday, leaving behind cit-izens who remembered his Hindi speeches, poems and the game-changing decisions that brought Bharatiya Janata Party into power.

On Friday, thousands of cit-izens bid adieu to Atal Bihari Vajpayee with rose petals across the national Capital, including more than 50 students from Saraswati Bal Mandir Second-ary School, who waved plac-ards at ITO.

One of the students, Ekansh, told Millennium Post he remembers Vajpayee’s con-tribution to the Pokhran-II

nuclear bomb test. “He was a true leader and his different ini-tiatives helped in rapid growth of the country,” he said.

Waving a placard with a poem that reads ‘Tan Atal, Maan Atal, Jiwan Atal Kar Chale Atal’, another boy Sand-eep Mishra said that India has lost a star who only thought of the people.

Meanwhile, in Delhi Gate, 70-year-old Umrawati has come from Gorakhpur to attend her leader’s funeral procession. The scorching heat forced the old woman to sit near the roadside. “I used to vote for Congress, but when I started hearing him and witnessed his work, I started voting for the BJP. For the party, he was the game changer who brought them into the power,”

added the septuagenarianShe also remembers the for-

mer Prime Minister’s role dur-ing the Jan Sangh days, which made him popular among the people. Umrawati walked all the way from Patel Nagar to Central Delhi.

Yogendra, who came along with his family to witness the last rites, stated, “Atalji was a brilliant wordsmith. Through his poems, he captivated hearts of millions. His political oppo-nents were also fond of his poetic skills.”

“Throughout his life, he focussed on Hindi language and he used it in several pub-lic meetings to address people, which made him a special pol-itician among the public,” said the Patel Nagar resident.

SAYANTAN GHOSH

NEW DELHI: The new head-quarters of Bharatiya Janata Party at 6, Deen Dayal Upad-haya Marg, was never graced by its founding father Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

On Friday, the headquar-ters was the venue of Vajpay-ee’s final journey, where leaders across the political spectrum from Samajwadi Party patri-arch Mulayam Singh Yadav to Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal were in attendance.

Even in death, Vajpayee managed to build ‘consensus’ among the Opposition parties – as he so frequently did in his heyday.

As Opposition leaders entered the BJP headquarters, BJP leaders greeted them with folded hands. They also met with the bereaved family mem-bers of Vajpayee.

Vajpayee’s friend and con-fidante Lal Krishna Advani, helped by his daughter who held his hand, also met opposi-tion leaders with folded hands. A friendship of politics can be

more than political and that’s what the Advani-Vajpayee era taught to Indian politics.

Mulayam Singh was among the leaders who met Advani, who blessed the former by placing his hand on the Sama-jwadi Party leader’s head.

Some believed that with Vajpayee, may be an era of poli-tics beyond the partisan iden-tity also died in India.

Former Jammu and Kash-mir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said that Vajpayee wanted India to belong to everyone. “He also wanted to strike up a friendship with Pakistan. Unfortunately, he

couldn’t see that. I hope that the current governmetnt and Pakistan’s Imran Khan govern-ment fulfil his dream, that will be a true tribute to him.”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh also paid their last respects to the former prime minister.

CPI(M) general secre-tary Sitaram Yechury, another attendee, said, “It was the spe-ciality of Atal ji that he never let humanity be harmed due to the political and ideological differences. Such a principle is needed in the country today.”

SAYANTAN GHOSH

NEW DELHI: The last rites of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Fridya witnessed massive footfall of administrators and leaders from neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.

From Sri Lanka to Ban-gladesh to Nepal, representa-tives of all SAARC countries were present to bid farewell to Vajpayee. Also in attendance was Bhutanese King Jigme Khe-sar Namgyel Wangchuck, who was accomapanied by Exter-nal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and placed a wreath on

the body of Vajpayee.British High Commissioner

to India Sir Dominic Asquith and several other diplomats also paid homage to the former Prime Minister, whose flair for foreign policy and initiatives were acknowledged globally.

“He was an enormously important person who we have great respect for and it’s a great loss for India. I wanted to pay my respects to a man of that stature,” Asquith said.

Nepal’s Minister for For-eign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Sri Lanka’s Act-ing Foreign Minister Lak-shman Kiriella, Bangladesh

Foreign Minister Abul Has-san Mahmood Ali and former Afghanistran President Hamid Karzai also attended the funeral were among the numerous for-eign leaders.

In a friendly gesture, a del-egation from Pakistan also arrived in Delhi on Friday to pay their respects to the former Prime Minister. Pakistan Law Minister Ali Zafar said the offi-cials are here to share the grief and pay their condolences at the funeral ceremony at Smriti Sthal in Delhi. “We are here to share your grief and pay our condolences on the behalf of people of Pakistan,” Zafar said.

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: Social activist Swami Agnivesh was on Fri-day assaulted on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg here, as he was reportedly on his way to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In a video believed to be shot by a mobile, a group of people can be seen following Agnivesh down the road. At one point, he is pushed amid chants against him and a woman is seen raising her slip-per at him.

Agnivesh could be seen running to save himself from the mob, along with a few supporters.

A police complaint was later filed at Parliament Street police station in this regard. In his complaint, Vitthal Rao Arya, from Bandhua Mukti Morcha, alleged that the mob attacked Agnivesh and forced him to return without paying homage to Vajpayee.

He also said that the mob kept on attacking Agnivesh even after police arrived at the spot.

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: Traffic policemen were on their toes through Friday to ensure a smooth passage for the funeral pro-cession of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which started from BJP’s office at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg to Smriti Sthal.

“We made sure proper arrangements were made for smooth passage of the procession. Though these restrictions were dynamic and need-based. The only road that was most affected was DDU Marg, rest of the roads were opened later. We kept allowing traffic on roads depending on the head and tail of the procession,” said a senior police officer.

The public mostly understood the diverted routes and no panic was created anywhere. The procession moved at a moderate speed, passing through roads that were open to the general public so that traffic could later be hassle-free.

Delhi Traffic Police, on its Twitter handle, informed around 6 pm that all restrictions were lifted.

ABHAY SINGH

NEW DELHI: Under the watchful secu-rity cover of snipers, National Security Guard (NSG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRP) and more than 3,000 police person-nel, the funeral of India’s tallest leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed off peacefully on Friday, with Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik personally monitoring the situation.

According to police sources, contin-uous briefing of personnel started soon after Vajpayee passed away on Thursday evening.

“We told them to handle the crowd with patience and also be firm if there is a need. As we knew that the gathering will be emotional, we clearly told them to be polite with the public,” said a senior police officer.

Twenty-five routes were restricted for the last rites and nearby shops were closed. The Joint Commissioners and Spe-cial Commissioners of Police were contin-uously taking note of the situation from the Deputy Commissioners.

Central Delhi is headed by DCP Man-deep Randhawa, while the five regions in the district are headed by Additional DCPs, and 12 zones are under ACPs, while SHOs are in-charge of 65 sectors.

At tall buildings, snipers were deployed and Vajra vehicles were also seen at restricted areas.

DCP (North) Nupur Prasad was on the street to make sure no untoward incident took place. More than 10 companies were deployed for security, and 10 LED screens were set up near the cremation ground at Smriti Sthal for the people to watch the last rites.

“Police personnel were told to be polite with the public and use language full of eti-quettes,” said Prasad.

In addition to local police, CRPF per-sonnel were deployed at strategic points. As the funeral procession moved from the BJP headquarters, the NSG and Special Protection Group commandoes looked after the cavalcade.

Over 600 cops were deployed in plain clothes, while armed forces personnel sat in Army vehicles for protection. Thirty Parakram vans were also deployed at dif-ferent locations.

With patience and grace, security forces ensure smooth procession

Minimal traffic hassles for public

SAYANTAN GHOSH

NEW DELHI: As the entire political fraternity bid adieu to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, officials, friends, journalists and people who knew him for the last nearly 15 years when he was majorly paralysed were also present to see their favourite leader wrapped in the Indian tricolour.

“He had a great taste for non-vege-tarian food, fish was his favourite. If he got to know any journalist is going to Kolkata, he would definitely ask them to bring Rasgulla,” said a journalist well acquainted with Vajpayee.

As Vajpayee breathed his last on Thursday, many close aides and journal-

ists recalled his craving for kababs and fondness for gastronomical delights, particularly sweets and seafood, with his favourite being a platter of prawns.

Senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai remembered how while attending an official lunch, Vajpayee, then the prime minister, was headed for the food coun-ter even though he was on a strict diet. Anxious aides then struck a plan to keep him away from the mouth-water-ing delicacies.

Those close to him recalled how Vajpayee relished every meal he ate. Another senior journalist said that on numerous occasions, he and his fel-low journalists were treated to dishes cooked by Vajpayee himself.

“He would cook at least one dish for us. It could be a dessert or something non-vegetarian,” she recalled.

A close aide said that Vajpayee would pop in salted peanuts throughout Cabinet meetings and wanted his plate to be refilled each time it went empty.

While Lalji Tandon, his protégé, was tasked with bring him kebabs from the Chowk area in Lucknow, Union Minis-ter Vijay Goel brought him bedmi aloo and chaat from Old Delhi. Vice-Presi-dent Venkaiah Naidu would bring him prawns from Andhra Pradesh, said a close aide. A journalist who went on trips with Vajpayee recalled how he was the “most relaxed” PM she had ever travelled with.

SAYANTAN GHOSH

NEW DELHI: In an unprece-dented gesture, the government of Mauritius hoisted both the Mauritian and Indian national flags at half mast on Friday in honour Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“Following the passing away of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the gov-ernment has decided that both the Mauritius and India flags will remain at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Friday,” a directive by the office of Mauri-tius PM Pravind Jugnauth said. “An appeal is also being made to the private sector for all flags to be flown at half-mast during the same period,” it said.

Around 68 percent of Mau-ritius’s population of nearly 1.3 million are of Indian descent.

In a condolence message, Jugnauth said that Vajpayee “shaped the destiny of India through his bold leadership and his deep-rooted empathy for the common man”.

Meanwhile, the British High Commission and the Bel-gian Embassy here flew their national flags at half mast in honor of Vajpayee. “The flag at the Embassy of Belgium flies half-mast as a mark of respect to the great statesman, Shri #AtalBihariVajpayee Ji,” the Belgian mission said on its Twitter handle.

Close aides recall Vajpayee, the foodie PM

Poet, politician, Pokhran pioneer – Atal wore many hats

Mob roughs up Swami Agnivesh

Even in death, a unifier of Opposition leaders

Neighbouring leaders hail Vajpayee’s foreign policy

Several foreign embassies hoist flags at half mast

School children during the funeral procession of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday PIC/MPOST

Senior leaders of BJP and the opposition Congress at Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s funeral at Smriti Sthal on Friday PIC/PTI

PIC/PTI

mp city4MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

Signature Bridge across Yamuna to be completed by Oct, HC told

Courts ask authorities to file a status report, fixes matter for November 14

Delhi’s solid waste issue a serious problem: SC

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The problem of solid waste in Delhi is “very critical” and the cooperation of citizens was needed to deal with it, the Supreme Court on Friday said and asked the Lieu-tenant Governor (LG) to set up an experts committee to look into it.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said this com-mittee should go "in-depth" into all aspects relating to management of solid waste, including cleaning up of land-fill sites at Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa, as the situation in Delhi was “very critical”.

The bench, which also com-prised Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta, said the panel should consist of experts, members of civil societies and resident welfare associations (RWAs).

“We request the LG of Delhi to constitute a committee to go in-depth into all the aspects of solid waste management, including the clean-up of dump sites at Okhla, Ghazipur and Bhalswa,” the court said.

The court observed that as the issue was of considerable importance, the authorities should “not rush into taking a decision”, but analyse all aspects so that the problem of solid waste management in Delhi is

taken care of to the satisfaction of all, particularly the residents.

“We expect that the deci-sion will be collaborative,” the bench observed.

Additional Solicitor Gen-eral (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for the office of LG, told the bench that she would discuss the matter with the LG and come back to the court within a week. The bench also asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, to suggest five names of persons from civil society and experts who could participate in the committee as members.

At the outset, Gonsalves referred to the affidavits filed by the civic agencies and said it has been said that RWAs were not accepting the proposal on segregation of waste.

He said that about a year ago, the RWAs had written to the LG on how segregation of waste could be done.

The counsel for South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said they have filed an affidavit and if the amicus has to say something on it, he should file a reply.

The bench said the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has filed an affida-vit in which they have spoken about funds, while the SDMC has said in some areas, they already have started segregat-ing the waste.

“The fact of the matter is that it is a very serious prob-lem. It will not only affect Delhi but other cities also,” the bench said. “Let the LG him-self constitute an experts com-mittee,” it said, adding, “This requires assistance from people of Delhi.”

“You need cooperation of people of Delhi. The people of Delhi have to realise that it is a huge problem. Let the LG take a call. Let him not take a hurried decision. Let him set up a committee and examine everything thoroughly. Ad-hoc steps may or may not work,” the bench said.

When the amicus said he was “not at all confident” about it and the apex court should constitute the committee, the bench said “we cannot do it. LG will constitute a committee”.

The bench posted the mat-ter for hearing on August 27.

Apex court asks LG to set up committee

ROUSHAN ALI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court was informed on Friday that the long-delayed Signature Bridge across the Yamuna river would be completed by Octo-ber after which trials would be conducted. A bench consist-ing of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao asked the authorities to file a status report while fixing the matter for November 14.

“List the matter in the second week of November to enable the respondents (authorities) to complete the project and do the trial and file a report,” the bench said.

The court was informed by the counsel for the Public Works Department (PWD) that the project will be com-pleted by October and trial run will be conducted thereaf-ter. Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Siso-dia on Thursday inspected the

work on the much-awaited Sig-nature Bridge on the Yamuna river and promised to pay weekly visits at the site to speed up its completion. Construc-tion of the bridge has been delayed, but once completed it will save travel time of mil-lions of northeast Delhi resi-dents and serve as a “crown” of Delhi tourism, he said.

The court had earlier frowned upon two city govern-ment departments for “quib-bling over” the amount to be paid for the construction of the “long overdue” Signature Bridge. “A sum of Rs 1,380.1 crore, of the said amount of Rs 1,518.37 crore, has been released. The balance of Rs 1,38.27 crore is to be paid after funds are released by the Delhi government,” said the PWD counsel.

On July 12, Delhi gov-ernment had approved the final revised estimate of Rs 1518.37 crore for the con-

struction of Signature Bridge on Yamuna river at Wazirabad. Conceptualised in 2004, the project –India’s first asymmet-rical cable-stayed bridge –was approved by the Sheila Dikshit-led Cabinet in 2007. Constant delays, however, escalated the cost. It was initially estimated to cost Rs 459 crore, which rose to Rs 1,131 crore in 2010.

The Signature Bridge, when completed, is expected to share the burden of vehicular traf-fic which is being borne by the

Wazirabad bridge, which itself, according to the PWD, requires “structural rehabilitation and strengthening”.

According to the govern-ment, the bridge had obtained environmental clearance in 2011 and was set to be com-pleted by December 2013. The date of completing the project was pushed to June 2016 and then to July 2017, which had been further shifted to Decem-ber 2017. It had directed the chairperson of the Delhi Tour-

ism and Transport Develop-ment Corporation (DTTDC) and the chief of engineer-ing of the PWD to physically inspect the bridge and the alternatives provided to the citizens to satisfy themselves about the construction. The bridge will connect Delhi with many industrial areas of Uttar Pradesh, like the Tronica city in Ghaziabad.

The court was earlier informed by the PWD that it had already paid Rs 1,344 crore for the project as against the initially agreed cost of Rs 544 crore, and now the DTTDC was asking for Rs 200 crore more. The DTTDC, on the other hand, had told the court that the cost of the project has escalated. The court was hear-ing a PIL by advocate Pratibha Chopra, who pointed to the inordinate delay in the project and alleged that the construc-tion of the bridge had missed several deadlines since 2011.

OUR CORRESPONDENT

GURUGRAM: To counter the increasing water crisis, the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) is planning to bring in in the retrospective law of setting up water harvesting pits in at least 200 square yards plots. Moreover, the pits for water harvesting will be one of the key parameters for obtaining the occupation certificate. It is interesting to note that the law was first formulated in 2011 but

was not implemented strictly by the officials. Sources indi-cate that the Chief Minister has taken cognisance of the falling groundwater reserves in the city and has asked the officials to implement the move.

The district administra-tion had also directed various private schools to have a large area to create water harvesting pits. However, this action was also not followed up. Besides recharging the water levels, rainwater harvesting pits is also expected to improve to drain-

age systems of the city that again is proving to be a major civic challenge in the Millen-nium city. The impact of water crisis cannot be felt more than the residents of Gurugram wherein the past decade, 82 per cent of the groundwater reserves have depleted.

Over half of the residents get their water through bore-well and groundwater extrac-tion. Despite a ban by the court to dig illegal borewells, over 15,000 illegal borewells are operating in the city.

OUR CORRESPONDENT

GURUGRAM: In order to tackle the increasing law and order challenges in the Golf Course extension road, a new police station has come up in the Sector-65 area. The police station has been set up in the office that was provided by a private developer. The areas that are going to come under the jurisdiction of this station are Kadarpur, Behrampur, Maidawas, Ullhawas, Ramgarh and the Sectors of 58-69. There was a formal inauguration of the station by the Gurugram Police Commissioner KK Rao on August 16. The village heads and RWA members attended the inauguration.

The SHO of the station is

Surender Singh. Singh was ear-lier deputed in Pataudi police station. The significance of this police station can be gauged from the fact that 45 police offi-cials are expected to be deputed. Having come up recently, the Golf Course extension area is regarded most notorious for its

criminal activities. In the past, the road is the most preferred area for the gangs of Mewat to conduct burglaries and robber-ies. Last year, a brazen crime was reported in the area when a group of men forcefully took out a married woman from a car and gang-raped her.

Police station set up at Golf Course extension road

ABHAY SINGH

NEW DELHI: Gangs operat-ing inside trains often change their modus operandi. They are hiring new faces for differ-ent crimes inside the lifeline which connects several states across the country. The follow-ing revelations were made dur-ing a police investigation upon busting a gang. The accused claimed that they were involved in more than 25 criminal cases on passenger trains and for each instance, they used new youths. Recently, one more member was nabbed who turned out to be a vagabond.

Police claimed that the main purpose of the specific modus operandi was to hide the identity of the gang. The criminals gave 500-1000 rupees to each youth for committing crimes like snatching and thefts in passenger trains. The accused hired them from the Uttar Pradesh area. "During the investigation of a case, we arrested a person named Vikas alias Nepali from Delhi. He was involved in many cases of train robberies in Delhi and NCR," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railway) Dinesh Kumar Gupta. They had ear-lier arrested two members

named Israr and Ankur. The investigation further revealed that the gang looked for youths who were unemployed. "These three were the kingpin and had the nefarious plan of hiring the youths who lived around Meerut and Hapur area. Tak-ing advantage of the poor economic condition, they even-tually lured them into the path of crime," added the police offi-cer. They also lured vagabonds on the pretext of drugs.

The accused disclosed that prior to this, they had commit-ted two incidents of snatching in a running train at Yamuna bridge (Iron Bridge). Apart from this, they had commit-ted numerous robberies on running trains in Delhi and Ghaziabad. Accused Israr dis-guises his identity by wrapping the black cloth (patta) on his head and looked like a Sikh. Their arrests were possible after patrolling was done under Railway jurisdiction. RPF staff members had also accompa-nied the team who kept vigil on suspects in the moving trains. " To nab them, a massive hunt was launched at various places and the criminals having the same modus operandi were interrogated at length," added the police officer.

ZAFAR ABBAS

NEW DELHI: The two men from Haryana who claimed responsibility for the attack on JNU scholar Umar Kha-lid in a Facebook video have gone underground after the Special Cell formed teams to apprehend them. The two men have switched off their mobile phones and have not contacted anyone making it difficult for the Delhi Police to track them. The two men identified them-selves as Darvesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal from Haryana had appealed to the police not to “harass” others for the attack after claiming responsibility.

Naveen Dalal claims him-self to be the founder of some "Gau Rakshak Sena". The two men are seen holding the national flag in their hand and claiming responsibility for the attack. The background shows that the video has been shot in a village. In a four-min-ute video being circulated on WhatsApp, the two young men said they would surrender at

the house of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on Fri-day. However, the police teams which were present at his resi-dence in Ludhiana in Punjab saw no trace of the two men.

Police sources said that the supporters of Kartar Singh Sarabha in the village were against these two men and they may have found Sarab-ha's village a hostile place for surrender. “They did not turn up at the said place and have switched off their mobile phones. We have formed sev-eral teams to arrest these two. We need to interrogate them for their claims,” said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, Umar Kha-lid has once again demanded security for himself. He said “I have asked for security two-and-a-half years back, 2 months back and again have demanded security now. What is the Delhi Police waiting for? Are they waiting for a bullet to hit me to give me the security?” he said terming the attitude of Delhi police as callous.

Attackers of Umar Khalid dodge police

PIYUSH OHRIE

GURUGRAM: Incidents of road rage is not a new phe-nomenon in Gurugram. On Wednesday, it took an ugly and deadly turn after a 50-year-old NRI died of cardiac arrest when he was physically roughed up by a guard and a local resi-dent. Even though the arrests have been made in the case, it has brought out a point of dif-ference that is resulting in the confrontation between the res-idents in the posh neighbour-hoods of Gurugram.

In the tony and rich neigh-bourhoods, residents are now

placing barriers and gates that restrict entry of the people who do not reside in the area. Ear-lier done for security reasons, there are complaints that it is now being used as a status sym-bol where security guards often tend to get aggressive with other people. While it was a norm earlier of placing barri-ers and gates at the entry of the private colonies, entry in the streets and lanes is also being restricted. These structures are being built by the residents with their own money and they themselves finance the salaries of the security guards.

The residential colonies

where the situation prevails is Sushant Lok, South City, Sector -14, Sector-15 and the five phases of DLF. During the period when there were a large number of robberies in these private colonies, the resi-dents felt that building gates are mainly done to provide secu-rity. “We decided to build the gates at our residential colony because it provides security. It is not easy to deploy a large number of security profession-als and therefore we built a structure which is being closed after a specific time. The build-ing of these gates have ensured that the robbers who used to

enter the colonies in the odd hours will be restricted,” said Vikram Sharma, a city resident.

The critics especially the menial workers who make fre-quent visits to the colonies for their daily work, feel that the barriers have become a sore point between them and the security guards.

“During the night it becomes very difficult to move out of the DLF colony as most of the exits are closed. There are also situations where not only we but other people have also got into quarrels with the secu-rity guards,” said Shah Alam, who works as a mason.

RAHUL SINGH

NOIDA: Police arrested a wanted conman and his girl-friend for allegedly duping several women with fake pro-files on matrimonial sites. The accused, who belongs to Gha-ziabad, was wanted after he conned a Meerut based girl of Rs 25 lakh after promising to marry her. A reward of Rs 25, 000 was declared on both of them after the matter came to light.

Police began the inves-tigation after a woman from Meerut approached them in 2011. In her complaint, she stated that she had registered herself on a matrimonial web-site to look for a groom. She received a request on the site from a man named Tarun Sharma from Ghaziabad. The man had cheated her of money after promising to marry her.

Following the incident, police teams were continu-ously making efforts to nab the accused and on Friday morn-ing, police finally nabbed Tarun Sharma and his female accom-plice from Sector 71 area of Noida.

“Upon interrogating it was found that Sharma and his accomplice had cheated many other women. Sharma created fake profiles showing himself

as a director of a news channel and earning over Rs 20 lakhs per month. His girlfriend used to play his sister's role while they meet the prospect,” said Ajay Pal Sharma, Senior Super-intendent of police (SSP), Gau-tam Buddh Nagar.

After interacting with a woman for a few days, he would express his desire to marry her. “He borrowed large sums of money under different pretexts from various women. As the money is received the accused run away and the mobile phone was switched off,” SSP added.

As Noida police started col-lecting information about him, they found that several cases had been registered against him across various police sta-tions in Indore, Bhopal and Varanasi districts.

“He keeps changing names to cheat women and has pro-

duced fake Aadhaar cards as well. Both, the man and his girlfriend, has also booked ten Mahindra SUV cars in Luc-know against fake cheques which got bounced and they fled after selling the vehicle to a third party thereby causing a fraud of over a crore rupees,” the officer added.

Police recovered a Hyun-dai i10 car, five mobile phones, fake Aadhaar cards, cheque-books, rent agreements, bank passbooks and other docu-ments under the possession of the accused.

The officer further said that around six cases have been reg-istered against them in vari-ous police stations across four districts. “They have been booked under the Sections 420, 406 and 377 of the India Penal Code and has been sent to jail,” said the officer.

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: Delhi has nearly 19,42,681 ration card holders, out of which only 14 cards are not linked to Aadhaar cards till August 10. According to the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department, about 15,38,238 ration card holders have been taking their rations. But 2.6 lakh card hold-ers had not turned up to take ration in June. During January and February, almost 68,664 could not get the ration because of several problems on the ground, ranging from e-POS machines not recognizing fin-gerprints to there being no sig-nal/low connectivity at shops, said department officials.

The Delhi government has decided Fair Price Shops which sell rations will no lon-ger use the e-POS adhaar linked machine for distribu-tion of ration. The shops will instead give ration by verify-ing details on ration cards, the manner in which it was being done till November last year. In the current financial year 2018-2019, the department has already cancelled 2,52,542 ration cards. Nearly 1,33,524 fresh applicants are waiting for their ration cards. The depart-ment added that it would take “utmost precaution” so that no eligible beneficiary is deprived of ration and that due verifica-tion was needed to weed out ineligible beneficiaries.

OUR CORRESPONDENT

GREATER NOIDA: Police on late Thursday night arrested two criminals who were wanted in a robbery incident in which the miscreants thrashed an Ola cab driver and snatched his car. The arrest was made follow-ing a gunfight in which both the criminals sustained bullet injuries while a police consta-ble also got bullet injury in the brief exchange of fire.

According to police, the arrested persons have been identified as Raja Salmani and Himanshu, both natives of Gautam Buddh Nagar district.

“Acting on a tip-off, police teams were formed to conduct checking and the criminals

were spotted near ATS round-about in Kasna area of Greater Noida. Police signalled the two criminals, travelling in a car, to stop, however, one of the crim-inals fired at the police party and tried to flee away. In the retaliatory firing by the police

party, the two criminals sus-tained bullet injuries in their legs while a police constable was also injured in the gun bat-tle,” a senior police official of Gautam Buddh Nagar police said. Police recovered a sto-len Maruti Swift Dzire car, two

country-made .315 bore pistols along with 12 live cartridges and three mobile phones from the possession of the accused persons. The officer added that both the accused were wanted in the robbery incident in which they snatched an Ola cab from the driver and fled away.

“On August 14, both the accused booked an Ola cab from GAMA-II sector of Greater Noida. As the car reached a secluded place, they thrashed the driver and fled away after snatching the vehi-cle,” the officer added.

Police said that the accused have been booked under IPC sections 392, 307 and 25/27 arms act and they have been sent to the jail.

Kingpins of gang using new faces for

different crimes

Gurugram road rage kills NRI

Couple held for cheating several women over matrimonial sites

Two criminals who robbed Ola car arrested after encounter

Only 14 ration cards not linked

to Aadhaar: Food Dept

Water harvesting pit mandatory to receive occupation certificate: DTCP

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its order on the appeal by for-mer TV anchor and producer Suhaib Ilyasi who was con-victed last year for murder-ing his wife. A Delhi court on December 16 convicted Suhaib Ilyasi for stabbing his wife Anju to death in the year 2000. Ilyasi was awarded the life sentence by the Delhi court which said that he "committed the murder and gave it a colour of suicide".

Ilyasi's wife, Anju Ilyasi, 30, was found dead with multiple stab wounds in her east Delhi home on January 11, 2000. Ilyasi had told the police that she had committed suicide. Suhaib, who came into lime-light after hosting TV crime show - 'India's Most Wanted', was arrested on March 28, 2000, and later charges were framed against him after his sister-in-law and mother-in-law alleged that he used to tor-ture his wife for dowry. MPOST

HC reserves order on Ilyasi's appeal against wife's murder

Police officials at the encounter site

The accused couple in police custody

mp nation 5MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

NEW DELHI: A young man from Uttar Pradesh rode a scooter, another flew in from Tamil Nadu. Some travelled by trains and buses and there were many who did it all to reach Delhi in time to pay their last respects to Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Separated by distance, these men and women were united by their admiration for the former prime minister, who died yes-terday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in after pro-longed illness.

Not alone in their endeav-our, they found thousands of other people who had come to the national capital to pay their homage.

Aakash Kumar, 25, rode his scooter from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, covering a distance of around 70 km. He said Vajpay-ee’s “Kaal ke kapaal pe likhta aur mitaata hoon” is his favou-rite poem.

“I was probably in Class 3 or 4, when I heard one of his speeches and got drawn towards him. I really liked his poems,” Aakash Kumar said.

Chinnaiah Nadesan (45), along with his friend Ganesan (38), had taken a flight from Chennai last night to reach Delhi. After he landed at the airport at around 4.30 am, he headed straight to 6A Krishna Menon Marg - Vajpayee’s resi-dence where his mortal remains were kept for people to pay their last respects.

Clad in a white shirt and

mundu, worn around the waist, and topped by an angavastram, Nadesan said he is a naturalist as he stood barefoot on the road outside the residence.

“Achcha politician, achcha parliamentarian, pure man,” he said in a mix of Hindi and English after paying his homage.

An astonishing size of crowd from various parts of the coun-try had gathered in Delhi to pay their homage in a significant demonstration of national unity

and solidarity.Amid sultry weather con-

ditions, thousands also walked along the seven-km-long route from the BJP headquarters to Rashtriya Smirti Sthal, where Vajpayee’s last rites were to be performed. Along the route, some showered petals they had brought with them on the carriage.

But Aakash Kumar, stand-ing outside the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters, said he had

been waiting for hours to see Vajpayee for the last time. “The flowers I have brought have dried up in this heat,” he said.

Accompanied by his wife, he said he had also brought the holy Ganga water from Gangotri for Vajpayee.

Yogesh Kumar (52) came from Uttarkashi in Uttara-khand with a group of people. The group covered a distance of nearly 500 kilometres overnight.

“I met Vajpayee Ji in 1984

when he visited Uttarkashi en route to Gangotri. He visited the town once again in 1986,” Yogesh Kumar said, display-ing a photograph of him with Vajpayee.

Sonu Gupta (32) drove his auto from Patel Nagar in Cen-tral Delhi to the Krishna Menon Marg residence.

“I came in my own auto but had to leave it near Central Secretariat Metro station due to traffic regulations. I think I

must have walked over 1.5 km to reach here,” he said, holding a red-coloured bouqet.

Shivshakti Singh (23) is pre-paring for civil services and lives in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar. A native of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Singh had to wait in a queue for hours.

“I was impressed by his per-sonality as prime minister. He led India and made it a nuclear weapons state in the face of opposition from the US. His statesmanship and poetic skills were impressive,” Singh added.

Umesh Shrivastava (47) came from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh with his friend Chan-dra Shekhar Malviya (36).

“We tried to get reserva-tion in train but did not get. There was no other way, so we decided to take a flight,” Shriv-astava said.

Waiting outside the BJP office for hours had taken a toll him. His friend said the man had fainted and was helped by people around him.

“It has been 30 years. I was a teenager when I was first attracted by Atal Ji’s speech. After that I went to Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain to hear him whenever he visited the areas,” he said.

Shrivastava and Malviya said they are associated with the party at the district level.

Another man, in his 20s, said he had come from Bihar to pay homage to the former prime minister. PTI

Scooter, bus, train: People negotiate their way to reach Delhi for Vajpayee

A sea of supporters attend the funeral procession of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as his mortal remains are taken for cremation to Smriti Sthal, in New Delhi on Friday PTI

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: Paying his last respects to Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi said he was an extraordinary personality who will live on in the hearts and minds of every Indian.

Modi said that no words can ever do justice to Vajpay-ee’s “rich contribution to the making of our country”.

“People came from all parts of India, from all sections of society pay tributes to an extraordinary personality who made an extraordinary con-tribution to the nation. India salutes you Atal Ji!,” Modi tweeted on Friday as the former prime minister’s mortal remains were consigned to flames here.

Earlier in a blog, Modi said India had found a leader in Vajpayee who was gifted in spirit, heart and mind.

In times of turbulence and disruption, a nation is blessed to have a leader who rises to become its moral compass and guiding spirit, providing vision, cohesion and direction to his people, he said describing him.

Vajpayee rescued the econ-omy from the morass of the mid-1990s, when political insta-bility at home and an uncertain global environment had threat-ened to derail a still incipient economic reforms process, he said.

“He sowed the seeds of much of the economic suc-cess that we have experienced over the past two decades. For

him, growth was a means to empower the weakest and main-stream the marginalized. It’s that vision that continues to drive our government’s policy,” the prime minister said.

It was ‘Atalji’ who prepared the foundations of an India that is ready to take on the mantle of global leadership in the 21st century, he said.

Modi said he irreversibly changed India’s place in the world by overcoming “the hes-itation of our nation, the resis-tance of the world and threat of isolation” to make India a nuclear weapons power.

Personally, Vajpayee was an ideal, a guru, and role model who inspired him deeply, he said.

It was Vajpayee who entrusted him with respon-sibilities both in Gujarat (as chief minister) as well as at the national level, Modi said.

“It was he who called me one evening in October 2001 and told me to go to Gujarat as chief minister. When I told him that I had always worked in the organisation, he said he was confident I would fulfil people’s expectations. The faith he had in me was humbling.” he said.

Hailing Vajpayee’s term as prime minister, Modi said India today is a self-assured nation, brimming with the energy of its youth and resolve of its people, eager for change and confident of achieving it, striv-ing for clean and responsive governance, building future of inclusion and opportunity for all Indians.

Atal ji will live on in hearts and minds of every Indian: Modi

Jharkhand HC extends Lalu’s provisional bail in fodder scam

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain Tamil Nadu govern-ment’s plea against the National Green Tribunal’s order allow-ing mining major Vedanta access to the administrative unit inside its closed Ster-lite copper plant at Tuticorin and asked the NGT to “finally decide” the matter.

A bench comprising Jus-tices R F Nariman and Indu Malhotra said that the NGT would hear the matter on merits and also on the issue of maintainability raised by the state government.

“We may clarify that NGT may continue to hear the mat-ter on merits and finally decide the matter on maintainability also. It is open for the state to argue on maintainability after which the tribunal will give its findings,” the bench said.

The green tribunal had on August 9 allowed Vedanta to enter its administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant, observing that no environmen-tal damage would be caused by allowing access to the adminis-

trative section.The state government had

challenged the NGT’s order in the apex court.

During the hearing today, senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for Vedanta, told the apex court that the state has suppressed facts before the apex court.

He said that “spate of orders” were passed against the company by the state without issuing it show cause notices.

“Without any notice, I (Vedanta) was shut. There are 67 industries in the industrial complex. 14 of them are haz-ardous plants,” he said while terming the issue “political”.

Sundaram said the matter was already listed for hearing before the NGT on August 20. 

The counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu raised the issue of maintainability of plea filed by Vedanta before the NGT.

In its August 9 order, the NGT had said that the plant would remain closed and the company would not have access to its production unit and directed the district mag-istrate to ensure this.

The Tamil Nadu govern-ment had on May 28 ordered the state pollution con-trol board to seal and “per-manently” close the mining group’s copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns.

Sterlite’s factory had made headlines in March 2013 when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to sev-eral others, after which then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure.

The company had appealed to the NGT which had over-turned the government’s order. The state had moved the Supreme Court against it and the case is still pending.

Vedanta’s plant in Tuticorin: NGT will decide the matter, says SC

OUR CORRESPONDENT

PATNA: Three persons, includ-ing a jeweller, were arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of an Under Secre-tary rank officer here early this week, a senior district police officer said.

The killing of the senior state official in the heart of the city had posed a great challenge to the police.

“Police have arrested three persons in connection with murder of Under Secretary Rajeev Kumar on Tuesday last (August 14)...A jeweller is among those arrested,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj told reporters here.

The two youths arrested in the murder case have been identified as Shravan and Sunny, both aged between 20-22, the SSP said.

They were held from Sachivalaya police station area under whose jurisdiction the official residence of the officer in R-block area fell, he added.

A jeweller identified as

Baikunth from Bihiya Bazar in Bhojpur district, who had bought the looted jewelleries, has also been arrested, Maha-raj said.

It may be noted that Rajeev Kumar, an Under Secretary with state planning depart-ment, was shot dead by uniden-tified persons inside his official residence on the early morning of August 14 in the state cap-ital and had decamped with around Rs 40,000 and some jewelleries.

Four persons had gone to the deceased’s house with an intention to loot cash and other valuables, the SSP said adding two of them have been arrested while as many others are at large.

Efforts are on to nab the other two accused iden-tified as Rahul and Krishna, the Senior Superintendent of Police said.

Out of the looted amount of Rs 40,000, police have recov-ered Rs 28,000 from them, Maharaj said adding that these accused persons had sold the looted jewelleries to the Bho-jpur based jeweller.

Three held in Under Secretary

murder case RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court extended on Friday the provisional bail of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, con-victed in four fodder scam cases, till August 27.

Granting the extension of the provisional bail, the bench of Justice Apresh Kumar Singh fixed August 24 as the date to hear the bail petition.

Senior advocate Chitaran-jan Sinha appeared for the RJD leader. The court had on August 10 extended the provisional bail till August 20 on medical grounds. The high court had on May 11 granted six weeks provi-sional bail to the RJD supremo on medical grounds and again extended it till August 14.

Prasad has been convicted in four cases of the multi-crore rupees fodder scam.

The cases relate to illegal withdrawal of money from government treasuries in dif-ferent districts for the animal husbandry department in undi-vided Bihar in the 1990s when the Rashtriya Janata Dal was in power in the state. 

On September 30, 2013, he was convicted in the first fodder scam case related to the Chai-basa Treasury.  MPOST

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear in October a plea by one of the convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assas-sination case, regarding the status of probe by the CBI-led Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) into conspir-acy behind the murder.

The MDMA, set up in 1998, has been investigating the larger conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally. Fourteen others, includ-ing Dhanu herself, were also killed in the blast. 

Gandhi’s assassination was perhaps the first case of suicide bombing which had claimed the life of a high-profile leader.

The MDMA, which was established on the recommen-dations of Justice M C Jain Commission of Inquiry that had probed the conspiracy aspect of Gandhi’s assassina-tion, is headed by a CBI official and comprises officers from IB, RAW and Revenue Intelligence and other agencies.

The matter on Friday came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K M Joseph.

“We will have to hear it,” the bench said, adding that the case would be listed for hearing in October.

45-year-old A G Perari-valan, who is serving life sen-tence, had earlier moved the apex court seeking suspension of his jail term till the com-pletion of the probe by the MDMA.

The MDMA, in its report filed in the apex court earlier, had said that probe was still open and Letters Rogatory were issued to various coun-tries, including Sri Lanka, where some of the persons required to be investigated

were residing. On March 14, the top court

had dismissed Perarivalan’s plea seeking recall of the May 11, 1999 verdict upholding his conviction in the case.

The court had asked the MDMA to file a report with regard to the status of a letter rogatory sent to Sri Lanka for examining one of the accused Nixon alias Suren, who is lodged in Colombo jail.

Recently on August 10, the Centre had told the apex court that it does not concur with the Tamil Nadu government’s pro-posal to release seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassina-tion case, saying remission of their sentence will set a “dan-gerous precedent” and have “international ramifications”.

On January 23, the apex court had asked the Centre to take a decision within three months on a 2016 letter by the Tamil Nadu government seek-ing its concurrence on releasing the seven convicts.

The letter, written on March 2, 2016, had said the state gov-ernment has already decided to release the seven convicts, but it is necessary to seek the Cen-tre’s concurrence as per an apex court order of 2015.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: SC to hear convict’s plea in Oct

OUR CORRESPONDENT

LUCKNOW: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ashes will be immersed in riv-ers in all the districts in Uttar Pradesh, the state government said on Friday.

The UP government put out a list of 75 districts and the small and big rivers picked for the immersion of the ashes of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader who was cremated in New Delhi on Friday.

Chief Minister Yogi Aditya-nath announced this was being done because Uttar Pradesh was Vajpayee’s ‘karmabhoomi’ - the land of action - and its people will get an opportunity to be part of his final journey.

Vajpayee represented the state’s national capital in the Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms. He was elected from the Lucknow constituency in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s city unit will organise a con-dolence meeting on August 21, when Union Home Min-ister Rajnath Singh, the cur-rent MP from Lucknow, and

other leaders will pay homage to Vajpayee.

On a visit to the city on August 5, Rajnath Singh had hailed Vajpayee for setting in flow a Vikaas ki Ganga’ - a river of development - in Lucknow.

Last month, Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi paid also paid tributes to Vajpayee while addressing a symposium in the city on ‘Transforming Urban Landscape’.

There is a very close rela-tionship between our mission (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation-AMRUT) and Lucknow city. Lucknow has been the ‘karm-abhoomi’ of ‘mahapurush’ Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he had said.

A local BJP leader has demanded that winter shel-ters for the poor people across the state should also be named after Vajpayee.

Vajpayee’s ashes to be immersed in rivers

in all UP districts

OUR CORRESPONDENT

AURANGABAD: BJP cor-porators on Friday thrashed a Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (MIM) member who opposed a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The assault happened dur-ing the general body meeting of the civic body, an official said.

After the meeting began, BJP corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay trib-utes to Vajpayee. MIM corpo-rator Sayed Mateen opposed it, which infuriated the BJP mem-bers, who rushed to him and thrashed him in the House.

A video of Mateen being kicked, punched and slapped by the BJP corporators has gone viral on social media and was aired by some TV channels.

In it, the Corporation secu-rity officials can be seen com-ing to Mateen’s rescue and taking him out of the House through a side exit. He was later taken to a nearby hospital.

A BJP corporator said the

MIM member has been creat-ing nuisance and had earlier opposed singing of the national song in the House.

Mateen said that he was opposing the move of pay-ing tribute (to Vajpayee) in a “democratic manner” but around a dozen BJP corpora-tors assaulted him. He named some of them.

Immediately after the inci-dent, alleged MIM supporters damaged a car belonging to a local BJP functionary and also beat up the driver.

BJP corporator Pramod Rathod, who was named by Mateen as one of his assault-ers, demanded that Mateen be expelled from the civic body for his “anti-national” move in opposing a tribute to Vajpayee.

BJP corporators thrash MIM man for opposing

Vajpayee tribute

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MUMBAI: A section of Air India pilots have threatened to stop operations if their fly-ing allowance dues are not paid immediately.

Alleging that while the salaries and perks of other employees are paid in full albeit with a delay, the same for the pilots and cabin crew are “ignored”, despite the fact that flying allowances of these two licenced categories of employ-ees form a major chunk of their salaries.

“We would like to inform you if the flying allowance is not paid immediately, we may not be available for flying duties,” the Indian Commer-cial Pilots Association (ICPA) said in a communication to Air India’s director of finance on Friday.

ICPA represent over 700 pilots of the airline’s Airbus 320 family fleet.

“Since the company has paid the salary, the pilots will report to the office for any office duty of their expertise other than flying duties,” it added.

According to a source, fly-ing allowance are paid after two months.

“As a rule, flying allowances for the month of June should have been paid on August 1, but they remain unpaid even till today,” the source said.

ICPA warned the Air India management that it expect a positive confirmation on the matter, “failing which we will be forced to direct our mem-bers not to report for flying duties and only management should be held responsible in case of any disruption of flights”.

Significantly, the loss-mak-ing carrier has been facing cash paucity since the government stopped funding the airline fol-lowing its decision to privatise it last year.

However, it failed to get a

suitor by the required deadline, forcing it to put the privatisa-tion plans on the backburner and reviving the capital infu-sion plan.

As part of this, Air India is set to get an additional funding of Rs 980 crore in FY19.

Amid the cash drought, the carrier has already delayed sal-aries of its employees six times in the last seven months.

It paid July salaries to employees on August 14.

“As you are already aware the salary of a pilot in Air India only constitutes to 30 per cent. Every month we are being ignored while the company pays the rest of the employ-ees in full and does not pay the flying allowance to pilots and cabin crew which forms the major part of our total earn-ings,” ICPA said.

Air India pilots threaten to stop ops on flying allowance dues

MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

ARMY JAWAN KILLED IN ENCOUNTER WITH MILITANTS IN J&K’S KUPWARASRINAGAR: An Army jawan was killed in an encoun-ter with militants in Kupwara district of J&K on Friday, the police said.Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Kachloo village in Handwara area of Kupwara district following information about presence of militants there, a police official said. 

GODAVARI LEVEL CLOSE TO SECOND WARNING MARK IN BADRACHALAMHYDERABAD: The water level in Godavari river in the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Telangana was close to the second warning mark of 48 feet today with officials put on alert, a day after several parts of the state were lashed by rains. The water which crossed the first warning level of 43 feet on Thursday night stood at 47.80 ft at 3 pm, official sources said.

ADDITIONAL POLICE DEPLOYMENT AT GOA BRIDGE TO EASE TRAFFIC WOESPANAJI: The Goa government has deployed two platoons of the state police’s India Reserve Battalion to decongest a section of the national highway con-necting the North and South districts of the state, a senior official said on Friday. Heavy traffic jams have been witnessed for the past few days at Agassaim village on the national highway near Zuari bridge, about 15 kilometres from here, the official said.

MAN ARRESTED FOR PLANTING GANJA ON NAVY LAND IN GOAPANAJI: A man has been arrested for allegedly growing ganja on a plot of land that belongs to the Navy in Goa’s Vasco town, around 30 kilometres from here, police said on Friday. Vasco police inspec-tor Nolasco Raposo said a local resident, identified as Sameer Sheikh, had planted ganja on land on which the Navy was constructing a residential build-ing for its personnel.

NATION BRIEFS

mp nation6

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: As many as 868 people have lost their lives, 247 of them in Kerala, due to rains, floods and landslides in seven states during the monsoon sea-son so far, the Home Ministry said on Friday.

According to the Home Ministry’s National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 247 people have died in Kerala, where 2.11 lakh people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged.

As many as 191 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, 183 people in West Bengal, 139 in Maharashtra, 52 in Gujarat, 45 in Assam and 11 in Nagaland.

A total of 33 people have also been missing, 28 in Kerala and five in West Bengal, while 274 have been injured in rain-related incidents in the states.

The deluge and rains have hit 26 districts in Maharashtra, 23 in Assam, 23 in West Ben-gal, 14 in Kerala, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Nagaland and 10 in Gujarat.

Nearly two lakh peo-ple have been living in relief camps in Kerala and 43 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of

nearly 2,000 rescuers and 163 boats have been deployed in the state.

The IAF has deployed 23 helicopters and 11 transport aircraft. Some of the aircraft are being flown in from Yelah-anka (Karnataka) and Nagpur

(Maharashtra).The Indian Navy has

deployed 51 boats along with diving teams and 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots are being rushed to Kerala today. It has flown 16 sorties in last two days in rescue operations and it

will airdrop 1,600 food packets on Friday.

The Coast Guard has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jack-ets, seven life rafts and 144 life buoys.

The Army has pressed into service 10 columns, 10 Engi-neering Task Forces (ETFs), 60 boats and 100 life jackets.

One unit of the Territorial Army has also been deployed in Kerala.

In Assam, 11.45 lakh peo-ple have borne the brunt of the rains and floods, which have also hit crops in 27,600 hect-ares of land.

Altogether 14 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 357 rescuers, are engaged in rescue and relief operations in Assam, the NERC said.

In West Bengal, 2.27 lakh people have been affected by the floods and crops in 48,550 hectares have been damaged.

In Uttar Pradesh, 1.74 lakh people are affected by the mon-soon rains which have also damaged 33,855 hectares of crops.

Nine NDRF teams are deployed in Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, seven in Gujarat, four in Maharashtra and one in Nagaland.

868 dead due to rains, floods in 7 states during monsoon

People wade through a waterlogged street after heavy rains at Maninagar in Ahmedabad on Friday PTI

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The National Crisis Management Commit-tee (NCMC), the country’s apex body to handle emergency sit-uation, met for the second time in two days on Friday and directed to mobilise addi-tional resources to all agencies who were engaged in rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Kerala.

So far, the central govern-ment has mobilised deployment of 339 motorised boats, 2,800 life jackets, 1,400 life buoys, 27 light towers and 1,000 rain-coats, an official spokesperson said here.

Further, 72 motor boats, 5,000 life jackets, 2,000 life buoys, 13 light towers and 1,000 raincoats are being deployed, 1,00,000 food packets have been distributed and arrange-ments are being made to supply another 1,00,000 food packets. Provision has been made for supply of milk powder as well.

The railways has provided 1,20,000 water bottles. Another 1,20,000 bottles are ready to be

despatched. It is also running a special train carrying 2.9 lakh litres of drinking water that will reach Kayamkulam on Saturday.

The NCMC meeting, chaired by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, also held a video con-ference with the chief secretar-ies of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

It was decided to mobilise additional resources of all agen-cies including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide the required assistance to Kerala, the spokesperson said.

The Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats along with diving teams, 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots are being rushed to Kerala on Friday. It flew 16 sorties in last two days in rescue operations. It will airdrop 1,600 food packets on Friday.

The Coast Guard has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jack-ets, seven life rafts and 144 life buoys.

The IAF deployed 23 heli-copters and 11 transport air-craft. Some of the aircraft are

being flown in from Yelahanka and Nagpur.

The Army pressed into ser-vice 10 columns, 10 Engineer-ing Task Forces (ETFs), 60 boats and 100 life jackets.

The NDRF has mobilised 43 rescue teams and 163 boats along with other equipment.

The NCMC directed these organisations to provide boats, helicopters, life jackets, life buoys, raincoats, gumboots, inflatable tower lights etc.

The Kerala chief secretary requested for motorised boats to reach people marooned in flood-affected areas.

Ker floods: NCMC meets again, directs mobilisation of additional resources

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government on Fri-day told the Supreme Court that it has got vacated 157 gov-ernment bungalows including those allotted to former chief ministers.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D Y Chandrachud was told by the counsel for Uttar Pradesh that those persons who have stayed in the bungalows beyond the stipulated time as given in the order of apex court will pay occupational charges.

“We are complying with the order of apex court and till now 157 homes have been vacated. Those persons who have occu-pied the bungalows beyond the stipulated time, will have to pay occupational charges,”

the counsel said.The bench, asked the state

government to file a detailed affidavit in two weeks giving specifics of how many homes have been vacated and how much occupational charges have been collected. 

The court posted the matter

for further hearing on Septem-ber 17. On April 11, last year, the apex court had sought response from the Uttar Pradesh govern-ment on a plea seeking action against authorities for alleged failure to get the government bungalows allotted to former chief ministers vacated.

The court had sought reply from the director of estates of the state government within three weeks as to why the gov-ernment bungalows allotted to the ex-CMs have not been vacated.

The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by Uttar Pradesh-based NGO ‘Lok Prahari’ which has sought contempt action against the authori-ties concerned saying that despite the apex court’s ver-dict of August 1, 2016 against the allotment of bungalows to

ex-CMs, they have not vacated them.

In its 2016 verdict the apex court had held that the former chief ministers should hand over possession of the bunga-lows occupied by them.

It had said the state gov-ernment should also recover appropriate rent from the occu-pants of the bungalows for the period during which they were “unauthorised” to do so.

It had also said that the local laws only gave largesse to for-mer chief ministers “without any element of reasonableness”.

Dealing with the legality of the impugned provisions, it had said, “In our opinion, the 1997 Rules, which permit the former chief ministers to occupy government bunga-lows for life, cannot be said to be valid.

157 govt bungalows in UP including those occupied by former CMs vacated: SC told

OUR CORRESPONDENT

BENGALURU: Even as parts of the state and neighbour-ing Kerala are reeling under floods, at least 16 districts in Karnataka have recorded defi-cient rainfall with the govern-ment mulling declaring them drought-hit.

According to data provided by the Revenue department, four districts in south interior and 12 in north interior Karna-taka had received less rainfall during the south-west mon-soon since June this year.

Director of the state Natu-ral Disaster Monitoring Centre Dr G S Srinivasa Reddy said the situation was bad in ten out of 12 districts in the north inte-rior region.

“We had a meeting yester-day where we discussed the issue of deficient rainfall in 16 districts. Barring seven dis-tricts in coastal and Malnad region,ten out of 12 districts in north interior Karnataka arefacing severe deficient rain-fall,” he said.

The process to declare the districts which received defi-cient rainfall as drought hit was already in process and the gov-ernment will take a call based on the recommendation ofthe revenue department by this month end, Reddy said.

Amid deluge in neighbouring Ker,

half of K’taka faces drought

OUR CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI: A flood alert has been sounded in Theni and Madurai districts of Tamil Nadu and people living along the banks of the Cauvery and Bhavani advised to move to safer places, even as over two lakh cusecs of water was dis-charged from three dams, including Mettur.

As many as 8,410 people have been sheltered in relief camps in Tamil Nadu in view of the heavy inflow from Karna-taka reservoirs and combined discharge of over 2.30 lakh cusecs from Mettur, Bhavani Sagar and Amaravathi dams, officials said on Friday.

With over 2.07 lakh cusecs being released from the KRS reservoir and Kabini in Kar-nataka, inflow into the Mettur dam stood at 1.70 lakh cusecs on Friday morning.

The water level in the dam stood at 120.24 feet against the full level of 120 feet, officials said, adding, 1.70 lakh cusecs was being discharged.

Following heavy inflow and discharge from the Peri-yar and Vaigai dams, a flood alert has been sounded now in Theni and Madurai districts, Revenue minister R B Udaya Kumar said.

With this, the alert has been

issued in 13 districts.People at Mayanur in Karur

district have been advised to move to relief camps with authorities expecting the dis-charge to touch three lakh cusecs on Saturday.

“The 30,000 cusecs per second of additional discharge totalling 2 lakh cusecs from Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini dams (in Karnataka) and com-bined discharge from dams, including Bhavani and Ama-ravati, is expected to be about three lakh cusecs which will reach Mayanur check dam tomorrow early morning,” the minister told reporters.

The minister requested people living in low-lying areas and along the banks to cooper-ate with officials and move to relief centres.

The 8410 people have been accommodated in 96 relief camps in Namak-kal, Erode, Kanyakumari, Karur, Dharmapuri and Tiruchirappalli.

Erode tops the list with 5875 people in 66 camps.

Ministers are camping in the districts to oversee relief operations.

State Disaster Response Force personnel have been deployed and inter-depart-mental teams are on stand by as well, he said.

Flood alert in TN’s Theni, Madurai; 8,410 people in relief camps

People being shifted to a relief camp after they were rescued from a various flood-hit areas, in Kochi on Friday PTI

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MUMBAI: National carrier Air India and its low-cost arm Air India Express, Friday-said their flights scheduled to depart from the Kochi airport, which has been shut down till August 26 due to floods, will operate from Thiruvanantha-puram and Kozhikode.

While Air India said the new schedule, from Thiru-vananthapuram, is for the August 18-20 period, AI Express said the new sched-ule will be effective till August 26, and the flights will depart from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

The rescheduled flights for Air India are AI 933 to Dubai, AI 047 to New Delhi, AI 682 to Mumbai, AI 511 to New Delhi and AI 510 to Chennai, a release said.

Kochi-based Air India Express operates seven daily flights to the Middle East from the now-flooded airport. Of these, five services connect-ing Muscat, Salalah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha will be operated from Thiruvanan-thapuram, while those to Shar-

jah and Bahrain will be from Kozhikode airport in the north.

AI Express also announced waiver of all penalties for mod-ifications/cancellations/no-show/sector change, along with full refund for cancellations. This facility will be applicable to all flights to and from all the Kerala airports till August 26. The airline deploys 60 per cent of its total capacity from the state.

Against this, most private carriers have altogether can-celled their services to the com-mercial capital of Kerala, which is also the seventh busiest air-

port in the country, despite the government asking them to divert the flights to Thiru-vanathapuram or Kozhikode.

Kerala is facing the worst rain fury and deluge in a cen-tury with 13 of the state’s 14 dis-tricts under a red alert for the fifth day on Friday.

Floods and landslides have already taken the lives of over 247 people, where 2.11 lakh people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged, according to the home ministry’s National Emergency Response Centre.

AI & AI Express to operate Kochi flights from T’puram, Kozhikode

CHENNAI: The ‘vigorous’ southwest monsoon over rain-battered Kerala will bring in more heavy spells during the weekend in that state, besides Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the regional weather office said on Friday. The Southwest mon-soon has been ‘vigorous’ over Kerala and ‘active’ over Telan-gana, Lakshadweep, coastal Karnataka and south interior Karnataka, the Regional Meteo-rological office here said in its daily weather report.

Rainfall occurred at most places over Kerala, Lakshad-weep, Karnataka, Telangana and at a few places over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am Fri-day, it said. In its heavy rainfall warning for August 18, RMC said “heavy to very heavy rain” was likely at isolated places over coastal Karnataka.

“Heavy rain is also likely to occur at isolated places over ghat areas of Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Dindigul and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and south interior Karnataka” tomorrow, it added. MPOST

More spells of heavy rain over the weekend in Ker: Met dept

OUR CORRESPONDENT

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced Rs 10 crore immediate relief for the flood-ravaged Kerala, where 106 people died on a single day on Thursday as the state plunged deeper into misery with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations run-ning dry.

According to an official statement, while Rs 5 crore is being transferred from the Punjab Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to Kerala counterpart’s relief fund, the remaining Rs 5 crore will be in the form of ready-to-eat food mate-rial and other supplies, to be flown there with the help of the Defence Ministry.

“First, air force sortie is expected to take off tomorrow to deliver 30 tonnes of ready-

to-eat foods, such as biscuits, rusks, bottled water and milk powder to the flood-hit state. About one lakh food pack-ets are to be sent in the first consignment. The remain-ing will be dispatched as and when requisitioned by the Ker-ala government,” it said here on Friday.

A total of four sorties, each carrying 30 tonnes ready-to-eat foods, would be undertaken, the statement said, adding the Punjab government was pulling out all stops to ensure timely relief measures for the crisis-ridden Kerala.

The deadliest deluge in close to a century has claimed 173 lives in Kerala since August 8, and dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure.

Punjab CM announces ̀ 10 cr immediate relief to Ker Govt

OUR CORRESPONDENT

PALAKKAD (KERALA): Rains have been relentless for the past several days. Fear of rising water entering our home has snatched away sleep. 

The thought of rushing out of the house in the middle of the night is frightening. 

The unprecedented rains lashing Kerala, which have flooded large swathes of the state, reached Palakkad town where my elderly parents live

on August 9. When I called them from New Delhi in panic, they told me water had entered the ground floor of our two-story house. 

Furniture was floating, they said. The refrigerator had fallen; Utensils, knickknacks and clothes were swept away; the kitchen was gutted. With water filling all the rooms, they moved to the first floor, which is an independent unit. 

Thankfully, they had food stocks and there is a also

kitchen on the first floor. Worried about their safety,

I flew to Coimbatore on Mon-day, August 13, and took a bus for a one-hour ride to Palak-kad. Mercifully, the rain had eased a little when I arrived a little after noon, and I could make it to the house without incident. The sight that greeted me was a shock. Our home for more than two decades was a mess, even though my father, who is 72, and 66-year-old mother, had cleaned up the

ground floor with the help of neighbours. 

But rains continued to beat down relentlessly. A canal nearby, which joins Kalpathy river a few kilometers away, was overflowing, its brownish water slowly spilling out of the embankment and adding to the gurgling rivulets on the streets bisecting mostly single-story homes on both sides. 

Next day, the skies opened up and the heavy downpour lasted almost the entire day.

The front yard was flooded. The flower garden which my mother had lovingly nurtured, even planting a now-thriving Christmas tree, was swamped. The only signs of vegetation were the two short hybrid coconut trees, their fronds and trunk sticking out defiantly above the muddy water. 

With no electricity, and mobiles phones running out of power, many of us in the col-ony were cut off from the out-side world. We depended on

word-of-mouth information from locals who would period-ically visit the homes to check on residents.  Those who still had mobile phone connectivity checked desperately on What-sApp for information or tried to call rescue teams. Most of the time, the numbers were busy or just did not get connected. 

While shifting out was the main priority, another concern was about reptiles and poison-ous snakes swarming in the brownish waters. PTI

Furniture floated, fridge fell -- when heavy rains brought sleepless nights in Palakkad

Stranded pregnant woman in Kerala

airlifted, gives birth KOCHI: A pregnant woman stranded in one of the worst flood-hit areas of Kerala had developed complications with a ruptured amniotic sac. The two lives remained in danger till help came out of the blue - literally.

Sajita Jabil, 25, was stuck on the rooftop of her house in Aluva - a submerged region of Kerala’s Ernakulam district - when she heard the rattling of chopper blades. It was an Indian Navy chopper that had flown especially to rescue and end her nightmare. A doctor was first lowered from the chopper to examine her condition before she was airlifted and taken to Sanjivani multi-specialty hos-pital in Alappuzha district.

“A pregnant lady with water bag leaking (was) airlifted and evacuated to Sanjivani. Opera-tion successful,” Indian Navy spokesperson Captain D.K. Sharma tweeted.

Almost half an hour later, the woman delivered a baby boy.

“The baby and the mother are both stable at the naval hos-pital,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson said a naval medical team was air-lifted to Aluva amid a report of the collapse of a building there.

A makeshift relief camp was set up at a hangar inside the naval base, catering to 500 dis-placed civilians, who were pro-vided meals and other basic necessities. MPOST

mp nation 7MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

MUZAFFARPUR SHELTER HOME SEX SCANDAL CASE

PARSI NEW YEAR

Parsi community members greet each other on the occasion of Parsi new year at Fire temple, in Mumbai on Friday PTI

OUR CORRESPONDENT

PATNA: The CBI on Friday raided nearly a dozen proper-ties in four districts of Bihar, including residences of former state minister Manju Verma in Patna and in her native place Begusarai, in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case, officials said.

Properties at seven loca-tions in Muzaffarpur were raided, including a hotel belonging to the main accused Brajesh Thakur and residences of a few of his friends and rela-tives, they said.

The central probe agency also raided the residence of Madhu Kumari, said to be closely involved with Thakur’s NGO activities. She has been absconding.

The agency raided Thakur’s home in his ancestral village Panchdaha in Muzaffarpur district.

The residence of Ravi Raushan, an accused in the case and who was posted as district child protection offi-cer in Muzaffarpur, was also raided in Motihari in East Champaran district. Raushan has been arrested.

During investigation, Raushan’s wife had taken the name of former minister Ver-ma’s husband - Chandeshwar Prasad Verma - in connection with the sexual abuse of 34 girls

lodged at the state-funded shel-ter home run by Thakur’s NGO in Muzaffarpur city.

She alleged that Verma’s husband was a frequent visitor to the shelter home.

Verma resigned as social welfare minister last week after it was disclosed that Thakur had spoken to her husband 17 times between January and June this year.

Speaking to the media from a prison van inside a court complex, Thakur last week admitted he had been speaking to Verma’s husband but main-tained they talked about politi-cal issues mainly.

In two cars, CBI officials arrived at Verma’s residence on Strand Road in Patna this morning and carried out an intensive search there.

The residence of her in-laws under Cheria Bariarpur assembly segment in Begusa-rai, which she represents, was also raided.

Other places raided in Patna included the office of Thakur’s Hindi daily ‘Pratah Kamal’ on Buddha Marg and the home of a counsellor attached to the state social welfare department in Pataliputra Colony.

After the scandal broke out nearly two months ago, opposition parties in the state demanded a CBI probe into the case and its monitoring by the high court. Under pres-sure, the state government conceded both the demands and requested the high court to monitor the probe and ensure a speedy trial of the accused by appointing a special judge.

The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Depart-ment filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home by Mumbai-based Tata Insti-tute of Social Sciences.

The audit report stated that girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse.

CBI raids former Min’s residence

OUR CORRESPONDENT

BURHANPUR (MP): A local court has sentenced a man to death for raping and killing a woman while he was out on bail after being convicted earlier for a murder.

While awarding the death penalty to Prakash Lahase (34) on Thursday, Sessions Judge of Special Court Rajesh Nandesh-war observed, “The case falls in the category of the rarest of rare cases. Such persons are like gangrene in society which has to be removed from the body to save it.”

Quoting the judge, pub-lic prosecutor Shantaram Wankhede said, “The judi-ciary has a duty to remove the accused from the society. Crim-inals will have a free run if they are not punished properly, and the fear in them of deterrent will end.”

The public prosecutor said that judge Nandeshwar sen-tenced Lahase to death under Section 302 (murder) and awarded him life imprisonment on two different counts -- Sec-tion 376 (2) (sexual assault) and 364 (kidnapping to kill) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In 38 days, the court exam-ined 38 witnesses before pro-nouncing the verdict, he said.

Prosecutor Wankhede said that Lahase had kidnapped the 30-year-old victim on May 17

this year from Khadkod village, some eight kilometres from the district headquarters.

“He raped the woman at a deserted place and killed her by crushing her head with a stone. He then disposed of the body in a well,” Wankhede said.

Judge Nandeshwar, while delivering his verdict, also said that women were feeling “extremely helpless and inse-cure” following a spurt in rape cases, Wankhede said.

At least 10 rapists have been awarded the death sentence by various courts in the state since February this year.

Under fire for growing num-ber of rape cases, the MP gov-ernment had brought a Bill in December last year, a first for the country, prescribing the death penalty for those con-victed of raping minors below the age of 12.

It also set up 50 fast track courts to speed up the trial of those accused of rape.

According to statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau released in November last year, MP accounted for the the high-est number of rape cases at 4,882 out of a total of 38,947 recorded nationwide in 2016. The figure of 4,882 included 2,479 cases involving minor victims.

Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of rape cases (4,391) in 2015 too, according to the NCRB report.

Man out on bail for murder gets death for raping woman in MP

OUR CORRESPONDENT

FEROZEPUR: A CBI team questioned IG Ferozepur Range here in connection with a com-plained filed by a former SSP, against whom he had ordered re-initiation of action in an old case pertaining to the alleged harassment of a revenue official, agency sources said on Friday.

A team of the central inves-tigative agency reached here last evening and accompanied by the SSP Ferozepur, they went to IG Gurinder Singh Dhil-lon’s official residence here, the sources said.

The CBI sleuths continued their probe till early morning. The team had also gone to the IG’s Patiala residence on Thurs-day evening, they said.

Former SSP Shiv Kumar Sharma had recently filed the complaint against the IG alleg-ing that a resident of Ludhiana

of allegedly demanded bribe of Rs 22 lakh on behalf of Dhillon to let him off the hook in the harassment case.

Sharma alleged that he paid money to the Ludhiana resi-dent. He is the main accused in a nine-year-old case of alleged harassment and frame up of revenue official Mohan Singh Patwari.

The IG had recently ordered re-initiation of action against Sharma in the case.

The CBI arrested a middle-man in Ludhiana allegedly while he was receiving a bribe of Rs 10 lakh on behalf of the inspector general, officials said.

The team took away the relevant documents related to the ongoing investigation being conducted by the SIT into the revenue official case which Dhillon was heading, the CBI sources said.

Later, talking to reporters

today, Dhillon said attempts were to sabotage the ongoing investigations in the case which was registered following a probe by a senior IAS officer.

Regarding the complaint lodged by Sharma to the CBI, Dhillon said the accused were trying to intimidate him since he was the monitoring officer in the case

“We will not allow the inves-tigations, which are at a conclu-sive stage, to be hampered by such false complaints,” he said.

He said the SIT was con-ducting a probe on merit with all honesty, based on facts that emerged during the course of investigation, all of which was brought on record.

When contacted, Mohan Singh Patwari said the CBI compliant was lodged to put pressure on Dhillon who was conducting the probe with honesty.

CBI questions Ferozepur Range IG

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The Attorney General has recommended that matters of national secu-rity, protection of confiden-tial or sensitive information, or those which may provoke sentiments, arouse passions and provoke enmity among the communities should be excluded from the proposed live-streaming of the top court proceedings

Mentioning the eight cat-egories of cases including matrimonial matters, cases of sexual assault and rape, cases involving juveniles requiring the protection and safety of the private life of young offend-ers, and those requiring wit-ness protection, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal has in his recommendations said these should be kept out of the live-streaming.

He has also sought laying down the criteria to deter-mine which category of cases would come within the ambit of matters of constitutional and national importance requiring their live-streaming.

The Attorney General’s “comprehensive recommen-dations” were handed over to the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud which the court asked him to consider further as senior counsel Indira Jais-ing suggested audio record-ing of the court proceedings and maintaining their archive, and the top court haing its own channel on the lines of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TVs.

The Attorney General has said that the use of footage would be restricted for the pur-poses of news, current affairs and educational purposes only.

Seeking to prohibit the use of the feed for any commercial, promotional, light entertain-ment, satirical programmes or advertising, Attorney General Venugopal has recommended that the “live streaming or the webcast of the proceedings should not be reproduced, transmitted, uploaded, posted, modified, published or re-pub-lished to the public” without prior “written authorisation” of the top court.

Any unauthorised usage

of the live streaming or web-casts would be “punishable as an offence under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, the Infor-mation Technology Act, 2000 and any other provision of law in force”.

It has favoured application of contempt to such proceed-ings coupled with prohibitions, fines and penalties.

Recommending that the live streaming of the top court’s proceedings would start as a pilot project from Court No. 1 presided over by the Chief Justice of India, the Attorney General has said that the suc-cess of the pilot project would determine whether or not the live streaming should be intro-duced in all the courts of the Supreme Court and in courts pan India.

It says that the court must have the power to “limit, tem-porarily suspend, or disallow filming or broadcasting, if in its opinion, such measures are likely to interfere with the rights of the parties to the fair trial or otherwise interfere with the proper administration of justice.”

Suggesting the introduc-tion of case management tech-niques to ensure that “matters are decided in speedy manner and lawyers abide by the time limits fixed prior to the hear-ing”, AG has recommended that the top court should lay the guidelines, on the lines of Court of Appeal in England, for having only two camera angles, one facing the judge and the other the lawyer.

The camera should not focus on the papers of lawyers.

The AG recommendations say that the live streaming of its proceedings in the cases of constitutional and national importance would make the concept of open court hearing more meaningful as it would be accessible to the people liv-ing down south in Kerala and in Northeast who otherwise are not able to travel to the national capital on every hearing date due to constraints of time and place.

He has said that this would help in decongesting the court room which are otherwise packed with litigants, lawyers, law students and interns.

Court proceedings on sensitive cases should be excluded from live-streaming, says AG

OUR CORRESPONDENT

PANAJI: The Congress has asked the BJP- led govern-ment in Goa to challenge in the Supreme Court a tribual’s verdict on sharing the Maha-dayi river water with neigh-bouring states.

Parting away with water of the Mahadayi river (known as Mandovi in Goa) will have a “long-term impact” on Goa, the main opposition party has said.

The Mahadayi River Water Tribunal (WRWT) on August 14 ruled that Karnataka will get 13.5 TMC (thousand mil-lion cubic feet) of water from the river, while Goa and Maha-rashtra will be allowed to use 24 TMC and 1.33 TMC of water, respectively.

The BJP-led government should challenge the verdict (award) of the MRWT in the the Supreme Court, Goa Con-gress spokesman Yatish Naik said at a press conference here yesterday.

Naik accused the Manohar Parrikar government of “mis-erably failing” to protect Goa’s interest before the tribunal.

Soon after the verdict, the Goa government had claimed it was a victory for the state.

“The Goa government had approached the tribunal with a plea that Karnataka should not be allowed to divert water from the Mahadayi basin.

“However, the tribunal, through its verdict, allowed Karnataka to utilise 13.42 TMC of water as against their

demand of 36.5 TMC,” the Congress leader said.

“On the other hand, Goa had demanded 122 TMC of water, but the tribunal allowed it to use only 24 TMC of water. The tribunal’s award is com-pletely against the contentions of the state government and Goa can’t claim victory,” Naik added.

He said in all 92 villages are located around the Mahadayi river basin, having a cultivable land of 91,072 hectares, and the verdict will have a far reaching long-term impact on the state.

“We, therefore, demand that the state government challenge the award of the tribunal before the Supreme Court without any delay so as to ensure justice is done to Goa,” Naik said.

Challenge Mahadayi river tribunal verdict in top court: Goa Congress

OUR CORRESPONDENT

CHANDIGARH: The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Friday hit out at the Haryana government for its claim that there was unanimity among all political parties for filing a Spe-cial Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court over the issue of regularisation of employees.

Ashok Arora, the state unit chief of the Haryana’s main opposition party, said at no point during Thursday’s meeting did the INLD repre-sentative concur with the gov-ernment’s “changed stand” about the employees affected by the Punjab and Haryana High Court order.

The meeting was convened by the state government under the chairmanship of Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan.

“The INLD is not even aware as to how and why did the government change its stand from bringing a bill in the Vidhan Sabha to regularise those employees to now decid-ing to file a SLP,” Arora claimed in a statement.

“The INLD is consistent in its demand that a bill be intro-

duced in the Vidhan Sabha to give relief to all employ-ees affected by the high court order,” he said.

He said at no point in the meeting did the INLD repre-sentative agree with the gov-ernment’s proposal.

“Apart from verbally oppos-ing the idea of SLP, he (the INLD representative) sug-gested that a comprehensive bill be brought so as to safe-guard the interests of employ-ees affected by the adverse high court judgment,” he said.

“The claim of the govern-ment made through an offi-cial press release is mischievous and a distortion of facts. The government should retract this bogus claim which is con-trary to facts and defamatory in

nature,” Arora alleged.According to a Haryana

government release, “It was decided unanimously in the meeting that the state govern-ment and the Bhartiya Maz-door Sangh would file a SLP in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding regularization policy”.

It said the meeting was attended by former advocate general Hawa Singh Hooda, INLD representative Naresh Singh Shekhawat, Additional Advocate General Lokesh Sin-gal and Parvinder Chauhan and representatives of Bhar-tiya Mazdoor Sangh.

The high court here had earlier this year set aside the Employee Regularisa-tion Policy whereby the pre-vious Congress government had regularised the services of more than 20,000 contractual employees.

The court had allowed the employees to continue for a period of six months, during which the state was to ensure that regular posts were adver-tised and the process of selec-tion was completed.

INLD slams Khattar claiming there was unanimity over filing of SLP

OUR CORRESPONDENT

BHOPAL: The bodies of three of the six people swept away in the Sultangarh waterfall in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district have been recovered, police said on Friday.

Sub-divisional Police Offi-cer Suresh Dohre said: “Out of the six missing, bodies of three have been recovered. The police and the divers are now searching for others.”

On the occasion of Inde-pendence Day on Wednesday, several people were picnicking near the Sultangarh waterfall when the water level suddenly swelled. Several people, who were standing on the river rocks, got stuck and about 10 people were washed away.

Three bodies recovered from MP waterfall

OUR CORRESPONDENT

JAIPUR: Gajanand Sharma, a Jaipur man who was released from a Pakistani jail earlier this week after over 36 years, said that many more prisoners like him were still languishing in prisons in Pakistan.

His grand-daughter Nikita told the media on Thursday that Sharma still needs to come out of the haunting pains he suffered during his long stay in

the Pakistani jail.Sharma disappeared in

1982 and his family mem-bers were clueless about his whereabouts till May 4 when they received a letter from the local police asking for verification.

Nikita, who spoke on behalf of her grandfather, said that the other Indian prison-ers who were still lodged in the prisons were paying the price for crossing the border

by mistake.She said that prison author-

ities used to brutally torture Sharma, who at one point also had his wrist broken.

He also bears a cut mark on his ankle which according to Sharma was meted out to him by the jail authorities.

According to the family, Sharma is still comfortable sit-ting in dim light. Whenever someone puts on the fan, he gets scared and recalls horrific

memories where he was given electric shocks on his feet.

Nikita said her grandfather crossed the border into Paki-stan by mistake and has been repenting ever since.

Sharma’s wife, Makhni Devi said her husband was into wrestling during his younger days.

During that time, he used to gulp two litres of milk and had a healthy diet. That’s the reason he returned alive after being a

witness to so many tortures, she added.

His memory also seems unstable at times and is forgetting things, Makhni Devi said.

“I struggled a lot with my children. I worked as a maid in houses, cleaned utensils, mixed spices, worked in hospital and what not to raise the children. Now, I am happy that my hus-band is back to take care of his family,” she added.

Many Indians still languishing in Pakistan jails: Jaipur man

Hardik Patel, supporters to observe fast

sitting in carsAHMEDABAD: Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel and 500 of his supporters will observe a fast while sitting in cars here on August 19, to mount pressure on the authori-ties to allocate a ground for his August 25 agitation.

He and his supporters will stage a day-long fast in their cars in a parking area in Nikol locality here, where Patel has sought permission to hold a rally on August 25.

To respect the national mourning declared by the gov-ernment after the death of for-mer Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he and his supporters will cover their mouths with a black cloth, he said in a state-ment here.

Earlier, Patel had announced an indefinite hun-ger strike at this ground in Nikol area from August 25 to press the demand of res-ervations for the Patidar community.

However, the ground was recently converted into a public parking area by the civic body. MPOST

OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The Con-gress clarified on Friday that there has been no change in the engagements of Congress President Rahul Gandhi dur-ing his scheduled visits to Ger-many and the UK and accused the BJP of trying to undermine the visit because “it is getting popular”.

Congress spokesperson Pri-yanka Chaturvedi said there is “absolutely no change in Gan-dhi’s itinerary”.

“He will go as per sched-ule of the itinerary decided by the Indian Overseas Con-gress (IOC). He will engage and interact with various sections of people as per the sched-ule. There is no change in the

plans,” she said.“BJP is trying to under-

mine the entire visit because they know how popular it is getting and how people wish to hear Rahul Gandhi and want to reach out to him,” she added.

Chaturvedi said if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was attempting to get any invite withdrawn, it exposes “its pet-tiness and its shortsightedness” at a time when leaders from across the political spectrum were appreciating the demo-cratic norms followed by for-mer Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Congress sources said IOC Chairman Sam Pitroda had conveyed that there had been no change in the pro-posed visit of Gandhi to the

UK Parliament.A media report said on

Friday that Indian-origin mil-lionaire Dr Rami Ranger, co-chairman of the Conservative Friends of India, and Tory peer Baroness Verma have rescinded an invitation to Rahul Gandhi during his trip to London saying the event had been cancelled.

It also said Labour MP Keith Vaz has sponsored a room elsewhere in the Par-liament and Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has taken over running the event.

Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Germany and London next week to meet business-men, politicians, academics and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

No change in Rahul’s itinerary during UK, Germany visits: Cong

HAJIPUR (BIHAR): Five policemen includ-ing the station house officer were on Friday sus-pended for dereliction of duty in the murder case of a leader of NDA constituent RLSP early this week in Vaishali district, an official said.

Manish Sahni, the district president of RLSP’s extremely backward castes cell and head of Jan-dahan block panchayat samiti, was gunned down by unidentified assailants on April 13 when he was coming out of the block office.

“Five policemen including Jandahan police station SHO Shobhakant Paswan, an assistant

sub-inspector and three other members of patrolling party did not give a chase to the cul-prits on the day of the incident,” Superintendent of Police Manavjeet Singh Dhillon told report-ers here. He said action has been taken against them on the directive of Tirhut Range Deputy Inspector General Anil Kumar Singh who found them at fault. A mob had indulged in arson at the block office and Jandahan police station besides resorting to exchange of firing with the police force in which one person was killed and five others were injured. MPOST

SHO among 5 cops suspended in RLSP leader’s murder case

JAMMU: Five alleged drug peddlers were arrested with heroin and cannabis from Jammu and Samba districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police said.

A police team intercepted a car at Miran Sahib in outskirts of Jammu district and during a search seized 45 grams and 40 grams of heroin from its two occupants, a police officer said.

The duo, identified as Tousef Hussain and Laila Kha-lid of Sunjwan, was arrested, he said.

In Kunjwani area of Jammu city a car was intercepted by a police team and 20 grams of heroin was seized from Arshad and Aarif who were travelling in the car, police said, adding they were arrested. MPOST

5 drug peddlers arrested with

cannabis in J&K

mp editorial8MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

ANJAN ROY

Most politicians, when they die, evoke mixed feelings and

despire even when their achievements are supreme. Many times, they are remem-bered bitterly because they hit so many so hard. The singu-lar exception is Atal Bihari Vajpayee as he will be remem-bered fondly by all without much variation. Those he fought will remember him, as always, being above board; those he worked with will remember him with nostal-gia. When Vajpayee’s name is said, who will not remember the broad visage of a man with intense expression, with flow-ing dhoti, with tousled hair, with typical lisping diction, elaborating on timeless India. A man of multiple dimensions, and never so simple, he was a poet who would convey his ingrained optimism promis-ing to light that eternal flame of inspiration.

But then, during his long association in Indian politics, Vajpayee saw frustrating days when his party was represented in Parliament by himself. He had, in contrast, seen the party’s strength surge to unbelievable levels which would send him to the hot seat. But all through in good days as in bad ones, his asset was his point of view. He was always as if saying “Men may come, Men may go but the concept that is India would continue.” So however bitter the fight at hand, do not give up that civility. Do not harm the concept that is India. He stood for that unchanging India unflinchingly.

It was in that spirit that he was shocked when historical structures were pulled down or when parliamentary con-ventions were trampled upon. His observations on those occa-sions would often bear the mark of his insight into the psyche of the country, the way the Indian polity was evolving and the way we were to go.

I remember it was a small occasion when Vajpayee, as

usual, was sitting in the oppo-sition. Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister after coming into power with the largest ever majority. It was a few years into that government’s life when a delegation of lawmakers from South had come to Delhi to present a memorandum to the Prime Minister. Instead of the Prime Minister meeting the delegation’s spokesman, the lawmakers were roughed up at Race Course Road. The news reached Lok Sabha which was sitting. There was ruckus on the floor and opposition came down heavily on the govern-ment for its pusillanimous behaviour.

Rose Atal Bihari Vajpayee

to speak spontaneously on the spur of the moment. I can still hear him deliver his admoni-tion in his inimitable style in Hindi. But on that occasion, style apart, the context was as if a prediction. He had observed until now people from the provinces were coming to Delhi to knock at its door in hope of redressal. “Soon there will be a time when provinces will not come to Delhi to knock at its door, but to save your own seats, you [the Centre] will go to the provinces for holding on to your skin”. What a forecast about a transition which was decades away.

Today, national political parties are constantly look-

ing out for partners from the regions to shore up their num-bers to even form a government at the Centre. They are at the mercy of the states and regional bosses. No wonder that “col-laborative federalism” is in the air. There are of course those who are still blinkered about the transition and feel that the regions should come to them for getting berths at the Centre.

But the writing today is clear. Parties or players are destined to withering in cases where the hard reality is not fully comprehended. It was not so easy to detect the drift in those days though. The correct reading of the subtle course changes was Vajpayee’s sagac-

ity. He could read the pulse of the people, the mood changes, and knew how to appeal to that. Vajpayee’s election speeches were the clearest demonstra-tion of the demagogue’s art of weaning people away from the opponent’s camp which had now become the stuff of the legends.

The good thing was that he could deliver even his barbs in immensely enjoyable humour. Who does not now know Vajpayee’s use of price rise for raising mirth and sat-ire in the midst of election heat of north India. Good quality onion would always give a burn to the eyes while dicing, but to relate it to the prices was his kind of political polemics. The underlying tenor was that in the dusty fields where he was speaking, raw onion was essen-tial to the palate of his listen-ers. It was sugar-coating a bitter failing to make it appealing, not by shouting about it. Vajpayee was of course not all honey and milk. He knew how to use his armoury, always hidden behind suavity, at the right moment.

After Lal Krishna Advani’s nationwide “rathayatra” had raised the consciousness about Bharatiya Janata Party as a bankable alternative to Con-gress and time came for it to take up the mantle, it was not Advani who came to grab the top slot. It was Vajpayee who was elected the leader for the first NDA government. The congratulatory congregation that evening at the back of the Constitution Club had BJP luminaries on the dais. It was the glowing countenance of the Party chiefs. But in that general mirth, one could palpably sense victory and defeat.

In his moment of supreme victory that evening, Vajpayee was magnanimously under-stated, knowing fully well that he had beaten all, including those who had worked most for it, to go past the post first. That was his masterclass manoeuvre. IPA

(The views expressed are strictly personal)

The masterclass of politicsEDITORIAL

Media will remember Vajpayee as a great Parliamentarian

Vajpayee said to the Parliament, “Soon there will be a time when provinces will not come to Delhi to knock at its door, but to save your own seats, you [the Centre] will go to provinces for holding on to your skin”. What a forecast about a transition which was decades away

India’s oil bill is likely to jump by about $ 26 billion in 2018-19 compared to last year when India spent $87.7 billion (Rs 5.65 lakh crore) on importing 220.43 million tonnes of crude oil. This is due to the rupee

dropping to a record low, making oil costlier to purchase from the international market. The rupee hit a record low of 70.32 to a US dollar in the opening deal on Thursday. India imports over 80 per cent of its oil needs. Last year, India imported 220.43 (MT) of crude oil while the imports are pegged at almost 227 MT this year. “We at the beginning of the financial year estimated that crude oil import bill will be around $108 billion (Rs 7.02 lakh crore) at an average crude oil price of $65 per barrel and exchange rate of Rs 65 per dollar,” a government official said. The exchange rate has been at an average of Rs 67.6 and if the rupee is to stay around 70 per dollar for the rest of the ongoing fiscal, the oil import bill will be $114 billion, he said. The rupee has witnessed 8.6 per cent slump this year and has been among the worst performing currencies in Asia. The falling rupee has had an adverse effect on India’s trade deficit which in July widened to $18 billion, the most in more than five years. However, exporters, as well as domestic oil produc-ers like ONGC who bill refiners in US dollar terms, will benefit from the rupee depreciation. A rise in petrol, die-sel and cooking gas (LPG) prices is likely and the impact would be visible later this month.

While a rise in trade deficit will lead to current account deficit, which has a bearing on the economy’s overall image, the public sector oil companies which import crude oil will end up with an inflated bill. The government which pays a hefty sum of money as subsidy on the import of crude oil will have to pay up more because of the falling value of Indian Rupee vis a vis US Dollar, the preferred currency of payment for most of the import bills. To pay the bill, the government will have to withdraw money from other pro-grammes. And in an election year, the government cannot prune funds allocated to welfare programmes or flagship projects. The rising oil bill put the government in a spot when it will have to rearrange the finances of some key and popular projects. Some part of the excess bill will be passed on to the retail consumers by increasing the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. While any move to increase the fuel prices, which are already touching their record high, will be unpopular, the government’s policy has been that it will not interfere with the price mechanism set for fixing the daily price of petrol and diesel. The situation can snowball into an overall rise in prices of commodities across the country. It is, therefore, handling the effects of rising oil prices on the economy at a time when the falling rupee has compounded the problem calls for immediate and prudent measures.

After a long spell of strict fiscal management, RBI has recently cut the repo rate, making it less expensive for banks to borrow money from the Central bank. RBI reported that the inflation level has been under control and the economy can get a boost if it introduces stimulants such as slashing of the repo rate. In view of the rise in crude oil prices in the international market in the past two years and its impacts in the domestic market, the Central bank feared that the situation can cause the inflation to go up. Meanwhile, India Ratings on Thursday revised down its economic growth fore-cast for the financial year 2018-19 by two notches to 7.2 per cent citing rising inflationary risks. The rating agency has also revised upwards its inflation forecast despite a likely normal rainfall this year. Despite a likely normal rainfall in 2018, we now expect average retail and wholesale infla-tion in FY19 to come in at 4.6 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively as against 4.3 per cent and 3.4 per cent forecast earlier, the agency said.

When the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, the oil prices were at a record low of less than $ 50 a barrel and the rupee was traded at 63 per dollar. In the past four years, the oil prices have risen to nearly $80 and the rupee to 70 per dollar. This has increased the import costs of all products including crude oil. Before the Lok Sabha election next year, the government will be forced to show how it tackles the problems arising out of higher crude oil prices and falling rupee.

Finally, the Vatican has spoken up. It broke its silence about a Pennsylvania grand jury report that detailed decades of sexual abuses by priests and cover-ups by bishops, calling the accusa-

tions “criminal and morally reprehensible.” Regarding the report made public in Pennsylvania this week, there are two words that can express the feelings faced with these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow. “The Holy See treats with great seriousness the work of the Investigat-ing Grand Jury of Pennsylvania and the lengthy Interim Report it has produced. The Holy See condemns unequiv-ocally the sexual abuse of minors, “a senior spokesman said.

This was only to be expected. Pope Francis had been under increasing pressure to address a rapidly escalating sexual abuse crisis that has spread across several conti-nents, from Australia to Latin America. The crisis pres-ents a crucial test for Francis’ papacy, which has stumbled badly at times to address sexual abuse among clergy. Some Catholics are worried that the Pope’s ability to serve as a moral witness for the world could be compromised should he fail to act decisively. “The clock is ticking for all of us in Church leadership,” said a Cardinal, the Pope’s top adviser on sexual abuse. “Catholics have lost patience with us and civil society has lost confidence in us.” The Vatican’s comments came 48 hours after the Pennsylva-nia report was released. The report showed that more than 300 “predator priests” have been credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 child victims. As the grand jurors note, priests and other Catholic leaders vic-timized boys and girls, teens and pre-pubescent children. But almost every instance of abuse was found is too old to be prosecuted. The Church must learn hard lessons from its past and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur. Interest-ingly, most of the abuse accusations detailed in the grand jury’s report occurred before 2002, when the US Catho-lic bishops adopted new policies designed to inform law enforcement of accusations and quickly remove accused clergy from office. By finding almost no cases after 2002, the Grand Jury’s conclusions are consistent with previ-ous studies showing that Catholic Church reforms in the United States drastically reduced the incidence of clergy child abuse. True, the Vatican encourages continued reform and vigilance at all levels of the Catholic Church, to help ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults from harm. But there seems to be little agreement among Catholic leaders about what that might mean. Sans doubt, there is the failure of episcopal leadership. If anything, this is a moral catastrophe and so many faith-ful priests who are pursuing holiness and serving with integrity are tainted by this failure.

Falling rupee & rising oil bill

The Pope’s test

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Editor

Atal Bihari Vajpayee has left a deep imprint on the common people throughout the length and width of the country. He provided the right direction and holistic approach to national interest and prevented the nation from derailments. The passing away of the former Prime Minister is a loss to the nation and the end of an era. His legacy will be cherished in the years to come. He will always remain with us in the core of our hearts for the days to come. Wishing him eternal peace.

AMAR NATH BHADRA Via email

You can change friends but not neighbours

Quote martial

ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE

It has been a week of loss. Stal-warts, leaders, men and women that stood tall in their respective fields, bid adieu to the mortal

world. Within the span of a few days, India lost megastars from the world of Indian politics. Former Prime Minister and poet Atal Bihari Vajpayee left an indelible impression on Indian minds and politics. His greater acceptance among the masses irrespective of polit-ical affiliation stands testimony to the statesman’s larger-than-party persona. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and writer M Karunanidhi’s demise left a gaping hole in Dravidian politics. For-mer Lok Sabha Speaker and barrister, Somnath Chatterjee also breathed his last. In spite of their varying ideolo-gies, these gentlemen were immensely respected, their politics softened per-haps by their interest in literature, poetry, and academics.

Of these luminaries of Indian poli-tics, I had the honour of meeting and interacting with Somnath Chatterjee several times (almost always at crucial junctures) over the last decade; the lat-est being in November last year and the first when he shook CPI(M) by refusing to step down as Lok Sabha Speaker in 2008. The CPI(M)-led Left Front wanted to withdraw its support to UPA-I on the pretext of the Indo-US Nuclear deal. They coerced Chatterjee to also vote against the government. But since the Speaker’s position is non-partisan, Chat-terjee refused. After the trust vote for won by then Prime Minister Manmo-han Singh, Chatterjee was expelled by CPI(M). Even during this time of per-sonal and political turmoil, Chatterjee remained resolute. His determination was evident for all to see. As he stood his ground, he inspired in us, who were reporting on the Left parties in those days, admiration and intimidation. This intimidation was not borne from know-ing that the politician wields immense

power, this intimidation came out of respect for this giant among politicians.

A year and a half later, Chatter-jee’s bare-all book, ‘Keeping the Faith’ allowed me to interview him once again. The wound was still raw and while his love for the party still slipped out in his words, the hurt that he felt on being expelled was difficult to disguise. He called it the “saddest day in his life”. Almost eight years later, I met Chat-terjee in his south Kolkata residence. We spent over an hour and a half as he regaled me with stories of his journey. Sitting beside him, keeping a watch-ful eye, was his beloved wife, Renu. He joked about how after he got married in 1950, he left Kolkata to pursue further studies in Cambridge. The newly mar-ried couple had to live apart in those two years; never again after that. Their bond

of over 70 years still fresh, still jovial.While talking politics, Chatter-

jee was worried that BJP was indeed making inroads into Bengal and the ruling dispensation in the state, Trin-amool Congress, had much to worry about. He called Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi “popular” but “too parti-san” and seemed genuinely concerned about the future of the Indian democ-racy in the hands of the current clutch of politicians. But even after all those years that had passed him by, Chat-terjee was still disappointed and hurt at being ill-treated and insulted by his own party. “I have not compromised [in my political journey],” he proudly stated. “But I must confess that I have a lot of weakness for the party [CPI(M)].” Not surprising, therefore, that in spite of his weakness for CPI(M), his family

refused to shroud his mortal remains in the CPI(M) flag, opting instead for his favourite football team, Mohun Bagan’s green and red hues.

A gentleman politician, the last few of our generation, ended our chat on that winter evening by switching on the television set to watch a Bengali soap opera with his wife. As I packed up my belongings, much to my amuse-ment and his own, Chatterjee told his wife that I resembled one of the televi-sion actresses. While I Googled to check out this actress’ pictures, I promised to meet him again. Alas, that is not to be. The nation has lost icons in the past few days, and Chatterjee was undeni-ably one of them.

(The writer is a journalist and media entrepreneur. The views expressed are strictly personal)

Chatterjee was disappointed and hurt for being ill-treated and insulted by his own party. “I have not compromised [in my political journey],” he proudly stated. “But I must confess that I have a lot of weakness for the party”

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s demise leaves a gaping hole in Indian politics

The gentleman politician

Elite Barrister turned successful politician, Somnath Chatterjee was firm and daring in his politics

Vajpayee stood unwaveringly for an unchanging, inclusive India

SHUTAPA PAUL

KAVYA DUBEY

A AMARENDER REDDY

9mp in focusMILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

Historically, the centre of gravity of economic and political power shifted beyond imagination,

every hundred to two hundred years depending on the waves of techno-logical progress, innovations, and socio-cultural revolutions. From the 1st century onwards and up to 16th and 17th centuries, Asia was at the centre of world power and India and China together contributed to about 60 per cent of the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Agricul-ture prospered in Asia with vibrant trade in spices, gold, and traditional handicrafts during this era. But with the 1st industrial revolution in Europe from the 17th to early 18th century, Britain became the world power with rapid growth in industrial production, economic progress, and trade. Britain colonised most of the Americas, African and Asian coun-tries during this period and came to be known as ‘The Empire on which the sun never set’ by the 19th cen-tury. However, the centre of world power shifted from Britain to the USA in the 20th century and specu-lations suggest that in the 21st cen-tury, power will shift once again to Asia from the USA with China and India playing the leading role. This shift is mostly facilitated by the larg-est and growing working population, skilled manpower with higher sav-ings and investment rates of these two countries.

USA emerged as global leaderThe industrial revolution started

in the 18th century in Britain and spread to other European countries which transformed incomes, produc-tion, and trade. It was characterised by surplus production of industrial goods in European countries and search for raw materials and markets across the world during the 19th cen-tury. The search for markets across countries by western countries was one of the reasons for the two world wars (First World War from 1914 to 1918 and the Second World War from 1939 to 1945). During these wars, USA emerged a winner with an enormous military, money, and technological power. Post-war Ger-many, Japan, and USSR were also economic drivers in their own right with rapid technological progress and huge investments. Russia raised the hopes of proletariats in October Revolution 1917, its military power was next only to the USA, but disin-

tegrated by 1991. With the disintegra-tion of USSR, seventy years of Cold War ended with the USA emerging as the sole world power. There was a large scale migration of skilled man-power to the USA from across the world and it became a powerhouse in the military, economic growth, and turned into the intellectual capital of the world.

Gold to US dollar as international currency

Historians, as well as economists, are not able to predict these gigantic shifts as forces behind these shifts are more complex and beyond the capa-bility of any sophisticated forecasting models. These are a result of a combi-nation of long-run forces such as the discovery of gold which facilitated the gold as international currency which prevailed until the 16th century and expanded trade between Asia and other countries. Later on, many coun-tries followed the gold standard from 17thcentury under which the gov-ernment guarantees fixed exchange rate between paper currency and

gold. Then during the First World War, gold standard was abandoned by Britain to give free hand to monetary authorities to print more money to meet the war expenses. Meanwhile, in the early 20th century, USA became more powerful and US dollar became world currency as it was widely used and circulated currency. After World War II, many countries had pegged their currencies to USD to bring in macroeconomic stability and cred-ibility to their currencies.

First Industrial RevolutionThe period of first Industrial

Revolution from 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840 with a focus on coal mining, steam power, textile mills, machinery, railways, and ship-building helped Britain win the trade war with other countries and helped capture power in most of Asian, Afri-can, and other countries. With the discovery and widespread use of steam engines, new steel production processes facilitated mass produc-tion of steel in factories. The steel and steam engines were used in almost

all factories, all machinery includ-ing boilers, motor-cars, railroads, and construction of houses and factories across Europe. The evolution of ship-ping industry and railways by using steam engines helped in searching new markets and also transportation of raw material and finished products between Europe, Asia, and Africa and facilitated the expansion of European colonies across the world.

Second Industrial RevolutionWhile the 2nd Industrial Revo-

lution dated between 1870 and 1914 with the wider use of railroad net-works, telegraph, telephones, electric-ity, gas and water supply facilitated an unprecedented level of mass produc-tion, movement of people and ideas, and urbanisation resulted in a new wave of globalisation. This was ended at the start of World War I.

USA surpassed Britain after World War I

Although World War I disrupted the world economy and social fabric, there was a boom after the war across

in all countries, the USA became a world leader both in economic and military power. By 1916, USA’s out-put overtook that of the entire Brit-ish Empire. From then on, America played a greater role in the world’s political, economic, and military matters.

RecessionHowever, after a few years of

boom, in 1920-21 there was wide-spread economic depression as troops returning from the War were not able to get gainful employment and remained as unemployed for longer period with consequent stagnation in wage rates. There was also a decline in commodity prices due to overca-pacity and supply during the post-War period.

The Great DepressionElectrification, mass production,

and the increasing motorisation of transportation and farm machinery resulted in rapid growth in produc-tivity and investment in manufactur-ing between 1923 and 1928 meant

there was a considerable excess pro-duction capacity. The mechanisa-tion displaced workers with huge unemployment resulted in the Great Depression between 1929 and 1939.

World War II

The Second World War started by the end of the Great Depression in 1939 and continued up till 1945. Most countries of the world participated in the War with the emergence of the USA as a world leader. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War which would last for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of great European pow-ers faded and the decolonisation of Africa and Asia began.

Third Industrial Revolution and re-emergence of Asia

The 3rd Industrial Revolution (digital revolution) started in Sili-con Valley in the USA during the 1980s and a number of remarkable technologies began converging. The use of personal computers, internet, and information and communica-tion technologies started becoming popular. They converted most of the manual process controlled by humans into automatic processes controlled by computers. Although started in the USA, it helped India and China and other Asian coun-tries to a greater extent in catching up with the developed countries, given their large pool of English educated and skilled youth. When compared to the 1st and 2nd industrial revo-lutions, the 3rd industrial revolu-tion was more widespread across many countries. The reach of the 3rd industrial revolution expanded to most of the developing countries in terms of use of mobile phones and internet and also online education. Although 3rd industrial revolution also accompanied by the dot-com bubble between 2000 and 2002 and the financial crisis of 2007 to 2008, the overall living standards of the popu-lation increased tremendously with significant benefits accrued to India and China. India is set to become the largest economy in terms of PPP by 2050, while PwC forecasted India will become 2nd largest economy just below China.

[The author is Director (Moni-toring and Evaluation), National

Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad. The views

expressed are strictly personal]

In the dynamic craft of governance, despite and along with political bear-ings that may direct, facil-

itate, or impede it, a territory is a broad representation of the interdependent aspects and links of governmental func-tioning. Irrespective of the scale of governance, exchanges with other distinct and sepa-rate political entities or within a larger unit pose significant challenges to the smooth flow of dispensing relevant proce-dures. The official status of a territory, beyond its definition, makes its challenges unique and resolution of disputes toil-some. Cropping up of disputes and disagreements is inevitable whether it happens second-arily or out of design. Evolving methods to keep bones of con-tention at bay can effectively contain any anomalies from hindrance to functioning.

The past few weeks were marked by two comparable disputes that follow directly from governance and politics emanating from the Centre. The noise surrounding the sta-tus of Article 35A and the fre-quent logjams that have come to distinguish the otherwise competent government of Delhi are both of the essence to assert that previously estab-lished rules and regulations can be effectively circumvented to take forward governance and development. Delhi was gov-erned before with an exem-plary show of cooperation and coordination between the Centre and the state and Arti-cle 35A was nowhere in ques-tion in the epochal 1999 when Vajpayee was getting close to resolving the Kashmir issue.

The common element in these two very distinct territo-ries is their political status and relation with Centre. Although applicable to the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, the

ruckus with regard to the abro-gation of Article 35A engen-ders only from the Kashmir valley, the hub of politics that unfairly characterises the entire state. The Constitutional provi-sion that specifies permanent residents of the state and pro-hibits acquisition of immov-able property by any outsider has predictably allowed for a safe zone for the political envi-ronment to thrive indepen-dently. The persisting issues of the state at large and the val-ley in particular can well be addressed in ways without out-right assaulting the assurance brought by 35A.

The derivation and intri-cacies of Article 35A which intend to protect the people of the entire state have, in fact, effectively smoke-screened the dense valley region in numerous ways to the detri-ment of many citizens in many regards. It may have consol-idated the prominent politi-cal aspect of the state, but with

regard to social and economic aspects, the severed region is resigned to stunted growth. A rampant concern from the grassroots about abrogation of 35A is threat to livelihood. The artisans and craftsmen who monopolise the globally acclaimed weaves of Kashmir fear shut-down from compe-tition if their market opens for outsiders. The method to provide economic security in this case is not isolation but pro-people policies and aided protection while ushering the existing situation towards more prosperous trade practices - from the grassroots to healthier levels of competition.

Working out adequate Centre-state resolutions in the interest of general welfare of the people is a persisting task that turns into a challenge owing to non-concurrence of indi-vidually functioning political agencies. The raked-up issue of Delhi’s statehood does not bring to fore the relevance of

its exclusive statehood, it only brings to highlight the neces-sity of having the state and the Centre function in tandem. Atal Bihari Vajpayee has left behind a very valuable legacy. The tremendous infrastruc-ture that embellishes the face of Delhi today was developed by the previous state govern-ment in cooperation with the Central government, and the two political outfits are arch rivals to this day.

Debating whether Arti-cle 35A should stay or go can make for some fine recreational intellectual indulgence, but the pragmatic way to analyse and resolve this blockage is to allow governance and integrated development to drown out his-torical blunders. Apart from the normalised lack of regard for human rights (as a result of political isolation), a range of entitlements in the form of fundamental rights cannot be fully exercised by non-resident J&K Indians at large. In a place

where education is more than required and can thrive to great extents, there are restrictions to making it possible. Setting up Centrally-sponsored institutes but being unable to ensure the necessary of kind exposure and variety needed for quality edu-cation defeats the purpose of such attempts.

In the contrasting picture of Ladakh, the remarkable devel-opments in the challengingly harsh physical conditions - from the wondrous commer-cialisation of sea buckthorn to awe-inspiring ice stupas - speak of progress that follows from education and general awareness for better. It is due to absence of dispute with the Centre that DRDO established the world’s highest terrestrial centre as a natural cold stor-age to preserve rare and endan-gered medicinal plants. The Ladakh region has also borne the brunt of bad national deci-sions but the past is not allowed to haunt and hamper the pres-ent and future there.

With regard to both Delhi and Kashmir, the manner to resolve opportunistically-crafted stalemate situation is to focus on policy implemen-tation and functioning instead of holding on to a system or historicity on the pretext of it being sacrosanct (when it can be amended!) or seeking a rad-ical change for the purpose of unhindered functioning. If state agents function reason-ably in tandem, then the politi-cal status of the territory does not matter. Delhi’s statehood and Article 35A are essentially redundant issues and the only thing pushing them to the spotlight is compromised gov-ernance following from politi-cal malfunction.

(The author is Senior Copy Editor with Millennium

Post. Views expressed are strictly personal)

The centre of power shifted from Britain to the USA in 20th century and in 21st century, power will shift once again to Asia from the USA with China and India playing leading roles. This shift is mostly facilitated by the largest and growing working population, skilled manpower with higher savings and investment rates

The noise surrounding the status of Article 35A and the frequent logjams that have come to distinguish the otherwise competent government of Delhi are both of the essence to assert that previously established rules and regulations can be effectively circumvented to take forward governance and development

Turning the tide A brief history of technology, wars, and economic power across the world

A tale of two territoriesDelhi was governed with exemplary coordination between Centre and the

state and Article 35A was nowhere in question in the epochal 1999

If state agents function reasonably in tandem, then the political status of a territory does not matter (Representational Image)

Given the large pool of English educated and skilled youth, the digital revolution in the USA helped India and China come at par with developed countries (Representational Image)

tweetRETWEET

NARENDRA MODI @narendramodi

I have lost a father figure. Atal Ji taught me vital facets of both ‘Shaasan’ and ‘Sangathan.’ His noble thoughts will live on and we will fulfil his dreams for the country.

HMO INDIA @HMOIndia

The Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi has announced State mourning for seven days till 22 August after former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s demise. Shri Vajpayee accorded State Funeral at Smriti Sthal, New Delhi.

RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE @Ra_THORe

In Atal ji, we have lost the pole star of Indian politics. A visionary, statesman, poet, leader. The loss is deeply personal for me. One of my fondest memories is shaking his hand after CWG 2002. Alvida, Atal ji. Miss you. #AtaljiAmarRahen

MARKANDEY KATJU @mkatju

I read many news reports&articles on Kerala floods,but none gives plan 2avoid such calamity in future.Rains will come every year,so unless such plan is made&implemented calamity will be repeated.I am writing an article how China solved d problem&will get it published somewhere

mp world10MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

US Sikh stabbed to death in 3rd such attack in a weekNEW YORK: A Sikh man has been stabbed to death at his store in the US state of New Jersey, the third incident targeting the minority Sikh community in the country in three weeks.

Terlok Singh was discovered dead by his cousin on Thursday in his store with an apparent stab wound in the chest.

The Essex County Prosecutor's office is calling the incident a homi-cide, according to a report in ABC7NY.

The motive behind the killing was not immediately known.

Singh, described as a very kind per-son, is survived by his wife and children who live in India. He owned the store to support his family.

His family closed the store as a deeply-saddened community watched in horror.

The news report said Singh ran his store for at least six years and a neigh-bour said he should not have had to worry about being attacked in his work

place.Civil rights organisation the Sikh

Coalition, in a Facebook post, expressed condolences to Singh's family, friends and local community.

Simran Jeet Singh, a visiting scholar

at New York University's Center for Religion and Media and a Senior Reli-gion Fellow for the Sikh Coalition, tweeted about Singh's tragic death, say-ing "this is the third attack on a Sikh in the last three weeks. So tired of all this sadness."

On August 6 in Manteca, California, 71-year-old Sahib Singh was brutally attacked by Tyrone McAllister and a juvenile when the elderly man went on a morning walk.

McAllister, who is this son of a local police chief, and the juvenile were charged with attempted robbery,

elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.

On July 31, 50-year-old Surjit Malhi was attacked while putting up campaign signs in support of incumbent Repub-lican Congressman Jeff Denham and other local Republican candidates.

While beating Malhi, the attackers yelled "Go back to your country!" and spray painted the same message, along with hate symbols, on his truck.

Following the two incidents, the Sikh Coalition had urged members of the community to know their rights, remain vigilant and report cases of bias, bigotry and backlash in the wake of the attacks.

"We are deeply troubled by these two recent attacks and strongly encour-age increased vigilance nationwide as we work to support the Central Valley, California community during this dif-ficult time," Sikh Coalition Legal Direc-tor Amrith Kaur had said. AGENCIES

US police officer uses Taser on harmless 87-year-old woman

WASHINGTON DC: A US police chief has defended the use of a Taser on an 87-year-old grandmother cutting dan-delions near her home in the southern state of Georgia.

The incident occurred last Friday when a youth club worker called 911 after spot-ting Martha Al-Bishara, who does not speak English, using a knife to cut dandelions in the club's grounds near her home.

Responding to the scene, police in Chatsworth, around 85 miles (135 kilometers) north of Atlanta, stunned her with a Taser and handcuffed her after she failed to follow instructions to drop the knife.

"It was the lowest use of force we could have used to simply stop that threat at the time," Chatsworth police chief Josh Etheridge told local media.

But Al-Bishara's grand-daughter, Martha Douhne, told NBC that "she thought

she got shot." "We have never really told her about stun guns or Tasers, and so she doesn't know what that is," she said, adding her grandmother is having trouble sleeping and is afraid to go outside.

Etheridge insisted the octo-genarian had posed a poten-tial threat that justified the use of the Taser. "An 87-year-old woman with a knife still has the ability to hurt an officer," Etheridge said.

"We began trying to com-municate with her, telling her of course to drop the knife ... We didn't know if she just didn't understand us or was having some type of issue." The officer "used the Taser, he deployed the Taser rather than using deadly force to stop the situation," he said. Etheridge added the force would continue to review the situation, and the officer in question remains on duty. AGENCIES

In Uganda elections, pop star takes on presidentKAMPALA: In his red beret and jumpsuit the Ugandan pop star Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, bet-ter known as Bobi Wine, leads cheering campaigners down a street, punching the air and waving the national flag.

That image has defined the unlikely new political phenom-enon and possibly now put him in danger as an opposition fig-ure taking on one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

Once considered a mar-ijuana-loving crooner, the 36-year-old "ghetto child" is a new member of parliament who urges his countrymen to stand up against what he calls a failing government.

His "Freedom" video opens with him singing behind bars: "We are fed up with those who oppress our lives."

He has protested against an unpopular social media tax and a controversial change to the constitution removing presi-dential age limits.

Despite murmurs about his wild past and inexperience in politics, his approach appears to be working: All of the candi-dates he has backed in strongly

contested legislative by-elec-tions this year have emerged victorious.

But after clashes this week led to a smashed window in President Yoweri Museveni's convoy and Ssentamu's own driver shot dead, some of the singer's supporters now won-der if they'll ever see him again.

The brash young lawmaker was charged on Thursday in a military court with illegal pos-session of firearms and ammu-nition for his alleged role in Monday's clashes in the north-western town of Arua, where both he and Museveni had been campaigning.

As the president's con-voy left a rally, authorities say, a group associated with Ssentamu and the candidate he supported, Kassiano Wadri, pelted it with stones.

Ssentamu quickly posted on Twitter a photo of his dead driver slumped in a car seat, blaming police "think-ing they've shot at me." Then he was arrested, and he hasn't been seen in public since.

His lawyer, Medard Sseg-gona, told reporters after on

Thursday's closed-door hear-ing that his client had been so "brutalized he cannot walk, he cannot stand, he can only sit with difficulty ... It is hard to say whether he understands this and that."

Critics have said Uganda's government might find it eas-ier to get the verdict it wants in a military court, where inde-pendent observers often have limited access.

Ssentamu's wife, Barbara, told reporters he has never

owned a gun and does not know how to handle one, rein-forcing widespread concerns about trumped-up charges.

The case against Ssentamu has riveted this East African country that has rarely seen a politician of such charisma and drive. Beaten and bruised, often literally, Uganda's oppo-sition politicians have largely retreated as the 74-year-old Museveni pursues an even lon-ger stay in power.

While Kizza Besigye, a four-

time presidential challenger who has been jailed many times, appears to relax his pro-test movement, Ssentamu has been urging bold action. The young must take the place of the old in Uganda's leadership, he says.

His message resonates widely in a country where many educated young people cannot find employment, pub-lic hospitals often lack basic medicines and main roads are dangerously potholed.

Because traditional ave-nues of political agitation have largely been blocked by the government, the music and street spectacle of an enter-tainer with a political message offer hope to those who want change, said Mwambutsya Ndebesa, who teaches political history at Uganda's Makerere University.

"There is political frustra-tion, there is political anger, and right now anyone can do. Even if it means following a comedian, we are going to fol-low a comedian," Ndebesa said. "Uganda is a political accident waiting to happen.

A singer like Bobi Wine can put Uganda on fire." Running against both the ruling party and the main opposition party under Besigye, Ssentamu won his parliament seat by a land-slide last year after a campaign in which he presented himself as the voice of youth.

"It is good to imagine things, but it is better to work toward that imagination," he told the local broadcaster NBS afterward while speaking about his presidential ambitions. "But it does not take only me. It takes all of us."

Not long after taking his parliament seat, Ssentamu was among a small group of law-makers roughed up by security forces inside the chamber for their failed efforts to block leg-islation that opened the door for Museveni to possibly rule for life.

"You are either uninformed or you are a liar, a characteris-tic you so liberally apply to me," the president said to Ssentamu in a scathing letter published in local newspapers in Octo-ber amid public debate over the law. AGENCIES

Catalan separatists unveil giant banner against Spain King Felipe VI in BarcelonaBARCELONA: Catalan sep-aratists unveiled a giant ban-ner against Spain's King Felipe VI on a building in the Barce-lona square where he is due to attend a ceremony on Friday in honour of the victims of last year's deadly jihadist attacks in the city.

"The Spanish King is not welcome in the Catalan coun-tries," the banner read in Eng-lish. It was accompanied by an upside-down portrait of the monarch.

The king and Prime Min-ister Pedro Sanchez are due to join families of the victims for the commemoration at the Plaza Catalunya, near Las Ramblas, Barcelona's main ave-nue where a jihadist ploughed through crowds in a white van, killing 14 people on August 17, 2017.

During his escape, the 22-year-old Moroccan attacker also stabbed to death a young man before stealing his car.

Catalonia's main separatist civil society group, the Catalan

National Assembly, on Twit-ter expressed "all its support to the activists who deployed this banner and spent the entire night defending freedom of expression".

Family members of the vic-tims of the attacks in Barcelona and the nearby seaside resort of Cambrils -- where a woman was stabbed to death and sev-eral other people injured just hours after the Barcelona van rampage -- had asked for a "truce" in the political con-flict over Catalonia's separatist drive on the one-year anniver-

sary of the attacks.The king had been jeered by

Catalan separatists, who reject the monarchy and hope to set up an independent repub-lic, when he joined a mas-sive protest against terrorism in Barcelona shortly after the attacks.

Catalan separatists organ-isations will stage their own commemorations of the attacks on Friday so as to avoid appearing alongside the king, who adopted a hardline stance against Catalonia's separatist push last year. AGENCIES

Israeli police question PM

Netanyahu again in graft probe

JERUSALEM: Israeli police are again questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of their investigations into corruption allegations.

Two police vehicles arrived on Friday at Netanyahu's resi-dence while protesters at the entrance waved a large ban-ner reading "crime minister" and chanted slogans calling for justice.

Media reported that Netan-yahu is to be questioned over a corruption case involving Isra-el's telecom giant.

Police had no immediate comment. Two Netanyahu confidants have been arrested on suspicion of promoting reg-ulation worth hundreds of mil-lions of dollars to the Bezeq telecom company.

In return, Bezeq's subsid-iary news site, Walla, allegedly provided positive Netanyahu coverage.The confidants have turned state witnesses. AGENCIES

Earthquakes rock southern Italy, alarm people

sleeping outdoorsROME: At least nine earth-quakes have rocked southern Italy in two hours, prompting frightened residents to sleep outdoors.

Italy's national seismology agency INGV says the stron-gest quake measured 5.1 and struck at 8:19 pm (local time) on Thursday. That jolt was fol-lowed in rapid succession by eight more tremors, with the strongest measuring at 4.4.

Epicenter of the quakes was Montecilfone, a small town in Campobasso province in the south-central region of Molise.

Civil protection officials say a boy was slightly hurt after leaping off a balcony in fear, but no injuries are blamed directly on the quakes. Molise Governor Donato Toma says some buildings suffered cracks but no major damage occurred.

The biggest jolt was felt in much of Italy's south, including in Rome and Naples. AGENCIES

Earliest galaxies in universe identified

BOSTON: Some of the earliest galaxies in the universe have been identified by scientists, including one of Indian origin.

The finding, published in the Astrophysical Journal, sug-gests that galaxies including Segue-1, Bootes I, Tucana II and Ursa Major I are some of the first galaxies ever formed, thought to be over 13 billion years old.

"A decade ago, the faintest galaxies in the vicinity of the Milky Way would have gone under the radar," said Sownak Bose, a research fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the US.

"With the increasing sen-sitivity of present and future galaxy censuses, a whole new trove of the tiniest galaxies has come into the light, allowing us to test theoretical models in new regimes," Bose said.

Scientists found evidence that the faintest satellite gal-axies orbiting our own Milky Way galaxy are amongst the very first galaxies that formed in our universe.

They described the finding as "hugely exciting" explain-ing that that identifying some of the universe's earliest gal-axies orbiting the Milky Way is "equivalent to finding the remains of the first humans that inhabited the Earth."

When the universe was about 380,000 years old, the very first atoms formed. These were hydrogen atoms, the sim-plest element in the periodic table.

These atoms collected into clouds and began to cool grad-ually and settle into the small clumps or "halos" of dark mat-ter that emerged from the Big Bang.

This cooling phase, known as the "Cosmic dark ages", lasted about 100 million years.

Eventually, the gas that had cooled inside the halos became unstable and began to form stars - these objects are the very first galaxies ever to have formed.

With the formation of the first galaxies, the universe burst into light, bringing the cosmic dark ages to an end.

Scientists identified two populations of satellite galax-ies orbiting the Milky Way.

The first was a very faint population consisting of the galaxies that formed during the "cosmic dark ages". The second was a slightly brighter popula-tion consisting of galaxies that formed hundreds of millions of years later, once the hydro-gen that had been ionized by the intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by the first stars was able to cool into more massive dark matter halos. AGENCIES

Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme's son Nicholas pleads guilty in knife fiasco

LOS ANGELES: Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme's son, Nicholas Francois Van Varenberg, has pleaded guilty to disor-derly conduct for holding his roommate at knifepoint.

Van Varenberg, 22, entered his plea on Wednesday at an Arizona court, records show. He's is set to be sentenced on Octo-ber 3, reported E! online.

The incident took place in September and saw Van Varenberg arrested by police in Phoenix on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful imprisonment, marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

It was reported by the Arizona Republic at the time that Tempe police had carried out a welfare check after Van Varenberg left a trail of blood from an elevator he had punched in his apartment building to his home. When police arrived, he declined medical attention and the cop left.

But he returned shortly after to inves-tigate a complaint of banging and yelling coming from the home, the newspaper said. The Tempe Police Department said that Van Varenberg had threatened to kill his roommate with a kitchen knife if he opened the door to the cop.

He was arrested and booked into Tempe City Jail, and was later released after posting a USD 10,000 bond.

He was also ordered to stay away from the apartment and find somewhere else to live while he waited for the case to be pro-cessed in court. AGENCIES

China plane skids off Manila runway in rain

MANILA: A Boeing passen-ger plane from China skidded off a runway while landing in a downpour at Manila's airport and its 157 passengers and eight crew members were evacuated on an emergency slide, officials said. All the passengers and crew of Xiamen Air flight MF8667 were safe and were taken to an airport terminal, where they were given blankets and food before being taken to a hotel, Philippine officials said.

"We have no reports yet of injuries but the passengers were all drenched," said Eric Apolonio, a spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

The B737 aircraft veered off the runway around midnight

into a grassy area, Apolonio said. He cited an initial report that the plane appeared to have "bounced" during the landing then its lights went out.

One of the plane's two engines appeared to have been damaged, another airport offi-cial said. The airport's interna-tional runway was expected to be closed until about noon on Friday and airlines were noti-fied of the closure, officials said.

Torrential monsoon rains enhanced by a tropical storm flooded many low-lying areas of Manila and outlying north-ern provinces over the week-end, displacing thousands of residents and forcing officials to shut schools and government offices. AGENCIES

Terlok Singh was discovered dead by his cousin in his store with an apparent stab wound in the chest

Boy who ‘dreamed’ of working with Apple hacks its systems from homeSYDNEY: Apple Inc said on Friday no customer data was compromised after Austra-lian media reported a teenager had pleaded guilty to hacking into its main computer net-work, downloading internal files and accessing customer accounts.

The boy, 16, from the south-ern city of Melbourne, broke into the US computer giant's mainframe from his suburban home many times over a year, The Age newspaper reported, citing statements by the teen-ager's lawyer in court.

The teen downloaded 90 gigabytes of secure files and accessed customer accounts without exposing his identity, the paper said.

Apple contacted the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation when it became aware of the intrusion, The Age said, quot-ing statements made in court. The FBI then referred the mat-ter to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The report said an AFP raid

on the boy's family home pro-duced two laptops, a mobile phone and a hard drive that matched the intrusion reported by Apple.

The sensitive documents were saved in a folder called "hacky hack hack", the report said.

It said the boy had boasted about his activities on the mobile messaging service WhatsApp.

An Apple spokesman said the company's information security personnel "discov-ered the unauthorised access, contained it, and reported the

incident to law enforcement" without commenting further on the specifics of the case.

"We ... want to assure our customers that at no point dur-ing this incident was their per-sonal data compromised," the spokesman said.

The AFP declined to com-ment because the matter was before the court.

A court spokeswoman also declined to comment other than to say the teenager would be sentenced on Sept. 20.

The boy's name could not be made public because he was a juvenile offender. AGENCIES

THE VICTIM: Martha Al-Bishara

Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine

ABRIDGED –e-NITNIT ref. no. Name of work Estimated

AmountLast date of Bid submission

NIT- 25(EL EE)2018-19- 2nd Call

Renovation of Lighting Arrange-ment at Existing Divider from Kachari More to Police Line Chow-pati and Jailkhana More to Pan-charangee at Coochbehar Town in the District of Coochbehar.(Addi-tional Work).

1541175.00 04/09/2018up to12.00 Hours

Sd/- Executive Engineer(Elect)

North Bengal Development Department

Details can be seen in the Official Website www.wbnorthbengaldev.gov.inFor all details and online tender submission visit https://wbtenders.gov.in

Government of West Bengal North Bengal Development Department

Branch Secretariat Uttarkanya, Fulbari, Jalpaiguri

mp world 11MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

Imran Khan formally elected Pakistan PM as PPP abstains

ISLAMABAD: Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan was elected as Pakistan's new prime minister on Friday after he defeated veteran politi-cian Shahbaz Sharif in a one-sided election in the National Assembly.

The election for the top post became just a formality after the Pakistan Peoples Party led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with 54 seats abstained from voting following a rift over Sharif 's candidature.

Khan, 65, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), secured 176 votes while his only rival and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Sharif got 96 votes, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser announced.

After the announcement of the result, PML-N lawmakers chanted slogans against Khan and protested in the house.

Khan will take the oath on Saturday as Pakistan's 22nd prime minister.

A total of 172 votes in the 342-member lower house of Parliament are needed to form a government.

The voting was held in open through division of members in different galleries desig-nated for different candidates. The PPP lawmakers remained seated during the voting pro-cess. The Jamaat-i-Islami did not take part in the voting.

In a last-ditch effort to pur-sue the PPP to vote for Sharif, senior PML-N leader and for-mer speaker Ayaz Sadiq went to Bhutto's seat and tried to con-vince him to change his deci-sion to abstain from voting, sources said.

Even Sharif spoke to Bhutto to persuade him not to abstain. However, Bhutto excused him-self from voting, they added.

Sharif, the 66-year-old younger brother of jailed for-mer prime minister Nawaz Sharif, served as the chief min-ister of the politically crucial Punjab province from 2013 to 2018. He became PML-N presi-dent after his elder brother was barred from holding the top party position and public posts.

During the voting, Khan received support of smaller parties including Muttahida Quami Movement with seven

seats, Balochistan Awami Party five, Balochistan National Party four, Pakistan Muslim League three, Grand Democratic Alli-ance three, Awami Muslim League and Jamori Watan Party one seat each.

Earlier, PML-N lawmak-ers including Sharif arrived in the National Assembly wear-ing black armbands to protest against alleged "rigging" of the votes during the July 25 general elections.

Sharif and Khan greeted each other and shook hands prior to the start of the session.

Earlier this week, PTI's nominees for Speaker and Dep-uty Speaker secured 176 and 183 votes respectively.

The PTI emerged as the sin-gle largest party with 116 seats in July 25 elections. Its num-ber increased to 125 after nine independent members joined

it and final tally reached 158 after it was allotted 28 out of 60 seats reserved for women and five out of 10 seats reserved for minorities.

PTI spokesman Faisal Javed told the media on Thursday that preparations are going on for the oath taking ceremony of Khan.

Javed said that Khan will wear a black sherwani on the occasion. The ceremony will be held at the President House and President Mamnoon Hus-sain will administer the oath to the premier. The ceremony will be kept simple.

Khan's government will be the third consecutive dem-ocratic government in Paki-stan since 2008 when military ruler General Pervez Mush-arraf announced elections after serving as president from 2001 to 2008 following a bloodless coup in 1999.

The PPP formed the gov-ernment in 2008, followed by the PML-N led by jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2013.

Pakistan's powerful military has ruled the country through various coups for nearly half of the country's history since independence in 1947. Even during the civilian rule, the generals have wielded enor-mous power, setting the agenda for the country's foreign and security policies. AGENCIES

Sidhu arrives in Pak to attend Khan's oath

taking ceremonyLAHORE: Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday arrived here to attend the swearing-in cere-mony of his friend Imran Khan as Pakistan's prime minister.

Wearing a blue suit and a pink turban, Sidhu arrived Lahore via the Wagah bor-der from where he will travel to Islamabad to attend Khan's oath-taking ceremony sched-uled for on Saturday. Sidhu used his usual poetic expression while interacting with reporters.

Welcoming the "change" in Pakistan's democracy with the election of Khan as prime minister, he said Khan should come forward in peace initiative between the two neighbours.

He said he has brought "a message of love" to Pakistan as a goodwill ambassador of India.

I have come here not as a politician but as a friend. I have come here to take part in the happiness of my friend (Imran), he said, adding sportsmen and artistes help bringing the people of two sides closer. AGENCIES

China People’s Liberation Army conducts live fire drills in Tibet

BEIJING: A digital combat unit of China's military has conducted live fire drills in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which Chinese experts say displayed the country's determination to build a strong army capable of winning a war in all weathers and territories, official media reported.

The drills, carried out by the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) digital combat unit in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, mainly tested the complete digital combat system in the extreme environment, Beijing-based military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping told Global Times on Thursday.

Such a practice is not tar-geted against any particular nation near the area, but forms the part of China's bigger plan to build a strong army capable of winning a war in all weathers and territories, he said.

Song said that almost all units will regularly practice in the area.

Hundreds of military vehi-

cles carrying advanced weap-onry including drones, early warning radar, howitzers and air defence missiles partici-pated in the PLA manoeuvre, state-run China Central Tele-vision (CCTV) reported on August 11.

The PLA digital combat unit is able to independently perform counter fire missions including anti-tank and air defence tasks, the Times report quoted CCTV.

The exact location of the drill is not identified in the report.

An article published by

the Sina military channel on Thursday said that the artil-lery deployed in the drills were PLL-09, a Chinese 122 milli-meter self-propelled howitzer.

Although it is less powerful individually than the 155 mil-limeter canons, its manoeu-vrability is better and it can respond quicker in the battle-field to be transported thou-sands of kms through air. PLA naval vessels from three theater commands have also conducted air defence and anti-missile live-fire exercises in the East China Sea, PLA Daily reported last week. AGENCIES

Pilgrims go hi-tech to navigate Islam’s holiest sites for ‘smart’ hajjMECCA: Two million Mus-lims gather in Saudi Arabia this week for the hajj as the annual pilgrimage becomes increas-ingly hi-tech with apps to help the faithful navigate Islam's holiest sites.

This year the hajj comes with the ultra-conserva-tive kingdom witnessing an unprecedented pace of change, finally ending a ban on women driving while remaining firm in the face of any dissent.

One of the five pillars of the world's fastest-growing religion, the hajj is expected to draw two million people from around the globe this year.

By on Thursday, more than 1.6 million people had already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, which runs from Sunday to Friday.

Thousands could be seen arriving in Mecca, with groups from different countries wear-ing distinct colours to set them

apart.Some pilgrims pushed their

elderly relatives on wheel-chairs while others stopped to call family members back home on video chat or buy ice cream as temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

For many, it is their first time away from home.

Every Muslim is required to complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.

Many were visibly moved to be so close to Islam's holiest site -- the Kaaba, a black masonry cube in the centre of Mecca's Grand Mosque.

"I feel as light as a feather," said Senegalese Fame Diouf, who travelled from Amster-dam. Laughing, she recounted the story of how she couldn't stop crying near the Kaaba.

"This was my dream from childhood," said Raja Amjad

Hussein, who made the trip to Mecca from Pakistan.

"I can't explain. I have no words," the 40-year-old said. "For many Muslims this is the big, the biggest, dream of life, to see Kaaba and pray for yourself and the whole Muslim nation."

No matter their race or nationality, for every pilgrim hajj begins with "ihram", the donning of an all-white outfit.

For men, this is a seam-less tunic worn over baggy pants; for women, a loose dress with only the face and hands

exposed.Pilgrims then perform rit-

uals around the Kaaba and on the Mount Arafat plain east of Mecca.

The hajj ends with Eid al-Adha, a three-day feast which starts with the "stoning of the

devil".Eid al-Adha also includes

the slaughter of sheep, with the meat distributed to Muslims in need. The ritual symbolises Abraham's willingness to sac-rifice his son, Ishmael, on the order of God.

The hajj presents the Saudi authorities with major logisti-cal challenges.

The Pew Research Center says the number of Muslims in the world is expected to rise from 1.8 billion in 2015 to three billion in 2060.

This year, the Saudis have launched a "smart hajj" initia-tive, with apps to help pilgrims with everything from travel plans to medical care.

Asefny, for example, is an app launched by Saudi Arabia's Red Crescent to help pilgrims request emergency medical attention.

Authorities are able to locate those in need through

the app.The Saudi hajj ministry

also runs the Manasikana app, which provides translation for pilgrims who do not speak Ara-bic or English.

The 2018 pilgrimage comes amid a widening crackdown on political dissent in Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy aggressively pursuing a cam-paign to clean up its image as one of the world's most restric-tive countries.

It also comes more than a year into the worst political crisis to grip the Gulf, pitting regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Qatar against one another.

Saudi Arabia -- the world's largest exporter of oil -- and its allies accuse Qatar of cosy-ing up to both Sunni Islamist extremists and Shiite Iran, Riyadh's greatest rival.

They have cut all ties with Qatar and banned all flights to

and from Doha. Qatar denies the charges.

Qatari pilgrims are still per-mitted into Saudi Arabia for hajj.

Iranian pilgrims are also in attendance this year. Tehran had temporarily suspended sending its citizens to hajj fol-lowing a 2015 stampede that left around 2,300 pilgrims dead, including hundreds of Iranians.

Saudi Arabia has drawn harsh criticism for a crack-down on political dissent since the appointment last year of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose modernisation campaign has grabbed head-lines around the world.

More than a dozen wom-en's rights campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national secu-rity and collaborating with enemies of the state in recent weeks. AGENCIES

Former comedian appointed Slovenia’s premier-designate

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA: A former comedian whose party finished second in Slovenia’s parliamentary election was appointed prime minister des-ignate on Friday.

The political novice on the national stage, Marjan Sarec, who will propose a minority government consisting of five center-left parties, was backed in a 55-31 vote in Parliament.

The leftist parties have allied to sideline the top party in the June 3 parliamentary vote, the anti-immigrant, right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party led by former prime minister Janez Jansa.

Jansa, an ally of Hungary’s anti-immigrant Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has failed to win support from other parliamen-tary groups for a right-leaning coalition in traditionally mod-erate Slovenia.

Analysts have predicted that Sarec’s minority govern-ment would be unstable and likely won’t last long.

“Irrespective of who voted for me on Friday and who voted against, all can rest assured that I will be working for the ben-efit of everyone,” Sarec said as he was sworn in.

Sarec, who has been mayor of the small Slovenian town of Kamnik since 2010, emerged

as a significant political figure when he unexpectedly forced incumbent Borut Pahor to a second round in the October presidential election.

Before his career in politics, Sarec also worked as a com-edy actor and journalist at the public broadcaster RTV Slo-venia. He formed his party in 2014.

Sarec’s appointment marks a rare case in Central Europe where a liberal politician has been elected to a senior post. Populists have lately been win-ning power in the region, rang-ing from Hungary to Poland and Italy.

Sarec, 40, is the youngest prime minister designate in Slovenia since its brief war for independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. AGENCIES

World leaders pay homage to statesman VajpayeeWASHINGTON/MOSCOW: Leaders from a number of countries including the US and Russia have expressed grief over the death of former prime min-ister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and recalled his contributions in strengthening bilateral relations and maintaining regional peace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of condo-lences to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demise of Vajpayee.

Putin termed the former prime minister as "outstand-ing statesman".

"Atal Bihari Vajpayee rightly commanded great respect around the world. He will be remembered as a politician who made a major personal contri-bution to the friendly relations and privileged strategic part-nership between our countries.

"The President of Russia conveyed words of sincere sym-pathy and support to the family of the deceased, the Govern-ment and the people of India,"

the message reads.US Secretary of State

Michael Pompeo said Vajpayee recognised early on that the US-India partnership would con-tribute to the world's economic prosperity and security and the two democracies continue to benefit from his vision.

"On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I extend my heartfelt condo-lences to the people of India on the recent passing of for-mer prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Pompeo said in a statement on Thursday.

He recalled Vajpayee's address to the Congress in 2000, when he had famously characterised US-India ties as a "natural partnership of shared endeavours".

"On Friday, our two coun-tries and our bilateral relation-ship continue to benefit from Prime Minister Vajpayee's vision, which helped promote expanded cooperation," Pom-peo said. He said the American people stand with the people of India "as we mourn Prime Min-ister Vajpayee's passing".

Nepal Prime Minister K P

Sharma Oli took to Twitter to express his grief and said: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minis-ter of India. May the departed soul rest in eternal peace!"

In his message to Modi, Oli said: "Late Vajpayee was a visionary statesman with impeccable integrity and dedi-cation. He will be remembered for his sagacity and exemplary selfless service to the people of India.

"In his demise, India and the world lost a towering polit-ical figure and Nepal a true friend and well-wisher. His contribution to strengthening Nepal-India relations will be remembered forever".

May the departed soul rest in eternal peace! Oli said.

Sri Lankan President Mai-thripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have condoled the death of Vajpayee and said he played a vital role in ensuring stability of the island nation. AGENCIES

9 planes make emergency route

changes after bomb threats in South America

SANTIAGO: Nine planes were forced to make emer-gency changes to their routes within Chilean, Argentine and Peruvian airspace on Thurs-day because of bomb threats issued to Chile's civil aviation authority, its director general told journalists.

At least two of the planes were operated by LATAM Airlines and three by Sky, a low-cost Chilean airline, the companies confirmed.

Victor Villalobos Col-lao, the director general of Chile's civil aviation authority (DGAC), said 11 threats were made in total on Thursday, two of which were "fictitious" and nine of which related to exist-ing flights.

All of the planes were declared free of explosives, and at least one plane was later allowed to resume its flight, he said.

He said calls warning of bombs onboard flights were made to LATAM's offices, and the civil aviation authority, and police were now trying to trace their origin. "We always have an abandoned suitcase or two, that's normal," he told jour-nalists in a briefing at Santiago airport. AGENCIES

Swiss brothers set to bring back minimalist bubble carZURICH: With its quirky egg shape and minimalist interior, the bubble car was a symbol of cheap and cheerful mobil-ity on European roads in the 1950s and 60s.

On Friday, two Swiss broth-ers are developing a new ver-sion of the two-seater, a full 56 years after BMW halted production of its famed Isetta after churning out more than 160,000 vehicles.

Oliver and Merlin Ouboter have more than 7,200 orders for their Microlino, a mod-

ern version of the Isetta which swaps the old single-cylinder petrol engine for a 20 horse-power electric motor but keeps the famous front-opening door.

The brothers, whose father

Wim made millions from mod-ernised kick-scooters, plan to launch the car in December.

"The average modern car is way too big for normal use," said Oliver, the project's 24-year-old operations chief.

He cited statistics show-ing the average car journey involves 1.2 passengers driv-ing less than 35 km.

They built two prototypes in China and displayed one at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, where enthusiasts received them warmly. AGENCIES

Swine flu: World’s top pork firm shuts China slaughter houseBEIJING: China has ordered the world's top pork producer, WH Group Ltd, to shut a major slaughterhouse as authori-ties race to stop the spread of deadly African swine fever (ASF) after a second outbreak in the planet's biggest hog herd in two weeks.

The discovery of infected pigs in Zhengzhou city, in cen-tral Henan province, about 1,000 kilometres from the first case ever reported in China, has stirred animal health experts' fears of fresh outbreaks - as well as food safety concerns among the public.

Though often fatal to pigs,

with no vaccine available, ASF does not affect humans, accord-ing to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

ASF has been detected in

Russia and Eastern Europe as well as Africa, though never before in East Asia, is one of the most devastating diseases to affect swine herds. It occurs among commercial herds

and wild boars, is transmit-ted by ticks and direct contact between animals, and can also travel via contaminated food, animal feed, and international travellers. WH Group said in a statement that Zhengzhou city authorities had ordered a tem-porary six-week closure of the slaughterhouse after some 30 hogs died of the highly conta-gious illness on Thursday. The plant is one of 15 controlled by China's largest pork processor Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development, a subsidiary of WH Group.

Zhengzhou city authorities have banned all movement of

pigs and pork products in and out of the affected area for the same six weeks.

Shuanghui said in a sep-arate statement on Friday it culled 1,362 pigs at the slaugh-terhouse after the infection was discovered.

The infected pigs had trav-elled by road from a live mar-ket in Jiamusi city in China's northeastern province of Hei-longjiang, through areas of high pig density to central Henan. Another northeastern province, Liaoning, has culled thousands of pigs since a first case of ASF was reported two weeks ago. AGENCIES

Never said bye: 7 decades of

Korea separationSEOUL: When Kim Kwang-ho fled advancing North Korean forces he expected to return home within days, so did not bother with a proper goodbye to his mother and brother.

On Monday he meets his sibling for the first time in 68 years.

Now 81, Kim is one of a handful of Southerners to travel to the North's scenic Mount Kumgang resort next week for three-day reunions with family members separated by the turmoil of the Korean War.

Millions of Koreans were separated from their relatives by the 1950-53 conflict, which left the peninsula divided and all civilian communication banned between the two sides.

Since 2000, the Koreas have held 20 rounds of reunions, but time is running out for many ageing family members. AGENCIES

Oliver and Merlin Ouboter

Marjan Sarec

mp business12MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

NEW DELHI: Civil aviation regulator, DGCA, on Friday told the Delhi High Court that airlines in the country are not charging fares that are unlaw-ful, discriminatory or exor-bitant and the ticket prices change according to market forces.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also told a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao that under the Aircraft Act it was not empowered to make "financial regulations" with regard to air fares.

The regulator took the stand in an affidavit filed in response to a PIL seeking cap-ping of air fares charged by air-lines in the country.

The plea by consumer

rights activist Bejon K Misra has alleged that the authori-ties, including DGCA, were acting as "silent spectators" to the "arbitrary" fixing of fares by the airlines.

Denying the allegation, DGCA said in its affidavit that "change in air fares was dynamic".

"Fare increase with increase in demand for seats on any given flight and as a flight's available seat inventory dimin-ishes, lower bucket fares con-sequently may no longer be available.

"It is denied that air fares charged by the airlines are unlawful and discrimina-tory and that the respondents (DGCA and the Centre) have shirked their responsibility,"

the aviation regulator said while urging the court to dis-miss the plea.

The court took the affidavit, filed by advocate Anjana Gos-ain, on record and listed the matter for further hearing on October 9.

Explaining how the fares

are calculated, DGCA in its affidavit said that airlines adopt a dynamic pricing mechanism in which prices are changed often depending on the day of a week, time of day, numbers of days before the flight and other factors like number of seats and departure time.

The regulator also said that "prevailing airline prac-tices with regard to the type of fares offered and their charging method by private and govern-ment owned airlines are same and in line with practices fol-lowed globally".

The DGCA also said that "petitioner's averments regard-ing charging of exorbitant air-fares by private airlines have not been substantiated" as the prices charged by them do not exceed the fare buckets (levels) displayed on their website.

Misra in his plea has claimed that capping of air fares was necessary as airlines often charge more than 10 times the base rate when there is a short-age of seats. In support of his claim, he has referred to the

incident of IndiGo airline can-celling a large number of its flights after some of its A320N aircraft were grounded due to engine trouble.

Misra has alleged that due to the cancellation of these flights, IndiGo passengers had to book tickets at the last min-ute on other airlines at "exorbi-tant prices".

He has sought that airlines should not be allowed to charge more than a justified hike in the advance booking fare. The petitioner has said that cap-ping of air fares or guidelines to regulate them are necessary to ensure "greater transparency and accountability" and "dis-courage profiteering and undue enrichment in the business of civil aviation". PTI

NEW DELHI: India's PC ship-ments notched a healthy 28.1 per cent growth in April-June 2018 with 2.25 million units, buoyed by strong notebook demand, research firm IDC India said on Friday.

On the pecking order of vendors, IDC said, HP Inc maintained its leadership with a market share of 31.6 per cent during the quarter followed by Dell at the second slot (23.7 per cent) and Lenovo at the third position (18 per cent).

The market's "high growth can be partially attributed to the fact that June quarter of 2017 was heavily impacted by the then-upcoming GST implementation", it said.

Notebooks contributed to 61 per cent of the over-all India personal computer (PC) market with 45.2 per cent year-on-year growth bol-stered by demand across both the consumer and commercial segments.

"This was mainly driven by ultra-slim notebooks, which now account for 20 per cent of overall notebooks compared to 11 per cent a year ago," IDC said in a statement.

Elaborating on the seg-ment-wise performance, IDC said consumer PCs grew 33.7 per cent to 1.09 million units, on the back of promotions and new product offerings with updated specifications and aes-thetic designs.

Vendors targeted different use cases and provided schemes such as back-to-school offers with extended warranties, cashback offers, IDC said add-ing that players launched exclu-sive models for both online and offline channels.

Commenting on the mar-ket scorecard, Nishant Bansal, Research Manager - PC, IDC India said: "Spending on con-vertibles and ultra-slim note-books is increasing due to the popularity of lighter form fac-tors that facilitate mobility".

The commercial PC mar-ket grew 23.3 per cent to touch 1.17 million units. The num-bers were driven by both new and replacement demand from enterprises and small and medium businesses.

Execution of several proj-ects in education and govern-ment sector drove the public sector demand, the statement added.

Bansal noted that business sentiment has been improving on the back of settling reforms. This, he said, has spurred increased demand from small and medium enterprises across verticals like manufacturing, BFSI and pharmaceuticals as companies look to expand their businesses and technol-ogy capabilities. PTI

KOLKATA: Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on Friday said it has decided to set up the country's largest pump storage hydel power project of 1,500 MW at an estimated cost of Rs 5,200 crore.

"We are preparing to build six 250MW pump storage hydel power plants (1,500MW) at Lagu Pahar on Bokaro River which will be the largest in the country and possibly even in Asia," DVC chairman P K Mukhopadhayay said at the Confederation of Indian Indus-try (CII) organised 'Energy Conclave 2018'.

He said the initial report was encouraging to pursue the Rs 5,200 crore project as it will primarily act as storage facility for the huge grid con-nected solar capacities which are coming up without any storage facility.

"We will act as storage facil-itator for them against a user fee," Mukhopadhayay said.

Initially, DVC had con-ceived it as a normal hydel power project but shelved it as it became unviable.

"Standalone hydel power plant is not viable unless we serve the solar power sector,"

Mukhopadhayay explained.Having received the initial

environment clearance, DVC is now preparing to invite bids for Detailed Project Report (DPR) which may cost Rs 40-45 crore.

Speaking on power export to Bangladesh, Mukhopad-hayay said DVC is confi-dent of beginning export in a month frim now, right after a last mile transmission network issue gets resolved. A PIL had been filed with the Supreme Court against DVC and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) to stop the export of 300 MW to Bangladesh.

"We have heard that a PIL

had been filed but that will not deter us from exports which will commence within a month. The contentions don't block us," Mukhopad-hayay said.

He said that DVC is not just a thermal power generator but has hydel (both from own sources and trading) besides solar, which is why it is also a distribution company.

"We have more than 300MW hydel and 120MW of solar so we will export from pool power and not just from one paticular plant. So, we will reply accordingly," Mukhopad-hayay said. PTI

DVC to set up country's 1st pump storage hydel power project

NEW DELHI: As rains and floods continued to wreak havoc in Kerala, insurance reg-ulator Irdai on Friday asked all insurance companies to set up special camps and make imme-diate payments against insur-ance claims.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has issued guide-lines in the regard for both life and non-line insurance claims and asked them to report the progress.

More than 100 people died in rain-related incidents in Ker-ala in just one day on Thursday, sources in the State Disaster Management Authority said, even as defence forces scaled up operations this morning to rescue those stranded in the worst-hit areas.

"Initiate immediate action to ensure that all reported claims are registered and eli-gible claims are settled expedi-tiously," said Irdai's guidelines to life insurance companies.

With regard to claims involving loss of life, where dif-

ficulty is experienced in obtain-ing a death certificate due to non-recovery of body, Irdai has suggested the insurers that they may adopt the process followed in such situations.

It also directed life insur-ers that "a suitably simplified process/procedure including

relaxations in the usual require-ments wherever feasible may be considered to expedite claims settlement" and report prog-ress on claims settled on weekly basis every Monday.

The regulator has asked the non-life as well as standalone health insurers to widely pub-

licise details of offices/special camps set up for the purpose of claim settlement.

"In order to gauge the mag-nitude of the loss, all non-life insurers (including standalone health insurers) are advised to submit information relating to insurance claims in Kerala on a

daily basis," Irdai said.Armed forces have been

pressed into service to help and rescue flood-affected people in the southern state. Besides, the state government too has deployed its own machinery to deal with the unprecedented flood situation. PTI

Kerala floods: Watchdog tells insurers to settle claims fast

Exorbitant fares: DGCA bats for airline cos in HC

India PC market grows 28% in Q1, notebook demand strong: IDC

The notebooks sector contributed 61% to the overall national personal computer market’s year-on-year growth of 45.2%

NEW DELHI: India's third freight corridor is likely to come up between Kharagpur and Vijaywada sections at a cost of about Rs 44,000 crore next year, managing director DFC-CIL A K Sachan said.

The project, which is also called the East Coast Corridor, will be 1,114 km in length and is part of the Golden Quadrilat-eral project of Indian Railways.

The Dedicated Freight Cor-ridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) has sent a proposal to Indian Railways to under-take the third dedicated freight corridor project. Indian Rail-ways is going to put the project before the finance ministry for its inclusion in Budget 2019-20, said Sachan.

The Kharagpur-Vijaywada section is one of the busiest routes in East Coast. The proj-ect will be funded using equity from Indian Railways and loans.

The corridor, which is expected to carry about 200 million tonnes of freight per annum, is likely to be

announced in the budget pro-posal for 2019-20.

The DFCC will be making 432 km of the western corridor and 343 km of the eastern cor-ridor operational by the end of the current financial year. Once open, the stretches on the western and the eastern corri-dors will significantly reduce the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai and Delhi and How-rah, the two most congested rail routes in the country.

DFCCIL, an arm of Indian Railways is already undertaking the construction of two freight corridors Eastern Freight Corri-dor from Ludhiana to Dankuni (1,856km) and Western Freight

Corridor from Dadri to Jawaha-rlal Nehru Port (1,504km) being built at a cost of Rs 81,000 crore.

On 15 August, DFCCIL con-ducted a successful train run on the newly-built Ateli-Phulera section of the Western Corridor.

The 190-km route from Haryana to Rajasthan has the ability to run trains at a speed of 100 km per hour against the current maximum speed of 75 km per hour on Indian Rail-ways track.

Once operational, the corri-dors will increase the national transporter freight carrying capacity to over 2,000 million tonnes, up from the existing 1,200 million tonnes. PTI

East coast freight corridor to come up next year at a cost of ̀ 44,000 cr

MUMBAI: An RBI study has found that the controversial note-ban imposed in Novem-ber 2016 has led to further decline in the already fall-ing credit to the MSME sec-tor, while GST roll-out has not made any significant positive impact on overall credit to the sector but has deeply dented their exports.

The credit disbursal to the MSME sector has, however recovered a tad since the lows of 2017 to reach the mid-2015 level, notes an RBI report called the Mint Street Memo.

Though micro-credit, including loans by banks and NBFCs to the sector has grown in recent quarters, exports have been hit badly since the GST implementation.

The MSME sector consti-tutes a vast network of over 63 million units and employs around 111 million people, contributing around 30 per cent to the GDP, accounting for about 45 per cent of manu-

facturing output and around 40 per cent of total exports.

"The MSME sector has wit-nessed two major recent shocks, demonetisation and introduc-tion of goods and services tax. For instance, contractual labour in both the wearing apparel and gems and jewellery sec-tors reportedly suffered as pay-ments from employers became constrained after note-ban.

Similarly, GST led to increase in compliance costs and other operating costs as most of MSMEs were brought into the tax net as over 60 per cent of them were not ready for the new tax regime," said the report.

But on a positive note, a Sidbi study has found that after note-ban and GST intro-duction, relative credit expo-sure initially declined for most MSMEs but recovered by March 2018. A major obsta-cle for growth of MSMEs is their inability to access timely and adequate finance as most

of them are in niche segments where credit appraisal is a major challenge.

According to an Interna-tional Finance Corporation (IFC) estimate, the poten-tial demand for the MSME finance is about $370 billion as against the current credit sup-ply of $139 billion, resulting in a finance gap of $230 billion which is equivalent to 11 per cent of GDP.

About 97 per cent of MSMEs operate in the infor-mal sector, and their share of informal sector in gross out-put of MSMEs is about 34 per cent. As per National Accounts Statistics, the share of informal sector manufacturing MSMEs in total GDP is around 5 per cent.

The annual growth of bank credit to MSMEs decelerated gradually during 2015 to 1.6 per cent in April 2016 before recovering till October 2016. The deceleration during 2014-16 was partly due to overall

economic slowdown, rising NPAs and reclassification of food and agro-processing units from MSME category to agri-culture sector.

Credit growth fell signifi-cantly and turned negative dur-ing November 2016-February 2017. Therefore, it seems that demonetisation accentuated the slowdown in credit growth, particularly to industrial sector. However, credit growth to the sector recovered after February 2017 to reach an average of 8.5 per cent in January-May 2018.

The share of credit to MSMEs in overall bank credit declined steadily to around 14 per cent by end-March 2018 from about 17 per cent in 2007, partly due to over-lending to large corporates (now stressed) in the second half of 2000s.

Additionally, the share of credit to medium enterprises dropped significantly also. NPA from the sector has increased over time, with the level being much higher for PSBs. PTI

Demonetisation, GST pull down credit to MSMEs, ravage exports

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a PIL against the cap on free-of-charge withdrawals by bank-ing customers from own bank ATMs, saying it was a policy decision.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao on Thursday said the ATM facility provided by banks have lot of overhead costs, like salary of guards and power con-sumption charges, and there-fore, there cannot be unlimited free ATM transactions.

"They have to maintain the ATMs and there would be establishment costs," the court said, adding that it would be "disastrous" if banks close the ATMs due to its interference in the issue. As per the Reserve Bank of India's new guidelines, bank customers in six metros — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ben-galuru -- are allowed to with-

draw money free of charge only five times a month from the ATMs of their banks and will be charged Rs 20 for every sub-sequent transaction.

The court said Rs 20 for every additional transaction in a month can be afforded by a banking customer and dis-missed the petition, filed by lawyer Swati Aggarwal, seeking directions to allow unlimited number of free transactions for banking customers at the ATMs of their banks.

In her PIL, Aggarwal claimed that the guidelines were issued at the behest of a few banks and IBA (Indian

Banks Association) which had approached the RBI seeking changes in the extant instruc-tions regarding free transac-tions at other banks' Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).

It alleged that levying charges was highly "arbitrary and unjustified" besides being "discriminatory and against good banking practices and reforms and a backward move".

"In almost all modern econ-omies of the world, there is no cap on the number of trans-actions one can make on own bank ATM and unlimited num-ber of transactions remain free of charge on their own bank ATMs," the petition said.

It contended that the RBI decision contradicts its own circular dated March 10, 2008, whereby it had "justified and given directions allowing the free usage of ATMs for unlim-ited number of transactions on own bank ATMs". PTI

NEW DELHI: Private equity investments witnessed a positive trend in both value and volume terms, with 81 deals garnering $2.1 billion in July driven by big ticket deals.

According to a Grant Thorn-ton report, following the sig-nificant uptrend in July PE investments, the deal tally for the first seven months of this year totalled at $11.51 billion, up 20 per cent over the year ago period, thanks to increased appetite for big ticket funding by companies to fuel their expan-sion plans. "PE deals recorded a robust 37 per cent and 72 per cent increase in volumes and values respectively in July 2018 as compared to July 2017," Grant Thornton India LLP Director Pankaj Chopda said.

He said that large ticket investments to support cross-border acquisition and in focused sectors drove the invest-ments and start-ups, real estate, e-commerce, and pharma, healthcare and biotech were the key sectors juring July. PTI

January-July PE investments deal tally at $11.5 bn

Delhi HC rejects PIL against cap on free withdrawals from ATMs

MUMBAI: Beleaguered carrier Jet Airways is in advanced stage of discussions with TruJet to sublease up to seven of its ATR planes to the regional carrier as it seeks to reduce costs and mop up additional revenues amid cash drought, according to an industry source.

These planes are likely to be subleased with its com-plete crew, maintenance and insurance. The Naresh Goyal-promoted full service carrier currently has 15 ATRs in its fleet. TruJet, which started oper-ations in July 2015 has an all ATR fleet.

The deal may be stitched by this month, the source privy to the development said.

The Mumbai-based carrier had attempted to phase out these regional jets in the past

as well. "Both Jet Airways and TruJet are in the advanced stage of negotiations on the ATR deal. As per the on-going discussions, TruJet will initially lease seven ATRs from Jet Airways," the source told PTI.

While TruJet confirmed its discussions with Jet Airways, the latter said that "it contin-ues to evaluate all possible alternatives".

Meanwhile, Jet Airways on Friday said a meeting of the board of directors will be held on August 27 to consider and approve the unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended June 30. The board of directors of Jet Airways at its meeting held on August 9 had deferred the matter of consideration of the unaudited financial results for the June quarter. PTI

TruJet in talks with Jet to sublease up to 7 ATRs

NEW DELHI: Leading mul-tiplex operator PVR on Friday said it has completed the acqui-sition of 71.69 per cent share of South India-based chain SPI Cinemas.

SPI Cinemas operates 76 screens across 17 properties in 10 cities under several brands such as Sathyam, Escape, Pala-zzo, The Cinema and S2 Cin-ema. It reported revenue of Rs 309.6 crore in FY 2017-18.

"PVR Ltd has completed the acquisition of 71.69 per cent of the paid share capital of SPI involving the acquisition of 1,91,534 equity shares constitut-ing 61.65 per cent of the paid-up share capital of SPI from SS Theatres LLP and 31,177 equity shares consisting 10.04 per cent of the paid-up share capital of SPI from SV Swaroop Reddy....," PVR said. PTI

PVR completes acquisition of 71.6% stake in SPI Cinemas Jet Airways Board to meet on

August 27 to consider Q1 results

mp business 13MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

Punjab National Bank CMD Sunil Mehta hoisted the national flag on the occasion of country’s 72nd Independence Day at Punjab National Bank Head Office ,Dwarka, New Delhi in the presence of Executive Directors Sanjiv Sharan and L V Prabhakar, and Chief Vigilance Officer S K Nagpal

Inaugurating the Swachhta Pakhwada (16-31 August) in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), CMD Atul Sobti administered the ‘Swachhta Pledge’ to the company’s employees. The CMD exhorted BHEL employees to participate enthusiastically and contribute whole heartedly to the National Mission of creating ‘Swachh Bharat’

CIL Chairman Anil Kumar Jha hoisted the National Flag on the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day of India at Coal India’s Corporate Headquarters in Kolkata. Director (Finance)Chandan Kumar Dey, Director(Marketing) S N Prasad, Director(Technical) Binay Dayal, and Director(P&IR) R P Srivastava were also present on the occasion

CORPORATE KALEIDOSCOPE

KOLKATA: “The BNCCI Tower is being built by Ben-gal National Chamber of Com-merce & Industry in Rajarhat, the IT hub of Kolkata, and Rs. 100 crore will be spent over the next three years on this project. The foundation stone will be laid on the 1.5 acre plot very soon,” announced Satyam Roy-chowdhury, the newly elected President of BNCCI on Friday.

Being one of the old-est chambers of the coun-try, BNCCI not only aims to develop trade and industry in the state, but also works towards generating employ-ment opportunities for the young generation.

Organised by BNCCI, the session was on ‘The Road Map of the Chamber in the Coming Years’ at The Lalit Great Eastern Hotel, Kolkata.

Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Minister, Department of Power & Non-conventional Energy Sources, Government of West Bengal and Debasish Kumar, MMIC (Parks & Gardens), Kolkata Municipal Corpora-tion were present. The newly elected committee of BNCCI – Senior Vice President Suvro Chandra, Vice President Arpan Mitra and Treasurer Nil Ratan Dutta were also present.

“Under the dynamic lead-ership of our Chief Minister

Mamata Banerjee, we have achieved a lot already. She had announced back in 2011 about the necessity of electricity in every house. In the last seven years, we have been able to

light up 1 crore 85 lakh homes. Our CM has worked incredibly towards developing the infra-structure for industry. You will show us the way for develop-ing small scale industry sector,

and the state government will extend all cooperation,” said Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.

Debasish Kumar said, “I believe, under Satyam Roy-chowdhury’s able leadership, the chamber will go a long way. With new employment avenues generated, the state’s economy will flourish.”

Satyam Roychowdhury said, “With the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, new horizons of employment will open up. BNCCI has all along received great support from the State Government, and I am confi-dent that in our journey we will get all necessary support from

the Government of West Ben-gal under the dynamic lead-ership of our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.”

He also spoke about the Industrial Trade Fair that will be held from December 21 to December 31 in Park Circus grounds in Kolkata. This year China, Spain, Nepal, Bhutan and Mayanmar will participate in the fair.

Between August 30 and September 4, a delegation from BNCCI will visit Russia to exchange ideas on educa-tion, health and industry with Russian Government and rep-resentatives of various business chambers. MPOST

BNCCI to log into Rajarhat InfoTech hub with `100 crore Tower

BNCCI President Satyam Roychowdhury with (From Left) Nil Ratan Dutta, Suvro Chandra, Debashis Kumar, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Arpan Mitra and other Executive Committee members

NEW DELHI: State-owned GAIL India has sought share-holder nod to amend the char-ter of the company to invest in start-ups, build solar power plants and set up battery charg-ing stations for electric vehi-cles as it looks to diversify its portfolio beyond gas and petrochemicals.

The nation's biggest natural gas transporting and market-ing company wants to insert six new sections in the main objects clause of the memo-randum of association of the company, according to share-holder notice.

It wants to invest in "start-ups in core business areas (of natural gas, petrochemicals, and energy) and non-core areas (like health, social and envi-ronment, safety, and security) either directly or indirectly."

"The investment can be made through special pur-pose vehicle (SPV), alternative investment fund (AIF), fund of funds (FoF) and trust," it said.

GAIL said that there is a necessity to adopt new and different pathways to provide clean, cost-effective and effi-cient mobility services that are safe, reduce dependence on oil imports and achieve more effi-cient land-use in cities with the

least environmental footprints and impacts on human health.

With the objective in mind, the firm wants to set up "battery charging stations and provid-ing charging services" to elec-tric vehicles.

With the government plan-ning to make a major shift to electric vehicles by 2030, GAIL felt that charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in India has not been fully developed yet.

GAIL with its "pan-India presence through the natural gas network is deep-pocketed

and has the capability of set-ting up charging infrastructure at a faster pace," the notice said.

The 34th annual general meeting of the company is scheduled for September 11.

The company also wants to "explore the business opportu-nity in waste-water treatment plants, water distribution, large water pipeline laying as an early mover."

With groundwater deplet-ing and monsoons becoming less predictable and unreliable, availability and utilisation of

water are becoming key issues in modern India. Many cities are sourcing the fresh water through long-distance trans-port ranging from 50-200 km.

Stating that with grow-ing population and industri-alisation the effluent water discharged has increased sig-nificantly, GAIL said the treat-ment of the effluent water and maintaining of the freshwater table is a big challenge and a business opportunity.

It is also looking to "harness solar power potential available

at its various sites and installa-tions which can be connected to grid for sale or for own use at other installations through wheeling of power."

In line with its strategy to promote the use of green fuel, it is contemplating to promote gas appliances in households to increase gas usage and min-imise electric usage in housing equipment and appliances such as gas boiler, gas-based air con-ditioner and bathroom heater.

Operating nearly 14,000-km of natural gas and LPG pipeline and executing more than 4,500 km of new lines, GAIL feels it can provide ser-vices such as engineering, pro-curement and construction (EPC), engineering, procure-ment, construction manage-ment (EPCM) and project management consultancy (PMC) in the field of hydro-carbon pipelines.

"GAIL also has adequate experienced manpower and infrastructure for providing these services," the notice said.

It also wants to "carry on the business of manufacture, import, distribution, and mar-keting of appliances relating to gas marketing and distribution, such as gas meter and CNG kits." PTI

GAIL may enter solar power, battery charging stations KOLKATA: Bangladesh,

which is currently import-ing around 700 MW of power from India, is looking to ramp up its electricity import from the country to 10,000MW in the long term, a power divi-sion official of the neighbour-ing nation said here on Friday.

The power capacity in Ban-gladesh has been increased by five times in the last 10 years, Power Grid Corporation of Bangladesh chairman Abdul Kalam Azad said.

"We are currently import-ing around 700 mw of power from India. Some 500 MW of additional power import will be commenced soon with more transmission line of 400 KVA has been completed," Azad said on the sidelines of the CII organised Energy Con-clave 2018. The Damodar val-ley corporation will also export 300MW to Bangladesh hope-fully from next month, he said.

"We have signed an agree-ment with an Indian private power company to import 600-800 mw of power through a dedicated transmission line. We have received more pro-posals from several other Indian power generating com-panies desiring to set up ded-icated transmission line to sell power to Bangladesh," he said. The neighbouring coun-try was aiming at importing total 10,000MW from India by

2041, he said. Dhaka is getting support from Indian human resources development minis-

try for the training of its power department personnel, he said. PTI

Bangladesh to energise power imports from India to 10,000 mw

Ashok Leyland bags order for 300 buses from BangladeshNEW DELHI: Hinduja flagship firm Ashok Ley-land on Friday said it has bagged an order from Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) for supply of 300 buses. The order is for double decker buses which have been procured against a tender under Indian Line of Credit, the com-pany said in a statement. The delivery will take place within eight months from now, it added."Bangladesh is one of our key export markets and this order further strengthens our position," Ashok Leyland Managing Director Vinod K Dasari said. He further said:"Exports have been a strong focus for us to de-risk from cyclicality in Indian market and to globalise our product portfolio. This is a significant win for us and builds on the strong export growth we had last year." PTI

NEW DELHI: Sudan has asked ONGC Videsh Ltd to with-draw its case against the Afri-can nation in an international arbitration court for recovery of over $400 million in unpaid oil dues, saying it is making efforts to mitigate the default.

OVL, the overseas invest-ment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), however, wants to continue with the arbitration while the two sides work out a suitable mech-anism to resolve the issue, the company said in a statement here.

OVL had earlier this year dragged the government of Sudan to a London court to recover dues pending since 2011.

"A Sudanese ministerial del-egation visited OVL corporate office last week and held dis-cussions with ONGC Videsh officials led Narendra K Verma, Managing Director and CEO," the statement said.

OVL has filed an arbitra-tion claim in a London court to recover about $300 million for oil Sudan bought from its Greater Nile Oil Project and another $98.94 million in unpaid pipeline rent lease.

"The Ministerial delega-tion informed that the Gov-ernment of Sudan is making sincere efforts to mitigate the

issue of default on paying dues to OVL.

"It was informed that the Government of Sudan is hope-ful that its economic situation shall be improving henceforth with the recent agreement it reached with the Government of South Sudan on the resump-tion of crude oil transporta-tion from South Sudan territory

through the Heglig-Port Sudan pipeline," it said.

The delegation, the state-ment issued by OVL said, requested the company to withdraw the arbitration proceedings.

"OVL expressed its happi-ness for the positive response from Sudan and stated that it is always ready to work with Sudan to find a workable solu-tion to clear the pending dues in a time-bound manner," it said.

OVL, however, was of the belief that "keeping the legal intricacies in view, the arbitra-tion process can continue while both sides work together on a suitable mechanism of resolv-ing the issues".

OVL had in 2003 acquired 25 per cent interest in the Greater Nile Oil Project in Sudan. China's CNPC holds 40 per cent stake in the project, while Malaysia's Petronas has 30 per cent and Sudapet of Sudan owns remaining 5 per cent. PTI

Sudan asks OVL to withdraw arbitration on oil dues

Kerala's heavy rains delay crude shipments to BPCL Kochi refinery

SINGAPORE: India's Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd will keep a secondary unit at its 120,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Mum-bai refinery offline for at least two months following a fire last week, two industry sources said on Friday.

When contacted, a BPCL spokesman could not imme-diately confirm the duration of the shutdown, saying that a decision will be made in one to two days.

The middle distillates-mak-ing unit, a 6,000-tonnes per day (tpy) hydrocracker, was shut since Aug. 8 following a fire that left 40 people injured. Middle distillates are namely, gasoil and jet fuel/kerosene. AGENCIES

SINGAPORE: Crude oil ship-ments to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd's (BPCL) Kochi refinery were delayed due to heavy rains prevent-ing vessels from berthing, two industry sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Three vessels, including two very large crude oil carri-ers (VLCC) and one Suezmax, carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil, have been waiting to unload the oil for 5 to 12 days, shipping data on Thomson Reuters Eikon showed.

Suezmax Sri Vishnu carry-ing Saudi crude has been wait-ing to unload since August 12, according to the data. VLCCs Happiness I and Humanity, with Iranian oil on-board, have been floating off Kochi for 6-12 days, the data showed.

"It's very bad weather at the moment and the rains are not subsiding...it's not clear when the vessels can discharge," one of the sources said.

A BPCL spokesman could not immediately comment on the matter.

The Kochi refinery which has a capacity of more than 260,000 barrels per day (bpd) is located at Ambalamugal, near Kochi in Kerala where torren-tial rains have left over 30,000 people homeless, destroyed crops and disrupted air, rail and road traffic within the state for a week.

So far, 324 people have died from Kerala's worst floods in a century. AGENCIES

BPCL's Mumbai refinery to shut

for at least 2 months after fire

NEW DELHI: Asserting that the exploration activity of non-coal mineral blocks should double every year, the mines ministry on Friday said it was working towards augmenting the participation of the pri-vate sector in this regard in the future, the government said on Friday.

"We are also preparing a document for increasing the private sector participation in the mineral exploration activ-ity in future. We will be also allocating some money spe-cifically for certain category of private sector participants so that the activity of exploration percolates to the private sector in India," Mines Joint Secretary Bipul Pathak said here.

He was speaking during the National Summit on Mineral Exploration and Sustainability.

"In my opinion at least the

activity (exploration) should double every year now," he said adding that "there is a limit to what government agencies can do".

To increase the exploration, the private sector has to come in and that is the only way, he added.

Several industry bodies "have been stressing upon that the junior company concept is a very valid concept and has not taken off in India as yet. So we will be globalising our efforts under NMET (National Min-eral Exploration Trust) to invite

junior exploration companies to come and provide certain level of assurance of businesses as well as certain level of assur-ance for collaboration with the Indian companies...to develop exploration projects and access the funding under the NMET scheme", he said.

The government, he said, is also trying to bring every level of private participant in the exploration sector all over the world to come and work in India.

"Beyond their own licences, I don't think private sector has invested any money in explo-ration sector in the past. Even today, I don't think there is any investment happening on the part of the private sector," he added. Meanwhile, he said, that the draft National Min-eral policy was being given final touches. PTI

Govt works to increase private role in non-coal mineral blocks exploration

KOLKATA: Renault launched new KWID 2018 Feature Loaded Range, which will be available in both manual and automated transmission options, on August 11 in here.

Renault India has sold more than 2,50,000 units of KWID. Available in 8 trims with seg-ment-first features, the new KWID has been launched at no additional price, further enhancing its value proposi-tion. The new KWID will offer segment-leading length, power to weight ratio, boot space,

ground clearance and cutting-edge technology.

It boasts of several first-in-segment features led by its SUV inspired design, 7-inch touch-screen Media NAV system, Rear Camera, digital Instru-ment cluster, one-touch lane change indicator, radio speed dependent volume control and pro-sense seat belt pretension-ers with load limiters.

Bookings for the Renault KWID 2018 Feature Loaded Range have already com-menced. MPOST

Renault India drives in new Kwid 2018

Renault India Kolkata Business Head Sallesh Khatri (Left) and Sales Head Rajesh Rajak at launch of new Renautl Kwid at Rajarhat

NEW DELHI: Idea Cellular on Friday said Axiata, whose cur-rent holding in the company stands at over 16 per cent, has relinquished "all major rights" including that of nominating a director on the board.

Idea's statement comes at a time when the telecom firm has received the government's approval for merger with Voda-fone. The combination is set to create the country's largest mobile phone operator worth more than $23 billion with a 35 per cent market share. Post the mega merger, Axiata's hold-ing is likely to reduce to about 8 per cent.

"We wish to inform you that Axiata vide its commu-nication dated August 15 has relinquished all major rights available to it under the said agreement such as the right to nominate a director on the board of the company (includ-ing the audit committee) and the anti-dilution rights," Idea said in a BSE filing. PTI

Malaysia's Axiata relinquishes major

rights in Idea

MONTREAL: US electric automaker Tesla has sued the government of Ontario, Canada, after the province scrapped a rebate initiative for purchases of electric cars, Canadian media reported on Thursday.

Upon assuming power last July, Premier Doug Ford's conservative government announced the end of several green energy programs, includ-ing several thousands of dol-lars in rebates for electric car buyers.

Customers who ordered their car before July can still benefit from the program until mid-September -- except for hundreds of Tesla customers, according to the firm.

In court documents cited by Canadian media on Thurs-day, Tesla slammed the "arbi-trary" exclusion. PTI

Tesla sues Ontario over scrapped

electric car rebate

ONGC CMD Shashi Shanker

mp sport14MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

FORMER TEST OPENER JAMSHED BANNED FOR TEN YEARS OVER SPOT-FIXINGLAHORE: Pakistan cricket banned former Test opener Nasir Jamshed for 10 years on Friday on multiple charges of spot fix-ing, wrapping up a 16-month investigation into a wide-ranging scandal that rocked the Pakistan Super League. Jamshed, 28, is the sixth player to be banned following the scandal that tainted the T20 tournament in only its second year.

FC PUNE CITY SIGN MARTIN DIAZPUNE: ISL club FC Pune City announced the signing of the Uruguayan centre back Martin Diaz to strengthen their defence line for the 2018-19 season. Martin began his senior career with Defensor Sporting in 2008 and later played for Dinamo Bucuresti, CD Badajoz, Montevideo Wanderers, Atletico Rafa-ela and Liverpool FC in Primera Division. NorthEast United FC signed him last season where he played 16 games.

SERENA THINKING OF SLAIN SISTER SHORTLY BEFORE LOPSIDED LOSSLOS ANGELS: Serena Williams tells Time Magazine that shortly before the worst defeat of her career she learned the killer of her sister Yetunde Price had been paroled. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was stunned 6-1, 6-0 by Britain’s Johanna Konta on July 31 in San Jose. The defeat marked the first time in 928 profes-sional matches that Williams failed to win more than one game.

Desperate India set for reshuffle in do-or-die Test

NOTTINGHAM: A desperate Virat Kohli-led Indian team will be hungry to keep themselves alive in the five-match Test cricket series against hosts Eng-land when they square-off in the third Test at the Trent Bridge starting here on Saturday.

After losing the first two matches, the visitors face a must-win situation. India gave a very good fight before los-ing the first Test by 31 runs in Birmingham. In the second Test, they were outplayed by an innings and 159 runs at Lord’s, succumbing within three days.

The Indian team manage-ment’s major responsibility on Saturday morning would be to find a perfect team combination as players are going through fit-ness and out of form issues.

Virat Kohli on Friday said his players don’t feel threatened because of his chop-and-change policy and called it “quite a bizarre thought to have”, tak-ing a dig at those questioning the trend.

Kohli has made 37 changes in 37 Tests as captain and that trend looks set to continue when India meet England in a must-win third Test here on Sunday.

“I don’t think anyone is thinking like that. These are just things that are created on the outside and people like to make a lot of nothing. For us the pri-ority is to win games of cricket. We are not thinking whether someone’s career is on the line or what’s going to happen to their future,” Kohli said.

World number one India

trail the five-match series 0-2.“We need to focus on

this Test and not think about whether someone’s career is on the line. It’s quite bizarre thought to have,” Kohli told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

“That’s basically your think-

ing. I’m definitely not thinking like that so I won’t speak to the guys assuring their careers are not on the line. Like I said, that’s quite a bizarre thought to have,” he added, when further asked if he had provided any security to his teammates as captain.

Kohli said he has sent out a

message to his teammates ask-ing them to focus solely on the team’s requirements.

“You know when your back is against the wall is the time for you not to think anything else. From another point of you, it’s a good situation to be in because you have no room for thinking about anything else apart from what the team requires at that particular moment from you throughout the Test.

“The only conversation we’ve had is that the only option is to win this game and nothing else.” Kohli stressed on think-ing from a team point of view, in terms of batting and carrying themselves on the field, in a bid to overturn the 2-0 deficit.

“It’s all about you feeling positive first and that’s the con-versation we’ve had for the last few days. It is up to the indi-viduals to stand up, and say I’m going to go out there and make a difference.”

Talking about what the bats-men need to do in conditions that suit the bowlers, Kohli said: “When you play here in condi-tions, you have to accept that even if you are batting on 100, you are not set. You can get a good ball at any time and you have to accept that as a batsman when you go out to bat.

“If you are fearful of that ball coming then you will not be able to do your process prop-erly. When that ball comes and incident happens, you have to accept it and move on. But it doesn’t mean that you surren-der beforehand because a good ball is going to come.” AGENCIES

‘Will play extra batsman if surface good for bowlers’

NOTTINGHAM: Indian captain Virat Kohli spoke on a number of topics in his inter-action with the media at Trent Bridge ahead of the third Test against England.

India are 2-0 down and need to win this match to remain alive in the five-match series. Kohli did not specify as the whether India will play an extra batsman, leaving the decision down to the con-ditions and said that he has recovered from a lower back problem that plagued him at Lord’s.

Excerpts from the press conference:

On playing an extra bats-man: Depends on the surface. If it has got enough assistance for the bowler then the extra batter might come into play. If it is going to be even, then picking 20 wickets is the pri-ority. It’s about one discipline taking responsibility of their job. Both possibilities are there depending on the pitch

On his back: Feeling abso-lutely fine. It has been an issue that has been coming on and off, I got it in 2011 the first time. It happens with the work load. Back is such a thing, you don’t know when it will go off. Bit of strengthening, ample rest, proper rehab gets me back into shape. I’ve had it couple of times before so its not a new development and I knew how to handle it.

On Jasprit Bumrah’s return: Very excited with Jas-prit getting fit again. He is very consistent in hitting the areas that are required at the Test level. He’s shown that in South Africa already. He is one guy

who is aggressive and makes the batsman feel uncomfort-able in the middle. That has been his biggest strength and he relishes the challenge whenever given the opportu-nity. We are very excited that he is back. It is great to have someone like that on the park.

On providing players security: I don’t think any-one is thinking like that. These are just things that are created on the outside and people like to make a lot of nothing basi-cally. For us, the priority is just to win. We are not thinking of whether someone’s career is on the line or what’s gonna happen in the future. When it’s your it’s your time. Every-one has had their time in their past, no one can play forever. But that day is not today and we need to focus on this Test and not think about whether someone’s career is on the line or not. I wouldn’t speak to the guys like, you know, assuring them their careers are not on the line. That’s, as I said, quite a bizarre thought to have.

On what he has told his players after first two Tests: Only thing we have spoken about is to focus on what the team requires. When your back is against the wall, you can’t afford to think of any-thing else.

If you look at it from another point of view it is actually a good situation to be in because you literally have no room for thinking about anything apart from what the team requires.

The only option we have is to win this game and noth-ing else and you need to show that in your body language, in your intent, the way you go abut things. It is all about you feeling positive first. Those are the conversations we have had over the past few days. Now it is up to the individuals to stand up and say I’m gonna go out there and make a dif-ference. I’m sure the guys have reflected on the last two games and there will be no other thoughts other than what the team requires. AGENCIES

Stokes back in playing eleven for third Test

NOTTINGHAM: All-rounder Ben Stokes on Friday returned to the England playing eleven for the third Test against India, four days after being found not guilty of affray.

The third Test of the five-match series starts at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Stokes missed the second Test at Lord’s as he was attending his trial for his involvement in a fracas in Bristol in September.

Cleared on Tuesday after the court’s not guilt pro-nouncement, Stokes replaced Sam Curran in the team. Both Stokes and Curran played influential roles in the home team’s 31-run victory in the series opener at Birmingham.

“He is desperate to get out there and wants to put in per-formances,” England captain Joe Root said on the eve of the match. England coach Trevor Bayliss said “a collective deci-sion” was taken to reintroduce Stokes, who was omitted when an unchanged squad for the third Test was named on Mon-day. Curran, 20, was named Man of the Match after the first Test at Edgbaston, having taken five wickets and scoring 87 runs. AGENCIES

MUMBAI: Former India cricket captain Ajit Wadekar, who died on August 15, was cremated at the Shivaji Park crematorium here on Friday with full state honours.

Wadekar, who had led India to its first victory in West Indies and England in 1971, had passed away at a South Mumbai hospital after pro-longed illness.

Wadekar served Indian cricket in different capacities — as manager, coach and a selector. A batsman par excel-lence, he was also the first to captain India in the One-Day Internationals.

Wadekar’s body was kept at his Worli residence this morning for his well-wishers to pay their tributes. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Sameer Dighe, former hockey captain M M Somaiya and past and pres-ent officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association offered their prayers and condo-lences. BCCI General Man-ager (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim also paid tributes on behalf of the Cricket Board.

Politicians cutting across party lines, including Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut also offered their prayers.

Wadekar’s body was then taken to the Shivaji Park Gymkhana (SPG) in Dadar in Central Mumbai in an open

truck. At the Gymkhana, for-mer India cricketers Sandeep Patil, Nilesh Kulkarni, domes-tic cricket stalwart Padmakar Shivalkar and officials of the SPG also offered their last respects to departed soul.

Jatin Paranjpe was also present at the Gymkahna, while his father Vasu Paranjpe was there at the crematorium.

Wrapped in the Tricolour, Wadekar’s body was later was taken to the crematorium.

A few of his well wishers remembered the late India captain after the rituals were performed.

In the presence of family members and well-wishers, Wadekar was bid a tearful adieu as Mumbai Police gave him a gun salute. AGENCIES

Ajit Wadekar cremated with full

state honours

Sachin Tendulkar arrives to pay tribute to Ajit Wadekar during his funeral in Mumbai on Friday PTI

PALEMBANG: Leander Paes’ last-minute withdrawal from the Asian Games has dealt a telling blow to India’s medal prospects in the two doubles events, captain and coach Zee-shan Ali said on Friday.

Ali said he tried his best to convince Paes to change his mind but the 18-time Grand Slam champion decided against coming to Palembang after expressing his disap-pointment over selectors not picking a doubles specialist

to play with him. “It is obvi-ously very disappointing to not to have Leander. It is a big blow to us. But then again he is a complete professional. It is his decision completely and his patriotism for the coun-try cannot be questioned,” Ali said before a practice session here on Friday. “Having said that, Paes needed to be here irrespective of whoever he was going to play with as he volun-teered to represent the coun-try,” Zeeshan said. AGENCIES

Leander’s pull-out big blow to our medal chances: Zeeshan

England’s Joe Root during the nets session at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, on Friday AP/PTI

mp sport 15MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

NEW DELHI: Teen cyclist Esow Alben has scripted his-tory by claiming India’s first ever medal — a silver at the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle, Switzerland.

The 17-year-old from Andaman and Nicobar put enormous pressure on Czech Republic’s Jakub Stastny in the final sprint before settling for the silver medal. Kazakh cyclist Andrey Chugay won the bronze medal.

Esow finished just 0.017 seconds behind gold med-allist Stastny in the thrilling photo-finish of a race. In the first round, he had topped his heat with a 200m timing of 10.851 seconds. “I just wanted to stay at the front and avoid getting involved in any crashes. I believed I could win but I am still happy... well a little bit happy,” Esow was quoted as saying by Union Cycliste Inter-nationale (UCI).

Esow, who became the world no 1 in junior sprint cat-egory after a sensational run in the Asian Championships and victories in the 2018 Cottbuser Sprint Cup 2, GP Brno Track Cycling competitions, trains in Delhi at the Sports Author-

ity of India’s National Cycling Academy.

Esow was also in action in the men’s team sprint event alongside Mayur Pawar and James Keithellakpam Singh but the trio failed to qualify for the finals, after producing a timing of 15.957s in 200m and 26.914s

in the 400m events.Sports Minister Rajyavard-

han Singh Rathore congratu-lated Esow for his achievement.

“WELL DONE, ESOW! Remarkable achievement! May many more medals come your way,” tweeted Rathore. AGENCIES

Esow Alben wins silver at World Junior Track cycling C’ship

I’m not out there to prove anything, asserts Sushil

Women shuttlers handed tough draw in team event

Chelsea, Arsenal look to convince in packed EPL weekend

JAKARTA: Celebrated Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar, whose defeat in a tune-up event raised doubts about his form ahead of the Asian Games, on Friday asserted that he is “far from fin-ished” and is not out there to prove anything.

India’s only double Olympic medallist lost his first bout in four years, at the Tbilisi Grannd Prix in Georgia last month.

Asked about the defeat and he dismissed it nonchalantly.

“So what. There will be defeats and victories in sports-man’s life. Real athlete is the one who stands up after defeat, pre-pares harder and come back. Real athlete is one who takes the mat after winning also. I am try-ing to do the same,” Sushil said after a training session.

“I have prepared well for the Asian Games but I am not out there to prove anything. Proving yourself is not sportsmanship,” Sushil, who will compete in the

74kg category in Jakarta, said.Unnamed Wrestling Feder-

ation of India (WFI) officials recently told the media that they were concerned about Sush-il’s form and promised not to exempt anyone from trials in future. They had even put two wrestlers on standby if Sushil was to opt out at the last minute.

“These things happen,” he said, preferring not to react harshly. But he added: “People

love me and wish well for me. People react sometimes. Why I have done well in my life is because I am a positive person. My coach and fellow teammates, they are all good and fill me with positive thoughts.”

Sushil revealed that he has never been to a movie theatre and that’s the way he has trained all his life.

“I am still following that. I don’t go to cinema halls. It’s ‘tapasya’ which I have been doing for years. I have not let my focus waver. I have to do what I have to do. I don’t have time also,” he said, adding that he watches movies on TV when he finds time.

Talking about his disciplined life, Sushil said that he practices celibacy for at least three months before big competitions such as the Asian Games.

“That’s how I have trained all these years. I fix a period for myself and then follow it.” AGENCIES

JAKARTA: Indian women’s team, led by Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu, will have to punch above its weight to salvage any hopes of a medal after being handed a tough draw in the badminton event at the 18th Asian Games.

Indian women’s team, which won a bronze medal in the last edition at Incheon after finishing third, will face top seeds Japan in the quarterfinals after receiving a first-round bye. The team events begin on Sunday.

India are placed in the top half of the draw along with Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia and Japan, while China, Thai-land and Chinese Taipei are placed in the bottom half.

Japan, who clinched the Uber Cup title this year, boasts of top sin-gles players such as 2017 World Cham-pion Nozomi Okuhara and world No 2 Akane Yamaguchi, besides current world no 1 and world no 2 pairs of Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota and Misaki Matsutoma and Ayaka Taka-hashi respectively.

A depleted India, without the ser-vices of Sindhu and doubles specialist Ashwini Ponnappa, were outclassed 0-5 in the Uber Cup in May this year.

Though India will be fielding a full strength team this year, it would take an extraordinary effort to outwit the Japa-nese women’s team, a result that would assure of a medal.

In the men’s team event, India, led by Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy, are likely to have an easy first-round out-ing as they take on minnows Maldives in the opening clash.

If India can cross the first hurdle, they will take on hosts Indonesia, who received a first-round bye, in the quar-ter-finals. Top seeds China will also head straight into the quarter-finals, while defending champions Korea will start their campaign against Thailand on Sunday.

Japan and Malaysia will cross swords in a mouth-watering clash, while Paki-stan will face Nepal in another opening round match.

Indonesia boasts of good players such as Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in singles, while their doubles line-up comprise of world no 1 Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and world no 9 Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

The Asian Games team competition is a knock-out affair with a best-of-five format comprising three singles and two doubles matches.

Once the team finals are over, the draw for the individual event will be carried out on August 22. AGENCIES

LONDON: The second weekend of the new English Premier League (EPL) football season has one standout fixture as Chelsea host Arsenal at the Stam-ford Bridge here on Saturday evening with both coaches having something to prove.

New Chelsea coach Mauricio Sarri saw his side take what eventually turned out to be a comfortable 3-0 win away to Huddersfield last week, but not before seeing them suffer when pressed down their flanks in the first half of that match, reports Xinhua news agency.

Unai Emery meanwhile began his Arsenal reign with a defeat at home against Manchester City amid ques-tions over goalkeeper Petr Cech and complaints that he has so far changed little since replacing Arsene Wenger at the end of last season.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Chelsea, but need to show that Emery is getting across his message of building from the back, while the home side will probably wel-come Eden Hazzard back into their starting 11 after his impressive World Cup showing.

Manchester City looked very com-fortable beating Arsenal 2-0 last week-end, but lost midfielder Kevin de Bruyne to a knee injury in training dur-ing the week.

De Bruyne shouldn’t be missed when Pep Guardiola’s side entertain Huddersfield on Sunday, but the league champions may have to be patient and work to break down their rival’s well-organised defense.

Tottenham fans who were disap-pointed by the news that their move

to their new stadium has been delayed until the end of October at the earliest will seek consolation as their side takes on Fulham at Wembley.

Newly promoted Fulham are con-sidered to have signed well over the summer, but their lack of experience was exploited by Crystal Palace last weekend and Totenham striker Harry Kane will view the game as the chance to end his surprising record of never scoring a EPL goal in August.

Expect sparks to fly as Cardiff entertain Newcastle United in a game where it’s fair to say there is no love lost between rival coaches Neil Warnock and Rafael Benitez over a feud dating back to 2007.

Everton could hand a debut to sum-mer signing Yerry Mina in place of the suspended Phil Jagielka in central

defence when they entertain South-ampton on Saturday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers aim to build on their positive start to the campaign with a visit to Leicester City, who impressed despite an opening day defeat to Manchester United and who will seek out the spaces that the Wolves’ attacking style sees them leave in defense.

West Ham are another side that has to improve in defense as Bour-nemouth are the visitors to East Lon-don and coach Manuel Pellegrini will also want more aggression in midfield in the wake of their 4-0 capitulation at Anfield a week ago.

Watford travel to Burnley with a dreadful record of scoring just one goal away from home in their last 11 away matches. AGENCIES

NEW DELHI: Cricket is a glorious game of uncertainty and no one should make it predictable, the Supreme Court said on Friday.

The observation of a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D Y Chandrachud came as it was hearing an appeal by cricketer S Sreesanth challenging a Kerala High Court decision upholding the life ban on him imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Bench told BCCI that he has been exonerated by a criminal court in the sensational IPL spot-fix-ing case of 2013. “Cricket is a glorious game of uncertainty and no one should make it lose the charm of uncertainty by making it predictable,” the Bench said. Senior advocate Parag Tripathi, appearing for BCCI, said the 34-year-old cricketer was exonerated on

the ground that the board had already punished him.

The Bench said it should be kept in mind that a crimi-nal court had exonerated the cricketer. Sreesanth’s counsel said the court should pass a direction for expeditious hear-ing of the appeal against his discharge pending in the High Court. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 27. On May 15, the apex court had asked the Delhi High Court to decide by end of July the appeal challeng-ing the trial court order dis-charging several cricketers, including Sreesanth. The top court had said it understood Sreesanth’s “anxiety” to play cricket, but would like to wait for the high court’s decision on the appeal of the Delhi Police challenging the trial court order discharging the crick-eters and others. AGENCIES

Cricket a glorious game of uncertainty, no one should

make it predictable: SC

Indian U-15 women confident ahead of clash vs B’deshTHIMPHU: The Indian U-15 women’s national football team will clash swords with Bangla-desh in the final of the age-group SAFF Championship in a rematch of the 2017 edition here on Saturday.

Ahead of the clash, the Indian team expressed confi-dence. “We are ready for the final and our run in the group stages is a testament of how well we have played through-out the tournament,” said head coach Firmin D’Souza. “Ban-gladesh are the toughest team

to face in the SAFF Champi-onship and although we respect them, we will be going for the win and try to score an early goal to cement our position in the match.” India lost 0-1 to Bangladesh in Dhaka, and revenge will be on mind, the coach said.

“We will certainly be look-ing to avenge our loss against them in last year’s final. We have come a long way since then and are looking to give our hundred percent on the pitch in an attempt to win.”

The Indian women topped Group A with maximum points out of two matches, scoring thirteen goals in the process, while conceding none. They defeated Sri Lanka 12-0 and hosts Bhutan 1-0. In the semi-final, India edged past Nepal 2-1 in a tight encounter.

“Had we taken our chances, we would have won by fancy scorelines against Bhutan and Nepal (in the semi-finals). However, the girls did their job and dominated both matches.” AGENCIES

millenniumpost NO H ALF TR U THS

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I, Dayawati W/o Sh. Rajender Prashad have lost the original document’s G.P.A & A.T.S both dated 28/09/2006 in favour Smt. Dayawati & DDA documents possession letter & NOC & possession Silp in the name of Sh. Brijlal R/o DDA Janta Flat No. 258,RPS Madangir New Delhi -62 if found it may delivered Contact No. 9910000701

LOST & FOUND

mp Entertainment16MILLENNIUM POST | New Delhi | Saturday, 18 August, 2018

Hollywood star Scar-lett Johansson has become the best-paid actress in the

world, according to Forbes magazine. Johansson, 33, made USD 40.5 million in pre-tax earnings from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018, quadrupling her income from the previous year.

She played Black Widow in this year’s hit Marvel movie Avengers: Infinity War and will return to the role in the 2019 installment from Walt Disney Co’s Marvel Studios.

Johansson beats out Ange-lina Jolie, who ranked second with USD 28 million thanks mainly to her upfront pay for Maleficent 2. Jennifer Aniston came in third with USD 19.5 million, making the bulk of her profits from Emirates airlines, Smartwater, and Aveeno pro-

motions, Forbes reports.Jennifer Lawrence, 28, was

fourth on the list with con-tinued earnings from her role in the X-Men series and an endorsement contract with

fashion brand Christian Dior. Her USD 18 million income was USD 6 million less than the prior year. Reese Witherspoon, 42, is at number five with USD 16.5 million. The rest of the top 10 were Mila Kunis, Cate

Blanchett, Melissa McCarthy and Gal Gadot.

The combined earnings of top 10 women this year is USD 186 million. Last year’s high-est-paid actress, Emma Stone, was not part of the top 10. PTI

Johanssonis the highest paid

actress: Forbes

Johansson, who played Black Widow in this year’s hit Marvel movie ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ beats out Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lawrence to top Forbes’ highest paid actress list

NEW DELHI: His infectious energy is something people take inspiration from and his quirkiness makes him one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood.

However, Ranveer Singh makes sure to switch off from the world and unwind as his day gets over to take a break from his fast-paced life.

“I do that every day. At some point when my day ends, I switch off from the world and unwind. I live a very fast-paced life, so it’s very important for me to have some downtime. It helps me keep a balance,” said Ranveer when asked if there is ever a time when he sits back, relaxes and enjoys the nor-malcy of not being a Bolly-wood actor.

After making his Bolly-wood debut with romantic comedy Band Baaja Baaraat,

the actor has proved his met-tle in various roles in films like Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, Lootera, Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, Gunday, Dil Dhadakne Do, Bajirao Mastani and Pad-maavat. IANS

I do have my downtime to keep a balance: Ranveer

Singh makes sure to switch off from the world and unwind as his day gets over, so as to take a break from his fast-paced life

Jill Janus, lead vocalist of rock band Huntress, took her own life after battling with mental illness for a long time. Janus killed herself outside Portland, Oregon, her relatives and bandmates said in a statement released through pub-licist Alexandra Greenberg, reports The New York Times.

Blake Meahl, the founding member of Hunt-ress, made a Facebook post about the singer’s sui-cide. He wrote: “I hope you have found the peace that you couldn’t find on this planet.” Starting her career at a young age, Janus was co-com-poser and creator of an upcoming rock opera with Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Angus Clark and had a decade-long career as NYC DJ Penel-ope Tuesdae.

Janus had been open about her struggles with mental illness, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 20.

She had also been an advocate for mental health and encouraged fans who were suffering to seek help. Her strug-gles with bipolar disorder nearly brought an end to the band in 2018, but they returned for another album and more tours. IANS

Singer Jill Janus commits suicide

LOS ANGELES: Actor Ruth Wilson, who had recently claimed that she was not paid at par with her co-star Domi-nic West on Showtime’s ‘The Affair’, has said that she is not allowed to talk about the reason behind her exit.

Wilson’s character, Alison Bailey, was killed in August 5 episode of the show, a move that had sent shockwaves amongst the fans. In her first interview since her exit from the show, Wilson told CBS, “I did want to leave but I’m not allowed to talk about why.”

When the host asked Wilson whether her exit pertained to her not receiving pay parity, Wilson replied, “I’ve never complained to Showtime about pay parity.” In a statement to Vari-ety, the studio explained the rationale behind killing Wilson’s character in

the show and termed it as a “creative decision”. “We can’t speak for Ruth, but heading into season 4, everyone agreed the character’s story had run its course. It felt like the most powerful creative decision would be to end Alison’s arc at the moment when she had finally achieved self-empowerment” PTI

LOS ANGELES: From singers to actors to leaders, Hollywood celebrities from all segments condoled the demise of the legendary singer Aretha Franklin, who died at 76 after battling serious health conditions.

The ‘Respect’ fame singer died due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type at her home, reports deadline.com A slew of Hollywood celebrities paid tributes to the ‘Queen of soul’ and mourned her death. Here’s what celeb-rities wrote on social media.

Elton John: The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music: Music from the heart, the soul and the church. Frank-lin’s final public performance was last November, when she sang at an Elton John AIDS Foun-dation gala in New York.

Recalling her last performance, John said: “I was fortunate enough to spend time with her and witness her last performance. She was obvi-ously unwell, and I wasn’t sure she could perform. But Aretha did and she raised the roof. She sang and played magnificently, and we all wept.”

Lady Gaga said: “What beautiful music and vocal artistry you gave to the world. You are a legend and your soul will never be forgotten. Rest in peace angel of music, Aretha Franklin.”  Ellen DeGeneres said she loved Aretha Franklin’s music her entire life. IANS

Hollywood pays tribute to Aretha Franklin

‘Not allowed to talk about my exit from ‘The Affair’

Janus had been open about her struggles with mental illness, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 20. This in fact brought an end to her band in 2018

The ‘Ghost in the shell’ actor, made USD 40.5 million in pre-tax earnings from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018, quadrupling her income from the previous year