60 stray dogs killed in AP Internet access is a basic right - iiipicai

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Max/Min temp. 30/22ºC

WEATHER

ASTROGUIDEVikari; Dakshinayana

Tithi: Bhadrapada Bahula Shasthi till 8.07 pm

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(Saturday) Durmuhurtam: 8.32 am to 9.21

am and 12.33 pm to 1.21 pmRahukalam: 10.30 am to 12 pm

HIJRI CALENDARMuharram 20,1441 AH

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deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle Vol. 82 No. 261 Established 1938 | 32 PAGES | `4.00

TABLOID11 Duress code has becomedress code in colleges

WORLDIran warns against war as

US, allies mull action

KCR, Jagan maymeet on Sept. 24

Hyderabad: The ChiefMinisters of the two Telugu

states — Telangana andAndhra Pradesh — K.

Chandrasekhar Rao andY.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy

respectively, would in mostlikelihood be meeting onSeptember 24 in Hydera-

bad to discuss the sharingof Godavari waters, divert-ing it to the Krishna basin

and other pending issues ofthe bifurcation. Both Chief

Ministers had met twiceearlier, on June 28 and onAugust 1, to hold prelimi-

nary discussions on thesharing of the Godavari

waters.

■ Full report on Page 5

Singareni staff toget `1L bonus

Hyderabad: Chief MinisterMr. K Chandrasekhar Rao

on Thursday announced abonus of `1,00, 899 to each

worker of the SingareniCollieries Company Ltd(SCCL), a public sector

undertaking. While makinga statement in the Assem-

bly, Mr Rao said that this isa bonus given by the state

government to the SCCLworkers and employees as

a Dasara festival gift. Hesaid the SCCL is playing acrucial role and that SCCL

has been strengthened dueto the cooperation extend-

ed by the state.

IN BRIEF

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA SEP. 19

Workers of Ramavarapp-adu panchayat near Vijaya-wada used lethal injectionsand sticks to kill 60 straydogs, moved their dead bod-ies in Swacch Bharat van,and then dumped them in apit. Their excuse?Increased dog bites in theSai Model village under thepanchayat.

Outraged by this masscruelty, animal welfareboard member AvanigaddaNagamani complained tothe police, which was reluc-tant to file a case untilactivist (and Member ofParliament) MenakaGandhi’s office intervened.

Nagamani, with the help

of locals, stopped the massculling of dogs by the pan-chayat staff.

The staff abandoned theinjections and the van andfled, and when the activistssearched the area they

found packs of dead dogslying in heaps.

The panchayat staff saidthey were acting on theorders of the village execu-tive officer.

Speaking to Deccan

Chronicle, Nagamanilamented the mercilesskilling of the dumb crea-tures, which she caught onvideo. A Tejovanth, secre-tary for the Help forAnimals Society said localofficials were orderingmass slaughter but not pre-venting the populationgrowth of dogs or their vac-cination.

He pointed out that themass dumping of animalcarcasses poses a seriousrisk to human health bycontaminating agriculturalfields, air, water bodies.

So far, no action has beentaken against Haafpeta vil-lage panchayat secretarywho ordered the culling of70 dogs in Tenali despitelodging of a case.

60 stray dogs killed in AP■Cops accept complaint after Maneka intervenedANIMAL | CRUELTY

DC CORRESPONDENTKOCHI, SEPT. 19

The Kerala High Courtruled on Thursday that theright to access Internetusing mobile phone is a fun-damental right under theConstitution. Justice P.V.Asha, in a landmark judg-ment, also said it was partof the right to privacy andthe right to education.

The court passed the ver-dict in a petition filed byFaheema Sherin, a thirdsemester student of B.A.(English) of Sree NarayanaCollege, Chelannur, Kozhik-ode, challenging her expul-sion from the college hostelfor violating the restric-tions on using the mobilephone from 6 pm to 10 pm.every day. The petitionerchallenged the restrictionon the ground that it wasadversely impacting heraccess to information andstudy materials.

The verdict of the singlebench assumes importancein the background of ongo-ing shutdown of internetand mobile phone servicesin Jammu and Kashmirsince August 5.

The court upheld the con-tention of the petitionerthat restrictions on access-ing internet by curtailingthe use of mobile phonesamounts to violation of fun-damental right to freedomof speech and expressionunder article 19 (1) (a) of theConstitution. The courtheld that the internetaccessed through themobile phone or laptops

provides an avenue for stu-dents to access knowledge.

Counsel for the petitionerpointed out that the UNHuman Rights Council haddeclared right to internet asa human right in 2016.Justice Asha upheld thecontention and cited theSupreme Court verdict inthe Vishakha case in thisregard. The apex courtjudgment stated that rightsdeclared by the UN could beread into the relevantIndian laws.

“Going by the aforesaiddictum laid down in thesaid judgment, the right tohave access to Internetbecomes the part of right toeducation as well as right toprivacy under Article 21 ofthe Constitution of India”.

The petitioner also object-ed to the gender discrimina-tion inherent in the restric-tion as the same was notapplicable to the boy’s hos-tel. The decision of the col-lege hostel was against thestipulations issued by theUGC. The stipulation saysthat the concern for thesafety of women should notbe used to “impose discrim-inatory rules for women.”

Internet access isa basic right: HCKerala High Court says it’s a part of Article 21

Singh becomes Tejas pilot for 2 minutes

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh waves while disembarking from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas aftera sortie at HAL airport in Bengaluru on Thursday. Mr Singh became the first defence minister to fly in the indige-nously-built light combat aircraft (LCA). During the 30-minute sortie, an official said the minister “controlled” andflew the aircraft for around two minutes. — PTI

KANIZA GARARI | DCHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

Rain will continue tillSeptember-end as themonsoon’s withdrawal isdelayed by a month. Itwas to start from Septem-ber 1 from Rajasthan inthe western region, andfrom September 15 fromSouth India. Both dateshave been missed.

Continuous low pres-sure in the Bay of Bengalis the culprit. There areconsecutive formations oflow pressure zones lead-ing to winds from the easttowards the west. This

has caused sporadic andincessant rains.

“This year the with-drawal pattern has seen achange,” said weatherexpert Mahesh Palawat.“For withdrawal to hap-pen, humidity mustreduce, which has not

happened so far.”For that to happen,

there must be no rain forfive consecutive days.This has not happened inwestern Rajasthan, so thewithdrawal hasn’t com-menced. Rain is expectedall over the country till

month-end. The monsoonis still active in centraland western India. TheSouth is seeing sporadicrain.

Weather experts con-clude that the withdrawalwill begin by month-end.

“The withdrawal pat-tern has seen a shift dueto cyclone Vayu,” weath-er expert Rajani said.“There was deficit rain inJune and July, but nor-mal and excess rain inAugust and Septembermade up for it. Datashows overall rain in thecountry at five per centabove normal.”

Rains to continue till Sept-endExperts say low pressure in the Bay of Bengal is a culprit

SRIDHAR KUMARASWAMI| DCNEW DELHI, SEPT. 19

If Pakistan “wishes to dwellupon Article 370 they arewelcome to do so”, but Indiawill not discuss its decisionto revoke 370 at the UnitedNations General Assembly,Foreign Secretary VijayGokhale said on Thursday.In fact, sources added, Indiawants to “completely

ignore” Pakistan at theUNGA.

Both Prime MinisterNarendra Modi andPakistan PM Imran Khanwill be addressing the worldbody on September 27, andwhile Mr Modi will focus onwhat India is doing “fordevelopment, for security,for peace, and our expecta-tions and aspirations ofother countries”, Mr Khanis expected to dwell on the

revocation of Article 370.Mr Gokhale said the gov-

ernment had seen reportsthat pro-Pakistan elementsare planning protests agai-nst Mr Modi when he visitsAmerica, and was confidentthe US government wouldtake necessary action.

“Article 370 is an internalissue,” Gokhale said. “Itwill not be debated at theUN and we will not discussit.”

India to ignore Pak at UN

ATHER MOIN | DCHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

One of the two flagshipTelangana MinoritiesResidential EducationalInstitutions Schools(TMREIS) is under criti-cism for alleged misman-agement and financialdiscrepancies.

Finance joint secretaryR. Ravi inquired into theallegations of irregulari-ties committed by out-sourcing consultants inSeptember 2018 and hadsubmitted his findings,but after a year no actionhas been taken.

Since 2015, 204 residen-tial schools and 12 juniorcolleges have been estab-

lished in the state withan enrolment of about90,000 inmates. Out ofthis, 170 residential scho-ols function in privatebuildings with a vastamount spent on thebuildings’ rents. The gov-ernment spent more than`925 crore on theseschools in four years.

The governmentformed a governing bodyto monitor the function-ing. It comprises minis-ters, secretaries for min-orities welfare, finance,social welfare, the Inte-rmediate Board, and theDirector, School Educa-tion. But no meeting washeld the last two years.

Against allegations of

tardy auditing, internalauditing has been com-pleted for 2016-17, whileauditing is underway for2017-18.

No third party audithas taken place. A min-orities welfare depart-ment official said fundsare released to TMREISon a priority as it is aprestigious state govern-ment programme.

Nepotism is alleged invarious procurements.Furniture costing `22crore has been purchasedfor these institutions,and big sums were alsospent on lab equipment,workshops, etc.

■ Page 2: AK Khan seeks clarification

Graft mars purchasesin TS minority schools

DC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

An autorickshaw driverfrom Adrasspally inShameerpet mandal of theCyberabad police commis-sionerate was reportedlythrown alive on to theburning pyre of a womanby a group of people whosuspected that he had per-formed black magic on thewoman, which led to herdeath two days ago whileundergoing treatment atthe Osmania Hospital.

The incident took placeon Wednesday night atAdrasspally, a villagelocated merely around 40km away from the city.

Gyara Lakhsmi, 45, wifeof G Chithaiah, a labourerfrom Adrasspally, was suf-fering from high bloodpressure and diabetes forlast five years. She hadconsulted several doctors,but could not find relief.She was admitted to theOsmania Hospital on anemergency, where shedied late on Tuesday. OnWednesday evening, herfamily members per-formed a cremation at theburial ground located onthe outskirts of the village.

Later, at around 8.30 pm,one Boini Anjaneyulu, 24,an auto driver from the sa-me village, went to attendnature’s call after dinner.Even after an hour, he didnot return home, locatedless than 100 meters awayfrom the crematorium.

Meanwhile, B. Narsim-ha, husband of sarpanchB. Lalitha, received a pho-ne call from a villager,that they have found a per-son at the crematorium,but the call got cut off andsubsequently, the phonewas turned off.■ Page 4: 12 people found

to be involved in beating

MAN SUSPECTED OF BLACK MAGICBURNT ALIVE

Bodies of dogs which were killedby officials.

● Fifty dogswere killed anddumped in opena few monthsago at Haafpetavillage in Gunturdistrict ● 200 dogs werekilled atChintalapudi inWest Godavari district.

● The court saidrestrictions onaccessing internet bycurtailing the use ofmobiles amounts toviolation of funda-mental right to free-dom of speech andexpression underarticle 19 (1) (a) ofthe Constitution.

THE MONSOON was supposedto withdraw from September15 from south India. But itmissed the date.

IT IS STILL active in central and westernIndia. The southern parts of the country areseeing sporadic rain.

THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIAHYDERABAD I FRIDAY I 20 SEPTEMBER 2019

CityFRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABADDECCAN CHRONICLE

Beat dengueThe best way to avoid dengue is to jointhe TRS, says former MP and Congressleader Konda Vishweshwar Reddy

Much-neededrecarpeting of MasabTank flyover is under

progress— Musharraf Ali Faruqui

GHMC additional commissioner

IN BRIEF

AP govt appointsex-HC judge

Hyderabad: The AndhraPradesh state government

on Thursday appointed for-mer AP High Court Judge,

Justice V. Eswaraiah aschairman of the AP higher

education regulatoryand monitoring commission.The state enacted AP higher

education regulatory andmonitoring Act to streamline

higher education in thestate. It also obtained the

approval of the AP highcourt for the appointment

and consent of JusticeEswaraiah before making

this appointment.

ONLY ORDER OFMERIT DECIDESSENIORITY: HC


Making it clear that rosterpoints cannot be the basis forthe fixation of seniority andorder of merit should be con-sidered, the Telangana HighCourt set aside the tentativeallocation list of junior stenog-raphers of the Vaidya VidhanaParishads prepared by theAndhra Pradesh governmentin 2019 to allocate employeesfor the states of Telangana andAP.

While dealing the petitionchallenging the tentative allo-cation notification of AP stategovernment, the DivisionBench, comprising Justice P.VSanjay Kumar and Justice K.Lakshman, recalled theSupreme Court findingswhich stated that the senioritymust be on the order of merit,not based on roster points.

The Court directed theauthorities concerned to pre-pare the seniority list based onmerit but not on roster pointsand the allocation should bemade in the said order of sen-iority as available on June 1,2014 for allocation of employ-ees to both AP and Telanganastates.

The commissioners ofVaidya Vidhana Parishads ofboth states have prepared aseniority list of direct recruitsfor the category of junior ste-nographers based on the ros-ter points and it was publishedin January 2019 by the APgovernment as mother state toallocate employees to both thestates as per the Rules of APReorganization Act.

The notification was chal-lenged by the a junior stenog-rapher recruited in 2013 whowas provisionally allotted tothe AP state in the tentativelist by putting her in the sec-ond in seniority from theirbatch. The petitioner’s con-tention was that the personwith lesser rank to her in therecruitment exam, has beenmade senior to her based onthe roster points and allottedthe Telangana state. The peti-tioner wants to be retained inthe Telangana state. However,the petitioner has not soughtto reverse the seniority list.

Mr CH. Ganesh, counsel forthe petitioner, submitted thatthe authorities had violatedRule 33 (b) of the AndhraPradesh State and SubordinateService Rules, 1996, in prepara-tion of list, which providesthat while preparing the sen-iority list, the order of meritor order of preference indicat-ed in list of selected candi-dates prepared by the PublicService Commission or otherselecting authority, shall notbe disturbed inter se with ref-erence to the candidates’ posi-tions. While considering thefacts and Supreme Courtguidelines on fixing of seniori-ty, the High Court set aside thetentative allocation and direct-ed the concerned authoritiesto complete further exercisesof deciding on seniority with-in two months.

Rains bring Hyderabad to a standstillGHMC taken off-guard from sudden rainfall, normal life disrupted, traffic travails traumatise commutersDC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

The city was hit byanother spell of copiousrains, which disruptednormal flow of life, andbrought traffic to astandstill. Water wasfound flooding differentparts of the city, low-lying areas and stagnat-ed on the roads. Therains have left behindwater puddles all over.At the ends and sides ofroads, below and at themouths of flyovers,standing water reducedthe city to a partiallyflooded metro in despair.

One of the major rea-sons for stagnation ofwater in different placeswas the slopes and gra-dients in road levels, andengineering flaws,which were not allowingfor a natural or smoothflow of water into thedrains at Begumpet,Necklace Road and themetro rail corridors.This was seen leading toan overflowing of drainsin some parts of the cityand caused very slowmovement of traffic inthe city.

The highest rainfallrecorded on Thursdaywas at Malakpet (37mm), Saroornagar (26.5mm), Jubliee Hills (22.5mm) and other parts ofthe city, which recordedrain between 11 mm to20 mm.

Officials of the GreaterHyderabad MunicipalCorporation were seenclearing clogged waternear the Secunderabadrailway station, Lakdi-ka-pool, Necklace Roadand the Raj Bhavan inthe city.

With garbage cloggingresidential areas such asSindhi Colony,Yousufguda andAmeerpet, people wereforced to wait and wadein stagnant water. Thesituation was no differ-ent in commercial areasof the city.

Adding to the woes ofcommuters, stagnantwater on the roads werebeing sprayed for mos-quitoes, even as pedes-trians and motor vehi-cles were making theirway through.

Though rains inSeptember are not usu-ally expected to be heavy,the rainfall on Thursdayhas taken the GHMCofficials completely off-guard, as stagnation ofwater made the alreadydeplorable situation ofthe civic condition ofthe city, worse.

Top: Bikers are forced to take shelter from the heavy rains under aflyover. — S. Surender ReddyLeft: A motorist wades through a flooded road — P. SURENDRARight: A woman walks through water in Malakpet. — DC

Breeding grounds

KANIZA GARARI | DCHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

The number of denguecases being recorded andtested positive in hospitalsacross the city is at an all-time high, reiterated med-ical experts at a roundtable conference held ondengue in the city onThursday.

Participants, includingprofessionals and practi-tioners of medical frater-nity, paediatricians andgeneral physicians,activists and communitymembers, at the confer-ence organised by activistKaruna Gopal, were keenthat awareness must becreated about the publichealth emergency in thestate, said that the govern-ment’s strategy of denialof the problem has notonly put the medical com-munity on an edge but alsocommon people, who wantto know how they cantackle, or prevent, dengue.

The spread of dengueacross the city and state

raised concern on how thevirus has travelled frommosquito to man and thenfrom infected patients tomosquitoes, and hasspread across different

parts of the city and state,experts opined, addingthat to control the virus,the government has tofirst accept that there is aproblem and that inci-

dences of seasonal dis-eases have seen a recordnumber this year.

The widespread casesindicate that infiltrationlevels of dengue virus hascreated an epidemic,which puts every singlecitizen’s health at risk anda robust mechanism wasneeded to deal with it, theysaid. It would require notonly government’s inter-vention but also a stronginitiative from the commu-nity to control the virus,the experts emphasised.

Dr. Vasanth Kumar, sen-ior general physician, whohas practiced inHyderabad for the last 40years explained, “I havenot seen a season so bad asthis. There are more chil-dren affected this year,which means somethinghas definitely gone wrong.To address the problem, itis our duty to accept thatthere is a problem. Till weaccept the problem howcan it be dealt with?”

Doctors strongly con-demned the dilatory tac-

tics of the governmentwhen rapid diagnostic testof NS1 is certified thecases. Instead of raising ahue and cry, the govern-ment should accept thetruth, they said. The test isthe first step to identifydengue, after which atreatment can commences,leading to its managementand cure, but a denial willallow it to deteriorate.

Why must ELISA test betaken as a yardstick forgovernment to recordcases?, they asked.

Dr. Vijay Anand, seniorpaediatrician, explained,“Need of the hour is thatwithin next two weeks, wemust have robust controlmeasures and awarenessin the community. Peopleneed to know what effec-tive preventive methodsare. Epidemic proportionsof the disease this yearmeans that we will haveanother outbreak next sea-son too, as the mosquitohas spread all around.”

The presence of virus inthe air and proliferation of

mosquito means denguewould emerge back onceconducive atmosphere setsin next year, they warned.Identifying endemic zones,recording of large numberof cases, carrying out pre-ventive methods and sensi-tizing the people are veryimportant measures totake up now, they said.

The present situation inmost cases is that peopleare not aware of what todo. It requires buildingimmunity against thevirus. Dr Pradeep Saxena,who practices integratedmedicine, explained, “It isimportant that we have aproper supplementation ofvitamin C and vitamin Kin all age groups. This willhelp build immunity andhelp the body fight againstthe virus.”

Due to rains continuingin September, it is fearedthat dengue cases, insteadof reducing, would see aspike because of conse-quent stagnant water inwhich mosquitoes willbreed.

Experts tell govt to stop denying health crisis

■ One of themajor reasons forstagnation ofwater in differentplaces was theslopes and gradients in roadlevels, and engineeringflaws, whichwere not allowingfor a natural orsmooth flow ofwater into thedrains atBegumpet,Necklace Roadand the metro rail corridors.

■ The notification waschallenged by the ajunior stenographerrecruited in 2013 whowas provisionally allot-ted to the AP state inthe tentative list.

FROM PAGE 1

The TMREIS vigilancewing has pointed outinconsistencies amount-ing to `80,000 in paymentto vendors for laundryand groceries in BarkasResidential School andCollege. The thenPrincipal, Mr Mohiuddin,was found responsible.

Recently, two cases offood poisoning occurred:on July 8, 33 students fellsick in Asif Nagar School,and in March, 61 studentsof Girls Hostel situated atShah Ali Banda were hos-pitalized for vomitingafter school breakfast.

Mohammed AbdulAkram, a social activist,said B. Shafiullah hasbeen TMREIS Secretarysince its inception; nevera good idea, as it is vul-nerable to vested inter-ests. Certain residentialschools were kept as

model hostels, to be shownto VIPs for publicitygains. The situation inother hostels was bad,necessitating social audit-ing.

S.Q. Masood, an RTIactivist, said the TMREISbylaws were problematicfor bypassing the main-stream system and givingpower to the secretary todecide matters big and

small, especially in pro-curement.

Advisor to governmenton minorities welfare,A.K. Khan, who is also thesociety president, said ithad sought clarificationfrom Shafiullah on thecharges.

Shafiullah refuted theallegations, sayingTMREIS followed proce-dures formulated by thegovernment. Most pro-curement was from agen-cies like KendriyaBhandar, HACA, SETWINNSIC etc., via e- procure-ment. At the district level,a committee headed bythe district collector fixedrates. A writ petition wasfiled this year challengingthe process, but it was dis-missed with an observa-tion that there was noerror in the Society’s deci-sion in restricting the ten-der process to source fromgovernment agencies.

AK Khan seeks clarification

With GandhiJayantiapproach-ing, the tankat Bapughatneedsimmediateattention asits filledwith stag-nant water.People areexpected tovisitBapughat onGandhijayanti.

— R.PAVAN

■ ■ S.Q. MASOOD, anRTI activist, said theTMREIS bylaws wereproblematic forbypassing the main-stream system andgiving power to thesecretary to decidematters big and small,especially in procurement.

■ Fears of swine flu were also voiced inthe conference as presence of differentviruses has led to low immunity levels inpopulation.

■ Dip in temperatures will allow swineflu virus, which is already present inatmosphere, to attack.

■ People must focus on building onimmunity and opt for preventive meth-ods through better hygiene and coughetiquette.

■ People must avoid mass gatherings,especially those who develop cough andcold, during November to February.

■ Due to rains continuing in September,it is feared that dengue cases, instead ofreducing, would see a spike

DARK DAYS AHEAD


Invest in TSMinister K.T. Rama Rao interacts with delegatesfrom South Africa and France; gives an overviewof investment opportunities in TS

I request motoriststo drive carefully and

not to hit officersregulating traffic.

— Anil Kumar, Addl Commissioner (traffic)

SHORT TAKE

FREE SARISFROM SEPT. 23,

SAYS KTRDC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, SEPT 19

IT and industries ministerK.T. Rama Rao on Thursdayannounced that free distribu-tion of Bathukamma Sariswill commence fromSeptember 23 across the state.

He said that this year thestate government has pro-cured 1.02 crore saris at a costof `313 crore and orders havebeen given to handloomwavers of the state to makesaris thereby giving employ-ment to 16, 000 weaving fami-lies in the state. He said thatthey have identified that 1.02crore women beneficiaries inthe state and every womanwho attained 18 years of ageand had white ration card iseligible to receive the sari.

SOURCED STAFF:HC TO DECIDE

ON MARKSDC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

A full bench of the TelanganaHigh Court comprising ChiefJustice Raghavendra SinghChauhan, Justice A.Rajashekher Reddy andJustice P. Naveen Rao willdecide whether or not provid-ing weightage marks to out-sourced and contractual in-service employees in the staterecruitment is appropriate.

The full bench on Thursdaybegan its hearing on petitionschallenging the provision ofthe weightage marks to out-sourced employees in therecruitment of state powerutilities and paramedicalposts.

Power utilities like Transcoand discoms which recruittheir employees through awritten and other tests havedecided to give 20 marksweightage to outsourcedemployees who have beenworking with them for a longtime.

While potential employeesare opposing the weightage onthe ground that this will keepthem in a disadvantageousposition, inside employees aresaying that weightage is aform of justice to thembecause they have been madeto work under a contractor allthese years, even though theywere performing the duties ofpermanent staff for years.

Mr. S Satyam Reddy, SeniorCounsel representing the peti-tioners, said that potentialemployees have to forego theirchances of securing a jobbecause some of their con-tenders were already given 20marks in a written test that isheld for a 100 marks target.The case adjourned to Friday.

Metro up to Old City soon

6 helipads to help policein emergencies, says CMDC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT 19

In order to attend toemergency situationswithin the GreaterHyderabad limits, theTelangana state govern-ment is planning tostart an air supportunit that would help inbetter policing. Aboutsix helipads would beconstructed in differentparts of the city out-skirts, where the heli-copters would be sta-tioned and provide nec-essary support duringcrisis situations.

Telangana ChiefMinister K. Chandra-sekhar Rao announcedthis during theAssembly session hereon Thursday. He saidthat during the eventsof idol immersion pro-cessions and other reli-gious festivities, thepolice face issues inattending the emergen-cies.

For better policingduring such crisis, thehelicopters would helpthe officials taking nec-essary measures at theearliest to prevent

severe damage, he said.“Helipads will be builtat six places around thecity on the outskirtsand helicopters will bestationed there,” saidMr Rao. Further, Mr.Rao said that the stategovernment is planningto implement weeklyoffs for police personnelsoon. While replying toa question raised byTelangana RashtraSamiti MLAs duringthe Assembly sessionon Thursday, Mr Raosaid that discussionsare underway tofinalise the decision ofproviding weekly offs to

police personnel, whichwould be mostly once ina week or once in 10days, based on the avail-ability of staff.

The construction ofthe new Command andControl Centre atBanjara Hills would becompleted by Decemberthis year and its opera-tions would be extend-ed not just to the policedepartment but also toother major depart-ments in the state, withseparate cabins for theCM and other ministersto monitor emergencyoperations inHyderabad, said Mr.Rao in the Assembly.

The CM also said thatsalaries for the HomeGuards are high com-pared to that in otherstates and congratulat-ed Director General ofPolice M. MahendarReddy, for his efforts instudying the best polic-ing practices in devel-oped countries and forimplementing these inthe state. He also appre-ciated the efforts of thepolice department forproviding safety to thecitizens of TS.

HC issues notices to CBIon Super Agri insolvency

The Greater Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad which has set up this teacup and saucer that goes with the identify and character of Hyderabad —chai — has stopped maintaining the rotary, at Santoshnagar. — GANDHI

Cup of civic woes overflows

DC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT 19

IT, industries andmunicipal administra-tion minister K.T. RamaRao on Thursday saidfrom the floor of theAssembly that theexpansion of the MetroRail to the Old City willbe begin soon.

He was responding toqueries from Congressmembers BhattiVikramarka and D.Sridhar Babu withregard to deviationsfrom the terms and con-ditions of theMemorandum ofUnderstanding anddelay in completion ofthe Metro Rail project,

as well as alleged misap-propriation of funds inthe project.

He said that there wasno delay in completingthe work and expansionto the Old City wasdelayed because of landacquisition problems.

He claimed that the

Hyderabad Metro Railwas the second most suc-cessful project of itskind in the country, afterthe Delhi Metro Rail,and in the two yearssince its inception, threelakh people are using itevery day.

He said CongressMLAs should not launchan unnecessary cam-paign against the Metroand should travel in theMetro once and thenthey will realise howgood and safe it is.Former GovernorNarasimhan, the ChiefMinister and other min-isters have all travelledon the Metro.

He said the ChennaiMetro still has only

about 75,000 passengersdaily and the fares of theHyderabad Metro arecheaper than State RTCbuses.

He said that the align-ment of the Metro routepassing before theAssembly and PublicGardens was slightlymodified as the earlieralignment was damag-ing the Martyrs'Memorial opposite theAssembly building.

The minister pointedout that there were 370cases of land acquisitionagainst the Metro proj-ect during the Congressgovernment and “weresolved almost all thecases and completed thefirst and second phases”.

Delay mainly due to land acquisition problems: Minister

Vape didn’t help kick the buttExperts say e-cigarettes are more dangerousDEADLY | PUFF

DURGA PRASAD SUNKU |DCHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

Although the Telanganastate government wasplanning to impose a banon e-cigarettes, the deci-sion of the Central govern-ment to do so came inhandy.

E-cigarettes were bannedin 16 states and two UnionTerritories even before theCentre’s decision. Doctorssay that there is not muchdifference between paper/general cigarettes and e-cigarettes as the chemicalused in the composition ofe-cigarettes is also carcino-genic. Some states in Indiahave included it in theschedule of poisonous sub-stances. The main compo-nent of e-cigarettes is nico-tine, a highly toxic andaddictive substance thatcan adversely affect anyorgan of the body.

Dr S.A. Srikanth of the

Indian Dental Associationtold Deccan Chronicle, “Itgives a feeling of wellnessto a person due to whichmany get addicted to it. Adose of 30-50 mg of nico-tine can kill an adulthuman. Nicotine in pureform may also cause can-cer.” He said e-cigarettesare marketed in a way thatmakes them attractive toyoungsters who are mis-led into believingthat it is safe.Many starts m o k i n gas asymbolof socialstatus ini-tially andlater get addicted to it. E-cigarettes consist of nico-tine, triacetyl and propy-lene glycol. In e-cigarettes,nicotine in liquid formwhen heated turns intovapour. After casual vap-ing, the user gets addictedto the nicotine and gradu-

ates to cigarette smoking.In short, it serves as a gate-way to cigarette smokingand the cigarettes aremanufactured by thesame company.

The quantity ofn i c o t i n einhaled

by e-c i g a r e t t e

smokers is thesame as in normal

cigarettes; there is notmuch difference in quan-

tity and subsequently inthe adverse effects it caus-es. Propylene glycol cancause irreversible lungdamage.

A doctor working withthe Voluntary HealthAssociation of India,Deccan branch, said,“Nearly 80 per cent ofthose who start using e-cigarettes in order to quitcigarettes can’t quit the e-

cigarette. It deprives thequitter of a nicotine-freelife despite quitting ciga-rettes successfully. It islike moving to the firefrom the frying pan.”

In a country like India, itis difficult to ban a productonce it has a large con-sumer base and socialacceptance. The classicexamples are tobacco, panmasala, and alcohol. Sincee-cigarette has a small con-sumer base, the ban will behighly effective. Not hav-ing a ban on tobacco can-not be the justification forintroducing a new addic-tion even though it may beless harmful.

The country is alreadystruggling to effectivelycontrol several addictions(tobacco, supari, alcohol,cannabis, etc) among theyouth. There is no need tointroduce one more addic-tion to our future genera-tions, warn doctors fight-ing against e-cigarettes.

WELFARE


The Telangana High Courthas responded to allegationsof wrong-doing by the liq-uidator and the manager ofthe State Bank of India inthe liquidation of SuperAgri Seeds Pvt Ltd.

Justice A. RajashekerReddy has issued notices tothe Union government, CBI,Insolvency and Bankruptcy

Board of India, SBI and theliquidator Dr K.V. Srinivas.

He was dealing with a peti-tion by Super Agri Seedsseeking a CBI probe into thetransfer of the assets of thedebtor company at a lowprice by the liquidator andother persons.

Ravi Srinivas, the founderof Super Agri Seedsapproached the High Courtalleging the liquidator hadhanded over 95 per cent of

the assets of the debtor com-pany for just `18.64 crore toone Hariprasad Jam, where-as the competitor, BhaskaraAgro Agencies, had offeredto pay `33 crore for the totalassets. He also said thatGuruprasad Deshpandey,chief manager of the SBI,Stressed AssetsManagement Branch, washand-in-glove with the liq-uidator and handed over theassets for a lower price.

● Police personnelto get off once in aweek or once in 10days, based on theavailability ofstaff.● Command andControl Centre atBanjara Hillswould be complet-ed by December


Health driveMayor Bonthu Rammohan visitedGudimalkarpur division and interacted withthe residents on keeping surroundings clean

Have told officials tospeed up fish seed

distribution in certaindistricts.— T. Srinivas

Fisheries minister

IN BRIEF


A 57 year-old ex-employee ofTata Fertilisers who cheated acardio-surgeon from the cityunder the guise of promisingorders for supply of theAgricultural farm inputs underthe Prime Minister KrishiVikas Yojana scheme (PMKVY)and siphoned off `1.40 crore,was arrested by the CentralCrime Station’s (CCS), Detec-tive department (DD) police onWednesday. Police said theremight be many more victimscheated by him.

According to the police, theaccused Chamarthy G.Pattabhiraman, along with hisaccomplices, cheated the com-plainant Dr. G.Nagasaina Rao,60, under the guise of invest-ment, to tune of `1.4 crore,promising him that he wouldsecure orders for the supply ofagricultural farm inputs underthe PMKVY Scheme 2016-17 tothe Government of WestBengal.

The accused lured the victimstating that they have obtainedorders from the Government ofWest Bengal. Believing it, thevictim purchased material froma private company in Mumbai.G.Venkateshwarulu, ACP, FDivision, CCS, DD said, “Theaccused used to trick victims byshowing them fabricated andfake orders created by him inthe name of Dr. ParitoshBhattachharya, Director ofAgriculture, West Bengal andMr Pijush Kanti Pramanick,Director of Horticulture(Technical), Government ofWest Bengal by forging theirsignatures.”

City-based surgeon Dr. G.Nagasaina Rao, duped of `1.4crore by the accused, lodged acomplaint with the CCS police.The detective departmentbooked a case of cheating andforgery against the accused inthe month of June 2019 and itwas investigated by K. ManojKumar, Inspector of Police,CCS, DD, Hyderabad.

According to the ACP, thearrests came following aninvestigation into a case.Apparently, as a part of theinvestigation, a manhunt wasconducted at various places inDelhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad andother places to apprehend theaccused and at last the policesucceeded in taking the accusedinto custody on Wednesday atWest Marredpally.

OBITUARY“I will dwell in the House of the Lordforever.” Psalm 23:6

Mrs. PATRICIA ARTHUR(Retired Teacher, St. Ann’s School, Sec’bad)

Slept in the Lord on 16-09-2019 Funeral on 21-09-2019 (Saturday)at 3 p.m. at C.S.I. Cemetery, Sec’bad.Visitation at Residence 12 noon - 2 p.m.

Contact: B. John, 9866461593Inserted by: Children, Grand Children,

Son-in-law & Daughter-in-law

(S/1920/D00903)

“Precious in the sight of the Lord isthe death of his Saints.” Ps.116:15

GODALA SURESH MADHUKAR(Social Welfare Dept.)

DOB: 17-09-1950 DOD: 20-09-1992“Your memories will always be inour hearts.”

Inserted by: Loving Wife,Children & Grand Children9866894429 / 9741074320

(S/1920/D00908)

OBITUARY

Wing Commander (Retd.)F.J. Mehta, VRC27 February 1931 -19 September 2019

It is with the deepest sadness thatwe bid farewell to our belovedfather. Wg. Cdr. Farokh JehangirMehta (VrC) (Retd.). He touchedcountless lives with his warmth,enthusiasm, humor, wit, and gen-erosity of spirit. He was a fighterpilot in the Air Force and servedhis country honorably. He lovedcompany, a good laugh, Urdupoetry, and taking care of people.He was a loving husband to hislate wife Rose Mehta and shared abeautiful relationship with his twochildren. He will be deeply missedbut his legacy will live on in us. Heis survived by his son ShirazMehta, daughter Shanaz Moudud,granddaughters Laila Moudud andAliya Moudud, son-in-law JameeMoudud and daughter-in-lawNatasha Mehta.

(S/1920/D00905)

1st DEATH ANNIVERSARYIN LOVING MEMORY

Late VASUMATI JAGADISHW/o D.G. Jagadish, Ex-CTI/S.C.Rly/SCYour sweet memories will be cherishedin our hearts forever.Inserted by: Husband, Daughters and

Family Members.On 21-09-2019 at 2.00 p.m., Annadanamat Sree Ranganatha SwamyDevasthanam, Yapral, 9177838469

(S/1920/D00896)

IN LOVING MEMORY OF MOM3rd DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Late Mrs. ANNAMMA JOSEPH W/o Late Mr. K.J. Joseph

DOB: 17-07-1943 DOD: 20-09-2016We know you are listening from theheavens above, There is nothing that wevalue more than your love, No matterwhere we are and what we are doing,Your memories will always keep ussmiling. We Love You “Mom”

Inserted by:Children and Grand Children.

(S/1920/D00898)

JAYENDRA T.CHAITHANYA | DCHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

Adrasspally, a villagehousing more than 2,500people, wore a desertedlook after the incident ofalleged lynching andburning alive of B.Anjaneyulu, an auto driv-er. Tension gripped thevillage after the incident.A large huge numbers ofpolice personnel weredeployed to ensure no fur-ther untoward incidentstake place.

Aajaneylu, 24, was theyoungest of four chil-dren. His father Kistaiah,a labourer, is into faithhealing. Their familyreside less than 100meters away from the cre-matorium, where he wasallegedly beaten and puton a pyre. The devastatedfamily dismissed the alle-gations that he had per-formed black magic.

On the fatal night,Anjaneyulu went toattend nature’s call in theopen nearby. His elderbrother Ganesh was athouse, while Ravi, anoth-er sibling, had gone to anearby on work.

G. Nagesh, Anjaneyulu’sbrother-in-law, said, “Hewent out of home toattend to nature’s callafter 8 pm to an openplace close to the burialground. Ganesh, his elderbrother, got worried whenhe saw a huge gatheringnear the crematorium. Hewent to find out, and dis-covered to his shock, thatthe person thrown on thepyre was his brother.”

Nagesh, a resident ofKeesara, said thatAnjaneyulu, who wasdrunk last night, was acalm and balanced per-son. “He had no enmitywith anyone. He wasyoung. How could he per-form black magic,” hesaid, adding, “Do suchthings exist? People stillbelieve in such nonsense

in this generation andkill a person for it. He hadnothing to do with thedeceased lady, GyaraLakshmi, or her familymembers,” said Nagesh.

However, family mem-bers and relatives of

Gyara Lakshmi, who diedof ill-health, did not showany remorse or grief overthe killing ofAnjaneyulu.

Speaking to DeccanChronicle, G. Naresh, onlyson of Lakshmi, said they

have a ritual to keep drycow dung on four sides ofthe pyre, which has been acustom for generations bynow and his uncles GBalram and G Krishna,went there at around 8.30pm. “When my uncles saw

Anjaneyulu sitting next tothe pyre, chanting some-thing, they tried to speakto him. He pushed themaway and tried to hitthem. In an attempt toescape from him, a scuffletook place, after which heaccidentally fell on thepyre,” said Naresh.

Other family membersargue that Naresh’sfather Kistaiah was afaith healer, who used toroam in the village dur-ing the night. They sus-pected him to be a blackmagician.

“Anjaneyulu had nowork at night near thepyre. He could haveattended the cremation ifhe felt sad. His presencethere and chanting ofstrange words raised sus-picion,” said some mem-bers of Lakshmi’s family.

The Shameerpet police,who are probing the inci-dent, have reportedlyfound that 12 personswere involved in thekilling and took four ofthem into custody, includ-ing G. Balram and G.Krishna, cousins of thedeceased Lakshmi.

Police sources said,“The suspects, duringquestioning, have told thepolice that Anjaneyuluwas beaten brutally withstones and sticks avail-able at the burial ground.When he was thrown onthe pyre, he tried escap-ing twice, but on the thirdtime, he was pushed on it,with his head facing theearth.”

Police said a villagerinformed B. Narsimha,husband of villagesarpanch, B. Lalitha, andinformed that they havecaught one person beforedisconnecting the call.

The police suspect thesame person might havemade a phone call to fam-ily members of Lakshmithat Anjaneyulu wasnear her pyre and wasdoing something suspicious.

Security tightened after man lynchedRelatives of Gyara Lakshmi didn’t show any remorse or grief over killing

The burial ground where B. Anjaneyulu was thrown onthe pyre of Gyara Lakhsmi.

FROM PAGE 1

Mr Narsimha alerted theShameerpet police per-sonnel, who on reachingthe village, learnt that aperson was thrown on thepyre of a woman.

“The police teamsrushed to the burialground and pulled out abody that was found lyingon the pyre facing theearth, which is againstcustoms. The elder sib-ling of Anajaneyulu, whohad by then complainedthat his brother wasmissing, identified hispartially burnt footwear,”

said P.V. Padmaja, DCP,Balanagar. The DCP saidthat a portion of thecharred body recovered,suspected to be ofAnjaneyulu, was sent forpostmortem examinationat the Osmania Hospitalmortuary. A DNA analy-sis would be performed toverify and establish thatthe body belonged to themissing man.

During the early inves-tigation, police teams,who questioned familymembers of the deceasedlady, Lakshmi, haveprima facie found thatthose who went to the

burial ground at nightmust have beatenAnjaneyulu on suspicionthat he had performedblack magic to kill her,the official said, addingthat an in-depth investi-gation is underway.

Sources close to investi-gating officials said,“Though there was ahuge gathering at theburial ground when theincident took place, 12persons were found to beinvolved in beatingAnjaneyulu, of which,four have been identifiedand were being ques-tioned by the police.”

12 people found to beinvolved in beating


The mysterious recov-ery of the skeletalremains of an unidenti-fied person on the agri-cultural land belongingto Telugu film actorAkkineni Nagarjuna,by the name N AgroFarms atPapireddyguda villageunder Keshampet cameto a conclusion with thepolice finding that theperson committed sui-cide about three yearsago.

The Cyberabad policeon Wednesday nighthad recovered the skele-tal remains of a man ata room located in NAgro Farms after thelabourers employed toclean the premises tostart organic farmingfound it.

A case of suspiciousdeath was registered bythe Keshampet policewho found a wallet inthe trousers of thedeceased person, whichcontained an Aadhaarcard and a photograph.

The Aadhaar card wasissued in the name ofChakali Pandu, 30, aresident ofPapireddyguda.

On further inquiry, itwas found that Panduhad left the housearound three years agoleaving a note behindthat he was upset withhis life and wanted toend it. The police alsohad recovered a bottleof rat poison and a pes-ticide bottle near thebody in the room.

“Nobody is responsi-ble for my death. Mybrother died threemonths ago and I do notlike marriage and chil-dren and only like tolive with my mother. Inever got the life I want-ed. The property shareof `19 lakh should to begiven to my mother,”the note reportedlyread.

Shamshabad DCP N.Prakash Reddy said,“The family members ofPandu were asked and itwas found that he left anote three years ago andcould have died at thesame time. The samplesof the bone, hair, and tis-sue of the deceasedwere preserved for aDNA analysis to estab-lish the identity. Itappears to be a case ofsuicide but the investi-gation continues to findthe cause of death.”

Suicide may bea reason: Cops


A Class II girl who hit bya speeding MUV whilecrossing the road died onthe way to the hospital atKukatpally on Thursdayevening. The police saidthat the girl slipped andfell on the road when thevehicle hit her on a highspeed.

According to theKukatpally police, theincident took place ataround 4.30 pm nearNikitha grocery store inAVB Puram ofKukatpally.

Srinivasa Rao, 35, a resi-dent of AVB Puram is amason. He has two daugh-ters aged 9 and seven. Hiselder daughter Jahnavi isstudying Class III andyounger daughterRishitha was a Class IIstudent at St. Rita HighSchool located in theneighbourhood.

On Thursday, after thecompletion of the school,both the girl was headinghome on foot. When theyreached the road atNikitha grocery store andwhile crossing the road,Rishitha slopped and felldown the road. A MUV(YS08 UD8718) that waspassing in the route hashit the girl and the girlsuffered severe bleedinginjuries. The passersbyimmediately arranged avehicle to shift the girl toa nearby hospital, but shedied midway, said thepolice. On the complaintof the father, the cops reg-istered a case against thedriver of the MUV.

SPEEDING MUVMOWS DOWNCLASS II GIRL


Eighteen years after thecourt convicted anaccused involved in abet-ment to suicide of hiswife, Osmania Universitypolice arrested the 51-year-old accused.

The police said theaccused, MD Faizuddin,51, married FathimaParveen in 1993 and usedto stay under OsmanaiUniversity police stationlimits. Due to harass-ment by the accused, thevictim committed suicideby dousing herself withkerosene and setting her-self ablaze in 1994.

Based on the complaintfrom the victim's family,the OU city police bookeda case against the

accused and his familymembers under section498 (a) IPC and 304(b)IPC. After two years ofcourt trials, the localcourt sentenced him tothree years of imprison-ment in 1996 and acquit-ted his family members.

The accused appealedin the high court and thecourt decreased the sen-tence from three to twoyears in 2001. Since thenthe accused has beenabsconding from thepolice, fearing arrest. OnThursday, OsmaniaUniversity police arrest-ed him while he wasroaming suspiciously inthe area and producedhim in court. The courtordered the police to sendhim to Chanchalgudajail.

Convicted 18 yrsago, man nabbed

DURGA PRASAD SUNKU | DCHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

A designated child friend-ly court on Thursday sen-tenced an auto driver to10 years imprisonmentfor sexually assaulting aminor in 2016. FirstAdditional MetropolitanSession judge SuneethaKunchala pronouncedthe judgment onThursday afternoon.

The prosecutionalleged that the autodriver Vanka Rajeshwho used to take the 13-year-old girl to school inhis auto rickshaw tookadvantage of her andsexually abused her forsix months and threat-ened her with dire conse-

quences if she revealedthis to anyone.

Additional public pros-ecutor K Pratap Reddytold the court that in themonth of December 2016the 13-year-old girlrefused to go to school inthe auto rickshaw andwhen asked the reasonshe told her parents that

one day on the way backhome, the auto driverstopped near a play-ground and told theother children in theauto to play in thegrounds for some time.He took the victim to anearby dilapidated andvacant railway quartersand sexually violatedher. When she resisted,he threatened her withdire consequences, likekilling her parents. Hedid the same thing sever-al times in the next sixmonths and the 13-year-old girl became preg-nant. When she told herparents the whole story,they approached theLalaguda police ofHyderabad commission-erate, who booked a case

and investigated. Thecourt of First AdditionalMetropolitan sessionsjudge Suneetha Kunchalafound the accused guiltyof the offences, punish-able under the Protectionof Children from SexualOffences (POCSO) Actand 506 IPC and him 10years rigorous imprison-ment and fined him.

Child friendly courtshave been set up underthe POSCO Act to trysexual offences againstminors. Such courts aredesigned to make chil-dren feel comfortable inspeaking to judges andlawyers. Hyderabad wasthe fourth city in thecountry to set up a childfriendly court in April2018.

Auto driver gets 10-year jail


A Home Guard officer, work-ing with the Hyderabad traf-fic police, sustainedinquires when an auto driv-er rammed into him. TheHyderabad traffic policelodged a complaint againstthe auto driver at the BegumBazar police station.

According to the trafficpolice, Mr. Saida Naik, HGofficer 9199 of GoshamahalTraffic PS, was deployed toregulate traffic atSiddiamber Bazarmosque.At 12.45 p.m., whilethe HG officer was regulat-ing traffic, an auto came in

rash manner and crashedinto him from behind,resulting in injuries to hisleft leg.

Passersby immediatelyrushed him to OsmaniaGeneral Hospital for firstaid and medical officersdiagnosed a fracture to hisleft ankle. He has beenshifted to Arogya Hospital,MJ Market for better treat-ment.

The Hyderabad Trafficpolice lodged a complaintwith Begum Bazar policestation and a case bookedcase against the autodriverunder section 337 IPC.Further investigation isunderway.

Autorickshaw ramsinto a home guard


Hyderabad city policecommissioner AnjaniKumar on Thursdayissued a preventive deten-tion (PD) order against a24-year-old propertyoffender.

Kamble Shyam Sundar,

according to the cops,was involved in a seriesof gold ornaments thefts.

The accused has com-mitted nine offences andhas been creating largescale fear and panicamong the general pub-lic, disturbing the peace,tranquillity and socialharmony in the society.

COPS ISSUE PD AGAINST OFFENDER

Vanka Rajesh

EX-TATA STAFFERDUPES DOCTOROF `1.4 CRORE

■ ■ THE ACCUSED was sentto judicial custody.Investigation officials stat-ed that the accusedChamarthy G.Pattabhiraman, @ GuruPattabhi RamanChamarthy, has cheatedseveral people and furtherinvestigations are on

PoliticsFRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABADDECCAN CHRONICLE

Rice moveCM Y.S. Jagan Mohan directs officials tomake arrangements to supply fine riceacross Andhra Pradesh from April 1

Have instructedofficials to acquire

more funds from theCentre for tribals

— Satyavathi Rathod, Tribal welfare minister

IN BRIEF

Four personsdie in a mishapWarangal: Four persons

were killed in a mishap aftera speeding lorry hit a car

coming in the oppositedirection near Devaruppula

police station in Jangaondistrict on Thursday. Twopersons died on the spot

and two others succumbedto their injuries while under-going treatment at hospital.

According to the police, PGanesh and his wife P

Manjusha of Mahbub-abad,left for Shamshabad airport

on Wednesday to drop offtheir son who is going to

London. Their relativesSrilatha and Sukanya accom-

panied them. While Ganeshand Sukanya died on the

spot, the driver Nazeer andSrilatha succumbed to theirinjuries at the MGM hospital

in Warangal. Manjusha is stillfighting for life.


After West Bengal ChiefMinister MamataBenarjee meet with thePrime Minister NarendraModi, it is now ChiefMinister Mr K. Chandra-sekhar Rao’s turn to doso. Sources said that afterthe ongoing Assemblybudget session Mr Rao islikely to meet Mr Modi.

Since Mr Modi becomePrime Minister and KCRCM, both for the secondtime, they have not met.In fact, Mr. Rao sought anappointment with MrModi in the past but wasnot given a date due to MrModi’s busy schedule.

West Bengal CMMamata Banerjee ismuch stronger critic ofMr Modi than Mr Rao.

Despite that, Mr Modigave an appointment toMs. Banerjee and she methim on Wednesday. TRSsenior leaders said afterthat meeting, Mr Modimay give appointment to

Mr Rao next. TRS leadersare expecting this meet-ing to take place after theAssembly session.

Union home ministerAmit Shah skipped theTelangana LiberationDay function conductedby Telangana BJP on 17September at Kukatpally.TRS leaders said this hasgiven relief to them as ifAmit Shah had attendedthe function, he wouldhave been made someremarks against the TRSgovernment and theywould have been forced toreact to those comments.

This would havewidened the gap betweenthe BJP national leader-ship and the TRS further.

If Mr Modi gives anappointment to Mr Rao,the latter will bring allpending issues related tothe bifurcation and finan-cial issues to him.

Mr Rao will also discussthe effect of economicrecession on Telanganastate and will seek morefunds from the Centre.

KCR to meet Modi soonThis would be the 1st meet between PM, CM in 2nd term


Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao onThursday directed irri-gation officials to pre-pare a comprehensiveplan for supplying waterto the erstwhileNizamabad district fordrinking and irrigationpurposes.

The Chief Ministerissued this order afterlegislators from the com-bined Nizamabad dis-trict met him in thechambers of LegislativeAssembly Speaker P.Srinivas Reddy in theAssembly.

KCR said, “Since thereis less availability ofwater in Nizam Sagarand Singur dams thisyear, villages under thejurisdiction of theseprojects will have to besupplied water throughalternative methods.” Heordered officials to pre-pare alternative / tempo-rary plans for the pur-pose.”

KCR SEEKS PLANFOR NIZAMABADWATER NEEDS

Harish Rao, Jaggameet after 14 yearsDC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

They both belong to thesame district; the two wereelected as MLAs in therecent assembly electionsfrom different political par-ties. Both were in the sameparty in the past, but theyturned severe critics ofeach other. And, after 14 ye-ars, both met in the assem-bly lobbies on Thursday toeverybody’s surprise.

The two are CongressMLA T Jayaprakash(Jagga) Reddy and financeminister T. Harish Rao.

Incidentally, when the twomet in the assembly lob-bies, their meeting went onfor about 30 minutes.

Both belong to the oldMedal district. Jagga Reddywas in TRS for some timein the past. During therecent assembly electionsand also later the CongressMLA had made seriousallegations against HarishRao. In this backdrop, thetwo meeting left MLAs andpolitical circles surprised.

After the meeting, JaggaReddy said he had dis-cussed development of hisSangareddy constituency.


Chief Minister Mr. KChandrasekhar Raoon Thursday announ-ced a bonus of`1,00,899 to each work-er of the SingareniCollieries CompanyLimited (SCCL), a pub-lic sector undertaking.

While making astatement in theAssembly, Mr. Rao saidthat this is a bonusgiven by the state gov-ernment to the SCCLworkers and employ-ees as a Dasara festivalgift.

He said that in thedevelopment of Telan-gana, the SCCL is play-ing a very crucial roleand that the SCCL hasbeen strengthenedinstitutionally due tothe cooperationextended by the stategovernment and meas-ures taken for the wel-fare of the workers.

He said “It is a proudmoment for all of uswhen the SCCL fared

better than Coal Indiain almost all parame-ters related to coalmanagement in thecountry.”

He said that the stategovernment is of thefirm opinion that thekey role played byworkers, often keepingtheir lives at stake, isimportant in theSCCL’s continuousvictory and success.

Mr. Rao added, “Ourgovernment feels thatthe sweat and bloodthat each and everySCCL worker shed increating the nationalwealth, often comingout of jaws of death, isno way inferior to thesacrifices of our ownarmy personnel fight-ing at the borders.”

Mr Rao explainedthat in the financialyear 2013-14, the SCCLwas able to produce50.47 million tonnes ofcoal and for the lastfive years, the produc-tion of coal has beenon the increase everyyear.

KCR laudsSCCL workers

BJP CHIEF CRITICISES CMFOR SINGARENI WORKERSDC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

The BJP state presi-dent Dr. K Laxmanaon Thursday onceagain hit out hard atChief Minister Mr.Rao for not fulfillinghis promises made tothe Singareni work-ers before elections.

Dr. K Laxman said,“KCR has failed tofulfill the promiseshe had made to theSingareni workers.KCR had promisedbetter health facili-

ties but did not evensanction a singlesuper speciality hos-pital and whateverhospitals are avail-able in the regiondoesn’t have doctors,nurses and medi-cines to look afterthe patients.”

Dr. Laxman addedSingareni Collieriescovers twenty fiveassembly and threeparliamentary con-stituencies. The chiefminister has cheatedthe Singareni Collie-ries employees.


The controversy withinCongress over the candi-date to be fielded in theHuzurnagar assembly by-poll has turned bitter withsome youth Congress work-ers burning an effigy of MPA. Revanth Reddy in theconstituency. Congress MPKomatireddy VenkataReddy also commentedadversely againstRevanth’s statement.

Three days ago, TPCCPresident N. Uttam KumarReddy had announced thathis wife Padmavathi will becontesting the by-electionfrom Huzurnagar assemblyconstituency, the seat thestate Congress chief vacat-ed following his election asan MP in the Lok Sabhapolls.

Taking objection to this,TPCC Working Presidentand MP Revanth Reddymaintained that he wouldinstead be proposing thecandidature of ChamalaKiran Kumar Reddy, TPCCSpokesperson.

Opposing the commentsof Revanth Reddy, YouthCongress workers ofHuzurnagar burnt an effi-gy of the MP in the con-stituency on Thursday.

Bhongir Congress MPKomatireddy VenkataReddy also objected to theMalkajgiri MP dabblinginto the candidature issueas the latter was a non-local. Speaking to media inthe assembly lobbies,Komatireddy said: “Wehave senior leaders likeUttam Kumar Reddy, KJana Reddy, DamodarReddy and others; we don’tneed involvement of lead-ers from other districts.”

Venkat Reddy assertedthat Padmavathi will be astrong candidate and issure to win the Huzurnagarassembly by-poll. He main-tained that Uttam Kumar,Jana Reddy and he himselfhave been in politics ofNalgonda district since last30 years.

“How can anybody pro-pose a new candidate with-out consulting us,” theBhongir MP asked.

Revanth effigy burnt■ Infighting intensifies in Cong. over Huzurnagar

KCR, JAGAN TO DISCUSS RIVERWATER SHARING ON SEPT. 24DC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

The Chief Ministers ofthe two Telugu states –Telangana and AndhraPradesh – K. Chandra-sekhar Rao and Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddyrespectively, would inmost likelihood be meet-ing on September 24 inHyderabad to discussthe sharing of Godavariwaters, diverting it tothe Krishna basin andother pending issues ofthe bifurcation.

Both Chief Ministershad met twice earlier, onJune 28 and on August 1,to hold preliminary dis-cussions on the sharingof the Godavari waters.They had agreed, inprinciple, to take up the

required lift irrigationproject jointly.

A joint committee ofthe irrigation engineersof the two states wasconstituted to examinethe feasibility of divert-ing the Godavari watersto the Srisailam andNagarjuna Sagar reser-voirs on Krishna river,and then share thembetween the both statesaccording to their drink-ing and irrigationneeds.

Sources in the TS gov-ernment disclosed thatthe engineers commit-tee had prepared reportson the project. Both theCMs, during their meet-ing on September 24,would discuss the reportand work out a road mapfor sharing waters.


Energy minister G. Jaga-dish Reddy on Thursdayexuded confidence thatTRS will win the ensuingby-election from Huzur-nagar Assembly constitu-ency, from where K. Padm-avathi, wife of TelanganaPradesh CongressCommittee chief UttamKumar Reddy is likely tocontest.

Chatting with reportersin the Assembly lobbies,the minister brushed asideallegations of TPCC thatthe ruling TRS has beenharassing Congress work-ers in the Huzurnagar con-stituency. The ruling partypointed out that not a sin-gle case has been bookedagainst any of theCongress workers.

TRS IS CONFIDENTOF WINNINGHUZURNAGAR

DC CORRESPONDENTKOTHAGUDEM, SEPT. 19

Bhadradri Power Project,which is set up in Manuguru,crossed a milestone onThursday.

The synchronisation of thefirst unit with a capacity of 270MW in the BPP experimentsthat were done for the lastthree months made the syn-chronisation a total success.

Bhadradri Power Project isthe first power project thatwas taken up by TelanganaGenco after the formation ofTelangana. Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao laid thefoundation stone for the proj-ect on March 28, 2015.

The government allocated`8,500 crore for the 270 MWx4units power capacity unit andGenco managing directorDevulapalli Prabhakara Raofocused on the project and con-stantly interacted with theengineers.

The Bhadradri Power Projectfaced hiccups in the form of acase in the National GreenTribunal on the allegation thatthe project was being built byusing sub-critical technology.As a result, the works werehalted for 17 months. Therains also caused a delay forfive months.

As per the details, the firstboiler erection works startedon March 11, 2017 and thehydraulic test was conductedto the Boiler drum on August17, 2018. Turbo generator exca-vator works began onSeptember 7, 2019 and boilerlight up was done on March 25,2019. The commercial opera-tion date will be in October.

BHADRADRIPOWER UNIT 1

IS READY

NationFRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABADDECCAN CHRONICLE

PoliticsNo one has faith in the BJP government’seconomic policies, said Congress generalsecretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

BJP is misleading thecountry by invoking

names of Gandhi andSardar Patel

— Ashok GehlotRajasthan CM

IN BRIEF

RABINDRA NATHCHOUDHURY | DCBHOPAL, SEPT. 19

A high-profile extortionracket that “used toblackmail” politiciansand babus by “honey-trapping” them wasbusted by police here onThursday.

Six people, includingfive women were arrest-ed in this connection,senior superintendent ofpolice (SSP) of IndoreRicha Vardhan Mishrawho led a team of policemen to conduct raids inthe ‘dens’ of the mem-bers of the alleged rack-et here, told reporters.

“We have seized videoclips, mobile phones,and a laptop from theirpossession. The accusedwere blackmailing theirvictims by threateningthem to make the videosinvolving them viral ifthey not paid moneydemanded by them”, shesaid. Two of the fivearrested women werefound to be members ofthe Congress and theBJP, police said.

Incidentally, a womanmember of the racketwas arrested from ahouse belonging to for-mer minister and sittingBJP MLA BrijendraPratap Singh here.

Mr Singh however saidhe had rented his house

to the woman through abroker and he had noth-ing to do with the racket.

All the accused werearrested in houses inposh colonies here.

According to the policeofficer, the raids wereconducted following acomplaint lodged by anengineer of IndoreMunicipal Corporationwho alleged that he wasbeing blackmailed by awoman with the threatof making a videoinvolving him viral if hedid not pay her `3 crore.

Incidentally, a purport-ed video showing anadditional chief secre-tary of Madhya Pradeshin a compromising posi-tion had gone viral afortnight ago leading thepolice begin a probe intoit.

Police was probinghand of the racket in it.

“Video clippings seizedfrom the gang members

suggested that some sen-ior politicians andbureaucrats had falleninto their trap andcrores of rupees wereextorted from them”, asenior police officer probing the casedisclosed to this newspa-per.

Incidentally, husbandof a member in the rack-et was state vice-presi-dent of IT cell of MPCongress and expelledfrom the party in Junethis year, while anotherwoman member in thegang was a localCongress leader.

State home ministerBala Bachhan indicatedthat “big names”, honeytrapped by the gangmembers, were expectedto surface after investi-gation.

Police was also prob-ing if the gang had anylink with terrorist fund-ings.

Netas, babus inMP honeytrapHigh-profile racket busted, all accusedarrested from posh colonies in Bhopal

DC CORRESPONDENTNEW DELHI, SEPT. 19

A Delhi court on Thursdayextended the judicial cus-tody of former financeminister P. Chidambaramin connection with the INXMedia corruption case tillOctober 3. Special judge Ajay KumarKuhar also allowed med-ical examination ofChidambaram.

The court extended thejudicial custody ofChidambaram after theCBI sought extension ofthe veteran Congressleader’s judicial remand.

Special judge AjayKumar Kuhar said therewas no change in the cir-cumstances and noted thatChidambaram has alreadymoved a bail plea beforethe Delhi High Court.

“This court has consid-ered the grounds for policecustody and thereafter forjudicial custody and grant-ed remand accordingly.There is no change in thecircumstances as such. Itis not a case where no caseis made out against theaccused. The investigation

is still in progress. Theaccused has alreadyapplied for the bail beforethe Delhi high court.Therefore as per under-standing of this court, thejudicial remand of theaccused has to be extend-ed.

Accordingly, the judicialremand of the accused isextended till October 3,”the court said.

Chidambaram, lodged inTihar Jail, was producedbefore the court after his14-day judicial custodyended on Thursday.

The court extended thejudicial custody ofChidambaram after theCBI sought extension ofthe veteran Congressleader's judicial remand.

It also allowed medicalexamination of MrChidambaram after hislawyers told the court thathe is suffering from vari-ous ailments.

It also directed the jailsuperintendent to considerthe request ofChidambaram to providechair and pillow consider-ing the issue of back painas complained by him.

Court extends PCcustody till Oct. 3

PAWAN BALI | DCNEW DELHI, SEPT. 19

The Narendra Modigovernment onThursday followed theseniority principle inthe Air Force byappointing AirMarshal RakeshKumar SinghBhadauria as the nextchief of Indian AirForce (IAF).

In both the Armyand the Navy, senior-most officers in con-tention for the post ofchiefs were supersed-ed by their junior offi-cers.

Air MarshalBhadauria was sup-posed to retire on thesame day as currentAir Force Chief B.S.Dhanoa, on 30September 2019. Now,he will have an addi-tional tenure of two-years as the ArmedForces’ chiefs canserve for three yearsor up to the age of 62,whichever is earlier.

There is a past prece-dent to this. When AirMarshal N.C. Suri hadbecome the chief ofAir Staff after AirChief Marshal S.K.Mehra, though bothwere to retire on thesame day, which was31 July 1991.

“The governmenthas decided to appointAir Marshal RKSBhadauria, currentVice-chief of Air Staff,as the next chief ofthe Air Staff after theretirement of AirChief Marshal B.S.Dhanoa on 30September 2019,” saida government state-ment.

Gen. Bipin Rawatwas appointed by theModi government asArmy chief inDecember 2016, bysuperseding two offi-cers senior to him. Insecond supersession,Admiral KarambirSingh was appointedas Navy chief thisyear by supersedingVice Admiral BimalVerma, who wasaround six monthssenior to him.

Rakesh Kumaris next IAF chief

MANOJ ANAND | DCGUWAHATI, SEPT. 19

The northeastern statesare extremely worriedabout the presence of alarge number of illegalweapons in the hands ofmilitant groups engaged inpeace talks with govern-ment.

Informing that theregional conference ofDGPs has decided to launcha coordinated operation toflush out illegal weapons,security sources told thisnewspaper that it hasbecome the major area ofconcern for security forces,as there have been reportsof militant outfits holdingceasefire with governmentare found to have been sell-ing their weapons.

Referring to intelligencereports, security sourcessaid that some of the mili-tant outfits have lessernumber of cadres than thestock of the sophisticatedarms with them.

Asserting that securityforces have specific intelli-gence inputs about cadresselling weapons, securitysources said that most ofthe insurgent groups areon wane and their cadresare found to have been sell-ing their weapons to poach-ers and even criminalgangs.

Security sources said thatinvestigation has revealedthat poachers have beenusing sophisticatedweapons like AK-47 to killrhino and it is suspected tohave been sold to them bymilitants.

The ministry of homeaffairs has also directed thenortheastern states tolaunch a coordinated oper-

ation to flush out illegalweapons. Security sourcessaid that the use ofweapons to intimidatecivilians and extort moneyfrom various businesshouses has also become amajor area of concern.

Security sources said thatthe cadres of militant out-fit — NLFT of Tripura —which recently signed aceasefire agreement withthe government, have con-fessed to have been sellingtheir weapons for theirlivelihood.

Pointing out that longinternational borders withfive countries make theNortheast more vulnerableto security threats, securi-ty sources adding thatthese weapons have freemovement in Myanmar,which gets them fromChina.

In fact, Bangladesh’ssecurity apparatus is alsoworried over the flow ofillicit arms into its territo-ry from India.

Alarm over illegal arms withN-E militants talking peace

Rakesh Kumar SinghBhadauria

■ ■ Security sources saidthat some of the militantoutfits have lesser num-ber of cadres than thestock of the sophisticat-ed arms with them.

SECY OFODISHA BOARD

HELD BY CBIDC CORRESPONDENTNEW DELHI, SEPT. 19

The CBI on Thursday arrestedformer secretary of theOdisha Cricket Association(OCA), Ashirbad Behera, inconnection with its investiga-tion pertaining to the state’smulti-crore-rupees chit fundscam.

Sources said Behera (74) andhotelier Kamalakanta Das,who was arrested along withhim, were sent to jail after aspecial CBI court inBhubaneswar rejected theirbail petitions, which the duohad filed on health grounds.

The court remanded them tojudicial custody till October 1.Das, who owns Hotel Solan Innin Bhubaneswar, and busi-nessman Sambit Khuntiawere named along withBehera as accused in the case,which pertains to OCAallegedly entering into a dubi-ous business transaction withdiscredited chit fund companyArthaTatwa Group in 2011.

HARYANA TOANNUL VADRAFIRM LICENCE

TANVEER THAKUR | DCCHANDIGARH, SEPT. 19

The Haryana government hasstarted the process of cancella-tion of licence granted toRobert Vadra’s Sky LightHospitality Private Limited in2008 and subsequently trans-ferred to realty company DLFUniversal Limited for `58crore. As per the director of thestate’s town and country plan-ning department, K.M.Pandurang, the formalities tocancel the licence had beencompleted keeping in with pro-visions of the HaryanaDevelopment and Regulationand Urban Areas Act, 1975.

“We have to follow procedureof cancellation which we arefollowing and the formalitieshave been completed. We gavethem notice and hearing oppor-tunity, which has concluded.Now, we have to take a decisionand that process is on,” he said.

Mr Pandurang said that themutation of the land was setaside by the then director gen-eral, consolidation of holdingsin 2012, thus affecting the titleof the land. “There were issuesregarding title of the land,” hesaid. One of the conditionsstipulated the grant of a coloni-sation licence under the Act of1975 is that licence holdershould have a clear title to theland. A colonisation licenceallows the holder to set up acolony for residential, commer-cial or industrial purposes.

■ ■ Six people, including five women werearrested in a raids in the dens of the membersof the high-profile racket■ ■ Police said that the two of the five arrestedwomen were found to be members of Congressand BJP

■ ■ A woman member of the racket was arrest-ed from a house belonging to former ministerand BJP MLA Brijendra Pratap Singh


The contentious NRCissue came up for discus-sion at a meeting betweenHome minister Amit Shahand West Bengal ChiefMinister MamataBanerjee on Thursday,with the latter seeking theCentre’s intervention tohelp those left out fromthe recent NRC exercise inAssam.

Ms Banerjee insistedthat the Centre must helpgenuine Indian nationalsbelonging to theAssamese, Bengali,Gorkha and Bihari com-munities who were theworst affected by the NRC.

This was the first meet-ing between the ChiefMinister and Mr Shahsince he assumed chargeas Home minister after theLok Sabha polls over threemonths ago.

Talking to the mediaafter the meeting, Ms

Banerjee said she hadraised the NRC issue withthe Home minister, seek-ing his immediate inter-vention as a large number of genuine Indiannationals had beenleft out and were in diffi-

culty. “Mostly people from the

Assamese, Gorkha,Bengali and Bihari com-munities had been left out.

The Centre must exam-

ine each and every caseand give them immediateassistance so that theissue can be resolved. TheHome minister hasassured me he would lookinto the matter,” sheadded.

Ms Banerjee said shehad made it clear thatthere was no need for anNRC in her state, and sothe issue didn’t come up ather meeting with the

Home minister. The names of over 19

lakh people were left outof Assam’s NRC, which was published on August31.

Ms Banerjee said shehad come to New Delhiafter a long gap and meet-ing both the PM and theHome minister was part ofa constitutional obliga-tion.

She had raised the issueof renaming the state withthe PM, and also invitedMr Modi to inaugurate theworld’s second largest coalblock in West Bengal inOctober.

“Since we have interna-tional border issues withBangladesh and Bhutanand state borders withBihar and Jharkhand, andalso the sensitiveChicken’s Neck corridorlinking the Northeastwith the rest of the coun-try, a meeting in that con-text with the Home minis-ter was required,” sheadded.

PAGE

7NationFRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABADDECCAN CHRONICLE

Pilgrim priceAmarinder Singh likens the service chargedemanded by Pak from Indian pilgrims for visitingthe Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara to jaziya

In the past two-and-half years, UP was

pulled out from astate of identity crisis

— Yogi AdityanathUttar Pradesh Chief Minister

IN BRIEF

15 cops flunk dopetest in Punjab

Amritsar: In an embarrass-ment for the Punjab Police,

15 policemen here failed thedope test while one consta-ble was caught replacing his

urine sample. Police onThursday said an annual

medical examination of 25policemen was conducted

recently. Fifteen of thethem were told to undergo a

dope test and they weretested positive. All 15 police-

men had been sent to theSwami Vivekananda de-addiction centre at the

Government Medical Collegein Amritsar for treatment,

they said. A constable wasallegedly found replacing his

urine sample during theannual medical examination.

‘SUPER 30’ANAND KUMAR

AWARDEDWashington, Sept. 19: Super30 founder and noted mathe-matician Anand Kumar hasbeen felicitated in the US witha prestigious teaching awardin recognition of his contribu-tions towards imparting edu-cation to the needy students.

The Education ExcellenceAward 2019 was presented toMr Kumar by the FoundationFor Excellence (FFE) at a func-tion on the occasion of theorganisation’s 25th anniver-sary gala in San Jose,California over the weekend.

Speaking at the event, MrKumar exhorted the strongIndian community in the USAto help education become thestrongest weapon to fight allthe problems of the world.

“Making quality educationaccessible to the masses willmake a huge difference to theworld by solving the coreissues of poverty, unemploy-ment, population explosion,environmental degradationand a lot more,” he said.

“Indians have been doingwonders in different fieldsacross the globe, including theUSA, and it would beimmensely satisfying for themto give something back to theirsociety.”

INDUSTRIALCORRIDOR TO

INCLUDE KOCHIT h i r u va n a n t h ap u r a m ,Sept. 19: In a big boost toKerala, the Union governmenthas decided to extend theChennai-Bengaluru industrialcorridor to Coimbatore andthen to Kochi.

The decision in this regardwas conveyed to the state gov-ernment by the NationalIndustrial CorridorDevelopment andImplementation Trust(NICDIT), a governmentrelease said.

It had been Kerala’s plea forlong to include the state in thecorridor and Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan had made astrong pitch for the same.

The setting up of the corri-dor would contribute to devel-oping manufacturing indus-tries in the region and trans-forming the Kochi-Palakkadregion into a major manufac-turing hub of south India.

Two integrated manufactur-ing clusters (IMCs) would bedeveloped — at Palakkad andSalem in Tamil Nadu, therelease said.

3 held for dupingBollywood actress

New Delhi: The Delhi Policehave arrested three people

who allegedly dupedBollywood actress Isha

Sharvani by pretending to beAustralian Tax officers, offi-cials said on Thursday. The

police said the accused hadthreatened Sharvani witharrest for tax violations ifshe failed to pay up. Theactress, who now lives inAustralia, was induced to

transfer 5,700 AUD viaWestern Union and RIA

Money Transfer.

Farmers under the banner Bharatiya Kisan Sangh march from Sharanpur towards Noida on Thursday. — PTI

Didi takes up missingNRC names with ShahSays genuine Indian nationals didn’t find place in final list

‘Anti-Hindu’ postersagainst Diggy in MPBhopal, Sept. 19: Daysafter senior Congressleader Digvijaya Singhclaimed that people don-ning “saffron robes” werecommitting rapes, someanonymous posters cameup in the city, demandinga ban on his entry toHindu religious places.

The posters, accordingto some people who sawthem, were apparentlyput up around midnightoutside various templesin the city, including theParshuram temple inChar Imli area, by anunidentified right wingbody. However, they wereremoved them in themorning by unidentifiedpersons.

The posters, carryingpictures of the Congressveteran, read: “Hindusamaj ki yahi pukar,Hindu virodhi DigvijayaSingh ke liye mandironke darwaze band hon,band hon HinduSamaj (this is an appeal ofHindu society that doorsof temples should beclosed for anti-HinduDigvijaya Singh).”

Singh kicked up a rowon Tuesday by saying thatpeople donning “saffronrobes” are committingrapes which are takingplace in “temples”, andthus defaming theSanatan Dharma.

He also said that suchacts are “unforgivable”.

Though Singh did nottake names, his com-ments come close on theheels of a Supreme Court-appointed SpecialInvestigation Team (SIT)probing allegations ofrape levelled against BJPleader SwamiChinmayanand by a lawstudent in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress leader,who had kicked up con-troversies in the past aswell with his statements,also said the Sanatandharma is being defamedby such acts.

— PTI

Farm crisis takes new turn

SHAH CHAIRSGOM MEET FORAIR INDIA SALE

Sena, BJP lock hornson seat sharing deal

Gunmen issue diktats to J&Ktraders as situation persists

Search ops on for RJDMLA in sex racket case

ED QUESTIONSK’TAKA MLAOVER DKS CASE

YUSUF JAMEEL | DCSRINAGAR, SEPT. 19

Suspected militants andtheir over-groundactivists have stepped uptheir activities acrossKashmir to gain swayover the persistingumbrage among theValley’s populationagainst the Centre’s abro-gating Article 370 andbifurcating Jammu &Kashmir into two unionterritories (UTs).

Over the past week, gun-men have repeatedlyappeared in variousValley areas to issue dik-tats to traders on when toopen or close their estab-lishments. Vendors andother sections of tradingcommunity too are being“guided” on the choice oftheir working schedule.

Many youth owing alle-giance to the “freedom”cause too have becomeactive on similar lines. Inmost cases, the diktatsissued by them are reli-

giously followed by thetraders and others.

However, groups ofyouth have, in certainplaces, attacked shops foroperating beyond “per-missible” hours. Runningcars and other vehiclestoo have been targeted bythem.

In one such incident, anelectronics store in south-ern Shopian town ownedby one Sajad AhmedChirag was torched by agroup of youth onThursday. In neighbour-ing Kaccha Dora, twotrucks which had arrivedin the village to transportapples out were alsoattacked.

Earlier, several shopswere damaged in similarfashion in Beeru area ofcentral district ofBudgam. In Srinagar,dozens of private carswere damaged and a carwas set ablaze in north-western Baramulla dis-trict in the beginning ofthe week.

The Kashmir Valley hasbeen shut due to a sponta-neous strike by tradersand transporters sinceAugust 5 when theParliament approved aresolution abrogating spe-cial status to J&K underArticle 370 of theConstitution and a bill forsplitting the state into twoUTs.

However, the authoritieshave been able to “encour-age” vendors to resumetheir work in some uptown Srinagar areasincluding ResidencyRoad. The movement ofprivate vehicles on theroads too has increasedlately.

YOJNA GUSAI | DCNew Delhi, Sept 19

With the MaharashtraAssembly electionsapproaching, ruling part-ners — the BJP and ShivSena seem to have lockedhorns over the seat shar-ing formula.

The BJP, sources said, isunwilling to acceptSena’s proposal of con-testing on equal numberof seats and sharing thechief minister’s post.

However, the BJP — the“big brother” in thealliance — is willing togive the deputy chiefminister’s post to theSena, amid speculationthat Sena chief UddhavThackeray’s son and YuvaSena's chief AdityaThackeray will make hiselectoral debut thisAssembly polls.

Sources disclosed thatthe BJP wants both alliesto contest the seats theyhad won during last polls

in 2014 and equally dis-tribute the 103 seatswhich both had lost.

Of these 103 seats, BJP-Sena’s smaller allies willalso get their share.

Of the total 288Assembly berths, the BJPhad won 122 and the Senahad won 63 seats lasttime, when both had contested separatelyas they had failed to agreeon the seat sharing for-mula.

Though the Sena hadbeen under pressure fromits cadre to push for equalnumber of seats to con-test, the BJP camp isunwilling to accede to itsally’s demand.

A section within theSena, it was learnt, haseven suggested to contestalone if an agreement isnot reached over the seatsharing formula.

However, the Sena topbrass is also aware ofPrime Minister NarendraModi’s popularity.


The EnforcementDirectorate (ED) onThursday questionedKarnataka CongressMLA Laxmi Hebbalkarin connection with themoney laundering caseinvolving her seniorparty colleague D.K.Shivakumar.

According to sources,the woman MLA, theinvestigating officer ofthe case recorded herstatement under thePrevention of MoneyLaundering Act, sourcessaid adding that she wasconfronted with thestatements made byShivakumar and othersduring interrogation.

NAYEAR AZAD | DCPATNA, SEPT. 19

The police have intensi-fied its search for RJDMLA Arun Yadav in con-nection with a sex racketcase. The special investi-gation team (SIT) formedto arrest the MLA hadraided his residentialpremises in Patna andBhojpur on Wednesdayevening but he was foundabsconding.

According to sourceshere, the police, unable totrace his location are nowplanning to seek permis-sion from the court forattachment of his proper-ty.

It is alleged in the FIRthat a lady lured a minor

girl on the pretext of get-ting education andemployment and took herto Patna where the MLAalong with others rapedher. According to thepolice, the girl in her com-plaint, said that she ranaway from a house inPatna, where she was heldcaptive by the woman anda person who used to runa sex racket.

The girl claimed that

Arun Yadav’s official resi-dence in Patna was amongseveral places where shewas sexually abused.

The POCSO court takingcognizance of the matterhas already issued a non-bailable warrant againstthe MLA who went intohiding after the policerecorded the victim’sstatement under section164 of the IPC at the Aracourt recently.

The police investigatingthe case said that theMLA’s mobile phone wasalso put under the surveil-lance but it has not beenused for the last 48 hours.

The bodyguards provid-ed by the administrationhave also been with-drawn.

New Delhi, Sept. 19: AGroup of Ministers(GoM), headed by Homeminister Amit Shah, onThursday met to workout modalities for thesale of Air India, whichhas a debt burden ofover `58,000 crore.

Finance ministerNirmala Sitharaman,Commerce and railwayminister Piyush Goyaland Civil aviation minis-ter Hardeep Singh Puriattended the meeting.

“I am not in a positionto make any announce-ment. Please allow theprocess to move for-ward. However, it was aproductive meetingwhere all issues con-cerned were discussed.The process will com-mence now,” Puri toldreporters after the hour-long meeting.

Sources said the GoMdiscussed the modalitiesfor the sale of Air India.

— PTI

Home minister Amit Shah meets West Bengal ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi on Thursday.

— PTI

SRIDHAR KUMARASWAMINEW DELHI, SEPT. 19

Following the refusal ofPakistan to allow the VVIPAir India One aircraft —that will carry PrimeMinister Narendra Modi tothe United States — to over-fly its airspace, Foreignsecretary Vijay Gokhalesaid that Islamabad“should realise the folly ofits actions” and that ifPakistan “is in violation ofnorms of the InternationalCivil AviationOrganisation (ICAO)”,India could “consider”approaching the ICAO. Hehowever said that at the

moment, “there is no inten-tion to do so”. He indicatedthat Pakistan’s actionswere not those of a “nor-mal” country.

In response to a question,foreign secretary VijayGokhale said, “So far asairspace is concerned, itwas a rather unfortunatesituation where the coun-try denies overflight to thehead of state or Head ofGovernment of anothercountry but this is truewhen the country(Pakistan) is a normalcountry. We have made ourposition very clear. Wehope that Pakistan willrealise the folly of its

actions. As far as going toany international organi-sation is concerned, wewill take a look at that. Sofar there is no intention todo so. But if they are in vio-lation of regulations of theInternational CivilAviation Organisation

(ICAO), there is a possibili-ty we can certainly consid-er that.

Earlier on Wednesday,India had reacted angrily,with the MEA saying, “Weregret the decision of theGovernment of Pakistan todeny overflight clearance

for the VVIP special flightfor a second time in twoweeks, which is otherwisegranted routinely by anynormal country.

Pakistan should reflectupon its decision to deviatefrom well established inter-national practice, as wellas reconsider its old habitof misrepresenting the rea-sons for taking unilateralaction.”

Less than two weeks afterPakistan refused permis-sion for the Air India OneVVIP flight carryingPresident Ram NathKovind to use its airspaceto fly to Iceland, it had onWednesday refused a

request permission to over-fly its airspace for anotherVVIP Air India One flightthat will fly with PrimeMinister Narendra Modion board.

In a statement, PakistanForeign Minister ShahMahmood Qureshi wasquoted as saying, “Indiahad requested Pakistan toallow Modi to use its air-space to travel to Germanyon the 21st (Sept) andreturn on 28th (Sept).

In the light of the currentsituation in Kashmir,India’s attitude and atroci-ties there, we have decidedto not allow our airspacefor the flight of the Indian

prime minister.”India’s Air India One air-

craft carry the country’sthree VVIPs—-President,Vice-President and PrimeMinister—-on overseasofficial visits.

PM Modi is scheduled tofly to the US in time toaddress the

American-Indian com-munity at Houston, Texas,in the presence of USPresident Donald Trumpon September 22.

The aircraft is expected tonow fly over the Arabian Sea and be refu-elled in the German city ofFrankfurt en route to theUS.

‘Pak will realise folly of denying PM its airspace’Foreign secy says India may consider raising issue with Intl Civil Aviation OrganisationAIRSPACE | ISSUES

■ ■ The police, who areunable to trace theMLA's location, arenow planning to seekpermission from thecourt for attachment ofhis property

■ ■ The posters wereapparently put uparound midnight out-side various temples inBhopal

■ ■ Groups of youthhave attacked someshops in the KashmirValley for operatingbeyond permissiblehours while runningcars are also notspared.

We have made our position very clear. Wehope that Pakistan will realise the folly of itsactions.

As far as going to any international organisation is con-cerned, we will take a look at that.

— VIJAY GOKHALEForeign secy

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Washington, Sept 19: AsTibetans start grapplingwith the once unthink-able prospect of the octo-genarian Dalai Lama’spassing, the United Statesis looking to lay down ared line against Chinahandpicking his succes-sor. Through a warningfrom a senior official anda legislation is under con-

sideration in Congress,the US is hoping to makeclear in advance thatBeijing would face inter-national opprobrium if ittries to take over the rein-carnation process. At 84,the 14th Dalai Lama hasslowed his once incessanttravel down a notch andwas hospitalized for achest infection. — AFP

UN chief denies keeping mum against China over MuslimsUnited Nations, Sept. 19:Secretary-General AntonioGuterres has stronglyrejected claims by fivehuman rights groups that hehasn’t condemned theChinese government’sdetention of more than amillion Muslims in theXinjiang region, saying hehas spoken out forcefully.

“I don’t think anyone has

been more persistent andmore clear in talking to theChinese authorities in rela-tion to this issue thanmyself,” he told reporters onWednesday.

“It is absolutely not truethat I’ve only done discreetdiplomacy.”

On the contrary, Guterressaid that during his visit toBeijing in April, “I not only

did raise the issue, but Imade it public.”

The five rights groups saidin a letter to the secretary-general circulated onTuesday that he would makean important contributionto addressing “one of themost pressing human rightsissues of our time” byspeaking out againstChina’s internment of the

Uighurs and members ofother predominantlyMuslim ethnic groups andcalling for the immediateclosure of detention campsfor them.

The letter was signed byHuman Rights Watch,Amnesty International, theInternational Commissionof Jurists, the InternationalFederation for Human

Rights and the WorldUighur Conference.

Guterres said he told theChinese “that it is veryimportant to act in a waythat each community feelsthat their identity is respect-ed and that they belong, atthe same time, to the societyas a whole.”

“There couldn’t be a moreclear message,” he said.

“So, if there is an areawhere I believe I’ve beendoing publicly much morethan many other leadersaround the world (it) isthis.”

Guterres said he will con-tinue acting to guaranteethat “all human rights in allcircumstances are fullyrespected in that situation.”

— AP

US LAYS DOWN LINE WITH CHINAON THE NEXT DALAI LAMA

20 SEPTEMBER 2019

Mumbai needs the Metro. It can strengthen the public transport net-work of India’s “Maximum City” and prove, as is being adver-tised, to be its clever “solution for (air) pollution”. It will alsospare a large number of citizens using the Mumbai local train net-

work their daily struggle for space.To bring the Metro car to these citizens, the Mumbai Metro Rail

Corporation, along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, hasbeen planning since 2015 to build a yard on 74 acres in Aarey Milk Colony, asuburb in the eastern part of the city. What, however, is the cost of this plan?Not much, say the authorities, it is 2,700 fully grown trees — and an ecosys-tem comprising 290 wild species, of which five, including leopards, are onthe IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. Newspecies of jumping spiders were discovered here as late as in 2016. There are27 Adivasi villages in the colony, the residents of which complain of movesto declare these as slums and of a “sense that they are being targeted”.

But environmentalists have warned that deforestation in Aarey Colony,which serves as a giant soakpit in the catchment area of the Mithi, can leadto worse flooding next year, dividing Twitterati. Among the political parties,

the BJP is backing the project. The ShivSena, the Congress and the NCP see it as“overgovernance” and “vote politics”.

So what is the fresh solution to this dilem-ma? Relocation. Why not move the project tonearby Kanjurmarg, where unlitigated landis still available? The MMRC contends that itis too expensive. In that case, why not cancelthe 36-km road planned along Mumbai'swestern coast as well as the `3,600-croreShivaji statue project that will also requiretaking land from the sea at a huge financialand environmental cost? That money can beused towards sparing Aarey and improvingthe local train system. For the 2,700 trees cutdown, the MMRC has promised to plant

13,000 trees in 30 days. Reports say that 56 per cent of the 1,483 trees trans-planted by MMRC are already dead and that number is increasing.Significantly, the official tender issued by MMRC for felling of trees statesthat it is in possession of 62 hectares of land. It has told the Supreme Courtthat it will use not 30, but 65, hectares in Aarey. There are plans to build aMetro Bhavan and a regional transport office of the Maharashtra motorvehicles department in Aarey. Perhaps pertinently, Aarey’s loss of greencover has been subtle and steady. Three cases are currently being heard onAarey. Two of them, originally filed in the National Green Tribunal and theBombay high court, are in the Supreme Court. A third petition filed in thehigh court has resulted in a ruling by a bench led by Chief Justice PradeepNandrajog that stayed the cutting of trees till September 30.

The battle to save Aarey now seems set for the long haul.

Will Metro punctureMumbai’s green lung?

Significantly, the official tender issued

by MMRC for fellingof trees states that it

is in possession of62 hectares of land.

It has told theSupreme Court that

it will use not 30, but65, hectares in Aarey Colony.

c m y k c m y k

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul.

If you want to run, run a mile. If you want toexperience a different life, run a marathon.

MAHATMA GANDHIMIND POWER

EMIL ZATOPEK PAGE

10EditFRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABADDECCAN CHRONICLE

He was a Falstaff in his drink-ing and in his celebration oflife, but his greatness lay inhis friendships. Like his

closest friend Nick Scott, who left ustwo and a half years ago, he roamedthe world making friends and beingas generous to them as a fairy godfa-ther. The years, with all their disap-pointments, teach us caution, butTim Hoare remained reckless to theend. Here he is in a high life columnfrom 15 years ago:

We hit a hurricane while sailing offthe Riviera last week, a hurricanecalled Tim Hoare. I have never in mylong life met anyone quite like him.The words, in posh English vintage1940s tones, tumble out so fast,enwrapped in alliteration and soclogged with onomatopoeia, that apoor little Greek boy like me missesthree out of every four.

On that particular trip, Tim’s pri-vate plane blew an engine mid-flightand was circling uncontrollably. Hewas alone with the two pilots. So herang us but failed to tell us he was in

trouble. He just said that he might bea while. He spent only one night onBushido and presented me with thegrandest and most beautiful oldCartier lighter. It is half-a-foot highand was made in the 1920s. A frienddescribed him as Falstaffian in girth,too, with a booming voice. He wasgenerous to a fault, extremely intelli-gent and well read, and atop it all wasan abundant shock of jet-black hair.He and Bob Geldof were like broth-ers and made a very strange couple:the rich old Etonian clubman and theproud and exceedingly talentedIrishman playing the poor Irish ladscrounging a living. Nick Scott wasthe third musketeer.

Now it looks as if things are comingto an end, like an Agatha Christienovel only without the mystery ofwho’s next. Three of us in the merryband of Pugs are in our eighties, butit is not fear of the man in the whitesuit that is the problem. It’s missingthose who have recently left us. Timnever lost touch with the overflow-ing joy and curiosity of the young.

And, like the young, he remainedconfident of the future despite thedegradation of our culture.

His wife Ginny and his five chil-dren from three marriages handedus a copy of Whale Tales, a collectionwritten by friends about him thatreflects the uniquely varied life heled: sailing against Roger Taylor,Bob Miller and me, and goingstraight through a nature reservewhere no boats were allowed inorder to snatch victory; charteringthe most expensive sailing boat everin order to beat Bob Miller in Capriand, having confidently given him-self the worst handicap ever, beingunable to move an inch, as if the boatwere attached to the Italian seabedby a giant spike through its deck (hedid almost lose his temper that time);gallivanting all over Turkey in a fan-tastic old Edwardian steamer, andsomehow losing Sarah Fergusonoverboard, then finding her again,Fergie emerging from the seassquealing “Soopah!”

Then there was the time he flew to

New York with his partner RichardNorthcott to close a $100 million filmdeal. He lost patience with the squab-bling, and appointed Roger and Alanto represent Richard and him, beforegoing for a very liquid lunch. Thetrouble was that neither Roger norAlan was in the room. Still, RichardNorthcott thought Tim the best cor-porate thinker ever.

Richard gave a wonderful lunchbeforehand in the pub he owns nearhis house and Tim’s beautiful 18th-century Hollycombe House. Butwhat impressed me most aboutTim’s funeral was the attendance.Ginny and the children were in thefront row, of course, and all of hisfriends were there at a day’s notice.Prince Pavlos of Greece, with wifeand daughter, flew over from NewYork, roughing it in the air asHurricane Dorian raged over theAtlantic. Ditto Roger Taylor and BobGeldof. Arki Busson made it to thechurch on time from the Bahamas.Prince Nikolaos of Greece came overfrom Athens, and so it went with peo-

ple flying in from all over Europe.After a wonderful speech by the RevdNicoll about Christ, the continuity offriendship and the life eternal, myspirits lifted. I sat with Geldof andRoger Taylor, the Bismarcks and theCowdrays, David Linley, Mark Gettyand Nick Scott’s older brotherAnthony.

Harry Hoare spoke to us about hisfather: as a little boy he had spottedsome scars on Tim’s stomach andasked about them. Tim said theywere from a fight with a lion. It thenbecame a fight with a leopard. WhenHarry grew up, he realised that theywere stretch marks. Oh well. What Ilove about Britain is that a funeral isa celebration of the dead, not anoccasion to look sad and depressedand spill tears. In Germany, Italy andGreece, telling a funny story is seenas an insult to the departed. The bestsend-off ever for the most generousand wonderful of men.

By arrangement with the Spectator

Goodbye TimHoare, of the

booming voiceand big heart

Does BJP desire to ruleIndia like China’s Reds?

Addressing theN a t i o n a lManagementConventionof the All

India Management Asso-ciation earlier this week,Union home ministerAmit Shah, whileemphatically declaringthat India will be a $5trillion economy andpraising the NarendraModi government for itsbold and decisive acts,raised doubts about theusefulness of a multi-party polity. He said thatthe debates of theConstituent Assemblyshowed that the found-ing fathers had hopedthat a multi-partydemocracy would createa welfare state, but after70 years it seems that thepeople have realised thatmulti-party democracyhas not succeeded. ThePress InformationBureau, in its redoubt ofthe home minister’sspeech, quoted him assaying: “But after nearly70 years ofIndependence, there wasa question in the mindsof the people whether thevision of the foundingfathers had beenrealised. Whether themulti-party democraticsystem had failed to ful-fil the aspirations of thecitizens of the country?”

The spokespersons ofthe government and ofthe party are sure to saythat Mr Shah had madethe remark in passing,and that his focus wasmore on the decision-making abilities of theModi government com-pared to the ManmohanSingh government’s“policy paralysis”. Theywould also say that therewas no need for concernor apprehension abouthis passing remark onthe issue of multi-partydemocracy. But thespokespersons’ take can-not be accepted withoutcaveats.

It is true that the themeof Mr Shah’s speech wasnot about the party sys-tem in India, and that itwas about the virtues

and achievements of theModi government in thepast five years, andtherefore his commenton the issue of the per-ceived failure of themulti-party system can-not be treated as a con-sidered view either ofthe Modi government orof the BJP. It cannot,however, be denied thatMr Shah himself seemsto consider the multi-party democratic systemin India to be ineffectiveand a failure. And it can-not be denied that he israising questions aboutthe keystone of a liberaldemocracy, whichaffirms the principle of amulti-party democracy.

Political scientists andpolitical philosophersfrom Plato’s time havealways lamented the fac-tionalism andinternecine feuds in ademocratic system, butthe lived experience ofdemocracies in Europe,America and parts ofAsia and Africa hasshown that a multi-partydemocratic system is aprotection against thedomination of a singleparty and a singleleader. The problemsand challenges posed bythe existence of manyparties jostling witheach for power and influ-ence are never in ques-tion. But it was foundthat it is the apparentanarchy of a multi-partydemocracy that guaran-tees the liberty of thepeople. It prevents theemergence of a dictator,however popular anddemocratic he may be.

It has also been a popu-lar talking point

whether CommunistParty-ruled China’s suc-cessful emergence as aneconomic superpowerwas due to the fact that itdid not have to contendwith the irritations of apolitical opposition andthat decisions for build-ing the country could betaken and implementedwithout much ado, andthat the stumbling blockin India’s economicprogress was its democ-racy. This debate hasbeen raging withinIndia, especially amongthe middle classes, andmany a time the ultra-nationalists have arguedthat it is worth dumpingdemocracy if Indianscould be provided thebasic amenities of lifeand India could be madea stronger country.

The opposite view thatit is worth preservingIndia’s democracy andthat economic progresswould be achieved moreefficiently through ademocratic governmentthan through the author-itarian rule of a singleparty. The more persua-sive argument in favourof democracy has beenthat innovation in tech-nology is possible in theconducive atmosphere ofdemocracy, which isbased on freedom ofthought and expression.Nobel laurate and BJP’sbete noir Amartya Senhas always held thatIndia’s achievementswere better and superiorto those of China’sbecause of India’sdemocracy.

It is Mr Shah’s democ-ratic right to cast doubtsabout the efficacy of themulti-party democraticsystem in India. It is alsothe case that there are alarge number of middle-class people who wouldconcur with Mr Shah’sview. It is legitimate tocritique the wobbly --and who can deny that itis not wobbly -- multi-party democratic order,

but if it is to be a preludefor transforming Indiainto a single-partydemocracy, then thealarm bells should beringing across the coun-try. From 1952 to 1967,the Congress was thesingle dominant party inthe country, but no onein the Congress had sug-gested that India shoulddo away with multi-party democracy. It istrue that there weremany who had arguedthat India should have atwo-party system on thelines of theConservatives andLabour in Britain andthe Republicans andDemocrats in the UnitedStates. But it was a fore-gone conclusion that in adiverse polity like that ofIndia, the Anglo-Saxonmodel of a two-party sys-tem would not work, atleast not without consid-erable modifications.

Mr Shah’s passing ref-erence to the failure ofthe multi-party democra-cy in the country isaccompanied by his eulo-gy, which is but natural,of the efficient decision-making of the Modi gov-ernment of the past fiveyears, and how the goalof a $5 trillion economywould ensure that everyIndian would own ahouse, have a bankaccount, electricity athome and road connec-tivity by 2022. The impli-cation is clear -- that therule of the BJP is benefi-cial to the country, andthat the existence ofother parties would onlybe an impediment inmaking the country pros-perous and the peoplesecure and comfortable.

According to BJPworking president J.P.Nadda, the latest mem-bership drive has raisedthe figure of BJP mem-bers from 11 crores in2014 to 18 crores in 2019.And Mr Nadda has dis-closed that there areplaces where all votersare also members of theBJP. If Mr Shah’s con-demnation of the multi-party system and theBJP’s membershiptsunami is juxtaposed,the dystopia of BJP-ruled India on the linesof the Communist Party-ruled China looms men-acingly on the horizon.

The writer is a Delhi-based commentator and

analyst

Mr Shah’s passingreference to the

failure of the multi-party democracy in

the country isaccompanied by his

eulogy, which isbut natural, of theefficient decision-

making of the Modigovernment...

If Mr Shah’s con-demnation of themulti-party systemand the BJP’smembership tsuna-mi is juxtaposed,the dystopia ofBJP-ruled India onthe lines of theCommunist Party-ruled China looms...

Subhani

Taki

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

INDO-US SPACEACCORD FOR FARM

PROGRESSNEW DELHI, SEPT. 19.India and the United States

have signed a co-operative spaceagreement which, observerssay, may serve as a model tohelp improve living conditionsin the developing world.

Under the agreement, the firstof its kind, the United States willlaunch in mid-1972 an advanceboard casting satellite whichIndia will use to beam instruc-tional programmes on farming,family planning and educationdirectly to 5,000 villages northcentral India with 10 to 20 mil-lion people. The satellite, calledApplications Technology Satel-lite Six (ATS-6), will be capableof broadcasting directly toantenna-equipped schools andcommunity centres.

50 YEARS AGO IN

DECCAN CHRONICLE

A.T. JAYANTI T. VENKATESWARLUEditor Printer & Publisher

DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at:

Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad - 500 003, Ph: 040-27803930-4; Fax : 040-27805256Vijayawada: No.C-3 & 4 Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.), Ph: 0866-2555284/2555287; Telefax: 0866-2555234Visakhapatnam: Survey No.1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony,Visakhapatnam - 530 017 (A.P), Ph: 0891-2552333/2552334; Fax: 0891-2755285Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawaleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry, Ph: 0883-2417618/2417208; Telefax: 0883-2417208Anantapur: Thapovan colony, Bangalore By-Pass Road, Anantapur - 515004, Ph: 08554-276903; Fax:08554-276904Karimnagar: Survey No.1341, Vavilalapally Colony, Jagityala Road, Karimnagar - 505 001, Ph: 0878-2228908; Telefax: 0878-2220433Nellore: Survey No.527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemmudugunta Panchayat, Nellore,Ph: 0861-2348581/82; Telefax: 0861-2348580Chennai: SP-3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032, Ph: 044-22254747/48/50/51; Advt Fax: 22254765/22254766/42305325Bengaluru: 5th Floor, BMTC Commercial Complex, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala, Bengaluru-560 095 Ph:080-43460500; Fax: 080-22960552. Coimbatore: 77, Vivekananda Road, Ramnagar, Coimbatore - 641 009, Ph : 0422 2231255Kochi: No.3-B, 3rd Floor of DD TRADE TOWER, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Ernakulam, Ph: 0484-4039408Thiruvananthapuram: St Joseph�s Press, TC 15/1040, Cotton Hill, Thycaud (PO), Thiruvananthapuram695 014 Kozhikode: Door No 6/1002 E, First Floor of City Mall, Opp. YMCA, Kannur Road, Kozhikode - 673001, Fax : 0495 4019 018Gram: CHRONICLE Postal registration no: No. H/SD-348/2006-08

LETTERSDENGUE EPIDEMICThe report ‘Governmentfinds denial cure’ (DC,Sept. 19) is truly shocking.It reveals the extent ofineptitude that this govern-ment has displayed towardsuffering of the peoplefrom simultaneous assaultof a variety of viruses, fromdengue to chikungunya.Since these are spread viathe aedes aegypti mosqui-to, it is of paramountimportance that properdocumentation and notifi-cation are done. The gov-ernment should focusurgently on healthcare sys-tem — lest Hyderabad beknown as Dengupura orChikungunyabad!

Ramesh S. PaiHyderabad

E-CIGARETTE BANThe government’s move to ban e-cigarettes is welcome and onehopes that other tobacco productsin different forms would also bebanned, unless they would beallowed to stay on for sake of votebank politics. Unless grown upsstop consuming anything not forgood health, such bans would nothave the desired effect.

N. NagarajanHyderabad

Every Monday the best letter of theweek wins `300. Email your letters

to [email protected], [email protected], or faxthem to 27805256. You can also

send them to Editor, DeccanChronicle, 36, Sarojini Devi Road,

Secunderabad-500 003.

The e-cigarette ban may stem the spread of vaping as an epidemicamong youth, the group most vulnerable to addictive substances. E-cigarettes come in handy sizes that are easy to hide, enabling stu-

dents to cheat parents and teachers. As a stand-alone measure to addressa problem, India’s ban must be lauded. But far more harmful substanceslike tobacco and gutka are still freely available. Users may have been toldthese substances are carcinogenic, but awareness is one thing, availabili-ty quite another. Big Tobacco, like Big Pharma, lives by its own rules. Thetobacco lobby can steamroll past obstacles to keep the multi-billion dollartrade intact, despite restrictive curbs like graphic pictorial warnings andbrand-less packaging.

The revenue the tobacco industry generates far outstrips the “sin taxes”imposed by governments. E-cigarettes are just another, if sophisticated,form of marketing addictive nicotine, for which users were used to burn-ing paper, leaf and tar in cigarettes and bidis, considered more harmfulthan the alkaloid. “Cancer cures smoking” was a catchy slogan to dis-suade smokers, of whom countless millions died from cancer or lung ill-nesses. But no government in the world has been able to rein in tobaccofarmers or manufacturers. Indians are exposed to the greater hazards ofgutka and pan masala. Even in a state like Tamil Nadu, where gutka wasbanned, a corruption scandal involving thousands of crores was exposed,but that didn’t stop it from reaching users/abusers. Narcotics may pre-date tobacco as the original destroyers of the human body and soul, buttobacco has had an extended run and opioids are challenging them fordestructive space. Banning e-cigarettes is just a fig leaf — of acting for thepublic good over substances that kill.

E-cigarette ban not enough

WorldFRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABADDECCAN CHRONICLE

TipsterDonald Trump says he carriescash in his back pocket as heloves giving tips at the hotels

UK must deliver aproposal by the end

of this month toavoid no-deal Brexit

— Antti RinneFinland Prime Minister

IN BRIEFUS monument to be

opened after 3-yearsWashington: After a three-

year closure, the Washi-ngton Monument is reopen-ing to public. The 555-footstone obelisk was closed inSeptember 2016 in order to

replace the aging elevatorand upgrade security sys-tems. The monument will

reopen to the public at noonThursday, and first lady

Melania Trump is expectedto attend the ribbon-cuttingceremony. “We’re just excit-

ed to open it again,” saidNational Park Service

Spokesman Mike Litterst,during a Wednesday tour of

the site. “The views from up here are like nothing

else.”

Thieves in $2.2 mnjewel theft identifiedParis: French authorities saysix unidentified thieves havebroken into one of France’smost opulent chateaus, tiedup its owners and escaped

with at least 2 million euros’($2.2 million) worth of jewelsand cash. Prosecutor Batrice

Angelelli-Lamotte said thatpolice was hunting for per-

petrators after the overnightrobbery at the Vaux-le-

Vicomte Chateau. The prose-cutor said the thieves were

not armed and the owners, acouple in their 80s, were not

injured. The 17th-centurychateau’s Baroque glamourattracted stars from around

the world notably for the2007 wedding of Desperate

Housewives actor EvaLongoria and NBA star Tony

Parker.

New Aussie law tosave Barrier Reef

Sydney: Australia introducedstricter new laws to limit

agricultural run-off into thewaters surrounding the Great

Barrier Reef on Thursday, inan attempt to save the reef

and keep its prized worldheritage status. The world’s

largest coral reef systemfaces multiple threats to its

survival, most notably risingsea temperatures caused byclimate change, water pollu-tion and coral-eating crownof thorns starfish. Australiain August downgraded thereef’s long-term outlook to

“very poor” for the first time.Queensland state parliament

approved laws aimed atreducing sediment and pesti-

cide run-off from farms.

S. KOREA FINDSSERIAL KILLERAFTER 33 YRS

Seoul, Sept. 19: South Koreanpolice identified a suspect inone of the country’s mostnotorious serial murder casesmore than 30 years after thefirst of the 10 killings, theysaid on Thursday.

Between 1986 and 1991 morethan two million police offi-cers — a record for a singlecase — were mobilised to tryand find the person who rapedand murdered women in ruralparts of Hwaseong, south ofSeoul. They investigated some21,000 individuals and com-pared the fingerprints ofaround 20,000 more withoutsuccess, and the case inspiredSouth Korean filmmaker BongJoon-ho’s 2003 box office hitMemories of Murder.

But using the latest forensictechniques to retrieve DNAfrom long-past crimes officershave identified Lee Chun-jae,56, as a suspect in at leastthree of the killings, said BanGi-soo of the Gyeonggi NambuProvincial Police Agency.

Samples collected from evi-dence including a victim'sunderwear matched withLee’s, the police said.

The suspect is currentlyserving a life sentence for rap-ing and murdering his sister-in-law in 1994, but deniesinvolvement in the Hwaseongmurders and the statute oflimitations has expired, mean-ing he will not be prosecuted,police added.

Forest fires and life

An orangutan climbs a tree in a forest blanketed by haze from forest fires at a Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) pre-release site onKaja Island, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia on Thursday. Indonesia’s fires are an annual problem that strains relations with neighbouring coun-tries. The smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand in a noxious haze. — AP

Gantz insists onbeing Israel PMJerusalem, Sept. 19:Benjamin Netanyahu’smain challenger BennyGantz on Thursday pre-sented himself as thenext prime minister,hours after the embattledIsraeli premier urged theBlue and White leader tojoin him in forming aunity government toavoid a third election.With 98 per cent of thevotes counted, Gantz’sBlue and White party haswon 33 seats whileNetanyahu’s Likud secu-red 31 seats in 120-mem-ber Israeli Parliament.

Netanyahu’s bloc, com-prised of right-wing andultra-Orthodox parties,currently stands at 55seats. The centre-left blochas 57 seats.

President Reuven Rivlinwill begin talks with theparties on Sunday to seewho they might recom-mend to form the nextgovernment, a statementfrom his office said.

The announcementcame after 60-year-oldGantz said he intends toform and lead a “broad,liberal, unity govern-ment.” “After an electionthat was forced on Israel,(people) voted and made aclear choice. The peoplevoted for unity and KaholLavan won the election.It's the biggest party,” headded. He said the Israelipeople wanted a unitygovernment after the lastelection too and vowed toform a “broad, liberalunity government.”

“In order to form aunity government, one

can’t come with politicalblocs and spins,” Gantzsaid, referring to theright-wing religiousbloc’s move to recom-mend Netanyahu as thenext PM after no clearwinner emerged in theunprecedented repeatpolls. “You come withresponsibility and seri-ousness. I attend to actaccordingly,” Gantz wasquoted as saying by theHaaretz.

Gantz said he will notaccept any dictates.“There will be no short-cuts.” His commentscame after 69-year-oldNetanyahu said he want-ed to form a right-winggovernment, but theresults showed it was notpossible. He called onGantz to meet him “at anyhour today” in order tohold discussions for aunity government.“Benny, it’s on us to estab-lish a wide unity govern-ment today. Let’s meettoday. At any time, at anymoment. In order tobegin this process that isdemanded of us at thistime,” he said. — PTI

Iran warns against waras US, allies mull actionAccuses ‘B-Team’ with Pompeo of duping Trump for warDubai/Jeddah, Sept. 19:Iran warned US PresidentDonald Trump on Thurs-day against being draggedinto all-out war in theMiddle East following anattack on Saudi Arabianoil facilities which Wash-ington and Riyadh blameon Tehran.

US Secretary of StateMike Pompeo has desc-ribed the weekend strikethat initially halved Saudioil output as an act of warand has been discussingpossible retaliation withSaudi Arabia and otherGulf allies. Trump onWednesday struck a cau-tious note, saying therewere many options shortof war with Iran, whichdenies involvement in theSeptember 14 strikes. Heordered more sanctions onTehran.

Iran’s foreign ministerresponded by telling CNNthat the Islamic Republic“won’t blink” if it has todefend itself against anyUS or Saudi militarystrike, which he said willlead to “all-out war”.

Mohammed Javad Zarifsaid Pompeo was part of aso-called “B-team”, thatTehran says includesSaudi’s crown prince andis trying to dupe Trumpinto opting for war.

Pompeo said onWednesday the attack wasan act of war against theSaudis. Riyadh, whichcalled the assault a “test ofglobal will”, on Wedne-sday displayed what itdescribed as remnants of25 Iranian drones and mis-siles used in the strike,saying it was undeniableproof of Iranian aggres-sion.

The United Arab Emir-ates on Thursday followedits ally Saudi Arabia inannouncing it was joininga global maritime securitycoalition that Washingtonhas been trying to buildsince a series of explo-sions on oil tankers in

Gulf waters in recentmonths that were alsoblamed on Tehran.

Pompeo, who arrived inthe UAE from SaudiArabia on Thursday, wel-comed the move onTwitter: “Recent eventsunderscore the impor-tance of protecting globalcommerce and freedom ofnavigation.”

Britain and Bahrain pre-viously said they are par-ticipating but mostEuropean countries havebeen reluctant to sign upfor fear of stoking region-al tensions. Iraq said itwould not join the mis-sion, and also rejected anyIsraeli role in it.

Yemen’s Iran-alignedHouthi movement, whichis battling a Saudi-led mil-itary coalition, claimedresponsibility for theassault on two Saudi oilplants, including theworld’s largest processingfacility. US and Saudi offi-cials rejected the claim,saying the attack had notcome from the south.

Kuwait, which said earli-er this week it was investi-gating the detection of adrone over its territory,has put its oil sector onhigh alert and raised secu-rity to the highest level asa precautionary measure.

Oil prices, which soaredfollowing the attack,steadied after SaudiArabia pledged to restorefull oil production by theend of September.

Proof of Iranian respon-sibility, and evidence thatthe attack was launchedfrom Iranian territory,could pressure Riyadhand Washington, whichwant to curb Iranian influ-ence in the region, into aresponse.

Pompeo said the attackswould be a major focus ofnext week’s annual UNGeneral Assembly meet-ing and suggested Riyadhcould make its case there.

— Reuters

TRUDEAU ADMITS‘BROWNFACE’ INPHOTO ‘RACIST’Ottawa, Sept. 19:Canadian PM Justin Tr-udeau, a fervent advo-cate of multiculturalismintegral to Canadianidentity, apologised onWednesday for wearingbrownface makeup to aparty at a school wherehe taught 18 years ago.

Time published thephotograph one weekinto a federal electioncampaign with Trud-eau’s Liberal Party in atight fight against theConservatives. — AFP

SUICIDE BOMB INAFGHAN HOSPITALKILLS 20, HURTS 90Kabul, Sept. 19: A pow-erful early morning sui-cide truck bomb devas-tated a hospital in Afgh-anistan on Thursday,killing at least 20 peopleand wounding over 90others, an official said.

The Taliban took resp-onsibility for the attack,which destroyed part ofthe hospital in Qalat, thecapital of southernZabul province, and lefta fleet of ambulancesbroken and battered.

Residents, many ofwhom had come to seetheir sick family mem-bers, used shawls andblankets to carry thewounded inside thedestroyed building,while authorities scram-bled to take the worst ofthe wounded to hospitalsin nearby Kandahar.

In the early hours afterthe explosion there werecontradictory figures ofthe dead and wounded.The provincial gover-nor’s spokesman GulIslam Seyal put thedeath toll at 12 but saidauthorities were on thescene sifting through thedebris. — AP

Buenos Aires, Sept. 19:In South America’s capitalof romance, Argentinelovers are cutting back onone important cost: con-traception. Amid a bitingrecession, a sharp curren-cy devaluation and painfulinflation, sales of condomsand birth control pillshave tumbled, pharma-cists and manufacturerssay.

“The devaluation of thepeso is killing me,” actorand comic GuillermoAquino jests in one viral

video, in which a youngman apologises to a poten-tial partner, saying he hasonly one condom left untilthe end of the year.

“I love you, it’s not you,it’s the socio-economic sit-uation,” adds thehumorist. Underneath thecomedy is a bleaker reality.

South American’s No. 2economy is expected toshrink 2.6 per cent thisyear and is grappling with50 per cent-plus annualinflation. The peso curren-cy has lost two thirds of its

value against the dollarsince the start of 2018,hammering imports andconsumption.

Domestic sales of cars,wines and meat havedipped as wallets havebeen squeezed. Industry

sources estimated condomsales are down 8% sincethe start of the year com-pared to 2018, and havefallen by a quarter overrecent months as the eco-nomic crisis has wors-ened.

Most condoms, or thematerials needed to makethem, are imported, so aweaker currency has animmediate impact on theprice, up some 36 per centsince the start of the year,said Felipe Kopelowicz,president of Kopelco, man-

ufacturer of Tulipán andGentleman condombrands. Sales of birth con-trol pill sales are alsodown - 6 per cent for theyear and by a fifth morerecently, pharmacists said.

Isabel Reinoso, presidentof the Argentina Pharma-ceutical Confederation,told Reuters price risesmeant thousands ofwomen were going off thepill.

“It’s around 144,000women who have stoppedtaking contraceptives each

month,” she said.Public health experts

said the issue could aggra-vate levels of sexuallytransmitted disease.

“When you’re just think-ing about getting by day today, health is often relegat-ed and sexual health,which is still taboo and haslittle support, even moreso,” said Mar Lucas, pro-gramme director at Funda-ción Huésped, an Argen-tine non-profit organisa-tion fighting HIV.

— Reuters

Economic crisis hits Argentine condom sales South America’s No. 2 economy might shrink 2.6% with 50% annual inflationLOVE | ALL

Tokyo, Sept. 19: AJapanese court onThursday cleared threeenergy firm bosses ofprofessional negligencein the only criminaltrial stemming from the2011 Fukushimanuclear meltdown.

The three men weresenior officials at theTEPCO firm operatingthe Fukushima Daiichiplant and had faced upto five years in prison ifconvicted.

“All defendants arenot guilty,” the presid-ing judge said, rulingthat the executivescould not have predict-ed the scale of thetsunami that over-whelmed the plant andtriggered the accident.

The decision is likelyto be appealed, extend-ing the legal wranglingover responsibility forthe worst nuclear acci-dent since Chernobyl,more than eight yearsafter the disaster.

Outside the court-room, dozens of peoplestaged a rally, includingsome who had travelledfrom Fukushima regionto hear the verdict.

“It is absolutely anunjust ruling. We can-not accept this,” onewoman said angrily,addressing the crowd.

“We will appeal thisand continue our fight,”shouted a man nearby.TEPCO declined to com-ment on the verdict.

— Agencies

■ ■ PESO currency haslost two-thirds of itsvalue against dollar

■ ■ SALES OF cars,wines and meat havealso dipped

■ ■ GANTZ’S Blue andWhite party has won33 seats whileNetanyahu’s Likudsecured 31 seats in120-member IsraeliParliament.

■ ■ HE was againstNetanyahu as PMagain after such aproposal was floated

Nasa captures moon landing siteHouston, Sept. 19: As thedeadline to re-establishcommunication withChandrayaan-2’s Vikramlander nears, Nasa’s Moonorbiter has capturedimages of the lunar regionwhere the Indian missionmade an unsuccessfulattempt to soft-land, a sen-ior official with the USspace agency confirmedon Thursday.

Nasa’s LunarReconnaissance Orbiter(LRO) spacecraft hassnapped a series of images

during its flyby onSeptember 17 of Vikram’sattempted landing sightnear the Moon's unchart-ed south pole.

It flew over the area ofthe Vikram landing sitewhen local lunar time wasnear dusk; large shadowscovered much of the area,LRO Mission deputy proj-ect scientist John Kellersaid in a statement to PTI.

The probability of estab-lishing contact with thelander has a deadline ofSeptember 21 because

after that the Moon regionwill enter into a lunarnight.

“The LRO Cameraacquired images aroundthe targeted landing site,but the exact location ofthe lander was not knownso the lander may not be inthe camera field of view,”Keller said.

“The LROC team willanalyse these new imagesand compare them to pre-vious images to see if thelander is visible (it may bein shadow or outside the

imaged area),” Keller said.NASA will make the

results of the September17 flyover available assoon as possible after anecessary period of vali-dation, analysis, andreview, Keller said.

According to the IndianSpace ResearchOrganisation (ISRO), thelander Vikram and roverPragyan were supposed tobe functional only for 14days from the day of theirtouchdown.

— PTI

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Saudi Arabia’sCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah. — AFP

Lebanese soldiers show journalists an Israeli drone that crashed in Beirut in Augustduring a press meet to announce results of an investigation into the incident, at theLebanese Defence Ministry in Yarzeh near Beirut, Lebanon on Thursday. — AP

Lebanon exposes Israel

Energy heads getcleared in N-trial

FRIDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HYDERABAD

■ Says Govt has little fiscal space to act

Mumbai, Sept. 19: Aftersurprising everyone withfour successive rate cutsthis year, Reserve BankGovernor Shakti-kantaDas Thursday said “thereis more room” to do sogiven the growth decelera-tion and stable inflation that is likely tostay below target for ayear or so.

However, the governorwas quick to add thatthere is little fiscal spacefor the government tounveil any countercyclicalmeasures to boost the sag-ging growth and the onlyway to revive the growthengine is to front-load thebudgeted capex, hintingthat only an easy moneypolicy can help salvagethe situation.

Since assuming chargemid-December, the Das-ledrate- setting panel hasdelivered four successiverates cuts, with the fourthone last month being themost surprising andunconventional one as hechose to deliver a 35 bpsrepo cut.

With that the RBI has

delivered a cumulative 110bps repo reduction sinceFebruary, yanking downthe key benchmark rate toa nine-year low of 5.40 percent.

“When we see that theprice stability is main-tained and inflation ismuch below the 4-percentmandate and is expectedto be so in the next 12months horizon, there's aroom for more rate cutsespecially when growthhas slowed down,” Dastold Bloomberg India eco-nomic summit this

evening.On the shrill calls from

industry for fiscal meas-ures in the form of taxcuts, Das said, “the gov-ernment must front-loadthe budgeted spending asit has little fiscal space forany counter-cyclical meas-ures to boost growth.”

Stating that there is littlespace for fiscal expansion,Das said, “so far as the fis-cal side is concerned, thegovernment has by andlarge remained prudent.They have not announcedany countercyclical meas-ures that would have leadto fiscal expansion. Mostof these things announcedare non-fiscal.

“I think the fiscal spaceis itself very limited.Fiscal deficit at 3.3 percentborrowings by PSUs bothput together there is verylittle space. But what isthe internal position ofthe govt with regard to taxcollection, how muchexpenditure is likely to bematerialised, that is some-thing the govt has toview,” Das said.

— PTI

ANNA EDNEYSEPT. 19

Drugmakers and globalpublic-health regulatorsare taking steps to removesupplies of a popularheartburn medication thatmay have become taintedwith a cancer-causingagent from the market.

Novartis AG’s Sandozunit said Wednesday thatit was halting worldwidedistribution of genericversions of the stomachdrug Zantac, just daysafter regulators in the U.S.and Europe began investi-gating the discovery of alikely human carcinogencalled NDMA, or N-Nitrosodimethylamine, inthe medications.

Some versions of Zantac,which is also known by thegeneric name ranitidine,

have also been recalled inEurope and Canada aswell.

The moves are the latestin a series of actionsaimed at getting drugstainted with potentiallydeadly contaminants offpharmacy shelves. Sincelast year, the U.S. Food andDrug administration hasbeen overseeing a recall ofa type of generic blood-pressure pills, Valsartan,that originated in Chinaand India and were con-taminated with NDMA.

Until last week, concernshad mostly been limited tothat class of hypertensiondrugs, known asangiotensin II receptorblockers. But on Friday,the FDA and Europe’s topdrug regulator said theywere examining NDMAlevels in Zantac and its

generic forms and whetherthey pose any risk topatients.

Ranitidine is taken bymillions of people world-

wide to treat gastrointesti-nal disorders and discom-fort. Sandoz is one of sev-eral generic-drug makersthat distribute it. French

drugmaker Sanofi makesbranded Zantac sold with-out a prescription.

Sandoz is also recallingits prescription oral ver-

sion of ranitidine aftertesting found it containedNDMA levels “above whatis considered acceptable,”Health Canada said in astatement Tuesday.

Some countries in theEuropean Union arerecalling ranitidine con-taining an active ingredi-ent made by an India-based manufacturer,Saraca Laboratories Ltd.,Germany’s FederalInstitute for Drugs andMedical Devices said in astatement. German healthofficials didn’t specifywhich countries are recall-ing the products or whatdrugmakers purchased theingredients from Saraca.

There are indicationsother drug manufacturerscould be affected by thecontamination as well,according to the state-

ment.Saraca Labs is regis-

tered with the FDA tomake active ingredientsfor medicines taken byAmerican consumers.Since pharmaceuticalcompanies don’t have todisclose where they buydrug materials, it’sunclear whether any usethe company as theiractive ingredient supplierfor Zantac or its genericssold in the U.S.

Online pharmacyValisure, which tests allthe drugs it distributes,detected the NDMA levelsin Zantac and its genericsand petitioned the FDA torecall the drugs.

NDMA may be inherentin the ranitidine mole-cule, said Valisure ChiefExecutive David Light.

— Bloomberg

Factory investmentat 3-yr lowof `3.3 L-crin FY18

Tyre-makerstap trade war to pushexports

Room for morerate cuts: Das FC BUREAU

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 19

After reviewing the healthof the public sector banks(PSBs) with their chiefs,Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Thursdaysaid the Centre has askedall PSBs to lend more.

In a move provide morecredit to borrowers, includ-ing homebuyers and farm-ers, she said PSBs wouldhold ‘shamiana meetings’with non-banking finan-cial companies (NBFCs)and retail borrowers in 400districts beginning nextweek. “The public meet-ings will be held in twotranches. The first will beheld between September 24and September 29 in 200districts, and another 200districts will be coveredbetween October 10 andOctober 15,” she said.

“Schedule banks will nowshow that they are indeedpushing liquidity to theNBFCs or directly to thecustomer,” she said.

“The idea behind thismove is to ensure maxi-mum credit disbursal dur-ing the festive season.Diwali, which falls inOctober this year, is con-sidered as the biggest shop-ping season of the coun-

try,” she added.During the public meet-

ings, the government saidthat the credit would beprovided for retail, agricul-ture, MSME and housingsector, among others. Theminister also announcedthat banks have been askednot to declare any stressedMSME loan as NPA tillMarch 31, 2020.

A government statementsaid banks’ loan disburse-ment to key sectorremained robust, with dis-bursement of Rs 11.83 lakhcrore done for the MSMEsector in FY19 as againstRs 8.53 lakh crore in FY18.Banks disbursed Rs. 2.19lakh crore for home loansin FY19 as against Rs 1.81lakh crore in FY 2017-18,the statement said.

PSBs asked tohold loan melas

MICHAEL GONSALVESPUNE, SEPT. 19

Tata Motors, India’sbiggest automaker by rev-enues and a leading playerin the electric vehicles, onThursday officiallyannounced a new electricvehicle or EV powertrainthat will power a range ofits upcoming models,including a new modelscheduled for the fourthquarter.

Ziptron, the soon to beintroduced EV power-train, will help it driveeconomies of scale andmake new EVs more

affordable for consumersin Asia’s third biggest carmarket.

Ziptron offers efficienthigh voltage 300V-plus per-manent magnet synchro-nous electric motor sys-tem, better performance,long range and fast charg-ing, and a battery warran-ty of eight years, andadherence to the IP67 stan-dard.

Ziptron cars will also fea-ture drive modes to givedrivers the option to max-imise range or enhanceperformance.

While Tata Motors hasnot revealed final specifi-

cations as yet, officialssaid that cars built withZiptron will have a “mini-mum range of 250km” andwill support fast charging.

The battery pack com-prises lithium-ion cellsand features liquid coolingto maintain the ideal oper-

ating temperature.Typically, extremes of

temperature have a hugeimpact on the perform-ance of the battery sys-tem.

Earlier this year, TataMotors had announcedfour new models, includ-

ing “at least one EV” to bein the pipeline.

And it is more than like-ly that the Altroz EV couldbe the first model to fea-ture Ziptron technology.

“Ziptron is designed in-house utilising our globalengineering network,”Guenter Butschek, themanaging director andCEO at Tata Motors, said.

“At the heart of ourfuture EV line-up, thistechnology has been test-ed across 1 million kmproving its reliability,” hepointed out. A team of 350engineers worked on theproject.

With this, Tata Motorshopes to usher in a newwave of e-mobility andaccelerate faster adoptionof EVs in the country,Butschek said.

Ziptron technology com-prises an efficient perma-nent magnet AC motorproviding superior per-formance on demand.

It also offers best-in-industry dust-and water-proof battery system meet-ing the IP67 standards.

Moreover, it alsoemploys smart regenera-tive braking to charge thebattery while on the drive,the company said.

Tata Motors unveils Ziptron EV powertain

WILLIAM HOROBINSEPT. 19

Intensifying trade con-flicts have sent globalgrowth momentum tum-bling toward lows lastseen during the financialcrisis, and governmentsare not doing enough toprevent long-term dam-age, the OECD said in itslatest outlook.

The Paris-based organi-sation cut almost all eco-nomic forecasts it madejust four months ago, asprotectionist policies takean increasing toll on con-fidence and investment,and risks continue tomount on financial mar-kets. It sees world growthat a mere 2.9 per cent thisyear.

The OECD lowered itsgrowth forecasts for mostmajor economies

“Our fear is that we areentering an era wheregrowth is stuck at a verylow level,” OECD ChiefEconomist LaurenceBoone said.“Governments shouldabsolutely take advantageof low rates to invest inthe future now so that thissluggish growth doesn’tbecome the new normal.”

The OECD is the latestinstitution sounding thealarm over the state ofthe global economy. In thepast two weeks, theFederal Reserve, theEuropean Central Bank,the People’s Bank ofChina and numerous oftheir peers have eased

policy to shore updemand, urging govern-ments at the same timethat fiscal stimulus willbe needed to ensure theirefforts won’t be futile.

Manufacturing has bornthe brunt of the economiccrisis brought about by atit-for-tat trade warbetween the US andChina. The services sec-tor has proved unusuallyresilient to the malaise sofar, but the OECD warnedthat “persistent weak-ness” in the industry willweigh on the labour mar-ket, household incomesand spending.

Additional risks stemfrom a sharper slowdownin China and a no-dealBrexit that could push theUK into a recession and

would considerablyreduce growth in Europe,according to the report.

“Trump’s brinkmanshipon trade with China hasleft consumers, business-es and financial marketson edge. Not knowingwhether the nextPresidential tweet willease or exacerbate ten-sions make for an envi-ronment of extremeuncertainty, pushingbusinesses to turn cau-tious on investment andhiring, and households toswing from spending tosaving,” said DanHanson, Jamie Rush andTom Orlik.

The OECD said “collec-tive effort is urgent,” andthe effectiveness of mone-tary policy could be

enhanced by “strongerfiscal and structural poli-cy support.”

It’s a point centralbankers have made formonths, and theirrequests are getting moreintense. Following theECB’s latest monetarystimulus push, PresidentMario Draghi said it’s“high time” for fiscal poli-cy to take charge, sig-nalling there’s not muchmore his institution cando. “The takeaway for theeurozone today does notrely on monetary policyto do the job alone,”Boone said. “Start invest-ing to do the structuralreforms that need to bedone for more sustainablegrowth, and do it now.”

— Bloomberg

GLOBAL GROWTH HEADING TO DECADAL LOWS: OECD

SANGEETHA GCHENNAI, SEPT. 19

With a 10-fold rise intransaction value andeight-fold increase involumes over last year,India’s IMPS has beenrated the world’s bestreal time money trans-fer platform by FIS.

In the sixth annual‘Flavors of Fast report’by FIS, which analysed54 countries, India’sImmediate PaymentService received theonly 5+ rating on theFaster PaymentsInnovation Index scaleof 1-5. The programmeswere rated on innova-tive features, fund avail-ability and marketapplication. The pay-ment systems of coun-tries like the US, China,Japan, the UK,Germany, Australia,Denmark, Poland, Rom-ania, Singapore andSweden were analysedby FIS.

Launched almost adecade ago, IMPS is thecore of one of the mostevolved and sophisticat-ed public digital pay-ments infrastructuresin the world. Funds canbe accessed via mobiledevices, online, atATMs, through textmessages and at physi-cal bank branches.

India is one marketwhich has successfullyintegrated real-timepayments with mobileand the result has been1,000 per cent plusgrowth rates. Thoughmore than half the pop-ulation remains offline,India’s real-timescheme processes 20million fast paymenttransactions each day.

“Consumers and busi-nesses globally aredemanding faster pay-ments,” said RajaG o p a l a k r i s h n a n ,Executive VP at FIS.

Carcinogen scare sets off global race to contain ranitidine

New Delhi, Sep 19:The government hasapproved 8.65 per centinterest rate onemployees providentfund for 2018-19, whichwill now be creditedinto the accounts ofover 6 crore sub-scribers of retirementfund body EPFO, asource said onThursday.

The EPFO has beensettling EPF withdraw-al claims at 8.55 percent interest rate,approved for 2017-18.Now, the EPFO will set-tle accounts on a high-er rate of 8.65 per centfor 2018-19.

“Ministry of Labourand Employment hasnotified 8.65 per centrate of interest on EPFdeposits for its sub-scribers (over 6 crore).Now, the interest wouldbe credited intoaccounts of sub-scribers and claimswould be settled at thisrate,” the source privyto development said.

The Central Board ofTrustees had approved8.65 per cent interestrate for the last fiscalon February 21. —PTI

Govt notifies8.65 per cent rate for PF

IMPS is world’sbest money

transfer platform

quickBITES

INDICATORS %Sensex 36,093.47 -1.29Nifty 50 10,704.80 -1.25S&P 500 3,019.32 +0.42Dollar (`) 71.66 0.10Pound Sterling (`) 89.24 -0.04Euro (`) 78.72 +0.35Gold (10gm)* (`) 37,665▼184 -0.49Brent crude ($/bbl)* $64.51 +0.91IN 10-Yr bond yield +6.634 +0.017US 10-Yr T-bill yield +1.768 -0.016

* As of 9:30 pm IST

Telecom bodyokays `8,588-crinfra projectsThe Digital CommunicationCommission approved varioustelecom infrastructure projects,including roll out of more than3,500 mobile towers for 4Gservices in the North East,involving an expenditure of Rs8,588 crore. The DCC, formerlyknown as Telecom Commission,approved a special scheme tocover close to 12,000 uncoveredvillages in aspirational districts.

Maruti crosses10 L car exportsfrom Mundra

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) saidit has crossed the 10-lakhexports mark for cars from theMundra port in Gujarat aftercommencing international dis-patches a decade ago. Withshipments to more than 125countries, the company'scumulative exports havecrossed 18-lakh units mark. MSIexports models from Mundra tovarious geographies.

Google sets upAI lab inBengaluru

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Financial Chronicle ® is prohibited.


With the demand for ArtificialIntelligence on the rise, Googleon Thursday announced its planto set up an AI research unit inBengaluru as it looks to developmore India-specific products.

Speaking at the fifth edition ofthe 'Google for India' event,Google 'sVP (Next Billion Usersand Payments) Caeser Senguptasaid, "Google Research India, theartificial intelligence (AI) lab,will focus on advancing funda-mental computer science and AIresearch. Apart from the Googleteam led by AI scientist ManishGupta, the company will alsopartner with the research com-munity across the country fortackling challenges in health-care, agriculture, and education."

At the the event, IT MinisterRavi Shankar Prasad empha-sised that tech platforms likeGoogle must ensure that theirproducts are safe and secure forusers. “They must safeguard theprivacy rights of individuals,” hesaid.

ARCHAK SENGUPTAHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

The Drug ControllerGeneral of India (DCGI)on Thursday confirmedthat the drug, Valsartan,which is used to treatblood pressure and heartfailure, is under inspec-tion for carcinogenicimpurities.

With several lots of thedrugs voluntarily recalledby multiple drug compa-nies due to the "presence

of traces of impurity" inthe US market, the movewill be eagerly watched byall Indian pharma firms.

Speaking on the side-lines of an annual eventorganised by Pharmaceut-ical Export PromotionCouncil of India(Pharmexcil) in Hydera-bad, V.G. Somani said,"That (the carcinogenicimpurities) was a batchspecific phenomena. Weare looking at it and weare investigating it... And

we will take appropriatedecision on whether toaccept it as a risk, whetherto take some action on pre-scribing the product or toban the product."

He said the CentralDrugs Standard ControlOrganisation was carry-ing out the investigation.However, the pharmafirms can breathe easy asMr Somani said the impu-rities were not found dur-ing the initial approvalprocess of the product.

Valsartan impurities under investigation

Shaktikanta Das

Nirmala Sitharaman

DAVID RAMLISEPT. 19

The head of one of theworld’s largest sovereignwealth funds want to getone thing straight—mar-kets are becoming increas-ingly dire and investorsface a very uncertainfuture.

Lim Chow Kiat, Ceo ofGIC Pte, has again soundedthe alarm about the state ofthe world’s economy, decry-ing populism, trade protec-tionism and a decline in theability of governments and

markets to deliver broad-based prosperity. “In thesefactious times, investorsare hard put to find theirfooting,” he said Thursdayat the start of GIC Insights,the group’s annualthought-leadership event.“They face rising uncer-tainty but falling returns.By some measures, uncer-tainty about economicprospects is currently high-est on record. Further, poli-cymakers seem to have lim-ited ammunition to reflateeconomies.”

—Bloomberg

GIC just rang the alarm


Md Saoud, C. SiddarthRao, Murugan Abhishek,Mustafa Khan and SriHarsha emerged top per-formers in the HyderabadCricket Association’sUnder 16 one-day league-cum-knockout tourna-ment matches played onThursday.

Siddarth took 7 wicketswhile conceding 17 runsas Takshsheela werebowled out for 125 in 31.3overs. Sri Chaitanya (EastMaredpally) overhauledthe target with four wick-ets in hand.

Saoud of Boys TownHigh School also tookseven wickets. His 7 for 16floored Gowtham JuniorCollege (ECIL) to 114. BoysTown cruised to victorywith nine wickets in hand.

Murugan Abhishek (123n.o) and Mustafa Khan(108) hit centuries to pro-pel Asian Grammar HighSchool to 407/3 in 43 overs.Epistemo School were out

for 37 in reply as Abhishek(3 for 2) and Mustafa (3 for8) also did well with theball.

Sri Harsha of StAndrews (Keesara) wasthe other performer, in alosing cause though. Hetook 5 for 29 to restrict SriVidyanikethan HighSchool to 194. However,Andrews were no matchfor their opponents andfolded for 98 in reply.

However, most of thematches were washed out,including ones involvingChirec, Silver Oaks,Sherwood and StAnthony’s High School.BBrriieeff ssccoorreess::

UUNNDDEERR 1166LLEEAAGGUUEE--CCUUMM--KKNNOOCCKKOOUUTT

■ Gowtham Junior CollegeECIL 114 in 29.1 overs(Pranay 53 n.o, MMdd SSaaoouudd77//1166 —— 55..55--00--1166--77) lost toBoys Town High School

115/1 in 11.1 overs (MirzaHouzef Baig 62, Md FareesShareef 62 n.o)■ Takshsheela 125 in 31.3overs (Mohd Mudassir 30, CC..SSiiddddaarrtthh RRaaoo 77//1177) lost toSri Chaitanya (EastMaredpally) 129/6 in 31.2overs (A. Yuvaraj 52 n.o)■ Asian Grammer HighSchool 407/3 in 43 overs(MMuurruuggaann AAbbhhiisshheekk 112233 nn..oo,,MMuussttaaffaa KKhhaann 110088,, KaranYadav 77, Harsha 45 n.o, M.A. Shahed 36) bt EpistemoSchool 37 in 17.3 overs(Muragan Abhishek 3/2,Mustafa Khan 3/8)■ Sri Vidyanikethna HighSchool 194 in 33 overs(Radha Krishna 42, TarunKarthik 51, SSrrii HHaarrsshhaa 55//2299,,Shaun Kenneth 3/19) bt StAndrews (Keesara) 98 in33.3 overs (Nythik Reddy4/17)■ Central Public School157/8 in 35 overs (S. Pralav51) bt St Patrick’s School133 in 31.4 overs (Vishnu4/13)■ Gowtham Model School(West Maredpally) 85/1 in14 overs (Aaslesh Vaman 31

n.o, Avinash Rao 39) vsBharathiya Vidya BhavanAthmakuri — match washedout.■ St Joseph’s Public School

29/6 in 13 overs (VarunDhatrak 3/13) vs St PetersHigh School Bowenpally —match washed out.■ DPS Khajaguda 140/5 in35.1 overs (Pranav B 49 n.o,Aditya K 33) vs P. ObulReddy Public School —match washed out.■ Sri Chaitanya CentralSchool 107/0 in 14.1 overs(M. R. Krishna 33 n.o,Abhinav 36 n.o) vs SanghiVidyanikethan — matchwashed out.■ St Francis of Assis BSchool 65/6 in 19.1 overs vsSt Mary’s Junior College —match washed out.■ Slate the SchoolKarmanghat vs ChirecPublic School; Sri ChaitanyaMeerpet vs Silver OaksInternational School;Sherwood Public School vsVigan Vidyalaya Nizampet;St Anthony’s High School vsSlate The School (Abids) —all matches washed out.

PAGE


SHORT TAKESJK drivers set

for Jodhpur rallyJJooddhhppuurr:: JK Tyre Motorsport

drivers will push for supremacyin the Rally of Jodhpur, Round3 of the FMSCI Indian NationalRally Championship that gets

under way on Saturday.Three-times APRC champion

and six-times INRC ChampionGaurav Gill will be the cynosureof all eyes after a commendableperformance in the World Rallyluck and mechanical problems

yanked him out of contention inthe penultimate stage of the

Rally. He, however, was in greatform and will be hoping to con-

tinue in the same vein.Gill driving the new XUV 300 inR2 spec churning out almost 115

BHP has been setting up tomake his machine unbeatable.

Fast and sandy stages ofMaxperience Rally of Jodhpur a

week after this stint in Turkeywill give him an ideal platform

to showcase the prowess of hisnewly developed car.

Gill will, however, face a compe-tition from his own mate DeanMascarenhas from Mangalorewho along with his co-driver

Shruptha Padival who won theopening round in Chennai and

is now placed 2nd overall in theChampionship.

However, it won’t be easy forboth of them as another JK

supported driver Younus Ilyas isin form. — Agencies

Honda look tobuild on points

SSeeppaanngg:: After a strong Top 10finish in Zhuhai (China) which

puts the team firmly in Top 8 of20 teams, ‘IDEMITSU Honda

Racing India’ — the only Indianteam in Asia Production 250

class of FIM Asia Road RacingChampionship 2019 (ARRC)

arrived at the SepangInternational Circuit of Malaysia

on Thursday to yet again winpoints for India. Battling it out

with Asia’s best riders in thepenultimate sixth round are

Rajiv Sethu and his rookieteam-mate Senthil Kumar.

Charged by his fourth straightdouble victory in Indian

National Motorcycle RacingChampionship and his second

Top 10 finish in Zhuhai (China),Rajiv Sethu returns to Sepangto better his best ever Top 10finish in Asia’s toughest road

racing championship. Buoyingthe 21-year-old Chennai rider’sconfidence is his track-recordhere. It was at here that Rajiv

scored his first-ever Top 10 fin-ish in ARRC. Since then, Rajivhas won points for India in 9

out of 10 races with two Top 10and seven Top 15 finishes. This

puts him firmly in the Top 15 of36 riders with 32 points — a

huge jump over his 27th ranklast season. — Agencies

I have taken thedecision that I willnot continue morewith Williams after

this year.— Robert Kubica on a move

which may end his F1 career

Staid hopeFIFA president Gianni Infantino hopes Iran willlift a ban on women entering football stadiumsbefore a World Cup qualifying game next month

GamesItalian leaguelooks at IndiaDC CCORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

With football becoming thesecond most watched sportin India, big leagues in theWest are looking east-wards. The Italian league(Serie ‘A’) is no exception.

“India and Asia in gener-al represent a key marketfor our international devel-opment. We are thinking ofdeveloping a series ofsocial and promotionalactivities in India becauseof the growing interest inthe game there,” Serie ‘A’CEO Luigi De Siervo toldreporters during a telecon-ference on Thursday.

He was optmisitic aboutgames involving Italianclubs being played in India.“Probably in the future wewill be able to bring match-es to India, the ItalianSuper Cup is a product thatwe export and we oftenplay in countries that areinterested in hosting it,” hesaid.

Speaking about thepotential of Indian foot-ball, Siervo said: “I believethat football is gainingmore and more popularityand that in a short time itwill succeed in establish-ing itself on the nationalsports scene. In the comingmonths we will develop aninternational businessplan which will alsoinclude activities inIndia.”

And yes, the arrival of

Cristiano Ronaldo toJuventus has indeed pro-pelled Serie ‘A’ into a differ-ent orbit. “It has arousedgreat interest both on thedomestic and internationalfronts. It would be enoughto think that in just over ayear, thanks to the interna-tional visibility guaran-teed by his more than 180million followers, theInstagram account ofJuventus has gone fromaround 10 million follow-ers in July 2018 to the cur-rent 31 million.

Ronaldo has raised inter-nal competitiveness: herepresents a strong incen-tive of comparison to oneof the best players of alltime and raised the level ofthe game precisely for thisreason. He has given newimpetus to our champi-onship. His contribution tothe Serie ‘A’ developmentand growth is priceless,”Siervo said.

Is getting Barcelona’sLionel Messi to Italy a longshot? “Realistically I don’tthink we’ll ever see Messiin Italy... but never saynever, if he wants to try themost difficult champi-onship in the world he willhave to come with us!Having two of the greatestplayers of all times herewith us would mean a lotfor the global re-launch ofour brand and I am surethat our clubs, if they hadthe chance, would do any-thing to have him,” he said.

Milan, Sept. 19: AntonioConte branded himself a‘jackass’ for his tacticalblunders which saw InterMilan struggle to a drawin their European openerthis week, but warnedthey would kick back intogear on Saturday againstcity rivals AC Milan.

Conte’s side rescued a 1-1draw against Czech out-siders Slavia Prague inthe Champions League inthe San Siro, and the for-mer Chelsea manager saidthey should use that angerin their upcoming gamesagainst AC Milan andLazio.

“I’m the biggest jack-ass,” said Conte.

“I’m the one who’s pri-marily responsible, bothin terms of the selectionsmade and because I obvi-ously didn’t make the ladsunderstand what I want-ed.”

The former Juventusand Italy coach concededhis side could have beenfocusing too much onSaturday’s game, as theylook to stay top of Serie A.

“Could be, but this ispart of the growingprocess. I am here to makethem better players.”

The Derby dellaMadonnina is always afiery affair and Inter areunbeaten in their last sixleague games against archrivals AC Milan.

Inter have maximumpoints after three gamesand are two points aheadof Bologna and champi-ons Juventus, with Napolithree points adrift infourth.

AC Milan’s focus thisseason is on Serie A afterthey lost their place in theEuropa League for breach-es in financial fair playrules.

New coach MarcoGiampaolo’s side are sev-enth with two wins aftertheir opening rounddefeat at Udinese.

On Saturday, the twobest defences in Serie Awill face off in the SanSiro, with both havingonly conceded one goal inthe league this season.

Juventus host Veronaafter throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at

Atletico Madrid in theirChampions League open-er. It was the second con-secutive stalemate forMaurizio Sarri’s side whoalso dropped points lastweekend in Fiorentina.

“We need to improve inour aggressiveness andattention,” said Sarri.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Napolitravel south to promotedLecce after punishingEuropean holdersLiverpool 2-0 in the San

Paolo Stadium.It was a second match

without conceding a goalafter letting seven past intheir first two games.

“We’ve been boosted bythe improved fitness levelof a number of players.We’ve improved defensive-ly in a short space oftime,” said Ancelotti.

But Ancelotti’s side needto be wary of Lecce whoshocked Torino 2-1 lastMonday.

Atalanta host Fiorentinaafter their ChampionsLeague baptism ended in abruising 4-0 defeat atDinamo Zagreb.

Bologna, flying high insecond despite theabsence of their coachSinisa Mihajlovic who is

undergoing cancer treat-ment, face a tough visitfrom Roma, who earnedtheir first win of the sea-son last weekend.

One to watch

In-form Napoli forwardDries Mertens will belooking to find the net forthe fourth game this sea-son as he closes in on clublegend Diego Maradona’smark of 115 goals for thesoutherners. The 32-year-old Belgian internationalhas scored three goals intwo Serie A games andconverted a penalty in the2-0 win over Liverpool thisweek, to bring his tally to113. Marek Hamsik leadsboth with 121. — AFP

MMyyssuurruu:: Skipper Aiden Markramand allrounder Wiaan Mulderhit superb hundreds as SouthAfrica ‘A’ fought their way to

400 all out against India ‘A’ onday three of the second unoffi-

cial Test here on Thursday.Markram geared up for the

three-Test series against Indiawith a superb 161, while Mulder

produced an unbeaten 131 — hisfourth first-class century — as

the visitors came within 17 runsof India A’s first innings of 417.

The duo added 155 runs for thesixth wicket stand to resurrect

the South Africa A’s inningsafter they were struggling at

142 for 5 at one stage. Thehome team were 14 for no loss

in six overs before bad lightresulted in play being called off

with over 25 overs still to bebowled. — PTI

BBrriieeff SSccoorreess:: India ‘A’ 417(Shubman Gill 92, Karun Nair

78, Shivam Dube 68,Wriddhiman Saha 60, JalajSaxena 48 not out, Umesh

Yadav 24; Wiaan Mulder 3/47,Dane Piedt 3/78) and 14 for no

loss vs South Africa ‘A’ 400(Aiden Markram 161, Wiaan

Mulder 131 not out, Theunis deBruyn 41, Kuldeep Yadav 4/121,

Shahbaz Nadeem 3/76, Md Siraj2/72).

MARKRAMAND MULDER

HIT TONS

Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella (center) celebrates with teammates Valentino Lazaro (left) and Matteo Politano afterscoring his side’s goal during the Champions League Group ‘F’ match against Slavia Prague on Tuesday. — AP

Los Angeles, Sept. 19:Veteran boxing promoterBob Arum believes MannyPacquiao should retirefrom the sport soon unlesshe can land a lucrativerematch with FloydMayweather.

Arum, who promotedPacquiao during theFilipino icon's goldenyears, told the WorldBoxing News website hewanted to see the 40-year-old hang up his gloves soon.

Pacquiao, who won abruising 12-round battlewith Keith Thurman to cap-ture the WBA welterweightcrown in July, has notscheduled his next fight.

But Arum said he believed

Pacquiao, who turns 41 inDecember, would be riskinglasting damage if heextends his career much

further. “Pacquiao, I pro-moted him for many, manyyears,” Arum told WorldBoxing News.

“He’s an exceptionallygood human being, really afine guy, extraordinarilycharitable and a delight.

“But he’s (almost) 41-years-old. And if you’re 41you can’t take punishment.You can't take blows like hedid in the Thurman fight.

“Sure, he won that fight —but he took a lot of punish-ment. That punishment isgoing to have a seriouseffect on how he lives therest of is life.”

Arum, who earlier thisyear said he fearedPacquiao risked brain dam-age ahead of Thurmanfight, said the Filipinoshould consider a rematchwith Mayweather. — AFP

Manny can retire or fight Floyd

■Conte admits blunders, hopes to get into gear again

WRONG TACTICS

School sports inCity from Oct. 10DC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, SEPT. 19

The third edition of theSports For AllChampionship for schoolstudents in Hyderabad willbegin on October 10, withover 16,000 kids from500schools set to competein 20 sports disciplines.

The event promises to bethe biggest and grandestsuch championship in thecountry, facilitating young-sters in the age group of 6to 18 to vie against eachother at state-of-the-art sta-dia.

Competitions will be heldat three venues, with theinternational facility atGachibowli Stadium beingthe main hub. Tennis will

be conducted at LalBahadur Stadium andskating at Indira Park.

Indian cricketer PragyanOjha, who was present atthe launch, said: “Having asports culture in a countrylike ours, right from a ten-der age, is extremelyimportant. SFA is a greatexample of how a largenumber of children fromdifferent backgrounds aregiven an opportunity toexplore their sportingpotential at a young age.”

“SFA was conceived toignite sports at the grass-roots level. We have alsodigitised the entire processthat becomes a testimonyfor each participant foreternity,” said RishikeshJoshi, SFA founder.

Live on TVIITTAALLIIAANN LLEEAAGGUUEE

((SSAATTUURRDDAAYY))

CCaagglliiaarrii vv GGeennooaa from 12.15 am on Sony TEN 2 & HD

UUddiinneessee vv BBrreesscciiaafrom 6.30 pm onSony TEN 2 & HD

JJuuvveennttuuss vv VVeerroonnaafrom 9.30 pm onSony TEN 2 & HD

AACC MMiillaann vv IInntteerrfrom 12.15 am (Sunday)

Sony TEN 2 & HD

Manny Pacquiao (left) and Floyd Mayweather in a file pic.

Tendulkar all praise fortough Smith’s mindsetNew Delhi, Sept. 19:Indian icon SachinTendulkar lauded SteveSmith for his exemplarybatting, saying the for-mer Australia skipper’s“organised mindset” and“complicated technique”set him apart.

“ C O M P L I C A T E DTECHNIQUE but anORGANIZED MINDSETis what sets @steve-smith49 apart. Incrediblecomeback!#ENGvsAUS,” Sachin posted onTwitter.

Smith aggregated 774

runs from seven inningsat a staggering averageof 110.57 in the recentAshes series vs England.

Smith has a unique bat-ting style, which is bothunorthodox as well asgenius and Tendulkartried to explain theAustralian’s game in hissocial media post. “In thefirst Test, the Englishbowlers tried to get himcaught behind the wick-ets with slips and gullyin place,” Sachin said.

“And Smith just shuf-fled across and exposed

his leg stumps to coverthe line, and was selec-tive and smart in hisapproach. At Lord’s, theyhad leg-slip for him onoccasions and a fewshort-pitched deliveriesagainst Jofra Archer gothim in trouble as he triedto cover the line with theweight on his back-foot,”he added.

“He worked on his tech-nique very smartly. Thatis why I say, ‘complicatedtechnique, but extremelyorganised mindset’.”

— PTI

I’m the one who’s pri-marily responsible,both in terms of theselections made andbecause I obviouslydidn’t make the ladsunderstand what Iwanted.

— ANTONIOCONTE

Inter Milan coach

KEY STATSNumber oftimes AC

Milan and Inter Milanhave played theDerby DellaMadonnina in Serie‘A’.

170

Dries Mertensgoals for

Napoli two short ofclub legend DiegoMaradona (115).

113

Inter Milan’swins in the

derby compared toAC Milan’s 51. Therehave been 55 draws.

64

Number of goalsNapoli have

scored in Serie ‘A’this season; andnumber Sampdoriahave conceded.

9

CristianoRonaldo’s goals

for Juventus this sea-son

1

Felicitation

Saoud, Siddarth, Harsha have a ballAbhishek, Mustafa hit a century each in Under 16 league-cum-knockouts

Murugan AAbhishek Mustafa KKhan

Hyderabad’s pistol shooter Esha Singh is felicitated byTelangana Sports Minister V. Srinivas Goud (left) andSports Authority of Telangana State chairman AllipuramVenkateshwar Reddy (centre) for breaking the nationalrecord in 10 metre air pistol event in New Delhi recently.

Paris, Sept. 19: ParisSaint-Germain launchedtheir latest quest forChampions League successwith a statement win overReal Madrid on Wednesday,while a late AtleticoMadrid comeback foiledJuventus as ManchesterCity eased to victory inUkraine.

French giants PSG havefailed to make their markin Europe, crashing out ofthe Champions League inthe last 16 each of the pastthree years despite thehuge sums of money spentby their Qatari owners.

With Neymar suspendedand Kylian Mbappe andEdinson Cavani sidelinedby injury, Angel Di Mariastepped up in their absenceby grabbing two first-halfgoals in a 3-0 triumph at theParc des Princes.

Thomas Meunier addedthe third late on as Madrid,who beat PSG on the way tolifting the trophy in 2016and 2018, were soundlybeaten in their Group Aopener with Eden Hazardkept quiet on his full debut.

“There’s no message sent,but we dominated thisgame very well,” PSG cap-tain Thiago Silva told RMCSport.

“We have to play like thisall the time, in the leagueas well, with character andhunger.”

Diego Simeone’s Atleticoclawed their way back fromtwo goals down in the final20 minutes to rescue a 2-2draw at home to Juventusin Group D.

The anticipated clashbetween Cristiano Ronaldoand Joao Felix, the teenag-

er touted as the heir toRonaldo’s throne, took abackseat to a Atletico rous-ing comeback after second-half goals from JuanCuadrado and BlaiseMatuidi put Juve in con-

trol. Stefan Savic noddedhome from point-blankrange to give Atletico hopeand substitute HectorHerrera headed in a cornerin the final minute tosnatch a point.

SSTTRROONNGG RREESSPPOONNSSEE BBYYMMAANNCCHHEESSTTEERR CCIITTYY

Both sides trail LokomotivMoscow following theRussians’ 2-1 win at BayerLeverkusen. GrzegorzKrychowiak and DmitriBarinov scored forLokomotiv either side ofan own goal by formerGermany defenderBenedikt Hoewedes.

Premier League champi-ons City bounced backfrom defeat by Norwich atthe weekend with a com-fortable 3-0 victory againstShakhtar Donetsk inKharkiv.

City are second toDinamo Zagreb in Group Cafter the Croatian champi-ons made it a night to for-get for competition debu-tants Atalanta with a 4-0rout.

Bayern Munich neededlate goals from RobertLewandowski and ThomasMueller to make sure ofvictory against Red StarBelgrade in Group ‘D.’

Kingsley Coman’s bulletheader gave Bayern a first-half lead but the Germanchampions were forced towait until the 80th minutebefore Lewandowski endedRed Star’s threat. Muellervolleyed in a third in stop-page time.

Last year’s finalistsTottenham blew a two-goallead to draw 2-2 atOlympiakos. — AFP

PAGE


SHORT TAKES

MMaannddaallaayy,, MMyyaannmmaarr:: Multiple-time world billiards and snook-

er champion Pankaj Advaniscored a comfortable 5-2 winover Pakistan’s Zulfiqar Qadir

to enter the quarterfinals of theIBSF World 6-Red Snooker

Championship here onThursday.

Earlier in the day, Pankajaccounted for another Pakistanicueist Muhammad Ahsan Javaidwith a 5-1 victory in the last-32

stage.Laxman Rawat, who beat Gao

Yang of China, and PushpenderSingh, who defeated Thailand’sKritsanut Lertsattayathorn 5-4in a thriller, also joined Advani

in the quarterfinals.In the quarters, Pankaj will takeon Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon

from Thailand, while Laxmanfaces Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka

Wai and Pushpender will be upagainst Thet Min Lin of

Myanmar.In the women’s championship,

Amee Kamani is the sole Indianleft and she is slated to playagainst Ng On Yee of Hong

Kong in the semifinals. — PTI

NNeeww DDeellhhii:: The Indian men’sdoubles pair of G. Sathiyan and

Achanta Sharath Kamal sailedinto the quarterfinals of the

24th ITTF Asian Table TennisChampionships with easy win

over Mahfoodh Sayed Murtadhaand Rashed Rashed of Bahrain

at Yogyakarta, Indonesia onThursday.

The Indian duo beat Murtadhaand Rashed 11-8, 11-6, 11-3 in a

lop-sided affair.In the quarterfinals, Sathiyanand Sharath Kamal will be upagainst Chinese pair of Liang

Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan.Earlier in the day after receiv-

ing first-round bye, the Indiansgot the better of Jordan’s Abo

Yaman Zaid and AldmaizyZeyad 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 in theround of 32. But the other

Indian pair of Harmeet Desaiand Anthony Amalraj, after

enjoying a bye in the round of64, lost to Chinese Taipei’s LiuHsing-Yin and Peng Wang Wei.Harmeet and Amalraj lost 11-5,

7-11, 11-3, 8-11, 6-11.It was curtains for India in the

women’s doubles as the pair ofManika Batra and Archana

Kamath and Madhurika Patkarand Sutirtha Mukherjee bowed

out the tournament.— PTI

PSG were superiorto us in everything.

How they played,in midfield, but

what annoys methe most, in terms

of intensity.— Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid

coach after losing to PSG

Fingers crossedAFI hopes for good show by Indian team inWorld Championships mixed 4x400m relaydespite top quarter-miler Hima Das’ absence

Games

PPaattttaayyaa,, TThhaaiillaanndd:: Formerchampion Mirabai Chanu bet-tered her own national recordbut missed out on a podium,

finishing a creditable fourth, inthe women’s 49kg event at the

World WeightliftingChampionship here on

Thursday.The 25-year-old Mirabai lifted a

personal best in all the threesections. In snatch she lifted

87kg followed by 114kg in cleanand jerk for a total of 201kg.

Mirabai’s earlier national recordwas 199kg (88kg+111kg) which

she recorded in the AsianWeightlifting Championship in

China in April.The gold medal went to Jiang

Huihua of China, who set a newworld record with an effort

212kg (94kg+118kg). The earlierrecord was held by Hou Zhihuiof China, who had lifted 210kg.Incidentally Zhihui clinched the

silver medal, lifting 211kg(94kg+117kg) in the gold level

Olympic qualifier. North Korea’sRi Song Gum claimed the finalspot on the podium by lifting

204kg (89kg+115kg).After clearing 87kg in snatch,Mirabai began her clean and

jerk with a 110kg and then lifted114kg.

But in her third attempt, theManipuri could not lift 118kg

and that cost her dear. Had shebeen successful, she wouldhave won an overall bronze

medal with a total of 205kg. — PTI

MIRABAI BETTERSOWN RECORD ATLIFTING WORLDS

CHINA OPEN

Advani in WorldSnooker last 8

Changzhou (China),Sept. 19: Reigning worldchampion P. V. Sindhumade an early exit from theChina Open but B. SaiPraneeth kept the Indianflag fluttering with a hard-fought straight-games winto reach the men’s singlesquarterfinals here onThursday.

Sindhu, an Olympic sil-ver medallist, squandered afirst-game advantage to godown 12-21, 21-13, 21-19 toThailand’s PornpaweeChochuwong in a women’ssingles pre-quarterfinalsthat lasted 58 minutes here.

Praneeth, who hadclaimed a bronze medal atBasel, edged out China’s LuGuang Zu 21-19, 21-19 to setup a meeting againstIndonesian seventh seedAnthony Sinisuka Ginting.

Ginting beat India’sParupalli Kashyap 23-21, 15-21, 21-12 in a thrilling con-test. Doubles specialistSatwiksairaj Rankireddyalso had a dismal day as hesuffered twin defeats, los-ing both the men’s doublesand mixed doubles pre-quarterfinals.

In men’s doubles, Satwikand Chirag Shetty, ranked15th in the world, ran out ofsteam after a decent startagainst fourth-seededJapanese pair of TakeshiKamura and Keigo Sonodaand went down 19-21, 8-21 inthe second-round matchthat lasted 33 minutes.

Satwik then paired upwith his mixed doublespartner AshwiniPonanappa but the duocouldn’t get past YukiKaneko and MisakiMatsutomo, losing 11-21, 21-16, 12-21 to the Japanesepair.

Ashwini also tasteddefeat in women’s doublesafter she and her partner N

Sikki Reddy lost 12-21, 17-21to second seeded Japanesepair of Misaki Matsutomoand Ayaka Takahashi.

Sindhu, who came intothe match with a 3-0 head-to-head lead againstPornpawee, dominated thefirst game. She reeled offeight straight points afterthe interval to jump to 19-10and eventually sealed thefirst game comfortably.

In the second game,Pornpawee changed gearsand moved to a 5-1 advan-tage initially. Sindhuclawed back to 7-9 beforethe Thai youngster jumpedto 15-7 with six straightpoints and held her fort toroar back into the contest.

The decider started on aneven note as both the shut-tlers fought hard, movingtogether till 6-6 whenSindhu surged ahead toenjoy a 11-7 cushion at thebreak.

However, Pornpawee keptbreathing down Sindhu’sneck and slowly moved to15-19. From there, the Thaishuttler blasted sixstraight points to leave theIndian shocked. — PTI

Praneeth powerson, Sindhu exits

Ekaterinburg (Russia),Sept. 19: AmitPanghal (52kg) andManish Kaushik(63kg) have madethe Indian boxingsquad for nextyear’s OlympicQualifiers owing totheir medal-winningshow at the ongoing

world champi-onships.

Panghal and Kaushikhave entered the semifi-nals here, making it thefirst time when India havemore than one boxer leftin fray for the medalrounds of the marqueeevent.

The Boxing Federation ofIndia had made it clearthat boxers who winmedals at the world cham-pionships will be automat-ic picks for the Olympicqualifiers scheduled inFebruary in China.

“Yes, Amit and Manishwill be going to the quali-fiers. There will not be anytrials in their weight cate-gories now,” IndianBoxing’s high perform-ance director SantiagoNieva said.

The rest of the squadwill be picked on the basisof camp performance,points accumulated atinternational events andin some cases, trials.

While Panghal will faceKazakhstan’s SakenBibossinov in the last-fourstage, Kaushik will be upagainst top seeded Cuban

Andy Gomez Cruz in hissemifinal clash.

The 23-year-old Panghaland the 25-year-oldKaushik will be gunningfor their maiden Olympicspots next year.

Both rose to prominenceafter the 2016 Rio Games,where India drew a blankin boxing.

While Panghal has goldmedals in the 2018 AsianGames as well as thisyear’s AsianChampionships apartfrom the now assuredworld medal, Kaushik wona silver medal in the 2018Commonwealth Games.

Kaushik is also a formernational champion. — PTI

Indian duo book places in Olyqualifiers with world medals

Double delightfor Amit, Manish

ANGEL’S TOUCHPPaarriiss SSaaiinntt--GGeerrmmaaiinn 33 (Di Maria 14, 33,Meunier 90+1) RReeaall MMaaddrriidd 00

CClluubb BBrruuggggee 00 GGaallaattaassaarraayy 00

BBaayyeerrnn MMuunniicchh 33 (Coman 34,Lewandowski 80,Mueller 90+1) RReedd SSttaarr BBeellggrraaddee 00

OOllyymmppiiaakkooss 22 (Podence 44,Valbuena 54-pen) TTootttteennhhaamm HHoottssppuurr 22 (Kane 26-pen, Moura30)

SShhaakkhhttaarr DDoonneettsskk 00 MMaanncchheesstteerr CCiittyy 33 (Mahrez 25, Gundogan38, Jesus 76)

DDiinnaammoo ZZaaggrreebb 44 (Leovac 10,Orsic 31, 42, 68) AAttaallaannttaa 00

AAttlleettiiccoo MMaaddrriidd 22 (Savic 70, Herrera 90) JJuuvveennttuuss 22 (Cuadrado 48,Matuidi 65)

BBaayyeerr LLeevveerrkkuusseenn 11 (Hoewedes 25-og) LLookkoommoottiivv MMoossccooww 22 (Krychowiak 16,Barinov 37)

TTHHEE RREESSUULLTTSS

Sharath-Sathiyan in quarterfinals

●● Sindhu squandereda first-gameadvantage to godown 12-21, 21-13,21-19 to Thailand’sPornpaweeChochuwong in awomen’s singles pre-quarterfinal.

●● B. Sai Praneethkept the Indian flagfluttering with ahard-fought straight-games win to reachthe men’s singlesquarterfinals.

TWO TO TOKYONur-Sultan (Kazakh-stan), Sept. 19: BajrangPunia lost his semifinalbout against homewrestler DauletNiyazbekov under contro-versial circumstancesafter sealing his TokyoOlympics quota along withRavi Dahiya, who madehis presence felt in a star-studded field at the WorldWrestling Championships,here on Thursday.

Bajrang’s frustratedcoach Shako Benitidiskicked the coach’s block inanger after the 65kg boutended 9-9 following anerve-wracking six min-utes.

Since Niyazbekov wasgiven a bigger throw offour points in the bout, hewas declared the winner.

In the fiercely-foughtbout, the referee gaveample time to tiringNiyazbekov to catch hisbreath and he was notgiven caution at leastthrice.

Instead Niyazbekov wasawarded four points whenit was Bajrang who effect-ed a throw at the edge ofthe circle. “I challenged itand they should havegiven at least two points toBajrang for that hold,”said coach Benitidis.

Several times, Bajrangraised his hands in frus-

tration but to no avail.The last edition silver

medallist Indian will nowfight for the bronze onFriday.

“It was clear that the matchairman favoured thehome wrestler,” said acoach who did not wish tobe named.

Ravi, who felled a fewstars on his way to the57kg semifinals, lost 4-6 toreigning world championZaur Uguev of Russia andwill also fight for thebronze.

Ravi also made it to theTokyo Olympics in the57kg after stunning ArsenHarutunyan, the 61kg

European champion fromArmenia and 2017 worldchampion and world num-ber three Yuki Takahashiof Japan.

Meanwhile, India’s cam-paign in the women’s com-petition folded followingPooja Dhanda’s defeat inthe bronze medal bout andfirst round exits of SakshiMalik and Divya Kakran.

Making good use of aneasy 65kg draw, Bajrangsteam-rolled one opponentafter another earlier in theday to reach the semifi-nals.

Bajrang did not have towork much in going pastPoland’s KrzysztofBienkowski in the openinground. He easily beat hisopponent 9-2.

Bajrang’s next opponentwas David Habat who didnot bother the Indianmuch though theSlovenian twice had hisright leg in his clutches.

The first chance was infirst period from groundposition and then in thestanding position after thebreak. The Slovenian, sur-prisingly, could not exploitthe advantageous position.

In the quarterfinalsagainst Korea’s Jong ChoiSon, Bajrang lost a pointfor stepping out but wonthe bout comfortably 8-1after that. — PTI

Bajrang sealsOlympic

quota spotalongside

Ravi atWrestling

Worlds, butsemis boutmarred by

controversy

●● Bajrang Punia’sfrustrated coachShako Benitidiskicked the coach’sblock in angerafter the 65kgbout ended 9-9.

●● Since homewrestlerNiyazbekov wasgiven a biggerthrow of fourpoints in the bout,he was declaredthe winner.

Bajrang Punia (right)reacts after losing hissemifinal bout toKazakhstan’s DauletNiyazbekov (left).

Paris Saint-Germain’sAngel di Maria cele-brates after scoringagainst Real Madrid intheir Champions LeagueGroup ‘A’ match in Parison Wednesday. — AFP

B. SSai PPraneeth

Manish KKaushik

■ Di Maria scores brace as PSG thrash Real; Man City cruise

Mohali, Sept. 19: Mostbowlers find it tough tocontain batsmen indeath overs but youngIndia pacer DeepakChahar relishes the chal-lenge in the Twenty20format.

With India givingyoungsters opportuni-ties ahead of the T20World Cup next year, 27-year-old Chahar hasimpressed in the threegames he has got sincemaking his debut in Julylast year, taking six wick-ets at 11.50.

Used to opening thebowling for ChennaiSuper Kings in the IPL,Chahar has shown hecan be equally effectivein the death overs.

“I don’t know how Ideveloped it (bowling atthe top) but you have todo it when you are play-ing for India. It is chal-lenging with only twofielders outside the cir-cle. But I have startedthinking sub-conscious-ly that I will need to bowlthree overs with twofielders outside the cir-cle,” said Chahar, whowas India’s standoutbowler in their seven-wicket win over SouthAfrica here onWednesday.

In his opening spell ofthree overs, Chaharswung the ball andpicked up the wicket ofReeza Hendricks beforereturning in the 18thover to remove a setTemba Bavuma with awell disguised slowerball.

“Earlier I used to bowlmore in the death oversand find it easierbecause in Powerplayyou have only two field-ers outside the circle andafter that you have theprotection of five field-ers. You can use varia-tion also in death overs,”he said.

Chahar said he focuseson outguessing the bats-man.

“How I bowl depends

on the batsmen. In thedeath overs, the batsmenis expecting yorkers or aslower ball but if you canalso bowl a bouncer orknuckle ball, it can sur-prise him. You to have tokeep guessing the bats-man,” said the Rajasthanpacer.

He feels bowling on flatwickets in Chennai dur-ing the IPL has madehim a better bowler.

“There is no off thewicket help when youare playing in Chennai.But when we were play-ing in Pune last to lastyear, there was help bothoff the wicket and in theair.

But in Chennai, theswing is there for maxi-mum one over as there isno grass. So, I got confi-dence that if I could dowell there, I could do wellelsewhere too,” he said.

Chahar has grabbed hischances so far but knowshe is far from cementinghis place in the sideahead of the T20 WorldCup in Australia. “I playeach match as if it is mylast for India. At thistime Indian cricket is atthe top. If you want toplay you have to do wellin almost every game,”he said. — PTI

PAGE


SHORT TAKESSL’s Dananjaya

action illegalDDuubbaaii:: Sri Lanka off-spinner

Akila Dananjaya was onThursday handed a 12 month

ban by the International CricketCouncil (ICC) for illegal bowling

action. The decision was takenafter an independent assess-

ment of his action.The 25-year-old was assessed

after the legality of his bowlingaction came under questionduring the first Test againstNew Zealand in Galle fromAugust 14 to 18. He subse-

quently underwent the inde-pendent assessment in Chennai

on August 29, which revealedthat he employed an illegal

bowling action.Dananjaya was originally sus-

pended from bowling inDecember 2018. Following

remedial work on his bowlingaction, he was reassessed and

permitted to resume bowling inFebruary 2019.

“As the latest report constitutesthe player’s second report with-in a two-year period, the first ofwhich led to a suspension, he is

automatically suspended frombowling in international cricketfor a period of 12 months,” theICC said in a statement. — PTI

IPL brand valuerises to $6.8b

MMuummbbaaii:: The brand value ofIndian Premier League (IPL) has

jumped 7 per cent to $6.8 bil-lion in 2019, with the value of

the Mumbai and Chennai fran-chisees rising the fastest, says a

report.However, the Shah Rukh Khan-

co-owned Kolkata franchise,along with embattled Vijay

Mallya’s Bengaluru franchisesaw an 8 per cent decline in

their valuations, Duff & Phelps,a consultancy, said in the report

on Thursday.Rajasthan Royals, co-owned by

the media mogul Murdoch fami-ly, also saw a decline in valua-

tion, to `271 crore from `284crore a year ago.

The Mukesh Ambani-ownedMumbai Indians, the winner of

four editions, saw an 8.5 percent increase in valuation to`809 crore — making it the

most valued team, while theIndia Cements-owned ChennaiSuper Kings’ value shot up 13.1

per cent to `732 crore.The Jindals-co-owned Delhi

Capitals saw it value increasing8.9 per cent to `374 crore in

the reporting year.— PTI

They’re formidable,not unbeatable. It

was one phasewith bat where we

let ourselves down.— Tembe Bavuma, on South

Africa’s T20 defeat to India

HeroMahmudullah struck a quick-fire half-century asBangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 39 runs to qualify forthe final of their Twenty20 tri-series in Chittagong

Cricket

Bengaluru, Sept. 19:Virat Kohli’s record asthe Royal ChallengersBangalore skipper mighthave been below-par butthe team’s newly-appoint-ed Director of CricketMike Hesson ruled outany change in leadershipfor the under-performingfranchise in the next IPLedition.

Despite stars like Kohli,AB de Villiers and ChrisGayle (for better part),RCB has not won the IPLsince the event’s incep-tion. Kohli has led theteam in seven of thoseseasons.

Hesson nipped ques-tions on Kohli controllingthe team and change incaptaincy in the bud. “Wedon’t have that percep-tion that Virat controlsthings. But may be he hashad his learnings fromthe past (mistakes) whilemoving forward,” Hessonsaid during a mediainteraction on Thursday.

Hesson said Kohli hasbeen on the same page ashim and chief coachSimon Katich. “There

has been no questionmark over Virat’s cap-taincy during last coupleof weeks (of discus-sions),” Hesson clarified.

“...we have been verymuch aligned and he hasbeen more than happy totake our advice from ourexperience,” the formerNew Zealand coachadded.

RCB’s questionablerecruitment has come infor a lot of criticism butHesson assured that thistime they are looking atspecific players and nothundreds of options.“There will be big focuson recruitment. Onceauction gets completed,the work starts then, nota week before the tourna-ment starts. We wouldhave clarity in roles thatplayers need to perform,”he said.

On signing domesticplayers, Hesson saidthere are specific playersthey would be looking atand not just statisticalhighlights during theMushtaq Ali or VijayHazare Trophy. — PTI

RCB will persistwith head Virat

Deepak deliversat the top, death

Deepak Chahar (left) celebrates taking a South African wicket with captain ViratKohli during the second T20 international match in Mohali on Wednesday. — AP

Earlier I used to bowlmore in the deathovers and find it easierbecause in Powerplayyou have only twofielders outside thecircle and after thatyou have the protec-tion of five fielders.You can use variationalso in death overs.

— DEEPAKCHAHAR

Team India pacer

BIPIN DDANI

The Sri Lankan cricket board said onThursday that it will go ahead withthe tour of Pakistan despite fears thatplayers could be the targets of terrorattacks during the six-match visitcomprising three ODIs and three T20

internationals between September 27 andOctober 9 in Karachi and Lahore.

Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Mohan de Silvasaid they received the all-clear from the defenceministry to leave for Pakistan next Tuesday.“We have the green light from the defence min-istry,” de Silva said. “The tour is on as weplanned. I myself and our office bearers willalso be accompanying the team.”

The team manager could be Asantha de Meland he would be taking a virtual second XIon tour as the top 10 Sri Lankan playershave pulled out citing fear of terror inci-dents.

Sri Lanka’s new ODI captain LahiruThirimanne told this newspaper on

Thursday, “We have to respect thedecision of the senior players

because it’s a personal matter tobe discussed with your lovedones. Sometimes players areready to go but families are not sohappy. We have to think about

everything. So these decisionshave to be respected.”“SCL presented us the security

plan and I am pretty happy withthat and I explained to my family aswell. The focus is not the securitybut cricket,” Lahiru said even as histeam have been busy with prepara-tions for the tour with practice inColombo this week.

The pullout of the stars has, how-ever, become a political issue withPakistan minister for scienceFawad Chaudhury claiming“Informed sports commentatorstold me that India threatened SLplayers that they’ll be oustedfrom IPL if they don’t refusePak visit”.

S h a h i dAfridi,

who lets his voice be heard in political issues andwho has had a running feud with BJP MP and for-mer India opener Gautam Gambhir on Twitter, gotstuck into the tour blaming India and IPL for majorSri Lankan stars opting out. “Sri Lankan playersare under pressure from IPL franchises. I spoke toSL players last time when there was talk of themcoming to Pakistan & playing in PSL. They saidthey wanted to come, but IPL guys say if you go toPakistan we won’t give you a contract”#PAKvSL”, he tweeted.

However, the Sri Lankan Board had flatlydenied this saying that the players had droppedout only for security concerns and ministerHarin Fernando tweeted, “No truth toreports that India influenced SriLankan players not to play inPakistan.”

IPL franchises have little say inwhat international players dowhen representing their homecountry. However, a team likeChennai Super Kings wouldemploy no Sri Lankan player, butonly due to the issue of Sri LankanTamils, which is a sensitive subject inTamil Nadu.

The top players skipping the tourare — Niroshan Dickwella, KusalPerera, Dhananjaya De Silva, ThisaraPerera, Akila Dhananjaya, LasithMalinga, Angelo Mathews, SurangaLakmal, Dinesh Chandimal andDimuth Karunaratne.

Reports last week of a possible ter-ror attack were referred to the SriLankan defence ministry for investi-gation, which has now cleared thetour. The Lankan team was the targetof an attack during a Test match inLahore in March 2009, with six play-ers injured when gunmen attackedtheir bus. Six Pakistan policemenand two civilians were killed.

Since the attack, a majority ofinternational teams have refused totour Pakistan — onlyZimbabweans and Sri Lankansthemselves have been known to

accept tours ofPakistan.

Lanka will tour Pak despite threats;Afridi says IPL intimidated players

MINEFIELD

Sri Lankan players are underpressure from IPLfranchises. I spoketo SL players lasttime when therewas talk of themcoming toPakistan & playingin PSL. They saidthey wanted tocome, but IPLguys say if you goto Pakistan wewon’t give you acontract.”

— SHAHID AFRIDI,former Pakistan

player

“Informed sportscommentators

told me thatIndia threatened

SL players thatthey’ll be oustedfrom IPL if they

don’t refuse Pakvisit.”

— FawadChaudhury

Pakistan minis-ter for science

“No truth to reports that India influenced Sri Lankan players not to play in Pakistan.”

— Harin Fernando, Sri Lanka Minister

A view of the National Stadium in Karachi that will host the first three T20s between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Regd. No. H/SD/509/2018-20Printed and Published by T. Venkateswarlu on behalf of DeccanChronicle Holdings Limited. Printed at Deccan Chronicle Press

situated at Plot No. 9 Alwal Village, Vallabh Nagar Taluk,Medchal Malkajgiri Dist. Telangana and Published at 36, S.D.

Road, Secunderabad-3.RNI Registration No. 3081/1957. Editor: A.T. Jayanti

c m y k c m y k

PAGE


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