VIJAYAWADA, SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022; PAGES 12 `3

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Updated: APRIL 22, 2022 5:00 PM

Forecast: Sunny

Temp: 39oc

Humidity: 57%Sunrise: 5:51 AMSunset: 6:27 PM

Month & Paksham:

Tithi: Saptami: Apr 22 08:42 AM

to Apr 23 06:27 AM

Ashtami: Apr 23 06:27 AM

to Apr 24 04:29 AM

Nakshatram:

Uttara Ashadha: Apr 22 08:14 PM

to Apr 23 06:53 PM

Shravana: Apr 23 06:54 PM

to Apr 24 05:52 PM

Rahukalam: 9:06 AM to 10:40 AM

Yamagandam: 1:48 PM to 3:22 PM

Varjyam: 10:43 PM to 12:15 AM

Gulika: 5:58 AM to 7:32 AM

Amritakalam: 12:51 PM to 02:22 PM

Abhijit Muhurtham: 11:49 AM to

12:39 PM

TTOODDAAYY

VIJAYAWADA WEATHER

Gang-rape of mentally challengedwoman triggers YSRCP-TD slugfestPNS n VIJAYAWADA

An alleged case of gang-rape ledto political acrimony between theruling YSR Congress and themain Opposition Telugu DesamParty (TDP) in Andhra Pradeshon Friday even as Chief MinisterYS Jagan Mohan Reddyannounced an ex gratia paymentof Rs 10 lakh to the victim.

State Director General of PoliceK V Rajendranath Reddy orderedthe suspension of the inspectorand sub-inspector of NunnaPolice Station in Vijayawada,under which the victim's resi-dence fell.

The political slugfest turnedugly as AP Women's CommissionChairperson Vasireddy Padmaissued a "notice" to Leader ofOpposition and TDP chief NChandrababu Naidu for "outrag-ing and insulting" her modesty.

A 23-year-old woman, who wassaid to be mentally challenged,was al legedly lured to theGovernment General Hospital inVijayawada by a person threedays ago and confined to a dingy

room. He, followed by two of hisfriends, allegedly took turns rap-ing the young woman for over 20hours, according to the police.

The incident came to light aftershe returned home on Thursday.

Police identified the culprits asworkers of a private firm that wasengaged by the government hos-pital for fogging work.

They were immediately arrest-ed, police said, adding that the vic-tim was admitted to the hospitalfor treatment.

However, the police came undersharp attack from various quartersfor having failed to act on thecomplaint of the victim's fatherabout the disappearance of hisdaughter.

Following this, the DGP placedthe Nunna Station House Officerand the sector SI under suspen-sion for dereliction of duty.

On Friday, TDP chief Naiduwent to the Old GGH to consolethe victim. By then, the Women'sCommission chairperson wasinside the victim's room.

m Sloganeering by TDP leaders irks APWC chief; notices issued to Naidu, Bonda Uma

Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu seen arguing with AP Women’s CommissionChairperson Vasireddy Padma at the Old Government General Hospital in Vijayawada on Friday.

Setback to AP govt asApex Court revokesABV’s suspension

MGNREGA expenditure declines in APPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Expenditure of the Centre’s flagshipprogramme MGNREGA inAndhra Pradesh has declined dur-ing 2021-22.

According to the data analysisdone by Delhi-based LiberationTechnology (LibTech), India,MGNREGA expenditure inAndhra Pradesh over the last threeyears shows that it was the highestin the year 2020-21 at more than Rs10,020 crore.

Incidentally, it is the highest inthe history of the scheme’s imple-mentation in the State but hasdeclined to less than 8,000 crore in2021-22.

The drop is significant if theincrease in NREGA wage rate to Rs245 in 2021-22 is taken intoaccount as compared to Rs 237 in2019-20.

MGNREGA is predominantly acentrally funded programme, with

only 10 pc of the expenditure metfrom State funding.

The ratio of material and skilledwages component to the wages, andmaterial and skilled expenditureput together has been kept wellunder 40 pc in the current yearwhich is 32 pc as mandated by theNREGA Act.

Also, after the huge increase in

person-days generated underMGNREGA in the year 2020-21,there was a dip in person-days gen-erated in 2021-22 to 24.2 croresfrom the previous year’s figure of26 crores. This amounts to a declineof around 6.9pc. . However this was21pc higher than the person-daysrecorded in the pre-Covid year -2019-20.

As a part of the study, a team ofLibTech India comprising engi-neers, social workers and social sci-entists, analysed MGREGA dataavailable in the public domainfrom three Financial Years of 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.

While eight out of 13 districtsshowed a decline in employmentprovided for the current year com-pared to the previous year, five dis-tricts recorded the opposite trend.Two districts, Srikakulam andVizianagaram, have the infamousdistinction of recording fewer per-son-days in 2021-22 compared toboth 2020-21 and 2019-20.

Though Vizianagaram recordedfewer person-days in 2021-22 com-pared to the previous two years, itstill scores relatively high on theaverage person-days generated incomparison with other districts,next only to Anantapur.

Experts’ team visitsPolavaram project sitePNS n VIJAYAWADA

Engineering experts on Fridayvisited Polavaram project to studythe diaphragm wall that was dam-aged due to flooding in 2019.

A team of experts led IIT Delhiformer director Prof VS Raju andcurrent director Prof GV Ramanahad visited the Polavaram projectsite in West Godavari and inspect-ed gap 2 D wall, earth cum rock-fill dam, lower cofferdam, ringbund in gap 1.

They conducted the fieldinspection.

Farm produce to be procured from fieldsPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Minister for Civil Supplies andConsumer Affairs KarumuriVenkata Nageswara Rao has saidthat farmers’ produce will be pro-cured from the fields by providingtransport facilities. The ministersaid that the payment for the grainprocured from the farmers wouldbe disbursed in time.

The minister was the chief guestat a workshop organised by the Civil

Supplies Department on Friday,which was also attended by JointCollectors, Civil Supplies DMs,DSVs and officials from 26 districts.

Minister Venkata Nageswara Raosaid that the door delivery of rationswas the first such initiative in India.States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,Delhi and Punjab were looking atthe possibility of implementing thesystem.

Govt found permanent solution toterrorism in J&K, naxal menace: ShahPNS n BHOPAL

The Narendra Modi government atthe Centre has succeeded in find-ing permanent solution to prob-lems such as the terrorism inJammu and Kashmir, left-wingextremism and drugs menace andarmed groups in the North East,Union Home Minister Amit Shahclaimed here on Friday.

Speaking at the inauguration ofthe 48th All India Police ScienceCongress (AIPSC) organised by theBureau of Police Research andDevelopment (BPR&D), he alsostressed that police should remaintwo steps ahead of criminals bybecoming tech-savvy.

In the last eight years, theNarendra Modi government almostsettled the Kashmir issue, and alsosolved Naxalism as well as theproblem of armed groups anddrugs in the North East, the Unionminister said.

"Many armed groups have sur-rendered to join the mainstream.After Article 370 was abrogated, anew era of enthusiasm and devel-

opment has begun in Kashmir,”Shah said.

"After the abrogation of Article370, large-scale development ishappening in Jammu andKashmir," he said.

This change was possiblebecause the government worked ona strategy after intense discus-sions and analysing the problems,

he added.In his speech, Shah also under-

lined the need to modernise thepolice force to strengthen internalsecurity.

"Police need to be tech-savvy toremain two steps ahead of crimi-nals," he said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Saudi Arabia has informed Indiathat pilgrims will be able to travelto that country for Haj this year andthe Indian quota has been fixed at79,237 pilgrims due to Covid lim-itations, Ministry of MinorityAffairs officials said on Friday.

The Saudi government has alsotold the Indian side that only thoseaged below 65 will be able to trav-el for Haj this year, they said.

Saudi nodfor Haj travel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks as he attends a joint press briefing with hisBritish counterpart Boris Johnson at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

BETTER DEAL FOR BETTER FUTUREAP skips GRMB meet again

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

A division bench of the SupremeCourt, comprising Justice A MKhanwilkar, Justice Abhay S Okaand Justice C T Ravi Kumar, hasdismissed a special leave petitionfiled by the State governmentseeking further extension of thesuspension of senior IPS officerand former Andhra PradeshIntelligence chief AB VenkateswaraRao.

The Supreme Court on Fridaydirected the State government totake him back into service imme-diately.

The bench refused to interferein the judgment of the State HighCourt, which also questioned thesuspension of Venkateswara Rao.The apex court also felt that thecontinuation of suspension formore than two years was againstthe principles of natural justice.

The Supreme Court said thatVenkateswara Rao could not bekept under suspension beyondthe stipulated period of two years,and ordered that he should betaken back into service immediate-ly.

The State government had filedthe SLP challenging the HighCourt judgment on May 22, 2020,lifting the suspension imposed onVenkateshwar Rao.

This was challenged by the Stategovernment in the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court, however, wasnot satisfied with the reasonsmentioned by the State govern-ment seeking further extension ofthe suspension of VenkateshwarRao. It also said thatVenkateshwara Rao was eligible forsalary and allowances with effectfrom February 7, 2022, the date onwhich his suspension periodended.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Godavari River ManagementBoard (GRMB) meeting scheduledto be held on Thursday wasadjourned at the eleventh hour asofficials from Andhra Pradeshdid not attend it.

Hence, the 13th meeting ofGRMB has been postponed again.Rajat Kumar, Special ChiefSecretary, Irrigation Department,said: "AP members did not attendthe meeting intentionally" and themeeting was postponed.

Telangana Engineer-in-ChiefMuralidhar, CM OSD SridharDeshpande and engineers attend-ed the meeting, which was to bechaired by Board Chairman M PSingh. But not a single officerfrom AP attended the meeting.So, the board adjourned themeeting.

Previously the meeting sched-uled for March 11 was also post-poned due to the absence of APmembers.

Rajat Kumar said that APmembers purposely did not cometo the meeting. The meeting wasarranged twice, but they did notattend. He said: "The board has toapprove the DPRs of three proj-ects related to Telangana. Due tothe absence of AP members, theapprovals are being delayed.

Seethamma Sagar andThupkulagudem project receivedhydrological clearance. We hopethat all projects will be approvedwithin six months". He added thatthe tribunal had not yet respond-ed to Krishna waters.

It may be mentioned here thatthe Union Ministry of WaterResources recently amended theGazette Notification regardingthe scope and management of theboard. The seed money deposit ofRs 200 crore and the details ofunapproved projects to be sub-mitted had been extended foranother six months. Now thedeadline is July 14th.

The meeting was supposed todiscuss projects related to the twostates and the issue of DPR forChanaka-Korata, ChoutupallyHanmanthureddy Lift Scheme,apart from Chinna Kaleswaramprojects of Telangana. TheVenkitanagaram pump house inAndhra Pradesh and theUttaranchal Sujala Sravanti proj-ects were also to be discussed.

GRMB Chairman M P Singhpostponed the meeting due to theabsence of Andhra officials.Without any prior intimation,GRMB and Telangana officialswere kept waiting until the lastmoment. The next date is yet tobe announced.

Shift of scheme to NIC adversely impacted employment generation P2

Union Home Minister Amit Shah trying an exhibit at FICCI Tech Expo

US BLASTS CHINA'S SUPPORT FORRUSSIA, PLEDGES TO HELP INDIA

Asenior U.S. diplomat again warned China of sanctions ifit offers "material support" for Vladimir Putin's war inUkraine, while also pledging to help India end its

dependence on Russian weapons. China wasn't helping thesituation in Ukraine by doing things like amplifying Russiandisinformation campaigns, U.S. Deputy Secretary of StateWendy Sherman said at an event in Brussels on Thursday.She said she hoped Beijing will learn the "right lessons" fromRussia's war, including that it can't separate the U.S. fromits allies.

BRITISH PATIENT BATTLED COVID FORRECORD 505 DAYS BEFORE DYING

Aman in Britain battled the same COVID-19 infection fornearly 18 months, the longest known continuous casesince the emergence of the pandemic. According to a

report in Metro, the patient died 505 days after beingdiagnosed in 2020. The details of the patient have not beenrevealed, but doctors said the immune system was severelyimmunocompromised. The doctors, however, did not revealhow old the patient was or the vaccination details. Thepatient had fallen victim to 10 mutations of coronavirus,including Alpha, Gamma and the Omicron.

NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE EXAMS WEARINGHIJAB, 2 KARNATAKA STUDENTS LEAVE

In another dramatic development in the Karnataka Hijab banrow, the two students who had first petitioned the court to allowHijab inside classrooms were today turned away from the

examination centre of their final class 12 board examination afterthey insisted on taking the exams wearing burqas. Aliya Assadiand Resham had collected their hall tickets and turned up donningburqas to take the exams at the Vidyodaya PU College in Udupi.They tried to convince the invigilators and the college principal foraround 45 minutes but were eventually not allowed any exceptionto the court order upholding the state government's ban.

RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT GRANTS 15-DAYPAROLE TO MAN TO GET WIFE PREGNANT

In a rare incident, the Rajasthan High Court has granted15-day parole to a man so that he could get his wifepregnant. The order has been given by the Jodhpur bench

of the high court. The order came by the two-judge bench ofjustices Sandeep Mehta and Farjand Ali on the petition of34-year-old Nand Lal's wife Rekha, who sought the releaseof her husband on the “right of progeny”. The judges said intheir order that the spouse of Nand Lal is innocent and “hersexual and emotional needs associated with marital lives areaffected” by the man's imprisonment.

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CM to launch phase II of housingprogramme for poor on April 28PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Chief Minister YS JaganMohan Reddy is set to launchthe second phase of YSRCPgovernment’s flagship megahousing programme,Pedalandariki Illu, atVisakhapatnam on April 28.

Minister for Housing JogiRamesh said the State govern-ment was working with thegoal that every poor person inthe State should have a house.

Addressing a press meethere, the minister said that CMJagan would distribute thedocuments required for theconstruction of the houses towomen, and would sanctionanother 1.80 lakh houses tostart the second phase ofPedalandariki Illu mega hous-

ing scheme. Minister Jogi Ramesh held

a high-level review meetingwith housing officials of the 26districts as well as Housing

Department officials. He instructed the district

collectors and other officials towork continuously for speed-ing up the housing programme

by creating awareness amongthe beneficiaries. He clarifiedthat there was no shortage offunds for the construction ofhouses.

The minister said that theconstruction of 24,000 houseswould be completed soon andanother one lakh houses wouldbe built by May 15.

He said that the officialswere instructed to initiatemeasures to complete megah ou s i ng proj e c t wor k sworth at least Rs 30 crore toRs 40 crore in the 26 dis-tricts every day and hopedto finish the YSRCP’s flag-ship mega housing pro-gramme as per schedule.

Narayana Bharat Gupta,Managing Director, StateHousing Department, RahulPandey, Special Secretary,Kamalakar Babu, SpecialOfficer, GV Prasad, ChiefEngineer and other officialsattended the meeting.

Minister for HousingJogi Ramesh said thatCM would distributethe documentsrequired for theconstruction of thehouses to women, andwould sanction another1.80 lakh houses tostart the second phaseof ‘Pedalandariki Illu’mega housing scheme.

SCR moves bulk cement inspecialised tank containersPNS n VIJAYAWADA

In a first-of-its-kind initiativethat is likely to be a game-changer in the transportationof bulk cement, the SouthCentral Railways (SCR) hasloaded bulk cement in spe-cialised tank containers andcontainers with liner bags.The first rake has been loadedfrom Bharathi Cements sidingin Yerraguntla of AndhraPradesh to Irugur andTondiarpet in Tamil Nadu.

The container rake is beingmoved as a single rake consist-ing of 30 specialised tank con-tainers, each having a capaci-ty of approximately 26 tonnes,and 50 containers with linerbags, each with a capacity of 27tonnes.

Bulk cement dispatchroughly constitutes around 25per cent of the total cementproduction of nearly 350 mil-lion tonnes. This traffic ispredominantly transported

currently through non-railmodes of transport. With theintroduction of these spe-cialised containers, there ishuge potential for the Railwaysto tap this significant traffic toits freight basket.

On the occasion, ArunKumar Jain, General Manager(In-Charge), South CentralRailways, said that loading ofbulk cement in specialisedcontainers created a win-winsituation for both the cement

producers and the Railways.While it provides a cost-effec-tive, flexible and fast trans-portation option for thecement producers, it opens upa new stream of traffic for theRailways.

He said that consciousefforts were being taken by theRailways to meet the require-ment of the industry so thatthe best possible transporta-tion options were made avail-able to them.

MGNREGA expenditure declines in APContinued from Page 1

Among all the districts,Anantapur generated thehighest employment this yeardespite a drop in person-daysgenerated in comparison tolast year. Anantapur alsorecorded the highest figure interms of the percentage ofhouseholds that have complet-ed at least 100 days of work.

“With the pandemic andreverse migration caused bythe lockdown, MGNREGAhelped thousands of workersto earn a livelihood, and theState was also able to createassets l ike Anganwadis,Village Secretariats, RythuBharosa Kendras, etc, usingthe material component.However, with the drop inwage employment and mate-rial expenditure, AndhraPradesh’s NREGA story for2021-22 seems to have lost

some of its sheens in compar-ison to last year. This loss canprimarily be attributed to themigration of MGNREGAimplementation from the statewebsite to the ‘NIC portal,”Chakradhar Budha of LibTechIndia told The Pioneer.

He also added that basedon their work in multiplestates along with AP onMGNREGA it can be con-cluded that the budget cutsand delay in wage paymentsby the union governmenthave become an impedimentto workers realising theirrights as mandated byNREGA.

“It’s high time that thestates should be given com-plete freedom to design andimplement the scheme withinthe boundaries of the legisla-tion based on the local condi-tions. The union governmentshould work with the state

governments to make sure thepromise given by the parlia-

ment to the citizens of thecountry on Employment guar-

antee is fulfilled,” Chakradharadded.

Gang-rape of mentally challengedContinued from Page 1

An altercation then ensuedbetween Naidu and Padmaeven as former MLA BondaUmamaheswara Rao and for-mer Mayor P Anuradha ofthe TDP joined in.

There was a commotion inthe hospital as the TDP mem-bers resorted to slogan-shout-ing, which infuriated theCommission chairperson.

She exchanged words withthe TDP leaders and said itwas not the venue to politicisethe issue.

At the same t ime,Vijayawada Commissioner ofPolice T Kanti Rana tooreached the spot, angering thevictim's family and relatives.The victim's kin raised slo-gans against the police, alleg-

ing that their inaction led tothe crime.

Later in the afternoon,Deputy Chief Minister(Home) T Vanita and HealthMinister V Rajini also visit-ed the hospital and consoledthe victim.

A release from the CMOsaid CM Reddy directed theMedical and HealthDepartment authorities toconduct a thorough inquiryinto the lapses that led to therape incident on the govern-ment hospital premises.

The health authoritiesimmediately terminated theservice contract of the fog-ging agency as well as the pri-vate security agency, holdingthem responsible for the inci-dent.

Later in the evening, the

Women's Commission chair-person issued notices to for-mer CM Chandrababu Naiduand former MLA BondaUmamaheswara Rao, direct-ing them to appear for aninquir y before theCommission on April 27 andgive an explanation.

"Being an ex-CM and theopposit ion leader-cum-Telugu Desam Party leader ofAndhra Pradesh, you havecome to the place along withyour henchmen and wanton-ly created a ruckus and tenseatmosphere, made patientspanic and also used abusivelanguage with tyranny byoutraging and insulting themodesty of the Chairperson,AP Women's Commissionand misbehaved being aresponsible person," Padma

alleged in the notice.She pointed out that under

Sect ion 14 of the APWomen's Commission Act,1998, the Commission wasvested with the powers of acivil court "for the purpose ofSection 195 of CrPC".

Meanwhile, Jana Sena chiefK Pawan Kalyan expressedanguish over the gang-rapeincident and blamed policefailure for it. The incidentalso exposed the lack of secu-rity and surveillance in amajor government hospital,he said in a statement.

State Congress presidentSake Sailajanath, CPI secre-tary K Ramakrishna and oth-ers also condemned the inci-dent and demanded sternmeasures by the governmentto ensure women's safety.

Farmproduce tobe procuredContinued from Page 1

The minister said that officerswere discharging duties in shiftsto provide all services to farm-ers through RBKs.

People were being given for-tified rice that was nutritiousand good for their health. Heappealed to the media to createawareness of nutritious foodand said that there would be nocompromise on the quality ofrice supplied to the people.

Under the supervision ofauthorities, steps were beingmade to ensure that essentialcommodities were available tothe public.

Experts team visitsPolavaram project...Continued from Page 1

On Saturday the team ofexperts will hold meetingswith the seniorofficials of thestate irriga-tion depart-ment.

T h en e w l ysworn-inIrrigationMinis ter,A m b a t iR a m b a b u ,earlier said thatPolavaram projectworks will be delayed due tothe damage to the diaphragmwall.

He al leged that thePolavaram projectdiaphragm wall was damagedin the 2019 floods due to the

negligence of the previ-ous TDP govern-

ment. Experts willnow study towhat extent thediaphragm wallwas damagedand how theproject will be

c o m p l e t e d .After holding the

discussions andfurther study the

expert team will submita report to the Jal ShakthiMinistry on the way for-ward.

Saudi nod for...Continued from Page 1

Minority Affairs MinisterMukhtar Abbas Naqvi saidall preparations are in orderfor the pi lgrimage andinterviews for those deput-ed for Haj duty have alsobeen completed.

RT-PCR test and twodoses of vaccination arerequired by Saudi Arabiaand all preparations havebeen made to facilitate thepilgrims, officials said.

This will be the first timesince the outbreak of theCovid pandemic that pil-grims from India will trav-el to Saudi Arabia for Haj.

The Saudi s ide hasinformed India that thequota this year will be79,237 pilgrims, officialssaid. Out of these, 56,601pilgrims will go throughthe Haj Committee of Indiaw hi le 22 ,636 wi l l got hroug h Haj GroupOrganizers.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia

had increased India's Hajquota by 25,000, taking thenumber of pilgrims fromthe country who can per-form Haj to 2 lakh.

But because of the Covidrestrictions and limitations,the quota of countries wasreduced by Saudi Arabia,officials said.

There wi l l b e 10embarkation points insteadof the 21 in pre-Covidtimes. These are Delhi,Mumb ai , Hyderabad,Luck now, A hme dab ad,Kolkat a , Guwa hat i ,Srinagar, Bengaluru andKochi. Officials said thisyear over 5,000 women willbe going for Haj withoutMehram (male companion).

Digital Health Card, 'E-MASIHA' health facilityand "E-luggage pre-tag-ging", providing all infor-mation regarding accom-modation and transporta-tion in Mecca-Madina, willbe provided to all the Hajpilgrims.

Govt found permanent solution...Continued from Page 1

The two-day event is beingheld at the Central Academyof Police Training (CAPT)here.

Every state has to adapt tothe technologies used by otherstates and focus on mordern-izing the police force andtraining methods, Shah fur-ther said.

“Police in the entire coun-try should work in tandemand with coordination witheach other,” the Union homeminister added.

Data is a new science, andbig data has solutions to all theproblems, Shah said, addingthat police forces across thecountry must keep this inmind.

Under the Modi govern-ment, security agencies havegained the upper hand vis avis terror groups, he claimed.

The law and order is a statesubject and that is why policework on the direction ofelected governments inrespective states. But in sucha situation, forming uniformresponse becomes a majorchallenge, he said.

“If the state police contin-ue to function in isolation,then it will not be possible to

face all these challenges in aperfect manner,” he said.

India is emerging as a majorpower in the world as it has"democracy, demographicdividend, demand and deci-siveness" and also a "leadercapable of changing the coun-try's destiny," Shah said.

The prime minister hasannounced a technology mis-sion for police in the countryand the home ministry hasdrawn up a roadmap for this,he said.

“We will send it throughBPR&D to the state police forseeking their suggestions andthrough it the entire policeforce in the country will beequipped with same type ofequipment and technology,”Shah said.

About four lakh police per-

sonnel were affected by thecoronavirus pandemic and2,712 of them lost their livesin the line of duty, the Unionminister noted, condolingtheir deaths.

Madhya Pradesh ChiefMinister Shivraj SinghChouhan also spoke on theoccasion.

The main objective of theconference is to provide acommon platform to repre-sentatives of various policeforces, social scientists, foren-sic experts and other stake-holders to deliberate on issuesconcerning police, an officialsaid.

About 100 participantsfrom different states, Unionterritories, Central ArmedPolice Force (CAPF), CentralPolice Organisation (CPO),prisons and correctionaladministration as well asforensic science laboratoriesand various universities aretaking part in the conference,he added.

Madhya Pradesh GovernorMangubhai Patel will chair thevaledictory session onSaturday.

After the event, Shah tookpart in a brief roadshow onhis way to the state BJP head-quarters.

‘After Article 370was abrogated,a new era ofenthusiasm anddevelopmenthas begun inKashmir,’ Shahsaid.

Fin Min Sitharaman meetsheads of FedEx, MastercardPNS n WASHINGTON

Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Thursday metCEOs of large American firmslike FedEx and Mastercard anddiscussed various opportunitiesfor investment in India, whichis the fastest-growing largeeconomy in the world. Thefinance minister is in the US toattend IMF-WB SpringMeetings 2022.

FedEx President and CEO-elect Raj Subramaniam, duringthe meeting with the financeminister, mentioned that he ispositive about India and has sig-nificant expansion plans, includ-ing in skilling.

Appreciating the govern-ment's commitment to integrat-ed development through thePM Gati Shakti Master Plan,Subramaniam said the compa-ny is looking at R&D centres inIndia and the company has greatopportunity to grow in thecountry.

Last year, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi launched a Rs100 lakh crore national masterplan for multi-modal connectiv-ity that aims to develop infra-structure to reduce logistic costsand boost the economy.

PM Gati Shakti targets to cut

logistic costs, increase cargohandling capacity and reducethe turnaround time. The planaims to lend more power andspeed to projects by connectingall concerned departments onone platform.

As per the Economic Survey2021-22, India is projected togrow at 8-8.5 per cent during thecurrent financial year endingMarch 2023.

The National Logistics Policyannounced in the Budget is animportant element for the strat-egy of 'make in India',Subramaniam added.

Sitharaman also held a meet-ing with Accenture Chair andCEO Julie Sweet.

"Ms Sweet lauded the proac-tive & transparent approach ofthe GoI & said @Accenture isadding a presence in moreTier-II cities in India & focus-ing on upskilling talent to pre-pare for emerging opportunities.Ms Sweet also informed that47% of their workforce in Indiaare women," the finance min-istry said in a tweet.

The Indian governmentmakes it a focus to listen to andsupport the business communi-ty while also taking steps tomake India a great place toinvest in, Sweet said.

Mask mandatereturns in DelhiRs 500 fine forviolationPNS n NEW DELHI

Within three weeks of lift-ing its mask mandate, theDelhi government Fridaymade masks mandatory atpublic places with immedi-ate effect, and imposed afine of Rs 500 for any vio-lation as coronavirus casesrise in the city again.

However, those travel-ling together in a privatefour-wheeler are out of thepurview of the new rule,according to an order issuedby the city's Health andFamily WelfareDepartment.

Though the order doesnot mention if people trav-elling in hired cabs andtaxis are required to wearmasks, a senior official saidthey are not exempt.

The Delhi DisasterM a n a g e m e n tAuthority(DDMA) had in ameeting last Wednesdaydecided to make masksmandatory at public placeswith a fine of Rs 500 for anyviolation.

The DDMA meeting,attended by Lt GovernorAni l Baija l and ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwalamong others, had notedthat Covid case positivityrate has been increasing inDelhi over the past fort-night.

Bangladesh patientundergoes surgeryat SLG Hospital

PNS n HYDERABAD

Orthopaedic surgeons at SLGHospitals, Nizampet, said onFriday they have successfullytreated a 38-year-old patientfrom Bangladesh, Md SMMamunul Haque, who suf-fered an accident that resultedin a badly fractured knee.Dr.Jagan Mohan Reddy, seniororthopedic and joint replace-ment surgeon, SLG Hospitalssaid, "the patient failed to findthe right healthcare institutionin Bangladesh. After more thanthree months of delay, he wasrecommended to SLGHospitals where we assessed theexact condition of the deformedknee and undertook surgicalprocedure to fix the fractures.

Shift of scheme to NIC adverselyimpacted employment generationPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Following the diktat fromthe Union Ministry of RuralDevelopment, MGNREGAimplementation in AndhraPradesh has been shifted tothe national portal ‘NIC’from the State website inNovember 2021, resulting inseveral changes.

The labour groups arereorganised from the existing20-25 member groups to 40member groups. The newly-appointed mates are taking

time to get to terms with thenew implementation rulesas per NIC migration. Theearlier method of calculatingperson-days according to thewage earned has been dis-pensed with and the systemof calculating wages accord-ing to the muster attendancehas been reintroduced.

“Historically in AP andTelangana, workers were paidsummer allowance, but thispractice has been discontin-ued post NIC migration.

The collection of bank

account particulars fromworkers was mandated due tothe change of payment sys-tem from Aadhaar to BankAccount.

But the process is not yetcompleted, resulting in alarge number of workersbeing denied employment.From our field investigation,we found that all the abovereasons have had an adverseimpact on employment gen-eration and wages earned byworkers,” said ChakradharBudha of LibTech India.

vijayawada 03VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022

PNS n ONGOLE

For the third consecutive year,Chief Minister YS Jagan MohanReddy on Friday credited Rs1,261 crore directly into theaccounts of 1.02 crore womenbelonging to ‘Self-Help groups’as interest reimbursementunder the ‘YSR Sunna Vaddi’scheme.

Addressing a large gatheringhere, the Chief Minister saidthat the State government iscommitted to women's empow-erment and thus rolled outschemes like 'Sunna Vaddi','Aasara', and 'Cheyutha', tostrengthen women in allaspects. In the last three years,the government disbursed Rs3,615 crore under the 'YSRSunna Vaddi' schemes benefit-ing all those women whoavailed of loans and madetimely repayments. He statedthat the government had alsodiscussed with the banks andreduced the interest rates forwomen to 8.5-9.5 percent fromthe existing 12.5-13.5 percent.

The Chief Minister opinedthat the previous government

betrayed women by promisingto waive off pending loansduring the 2014 polls, where inreturn the SHG women havebeen burdened with over Rs14,205 crore, losing their cre-dentials and joining in NPA list.Besides failing to keep thepromise of waiving the out-standing loans, he stated thatthe previous government hadalso discontinued the 'SunnaVaddi' scheme for the SHGwomen and burdened themwith Rs 3,036 crore as interestfor their loans, and by 2019 theoutstanding loans reached to Rs25,517 crore. Unlike the previ-ous government, where 18.36percent SHGs were on theNPA list, the current govern-ment with good reformsbrought down the numberdrastically to 0.73 percent,where the number of women inSHGs increased to 1.02 crorefrom 80 lakh.

The Chief Minister said thatthe government is committedto women's welfare, economicprogress, and overall develop-ment of women. Listing outvarious welfare schemes, he

said that since the inception ofthe government Rs 1,36,694crore has been disbursedthrough DBT without any mid-dlemen or any corruption,where Rs 94,318 crore of thetotal amount was crediteddirectly to the women benefi-ciaries. Taking a dig at theopposition, he stated that theyare jittery and jealous of theimplementation of welfareschemes and thus taking upGoebbels propaganda againstthe government creating a falseillusion of State finances.Reiterating that there is nomedicine for their jealousy, hestated that Navaratnalu hadchanged the lives of manyweaker sections, strengtheningthem and putting them at theforefront. Coming down heav-ily on the Opposition and a sec-tion of media for equating theState with crisis-ridden SriLanka, he stated thatChandrababu Naidu doesn’twant to implement theseschemes if he comes to power.

He stated that there was nodifference between his govern-ment and the previous one in the

revenues and loans, and despitehaving fewer borrowings thanthe earlier one all the promisedwelfare schemes are being imple-mented in a transparent manner.He claimed that they achievedwhat Chandrababu could not doin his term. Further, he askedhow the state would become SriLanka if the schemes are imple-mented and questioned if theyare not implemented as Naidudid, will the State becomeAmerica.

Stating that he was fightingwith the demons in the form ofChandrababu Naidu, Pawan,and a section of the media, theChief Minister said that he hadimplemented all the welfareschemes despite the financial cri-sis due to Covid and stood by thepeople. He said that the govern-ment prioritised weaker sec-tions and strived for social jus-tice where even in cities likeVijayawada Mayor post wasgiven to BCs.

Ministers B Muthyalanaidu,Adimulapu Suresh, MerugaNagarjuna, and other publicrepresentatives, and senior offi-cials were present at the event.

‘Govt committed to women's welfare’ Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy releases Rs 1,261 cr under ‘YSR Sunna Vaddi' scheme

PNS n AMARAVATI

TDP national general secretaryNara Lokesh has accused the rul-ing YSRCP leaders of attackingeven the government officials fortrying to stop their illegal and cor-rupt activities.

Lokesh condemned the latestYSRCP attack on the Revenue staffat Moturu in Gudivada mandal ofKrishna district. RevenueInspector Aravind had a narrowescape from the attack by theGudivada 'Gaddam Gang', whichwas behind the soil mafia there.

In a statement here on Friday,Nara Lokesh alleged that the YCPgoons went to the extent of threat-ening to run a JCB over theRevenue staff if they obstructedtheir illegal soil mining. The mid-night attack was undoubtedlysponsored by the 'Gaddam Gang'.The government officials were

receiving life threats as well fromthe ruling party goons. Lokeshadded that till the other day, theruling YSRCP leaders tortured thepeople, Opposition parties’ lead-ers, and people's organisatins withthe help of the government offi-cials and the police. Now, the gov-ernment officials were also beingtargeted. It was high time thepolice realised that they, too,would come under the attack by

the ruling party mafia soon. NaraLokesh demanded immediateaction against the Gaddam Gangthat posed threat to the lives ofGudivada Revenue staff. All nec-essary protection should be pro-vided to the government officialsengaged in preventing the activi-ties of the land and soil mafias.

The TDP MLC asked whethergiving life threats to officials wasthe 'Vishwaroopam' that the for-mer minister had threatened toreveal. The time had come for thegovernment officials to save theirown lives from the YSRCP goon-das. The 'casino star' seemed tohave started stepping up his ille-gal activities after losing his port-folio. Lokesh said the ChiefMinister was the kind of a leaderwho would only betray and ditcheven the officials despite their all-out support for his frauds andscams.

Eluru district gets share ofRs 65.23 cr under schemePNS n ELURU/KADAPA

Eluru district has received Rs65,23,94,732 under theYSR Sunna Vaddi scheme

and 48,012 Self-Help Groupshave benefited from thescheme. A programme was heldon Friday at Gopannapalemvillage in Denduluru mandal onthe occasion of the release ofRs 65,23,94,732 for the interestreimbursement to self-helpgroups. Speaking on theoccasion District Collector VPrasanna Venkatesh said thatthe DWCRA women in AP stateare thriving financially with thefinancial discipline provided bythe government. He said theDWCRA women's system in theState was much stronger thanall the other states in thecountry and was ideal for otherstates. The Collector said thestate government considers thesafety and welfare of womenwith two eyes. Chief Minister YSJagan Mohan Reddy directedthat the implementation ofwelfare schemes should beprovided at a satisfactory levelto everyone who is eligibleirrespective of caste, creed orpolitical affiliation. He said thatmost of the welfare programsbeing implemented by thegovernment are for women. Hesaid that Jagannanna Asara,Jagananna Thodu, Amma Odi,and Jagannanna Palavelluva arebeing implemented for womenand the distribution of houses isbeing held in the name ofwomen. Eluru MP KotagiriSridhar said that the stategovernment is working forwomen's empowerment andeconomic development so thatevery woman could achieve

financial self-reliance. He saidthe state government wasimplementing several welfareschemes for the development ofwomen. MLA Abbayya Chowdaysaid that the Chief Ministeraimed at providing a house andfree education and medicaltreatment. The government isworking with the objective ofthe welfare of the poor, the MLAsaid. He said that since there isa college in area 58 per cent ofgirl students discontinue theirstudies. He took the issue to thenotice of the Chief Minister whosanctioned four junior collegesat Denduluru, Kovvali, Pedavegi,and Koppaka village and adegree college at Pedavegi. Hesaid that roads are beingdeveloped at a cost of Rs 340crore in the Denduluruconstituency and jobs wereprovided to 1700 unemployedyouth by organising job mela.The ZP high school wasdeveloped at a cost of Rs 1.54crore and Central Syllabuseducation is being provided, hesaid. RDO K Penchala Kishore,DRDA PD K Srinivasa Rao andother officials were present.Kadapa district received Rs64,1329,234 under the YSRSunna Vaddi scheme for thereimbursement of interests of37,774 self-help groups. Aprogramme was held here onthe occasion in which in-chargeCollector CM Saikanth Varma,MLA P Ravindranath Reddy andZP chairman Akepati AmarnathReddy were present. Speakingon the occasion, in-chargeCollector said that the YSRSunna Vaddi is beingimplemented in order to infuseself-confidence among the self-help group women.

Lokesh flays YSRCP for ‘JCBattack' on State govt staff PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Keeping in mind the demand ofthe public in the north Andhraregion, East Coast Railway hasdecided to run the train No.08538/08537 Visakhapatnam-Koraput-Visakhapatnam dailypassenger special train fromApril 23.

The maiden run of the trainwas flagged off by Minister forRailways Ashwini Vaishnaw,from Koraput railway station onFriday. The train will run in openpath timings today.

The regular train services I.e.08538 Visakhapatnam- Koraputtrain services will commenceon April 23 and 08537 Koraput-Visakhapa tnam will commenceon April 24. This passenger spe-cial train will have 6 general sec-ond class coaches and twoSecond Class cum Luggage /Disabled coaches. The inaugur-al run of the special train was wit-nessed by East Coast Railway,AGM, Sharad Srivastava,

Divisional Railway Manager,Anup Satpathy, higher officialsfrom Railway Board, East CoastRailway Headqua rters and

Waltair Division. Speaking to themedia, the Railway Minister saidthat the dream project connect-ing Junagarh with Bhadrachalam

via Nawaran gapur andMalkangiri will be fulfilled short-ly. The rail connectivity not onlyenhances travelling facility but

also acts as a catalyst for thesocio-economic development ofthe region, he added. Apart fromthis, the train which was stoppeddue to covid is restored today andsome more developmental activ-ities. Prior to the flagging off, theRailway Minister held a reviewmeeting at Malkangiri withRailway officials, District offi-cials, and public representativeson various developmental activ-ities. He announced that therakes of Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin Samata express,and Visakhapatnam- Niza mud-din Swarnajayanthi express willbe converted to LHB rake short-ly. He assured that the demandfor stoppage of Samaleswariexpress, Hirakhand express,Jagdalpur-Rourkela-Jagdalpurexpress at Lakhimpur Road hasbeen approved and will beimplemented soon. He said anadditional stoppage to Visakhapatnam- Kirandul-Visakha pat-nam train at Bacheli will begiven soon.

New train between Vizag & Koraput flagged off

ID liquor bases inKrishna raided,jaggerywash destroyedPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Krishna district police andthe Special EnforcementBureau (SEB) jointly conduct-ed a cordon & search opera-tion within the MachilipatnamPort Sub- Division anddestroyed the illicit liquorbases on Friday. The searchwas conducted in Kottapadivillage under Bandar talukpolice station and 5,000 litresof fermented jaggerywash wasdestroyed, 40 litres of IDliquor and 2 ID liquor manu-facturing units were destroyed.Two persons were arrested inthis connection. Cases wereregistered in this connection.In Pedana mandal also, fer-mented jaggerywash, IDliquor and ID liquor manufac-turing setups were destroyedand two persons were arrest-ed.

The Krishna district policehave destroyed 10,000 litres of

fermented jaggerywash (FJwash) which was hidden toproduce the ID liquor in GSattepalem village ofTallapalem panchayat inMachilipatnam mandal. Thepolice conducted a cordonand search and took two per-sons into custody. The policeidentified 10,000 litres of fer-mented jaggery wash anddestroyed it.

Krishna district superin-tendent of police SiddharthKaushal said during the lastfive days 29 persons weretaken into custody and 23,000litres of jaggery wash wasdestroyed in Bandar mandal.He warned stringent actionwould be taken against thepersons involved in making IDliquor. He said the PD Act willbe invoked on the repeatedoffenders. Kaushal personallyvisited the village and tookpart in destroying the fer-ment jaggerywash.

Naidu blames govt's inefficiency for gang-rapePNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP national president andformer chief minister NChandrababu Naidu on Fridayvisited the GovernmentGeneral Hospital (GGH) inVijayawada and condemnedthe 'gang-rape' of a girl thattook place on the GGHpremises.

Naidu held the govern-ment's inefficiency responsi-ble for the inhuman incidentand said: "As a citizen of thisState, I am feeling ashamed ofthis. The Chief Ministershould have come directly tothe hospital to console the vic-tim's family. The CM's irre-sponsible rule is the reason forthe ongoing atrocities onwomen."

The TDP chief asked whythe Government and thepolice could not take anyaction even though the vic-tim's father had complained tothe police station very early. Asa result, three miscreantsraped the girl for over 30hours.

Naidu termed it as an insultto the YSRCP Governmentthat the girl had to undergothe long agony till her father,brother, and relatives rescuedher. They broke open thedoors, saved the girl, andcaught one offender on thespot. This was enough to sayhow anti-social elements were

rearing their ugly head.Women and girls had no safe-ty under the Jagan regime.Chandrababu Naidu demand-ed the Government to appointa special court immediatelyand give the death penalty asthe punishment. The threeaccused persons were identi-fied as Srikant, China BabuRao and Jorangula PawanKalyan. They should be

hanged to ensure justice forthe victim's family. Expressingserious concern, Naidu alsoannounced Rs 5 lakh assis-tance for the girl on behalf ofthe TDP. The Governmentshould pay Rs. 1 Cr compen-sation and give a job to the girlto lead a dignified life. It hadpaid this amount in the LGPolymers' tragedy even thoughthe fault was with the compa-

ny but not the government.The TDP chief deplored

that when the atrocities onwomen were on the rise, theChief Minister and hisMinisters were talking aboutDisha and Disha app. Only aninsane person could believesuch statements. The YCPGovernment's J-brands ofliquor and drugs were the rea-sons for anti-social elementsrearing their ugly head.

Naidu pointed out thatAndhra Pradesh had turnedinto the drugs capital of thecountry. Wherever drugs werecaught in India, their originswere traced to AP in the pastthree years. Because of JaganReddy and his 'chamchas'(yesmen), the whole State wasburning.

The TDP chief

asked why the

Government and

the police could not

take any action

even though the

victim's father had

complained to the

police station very

early. As a result,

three miscreants

raped the girl for

over 30 hours.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Andhra Pradesh Women'sCommission (APWC)Chairperson Vasireddy Padmaissued summons to TDP chiefChandrababu Naidu and TDPleader Bonda UmamaheswaraRao asking them to appearbefore her on April 27 to givean explanation for their unrulybehaviour at GGH inVijayawada.

On Friday, when Vasireddywent to the Vijayawada gov-ernment hospital to call on thegang-rape victim, she had toface a bitter experience fromthe TDP leaders. Naidu, alongwith the TDP leaders, includ-ing Bonda Uma andPanchumarthi Anuradha,came there to call on the vic-tim. This led to a sort of argu-ment between Anuradha andVasireddy and both the sidesindulged in a war of words.While Vasireddy accused theTDP leaders of trying to politi-cise the rape issue, the TDPleaders pulled her up for fail-ing to provide security towomen in the hospital.Showing the power ofWomen's Commission,Vasireddy issued summons toNaidu and Bonda Uma askingthem to appear before her to

give an explanation for theirunruly behaviour in the hos-pital. In the notice, she allegedthat Naidu had come therealong with his henchmen andcreated a ruckus and tenseatmosphere, making the

patients panic. She alsocharged Naidu with using abu-sive language and even outrag-ing and insulting her modesty.

“Being a responsible person,he misbehaved with me,” shealleged. She said the APWomen’s Commission being astatutory body has the powersof a civil court as per the Sec14 of AP Women'sCommission Act-1998 for thepurpose of Section 195 of theCriminal Procedure Code.Exercising her powers,Vasireddy asked Naidu to per-sonally attend the women’scommission office for theenquiry and give his explana-tion. Interestingly, the noticesays he should appear beforeVasireddy on April 27, 2022. Asimilar notice was given toBonda Uma.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

State Medical and HealthMinister Vidadala Rajini hassaid that the government ispaying special attention topublic health and was allo-cating more funds for thesector in the budget. Shelauded the services providedby the doctors and the nurs-ing staff during the Covid-19crisis. She added that everydistrict would get a district-level hospital.Representatives of theAndhra Pradesh NursingCollege and SchoolsAssociation (APNCS) felic-itated the minister on Friday.A representation was givento her on the issues of nurs-ing colleges and schools. Onthe occasion, Minister Rajinisaid that the nursing staffwere of utmost importancein the medical field. The gov-ernment would provide allsupport to nursing collegesand schools across the Stateand provide the necessaryapprovals for the establish-ment of more such institu-tions. On the occasion, therepresentatives of the associ-ation brought to the notice ofthe minister the issues relat-ed to medical education andnursing education.

Govt focusingon publichealth: Minister

On Friday, when Vasireddy went to the

Vijayawada government hospital to call

on the gang-rape victim, she had to face

a bitter experience from the TDP

leaders. Naidu, along with the TDP

leaders, including Bonda Uma and

Panchumarthi Anuradha, came there to

call on the victim.

Naidu to appear beforeAPWC chief on Apr 27

04VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022

PNS n ELURU

The police, led by Superi nten-dent of Police, Rahul DevSharma, conducted raids onillicit liquor distilling units atNagireddygudem village anddestroyed jaggery wash meantfor brewing illicit liquor andseized liquor on Friday.

The SP himself participatedin checking every house in thevillage and in destroying jag-gery wash and substancesmeant for brewing illicit liquorin the village. The SP said thatthe villages which earned noto-riety for brewing illicit liquorwere categorized as A, B, andC. Checking was conducted inNagireddygudem village todaywhich is under the A catego-ry.

The SP said that during themonth of April 28,000 litres ofjaggery had been destroyedand 1,100 litres of illicit liquorhad been seized. 207 caseswere registered and 164 per-sons were arrested, he added.

The SP said that every day,members of the SpecialEnforcement Bureau in threeor four villages in each man-dal, in coordination with localpolice, carry out raids andregister cases against thosewho supply ammonia andother substances that financial-ly aid the illicit liquor brewingunits.

Rahul Dev Sharmainformed that according to

the database, there are alsoplans to register a PD Actagainst them. He said aware-ness seminars would be orga-nized in every village on thedangers posed by illicit liquor,adding that the district hadalready organized ParivartanaJagruti awareness programsto create awareness amongthe people against the con-sumption, selling, and brewingof illicit liquor.

SP leads raids on illicit liquor unitsPNS n BAPATLA

Superintendent of Police VakulJindal directed the SpecialEnforcement Bureau (SEB)officials to conduct more raidson the illicit liquor brewingunits in the district in order tocurb the menace.

The SP held a review meet-ing with the SEB officials hereon Friday and directed them totake stringent steps to check thesale and brewing of illicit liquorand ganja. He instructed themto increase the raids on illicitliquor distilling units to eradi-cate them in the district.

He inquired with the officialsabout the illicit liquor cases reg-istered in the district. He askedthem to open a suspect sheet onthe old criminals. “InvokePreventive Detention (PD) Actagainst the notorious criminalsif needed. He asked them tofind out from where the illicitliquor brewers are purchasingthe main ingredient black jag-gery. Checking of vehicles

should be conducted with thecooperation of local police.Action should be taken againstthose who are extending sup-port to the illicit liquor brew-er”, the SP told the officials.

Curb illicit liquor menace, SEB told

He inquired withthe officials aboutthe illicit liquorcases registered inthe district. Heasked them to opena suspect sheet onthe old criminals.

Make ‘Gadapa Gadapaku’ abig success, YSRCP cadre toldPNS n GUNTUR

YSRCP leaders called upon thecadre to make the ‘GadapaGadapaku’ programme a bigsuccess by reaching out topeople.

Addressing the corporatorsof the Guntur-West con-stituency here on Friday, MLCLella Appireddy recalled thestatement of Chief Minister YSJagan Mohan Reddy askingpeople to bless him if they feelhe had done good for themand reject him if they feel theydid not do anything for them.Jagan Mohan Reddy is the onlyChief Minister who asked thepeople to judge his gover-nance.

“All YSRCP activists shouldstrive hard to make the‘Gadapa Gadapaku’ pro-gramme a big success by meet-ing people and explaining thewelfare schemes being imple-

mented for the poor. TheGadapa Gadapuku pro-gramme will begin in themonth of May”, he told theGuntur West corporators.

The MLC exhorted the cor-porators to become strongleaders by taking an active rolein the party programmes. “Youhave earned the goodwill ofpeople by participating in pro-

grammes and reaching out topeople in your divisions. Theparty high command willextend needed help and corpo-rators u in this regard”Appireddy told them. The tar-get of the leaders and cadresshould be coming to power inthe 2024 elections, he toldthem. Mayor Kavati ManoharNaidu said that progress of the

state had gained momentumafter Jagan became the chiefminister of the state. The cityof Guntur is a direct exampleof this. He explained that as itstands now, development pro-grammes worth crores ofrupees are being carried out inevery division in Guntur.

The Mayor made it clearthat under the leadership of

Chief Minister Jagan MohanReddy, who always thinks ofdoing good to the people, onthe one hand there are devel-opment programs and on theother hand the benefits ofwelfare schemes for the peo-ple are being reaped in abun-dance.

MLA Maddali Giridharsaid that AP is implementinga number of welfare schemeswhich no state is implement-ing in the country, adding thatit is the responsibility of thecorporators to inform thepeople in detail about thesegood deeds going on irrespec-tive of caste, religion and pol-itics. Mirch yard chairmanChandragiri Yesuratnamasked the cadres to explain topeople the welfare schemesbeing implemented for themand appeal to them to contin-ue to extend support to theYSRCP.

PNS n GUNTUR

District Collector MVenugopal Reddy on Fridayinspected the rooms, where thequestion papers for the 10class examinations were pre-served in the high schoollocated at Nagarampalem.

The Collector inspected thethree strong rooms in the highschool where the questionpapers for the 10 class exami-nations were preserved alongwith the other officials. The10th class examinations willbegin on April 27 and con-clude on May 9. The AssistantCommissio ner for Gover

nment Exa minationsManikyamba told theCollector that three strongrooms and barcoding centreshad been repaired. TheCollector expressed satisfac-tion over the arrangementstaken for the preservation ofquestions papers safely.

The district Collector thenspoke to the officials anddirected them to see to it thatthere were no difficulties instoring the examination papersin the wake of the Class Xexaminations which would beheld from May 27 to May 9 thismonth. The Collector direct-ed the officials to install

CCTVs on three sides of thestrong rooms. Police on dutywere advised to maintain vig-ilance strictly. Proper careshould be taken not to causeerrors anywhere preservingthe examination papers. Theevent was attended by DROChandra Shekhar Rao, RDOPrabhakar Reddy, DeputyCEO Sudhakar Reddy,Tahsildar Srikanth, and others.Guntur, April 22, 2022: -District Collector MVenugopal Reddy has directedthe district authorities to takeappropriate precautionsregarding the security of the10th Class question papers.

Collector inspects strongrooms of SSC question papers

Dalit leader flays AP govt for protocol breachPNS n ONGOLE

Dalit Hakkula ParirakshanaSamiti president NelamNagendra Rao on Fridayslammed the YSRCP gov-ernment for not giving anopportunity to the two Dalitministers to speak in thepublic meeting organisedto release among under thethe 'Sunna Vaddi' scheme.

He said that the Dalitministers were not evengiven a chance to speak inthe meeting. Nagendrademanded that action betaken against officials whodid not follow protocol inthe Chief Minister's pro-gramme.

Nagendra Rao said thatMunicipal AdministrationMinister Adimulapu Suresh

and Social Welfare MinisterMeruga Nagarjuna as well asGangada Sujatha, the firstmayor of Ongole town anda highly educated woman,were not given a chance tospeak at the meeting.Despite Adimulapu, Sureshwas given a second chancein the cabinet; he was notgiven due importance, heflayed.

Cricket betting inAsifnagar: 2 held,Rs 3.8 lakh seized

Personnel of theHyderabad Task Forcearrested two persons at

Dattatreya colony in Asifnagaron Thursday night inconnection with cricketbetting. Police seized Rs.3.8lakh and two mobile phonesfrom the arrested persons. The arrested persons are B.Narsing Goud (43), a traderand organiser and Mohd.Abdul Moeed (32), a sub-organiser, both fromAsifnagar. According to thepolice, the duo operatedCricket Exchange MobileApps, which provides onlinelive ball to ball score, as wellas betting ratios. "Theycollected betting amountsfrom various known puntersthrough mobile phones andthereby gaining huge profitsillegally," said an official.Following a tip-off, the TaskForce team raided anapartment in Asifnagar andnabbed them.

IPE to organiseCBP programmefrom April 25

Institute of PublicEntreprises (IPE) will beorganising the ICSSR

(Indian Council of SocialScience Research) sponsored12 day Online CapacityBuilding Programme (CBP) forFaculty of Degree and PGColleges/ Universities acrossIndia during April 25 - May 7,2022. This Programme isaimed at enhancing theresearch and teachingcapabilities of faculty involvedin imparting higher education.Eminent academicians andprofessors from premierinstitutions including ISB, IIT,NITs etc., will deliver sessionsbesides sharing their richexperiences.

485 UoH students placed; highest package Rs 23 L PNS n HYDERABAD

Placements are at a high atthe University of Hyderabad(UoH) with a record of 485students being placed in 185companies with the highestpackage offer of Rs 23 lakhsper annum. In the previousyear, 396 students wereplaced in 213 companiesand the highest package wasof Rs 17 lakhs per annum.

Prof Salman Abdul Moiz,professor-in-charge forPlacement Guidance andAdvisory Bureau (PGAB)said, "It's an encouragingsign for all of us at the uni-versity that in spite of theCovid pandemic and period-ic lockdowns, PGAB securedrecord placements for the2021-22 batch Universitystudents." "The PGAB got in

touch with external place-ment agencies to help duringthis crisis and we alsoreached out to alumni of theuniversity to help us boost

the placements for students."Prerna Akhouri, trainingand placement coordinatorsaid, "The companies havetaken online exams, and

interviews through Zoomcall or Google meet orTelephone for all the depart-ments and a few have post-poned physical visits to the

university for placementactivities due to Covid-19.However, we have been suc-cessful in getting the studentsplaced with good salarypackages." Students of the2021-22 batches have foundplacements with many reput-ed organisations, in the pub-lic and private sectors, and innumerous fields. Some of theemployers include:

Tata ConsultancyServices, Deloitte, Oracle,Byjus, Accenture, Novartis,Next Education, Azentio,General Electric, Quadratyx,Sprint Talent, Teradata,Fliptkart, HSBC,ICICI Bank,Time, Blaize, Hiver,Synchrony Financial, OneConvergence, Bridgei2i,Seekers Educational Privatelimited, ManthanInternational School.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Department of Tourism,Government of Telangana isback to organise HeritageWalks on every Sunday andSecond Saturday. TheDepartment of Tourism hasorganised these Walks from2009 and has received greatappreciation from the touristsor visitors. Due to Covid pan-demic situation, theDepartment could not organ-ise the Heritage Walks fromMarch, 2020. Now as the sit-uation is normal, V SrinivasGoud, Minister forProhibition and Excise, Sports,Tourism and Culture and

Archaeology, has issued direc-tions to organise the HeritageWalks on a regular basishenceforth. On the occasionof World Heritage Day recent-ly, a special walk has beenorganised by Deccan HeritageAcademy with the support ofGHMC, ASI, Tourism andHeritage Telangana.

The Heritage Walks will beorganised by the Departmentof Tourism, Government ofTelangana with effect fromthis Sunday (24th April) reg-ularly. All the tourists or vis-itors are requested to partici-pate in the Heritage Walks. Anominal fee of Rs 100 will becharged from each participant.

Heritage Walks from tomorrow

CII-IGBC CELEBRATES EARTH DAY

Efforts are on to incorporate IGBCnorms in RERA to encourage greeneryPNS n HYDERABAD

K Vidhyadhar, Director-DTCP, TSRERA-SecretaryGovt. of Telangana, said thatthe efforts are going on toincorporate IGBC in RERAand other regulations toencourage green buildingadoption. He was speaking ata programme organised byConfederation of IndianIndustry - Indian GreenBuilding Council (CII -IGBC). The event was named'IGBC's Green Crusaders' andheld on the occasion of EarthDay on Friday.

K Vidhyadhar, remarkedthat on the overall, the Govt.of Telangana has been increas-ingly concentrating in preserv-ing the green cover in all pro-jects including roads & build-ings. He explained that theyhave taken great measures totransplant trees wherever pos-sible or plant tenfold where itwas not. He stated that allstakeholders - planners, archi-tects, government authoritiesand citizens themselves play an

important role in greeningthe environment.

Engineer-in-Chief L.Ganapathi Reddy, in hisaddress, explained how theGovt of Telangana has alsobeen taking up green initia-tives which have resulted inincreased green cover and ris-ing water table. He also saidthat the government is leadingby example by registering theirown projects for IGBC GreenBuilding Rating. These pro-jects are waiting to get certifi-cation. He remarked that gov-ernments should get publicbuildings recognised as greenas they can also serve inspreading encouragement andawareness among citizens togo green.

C Shekar Reddy, ChairmanIGBC Hyderabad Chapterurged the members ofCREDAI and similar associa-tions to direct their membersto get their projects to adoptIGBC green buildings ratingsso that stakeholders acrossthe industry may recognise thebenefits and avail them.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Jana Sena Party Political AffairsCommittee chairman NadendlaManohar has said that the partyis taking up Rythu BharosaYatra in West and EastGodavari districts to extendfinancial assistance to the fam-ilies of 41 farmers in the com-bined West Godavari district.

Manohar inspected thearrangements for JSP chiefPawan Kalyan's programme atChintalapudi on Friday.

Speaking to the media on theoccasion, he said Pawan Kalyanwould extend financial assis-tance to the families of 41farmers.

He said that 87 tenant farmercommitted suicide in WestGodavari and East Godavaridistricts. The Rythu BharosaYatra of Pawan Kalyan wouldbegin at Janampet in Pedavegimandal by handing over a Rs 1lakh cheque to a farmer’s fam-ily and it would go viaDharmajigudem.

Though 87 farmers com-mitted suicides in West andEast Godavari district the gov-ernment did not extend anykind of help to the bereaved

families, he deplored. “As manyas 3000 tenant farmers havecommitted suicides during thelast 3 years in the state. 1019farmers will end their lives in2019, 899 in 2020”, he informed.Officials are reluctant to givedetails regarding suicides offarmers in the year 2021. “It hasrecently come to our notice thatfive suicides have not beenregistered in Guntur andKrishna districts. The govern-ment is in a dilemma of noteven registering the suicides offarmers. In the last three years,

170 farmers have committedsuicide in Anantapur district”,he informed.

Stating that the JSP will savethe farming community fromdistress, he said that the JSP hasan excellent plan to make AP anagriculturally rich and fertilestate. He criticised that ChiefMinister YS Jagan MohanReddy had no command of theadministration and had beenspending a lot of time withsmall-scale ideas. He had for-gotten all the assurances afterbecoming the Chief Minister.

Manohar said, "The ChiefMinister should focus on theminimum support price, sub-sidy, warehousing and facilitiesrequired by the farmers. He isonly focusing on obstructingPawan Kalyan's visit. Such pettyideas should be avoided”.Manohar reminded that PawanKalyan had donated his ownmoney of Rs. Five crores for thewelfare of farmers. PawanKalyan is undertaking theRythu Bharosa Yatra to knowtheir problems, resolve themand extend help.

PNS n TIRUPATI

The Tirumala TirupathiDevasthanams (TTD) willorganise a three-day BalalayaAshta Bandhana MahaSamprokshanam fete at SriVenkateswara Swamy templein Bengaluru from May 9with Ankurarpanam to beheld in the evening. As partof the three-day celebrations,Chaturdasha Kalasa Sthapanaand other Vaidika programswill be held at Yagashala onMay 10 and 'AmmavaruVigraha 'Pratistapana'. 'AshtaBandhanam' will be per-formed in the evening on thesame day. 'Maha ShantiAbhisekam' will be conduct-ed during the wee hours ofMay 11 followed by MahaSamprokshana fete in'Mithuna Lagnam'. Later inthe evening, 'ShantiKalyanam' and a processionof the 'Swami' and 'AmmavariUtsava' idols will be held.

Pawan to extend financial help to 41families of farmers in West Godavari

‘Samprokshanam'

fete at Bangalore

nation 05VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022

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Security forces will ensure youngsters are saved from the clutches of terrorists, Jammuand Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said on Friday as a 17-year-old boy, who recently joinedmilitant ranks, is reportedly holed up at a house in Baramulla amid an encounter. The

teenager has been identified as Faisal Hafiz, a resident of Aripanthan village at Budgam inCentral Kashmir and on Thursday, his mother made a passionate appeal asking him to comeout and surrender. Four terrorists,including top Lashkar-e-Taibacommander Yousuf Kantroo, one of thelongest-surviving militants in the Valley,have already been gunned down in theNorth Kashmir village where theencounter started on Thursday. Hafiz'sfate is unknown. Responding to aquestion about Hafiz's mother makingthe appeal, the director general of police(DGP) said Pakistani agencies areleaving no stone unturned to "pollute theyoung minds" in Kashmir.

Will ensure youth are kept away frommilitancy: J-K DGP

Trials designed by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras haveshown efficacy of Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in treatinghospitalised mild and moderate COVID-19 patients, officials said on Friday.

According to the research team, their work promises a new line of treatment for mildCOVID-19 infection as Indomethacin is an affordable drug. The findings of this studyhave recently been published in theprestigious peer-reviewed journalNature Scientific Reports The studyconducted at Panimalar MedicalCollege and Research Institute was ledby Dr Rajan Ravichandran, an AdjunctFaculty at IIT Madras and DirectorNephrology at MIOT hospitals.Indomethacin, with more than 20 lakhprescriptions per year in the US alone,is an established drug widely usedsince 1960s to treat various types ofinflammation-related ailments.

IIT-M designed trial shows efficacy ofIndomethacin in treating COVID patients

Atechnology exhibition will be held at an event to be attended by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in Jammu on ‘Panchayati Raj Diwas' to motivate start-ups and helpcreate awareness about the enormous new avenues of livelihood being availed across

the country, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday. In a statement, the Ministry ofScience and Technology said Singh held a thorough review of more than a dozen stalls putup by the ministry for the exhibition inJammu. The Union minister said thestalls put up by various departmentsand wings of the ministry will displaylatest technologies and innovationsbeneficial for rural areas and farming.“He had already inspected the 500 KVSolar Plant and other exhibitionthemes on Tuesday at the PalliPanchayat of Samba District, whichwas completed in record time,"according to a statement by theScience and Technology ministry.

Technology exhibition at PM Modi'sevent in Jammu to motivate start-ups

India, UK to deepen defence, trade ties Don’t convert your agenda toIslamophobia: Naqvi to Pak MP PNS n NEW DELHI

Minority Affairs MinisterMukhtar Abbas Naqvi onFriday hit out at a Pakistani-ori-gin MP of the UK's Labourparty who urged British PrimeMinister Boris Johnson to raisethe issue of "Islamophobia"during his visit here, saying"don't convert your prejudicedagenda of 'India phobia' intoIslamophobia".

Naz Shah, Labour Party MPfrom Bradford West and shad-ow minister for crime reduc-tion, took to Twitter onThursday to convey to Johnsonthat the UK's foreign relationsmust not just be based on tradeand internationalism but alsoon human rights.

"My plea to the @10DowningStreet is to raise the grow-ing issue of Islamophobia withthe Modi Government," shesaid. In a long series of tweets,Shah said the rising tide of"everyday hate and mob lynch-ing" against Muslims in India isbecoming worrying. "I urge

@BorisJohnson to read mythread, to stand up for humanrights and stop embarrassing uson the international front withhis ignorance. Bulldozinghomes of minority Muslims inIndia, amid rising tensions isserious!" she said. Hitting backat Naz, Naqvi said, "Please,don't convert your prejudicedagenda of 'India Phobia' into'Islamophobia'. Every Indiancitizen including Minorities issafe and secure in India." "Co-existence" is our commitmentand "inclusivity" is our culture,he said. In her tweets, Shah said

that in Karnataka, the court alsoupheld a state governmentorder that banned headscarves(hijab) in classrooms. Muslimwomen and girls in India arebeing told to choose betweentheir faith and education, shealleged. "The UK prides itself onhuman rights and successiveUK Govt's have worked to pro-tect the rights of women & girlsworldwide. To be silent, whilsta minority Muslim populationin India is being persecuted &Muslim women are at the cen-tre of such hate, would be cow-ardice," Shah said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

In the backdrop of the rapidgeopolitical turmoil, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi andhis British counterpart BorisJohnson on Friday agreed on anew and expanded India-UKdefence partnership and vowedto seal an ambitious free tradeagreement by the end of theyear.

After his wide-ranging talkswith Modi on the second andfinal day of his India visit,Johnson said the UK is creat-ing an Open General ExportLicence (OGEL) for India to"reduce bureaucracy and slash-ing delivery times" for defenceprocurement.

The British prime ministersaid both sides agreed to worktogether to meet new threatsacross land, sea, air space andcyber domains and that the UKwill partner with India on newfighter jet technology as well asin the maritime sphere todetect and respond to threatsin the oceans.

"Today, we have agreed on anew and expanded defenceand security partnership, and

decades-long commitment tonot only forge tighter bondsbetween us but to supportyour goal Narendra of Make inIndia (in defence)," Johnsonsaid, describing Modi as his"khas dost" (special friend).

Referring to the free tradeagreement (FTA), Johnson saidhe wanted negotiators fromboth sides to close the dealbefore Diwali in October.

In his comments, Modi said,

"good progress" is being madein the negotiations for theFTA and that both sides havedecided to do their best to closethe pact by the end of this year.

"In the last few months,India has concluded Free TradeAgreements with UAE andAustralia. At the same pace,with the same commitment, wewould like to move forward onthe FTA with the UK as well,"Modi said. "We have also

agreed to enhance cooperationin the defence sector. In thedefence sector, we welcome theUK's support for 'self-reliantIndia' in manufacturing, tech-nology, design and develop-ment," he said. On the Ukrainecrisis, Modi stressed on animmediate ceasefire and reso-lution of the problem throughdialogue and diplomacy. "Wealso reiterated the importanceof respect for the territorial

integrity and sovereignty of allcountries," he said. Talkingabout the Indo-Pacific, Modiemphasised on maintaining afree, open, inclusive and rules-based order in the region andnoted that India welcomed theUK's decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

"We reiterated our supportfor a peaceful, stable and secureAfghanistan and for an inclu-sive and representative govern-ment. It is necessary thatAfghan territory is not used tospread terrorism in other coun-tries," he said.

Johnson described the talksas wonderful and said the part-nership between the UK andIndia is one of the "definingfriendships of our time".

Noting that "threats of auto-cratic coercion" are growing,the British prime minister saidit is vital that both India andthe UK further deepen theircooperation. "Today, we areannouncing new measures tomake it easier to export UK-made medical devices to Indiaand ensure mutual recognitionof UK higher education qual-ification," he said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

A "propagandist" newspaperdistributed on board theBangalore-Chennai ShatabdiExpress has snowballed into acontroversy, drawing politicalreactions and prompting theIRCTC to initiate an enquiry inthe matter.

The IRCTC has admittedthat the paper -- "TheAryavarth Express" -- was"unauthorised".

The matter was raised bypassenger Gopika Bakshi, agender justice campaigner, onTwitter.

"This morning I boarded theBangalore-Chennai ShatabdiExpress only to be greeted bythis blatantly propagandistpublication on every other seat- The Aryavarth Express. Hadnever even heard of it. How is@IRCTCofficial allowing this?"

Bakshi wrote on themicroblogging site on Friday.

Congress MP B ManickamTagore also questioned howsuch a newspaper found its wayon board a train.

"Will Hon'ble Rail ministerorder an inquiry into it?Whether it's the proved policyof the @RailMinIndia to allowpropaganda material in the

Shatabdi express? Will writeand raise the issue inLoksabha.#IndiaAgainstHate,"he tweeted.

Another Congress MP, KartiChidambaram, also questionedhow such a newspaper gotinto the list of the publicationssubscribed by the IRCTC.

Sources said the IRCTC, theticketing-and-catering arm of

the railways, has approvedDeccan Herald and one otherlocal paper as the two publica-tions to be distributed on boardtrains in the region. Thesenewspapers are distributed onboard by IRCTC licensees.

"We have ordered an enquiryinto this and action will betaken against those foundresponsible. This paper is not

among the IRCTC-approvedpublications," IRCTCspokesperson Anand Jha said.

The divisional railway man-ager, Chennai said an enquiryin the matter is being conduct-ed by the DRM Bangalore."The latest update is that DRMBangalore is investigating theissue on how an unauthorisednewspaper found its way intothe train. We like to informeveryone that the train belongsto Bengaluru division and theincident happened there. Weare sure they would take appro-priate action," he said in atweet.

In a tweet later, IRCTC saidthe newspaper in question wasfound inside the regular,approved newspapers as aninsert.

"The newspaper vendor hasbeen strictly advised to avoidany such inserts in future.

Row over ‘propagandist’ newspaper distributed on trainPolice chief writes to ED to probe moneylaundering charges against prime accused

JAHANGIRPURI VIOLENCE

PNS n NEW DELHI

Delhi Police CommissionerRakesh Asthana has written tothe Enforcement Directorate toinvestigate the money launder-ing charges against the primeaccused in the Jahangirpuriviolence case, a senior officersaid on Friday.

Ansar, 35, a resident of B-Block of Jahangirpuri, isalleged to be the "main con-spirator" behind the violencethat took place on April 16during a procession on theoccasion of Hanuman Jayanti,police said.

"A letter has been written tothe director of theEnforcement Directorate toprobe Ansar under PMLA(Prevention of Money

Laundering Act) charges," thesenior police officer told PTI.

Asthana has written toDirector, EnforcementDirectorate (ED), SanjayKumar Mishra.

During preliminary investi-

gation, it has emerged thatAnsar has money in many ofbank accounts and is also inpossession of several propertieswhich allegedly were pur-chased through gamblingmoney, police said.

"My plea to the

@10Dow

ningStreet is to

raise the growing

issue of

Islamophobia with

the Modi

Government," she

said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Lamenting that the number ofregistered overseas voters is"abysmally low", Chief ElectionCommissioner Sushil Chandrahas told members of the Indiancommunity in South Africaand Mauritius that the facilityto extend postal ballot facilityfor NRI electors is being con-templated.

According to an officialstatement issued by theElection Commission,Chandra interacted membersof the Indian community dur-ing his official visit to the twocountries and urged them toregister as overseas voters asthe present numbers are"abysmally low". He also toldmembers of the Indian com-munity that extension ofElectronically Transmitted

Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)facility to overseas voters isbeing contemplated.

The ETPBS facility is so faravailable only to service voters,including members of thearmed forces and centralarmed police forces postedoutside their home constituen-cies and members of Indian

embassies and diplomatic mis-sions. In 2020, the EC had pro-posed to the government toextend the ETPBS facility toeligible overseas Indian votersas well.

In a letter to the legislativesecretary in the law ministryon November 27, 2020, thecommission had said that withthe successful execution ofETPBS in case of service vot-ers, it is now "confident" thatthe facility can also be extend-ed to the overseas electors.

The EC, the Union LawMinistry and the Ministry ofExternal Affairs are trying tohammer out certain issuesrelated to extending the facil-ity to overseas Indian voters.

As of now, overseas Indiansare free to cast their votes inconstituencies they are regis-tered in.

PNS n NEW DELHI

An attempt by banned terrorgroup Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) to carry out a suicideattack ahead of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's visit wasfoiled after two suspectedPakistani terrorists were killedhere in an encounter on Fridayin which a CISF officer alsodied, officials said.

Nine security personnelwere also injured in the pre-dawn gunfight near an Armycamp in Sunjwan area on theoutskirts of Jammu.

Director General of Police(DGP) Dilbag Singh, who vis-ited the encounter site, said thetwo terrorists were part of asuicide squad of Pakistan-based JeM and their infiltrationcould be a "big conspiracy" tosabotage the prime minister'svisit to Jammu and Kashmir.

According to initial investi-gation, the two terroristsentered the outskirts of Jammucity on Thursday after infiltrat-ing from the international bor-der in R S Pura sector and werestaying in a locality close to theSunjwan Army camp.

"Last night, police and otherforces were involved in anoperation which culminated...As per reports, the two terror-ists were part of JeM's suicidesquad, launched from Pakistanand tasked with targeting acamp of the security forces or

engaging... to inflict a lot ofcasualties," the DGP toldreporters near the scene of theencounter.

The terrorists were wearingsuicide vests and were alsoequipped with a huge quanti-ty of arms and ammunition,indicating that they had cometo inflict heavy casualties onsecurity forces.

"The encounter took placetwo days ahead of the primeminister's visit. It is part of a bigconspiracy to disturb thepeaceful atmosphere of Jammuand it could be a big conspir-acy to sabotage the visit," Singhsaid, adding "it is good that wegot timely inputs and the oper-ation was concluded success-fully."

The operation began around4.25 am on Friday when thetwo terrorists, who were appar-ently moving towards theArmy camp, were spotted by

the guards who were changingduties, the officials said.

Around the same time, aCISF bus carrying 15 person-nel was proceeding towards theJammu airport, which is beingguarded by the paramilitaryforce. Apparently, in a knee-jerk reaction, the two terroristslobbed a grenade towards thebus and sprayed it with bulletsbefore escaping back into thenearby locality, prompting thesecurity forces to lay a cordonaround the area.

A senior Central IndustrialSecurity Force officer said theterrorists fired at the bus andlobbed grenades, killingAssistant Sub-Inspector (ASI)S P Patel and injuring twoother occupants. The forceretaliated effectively.

Later in a tweet, the CISFsaid its personnel were attackedby terrorists while going for anongoing cordon and search

operation. According to thepolice, the gunfight beganwhen the terrorists openedfire on the search party.

J-K HC Bar Assnsuspends work inprotest againstterror attack

The Jammu and KashmirHigh Court Bar Associationon Friday suspended work in

protest against a terrorist attackhere. According to officials, twoterrorists – part of a suicidesquad of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) – were killedin a gun battle in Jammu onFriday in which a CISF officeralso died. "The Bar has decidedto suspend their work in the highcourt, subordinate courts,including tribunals and forms,today in protest against the terrorincident," its general secretary,Surjeet Singh Andotra, said. Thisdecision was taken at a meetingof officer bearers and membersof the fraternity, he said. Theterrorists had entered theJalalabad locality after lobbing agrenade and firing at a buscarrying 15 CISF personnelaround 4.25 am near theChaddha camp area, killing anassistant sub-inspector andinjuring two others.

Postal ballot facility for overseas votersbeing contemplated: CEC Chandra

PNS n BENGALURU

Karnataka Home Minister AragaJnanendra on Friday said many"unseen hands" including certainorganisations were behind therecent violence in Hubballi, overa social media post, and they willbe brought to justice. He alsosaid that the government wascontemplating on controllingactivities of such organisations

including imposing a ban onthem. "The Hubballi incidentwas to incite large-scale violence

there, as our police acted imme-diately, the situation was broughtunder control in a couple ofhours. The Maulvi (who alleged-ly instigated the mob) was arrest-ed on Thursday, investigationsare on to find who were behindthe incident and organisationsthat were involved," Jnanendrasaid.

Speaking to reporters here, hesaid, there will be a thorough

inquiry as there are many unseenhands involved. "Innocent peo-ple were incited and sent on tothe streets to indulge in violence.Some people are trying to createunrest in the society against aparticular community and someorganisations are involved in it.We are aware who they are andwe will find them...thinking ison in all aspects like-to ban andcontrol them.

Many ‘unseen hands' behind Hubballi violence: K'taka HM

43-yr-old man,key witness inwife's murder,shot outside courtPNS n CHANDIGARH

A 43-year-old man, who wasa key witness in his wife'smurder case, was shot dead bytwo motorcycle-borneassailants outside a court com-plex in Haryana's Sonipat onFriday, police said. VedPrakash, a resident ofMukinpur village in Sonipat,was going to attend a hearingin his wife's murder casewhen the bike-borne menshot him thrice and fled, theysaid. "He was taken to the hos-pital, where he was declaredbrought dead," AdditionalSuperintendent of Police,Sonipat, Nikita Khattar saidover the phone. She said theincident took place outside thecourt complex. Ved Prakash'swife was murdered last year.

2 Jaish suicide bombers kill CISF officer inencounter in Jammu ahead of PM's visit

I would like toapologise. Withall humility, Istep back (fromendorsing a paanmasala brand).

Actor— Akshay Kumar

anti-Hindu violence in J&K.Maharaja Hari Singh slowlybegan to incline towards India.He realised that his Statewould be destroyed if hejoined Pakistan.

By mid-October 1947,Kashmir had been throwninto a serious crisis. The upris-ing in Poonch was joined byPakistani armed brigands,with official encouragementfrom the Pakistani regime.However, it now comes to lightthat India wasn’t oblivious ofthe looming threat. For sever-al weeks, Delhi had beensecretly supplying weaponsand ammunition to the State’sarmed forces and makingpreparations for a militaryadvance. The tipping pointcame with the armed invasionof several thousand Pathantribesmen. On October 22,accompanied by a few hun-dred Poonchis, a ragtag armybegan to proceed towardsSrinagar. The Pathan raiderswere acting on Pakistan’sdirect orders, though Pakistandenied any complicity in it. Onreaching Baramulla, Uri,Pattan and Muzaffarabad, theraiders murdered, raped andlooted anybody and anythingthey could lay their hands on.British nuns of Franciscanconvent at Baramulla too werenot spared.

While Hari Singh’s royaldynasty despaired of having

lost Kashmir, India wouldnot. The Government ofnewly independent India setabout recovering the territory.Mountbatten reportedly wasconvinced of the righteousnessof India’s case. He told Patelthat he had heard from aBritish officer, who had heardfrom another British officer,that the invading Pathanswere “very definitely organ-ised”. A fortnight later,Mountbatten wrote to KingGeorge VI: “It was unques-tionable that, if Srinagar wasto be saved from pillage byinvading tribesmen, and if thecouple of hundred Britishresidents in Kashmir werenot to be massacred, Indiantroops would have to do thejob… I therefore made it mybusiness to override all thedifficulties which theCommanders-in- Chief, inthe course of their duty, raisedto the proposal.” Thus, theindispensability of India’s rolein saving Kashmir wasacknowledged at the outset.

But a military thrust intoa territory which in those dayswas accessible only with dif-ficulty required weeks, andpossibly months of planning.It was only some time laterthat Viceroy Mountbattenrealised the extent of prepara-tions that must have beenmade by India, the credit forwhich goes to Patel. It appears

Patel had kept Nehru in thedark about procedural details.

An Indian Army officerpresent at a meeting of theDefence Committee in NewDelhi later that day saidNehru still had doubts aboutintervention and “talkedabout the United Nations,Russia, Africa, Godalmighty,everybody, until Sardar Patellost his temper. He said,‘Jawaharlal, do you wantKashmir, or do you want togive it away?’ Nehru said, ‘Ofcourse, I want Kashmir’... andbefore he could say anything,Sardar Patel turned to me andsaid, ‘You have got yourorders’.”

The Indian Army droveout the Pakistani Pathanraiders, chasing them all theway to Mirpur. India was mil-itarily well-positioned torecapture the entire State butNehru, concerned more abouthis image internationally,erred grievously in taking thematter to the UN, whichimposed a stalemate thatplagued India for sevendecades. With Article 370having been laid to rest by theModi administration, it istime to recognise Patel’s role insaving Kashmir for India.

(The writer is a well-known columnist, an authorand a former member of theRajya Sabha. The viewsexpressed are personal.)

THE PERILS OF DELIVERING SOPSSir — Delivering a lecture at the DelhiSchool of Economics recently, the 15thFinance Commission chairman NK Singhhas made certain startling revelationsregarding the perils of the freebie culture,which has recently gained traction in orderto woo voters. Disregarding fiscal pru-dence by doling out freebies can put asevere dent on the State exchequer.Moreover, in the long run, future gener-ations will have to bear the debt burdenwithout any long-term gains of such lav-ish spending. For instance, Punjab isalready reeling under the impact of debtamounting to around `3 lakh crore.Several States like Punjab, Rajasthan,West Bengal, Kerala and Andhra Pradeshhave a high debt-to-GSDP ratio thatrequires fiscal prudence.

The constitutional framework alsomakes no provision regarding such doles.So it is not just the economics and poli-tics of freebies that are deeply flawed butthese affect virtually all sectors as it willhave a direct bearing on the futureprospects of our nation. The moneyshould be spent on infrastructural andother social infrastructures. In this con-text, one can learn a lesson or two fromthe Sri Lankan crisis. The Centre and StateGovernments must devise laws discour-aging politicians from spending publicmoney lavishly.

Vijay Singh Adhikari | Nainital

THE UK’S BID TO CONVINCE INDIASir — British Prime Minister BorisJohnson’s statement that any peace talkswith Russia over Ukraine will fail asRussian President Vladimir Putin is a croc-odile and dealing with him was like “acrocodile when it’s got your leg in its jaws”and the western countries continue arm-ing Ukraine to attack Russia in the ongo-ing war. The UK PM will encourage hisIndian counterpart Narendra Modi to endits neutrality over the war in Ukraine andend its longstanding ties with Russia,which is impossible for India.

Boris Johnson said the world leaders,including US President Joe Biden, agreed

to continue to supply Ukraine withweapons, including artillery against Russia,which has intensified attacks on Ukraine,which is likely to lead to the third worldwar. Ukraine and Russia have not held face-to-face peace talks since March 29 and theatmosphere has soured over Ukrainianallegations that Russian troops carried outatrocities in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.India, which is the world’s biggest buyerof Russian weapons and imports its oil,abstained in a United Nations vote con-demning the invasion and has not imposedsanctions on Moscow and does not havethe guts to go against Russia.

Bhagwan Thadani | Mumbai

WIMBLEDON’S DOUBLE FAULT?Sir —Wimbledon, the tennis’ most pres-tigious Major, strictly plays by its ownrules. It has a dress code all of its own andno play in the middle of Sunday.Sometimes Wimbledon’s self-rule worksto its benefit, like it cancelled the 2020 edi-tion as it had the good sense to purchasethe anti-pandemic insurance. But by bar-

ring Russian and Belarusian players fromtaking part in this year’s edition of the tour-nament because of the ongoing war inUkraine, Wimbledon appears to havecommitted a huge unforced error. Mostdirectly, the ban will impact some top-ranked players from these two countries,like Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev,Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka.

On current rankings, more than 20players from both the countries (far morein doubles and juniors) cannot take part.On the second weekend in July,Wimbledon will crown its winners of theyear 2022. But before that, the story of thisevent is already being foretold. The mostfoundational requirement for tennis is aneven playing surface, literally. And theprestigious Wimbledon event has justundone that. And, instead, it has createda slippery slope for itself, its name and theprestigious event itself.

Ranganathan Sivakumar | Chennai

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After the beginning of post-Independence anti-Hindu violence in J&K,Patel was the only solid politician who helped conjoin it to India

PATEL SAID,‘JAWAHARLAL, DO

YOU WANTKASHMIR, OR DO

YOU WANT TOGIVE IT AWAY?’

NEHRU SAID, ‘OFCOURSE, I WANTKASHMIR’... AND

BEFORE HE COULDSAY ANYTHING,SARDAR PATELTURNED TO MEAND SAID, ‘YOU

HAVE GOT YOURORDERS’

LETTERS TO TTHE EDITOR

PRAFULL GORADIA

Even before people could heave a sigh ofrelief after COVID restrictions wereeased, the rising trend of cases has been

creating panic. When the cases were peak-ing, Maharashtra accounted for a large num-ber of COVID cases and deaths. The State hadreportedly seen 60,000 cases a day earlier.The Maharashtra Health Minister says thatwearing face masks is not mandatory but hecautions senior citizens and those with co-morbidities to cover their face when they ven-ture outside as a precautionary measure. The

Centre has advised Delhi, Uttar Pradesh,Haryana, Maharashtra and Mizoram to main-tain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action.

In 2020 and 2021, the month of Marchwitnessed high positivity rates and theCorona curve was flattening by September.COVID-19, which surfaced for the first timein India on March 24, 2020, could bebrought under control only after long anddreary months. There has not been a singleCOVID-free day since its outbreak. The vac-cination coverage must be ramped up and thetarget of 100 per cent vaccination has to beachieved among schoolgoing children, start-ing from LKG. The Prime Minister has alreadyasked people not to lower their guard againstthe pandemic. Karnataka Health and MedicalEducation Minister K Sudhakar has warnedpeople to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour. The same is true in respect of thenation as a whole.

KV Seetharamaiah | Bengaluru

The rising trend of COVID-19

Sardar Patel’s rolein saving Kashmir

Now that the abrogationof Article 370 is a set-tled thing, it would per-haps be appropriate to

reveal how Kashmir came toIndia rather than going toPakistan. The version of whathappened step-by-step betweenMaharaja Hari Singh, the thenprincely ruler of the State ofJammu & Kashmir, and the thenIndian leadership is largelyknown. It is, however, prejudicedto some extent as attempts havebeen made to give all credit toJawaharlal Nehru and keep SardarVallabhbhai Patel out, so that Pateldoes not walk away with all thecredit for integrating the prince-ly states at the cost of Nehru.

Distinguished historian andcolumnist Patrick French in hisbook Liberty or Death hasrevealed what common senseapplied to the limitations of the1940s could have made possible.Maharaja Hari Singh was gener-ally considered a progressiveruler, though the scope of hispolitical reforms was limited.Patrick French writes that duringthe weeks leading up toIndependence, India’s lastViceroy Mountbatten had triedto persuade the Maharaja todecide about Kashmir’s future,which the latter refused to dis-cuss seriously. Ostensibly, theMaharaja’s deferment of a deci-sion on what to do after theBritish had left stemmed from hisfirm conviction — voiced to hisson yuvraj Karan Singh as late asJuly 1947 — that the British werenever really going to leave India.

Events, however, overtookthe Maharaja and his State.Come August 15, 1947, andHari Singh faced a hostile dis-pensation. The leader of thepro-Congress All Jammu andKashmir National Conference,Sheikh Abdullah, had close linkswith Nehru, whose hostilitytowards Hari Singh was nosecret. A revolt had begun in thesouthwest of the State in Poonch,which had always historicallybeen antagonistic towards theMaharaja’s rule. Muslim farmworkers there rose against theirDogra landlords, killing somelocal Hindus and driving othersfrom their homes. This was thebeginning of post-Independence

Each day, we hear about markets opening lower. Or, after flimsily pushed up so-called gains, these tanking in the late afternoon session. There could be rea-sons that the Government experts attribute it to more convincingly: The Russian

invasion of Ukraine, the Wholesale Price Index, inflation, the latest strain of COVID-19 or the recent violent conflagration in several Indian States on the occasions of Ram

Navami and Hunuman Janmotsav, leading up to therazing of structures in Jahangirpuri. But ultimately, itall boils down to one thing: The State seems to befailing its citizens. Politicians are one thing: RahulGandhi, Mayawati, Asaduddin Owaisi, AkhileshYadav, KCR, Stalin and the ever-fiery MamataBanerjee targeting the Centre for what they collec-tively call the BJP-led NDA Government’s ‘failure’ inhandling the situation. It looks like the case of Neromerrily playing the flute, but we won’t say nothingabout Rome! The interesting thing is that theOpposition, though seemingly united in its travails,its joint understanding of personal vendetta and grief,

and generally repeated drubbing at the hustings, is not actually standing united.Didi says the Congress has had its chance, so it’s better for all the satraps to stand

up together rather than waiting for the ‘queen bee’ to issue orders on how things shouldor should not be done. Then stands up Sharad Pawar and, maybe rightly, points outthat there’s no future for the case of an Opposition coalition in India unless the Congressis part of it. This is where enters master strategist Prashant Kishor, who dons the oldhats of several political parties and is on record to have delivered most of his promis-es. Buoyed by his confidence, which is like the much-needed ‘external’ COVID boost-er shot rather than the ‘self-built immunity’ that any body needs to overcome setbacks,the Congress seems to be happily considering inviting him into the cosy fold. However,as they say, there’s many a slip t’wixt the ‘chup’ and the ‘yip’! Suddenly, the Congress— rather than getting more cohesive on account of a ‘thinking’ force joining them togeth-er — is now talking strange. Dear old hand Digvijaya Singh has been reported as say-ing that “there are differences” over PK’s entry into the Congress. And then there’sthe entire G-23 list; there’s no way of knowing which way a camel will turn!

Marine Le Pen says it is Macron or France. Europe tells the French it is Le Penor Europe. The vote on Sunday to elect the next French President is now asmuch an internal matter of France as it is of the European Union. In the last

presidential election in the US, there were rumours of Russian intervention. Even merespeculation about an external force interfering in the democratic process of another,thus violating American sovereignty, was enough to raise the hackles of the liberals.However, here is a case of some European nations — Germany, Spain and Portugal— openly asking the French people not to vote for Le Pen, the far-right rival of sittingPresident Emmanuel Macron. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Spanish Premier PedroSanchez and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa penned a joint article in LeMonde, the French daily, describing Le Pen as one “who openly joins ranks with thosewho attack our liberty and democracy”. No tears are yet being spilled anywhere forsuch an open interference in France’s internal affairs. Those who believe in democ-racy are all honourable men and women. Why does the European Union hate Le Penso much? It is her third bid to become President. She has a running crusade against

Islamic fundamentalism. Her attitude towardsEuropean Union, however, raises the latter’s hackles.She insists that the sovereignty of France cannot coex-ist with the diktats of EU bureaucrats.

She has found no use for the EuropeanCommission. She wonders why France should con-tribute a $5billion fund to the EU kitty. She wants bor-der controls back and that sends chills down the spineof the Schengen Treaty supporters. Finally, she maynot shy away from declaring that French law on themovement of peoples and goods in Europe is supe-rior to EU law. She tells the French people protecting

French sovereignty from EU is a necessity. But it is her relation with President VladimirPutin of Russia that is the immediate cause of Europe’s worry. Le Pen is close toPutin but did not like being asked about it during her campaign. It was only after theinvasion of Ukraine that she decided not to distribute election pamphlets featuring bothtogether. Russia’s support for the French far-right is well-documented. There is alsothe issue of Le Pen’s party having received a Russian loan which Le Pen hesitatesto talk about. The EU thinks its foundations can shake if a Le Pen victory makes hergo slow on implementing sanctions against Putin, disengage from EU-sponsoredweapons procurement for Ukraine and, worse, reduce France’s involvement in Nato.She is on record saying she would make France exit Nato’s integrated military com-mand, that could weaken Nato’s response to the ongoing Russian invasion. She eventalks of a “rapprochement” between Nato and Russia “after” the Ukraine war. The EUhas survived Brexit and challenges from Hungary and Poland but is afraid of a frontalattack from powerful France if Le Pen wins.

Le Pen la France

PK!Like it or hate it, the Opposition will gain

strength if Congress gets the role of an axle

PICTALK

Citizens and students hold placards during a rally to mark the World Earth Day, in Bengaluru PTI

The French presidential hopeful is quite a handful for a few European nations, it seems

Bulldozers shouldbe run on the BJPheadquarters and Amit Shah’sresidence.

AAP leader— Atishi

Virat Kohli isovercooked. Ifanyone needs abreak, it’s him.

India ex-coach— Ravi Shastri

SOUNDBITE

You (Speaker)said to partyleaders that askhim (Prez) tostep down, he is ready for it.

Sri Lanka Oppn leader

— Sajith Premadasa

It’ll be good if his (PrashantKishor’s) experience is used in unitingthe Opposition.

Rajasthan CM

— Ashok Gehlot

society approach.The thrust of primary health

care till recently has been on mater-nal & child healthcare needs. TheHWCs that are operational are nowproviding services not only forpregnant women, mothers, new-borns and children, but also for com-municable and non-communicablediseases, mental health, geriatric andpalliative care and for acute simpleillnesses.Screening for primary pre-vention of chronic diseases such ashypertension, diabetes and commoncancers, also show an encouragingtrend. With more than 85.87 crorefootfalls in the HWCs at the end ofMarch 2022, 17.95 crore have beenscreened for hypertension, 14.87 fordiabetes and 17.75 crores for threecancers: oral, breast and cervical can-cer. The increase in number ofwomen accessing the HWCs fornon-communicable disease servicesis particularly heartening as hither-to these services were not easilyaccessible to them.

Availability of free essentialdrugs especially for chronic diseasesin the HWCs not only reducespatients'sufferings but also has thepotential to decrease out of pocketexpenditure and preventing sec-ondary complications, thus ensuringwellness and healthy lives for many.

Yoga and wellness are an inte-gral part of India's culture, so, inte-grating it as a part of healthcare ser-vice delivery framework has beenlong overdue. In September 2019, atthe first ever high-level meeting onUniversal Health Coverage in theUnited Nations, the Prime Ministercalled preventive health care as thefirst pillar. Through HWCs,Government of India has main-streamed India's rich tradition of theindigenous health system and Yogainto the healthcare delivery system.Yoga and wellness sessions are

being organized at AB-HWCs andas of April 14, 2022, a total of 1.05crore wellness sessions have beenorganised at AB-HWCs across thecountry. Health and WellnessCentres are also becoming thelocus for other physical activity,(such as regular yoga sessions,organizing cyclathons andmarathons) meditation, laughterclubs, talks on Eat Right campaignand Fit India movement, cessationof Tobacco and drugs and a placefor exchange of best practicesamongst the community. Throughan Annual Health Calendar,planned activities at these centres fora range of lifestyle modifications areresulting in increased public aware-ness and preventive measures for fit-ness. In addition, schoolteachers arebeing trained as AyushmanAmbassadors or Health andWellness Ambassadors to enableintegration of lifestyle changes in theformative years, which has thepotential of preventing or delayingthe onset of chronic diseases inadulthood.

The sustenance and impact ofAB-HWCs largely hinges on thecommunity ownership of the facil-ities and people's trust in the ser-vices. Jan Arogya Samitis (JAS) atAB-HWCs are being established toenhance people's ownership of thepublic health facilities and thehealth care team's accountability tothe citizens. Each JAS has nearly 20members with the local governmentelected representative being itschair. This provides the citizenswithan opportunity to reap benefits ofthe public health resources that theyrightfully own. These JAS shouldwork in tandem with community-based platforms like Village Healthand Sanitation Committees(VHSNCs) in rural and MahilaArogya Samitis (MAS) in urban

areas, to enhance action on socialand environmental determinants ofhealth and enable village healthplanning at the local level. SocialAudit through self-help groups willenhance both local accountability ofthe centres and sense of ownershipof the community. The SwachhBharat Abhiyan and the Jal JeevanMission are the interventions thatare bound to contribute positivelyto India's journey to wellness. Theenhancement of the untied fund toRs.50,000 for the Sub-Health CentreHealth and Wellness Centre is a wel-come move in this direction.

The celebrations of the 4thanniversary of AB-HWCs havebegun on April 16, 2022.Nationwidefelicitations are being conductedunder the theme "eSanjeevaniHWC- Health and Wellness throughteleconsultation". The theme echoesthe vision laid down in the earlyyears of Ayushman Bharat Scheme- reaching the unreached by lever-aging technology.It is amazing toknow that more than 2.47 crore tele-consultations have been conductedacross 94,049 AB-HWCs as on12thApril 2022 and are increasing bythe hour.

Today, after four fruitful years,with the meticulous effort puttogether by the Government, thehealthcare workers and the commu-nity, wehave been able to tackle theanticipatedchallenges in improvingprimary health care. Personally, forme, it is fulfilling to see this visionnow in mission mode. Even though,the journey has been long, the 4thanniversary of AB-HWCs is anopportunity to honour India's marchtowards Universal HealthCoverageacknowledging and cele-brating the health warriors who havebeen working relentlessly to "reachout to the unreached", committingto a healthier and happier India.

Ayushman Bharat foruniversal health care

HE IS DOING NO GOOD TO THE COUNTRY BY SOWINGTHE SEEDS OF HATRED. HE’S MALIGNING THECOUNTRY’S IMAGE.— UNION MINISTERANURAG THAKUR

IT’S DEMOLITION OF INDIA’S CONSTITUTIONALVALUES. THE GOVT MUST SWITCH OFF BULLDOZERS

OF HATE AND SWITCH ON POWER PLANTS.— CONGRESS LEADER

RAHUL GANDHI

Wellness is now a key aspect of service delivery while its range isexpanded to include non-communicable diseases, among other things

This year the Earth Day theme is "Invest in Planet" and focuseson the effects of climate change, its adverse impacts on the plan-et and the real time efforts being done to mitigate the same. The

theme encourages governments and environmental bodies the worldover to accelerate solutions to protect planet earth against immedi-ate environmental threats. The three pillars of this year's theme areAct (Boldly), Innovate (Broadly) and Implement (Equitably). These arevery relevant for the world's environmental conditions which urgent-ly require solutions for pressing problems. But India probably needsthe materialisation of these pillars even more as after the COP26 atGlasgow it has become apparent that the government alone cannotsolve the environmental crisis arising out of climate changeand needs

support from grassroot level. This assistance from the population,especially from all walks of life can help create the much-needed greeneconomy and help counteractthe inaction and even obstruction beingexperienced in protecting the environment. In almost every sector, Indiais trying to set benchmarks for environmental protection and ecolog-ical conservation, however given the pace of climate change the sameis neither sustainable nor sufficient. Given this the government mustutilise Earth Dayevent to recruit the valuable support of activists, artists,innovators, inventors, investors and scientists and encourage themto develop green alternatives and solutions and help restore the envi-ronment and enable a smooth transition to green economy. Educatorsespecially can be made to play a sterling role in heralding the greeneconomy. India with its robust education system and academic researchcapabilities can help create a new generation of climate leaders withspecific skills to guide the nation in its evolution from conventionaleconomy to a green economy.

Earth Day can also be a call to action for the general populationto increase their awareness level regarding the environment and impactsof climate change. The government must positively incentivise usageof Eco-conscious brands and products instead of penalising the gen-eral public for using non-biodegradable material. Sometimes such achange in strategy can help provide better results than before.Theseinitiatives can truly help extracting the planet from an environmental"code red" condition. On the eve of Earth Day, India must recogniseand appreciate the compellingsuccess storiesfrom the corporate worldin the field of environmental conservation as they set an inspiring exam-ple for all to follow. Many tech companies for instance are leaguesahead of government efforts in implementing solutions to lower theirrespective carbon foot prints. Infosys for example turned carbon neu-tral 30 years ahead of the Paris Agreement's 2050 deadline. Similarly,Intel India's buildings across India are LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design) certified that's are equipped with sensorsto track and optimise temperature, lighting, energy consumption inrelation to occupancy levels. This enhances energy conservation andreduces carbon footprint. Capgemini too has decided to achieve car-bon neutrality by 2025 and has installed a 9.6 MW captive solar powerplant across its India campuses to increase the usage of green power.With endless examples such as these it is clear that the fight againstclimate change is being spiritedly fought by the IT companies in Indiasetting an inspiring example for others to follow. The above exam-ples show that positive will is followed by positive change.The gov-ernment has no dearth of funds nor expertise for saving the environ-ment and fighting climate change. What is lacking is a strong will thatsupersedes politics and red tape. When the nation is able to priori-tise environmental goals over petty politics and bureaucracy India willcelebrate Earth Day not annually but every single day.

(The writer is an environmental journalist. The views expressed are personal.)

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022

07

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FIRSTCOLUMNEARTH DAY 2022: LET’SINVEST IN THE PLANET

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

PREETI SUDAN

Governments and environmental bodies mustaccelerate solutions to protect planet earth

TODAY, AFTERFOUR FRUITFUL

YEARS, WITH THE

METICULOUSEFFORT PUT

TOGETHER BY THE

GOVERNMENT,THE HEALTHCARE

WORKERS AND THE

COMMUNITY, WE HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO TACKLETHE ANTICIPATED

CHALLENGES IN IMPROVING

PRIMARYHEALTH CARE

(The writer is formerUnion Health Secretary,Government of India.

The views expressed arepersonal.)

Every year April brings newbeginnings for mostIndians through festivals

like Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Vishuand many more. A new year isthe harbingerof new hopes andnew goals, both personal andfinancial. Setting goals helpsyou to develop a way to measureyour progress and to be on theright track; and having a finan-cial goal will push you to havea different view about yourmoney. But why should youhave a financial goal?

Well, having financial goalswill make sure that all your rou-tine decisions are influenced bythem and your overall financialhealth. The benefits of settingfinancial goals are many.Financial goals guide your plan-ning and strategy to reach yourdestination by focusing on yourpriorities. They make you disci-

plined and accountable, providemotivation and commitmentto achieve your goals andimprove the chances of success.When is a financial goal moreachievable? You are more likelyto achieve your financial goalswhen they are SMART -Specific, Measurable, Attainable,Relevant and Timebound. Letus look at a SMART financialgoal.

Having SMART financialgoals helps you set target andmake an action plan. In theabove example, you will have tosave `10,000 per month for 5months to create a family emer-gency medical fund to meet anyuntoward expenses. From thisperspective, what can be someof the financial goals that youcan aim for in 2022?

Pay off your expensive debt.Chaos in the world doesn't

seem to stop any time soon. Aswe were limping back to nor-malcy from Covid pandemic,uncertainties and inflation arisenout of Russia-Ukraine war areplaying havoc. So, now is a goodtime to have a financial goal tocompletely be free from expen-

sive debt. Create a SMART goalto be absolutely debt-free in aspecific period of time.

Research and be ready toinvest.Now is also a good timeto research about great compa-nies to invest in. Always remem-ber one of the golden rules of

investing - invest in businesses,not stocks. Take this opportuni-ty to identify fundamentallystrong companies and focus onlong term. Now wait for the righttime to buy the shares of thesecompanies, when they are sell-ing at discount at the stock mar-ket. Choppy financial markets in2022 may provide great dealsand stocks at discount forinvestors. Saving and beingready with funds to invest wise-ly can be one of the financialgoals of 2022.

Plan your retirement.Retirement planning is one ofthe most essential financialgoals. It is important to have acomfortable and secure retire-ment without compromisingon the quality of life. A thoroughand SMART planning can helpbuild the financial cushion toachieve your retirement goals. Aclear idea about your time hori-zon, expected expenses andaccepted level of risk toleranceis the starting point.

Create an emergency fund.In these uncertain times, it isimperative that you create anemergency to the tune of threeto six months of your earnings.An emergency fund is a fundthat helps you tide over neces-sary expenses without taking theburden of unplanned loans andincreasing the credit card bills.If your monthly earnings are Rs.

50,000, then the emergencyfund can be somewhere between`1,50,000 - ̀ 3,00,000. The extentof your emergency fund is alsodependent on the type of fami-ly you have. If you a single-earn-ing member or have schoolgoing kids and dependent par-ents, the savings in an emer-gency fund should be higher.You can create an emergencyfund in a number of ways - cash,savings account, fixed depositswith a shorter maturity, liquidmutual funds or a combinationof all.

Goals, both personal andfinancial, have a tendency to beabandoned before accomplish-ment. Therefore, it is crucial todevelop SMART financial goalsand take small positive stepstowards achieving your financialgoals and improving your over-all financial health.

Prioritise and plan for a comfortable future

Be SMART in your financial goals

(The writer is AssociateProfessor at Amity

University, Noida. The viewsexpressed are personal.)

HIMA BINDU KOTA

KOTA SRIRAJ In 2017, the Government of Indiaannounced the National Health Policythat envisioned the provision of com-prehensive health care with integration

of preventive and curative services at alladministrative levels, development of pri-mary health care in stages and creating asystem of medical education to include pre-ventive and social medicine.

Within a year, in 2018, we saw the oper-ational manifestation of the policy with theannouncement of Ayushman Bharat (AB)with its two pillars ofPradhan Mantri JanArogya Yojana (PMJAY) and AyushmanBharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs).

Under PMJAY, the governmentbecomes a payer of hospital expenses uptoRs 5 lakh per family for about 50 crore cit-izens.The AB-HWCswere set up to deliv-er universal comprehensive primary healthcare and have multiple components that arerooted in two fundamental premises: One,introduce wellness as a key aspect of ser-vice delivery and to ensure that the spec-trum of preventive, promotive, rehabilita-tive and palliative care received as muchattention as curative care.Two, expand therange of services to include non-commu-nicable diseases, mental health, ENT, oph-thalmology, oral health, geriatric and pal-liative care and trauma care apart from theongoing focus on maternal, newborn childcare and identified communicable diseases.

It is with these two fundamentalpremises as the focus that on 14th April2018, India embarked upon the journey ofcomprehensive, preventive and promotivehealth care with Hon'ble Prime Ministerinaugurating the first Ayushman BharatHealth and Wellness Centre (AB-HWC)inremote Jangla of Bijapur district inChattisgarh. It is with pride that we notethat the country has not only reached theset target of 1.1 lakh AB-HWCs by March31, 2022 but also over-achieved to have1,17,440 AB-HWCs already operational.

The transformation of SHCs, PHCsand UPHCs to AB-HWCs is a 9-pointreform spanning all aspects of the health-care systems such as expanded package ofservices, human resources with the intro-duction of a new cadre of mid-level healthcare providers viz. Community HealthOfficers, financing, access to an expandedrange of essential medicines and diagnos-tics, creating IT systems to facilitate con-tinuum of care and paradigm shift in ser-vices delivery, community participation,ownership and governance.

Why are AB-HWCs important and dif-ferent from the present sub centres and pri-mary health care centres? The four pillarsof Primary Health Care, including commu-nity participation, appropriate technology,equitable distribution and inter-sectoralcoordination are being anchored in andaround AB-HWCs to allow every citizenof India access to quality healthcare, freeof cost near to their homes. AB-HWCs isa major transformation of primary healthcare from disease-centric to a whole-of-

SMART Goal What are they IllustrationComponents achieving ?

S (Specific) Why are you saving ? To meet family emergency medical expenses

M (Measurable) How much are you `50,000.planning to save ?

A (Attainable) Can you achieve Yesyour goal?

R (Relevant) How critical is Very important the goal?

T (Timebound) By what time will the In 5 monthsgoal be met?

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022 Money 08

MONEY MATTERS

Multi-speciality pediatrichospital chainRainbow Children's

Medicare Ltd on Friday saidit has fixed a price band ofRs 516-542 a share for itsRs 1,581-crore initial publicoffering (IPO).The-three day initial sharesale will be open for publicsubscription during April 27-29, and the bidding foranchor investors will open

on April 26, according to the company.The public issue comprises afresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 280 crore and anoffer sale (OFS) of up to 2.4 crore equity shares by promoters andinvestors.Those selling shares in the OFS are promoters -- RameshKancharla, Dinesh Kumar Chirla and Adarsh Kancharla, promotergroup entity Padma Kancharla and investors -- British InternationalInvestment plc (formerly known as CDC Group plc) and CDC India. The company proposes to utilise the net proceeds from the freshissue for early redemption of non-convertible debentures (NCDs)issued by the company in full; capital expenditure towards setting upof new hospitals and purchase of medical equipment for such newhospitals; and general corporate purposes.At the upper end of the price band, the public issue is expected tofetch Rs 1,581 crore.

Rainbow Children's Medicare sets IPO

price band at Rs 516-542 per share

The Reserve Bank onFriday said it haslaunched the next

round of the quarterlyIndustrial Outlook Survey(IOS) to assessesbusiness sentiment forthe current quarter andexpectations for theensuing three-monthperiod. The surveyassesses businesssentiment and

expectations based on qualitative responses on a set of indicatorspertaining to demand conditions, financial conditions, employment andthe price situation."The survey provides useful insight into theperformance of the manufacturing sector," the RBI said in astatement.Owing to continued uncertainty because of the COVID-19pandemic, an additional block has been included in the survey roundfor assessing the outlook on key parameters for the third and fourthquarters of the 2022-23 financial year. In another statement, the RBIsaid it has launched the 33rd round of the quarterly Services andInfrastructure Outlook Survey (SIOS). The survey assesses thebusiness situation for the current quarter from selected companies inthe services and infrastructure sectors and their expectations for theensuing quarter.

RBI launches next round of quarterlysurvey to assess business sentiment

Hero Electric on Fridaysaid it has joined handswith Even Cargo, the

country's first women-onlydelivery platform, tostrengthen the last-miledelivery segment. The collaboration envisageswomen to play a crucial rolein accelerating electric

mobility adoption and increasing penetration in low-incomecommunities.As part of the tie-up, Hero Electric will aid Even Cargo tocreate the first-ever women-only delivery EV fleet by bringing over10,000 women riders on the platform by 2025, further empoweringthem and creating employment opportunities. The fleet will be allocated across major cities, including Delhi,Mumbai and Hyderabad. "With the EV sector witnessing such swiftexpansion, numerous startups have chosen various talentcompetencies foraying into the segment generating widespreadopportunities. Such B2B partnerships are all set to change thedynamics of the EV segment, where multiple players will exchangeand utilise their expertise and strengths to grow together," HeroElectric CEO Sohinder Gill said in a statement. The company will continue to leverage its resources and supportmore such communities to fasten EV penetration in the country, headded. "The partnership has enabled us to bring India's first women-only delivery fleet on electric bikes. We thank Hero Electric for theirsupport in inducting more women riders into the last mile logisticsfrom a single digit to a double-digit percentage by 2025," Even CargoCOO Karina Bhasin noted.

Hero Electric joins hands with EvenCargo to strengthen delivery

PNS n MUMBAI

Mahindra Electric Mobility onFriday said it will deliver over500 Treo electric autorickshawsin the next few months for sus-tainable last-mile mobility in 12cities.

As part of this effort, thecompany said it handed overthe first e-auto to a beneficia-ry in Amritsar on Friday.

The company is one of theempanelled original equipmentmanufacturers under theRAAHI (Rejuvenation ofAutorickshaw in Amritsarthrough Holistic Intervention)project. The project is part ofthe City Investments toInnovate, Integrate and Sustain(CITIIS) programme underthe Ministry of Housing andUrban Development.

A total of 12 cities, includingAmritsar, have been selectedunder the CITIIS programme,and Mahindra Electric MobilityLtd (MEML) will deliver over500 Treo electric autos over thenext few months, the companysaid in a statement.

Under RAAHI project, asubsidy of Rs 75 000 is given to

each beneficiary, with a totaloutlay of Rs 108 crore, as per therelease.

If a beneficiary buys a Treoby paying upfront, the full sub-sidy amount will be depositedin his/her account. For thoseopting to buy the e-auto onloan, Rs 15 000 is credited intheir accounts initially and thebalance Rs 60,000 will beadjusted in the loan amount,the company said.

Moreover, beneficiaries willbe offered loans at attractiveinterest rates under this schemewith a maximum loan amountof Rs 2.5 Lakh for four years, itsaid.

"Three-wheelers play a piv-

otal role in last mile mobility,and the Treo fleet will promoteusage of electric vehicles overinternal combustion engine-powered vehicles, therebyreducing pollution. Along withsignificantly higher earningsand improved lifestyles, our dri-ver partners will be trendset-ters," said Suman Mishra, CEO,MEML.

Launched in 2019, RAAHIproject has six interlinked com-ponents –- multiple electricauto charging stations, strength-ening of the three-wheeler sec-tor, livelihood opportunities,pedestrian safety, first and lastmile connectivity, and better airquality.

Mahindra Electric to deliver over 500e-autorickshaws under RAAHI project

PNS n WASHINGTON

Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Thursday saidit was necessary to address thechallenges of conflict andviolence to achieve the twinrole of ending extreme pover-ty and boosting shared pros-perity.

"Union Finance MinisterSmt. @nsitharaman attendedMinisterial Dinner forDevelopment Committeemembers in WashingtonD.C., today," the FinanceMinistry said in a tweet.

"FM Smt.@nsitharamancalled for addressing#Fragility #Conflict &#Violence #FCV challenges asnecessary to achieve twingoals of ending extremepoverty & boosting sharedprosperity, esp. when up totwo-thirds of the world'sextreme poor will live in#FCV countries by 2030," theministry said in anothertweet.The Finance Minister isin the US to attend IMF-WBSpring Meetings 2022.

She stressed that livelihoodsupport, education, health,and women, youth and chil-

dren should always be priori-tised while engaging withfragile and conflict-affectedsituations in FCS countries.

The Finance Minister'sremarks came as the ongoingwar between Russia andUkraine enters the 58th day.

‘Need to address challenges toconflict for achieving prosperity’

PNS n NEW DELHI

IRB Infrastructure Trust, theprivate InvIT sponsored byIRB InfrastructureDevelopers and Singapore-based sovereign fund GICAffiliates, has completed totalfundraising of Rs 243 crore.

IRB InfrastructureDevelopers in a statementsaid that post fundraise, IRBand GIC affiliates will contin-ue to hold 51 per cent and 49per cent, respectively, in theInvIT.IRB Infrastructurechairman and managingdirector Virendra D Mhaiskarsaid the funds will be utilisedfor the equity contribution inthe 10th project that willform part of the Pvt InvIT.

IRB InfrastructureDevelopers Ltd has an assetbase of Rs 61,000 crore acrossthe parent company and twoInvITs.

IRB Infra Trustcompletes Rs 243crore fundraising

PNS n NEW DELHI

Online food delivery platformZomato on Friday announced100 per cent 'plastic neutraldeliveries' from April 2022onwards, while also setting atarget to deliver more than 10crore orders in sustainablepackaging over the next threeyears.

The company recognisesthat it is important to start pro-moting biodegradable andother non-plastic alternativesto make them become asaffordable and available asplastic is today, ZomatoFounder and CEO DeepinderGoyal said in a blogspot.

"From now on, every mealyou order through Zomatowill be 100 per cent plasticneutral, which means we will

voluntarily recycle more than100 per cent of all plasticutilised in your order's pack-aging," he wrote.To achievethis, Goyal said, "We havestarted working with cuttingedge ISO-certified plastic

waste management organisa-tions, who will partner withmunicipalities across India,to collect and responsiblyprocess plastic waste."

Asserting that more worklies ahead in order to com-

pletely reduce or eliminatethe use of plastic in fooddelivery, he said Zomato is also"amping up our efforts todevelop and promote sustain-able packaging for all types ofcuisines.""We are aiming todeliver over 100 million addi-tional eco-friendly food deliv-ery orders (orders in sustain-able packaging) over thecourse of the next three years,by supporting our restaurantpartners in switching to afford-able and sustainable packagingalternatives," Goyal said.

To achieve this, he said,"We're going to partner withvarious stakeholders workingon innovative solutions andmodels for the restaurantindustry including govern-ment-led initiatives, socialenterprises and startups."

Zomato announces 100% ‘plastic neutral deliveries’PNS n MUMBAI

The rupee declined 32 paiseto close at 76.49 (provision-al) against the US dollar onFriday, in line with a sell-offin domestic equities and afirm greenback in the over-seas markets.

Persistent foreign capitaloutflows also dented investorsentiment, forex traders said.

At the interbank forexmarket, the rupee openedsharply lower at 76.31 againstthe greenback and lost fur-ther ground during the ses-sion. The domestic unit wit-nessed an intra-day high of76.19 and a low of 76.50.

It finally settled at 76.49, afall of 32 paise over its previ-ous close of 76.17.

Rupee slumps 32paise to close at 76.49against US dollar

PNS n COLOMBO

In an “unstinted and multi-faceted support” to Sri Lankawhich is grappling with itsworst-ever economic crisis,India has extended the dura-tion of the USD 400 millioncurrency swap facility whichhad been concluded with theisland nation in January.

This was the first extensionof an international debt instru-ment to Sri Lanka after thegovernment led by PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa on April12 temporarily suspended debtservicing.The embattled gov-ernment had announced anorderly default until the coun-try came to an agreement withthe International MonetaryFund (IMF) for a possiblebailout package.

“India's unstinted andmulti-faceted support to SriLanka continued. As ongoingcurrency support, @RBIextended the duration of theUS$ 400 million currencyswap for @CBSL which wasconcluded in #January thisyear,” the High Commission ofIndia said on Twitter.

However, the debt servicesuspension was not applicableto currency swap arrange-ments with other centralbanks.

The debt default came as theisland nation was grapplingwith its worst-ever economiccrisis compounded by forexshortages and a balance of pay-ments crisis.

Sri Lanka had also drawn onIndian credit lines worth USD1 billion for essential importsand separate ones for theimportation of fuel.

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) signed the currencyswap agreement with theCentral Bank of Sri Lankaunder the SAARC CurrencySwap Framework 2019-22.

Under the agreement, theCentral Bank of Sri Lankacan make drawals of USDollar, Euro or Indian Rupeein multiple tranches up to a

maximum of USD 400 millionor its equivalent. Sri Lanka'seconomic crisis is caused inpart by a lack of foreign cur-rency, which has meant thatthe country cannot afford topay for imports of staple foodsand fuel, leading to acuteshortages and very high prices.

The country is witnessinglarge-scale protests against thegovernment's handling of thedebt-ridden economy - theworst-ever economic crisis inthe country's history.

Protests demanding theresignation of PresidentRajapaksa and his Sri LankaPodujana (Peramuna)-led gov-ernment have intensified asshortages continued and pricessoared. Last week, the Sri

Lankan government said itwould temporarily default onUSD 35.5 billion in foreigndebt as the pandemic and thewar in Ukraine made it impos-sible to make payments tooverseas creditors.

India extends duration of US $ 400 mncurrency swap facility with Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka hadalso drawn onIndian credit linesworth USD 1billion foressential importsand separateones for theimportation offuel.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Apparel Export PromotionCouncil (AEPC) on Fridaysaid it is making efforts to pro-mote brand India at variousglobal platforms by showcas-ing its strength on sustainabil-ity, ethical sourcing and man-ufacturing, labour standards,and women employment.

AEPC Chairman NarendraGoenka also said that availabil-ity of cotton, jute, silk and woolalong with the second largestspinning and weaving capaci-ty provides the industry anopportunity for a 95 per centdomestic value addition.

The council has organised atwo-day Fashion Meet Expo2022. The expo seeks to bringtogether the entire textileecosystem from fiber-to-fash-ion including manufacturers,accessories players, dyes,machine makers, startups,designers, buying agents,exporters, and fashion insti-tutes.The fair was inauguratedby Minister of State for TextilesDarshana Jardosh at ApparelHouse Gurugram on April 21.

"Council is taking rigorousefforts towards promotingbrand India at various globalplatforms showcasing itsstrength on sustainability, cir-

cularity, ethical sourcing andmanufacturing, labour stan-dards, women employment,"Goenka said in a statement.

Exports of ready-made gar-ments during 2021-22 stood atUSD 16 billion, an increase30.4 per cent over previousyear.

Main markets for Indiantextiles and apparel exportsinclude the US, EuropeanUnion, Asia and Middle East.

Quoting the minister, thecouncil said export opportuni-ties for the sector has beenenhanced via signing of freetrade agreements with theUAE, and Australia.

Making efforts to promote brandIndia at global platforms: AEPC

The FinanceMinister'sremarks came asthe ongoing warbetween Russiaand Ukraineenters the 58thday.

PNS n WASHINGTON

US aerospace giant Boeing isplanning to fly two SuperHornet fighter jets to Goa thissummer for operationaldemonstrations before itspotential buyer the IndianNavy, according to a seniorcompany executive.

Making a strong sales pitchfor F/A-18 Super Hornet, vicepresident of Boeing's IndiaBusiness Development AlainGarcia said the aircraft hasbeen specifically designedfrom its inception for carrieroperations, can operate fromthe Indian Navy aircraft carri-ers and will meet or exceed theSTOBAR performancerequirements of the IndianNavy.

STOBAR (short take-off but

arrested recovery or shorttake-off, barrier-arrestedrecovery) is a system used forthe launch and recovery of air-craft from the deck of an air-craft carrier. "This has been

proven by our successful ski-jump tests conducted in 2020and extensive simulation stud-ies. Additionally, we will alsoprove that further with oper-ational demonstrations in

India in May and June," Garciatold PTI in an interview.

As New Delhi plans tostrengthen its defence capabil-ities, Boeing has been in talkswith its defence customers in

India about F/A-18 SuperHornet, P-8I, F-15EX, KC-46tanker for aerial refuelling andISR capabilities, he said.

"I really believe the F/A-18Super Hornet Block III will bea transformative capability forthe Indian Navy, the way theP-8I has been...and also theimpact that it will have on theaerospace industry,” he argued.

The senior Boeing execu-tive, who is headed to India forhis new assignment in thenext few weeks, argued thatwith the Super Hornet, theIndian Navy will get a proven,multi-role and carrier-compat-ible fighter while benefitingfrom the investments,upgrades and knowledge thatcomes from the US Navy'sextensive naval aviationecosystem.

Boeing to fly 2 SH fighter aircraft to India for demos

PNS n MUMBAI

Serum Institute of India CEOAdar Poonawalla on Fridaywarned against the return tothe business-as-usualapproach, saying we "can'tafford to put a price tag onthe life of a citizen" as thepandemic is not behind usyet.

The chief executivedefended his call for loweringthe vaccination gap to sixmonths from the presentnine months to ensure thatpeople don't see again thepains they underwent in thefirst two waves of the pan-demic, and not for makingmoney, as he has madealready enough.

"I have also offered vac-cines for free to avoid waste,which I wouldn't have doneif my objective is money," hesaid.

"My point is that we can'tput a price tag on the life ofa person be it an adult or achild. So, taking decisions ontime as we did during the sec-ond wave is the need of thehour when it comes to boost-er doses and jabbing the kids.

71% of pollutingcos optimistic ofachieving greengoals: Survey

Poonawalla warnsagainst return tobusiness-as-usualapproach

PNS n MUMBAI

About seven in ten domes-tic companies, mostly thepolluting ones spanningten sectors, are confident ofmeeting their emissionreduction goals, pushed byinvestors as also committedby the government at thelast UN summit on cli-mate change, according toa survey.

At the United Nation's26th Conference of Parties(COP26) he ld in theScottish city of Glasgowlast November, the gov-ernment had committed toboosting the green goalsfurther by pushing organi-zations to reduce emis-sions.In a report releasedon the Earth Day (April22), the Boston ConsultingGroup said its survey cov-ered ten sectors -- auto,cement, consumer goods,financial services, oil &gas, manufacturing, metals,power & utilities, profes-sional services, and tech-nology, including feedbackfrom 143 CXOs.The surveyshowed that 71 per cent ofthem are conf ident ofmeeting their green goals.

9

Vijayawada | Saturday April 23, 2022 what’s brewing?

ollywood stars Chris Pine andRege-Jean Page’s upcomingfantasy film Dungeons &Dragons has a title and will becalled Dungeons & Dragons:

Honor Among Thieves.Paramount Pictures and eOne

announced that the film has been chris-tened Dungeons & Dragons: HonorAmong Thieves, reports Variety.

The official title was released with avideo set to epic music and posted tothe film’s social media accounts. With arelease date set for March 3, 2023, thetitle marks the official start of the film’scampaign.

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein andJohn Francis Daley, the film stars ChrisPine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-JeanPage, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, ChloeColeman, Daisy Head and Hugh Grant.

Pine has described the movie as a mixbetween Game of Thrones, The Princess

Bride, Monty Python and the Holy Grailand a little bit of The Goonies.

“We had a hell of a fun time makingit,” Pine told Collider. “It’s got a lot of

thrills. It’s poppy, it’s ’80s heartfelt;there’s a bit of ‘Goonies’ in there.”

He also teased some details about hischaracter in the movie, describing himas “the ultimate party planner,” notingthat the directing duo of Goldstein andDaley are “killer guys” who know howto make comedy with heart.

“I think it’s going to be really good. Imean, who fucking knows, but I thinkwe got a good shot,” he added.

“We had a great cast and we had agood time making it. And that's all youcan ask for.”

Based on Hasbro’s Dungeons &Dragons, the film’s screenplay is writtenby Goldstein, Daley and Michael Giliofrom Gilio’s story with Chris McKay.

The project is being produced byJeremy Latcham, Brian Goldner andNick Meyer, with executive producersDenis L. Stewart, Goldstein, Daley, Pine,Zev Foreman and Greg Mooradian.

Chris Pine, Rege-Jean Page-starrer

Dungeons & Dragons movie title unveiled

h

roducer EktaKapoor’sBalaji MotionPictures hassigned a

multi-film productiondeal with ArmaanZorace’s US genre labelDark Hell and prolificHollywood producerSteven Schneider,known for producingthe horror film fran-chise ParanormalActivities.

Under the terms ofthe deal, a slate of high-concept films in thethriller-horror genrewill be produced inHindi and other Indianlanguages jointly by thethree entities, reportsVariety.

Ekta said: “At BalajiMotion Pictures, ouraim is to continuetelling genre-bendingstories which connectwith the viewers. I amelated for this associa-tion, and I’m certain tobe bringing together the

best of cross-culturalcontent to the Indiandiaspora.”

“Such an opportunityhelps us expand ourreach to markets andaudiences not tappedbefore, and this collabo-ration is of mutual ideasand intent.”

Details of the projectsunder this associationhave not yet beenrevealed, but they are

expected to “cater to theaudiences of the South-East Asian markets inIndia and overseas”, thesignatories said in astatement.

According to Variety,Schneider’s creditsinclude ParanormalActivity, Blair witch,and M. NightShyamalan’s Split.

Schneider shared:“This deal is a land-

mark for me and us as ateam. India is an excit-ing market alwaysknown to put forth cur-rent and revolutionarycontent across genres.I’m looking forward toworking with Ekta andArmaan, and together,we are certain to bringforth stories that arewaiting to be told andheard.”

Zorace is anAmerican filmmakerwhose credits includethe acclaimed shortfilm, God Is Dead.

Zorace said: “BalajiTelefilms is an enviousname in the entertain-ment business whohave carved their space by producing relevant and currentcontent. We are mostexcited to have them as markets in this dealand look forward tobringing content from across Indian lan-guages to the audi-ences.”

Paranormal Activity producer teams upwith Ekta Kapoor for Indian horror slate

p ollywood starsLiam Neeson andMonica Bellucci’supcoming actionerMemory is all set

to hit the big screens inIndia on April 29.

Memory follows the darkand dangerous life of AlexLewis (Neeson), an assassinfor hire who has a change ofheart during a particularmission.

Deciding to spare his nexttarget, Lewis has to knowtrace and finish off hisemployers before they get tohim. With a ruthless FBIagent on his trail and age noton his side, what happensnext forms the crux of thethrilling tale.

Filled with adrenalinepumping action sequencesand unpredictable twists, themovie is helmed by CasinoRoyale filmmaker MartinCampbell.

Apart from Neeson,Memory also stars Guy

Pearce and Ray Stevenson.PVR Pictures will release

Memory directed by MartinCampbell, starring LiamNeeson, Monica Bellucci,Guy Pearce and RayStevenson amongst others.

h

Liam Neeson's actionthriller Memory to release

in India on April 29 anelleMonae hascome out asnon-binaryon the latestedition of

Jada Pinkett-Smith’sRed Table Talk.

The musician andactor also confirmedthat she will contin-ue to use she/herpronouns.

Speaking abouther non-binary iden-tity, Monae said: “Ijust don’t see myselfas a woman, or sole-ly.”

She also explainedhow she came tounderstand her iden-tity: “I feel all of myenergy. I feel likeGod is so much big-ger than the ‘he’ orthe ‘she’. And if I amfrom God, I ameverything.”

Monae also said:“But I will always,

always stand withwomen, I will alwaysstand with Blackwomen, but I just seeeverything that I am.Beyond the binary.”

Jada Pinkett-Smith said thatMonae’s statementon her identity was“beautiful” while herdaughter Willowasked the Yogasinger why she hasdecided to come outpublicly.

Monae respondedby saying: “Youknow, somebodysaid, ‘If you don’twork out the thingsthat you need towork out first, beforeyou share it with theworld, then you’ll beworking it out withthe world’. That’swhat I didn’t want todo.”

“I thought I need-ed to have all my

answers correct, andI don’t want to saythe wrong thing andalso I hadn’t had thenecessary conversa-tions with my family.I wasn’t ready tohave my familyquestion my person-al life or get callsfrom people that stilllook at me as LittlePumpkin.”

Monae alsoexplained how hersister already knewof her identity whileher mother had “lotsof questions” butthat her father finewith it.

Monae has previ-ously hinted at iden-tifying as non-binaryby tweeting in 2020:“#IAmNonbinary”.

The Moonlight andHidden Figures actorhas also previouslycome out as queerand pansexual.

j

Janelle Monae comesout as non-binary

Rules

ARCHIE

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

REALITY CHECK CROSSWORD

GINGER MEGGS

NANCY

l Each row and column cancontain each number (1 to 9)exactly once.

l The sum of all numbers inany row or column mustequal 45.

Yesterday’s solution

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SPEED BUMP

FUN

Dilnaz Baig'sheart is firmlyplaced in Hyd

SHIKHA DUGGAL

hether you still livethere or not, yourhometown willalways be your home.But for Dilnaz Baig,this is the place she

grew up, went to school, andmade all her friends and memo-ries. She made her first friendshere and she became the personshe is today. In high school, youcouldn’t wait to leave. But it's notuntil you leave that you realisehow much you miss it. And, whileon the telephone, the 74-year-oldcouldn’t stop gushing about herschool. Hyderabad will always beher place!

“My three generations havebeen an eccentric part ofHyderabad — my grandfatherwas in the army, my maternalgrandfather was one of the firstFRCS from Hyderabad, my moth-er’s uncle was in Congress, andanother one was the secretary tothe late Subhash Chandra Bose,while he also coined the phraseJai Hind. You see, I come from afamily of freedom fighters. As aperson, I am extremely liberal-minded. You wouldn’t see mebeing prejudiced. I do believe inmy Hyderabadi traditions, but itcan’t bog me down either,” sheexpressed.She knows Hyderabadlike the back of her hand! Shecontinued, “I immensely respectour constitution because of theinfluence of our ancestors on me.Our family has given all ourblood and money for the freedomwe have today. But, you knowwhat? The current state of affairstowards a distinct religion sad-dens me.” She is blessed to havebeen born in a house whereeveryone loved food. After she gotmarried, she started to cook food

for her family, and this was diffi-cult for her, as she used to notcook regularly. But somehow,whenever she had guests, theyloved her food. That’s how it allstarted! Moreover, “Both the foodand tehzeeb are an intrinsic partof Hyderabadi culture. At anygiven point in time, you can graba snack and fulfil your cravingshere! I love doing round-table dis-cussions that involve the love forour culture and bringing it to awider audience. No matter what,culture has only kept us boundtogether today. When it comes tocuisine, for example, the KhattiDal was started by the QutubShahis, who were Irani. Theywere strongly linked withVijaynagar. That’s how the sourelement was introduced to thecuisine. This is the uniqueness ofour city, if you emphasise it.”

Her friends have been there forher through all her awkwardstages and most of her weekends.They are the people that she willalways consider her home base. Inaddition to that, she implies, “Weare one of the first to promoteUrdu here — we never want theUrdu language to vanish from thenooks and corners of this Nizamicity. Even in my sixties, I did aMaulana Abdul Kalam Urducourse, and that’s my attachmentto this serene language. I am anavid fan of Urdu poetry!” Takingus down the memory lane, sherecalled, “During the olden times,there was no discrimination onthe basis of religion in Hyderabad.Even today, if you tend to visit aReddy household, you’ll witness afew intricacies that are synony-mous with our culture too. So whydiscriminate? We love to adopt thekhatti dal, which is sambhar for aHindu household.” Nevertheless,this was her piece of love that she

shared about Hyderabad, whilethere was a horrific incident thatshe got to witness in the city ofdreams that dispirited her to thecore. She recollects, “We weregiven a corporate house inBombay in the name of my hus-band in Pali Hill, one of the mostposh communities there. As soonas he resigned, and we startedlooking for another flat, straightaway, while collecting all ourdetails, as soon as we mentionedthat we were Muslims, we weredenied the rental place. It was sodepressing, I missed Hyderabadinstantly! This is an example ofblatant bigotry against us. Whenwill this stop? This incident hit mereally hard. No matter what myreligion is, I am an Indian citizen,and during those times I wasdenied my right to reside. I wastaken aback and haven’t forgottenit a bit.”

Moving away from thisdetestable memory of DilnazBaig, she remembered her school-ing days and turned out to be thatlittle innocent child on the tele-phone that we couldn’t have everimagined. She was transportingpositivity! She said, “MehbubiaGirls High School was the placeto be — usually kids hate going toschool, but I was the opposite ofthat. I didn’t even wish for thesummer holidays to begin; theculture over there was so relat-able. When I grew old, my friendsencouraged me to take cookeryclasses. I still remember mymother's recipes; they are unfor-gettable! We are also a family ofexcellent cooks.” You may comeand go, but your childhood homewill always be there, right whereyou left it. It will always be a partof you, and you will always be apart of it. That is what DilnazBaig taught us with all her heart.

w

Ram

zan The season of fasting

and family timehe holy month ofRamzan observed byMuslims worldwideto commemorate thefirst revelation of the

Quran to Muhammad.During this month, Muslims

seek mercy, attention andrewards from Allah by fastingfrom dawn to dusk. Meals areonly served before sunrise andafter sunset. The pre-dawnmeal before the fast is calledthe Suhoor, while the mealserved after sunset that breaksthe fast is the Iftar. Thesesnacks, appetizers, beveragesand desserts are full of flavorand variety. The food is eitherserved at home along with thewhole family or with the entirecommunity at mosques orother places.

Palthi Harinath, culinaryspecialist shares is list of top 10Ramzan foods

The fast is broken withdates, dry fruits and seasonalfruits and lemon sharbat.

” Haleem

Haleem tops the list - awholesome mutton prepara-tion slow-cooked along withlentils, broken wheat, andspices. This dish is usuallyprepared for ‘Iftar’ due to itshigh nutritional value, revital-izing nature, and comfortingporridge-like texture.

” Kebabs

Who hasn’t eaten and lovedKebabs. To prepare this dish,chunks of chicken or muttonare marinated in a uniquepreparation of yogurt andspices, for a more distinct fla-vor. Aromatic and appetizing,kebabs are either fried orskewered and barbecued overhot coals.

” Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is a popularmiddle-eastern dish. Thinlysliced chicken or mutton iswrapped in a pita bread withveggies and sauce. Lip smack-ing and delicious, it is a mealin itself.

” Kheema Samosa

Kheema samosa or minced

meat samosa is a must haveduring Ramzan. No ‘Iftar’ cele-bration is complete without it.Kheema samosas - crispy fromoutside and moist and delec-table from inside have an outerlayer made with all-purposeflour or whole wheat flour. Therecipe of the filling is closelyguarded by those who make itbut it has everything theIndian taste buds crave for –hot, spicy and flavorsome.

” Mutton Resala

Mutton Resala is an authen-tic Bengali dish. It is preparedwith bony mutton pieces mari-nated in yogurt and sautéedwith cashew and poppy seedpaste with Indian spices andbest enjoyed with paratha ornaan.

” Dum Biryani

This dish is prepared acrossthe country in different ways.South India itself has severalvarieties. Mainly with rice,mutton or chicken, and spicesmixed with ghee and saffron,

sometimes it also is made withvegetables, seafood or soyachunks.

” Falafel

Falafel is a deep-fried ball orpatty made from groundchickpeas, fava beans, or both.They are often served alongwith hummus, and tahinisauce during iftar. Falafel is aglobal favorite.

” Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma is a richMughlai dessert made duringRamzan. Sheer stands for milkand Khurma stands for dates.The texture and sweetness ofthis dessert is so unique, that itprides itself on being the num-ber one dessert during the holymonth.

” Aflatoon

Aflatoon is a really specialsweet served during Ramzan.Its rich and mesmerizing tasteis sure to linger for a long time.Made of pure ghee and nutsand packed in small packets, it

is the ideal way to end aRamzan meal!

” Rooh Afza

Rooh Afza is a commonsharbat prepared duringRamzan. It includes herbs,fruits, veggies, flowers, androots. Its brilliant fragrance,special flavor and coolingeffect make it unique and spe-cial from the other drinks. InIndia, Rooh Afza syrup is oftenmixed with kulfi ice cream andvermicelli noodles for a moredistinct flavor and taste. .

Mitesh Lohiya, Director,Sales and Marketing, GoldDrop, says, “The beauty of themonth of Ramzan with itssanctity also brings togetherthe whole family. It is truly aJashn-e-Ramzan that connectspeople and makes the holymonth more meaningful anddivine.”

So if you are yet to relishthese lip smacking food spe-cialties of Ramzan, go aheadand try some before the monthends!

tSummer holidays are for

entertainment and academicshildreneagerly awaitsummervacationthroughout

the school year.Summer holidays are anecessary break forstudents to find theirescape from schoolroutine. The annualbreak, in addition tohelping them beat theheat, also providessome time away fromhomework stress anddaily routine. Whilethe main intention ofsummer break is totake time off studies.However, activitiestaken up during vaca-tion for the purpose ofentertainment, can alsohave beneficial effectson the students’ acade-mic performance.

Venkat Muriki,founder-director ofExcellenciaInstitutions, shareshow this can be done:

” Traveling as afun and valuablelearning experi-ence

The first thing par-ents can think of forsummer vacation istaking their kids on atrip, be it visiting theirgrandparents andcousins, or exploringnew places across thestate, country or globe.While traveling can bereally fun, it can alsobe beneficial in terms

of acquiring historical,geographical and cul-tural knowledge of theplaces they visit orfrom people they meet.

” Being anature’s compan-ion

Nurturing mothernature can be bothrelaxing and fun, aswell as enlightening interms of knowing howthe nature is built andwhat needs to be donein order for our gener-ation and the next gen-erations to be able tolead a healthy and con-tent life. Anythingrelated to water duringsummer vacations,given the unbearable

heat, is a fun activityfor children.Gardening is one suchactivity that requiresthe usage of water forits execution.Gardening can helpbuild a much-neededconnection betweenthe child and foodinstilling importanceon healthy-eatingalong with the need tosave trees and green-ery. Garden-basedlearning aids increasednutritional awareness,environmental aware-ness, academicachievement, and lifeskills.

” New skills toshine brighter in

the next academicyear

Developing a newskill, be it dancing,singing, swimming, oreven learning a newlanguage or learningcoding, can prove ben-eficial in one way oranother. Summer vaca-tions can be utilised ina good manner by let-ting children take up anew activity based ontheir interest andlearning a new skillwhich will help themin the future.

” Making readinga new buddy

Reading may soundboring, but it can bemade fun in manyways. Children shouldbe encouraged to readnovels from genres oftheir choice and inter-est, be it mystery, sci-fior fiction, all bookshave something toteach. Readingenhances vocabulary,improves writing andspelling skills, and alsohelp become more flu-ent conversationalistsand successful commu-nicators.

Apart from readingnovels, as per interest,children can also pickup knowledgeablebooks such as autobi-ographies, encyclope-dias, ancient world his-tory, general knowl-edge, and much more.

c

SaturdayApril 23, 2022

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sports 11VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022

AP n BARCELONA

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang'searly goal proved enough asBarcelona sealed a 1-0 win

over Real Sociedad on Thursday totighten their grip on a top-four fin-ish in La Liga.

But Barca's run-in could behampered after their defence wasalmost completely wiped out byinjuries at Anoeta, with DaniAlves, Ronald Araujo and GerardPique all going off with problems,while Jordi Alba appeared to playon in discomfort.

Victor y leaves XaviHernandez's side second, sixpoints clear of Real Betis in fifth,with a game in hand, and twoahead of Atletico Madrid in fourth.Atletico were held to a goallessdraw by Granada on Wednesday.

Sevilla sit third after they heldon for a 3-2 win away at Levante,Tecatito scoring twice in Valencia.

Real Sociedad might have hadan outside chance of joining therace for the top four if they hadbeaten Barcelona, but defeat sure-ly leaves them looking to secure aspot in the Europa League. Theyare six points behind Atletico infourth.

Aubameyang's goal was his11th for Barca since he joined theclub in January, and this one wasparticularly important, with histeam eager to overturn an unex-pected dip in form.

Xavi challenged his players onWednesday to escape the "negativedynamic" after back-to-backdefeats by Eintracht Frankfurt in

the Europa League and Cadiz atCamp Nou.

Pique's early touches werewhistled by the Real Sociedadcrowd, who jeered again when the35-year-old was substituted in the82nd minute.

Alves had already gone off inthe 66th and Araujo in the 55th,with Barca now crossing theirfingers the problems are notserious.

The decisive moment, though,came in the 11th minute asOusmane Dembele hit the postwhen left free in the area. The ballcannoned out and La Real lookedsafe to clear until Gavi robbed theball back and chipped it to FerranTorres, whose looping ball acrossallowed Aubameyang to nod in.

Real Sociedad might easilyhave grabbed an equaliser butkept running into the Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who enjoyedan inspired night in theBarcelona goal.

Alexander Isak went close,while Alexander Sorloth missed LaReal's best chances, firing wide atthe back post from NachoMonreal's cross and then takingtoo long after being picked out inthe area by Adnan Januzaj.

Sorloth had another sight ofgoal late on, but his finish from theangle was brilliantly stopped byTer Stegen, this time his left footallowing Barca to hold on for animportant victory.

AP n MUNICH

Borussia Dortmund will bewithout first-choice goalkeep-

er Gregor Kobel and midfielderAxel Witsel for Saturday's show-down at Bayern Munich, who cansecure a tenth straight Bundesligatitle with victory at the AllianzArena.

Kobel is out with an injuredligament and Witsel has an infec-tion.

Second-placed Dortmund arealready missing Mats Hummels,Donyell Malen, MahmoudDahoud, Thomas Meunier,Thorgan Hazard and GiovanniReyna.

A home win would leaveBayern an unassailable 12 pointsahead of second-placedDortmund with three games left.

Despite their lengthy casual-ty list, Dortmund intend to denythe hosts securing a tenth straightBundesliga crown.

"We want to try to preventthat. That's the task, that's thegoal," said Dortmund coachMarco Rose.

The German media refers toBayern-Dortmund matches as'Der Klassiker' (The Classic).

Yet Bayern are chasing aneighth straight win in the series,having scored 30 goals, conced-ing just five.

Dortmund have winger

Raphael Guerreiro back frominjury.

They hope to collectivelyslam the brakes on Bayern'sattack, spearheaded by formerDortmund striker RobertLewandowski who has chalkedup 32 goals in the Bundesligaalone this season.

"We have to defend againsttheir attacking power and createour own chances," said Rose.

Meanwhile in Munich, mostof the Bayern squad is fit with asell-out crowd of 75,000 expect-ed.

There is a question markover winger Kingsley Coman,who is carrying an ankle knock,while defender Niklas Sule is fitand set to face future employersDortmund, who he joins nextseason.

AP n MANCHESTER

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnickbelieves Paul Pogba has played his final match for

the club after suffering an injury just weeks before hiscontract runs out at Old Trafford.

The World Cup winner, who is a free agent fromJuly 1, came off with a calf problem early in Tuesday'schastening 4-0loss at Liverpool,which makes atop-four PremierLeague f inishunlikely.

"With Paul,as it seems afterthe scan we didthe day beforeyesterday, it isvery unlikely hewill play untilthe end of thes e a s o n , "Rangnick saidon Friday.

The Francemidfielder camethrough theyouth set-up atUnited andreturned from a successful stint with Juventus in 2016for a then world-record fee.

Although Pogba has won the Europa League andLeague Cup in his second spell at United, he has large-ly been a disappointment, with his lacklustre displaysand repeated links with other clubs serving to irritatefans.

The 29-year-old was booed off the pitch when hewas substituted during the recent win against Norwich.

Asked if Pogba has played his final match for United,Rangnick said: "The doctor told me it will take fourweeks minimum for him to recover and the last gameis the end of May.

"I don't think that it is very likely that he will be ableto play again."

Rangnick was speaking the day after United con-firmed Ajax manager Erik ten Hag would become thepermanent boss at Old Trafford at the end of the sea-son.

"I knew that Erik was one of the candidates the boardspoke to," he said. "Obviously I told them, at least fromwhat I have seen and known from people who hadworked with Erik, that I think he would be a good choice.

"I still believe that he is a very good choice."

AP n LONDON

Tottenham boss AntonioConte admits he will be

"very happy" to see Brentford'sChristian Eriksen this weekendafter the Dane's brush withdeath.

Conte signed Eriksen fromTottenham when he was incharge at Inter Milan in 2020and the playmaker was a key fig-ure in their Serie A title triumph.

Eriksen is now at Brentfordhaving made an incrediblecomeback since suffering a car-diac arrest while playing forDenmark at the EuropeanChampionship last year.

The 30-year-old comes upagainst his former club for thefirst time on Saturday asBrentford host Tottenham in thePremier League.

"I'm very happy to see himplay football again. In June it wasterrible, those images were ter-rible for everybody. We suffereda lot for him and his family,"Conte told reporters onThursday.

"To see him for a game willbe a pleasure for me. It's incred-ible because of what happenednot long ago.

"To see him playing againmakes me very happy because Iknow football is life.

"To have this opportunity isgreat for him and his familybecause now they come back tohave a normal life."

There will be no time forsentiment once the game getsunderway, however, withTottenham desperately needinga win to boost their bid for a topfour finish.

Arsenal's 4-2 victory atChelsea on Wednesday movedthem level on points with fourthplaced Tottenham, who areahead of their north Londonrivals on goal difference.

With six games left, therace to qualify for theChampions League is set to go

down to the wire."We have to stay in this race

until the end," said Conte. "Weknow very well the difficulty tocompete with other teams.

"I don't think Chelsea is inthis race. They are in thismoment on a different level.They are there because theymissed some games but theydon't stay in this race.

"We have to fight withArsenal, they showed yesterdaythey are in good form, Man Utd,West Ham and Wolverhampton.

"Now we have to fight untilthe end. The last second of thelast game, we will see which willbe our place in the table."

AP n BURNLEY

Burnley improved their chances ofavoiding relegation from the

Premier League as Connor Roberts'superb strike inspired a vital 2-0 winagainst Southampton on Thursday.

The Clarets won for the first timesince Sean Dyche's sacking thanks toRoberts' sublime curler and NathanCollins' header.

Roberts' first goal for Burnley fol-lowing his August move from Swanseacame early in the first half at Turf Moorand proved the key moment.

It was just their fifth league victo-ry this term, in interim manager MikeJackson's second game since Dyche'ssurprise sacking last week after 10years in charge.

Third bottom Burnley remain in therelegation zone but they are now justone point behind fourth bottomEverton, who have a game in hand.

Burnley host Wolves on Sundayand, with Everton facing quadruplechasing Liverpool the same day,Jackson's team are in with a chance ofclimbing out of the bottom three thisweekend.

AP n BELGRADE

Top-ranked Novak Djokovicdug deep for the second

match in a row to reach thesemifinals of the Serbia Openwith a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win overMiomir Kecmanovic onThursday.

Kecmanovic won theopening set without facing abreak point, but Djokovicfinally showed signs of gettingback to his best in the secondand then won the final fourgames of the decider in whatwas just his sixth match of theyear.

The 20-time Grand Slamchampion stretched his win-ning streak against compatri-ots to 10 matches going backto a loss to Janko Tipsarevic inMadrid in 2012.

Djokovic next plays third-seeded Karen Khachanov, whodefeated Brazilian qualifierThiago Monteiro 7-5, 6-4.

Djokovic also endured atough game on Wednesdaywhen he rallied from a setdown to beat compatriot Laslo

Djere 2-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).He joked that he's happy

he would not have to faceanother Serb in the semifinals.

Earlier on Thursday, sec-ond-seededA n d r e yR u b l e vd e f e a t e dJ i r iLehecka 4-6, 7-6 (1),6-2 andF a b i o

Fognini enjoyed a 6-2, 6-3win over Aljaz Bedene to reachthe quarterfinals.

TSITSIPAS ADVANCES Top-seeded Stefanos

Tsitsipas beat Grigor Dimitrov6-1, 6-4 to advance to theBarcelona Open quarterfinals.

Tsitsipas converted six ofeight break point chances tostay on course to claiming asecond consecutive clay-court

title after winning MonteCarlo last weekend.

After a short break,the fifth-ranked Greekis scheduled to facelocal favorite CarlosAlcaraz. The 18-year-old Alcaraz saw offfellow Spaniard

Jaume Munar 6-3,6-3. Second-seededCasper Ruud easedpast EmilRuusuvuori 6-2, 6-2. He will facePablo Carreno laterafter he outlastedLorenzo Sonego 6-

2, 5-7, 6-2.

AP n STUTTGART

US Open champion EmmaRaducanu defeated

Germany's Tamara Korpatsch6-0, 2-6, 6-1 at the StuttgartOpen on Thursday to set upa quarterfinal match againsttop-ranked Iga Swiatek.

It will be the 19-year-oldRaducanu's first match againsta top 10 opponent.

Raducanu, who won atFlushing Meadows as a 150th-ranked qualifier last year,could break into the top 10herself if she wins the Stuttgarttitle in what is her first profes-sional tournament on clay.She's currently ranked 12th.

Earlier, second-seededPaula Badosa defeatedKazakhstan's Elena Rybakina6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4) and will faceOns Jabeur in the quarterfi-nals. Jabeur defeated DariaKasatkina 6-3, 6-3.

Third-seeded ArynaSabalenka defeated Canada'sBianca Andreescu 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 and will face Anett Kontaveitor Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Fouth-seeded MariaSakkari retired against LauraSiegemund as the Germanwas leading 6-4, 3-1.Siegemund next plays Russianplayer Liudmila Samsonova,who defeated KarolinaPliskova 6-4, 6-4.

AP n LONDON

Seven-time Formula One worldchampion Lewis Hamilton on Friday

said that being part of a consortium bid-ding to take over English PremierLeague club Chelsea was too great anopportunity to pass by.

Hamilton, along with Americantennis star Serena Williams, couldeach invest up to £10 million, accord-ing to Sky News, as part of a consor-tium led by former Liverpool chairmanMartin Broughton.

"Chelsea is one of the biggest clubsin the world and most successful," saidHamilton, who professed a life-longlove of football, "the biggest sport in theworld".

"When I heard about this oppor-tunity, I was like wow, this is this is oneof the greatest opportunities to be a partof something so great."

Hamilton, speaking ahead ofSunday's Imola Grand Prix, added thatfrom the age of five or six he had beena supporter of Chelsea's bitter city rivalsArsenal.

"But my Uncle Terry is a big Bluesfan so I've been to so many games withhim to watch Arsenal and Chelsea play,"

he said.Hamilton said he had been contact-

ed by Broughton after the announcedsale of the European champions byRussian owner Roman Abramovich.

"Martin took time to speak to meon the phone and explained his and histeam's goals if they were to win the bid,which was incredibly exciting, and itwas very much aligned with my values,"

said Hamilton.Aside from Broughton's candida-

cy, which also has World Athletics pres-ident Sebastian Coe — an avid Chelseafan — on board, two other bids havebeen registered, headed up by ToddBoehly, co-owner of the Los AngelesDodgers baseball team, and StevePagliuca, co-owner of the BostonCeltics basketball team.

PTI n NEW DELHI

The Indian women's doublespair of Sikki Reddy and

Ashwini Ponappa on Fridaywithdrew from the forthcomingUber Cup tournament due tothe former's injury, BadmintonAssociation of India (BAI) said.

The tournament is sched-uled to be held in Bangkok fromMay 8 to 15.

"Sikki Reddy has suffered aGrade 2 Tear of the Abdomen(abdominus rectus) as con-firmed by an MRI and has beenadvised 4-6 week rest by the doc-tor," the BAI said in a statement.

"Under the circumstancesthe said pair has withdrawnfrom from the Uber Cup as wellas the upcoming BAC and theselectors have decided to includeSimran Singh and RitikaThakkar in their place as theywere fourth in the ranking dur-ing the selection trials," said BAIgeneral secretary Sanjay Mishra.

The development comes aday after the BAI announcedIndian teams for the upcomingAsiad, Commonwealth Games

and Thomas and Uber Cup.The teams were named by

BAI following six days of selec-tion trials at the Indira GandhiStadium here.

Besides Sikki Reddy andAshwini Ponappa, the 10-mem-ber women's team for the AsianGames and Uber Cup com-prised PV Sindhu, ParupalliKashyap, Ashmita Chaliha,Hooda, alongside the other twodoubles pairs from the trials —Treesa Jolly-Gayatri P andTanisha Crasto-Shruti Mishra.

PTI n ANTALYA

Shrugging off their disap-pointment in the team

events, the recurve mixed pairof Tarundeep Rai and RidhiPhor downed Spain 5-3 toadvance to the final and con-firm a second medal for Indiain the Archery World CupStage 1 here on Friday.

The fifth seeded Indianduo started with a 2-0 lead butfaced some resistance in themiddle sets before sealing it 5-3 (38-35, 36-39, 38-38, 36-35)in a four-setter.

Rai and Phor will face11th seed Britain in therecurve mixed team Goldmedal clash on Sunday.

India has been assured ofanother medal in the ongoingtournament. The compoundmen's team of AbhishekVerma, Rajat Chauhan andAman Saini had advanced tothe final on Wednesday.

They will take on Francein the summit clash onSaturday.

Auba takes Barca to 2nd

VICTORY LEAVES XAVI HERNANDEZ'S SIDE SECOND, SIXPOINTS CLEAR OF REAL BETIS IN FIFTH, WITH A GAME INHAND, AND TWO AHEAD OF ATLETICO MADRID IN FOURTH

No Kobel, Witsel forBayern showdown

Spurs boss Conte ‘very happy’ to see Eriksen againPogba unlikely to play forMan Utd again: Rangnick

Burnley win to boost survival bid

Hamilton ready to invest in Chelsea takeover bid

Djoker reaches Serbia Open semisRaducanu in Stuttgart QF

Sikki Reddy, Ashwini withdrawfrom Uber Cup due to injury

Indian recurvemixed pair confirmsecond medal

he aggressivepromotions andhype-creatingcontent of F3starring Victory

Venkatesh and MegaPrince Varun Tej is help-ing the movie to reachthe expectations toanother level. Given it’sthe franchise of the dou-ble blockbuster F2, andit’s one of the prestigiousprojects of SriVenkateswara Creations,F3 is the most awaitedfamily entertainer of2022. Dil Raju is the pre-senter, while Shirish isproducing the movie.While first single whichdepicted the theme was abig hit, here comes lyricalvideo of second singleWoo Aa Aha Aha.

Rockstar Devi SriPrasad has given chart-buster album for the film.The second song soundsenticing with a different,yet appealing composi-tion. Lyrics are by KasarlaShyam, whereas SunidhiChauhan and Lavita Loboadded more oomph withtheir husky singing. Sagarand SP Abhishek’s vocalsare the other attraction.

Tamannaah andMehreen’s glamour andtheir spicy dance movesoffer feast to eyes. Theylook hot in both sareeand western wear andshared sizzling chemistrywith the male leads. SonalChauhan who plays thethird heroine also appear

in the song. Another spe-ciality is the elegantdances of Sunil. The songalso shows the visualsof legendary film-maker KRaghavendra Raoand Icon star AlluArjun gracingthe sets, whilemaking thisnumber.Sekhar VJ’schoreogra-phy is flaw-less for thissong.

Woo AaAha Aha isan instantchart-busterwith atypi-cal andpleasingcomposi-tion fromDSP. It willbe muchmore pleasingto watch thesong with fullvisuals on bigscreen.

Nata KireetiRajendra Prasad willbe seen in an impor-tant role in the movie,where Pooja Hegde willbe seen shaking her leg ina Party song.

Sai Sriram cranks thecamera, while Tammirajuis the editor. HarshithReddy is the co-producer.

The film F3 is ready tocreate laughing riot intheatres on May 27.

Party vibes ooze out

of F3’s special song

Promising young hero SreeVishnu’s next outing BhalaThandanana is carrying

encouraging reports, thanksto wonderful responsefor the teaser.Chaitanya Dantuluriof Baanam fame isdirecting the movie,while RajaniKorrapati is pro-ducing and SaiKorrapati ofVaaraahi ChalanaChitram is pre-senting it. ManiSharma renderedsoundtracks andlyrical video offirst two singlereceived goodresponse.

Interim, the film’srelease date has

been announced.Bhala Thandanana

will release worldwideon April 30 in summer.The makers seem to bewishing to utilise thesummer holidays; thus,they wisely chose torelease it in next week.Moreover, the film willhave another advantageof Ramzan festival onMay 3.

Billed to be a com-mercial entertainer,Catherine Tresa playedthe female lead in themovie. Srikanth Vissa isthe writer, while Suresh

Ragutu handled the cinematography. MarthandK Venkatesh is the editor, while GandhiNadikudikar is the art director. India’s top stuntdirector Peter Hein has supervised action part.

Bhala Thandanana

releasing on April 30

12

Vijayawada | Saturday April 23, 2022 tollywood

In the history ofcinema, never has aSouth star crossedover to other mar-

kets with suchease, especiallyin the Hindispeaking belt— At a timewhere theHindi filmindustrydoes notsolely deter-mine thepopularityand star-dom of anactor, theaheadelbowedout leadingcelebritynames to

emerge thebiggest and

highest paidsuperstar in the

country today.After becoming a house-

hold name with theBahubali franchise and hit-ting it out of the park withSaaho, the Pan India starhas dived head first intothe filming of Project Kalso starring superstar

Deepika Padukone andcinema legend Amitabh

Bachchan.According to sources,

“Prabhas will start filminghis solo portions for NagAshwin’s sci-fi during nextweek in Hyderabadthrough a week-longschedule.”

Interestingly, Project Kpromises to push theboundaries of visual effectsin India and give audi-ences a story that will leavethem at the edge of theirseats.

Inside sources alsoreveal that the film will beone of Prabhas’ finestworks as he’s back inaction in full swing with arole tailor-made for hispersona and stardom.

The Pan India star isgoing the extra mile andchoosing versatile rolesthat showcase the fullspectrum of his talent as aperformer. Prabhas sum-mons divinity with his roleas Lord Ram in the mytho-logical magnum opus,Adipurush, one of the mostexpensive films to be madein India and then takes onthe high-octane actionthriller Salaar. He has alsosigned Sandeep Vanga’sSpirit that marks hiscareer’s 25th film.

Prabhas backin action

with Project K!

oung heroKartikeya andDJ Tillu fameNeha Shetty’snext directed

by debutant Clax shootbegins with pooja onFriday.

Emerging productionhouse that received theBest Debutant ProductionHouse award at SIIMA &AHA Awards, LoukyaEntertainments is makingthis movie as theirProduction no 3.RavindraBenerjee(Benny)Muppaneni is producing

it while C. Yuvaraj is pre-senting it.

Kartikeya’s wifeLohitha switched on thecamera, producerSuryadevara Nagavamsigave the clap and Uppenadirector Buchibabu Sanahanded over the scriptduring the muhurtamshot.

The insightful conceptposter of the movie wasreleased by the makers onthe occasion.

Speaking on the same,producer BennyMuppaneni said, “It’s adifferent film for

Kartikeya till date. Thestory revolves around avery interesting point andwill be a hilarious come-dy drama setup in nativeGodavari backdrop. We’reaiming to shoot in thelocations of EastGodavari, West Godavari,Yanam and surroundings.Melody BrahmaManisharma is givingmusic for us. Late ShriSirivennelaSeetharamashastry garuhas written his last songin this. More updates willbe revealed soon.”

Director Clax added,

“It’s a dramedy. Everyonewishes to live uniquelyand heart fully but thesituations won’t let themdo it. It’s a story of a guywho doesn’t care aboutpeople’s judgements onliving his life wishfully.”

Besides Kartikeya,Neha Shetty movie alsostars Ajay Ghosh, Satya,Raj Kumar Kasireddy,Srikanth Ayyengar, AutoRam Prasad, GoparajuRamana, LB Sriram,Surabhi Prabhavathi,Kittayya, Anithanath,Divya Narni in crucialroles.

y

Kartikeya, Neha Shetty's next underLoukya Entertainments launched!

runalThakurwho isalreadyreceiving

rave reviews for herconstrained yetimpactful perfor-mance as Vidya inthe Hindi remake ofJersey, had an acci-dental but absolute-ly endearing meet-ing with the leadingman of the original.Telugu superstarNani met Mrunal

during her shoot inHyderabad, whereshe is shooting forher next withDulquer Salmaan.

The actress wascharmed by thehumbleness andNani even sharedhis excitement forthe films remakestarring Mrunal andShahid in the leads.The film which isset to release tomor-row across India incinemas, is a

remake of theTelugu film and itwas Nani andShraddha’s perfor-mances that madeMrunal want to bepart of the remake.Co-incidentally theoriginal clocks in 3years since it’sremake, with boththe original and theremake beinghelmed by GoutamTinnanuri.

She said, “Naniwas so humble and

such an absolutesweetheart. He evenshared with me hisexcitement to seethe remake and I’mlooking forward tosee what he thinksof the remake.When I watched theoriginal film, it wasShraddha and hisperformance thatmade me want towork in this film. SoI’m glad I got tomeet him in per-son.”

M

t

Mrunal Thakur gushes withexcitement meeting Nani, theoriginal leading man of Jersey

DirectorSand-eep

Reddy Vanga needs nospecial introduction.

Created sensation with hismaiden directorial venture

Arjun Reddy and deliveredmuch bigger blockbuster with

its remake Kabir Singh, SandeepReddy will be collaborating for

the first time with Bollywood starRanbir Kapoor to offer something

much bigger.BhushanKumar andPranav ReddyVanga togeth-er will be pro-ducing thefilm presti-giously on TSeries andBhadrakali

Pictures.The film gets a massive and power-

ful title Animal which of coursedepicts the robust character of the pro-tagonist. Well aware of the high expec-tations, Sandeep Reddy readied a firstof its kind and potential subject. Hewill be presenting Ranbir Kapoor in acompletely different role. In fact,Ranbir underwent a makeover for themovie.

Billed to be an action entertainer,the film Animal has been launchedtoday with pooja ceremony. Regularshoot of the movie also began onFriday in Himalayas.

Animal is a Pan India project to bereleased in all south Indian languages

andHindi.

The crazycombination ofRanbir Kapoorand Sandeep ReddyVanga already garneredenough enthusiasm onthe project that featuressome prominent actors inimportant roles.

Top-notch technicians willhandle different crafts of themovie which will release in cine-mas during Independence weekendon August 11, 2023.

Ranbir Kapoor, Sandeep

Reddy Vanga shoot begins