VIJAYAWADA, TUESDAY APRIL 13 , 2021; PAGES 12 `3

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People of Tirupatiobserve all, will back

BJP in by-election

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NO MEALS ON DOMESTIC FLIGHTS UNDER2 HOURS TO CUT COVID RISK: CENTRE

There will be no meals on domestic flights undertwo hours to minimise the risk of Covidinfections, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on

Monday. Battling a ferocious second wave ofinfections, India is undergoing its worst phaseof the coronavirus and overtook Brazil onMonday for the second spot in the tally ofnations with the highest cases.Issuing a set ofnew rules for flights, the ministry on Mondaysaid, airlines can serve pre-packaged meals withdisposable cutlery and plates on flights longer than twohours."Crew shall wear a fresh set of gloves for every meal/beverageservice.. the servicing of in-flight meals to be staggered among theadjacent seats as far as possible," it said.

RS 50,000 FINE AS SUPREME COURTDISMISSES ‘FRIVOLOUS’ PETITION ON QURAN

Apetition asking for some verses to beremoved from the Quran was dismissedtoday by the Supreme Court, which also

fined the petitioner ? 50,000 for filing a"frivolous" request. Petitioner Sayed WasimRizvi, a former Uttar Pradesh Shia WaqfBoard chairman, had called for removing 26verses in the Quran that he said were notpart of its original text. In the controversialpetition, he said the verses violated the law ofthe land and were used as "justification" to attacknon-believers and civilians. Are you seriously pressing the petition,"a three judge-bench led by Rohington Nariman questioned, callingit "absolutely frivolous".

IIM-CALCUTTA'S SEES WORST COVIDOUTBREAK, 61 STUDENTS TEST +VE

As many as 61 students at the prestigiousIndian Institute of Management (IIM)Calcutta have tested positive for the

coronavirus since April 2 and are currently inisolation on campus. Two buildings in whichevery single-occupancy room has anattached toilet have been earmarked for thestudents who started reporting symptomssince the end of March. Three doctors are incharge and the institute has tied up with topKolkata hospitals for regular guidance on home care.More than 570 students have left the campus since the beginning ofApril. Some 335 are still on campus, including the 61 students inisolation.

CRESCENT MOON NOT SIGHTED,RAMZAN FROM WEDNESDAY

The Central Ruiyat-e-Hilal Committee con-firmed that the crescent moon wasnot sighted over Hyderabad and its

surroundings on Monday, indicatingthat the Holy Month of Ramzan wouldstart from Wednesday. Led by MaulanaQubool Pasha Shuttari, members of thecommittee scoured the cloud-coveredsky from atop the Hussaini Building atMoazzam Jahi Market but to no avail. Theythen waited for news from the southern states.By about 7.30 pm, when it became clear that the crescent was notsighted anywhere across India, the committee confirmed that thefirst roza of Ramzan-2021 would start from Wednesday onwards.

The Pioneer wishes itsreaders, advertisers,suppliers and agents acolourful Ugadi As ouroffices will remainclosed today (13-04-2021), therewill be no issue of thepaper tomorrow (14-04-2021).

— RESIDENT EDITOR

SNCN ACHARYULU n HYDERABAD

While the Secretariat is consideredthe heart of administration in anystate, it appears that the heads ofgovernment in both the TeluguStates do not believe so. Usually theChief Minister, Ministers andSecretaries attend the Secretariatdaily to perform their duties.

Whatever may be the reason,both K Chandrasekhar Rao ofTelangana and YS JaganmohanReddy of AP have stopped comingto the Secretariat. KCR, his first

term as Chief Minister, attendedthe Secretariat regularly in the ini-tial days but later stopped citing“Vasthu Dosham”. He startedworking from his camp office.

In his second term, KCR has notyet attended Secretariat at all.Jagan is also following in the foot-steps of his Telangana counterpart.

In the last two years, Jaganwas seen working from the APSecretariat hardly ten times.Like KCR, Jagan also prefersworking from his camp office atTadepalli.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Affirming that the village andward volunteer system has rede-fined governance, ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy on Monday saidthis format has shown theworld how effective thewelfare delivery systemcould be with inclusiveness.

Formally launching theVisishta Puraskar Seva Awardpresentation ceremony here on theeve of Ugadi, the Chief Ministersaid the service orientation of the

volunteers was laudable and theawards will be an annual affair tofelicitate those who have shown

exemplary work.The State Government

gave away Rs 228.74 crorein the form of awards to atotal of 2,22,990 villageand (municipal) ward vol-unteers in recognition of

their "selfless and immacu-late services" to the people of

the state. The awards would behanded to the volunteers from theday after Ugadi.

SUMIT ONKAn VISAKHAPATNAM

The much-touted ‘Vaccine Festival’fizzled out on the second day inAndhra Pradesh after all the dis-tricts ran out of the vaccine. Almostevery vaccination centre acrossthe State was spotted hanging a ‘novaccine today’ board on Monday.

The depleted vaccine stocksforced officials to postpone thecampaign in all districts, and organ-ise it on a low scale, mostly name-sake, at some place. At a few cen-tres that had vaccine stock available,vaccination sessions were con-ducted and only a few hundreddoses could be administered.

Officials expect a consignment toreach AP by Monday night.

In North Andhra, includingVizag, all Centres, barring some likethe Chest Hospital, could not con-duct vaccination sessions due tonon-availability of the vaccine.Health officials said the vaccinationprocess may resume smoothlyfrom April 14, the day when the‘Tika Utsav’ is scheduled to end.The situation is similar inSrikakulam and Vizianagaram thathad no vaccine sessions.

Vizag district medical authoritiescould give vaccination to only 580persons on Sunday and there wasa limited vaccination session atChest Hospital in Vizag city and allthe centres remained shut.

Vizag DIO Jeevan Rani said thathealth department officials expect-ed 52,000 doses to be administereddaily from April 14.

At the New Government GeneralHospital in Vijayawada, there were150 doses left and these were used.When contacted, a health depart-ment official monitoring the vac-cination drive said there was nostock and they are expecting toreceive some by Monday night orTuesday morning.

On Sunday, 86,295 vaccines wereadministered in Andhra Pradesh,according to the Union govern-ment’s vaccination tracker.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The coronavirus pandemic haspushed India’s passenger vehiclesales to their lowest in six years,annual data from an auto industrybody showed on Monday, with thesector bracing for further falloutfrom a recent surge in cases.

India on Monday overtook Brazilto become the second-worst affect-ed country globally, with dailyCovid-19 infections soaring andfewer than 4 percent of its popula-tion of 1.4 billion people estimat-ed to have been vaccinated.

The Indian auto sector wasalready facing a “deep structuralslowdown” even before the pan-demic and together this has pushedback sales by many years, KenichiAyukawa, president of the Societyof Indian Automobile Manufactu-rers (SIAM), said.

“Recovery from here will requiretime and efforts, by all stakehold-ers,” said Ayukawa, who is also MDof Maruti Suzuki, India’s biggestcarmaker by sales.

Passenger vehicle sales fell 2.24percent in the fiscal year endedMarch 31, 2021 to 2.71 million,

with automakers such as FordMotor and Volkswagen reportingfalls of over 20 percent comparedwith an 8.5 percent drop for domes-tic rival Maruti, which sells one inevery two cars in India, data fromSIAM showed.

That was offset by higher salesfrom new entrants such as KiaMotors and SAIC Motor’s Britishbrand MG Motors, as well as localrival Tata Motors.

Sales of trucks, a barometer ofeconomic activity, tumbled 21 per-cent to an 11-year low, whilemotorcycle and scooter sales fell 13

percent to their lowest level in sevenyears, the data showed.

The auto industry is working tomaximise production and sales, butsupply chain disruptions and thesecond wave of infections is mak-ing it hard to predict the future,Ayukawa said.

In some states likeMaharashtra, home to the finan-cial capital Mumbai and one ofIndia’s largest auto manufactur-ing hubs, the government hasalready imposed limitations likea night curfew.

SNV SUDHIRn VIJAYAWADA

The Krishnapatnam industrialnode being developed in Nelloredistrict of Andhra Pradesh as partof Central Government’s Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor(CBIC) is estimated to bring invest-ment of Rs 37,500 crore.

As per the pre-feasibility reportprepared by L&T InfrastructureEngineering Limited for theKrishnapatnam node, the totalestimated manufacturing industryoutput in 20 years after the com-plete industrial plotted land isabsorbed and all the industrial unitscommence production, is about Rs

1,31,300 crore.The proposed industrial node is

also likely to generate direct

employment of about 3.25 lakhwhich includes 1.26 lakh direct and1.9 lakh indirect jobs.

The Government of India isdeveloping the CBIC betweenChennai, Bengaluru andChitradurg across an overall lengthof about 560 km to achieve accel-erated development and regionalindustry agglomeration in thestates of Tamil Nadu, Karnatakaand Andhra Pradesh.

Three industrial nodes are pro-posed along this corridor –Krishnapatnam Industrial Node inAP, Ponneri Industrial Node inTamil Nadu, and Tumkur IndustrialNode in Karnataka. A few monthsago, the Union Cabinet gave its nodfor development of Krishnapatnamnode along with Tumkur.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court Monday ruledthere was no need for inquiry intothe conversation of former AndhraPradesh High Court justice VEswaraiah with a suspended dis-trict munsif magistrate on allegedbenami transactions in Amaravatiland scam case as he himself hadadmitted it.

A bench of Justices AshokBhushan and RS Reddy said theAndhra Pradesh High Court hasdirected inquiry by former apexcourt judge Justice RV Raveendraninto the transcript to find out theauthenticity/genuineness of theconversation contained in the pendrive.

It said that since Eswaraiah hasadmitted on affidavit the conver-sation dated July 20, 2020, and hasalso filed the corrected transcript

of the English translation of theaudio tape, which is admitted tohim, it see no reason to continuethe inquiry by Justice Raveendranas directed by the High Court bythe impugned judgment.

“Authenticity and genuineness ofthe transcript having been admit-ted to the extent as contained in..,we are of the view that the direc-tion by the High Court calling fora report from Justice RVRaveendran need not be allowedto continue. We order according-ly,” the bench said.

It said the High Court in itsjudgment has clearly observedthat the Inquiry will not have anydirect bearing on the issue involvedin the main writ petition before itexcept to the extent of deciding theallegations made in the prelimi-nary counter affidavit.

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Andhra Pradesh could reportaround 10,000 fresh Covid-19cases per day, if one were to goby the projection released by theHealth Department on Monday.

The total active cases onMonday were 23,115 and as perthe projection, the number couldbe 1.48 lakh by April 25. It indi-cates that around 1.25 lakh casescould be recorded in the next 13days, which makes it to around10,000 cases per day.

The administration of all dis-tricts was directed to make nec-essary arrangements in order toensure hospital beds with oxygen,non-oxygen beds and beds inCovid care centres to accommo-date and manage the cases in thenext two weeks.

While 81,000 cases could bemanaged with home isolationand the state may require 70,000hospital beds by April 25. Thestate may also need around 7,000beds with an oxygen facility.

As per the latest trend, 16states, including AP, are display-ing an upward trajectory in termsof daily new cases.

‘Vaccine Festival’ fizzles outas state runs out of vax stock

Passenger vehicle sales dip to 6-year low

SC: Inquiry againstex-judge not needed

PNS n NEW DELHI

Mamata Banerjee was on Mondaybanned from campaigning inBengal for 24 hours over speech-es that the Election Commissionsaid violated the poll code.

She was accused of breakingthe law with her comments onMuslim votes and for allegedlyurging voters to revolt againstcentral security forces.

Reacting to the ban, Banerjeeannounced a sit-in protest. “Toprotest against the undemocrat-ic and unconstitutional decisionof the Election Commission ofIndia, I will sit on dharna tomor-row from 12 noon," she tweeted.

Mamata bannedfrom campaigningfor 24 hours

Telugu CMs: Pioneersof the ‘WFH’ culture

Krishnapatnam eyes Rs 37.5K-cr investmentsVolunteers awarded for ‘redefining governance’

Health departmentprojects daily countmay cross 10K cases

PNS n NEW DELHI

India has surpassed Brazil torecord the second-highest num-ber of Covid-19 cases at1,35,27,717, as a record 1,68,912new cases were reported in a day.

The active cases have sur-passed the 12-lakh mark, whilethe death toll increased to1,70,179 with 904 new fatalitiesin a day, the highest sinceOctober 18, 2020, according tothe Union Health Ministry dataupdated at 8 am on Monday. Thenational Covid-19 recovery ratehas fallen below 90 percent.

According to the Johns

Hopkins University (JHU) data,India has overtaken Brazil, whichis now at the third spot in theCovid tally with 1,34,82,023cases.

The US has the highest num-ber of cases at 3,11,98,055 whileglobally 13,61,36,954 cases havebeen reported.

Registering a steady increasefor the 33rd day in a row, theactive cases have increased to12,01,009 in India comprising8.88 percent of the total infec-tions, while the recovery rate hasfurther dropped to 89.86 percent.

India surpasses Brazil, now has2nd-highest number of cases

PNS n NEW DELHI

An expert panel of India's centraldrug authority has recommendedgranting approval to RussianCovid-19 vaccine Sputnik V forrestricted emergency use with cer-tain conditions, paving the way fora third vaccine to be available in thecountry, sources said on Monday.

The Subject Expert Committee(SEC) of the Central DrugsStandard Control Organization(CDSCO) on Monday deliberatedupon the application of Dr Reddy'sLaboratories seeking emergencyuse authorisation for Sputnik V.

"After detailed deliberation forgrant of permission for restricteduse in emergency situations subject

to various regulatory provisions,"a source said.

The recommendations havebeen sent to the Drugs ControllerGeneral of India for final approval.

If approved, it will be the thirdCovid-19 vaccine to be available inIndia after Covaxin and Covishield.

Panel recommends Sputnik V for use in India

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vijayawada 02VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021

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PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Governor BiswabhusanHarichandan on Monday saidthere was an urgent need tospread awareness among peopleon Covid-appropriate behav-iour like compulsory wearingmask, maintaining social dis-tance and frequent handwashingetc. if the pandemic was to bebrought under control.

Addressing Joint Collectorsof all the 13 districts of theState, officials of Red CrossSociety, AP State Branch anddistrict branches through awebinar from Raj Bhavan onMonday, Harichandan referredto the five-fold strategy laiddown by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi during hismeeting with the ChiefMinisters on April 8, on test-ing, tracing, treatment, Covid-appropriate behavior and vac-cination. He said that theRed Cross volunteerswith the help of dis-trict administra-tion carry thisawareness cam-paign forward inletter and spirit.

The Governorfurther said that inthe context of the pre-sent challenging situation,the role of civil societies andRed Cross volunteers was verycrucial to help contain thepandemic by publicising the

health protocols to be fol-lowed by the people.

He said an action plan shouldbe prepared and a vigorouscampaign has to be carried outby enrolling services of Youth

Red Cross volunteers towork along with offi-

cials of the HealthDepartment, healthworkers and the vil-lage/ward volunteersat cluster level.

H a r i c h a n d a nemphasised on the need

to create awareness amongpeople on not only wearing amask but wearing it properly,which is another aspect that thepublic need to be aware of.

The Governor said IEC mate-

rial should be prepared and dis-tributed among the generalpublic and school children high-lighting the importance ofCovid-appropriate behavioursuch as wearing a mask, main-taining social distance and fre-quent handwash. The Governorfurther said that proper Covidmanagement and proactive test-ing are the key aspects to beimplemented to curb the spreadof the virus.

Joint Collectors of all 13 dis-tricts participated in the webi-nar and explained to theGovernor the action plan pre-pared by them to launchawareness programmes withthe help of Red Cross volun-teers and other NGOs.

PNS n BENGALURU

The Tirumala TirupatiDevasthanams claim thatTirumala Hills is the abode ofLord Hanuman and theywould release an 'evidence'based book has created a stir inreligious and archaeologicalcircles as Hampi near Ballari isconsidered 'KishkindhaKshetra' or monkey kingdomfor ages.

The TTD had announced onSaturday that an 'evidence'based book to 'prove' that LordHanuman was 'born' on one ofthe seven sacred hills ofTirumala, home to the SriVenkateswara Swamy shrine,would be released on April 13,on Ugadi, the Hindu new year.

While archaeology and his-tory scholars have dismissedthe TTD's claim, the Karnatakaunit of Vishwa Hindu Parishadsaid that the TTD should takesome more time and hold dis-cussions with scholars andreligious heads before arrivingat any conclusion.

The historians were unani-mous that Hampi or the areaaround the erstwhile capital of

Vijayanagara dynasty, isKishkindha Kshetra.

Not only was Anjanadri atHampi the birthplace ofAnjaneya, prehistoric rockpaintings found in the regionshow people with tails, theyclaimed.

"There are many cave paint-ings near Sangamkallu,Belakallu, where the humanfigures have tail like form.

"That is why it is beingargued that 'Vaanara' (meaningmen seemingly monkeys) isone of the species of the humanrace with tails.

Possibly during the time of

Treta Yuga and Lord Rama,these were the people whoappear to have helped him," DrRaghavendra Rao Kulkarni,Professor and Head, depart-ment of Art History, ChitrakalaParishath, Bengaluru, told PTI.

He said Prof A Sundara, for-mer chairman, department ofancient Indian History andepigraphy at DharwadUniversity, has identified agood number of paintings atnearby Ballari region, wherethe human figures in prehis-toric paintings have a smallprotrusion on the rear side.

"There are more than 1,000

Hanuman sculptures in andaround Hampi.

Why are only Hanumansculptures there in the Hampiregion and not in Tirumala?"Kulkarni asked.

He claimed Anegundi wasthe royal place of Angada, sonof Vali and the prince ofKishkindha.

T M Keshava, retired super-intending archaeologist of theArchaeological Survey of India,said he has identified all topo-graphical regions ofKishkindha as mentioned inthe Ramayana.

There is Pampa Sarovara,which is none other than theTungabhadra river and hillslike Malyavanta, Rishyamooka,Gandhamadana, Kishkindha,Matanga and Anjanadri in theregion, Keshava said.

"Records, available evidence,present tradition, folklore at theavailable site show that the erst-while Vijayanagara Empire,earlier Pampa Kshetra, hasbeen identified as Kishkindha,with innumerable pieces ofevidence like hundreds ofHanuman Temples in thetaluk," he said.

Prior to West Bengalpoll results, theTrinamool Congress

has conceded defeat to theBJP victory, if PrashantKishor’s statements to a sec-tion of journalists and advo-cates are any indication.

However vehementlyKishor may deny, one thing isclear that Prime MinisterNarendra Modi is immense-ly popular among the peopleof West Bengal.

His detractors have beenportraying Modi as ‘anti-farmer’ and ‘pro-rich’ eversince he came to power, butthe people have rejected thiscampaign. The Opposition, inspite of being rejected by thepeople, pursues its maliciouscampaign provoking minori-ties and farmers against theBJP.

The people have showntime and again that they arenot gullible. The people haveplaced their irrevocable faith

in the BJP, which is seen as theonly party that can extendpious, corruption-free gov-ernment without takingrecourse to vote bank politicsand practising pseudo-secu-larism to safeguard the coun-try’s cultural and spiritualvalues.

The will also be seen inAndhra Pradesh. The dayswhen people of Andhra com-pare the atrocities perpetrat-ed over the past sevendecades with the develop-ment witnessed under Modirule during the past six yearsis not far away.

Rayalaseema region, ofwhich Tirupati is a part, hadnever lagged behind in poweras leaders from the regionruled AP 12 times. In fact,one person from each districtin Rayalaseema has becomethe CM; some held the posttwice.

Unfortunately, they nevertried to drive away the back-

wardness of the region or endthe unemployment there.They failed to bring majorindustries to the region. Ofthe seven backward districts,Anantapur, Kurnool andKadapa belong to this region.

As soon as Modi came topower, he completed the 123-km-long Nandyal-Yerraguntlarailway line, which has beenshelved for over 26 years.Similarly, he took steps to laynew railway track betweenK a d a p a - B a n g a l u r u ,Nadikudi-Srikalahasti, andO b u l a v a r i p a l l e -Venkatachalam and double

the Guntakal-Guntur andGooty-Dharmavaram railwaytrack.

He took steps to electrifica-tion of Guntakal-Bellary,K r i s h n a p a t n a m p -Venkatachalam railway track.This is besides implementingseveral infrastructure devel-opment projects worth crores.

Under Sagar Mala project,21 out of the 83 railway pro-jects have been allotted to AP,of which four to Rayalaseemaregion.

The people returned to theLS six times the presentCongress contestant. What

did the Congress do to devel-op the constituency? MPs ofboth the Congress andYSRCP did nothing for theconstituency.

The drainage system hasnot been improved inTirupati. As a result, the peo-ple have been encounteringmosquito menace. Denguehas claimed lives of hun-dreds, including children, in

this region. The temple citylacks properdrinking waterfacility in spiteof lakhs ofpeople visitingit daily.

Earlier, the BJPMP of Tirupati,Venkataswamy developed theregion with his MPLADSfunds. The people stillremember this.

The NDA government setup several Central institu-tions in Tirupati including theIIT, Indian Institute of ScienceEducation and Research,Institute of TourismManagement, Indian CulinaryInstitute, the National Instituteof Ocean Technology.

The Centre declaredTirupati as a ‘Smart City’ andis implementing 62 projectsworth Rs 2,000 crore. DuringModi rule, Tirupati airportwas elevated as an internation-al airport. Industrial estates,

mega food projects, industri-al corridors, expansion of

National Highway andother infrastructuredevelopment projectsare being implement-

ed in the region.The BJP has been work-

ing to develop the pilgrimagecentre of Tirupati on a parwith Modi’s constituencyVaranasi.

The local political outfitsdid not do anything to devel-op Tirupati. For them, theBJP is the main rival andhence they sling mud on it.

There is no greater inno-cence than targeting Modi,who vowed to achieve equaldevelopment of all regionsand develop the backwardregions, to derive politicalmileage.

They are not able to realisethat the more they criticiseModi and the BJP, the greaterwould be the loss to them.

What is shocking is that the

CM inviting the head priest ofthe temple to his residenceand make him praise him asLord Vishnu.

Nobody will have anyobjection if the head priest, ifhe has such devotion for CM,invite the CM to his houseand render ekanta seva. Butthe priest who works in apious place like Tirumalapraising a politician as LordVishnu has hurt the senti-ments of millions of Hindus.

In this land where littera-teur-saints like Annamayyawere born, the comments ofRamana Deekshitulu are aclear indication of politicaldeterioration of the situa-tion. It may be rememberedthat Annamayya refused topraise the ruler of the daySaluva Narasingaraya withthe same mouth that praisesLord Hari. That is why peo-ple see values like piety, trans-parency, quality and efficien-cy in the BJP.

Y SATYA KUMAR

BJP National Secretary

TRULY

SPEAKING

His detractors have been portraying Modi as‘anti-farmer’ and ‘pro-rich’ ever since hecame to power, but the people have rejectedthis campaign. The Opposition, in spite ofbeing rejected by the people, pursues itsmalicious campaign provoking minoritiesand farmers against the BJP.

People of Tirupati observe all, will back BJP in by-election

TTD's claim on Hanuman'sbirthplace creates a buzz

Spread awareness, contain Covid spread,Governor tells Red Cross Society officials

Continued from Page 1

The state had plans to vacci-nate six lakh people per dayduring the four-day specialvaccine drive. However, thenumber of people vaccinatedsaw a drastic decrease onMonday.

Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy hadannounced that the statewould be vaccinating six lakhpersons per day, during thefour day Tika Utsav cam-paign called by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi. TheChief Minister had also writ-ten to the Union government,requesting 25 lakh doses ofCovid-19 vaccine, in thisregard.

But with the Union gov-ernment yet to respond to thestate's request, the stockshave dropped very low. As aresult, the Utsav had to bepostponed till the arrival offresh stocks.

‘Vaccine Festival’ fizzles out as state ...

Continued from Page 1

Before the latest surge, theactive caseload was at its hig-hest at 10,17,754 on Septem-ber 18, 2020.

The number of people whohave recuperated from thedisease surged to 1,21,56,529,while the case fatality rate hasfurther dropped to 1.26 per-cent, the data stated. India'sCovid-19 tally had crossedthe 20-lakh mark on August7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40lakh on September 5 and 50lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh onSeptember 28, 70 lakh onOctober 11, crossed 80 lakhon October 29, 90 lakh onNovember 20 and surpassedthe one-crore mark onDecember 19.

According to the ICMR,25,78,06,986 samples have

been tested up to April 11with 11,80,136 samples beingtested on Sunday.

The 904 new fatalitiesinclude 349 fromMaharashtra, 122 fromChhattisgarh, 67 from UttarPradesh, 59 from Punjab,54from Gujarat, 48 fromDelhi, 40 from Karnataka, 24from Madhya Pradesh, 22from Tamil Nadu, 21 fromJharkhand, 16 each fromKerala and Haryana and 10each from Rajasthan andWest Bengal.

A total of 1,70,179 deathshave been reported so far inthe country including 57,987from Maharashtra, 12,908from Tamil Nadu, 12,889from Karnataka, 11,283 fromDelhi, 10,400 from West Ben-gal, 9,152 from Uttar Pradesh,7,507 from Punjab and 7,300from Andhra Pradesh.

India surpasses Brazil, now has ...

Continued from Page 1

According to sources, around10 crore doses of the vaccine(Sputnik) is likely to beimported for emergency use inthe country in the next sixmonths. The vaccine is indicat-ed for active immunisation toprevent Covid-19 in individ-uals aged 18 years and aboveand is to be administeredintramuscularly in two doses

of 0.5 ml each with an inter-val of 21 days. It has to bestored at -180C. According torecommendations by the SEC,the firm has been asked tosubmit revised factsheets toCDSCO after incorporatingthe latest safety and efficacydata and other suggestionsmade during the meeting,another source said.

Besides, the firm should

submit the safety, efficacy andimmunogenicity data fromthe ongoing clinical trials inIndia and Russia for review asand when available.

The firm also has to submitsafety data including the dataon AEFI and AESI with dueanalysis every 15 days for thefirst two months and month-ly thereafter till the completionof the ongoing clinical trial.

Panel recommends Sputnik V for use in India

AP reports3,263 cases,11 deathsPNS n VIJAYAWADA

AP reported 3,263 fresh casesof Coronavirus, 1,091 recov-eries and 11 deaths in 24hours ending 9 am onMonday.

Consequently, the totalpositives went up to 9,28,664,recoveries to 8,98,238 and tollto 7,311, a health departmentbulletin said. The state nowhas 23,115 active Covid-19cases, it added.

Triggering panic ahead ofthe April 17 by-election to theTirupati Lok Sabha seat,Chittoor district continued toadd a large number of freshCovid-19 cases, with the tem-ple-town itself accountingfor a bulk of them. While 654new cases were added in thedistrict, Tirupati city aloneregistered 210.

Visakhapatnam districtreported 454, Guntur 418and Krishna 318 new cases in24 hours. Srikakulam hasalso been seeing an alarmingrise in the pandemic infectionas 280 more tested positive inthe district in a day.

From a meagre six in mid-February, the activeCoronavirus cases inSrikakulam have now surgedto 1,523.

Continued from Page 1

Fears of a total lockdown,similar to the one in 2020, areworrying investors.

The Nifty auto indexclosed down 5.11 percent onMonday, while the broadermarket ended 3.5 percentlower. Tata Motors sharesfell 10 percent whileMahindra & Mahindra andMaruti Suzuki both endedabout 5 percent down.

Before the second wave,the auto sector had been see-ing a recovery in sales.

Continued from Page 1

In undivided Andhra Pradesh,all the Chief Ministers used tocome to the Secretariat regu-larly – most days, they wouldbe in their office at 10.30 amand return at around 6 pm totheir official residence.

After bifurcation too, thistrend continued with formerAP Chief Minister NChandrababu Naidu comingto the Secretariat regularly.

The Secretariat consists ofvarious arms of theGovernment – each depart-ment is headed politically bya Minister and administrative-ly by seasoned bureaucratswith the designation of a

Secretary. Old-timers recall Jalagam

Vengala Rao with fondness forhis punctuality and workethics, compared to otherChief Ministers. “People usedto set time on their watchesupon seeing Vengala Rao'sconvoy pass on its way to theSecretariat,” they say.

“With the Telugu CMs turn-ing their camp offices intotheir regular office, theSecretariat itself appears for-lorn since the Ministers,Secretaries and other IAS offi-cers are not seen. In fact, bothKCR and Jagan had adoptedthe ‘Work From Home’ culturemuch before Covid-19 enteredthe country,” they said.

Continued from Page 1

Krishnapatnam IndustrialNode will be developed in anarea of about 12,315.9 acres inNellore district, located 3.5km from KrishnapatnamPort.

The Government of Indiaformed Delhi MumbaiIndustrial CorridorDevelopment CorporationLimited (DMICDC), a specialpurpose company entrustedfor the project developmentactivities for the CBIC Project.

A Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV) “NICDITKrishnapatna m IndustrialCity Development Limited”has been formed to jointlydevelop the project. The SPVpartnership is between theNational Industrial CorridorDevelopment andImplementation Trust

(NICDIT) represented byDMICDC, and the StateGovernment of AndhraPradesh represented byAndhra Pradesh IndustrialInfrastructure CorporationLimited (APIIC).

APIIC will develop theinfrastructure required forthe Krishnapatnam northindustrial node project,whereas DMICDC will beacting like a knowledge part-ner to prepare the technicalreports for project imple-mentation.

“The first phase masterplanning of the node in anarea of 2,134 acre has beenfinalised and we will call fortenders shortly to developthe necessary infrastructure,”said a senior government offi-cial. Of the total area of12,315.9 acres proposed forthe Krishnapatnam Node,

5,285.4 acres --42.9 percent isproposed for industrial areasfor various manufacturingindustrial sectors.

The processing areaincludes a manufacturingzone for different manufac-turing industries.

Apart from industrial areas,land allocation in the Krish-napatnam industrial node isproposed for infrastructurefacilities such as 262.2 acres forlogistics, 1,379.1 acres for res-idential, 90.3 ac. for com-mercial, 263.9 acres for socialamenity, 115.9 acres for utili-ty, 38.6 acres for transporta-tion facility, 1681.2 acres forroads, 152.9 acres for existingsettlement, 94.5 acres for vil-lage expansion, 1,589.1 acresfor green areas and conserva-tion , 653.4 acres for waterbody and 709.5 acres for aqua-culture.

Continued from Page 1

Saluting volunteers for theirservice, more so during thepandemic, the CM said theaffinity and rapport volun-teers have developed with themembers of the number ofhouses they were allotted havebeen working wonders.

He cited a few exampleswhere a volunteer fromSrikakulam has gone all theway to Vizag to deliver pensionto an elderly lady who was hos-pitalised following an acci-dent. The volunteer realisedthat the elderly lady neededmoney at that point of time

and extended service, Jagansaid.

A volunteer from Prakasamwent to Hyderabad to dis-burse pension to a woman whohad undergone heart surgery,and in another similar case, avolunteer from Chittoor deliv-ered pension to the beneficia-ry at a hospital in Bengaluru.

A volunteer in Vizianagaramrescued a nine-year girl froma fire mishap and hospitalisedher paying the expenses fromher pocket, Jagan said.

eva Mitra awards wereawarded to 2, 18, 115 volun-teers. The award includes acash reward of Rs 10,000, cita-

tion, shawl and a badge.Seva Ratna Award, which

carries a cash prize of Rs20,000, citation , medal and ashawl was given to 4, 000 per-sons. Seva Vajra was given to875 persons. The award carriesa cash prize of Rs 30, 000,medal, citation and a shawl.

The presentation of awardswill continue at the Assemblyconstituency level, the CM saidadding that he would attendone in North Andhra and theother in Rayalaseema region.Jagan asked volunteers to con-tinue their good work and notto bother about the remarksand reports from detractors.

Continued from Page 1

The SC said the High Courthad closed hearing on the pre-liminary objection regardingmaintainability of the PIL onJuly 31, 2020 and when inter-locutory applications werefiled to reopen the writ peti-tion, the question before itwas only with regard to main-tainability of the writ petition.

The court said, “We are ofthe view that the High Courtought not to have embarkedon any other inquiry in thematter except to the maintain-ability of the PIL at theinstance of the writ petition-er and the conversation datedJuly 20, 2020 filed before the

High Court as well as theenquiry report sought wasonly with the above purpose”.

It said that “Now, Englishtranslation of the transcript ofconversation dated July 20,2020 having been admitted bythe petitioner, which he him-self has filed the court is of theview that in event, the HighCourt intends to refer to thetranscript, if required, thesame can be done only afteran opportunity to Eswaraiah”.

The top court clarifiedthat it has neither enteredinto the merits of the writpetition, nor is expressingany opinion on the main-tainability of the PIL.

Telugu CMs:Pioneers of ‘WFH’ ..

Volunteers awarded for... Passengervehicle...

Krishnapatnam eyes ... SC: Inquiry againstex-judge not needed

vijayawada 03VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021

VASIREDDY RAVICHANDRA

n GUNTUR

Nearly 25,000 hotels in AP aremired in losses as the Covid pan-demic dealt a body blow to thehospitality industry.

As the hotels are unable to reg-ister even 30 per cent occupan-cy, maintenance has become bur-den for hoteliers. Hoteliers oper-ating hotels in rented buildingsare unable to pay rent and elec-tricity bills too. Approximately,there are over one lakh hotelrooms and guesthouses in thestate.

The hotels have started oper-ating recently after the first waveof Covid 19 and people were alsocoming to hotels slowly. However,the situation again worsened asCovid cases have been increasingfor the past 15 days.

Managements of hotels areworried over continuing the busi-nesses by suffering losses despiteinvesting in crores of rupees.

According to sources, twohoteliers from Nagarampalemand Arundalpet in Guntur filedinsolvency petitions (IP) unableto cope with financial difficulties.They were the top hoteliers in thecity, but they suffered losses dueto Covid-induced lockdown. One

of them was hospitalised after hesuffered heart stroke. It indicatesthe appalling situation of the hos-pitality industry.

Speaking to The Pioneer, APHotels’ Association presidentAkella Venkata Ramana Murthy,Vizag, said that the hotelsthroughout the state are stuck indebts. He appealed to the gov-ernments to support the hotel

sector and explained that theywere paying taxes in crores ofrupees to the government in theform of GST, trade license, foodlicense, property tax, labourlicense, professional tax andpower bills.

He urged the government notto neglect the sector whichemploys one lakh people direct-ly and another 5 lakh people indi-

rectly. General Secretary,Kambham Chinnapa Reddy,Kadapa, said that the increasedprices of essential commoditieswere also having a negativeimpact on the hospitality sector.

Some officials are creatingtroubles citing lack of tradelicenses, while some other offi-cials are collecting food samples,he told the Pioneer.

He urged the authorities to co-operate in taking the hospitalitysector forward in difficult times.

He appealed to CM YSJaganmohan Reddy to take mea-sures for reviving the hospitalitysector in the same he had sup-ported all other sectors duringCovid. He recalled that the gov-ernment had waived power billsfor cinema halls.

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

AP Commerce and Industryminister Mekapati GouthamReddy thanked UnionRailways Minister PiyushGoyal for conceding hisrequest and acting swiftly torun special trains from the statefor transporting mangoes.

He also sought additionalKisan rails from AP to trans-port surplus of bananas andtomatoes among other prod-ucts.

Goutham Reddy wasresponding to a tweet byPiyush Goyal who had sharedthe train ferrying mango pic-tures on twitter.

Vijayawada Railway Divisionflagged off its first Kisan Railfrom Nuzvid on April 11 to

assist the mango traders inmarketing their farm producefor better price realisation by

providing cost-effective trans-portation.

The rail has been loadedwith 220 tonnes of mangoespacked in carton boxes in 20general coaches and is beingtransported to Adarsh Nagar,New Delhi.

This is the first mango rakeloading after a long gap of sixyears, fetching VijayawadaDivision earnings of Rs 9.90lakh. It is expected that around35 to 40 rakes will be loadedthis summer season adding arevenue of Rs 3.5 to Rs 4crore.

This became possible due todedicated efforts of BDU Teamof the Division by recapturingthe mango traffic which wasearlier diverted to roadways.Further, a 50 per cent tariff

concession was extended to thefarmers/traders under thescheme “Operation Greens -TOP to Total” by UnionMinistry of Food processingIndustries for transportation inthe Kisan Rails.

The Government of Indiahas started the concept of run-ning Kisan Rails for boostingthe income of the farm sector,while providing hassle-free,safe and fast transport servicesfor the marketing of the agri-culture sector.

To further encourage thefarmers, the Ministry of FoodProcessing Industriesannounced extension of 50per cent tariff concession onthe transportation of notifiedfruits and vegetables throughKisan Rail trains.

SUMIT ONKA

n VISAKHAPATNAM

Cashing in on the problemsfaced by bulk consumers offuel, a Vizag-based fuel start-uphas started a facility of door-step diesel delivery throughtheir mobile petrol pumps.

Fuel is required on an every-day basis for the smooth func-tioning of heavy machinery inlocal industries, generators inhospitals, civic bodies and vil-lages for tractors. To ease thelives of the end-consumers with-out the hassles of diesel procure-ment, Satyamamba FillingStation is now offering the ser-vice. Earlier, the bulk con-sumers of the diesel had to pro-cure it from retail outlets in bar-rels which used to cause a lot of

spillages and dead mileage inenergy procurement.

Efficient energy distribu-tion infrastructure was lacking.Doorstep diesel delivery willsolve many such problems inproviding diesel to bulk con-sumers in a legal manner.

Doorstep diesel delivery is anew revolution in the field ofenergy distribution in India.Doorstep diesel delivery isapproved by the governmentand is a new-age concept ofeffective distribution of diesel.

This new fuel start-up is run

by Rajeshwara Prasad whoalready has a petrol pump,established in 1969, which wasstarted by his grandfather and

now the 3rd generation hasdone a value addition to theirbusiness by launching doorstepdiesel delivery.

“We have recently acquireddouble-dispensing mobile fuelpumps which will go aroundthe city to address the needs ofvarious end-users at their do-orstep. We are delivering dieselto pharma companies, stonecrushers, schools, and col-leges,” said Rajeshwara Prasad.

“I always look forward tonew opportunities for expan-sion. Doorstep diesel deliverywill help me in reaching out tomy customers and developconnections. Earlier, customershad to come to my petrolpump to get diesel for theirmachinery, but now I candirectly go to them,” he shared.

Vizag-based start-up begins mobile petrol pump

PNS n HYDERABAD

The South Central Railway(SCR) is implementing Covidprotocols strictly in view ofprevailing pandemic situationacross the country.

All the passengers areadvised to wear masks at sta-tions as well as all through thejourney without fail. They arealso requested to strictly main-tain social distancing patternat the stations and during thejourney also. It is to be notedthat negligent action of theCovid positive persons travel-ling by trains in contraventionof medical mandate will createunsafe conditions for other co-travelers and other railwaystaff on duty.

In the wake of the situation,rail users are earnestly advisednot to travel by trains if theyare Covid positive or showingany symptoms of the virus, likefever, cough, severe body

pains, breathlessness etc., areadvised to cancel their journeyand stay safe at their conve-nient locations.

Thermal scanning equip-ment is installed at all themajor railway stations to detectany passenger having hightemperature. If anybody isfound with high temperature,he/she will not be allowed totravel the journey. “NoMask...No Entry” rule is alsobeing strictly implemented atall railway stations and throughthe journey also.

Passengers are also request-ed to check the ‘State-wiseCovid protocols’ of their des-tination stations so as to havea smooth and hassle-free jour-ney. It is to be understood thatthe fight against Covid needsjoint efforts of all and respon-sible behavior of the public.

Therefore, SCR appeals torail users to ensure that theyact with responsibility andsupport the endeavor ofRailways for ensuring a safejourney, an SCR release heresaid on Monday.

SCR advises passengers tofollow Covid norms strictly

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Information and PublicRelations Minister PerniVenkatramaiah (Nani)slammed the opposition par-ties for making false allegationsagainst YSRCP ahead of theby-poll for Tirupati Lok Sabhaseat.

Speaking to the media atparty central office here onMonday, the Minister said thatTDP and BJP have no agendafor campaign in Tirupati by-poll. BJP is not in a position toseek votes by explaining whatit has done to people, whileTDP is indulging in propagat-ing false information, he said.

It is only YSRCP that hasfulfilled the promises madeand asking for votes in theupcoming election, he added.

Despite being fully awarethat Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy has can-

celled his Tirupati public meet-ing due to the spike in Covid-19 cases, TDP chief NChandrababu Naidu and hisson Nara Lokesh have beenmaking false allegations withulterior motives.

He reminded that it was the

father-son duo that left forHyderabad as they were scaredof Covid and added that TDPhave been gathering crowds formeeting in Tirupati andspreading corona in Tirupati.He said TDP followers andcadre have lost confidence inthe leadership of Naidu and arelooking for an alternative.

Alleging that BJP was insti-gating communal hatred in thestate by indulging in religiouspolitics without having anyresponsibility towards society,he questioned why peopleshould vote for BJP in Tirupatiby-poll.

He asserted that Tirupati by-poll is a referendum for the 22-month governance ofJaganmohan Reddy.

He also appreciated ChiefMinister for his village andward secretariat initiative andthe recognition in the form ofawards.

BJP, TDP have no agenda forTirupati by-poll, says NaniHome guard shoots wife with

service revolverVIJAYAWADA: A home guard allegedly shot dead his wife with aservice revolver here at their house in Gollapudi on Monday.According to ACP (West Zone) Hanumantha Rao, the accused homeguard Vinod Kumar was working as an assistant to ASPShashikanth. The ASP went to Anantapur three days ago and he hadgiven his service revolver to the Vinod Kumar who preserved it inhis house. An altercation took place between the home guard andhis wife Surya Ratnaprabha over mortgaging gold jewellery.In a fit of rage, the home guard fired one round at his wife with therevolver and the bullet pierced through her chest. The neighboursshifted her to the government general hospital, where she wasdeclared brought dead. Police registered a case and took upinvestigation. The police shifted the body for post-mortem andarrested the accused.

Woman poisons twodaughters, self, diesVIJAYAWADA: In a shocking incident, a young woman poisoned hertwo daughters and consumed the same in a bid to end life. All thethree died while undergoing treatment here at Nunna village onMonday. The deceased were identified as Vani (26) and her twodaughters Ehavana (3) and 10-month-old infant Akshaya. According topolice, Vani fed poisonous substance to her two daughters and con-sumed the same to commit suicide on Monday. She informed herhusband Surendra that she fed poison to the kids and consumed thesame. He immediately rushed to his house and shifted them to thegovernment general hospital with the help of neighbours. However,they died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The husband ofthe deceased was doing a petty business and financial problems weresuspected to be the motive behind the suicide.

Ban on marine fishing for 61 days from April 15 in EGKAKINADA: Joint Director of Fisheries P V Satvanarayana onMonday announced that the marine fishing has been banned for 61days commencing from April 15. He said the mechanised andmotorised fishing boats were prohibited from undertaking the fishingoperations at sea in the territorial waters along the entire coast areaof Andhra Pradesh and the government has issued the relevantorders. He said stringent action would be initiated against those vio-lating the marine fishing prohibitory orders during the notified periodending June 14.

Two red sanders smugglersarrested, 28 logs seizedTIRUPATI: Task Force sleuths on Monday arrested two smugglersand seized 28 red sanders logs from them near Gundlapalli forest inPallam section of Srikalahasti range. According to DSPs Giridhar andMuralidhar, the combing teams headed by RSIs Vasu and Sureshstarted combing operations from Sunday night at Pallam section.They found that a group was carrying red sanders logs nearGundlapalli village. When the Task Force men tried to nab them, thesmugglers fled into the forest leaving the logs behind. However, the‘red’ guards were able to nab two smugglers identified as JangamGuravaiah (40) of Settipalli near Tirupati and Pooli Muniram (37) ofGundlapalli in Srikalahasti mandal. The sleuths have also seized twomotor vehicles of the smugglers which were found at the place.

SHORT TAKES

Hospitality sector bears bruntof Covid, seeks govt support

As the hotels are unable to register even 30 per cent occupancy,maintenance has become burden forhoteliers. Hoteliers operating hotels in rented buildings are unable to pay even rent and electricity bills.

Mekapati thanks Piyush for specialtrains to transport mangoes from AP

Vijayawada Rly

Division flagged off

its first Kisan Rail

from Nuzvid on

April 11 to assist

the mango traders in

marketing their farm

produce for better

price realisation

by providing

cost-effective

transportation.

Earlier, the bulkconsumers hadto procurediesel fromretail outlets inbarrels whichused to causespillages anddead mileage inenergyprocurement.

SRMT donates`20L for Covidrelief fundPNS n KAKINADA

Noted industrial houseSRMT has donated Rs 20lakh for Covid-19 relief fundand the company chairman KSaradhi has presented thecheque to the district Co-llec-tor D Muralidhara Reddy atthe secretariat volunteers’ se-va puraskar utsav held atRMC auditorium here onMonday. While thanking theSRMT house for the gesture,the Collector hoped that theother commercial organisati-ons would also come forwardto extend their assistance tothe Covid-19 relief fund.

MLA Dwarampudi Chan-drasekhara Reddy and MPVanga Geeta Viswanath whowere present have comple-mented SRMT chairman andrecalled that he had donatedRs 10 lakh at the time ofCovid first wave also.

MARTHI SUBRAHMANYAM

n AMARAVATI

Dr Madireddy Pratap, APAdditional Director General ofFire Services Department, onMonday went on an adventur-ous river rafting in TeestaRiver in Cooch Behar of WestBengal where he has beenposted as police observer.

It may be recalled that fivepersons were killed when CISFforces opened firing on the dayof polling. Therefore, he hadto stay back in Cooch Behar.

He has been given accom-modation in a forest guest-house amidst Teesta River.

Therefore, he along with histeam went on a river raftingexpedition for one hour in theriver studded with huge boul-ders and narrow turns. Earlier,he went on a river rafting ex-pedition for 16 hours fromBhadrachalam to Rajamahen-dravaram along with his sonand some of his colleagues.However, the rafting expedi-

tion in Teesta river is a com-pletely different experience.There is a vast difference in thewaters of the two rivers. InGodavari, one can swim slow-ly enjoying the pristine natur-al beauty. However, the TeestaRiver is full of boulders andnarrow twists and turns. Theexpedition here is dangerous,but more thrilling than the onein Godavari river.

In the morning, MadireddyPratap went for paragliding forabout half-an-hour hoveringover the hills of Teesta river.The nature is as dangerous asbeautiful here.

He claims to have a thrillingexperience living amidst thehuge forest which has manyspecies of flora and fauna.

“At night, wild animals sur-round the guesthouse which issecured by an electrical fenceprotecting the inmates. Till Iam relieved from duties here,I will have good time indulgingin such adventurous sports,”says Madireddy Pratap.

Madireddy enjoys adventure sports in Teesta

vijayawada 04VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021

PNS n GUNTUR

The police conducted araid on a beach resortnear Muthayapalem inBapatla mandal of Gunturdistrict late in the night onSunday and took 34 per-sons while they were play-ing poker. They seized Rs24.74 lakh in cash fromthe gamblers.

The Bapatla police raid-ed Sunny Resorts andrecovered 10 cars from thespot. A case has been reg-istered and the investiga-tion is on.

However, the police didnot reveal the names ofthe arrested persons.

It was felt that someprominent personalitieswere among the 34 gam-blers who were arrested inthe raid.

SINGASWAMI BHANU PRAKASH

n TIRUPATI

The Covid-19 cases were goingup steadily in Chittoor districtover the last few weeks andTirupati, where the by-elec-tions for the Lok Sabha werebeing held, recorded the high-est number of cases with a mas-sive increase in the past twodays. Apart from the elections,a heavy influx of pilgrims toTirumala, the abode of Lord SriVenkateswara was also said tobe a reason for the increase inthe cases.

It was causing uproar amongthe local people and the officialcircles were under pressure totackle the situation with a sec-ond wave corona pandemic.

The coronavirus cases wereincreasing daily in Chittoordistrict and about 719 caseswere registered on Sunday and624 cases on Monday, whichwas the highest in the statewhich recorded a total of 4541active cases. Moreover, AndhraPradesh was identified as oneamong the eight states in thecountry with the highest case-load. The Chittoor district alsosecured a dubious distinctionby registering the highest num-ber of Covid-19 deaths last yearwith 887 deaths.

Since the district was shar-ing borders with Tamil Naduand Karnataka, it was receiv-ing lakhs of devotees for tem-ples in Tirupati, Kanipakkamand Srikalahasthi. Heavy pil-grim rush was attributed to thespreading of the pandemic inthe district. The pilgrims com-ing from Maharashtra andGujarat where the highestnumber of Covid-19 caseswere registering, was also areason for the increase in thecorona cases. The TTDauthorities have failed to takesteps for preventing the spreadof corona, it is alleged. Agroup of TDP leaders includ-ing Vangalpudi Anitha,Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Sandhyaand others who visitedTirumala temple recently fordarshan and the very next daythey tested Corona positive.So, it was an example of how

the Tirumala temple wasspreading the cases.

"The TTD officials are allow-ing pilgrims indiscriminatelyfor darshan in the main tem-ple, there is neither physicaldistance nor masks for people.The pilgrims are having dar-shan pushing each other in thequeue lines. More pilgrims areallowed into the queue lines inthe time slot against the sched-ule, leading to the spreading of

the corona," A Malathi a devo-tee from Chittoor commented.

"Steps must be taken by theTTD management to avoidheavy crowd into the shrineand the pilgrims must beallowed only after checkingtheir corona test certificatesespecially from the pilgrimscoming from states likeMaharashtra and Gujarat," saida devotee Gayatri fromNellore.

District Collector HariNaryana appealed to the peo-ple to wear masks without failwhile venturing out to checkthe spread of the coronavirus.He said the people aged above45 years must be vaccinated.The district secured third placein the state in the Covid vac-cination and 100 vaccinationcentres were established withspot registration facility, hesaid and added that there was

no shortage of vaccine doses inthe district.

"At this juncture, the bestway to tackle the pandemicspread is that everyone shouldwear masks and maintainsocial distance. Despite ourefforts the response from thegeneral public is poor in wear-ing masks and follow otherCovid restrictions," DrPenchalaiah, District Medicaland Health Officer said.

Corona spreading its tentacles

PNS n TIRUPATI

A series of polls that were going onin the Chittoor district has provedfatal for the spreading of Covid-19.All the political parties have takenTirupati by-polls as a prestigiousone. The ZPTC and MPTC electionswere just concluded andimmediately, the by-election hasstarted. Many public meetings anddoor-to-door campaigns were theorder of the day in Tirupati andstate and national level leaders were

making a beeline to attract thevoters. Janasena Chief PawanKalyan has gone into self-quarantine after the Tirupati electioncampaign, as the party cadres whoaccompanied him were affectedwith corona. Even the TDP cadresand senior leaders who heldelection rallies in Tirupati alsotested corona positive. ChiefMinister Jaganmohan Reddy hasalso cancelled his electioncampaign due to a surge in coronacases in the district.

"All the roads and streets in the cityare jampacked with the peopleengaged by the political parties forthe door-to-door campaign,distributing pamphlets withoutwearing masks and not followingthe social distance. It may cause forthe spread of corona" said VenkatKoushik, a resident of Korlagunta."I wonder how the police officialsare giving permissions for the hugegatherings and public meetingswith massive crowds gathering,despite the Covid-19 guidelines in

the context of the second wave ofCorona," Mohan Kumar, a residentof Lakshmipuram said. However,Collector Hari Naryana said theTirupati by-poll would be conductedin full adherence with Covid-19guidelines. Additional booths werearranged for the voters where therewas a strength of more than 1000voters. Steps were taken to stop thespread of Corona across the districtby deploying revenue, police,medical and para-medical staff, hesaid.

Back-to-back polls adding fuel to fire!

Training for vet assistantsPNS n KAKINADA

A training programme wasorganized for village animalhusbandry assistants forrecruitment in the village sec-retariats spread across the dis-trict. District Joint DirectorNT Srinivasa Rao on Mondayinaugurated the first batch ofthe training programme atKarapa in Kakinada rural con-stituency.

He said the State govern-ment has appointed villageanimal husbandry assistantsin the respective village secre-tariats after implementing thesecretariat system.

The were currently stayingat the Rythu Bharosa Centersand performing duties. Thegovernment has directed themto undergo fresh training forfour months and conductexaminations for 1000 marksafter the training.

The pay scale would beimplemented only for thosewho pass it. In East Godavaridistrict, 1000 posts of AnimalHusbandry Assistants havebeen created. However, only685 were employed.

PNS n ONGOLE

The services rendered by thesecretariat volunteers for peo-ple were laudable as they wereworking as per the aspirationsof Chief Minister Y SJaganmohan Reddy, Ministerfor Power, Forests,Environment & Science andTechnology Balineni SrinivasaReddy said on Monday.

Participating at a meeting todistribute awards to the bestvolunteers held here onMonday, the Minister said thevolunteer system set up byJaganmohan Reddy was idealfor the whole country. The vol-unteer system came into being20 months ago and they wererendering yeoman services tothe poor and the weaker sec-tions of the society.

Srinivasa Reddy remindedthat the Chief Minister hasimplemented the system ofvolunteers with the mainobjective of providing welfarebenefits to all the deservingpoor irrespective of their polit-ical affiliations. Jaganmohan

Reddy once said he wouldbelieve volunteers more thanthe MLAs and the volunteerswould have a bright future inthe state, he said.

Member of ParliamentMagunta Srinivasu Reddy saidthe role of volunteers wasimportant in the implementa-tion of welfare schemes for thepoor. Collector Pola Bhaskarsaid there were volunteers as abridge to provide welfare ben-efits to the poor. He also saidthe welfare schemes weredirectly taken to homes with

the help of volunteers to pre-vent people from running pil-lar to post for the schemes.Disbursement of pensionsthrough volunteers was a rolemodel in the state, he said.

District SP SiddharthaKaushal explained that theservices of volunteers havegained international recogni-tion.

The Minister presented SevaVajra awards to five volunteersfrom the Ongole constituencyand Seva Ratna awards to 20volunteers. Another 1,370Seva Mitra awards were pre-sented to the volunteers. ZPCEO Kailash Girishwar, CityCommissioner Bhagyalakshmiand officials were present.

Later, Srinivasa Reddy alongwith the District Collectorconducted a review on thegrowing number of Covid- 19cases in Prakasam district.The minister advised theauthorities to take precautionsagainst the spread of the Covidvirus. Mayor Sujatha and oth-ers were present on the occa-sion.

Services of village volunteers lauded

PNS n ONGOLE

Victory of the YSR Congressparty in the ongoing by-elec-tions for Tirupati Parliamentseat was certain beyond anydoubt, Minister of State forPower, Forests andEnvironment and Science andTechnology Balineni SrinivasaReddy said on Monday.

After inaugurating severaldevelopment works in Ongole,the Minister said the ChiefMinister wrote a letter to thepeople saying that he was notcoming for the campaign keep-ing in view the public health.Balineni said that some peopleare distorting it. How BJP andTDP could do developmentwhen they were not in power,he asked. "The people have

given us the authority to devel-op and the welfare schemesintroduced by the ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy would brought us vic-tory," the Minister said.

He laid the foundationstone for the 32/11KV sub-station in Ongole and visitedthe works which were underprogress such as under-ground power cables andalso visited the grain pur-chase center.

Minister Balineni wasaccompanied by Ongole MPMagunta Sreenuvasulu Reddy,Ongole Mayor GangadaSujatha, Deputy MayorsVemuri Suryanarayana, SCSatyanarayana, OngoleMarket Yard ChairmanRamachandra Rao and others.

YSRCP victory in Tirupatiby-poll certain: Balineni

PNS n TIRUPATI

The devotees across the globewere eagerly waiting for thescientific pieces of evidence tobe presented by TTD establish-ing that Lord Rama BhakthaHanuman's birthplace wasAnjanadri Hills of HolyTirumala. The TTD commit-tee was presenting all theproofs claiming that the birth-place of Lord Anjaneya onTuesday. The entire media alsoconcentrated on what the TTDwas going to prove scientifical-ly about the mythological inci-dent with historic proofs.

The Tirumala TirupatiDevasthanams (TTD) onTelugu New Year Ugadi was setto prove with scientific evi-dence that Tirumala was thebirthplace of Lord Anjaneya(Hanuman). In December2020, the TTD constituted anexpert committee under theaegis of TTD Executive OfficerKS Jawahar Reddy to researchand prove that Lord Anjaneya

was born in Tirumala Hills.The EO said that Tirumala

will be recognized as the birth-place of Anjaneya from nowonwards for which the com-mittee members will informthe public on the day of Ugadifestival by presenting the var-ious astrological, scripturaland other scientific evidence toprove it. A comprehensivebook with all the shreds of evi-dence establishing Anjanadri

as the birthplace of Anjaneyawill be presented on the TeluguNew Year day Ugadi.

Ugadi Asthanam(Traditional temple Court)will be observed on Tuesday inthe Tirumala shrine between 7to 9 am at Bangaru Vakili inthe presence of Sri MalayappaSwamy and his consortsSridevi and Bhudevi alongwith Vishwaksena, the head ofLord's Army.

ANJANADRI AS HANUMAN'S BIRTHPLACE

TTD to present proofs today

Three youthdrown inGodavariPNS n ELURU

Three young people drownedin the Godavari river whilebathing at Chagallu in WestGodavari district on Sunday.Their bodies were fished outon Monday morning.

According to reports, sixyoung persons includingHemant, Satyanarayana andSomaraju of Chagallu vil-lage went for a bath in theGodavari river and wentmissing.

The bodies were taken tothe government hospital forpost-mortem.

The police said threeyouths managed to reach theshore, the remaining threecould not make it. A case hasbeen registered.

PNS n ELURU

The 'Tika Utsav' came to a haltdue to shortage of vaccinestocks in West Godavari dis-trict on Sunday. The peoplewent back without taking jabat two centers in Eluru urbanmandal and another centre atKenataparru village. The dis-trict medical and health offi-cials said they would get20,000 doses of Covaxin in aday or two. Two type of vac-cines Covaxin and Covishieldwere used in the district.

Only 600 doses ofCovishield were used onSunday. About 6,422 peoplewere vaccinated on April 8 and11,468 on April 9, about 7,941on April 10 and 1700 peoplegiven vaccination on April 11at the centers set up in the dis-

trict.Minister Alla Kali Srinivas

was vaccinated with the firstdose while District SP NarayanNayak and some police offi-cers were given a second jab.On an average 2,000 doses ofvaccine were coming fromthe Central Drugs depart-ment of Vijayawada to WestGodavari district.

The government has steppedup efforts to create awarenessamong the people on the coro-na. The police personnel wereadvising people on the roadsacross the district. Since peoplewere queuing up for the vaccineas they fear second wave ofcorona. Short supply of vaccinedoses became a major problemas 'Tika Utsav' initiated byPrime Minister Narendra Modiwas going at a snail's pace.

Vax shortage hits‘Tika Utsav’ in WG

PNS n NELLORE

"Hundreds of Vakeel Saabscan come and go, but nonecan do anything as ChiefMinister YS Jagan MohanReddy is the only Saab in thestate, CM Saab is Jagan Saab,"Dr Poluboina Anil KumarYadav, Minister for WaterResources remarked onMonday.

He was speaking to themedia at the YSR Congressparty district office in Nelloreon Monday. The YSRCP MPswere ready to resign if theparty lost Tirupati by-elec-tion, the TDP has guts toaccept it, he challenged.

Minister PeddireddyRamachandra Reddy hadalready thrown a challengeand that the TDP leadershad fled from the scene clos-ing their tails as they wereunable to accept the chal-lenge, he said and added thatthe TDP leaders should feel

shy as Chief Minister YSJagan Mohan Reddy can-celled his public meeting inthe wake of the corona surgekeeping in mind the publichealth. He said that he didnot understand whyChandrababu reacted to themovie ticket prices of VakeelSaab.

‘No other Saab here,except CM Jagan Saab’

PNS n GUNTUR

The residents of Maulana AbulKalam Azad Nagar colony inVinukonda town of Guntur dis-trict laid a siege to the collec-torate on Monday alleging thatpower supply and drinkingwater supply to their colony wasdisrupted for the last few days.They said they were residing inpermanent structures in themosque manyam for manyyears. But, some leaders weretrying to vacate them after theYSRCP government came topower, they alleged.

Under the auspices of theCPI, the Azad Nagar ColonyResidents Welfare Associationheld a maha dharna in front of

the Guntur Collector's office.CPI (M) Assistant Secretary ofState Muppalla Nageswara Rao,who took part in the dharnasaid thousands of people havebeen living in Maulana AbulKalam Azad Nagar Colony inVinukonda town for the last 16years. He alleged that theauthorities were acting cruellyagainst the people. Later, theleaders submitted a memoran-dum to District Joint CollectorSridhar Reddy.

CPI district secretary JangalaAjay Kumar, Vinukonda con-stituency secretary A MaruthiVaraprasad, former municipalvice-chairman Sandrapati Saidaand others led the dharna pro-gramme.

PNS n ONGOLE

The revenue and police offi-cials have seized ration ricestored illegally at a rice millin the vicinity of Rayavaramvillage railway station inMarkapur mandal onMonday.

The authorities seized aPDS rice-laden lorry with 350bags parked in front of SriVasavi rice mill and another350 bags in the godown. Atotal of 700 bags of govern-ment PDS rice were seized inthe raid.

Tahasildar Vidyasagar, SI GKotayya, ASI Srinivasa Rao,RI Gopi, police personnelwere present.

PNS n NELLORE

Nellore TDP in-charge presi-dent Kotamreddy SrinivasulaReddy has warned that if thepolice acted like YSRCP lead-ers, they would have to pay aheavy price in future. He saidthe police refused to register acomplaint against a villagevolunteer acting in favour ofthe ruling YSRCP. The policewere acting as YCP supporters,he said while speaking to themedia at Muthukur policestation on Monday

Kotamreddy's followers,along with local leaders, stageda protest in front of theMuthukur police station andraised slogans against the

police and YSRCP. On theoccasion, he asked how gov-ernment schemes were beingpropagated by the volunteers.

He alleged that the policehave rejected their complaintagainst the ward volunteer,who has campaigned forYSRCP and they immediate-ly registered a case against theTDP leaders accepting thecomplaint by the volunteer.

Reddy also warned that thepolice should act unbiasedand do justice to people. TheTDP government would cometo power soon and then actionwould be taken against thepolice officials, who were act-ing as YSRCP leaders, headded.

TDP leader Kotamreddywarns cops against bias

Vinukonda residentsbesiege Collectorate

PDS riceseized inMarkapur

BJP National President JP Nadda is addressing an election rally at Naidupet inNellore district as part of election campaign for Tirupati Parliament by-poll onMonday. (Below) The public attended at the meeting

SAFRON RROAR

Beach resortraided, 34gamblersheld

CHITTOOR DISTRICT

VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021 nation 05

President RamNath Kovind onMonday said he

has returned toRashtrapati Bhavanafter bypass surgery atthe AIIMS here. "I havereturned to RashtrapatiBhavan after mysurgery. My speedyrecovery is thanks towishes and prayers ofall of you andexceptional care givenby doctors andnursing staff at AIIMS and Army's RR hospital. I am thankful toeveryone! I am glad to be back home, Kovind tweeted. Kovind, 75 , hadon March 30 underwent a cardiac bypass surgery at the All IndiaInstitute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. In a tweet on April 3, theRashtrapati Bhavan had said, "President Kovind was shifted from theICU to a special room in the AIIMS today. His health has been improvingcontinuously. Doctors are constantly monitoring his condition and haveadvised him to take rest."

Airlines are not permitted toserve meals in domesticflights that have a duration of

less than two hours, the CivilAviation Ministry said on Monday,as coronavirus cases continue tospiral across the country.The banwill come into effect fromThursday, the ministry said in itsorder. When scheduled domesticflights were resumed on May 25 after coronavirus lockdown lastyear, the ministry had allowed the airlines to serve in-flight mealsunder certain conditions. Modifying the previous order, theministry's fresh directive said: "The airlines, operating flights ondomestic sectors, may provide meals services on board, wherethe in-flight duration is two hours or more." The ministry said itdecided to review the on-board meal services in domestic flightsdue to the "the increasing threat of COVID-19 and its variants".

INDIA CORNER

The CBI has called formerMaharashtra home ministerAnil Deshmukh for

questioning on Wednesday inconnection with allegations ofcorruption levelled against him byformer Mumbai Policecommissioner Param Bir Singhand suspended officer SachinWaze, officials said. Waze, anassistant police inspector, is underinvestigation in the case of an explosive-laden SUV found outsideindustrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in south Mumbai. The noticecalling Deshmukh to join the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probewas issued on Monday morning, a day after his two aides SanjeevPalande and Kundan recorded their statements before the agency, theofficials said. The CBI is carrying out a preliminary inquiry intoallegations against Deshmukh levelled by Singh after he was removedfrom the coveted post of Mumbai Police commissioner.

President Kovind returns toRashtrapati Bhavan after surgery

CBI calls Maharashtra formerhome minister for questioning

Ayouth died while dousing awildfire in his village in theDidihat forest range in

Uttarakhand's Pithoragarhdistrict, officials said on Monday.The incident occurred onSaturday when a fire broke out inAthkhawli and Sarpanch PuranSingh Mehta called youths fromthe village to extinguish the blaze,Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)Vinay Bhargava said. The victim,Pankaj Singh Deopa (19), fell into a 500-metre-deep, fire-filled gorge, theofficer said, adding he was pulled out of it and rushed to a hospitalwhere doctors declared him dead. Deopa had lost his job during thecoronavirus-induced lockdown and was staying with his family in thevillage. His death took the toll in forest fire in Uttarakhand this year toseven. Two deaths were reported in Almora in January and two each inBageshwar and Pauri districts in February. Forest fires continue to ragein Pithoragarh and Champawat districts in the eastern part of Kumaonregion due to a lack of moisture in the forests, with little or no rainduring the winter months in the area this year, according to the DFO.

Youth dies while dousingforest fire in Pithoragarh

Meal services banned indomestic flights under 2 hours

PNS n NEW DELHI

India has denounced attemptsto link climate issues to eco-nomic recovery amid the coro-navirus pandemic at the forth-coming G20 talks, saying it willimpose a huge developmentalcost on developing countries.

The US administration hasbeen pushing for a strong cli-mate agenda as part of theprocess of recovery from thepandemic.

Senior government officialsfeel that imposing "green" con-ditionalities on trade, invest-ment, financing for develop-ment, etc. amid the "worsteconomic impact of a lifetimewould be adding insult toinjury as far as poor and devel-oping countries are concerned".

Sanjeev Sanyal, the principaleconomic advisor to theMinistry of Finance, said cli-mate change is a serious issuebut it should not be confusedwith the immediate objective ofan economic revival.

"India is definitely adheringto its climate commitments andwe are willing to do more, butI am uncomfortablewith bringing iton to G20plat-form

because wehaven't got anagreed language there,” he saidduring a seminar organised byRIS, a Delhi-based think tankthat examines global trade andfinancial issues, on Friday.

He was responding todeputy director of OCED

D e v e l o p m e n tCentre

FedericoBonaglia who said relief todeveloping countries should belinked to their climate policies.

“Climate crisis has con-tributed to the emergence ofCOVID-19 crisis. These issuesshould be addressed together,”

Bonaglia said.Counteringhim, Sanyal said

the linkbetween

pan-

demics andc l i m a t e

change isfar from established.

“Whether or notwe have climatechange, globalp a n d e m i c shappen from

time to time.”P Harish, addi-

tional secretary (eco-nomic relations) in the Ministry

of External Affairs, criticised effortsto establish a goalpost outside theParis framework in the G20.

He mentioned that India is theonly G20 country that has met its

Paris commitments and national-ly determined contributions.

It won't be correct to ignore thehistoric caseload and develop-mental situation where India's percapita GDP is only 5 per cent of thatof G7 and fraction of the G20 GDP,and per capital energy consump-tion as compared to global averageis far lower.

"We have many years aheadof us where we come up to theworld average in terms of ener-gy consumption and per capi-ta GDP. Constraining ouroptions at this point throughextra conditionalities will notonly impose a financial cost butalso a huge developmentalcost,” the senior official said.

“Imposing conditionalitiesamid the worst economicimpact of a lifetime by seekinggreen recovery...in a range ofareas, on trade, investment,financing for development,this would be adding insult toinjury as far as the poor anddeveloping countries' situationis concerned,” he said.

India denounces linking climateissues to economic recovery PNS n NEW DELHI

The fourth wave of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Delhiis causing high-grade fever,spreading faster and affectingthe younger population, espe-cially those in the age group of30 to 50, more, according toexperts.

Delhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal has said the fourthwave is more dangerous thanthe previous ones and accord-ing to data available with him,65 per cent of patients infect-ed this time are below 45years.

The sudden spike inCOVID-19 cases in Delhi overthe last few days and across thecountry has baffled medicalexperts.

Some doctors said the rea-son behind a large number ofpeople contracting the infec-tion this year vis-a-vis lastyear could be that the "virushas mutated" and the currentstrain is more infectious.

"The younger populationgoes out for work, uses public

transportation and hence,there are more chances ofcoming into contact with oth-ers. Many people are still notwearing masks or maintainingsocial distancing, which hascontributed to the rise incases," said Suranjit Chatterjee,a senior consultant at ApolloHospitals here.

He, however, pointed outthat the number of deaths inDelhi is still much lower com-pared to what was recordedduring the previous waves inJune, September andNovember.

Chatterjee, a COVID-19survivor himself, said doctorsin their 40s and 50s and otheryounger healthcare workers,say in their 30s, are gettinginfected in the current wavedespite most of them havingtaken both doses of theCOVID-19 vaccine.

Thirty-seven doctors at SirGanga Ram Hospital in Delhihave tested positive forCOVID-19 during the fourthwave of the pandemic. Ofthese, five have been admittedfor treatment, hospital sourceshad said last Thursday.

Fourth Covid wave: Affectingyounger population more

PNS n NEW DELHI

People not adhering toCOVID-appropriate behav-iour and the circulation ofhighly infectious strains ofSARS-COV-2 could be theprimary reasons behind thesurge in coronavirus infec-tions in India, AIIMS DirectorDr Randeep Guleria said onMonday.

He also warned that if thesituation is not reversed, thenthe galloping infection ratewill eventually cause a hugestrain on the country's health-care system. He sought stricterenforcement of COVID-appro-priate behaviour on the groundlevel by the administrationand authorities.

"Around February, whencases started to decrease, peo-

ple became lax towards follow-ing COVID-appropriatebehaviour as they thought thevirus had become ineffective.

"People are taking the dis-ease lightly now. If you go out,you see that marketplaces,restaurants and shopping mallsare crowded and full of peopleand these all are super-spread-er events," Guleria said.

Earlier, if one sick personwas able to infect around 30per cent of their contacts, thistime those getting the diseaseare infecting a larger numberof people, he said.

"So, the rate of spread of theinfection is fast possibly due tothe highly infectious and trans-missible strains circulating," headded.

Various strains of SARS-CoV-2, including the UK,South Africa and Brazil vari-ants, are circulating in Indiaand have been termed as high-ly transmissible by experts.

Guleria said theentire humanity is goingthrough a difficult time and"unless it is important, peopleshould not venture out. Also,it has to be ensured that thereis no gathering and stricterenforcement of COVID-appro-priate behaviour has to beensured".

"We may lose the gains wehave made so far if we do notpay heed now," and the situa-tion may completely get out ofcontrol, he said.

"If the situation is notreversed, then the gallopinginfection rate will eventuallycause a huge strain on thehealthcare system also," hestressed.

The AIIMS chief also urgedpeople to get vaccinated againstCOVID-19.

Non-adherence to virus norms, virulentstrains could be behind surge: Randeep

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Delhi Police on Mondayrefuted allegations that it had "ille-gally" detained gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana's cousinGurdeep Singh in Punjab, even asa team of its Special Cell questionedhim.Sidhana is wanted by the DelhiPolice in connection with theRepublic Day violence in thenational capital, when thousandsof protesting farmers, who reachedITO from the Ghazipur border,clashed with the police. Many of theprotesters, driving tractors, reachedthe Red Fort and entered the mon-ument, where a religious flag wasalso hoisted. Over 500 police per-sonnel were injured in the violence.

In a statement, the police said itis learnt that allegations and mis-information are being propagatedon the social media regarding the

detention of one Gurdeep Singhalias Mundi by a Delhi Police teamin Punjab.

Several cases were registered bythe Delhi Police in connection withthe Republic Day violence in thenational capital, a large number ofsuspects have been examined andabout 160 accused belonging toDelhi and several other statesarrested. Sidhana is wanted in someof these cases and is deliberatelyevading arrest, the statement said.

According to the police, on April

8, a Special Cell team that was mov-ing in the vicinity of Patiala insearch of Sidhana, questionedSingh. He was asked about thepresence and movements ofSidhana and thereafter, he wasrelieved with a direction toappear and join investigationas and when required.

"The investigation is beingconducted as per law and inaccordance with the provi-sions of the Code of CriminalProcedure.

Delhi police denies illegaldetention of Lakha’s cousin

PNS n LUCKNOW

Retired judge SurendraKumar Yadav, who gave theverdict in the high-profileBabri mosque demolitioncase, took oath as an 'up-lokayukta in Uttar Pradeshon Monday.

"Yadav was appointed asthird 'up-lokayukta' by theGovernor on April 6. OnMonday, Yadav was admin-istered oath by LokayuktaSanjay Mishra in the presenceof other senior officers," anofficial statement said here.

The anti-corruptionwatchdog comprises theLokayukta and three 'up-lokayuktas'.

PNS n JABALPUR

A medical store here in MadhyaPradesh was sealed for alleged-ly selling Remdesivir injectionsat Rs 18,000 per vial, muchhigher than its MRP, an officialsaid on Monday.

In the wake of a rise inCOVID-19 cases, the key anti-viral drug is in high demand asit is used especially in adultpatients with severe complica-tions. The Jabalpur administra-tion sealed the medical shop onSunday night after receiving acomplaint against it, foodinspector R L Patel said.

A district administrationteam went to the shop and

found that the Remdesivirinjections were being sold thereat Rs 18,000 per vial, a muchhigher cost than its maximumretail price (MRP), he said.

Chief Minister Shivraj SinghChouhan last week said thestate government has decided toprocure Remdesivir injectionsso that they could be providedfree of cost for the treatment ofcritical COVID-19 patientsfrom the economically weakersections.

After the government'sefforts, about 22,000 vials ofRemdesivir were supplied togovernment and private hospi-tals in MP on Sunday, a statepublic relations departmentofficial said.

MP shop sealed forselling Remdesivir at higher price

PNS n MUMBAI

Assistant Police Inspector RiyazKazi, a colleague of police offi-cer Sachin Waze, was suspend-ed from service on Monday, aday after he was arrested by theNIA probing the recovery of anexplosives-laden SUV foundoutside industrialist MukeshAmbani's residence here andthe subsequent murder ofMansukh Hiran, an officialsaid.Additional Commissioner ofPolice (Arms unit) VirendraMishra has issued the order sus-pending Kazi which stated thathe cannot do any private workand action will be taken againsthim if this order is violated.Kazi has been ordered to appearbefore the Local Arms Unitevery Friday.The National InvestigationAgency (NIA) arrested Kazi onSunday after a fresh round ofquestioning.A holiday court here hadremanded Kazi in the NIA'scustody till April 16.

The NIA suspects that Kaziassisted Waze, who headed theCrime Intelligence Unit (CIU)until his arrest on March 13, inobtaining fake number platesused for the explosives- ladenSUV.Kazi was previously questionedmultiple times by the NIA inconnection with the recovery ofthe SUV on February 25 andthe subsequent death of Hiran,the purported owner of thatvehicle.Hiran was found dead in acreek in Thane on March 5.

Kazi was shunted out of theMumbai Crime Branch lastmonth, an official had said.Earlier, in a CCTV footage, Kaziwas seen entering a numberplates shop in suburbanVikhroli and having a conver-sation with the outlet's owner.He was also seen taking awaya digital video recorder and acomputer from the shop.Kazi was also seen collectingCCTV footage from Waze'shousing complex in neigh-bouring Thane, the official hadsaid.

Ambani security scare: RiyazKazi suspended after arrest

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Centre on Mondayextended the ceasefire agree-ments with three insurgentgroups of Nagaland for onemore year till April next year.

In a statement, the Ministryof Home Affairs said theceasefire agreements are inoperation between the govern-ment of India and NationalSocialist Council ofNagaland/NK (NSCN/NK),National Socialist Council ofNa g a l a n d / R e f o r m at i o n(NSCN/R) and NationalSocialist Council ofN a g a l a n d / K - K h a n g o(NSCN/K-Khango).

"It was decided to extendthe ceasefire agreements for afurther period of one year witheffect from April 28, 2021 toApril 27, 2022 with NSCN/NKand NSCN/R and from April18, 2021 to April 17, 2022 withNSCN/K-Khango," the state-ment said.

These agreements weresigned on Monday.

The three outfits are break-away factions of dominantgroups NSCN-IM and NSCN-K. The NSCN-IM had enteredinto a ceasefire agreementwith the central government in1997 and has since then beenengaged in peace negotia-tions.

Ceasefire pacts with 3Naga insurgent groups

PNS n BHUBANESWAR

Odisha Police on Mondaydeployed about 1,000 armedpolicemen in Pipili Assemblysegment in Puri district toensure peaceful polling in theby-election to be held onApril 17.

Director General of PoliceAbhay visited Pipili and saidthree companies (1 companycomprise three platoons ofjawans) of Central ArmedPolice Force (CAPF), 29 pla-toons

(each platoon comprise 30personnel) of the OdishaState Armed Police (OSAP)and one platoon of SwiftAction Force (SAF) havebeen deployed in the area.

This apart 60 state policeoff icers have also beenengaged in by-poll duty.

The DGP said that theconstituency has been divid-ed into several security zonesto ensure an incident-freepoll. Two ASPs and threeDSPs will be in charge ofeach zone to monitor the lawand order situation.

Official sources said asmany as 80 critical boothshave been identified in theconstituency.

The DGP also reviewedthe pre-poll violence in Pipiliat a meeting attended byDirector (Intelligence), RKSharma, and the ADGP (Lawand Order), YashwantJethwa.

PNS n KOLKATA

A fire broke out in wastematerials lying near a fly-over along a major road inBaguiati area in the east-ern fringes of Kolkata onMonday and two cars

abandoned there weregutted, fire departmentofficials said.

No casualty took place.The blaze was spottednear a traffic guard officebeside VIP Road ataround 3.50 pm and twofire tenders doused it in 20minutes, the officials said.

West Bengal ChiefMinister MamataBanerjee, who was passingby the spot while return-ing home after attendinga public rally in the near-by Dum Dum area,stopped her car on the flyover.

Fire breaksout nearflyover inKolkata

Cops deployed inPipili ahead of by-poll

Judge whogave Babriverdict is ‘Up-lokayukta'

Opposition by bringingarchrival Prachanda on board.Prachanda was facing seriouscorruption cases and thecharges of en masse killingduring the decade-longMaoist movement. Prachandahas gone on record to claimalleged 5,000 killings duringthe movement. Since Oli wasthe strongest ally, Prachandacould avoid trials at the UNand the International Court ofJustice. Therefore, the merg-er was a self-serving decisionby the duo against the wide-spread belief that they hadshown political maturity in theinterest of their people. Hence,the fallout was inevitable.

Blaming and seeking:With the eventual fall, Oli isseeking to mend ties with NewDelhi. To reach out to India,he has appeared on a numberof Indian news channels to cryfoul against former PrimeMinister Prachanda, blaminghim for dividing the party. Thesame Oli created his politicalstronghold through his anti-India manoeuvring and bash-ing of the Indian media forbeing unfair towards the “vic-tim” country.

Oli’s public relations officeand foreign policy advisorygroup had come fully gearedto criticise India on the border

dispute. These offices are nowattempting all the tricks toreach out to New Delhi. Also,despite a projected bonhomiewith China, Oli is pushing forthe supplies of the COVID-19vaccines from India.

However, testing the trustwill be the core of India’s newrelations with Nepal. On theother hand, Oli’s biasedapproach towards China hadcome at the cost of substan-tial economic losses. Also, hesigned the Treaty on MutualLegal Assistance with Beijing,endangering the lives andrights of 20,000 Tibetanrefugees in Nepal. The Beltand Road Initiative (BRI) isan obsession with the currentregime despite Sri Lanka’sexposé of the Chinese wrong-doings.

While Oli may call it abalancing act between Indiaand China, his actions speakotherwise. The alleged softfunding from China to Oli’spolitical adventures in Nepalthrough the Madan BhandariFoundation needs no expla-nation to assert his bon-homie with the dragon.

Uncertain future: Whilethe politicos do not wish forNepal to plunge back intoinsurgency, Oli’s authoritarianattitude has cost Nepal dearly.

Politically, democracy is a casu-alty considering Oli’s dream ofa one-party rule in Nepal,with no political opponentsoutside and within the UML.

On the foreign policyfront, Nepal, with its vasthydropower potential, canuse India’s expertise in gener-ating power. A mutually ben-eficial plan could have pavedthe way for Nepal’s econom-ic growth. However, far fromnew agreements, Nepal seemsto have no plan to revitalisetreaties like the Mahakali,signed in 1996 with India,which can generate coopera-tion between them.Meanwhile, false promisesunder the BRI and dreams ofa trans-Himalayan railwaywith China have garnered Olienough political capital.

Oli’s aspirations, accom-panied by hollow economicand development strategies,will lead Nepal towards anuncertain future which isbeing watched carefully by thepeople of Nepal and interna-tional actors, including India.

(The author is an ICSSRDoctoral Fellow at the JNUand Visiting Fellow at theAsian Institute of Diplomacyand International Affairs,Kathmandu. The viewsexpressed are personal.)

It appears that Bharatiya Kisan Union leader and Samyukt Kisan Morcha linchpinRakesh Tikait has returned to the protest theatre with renewed vigour after his sab-batical, a period he had advised his comrades to utilise harvesting the season’s

crop till next month. Freshly back after attending to their domestic chores and famil-ial duties, the cultivators sitting on dharna sinceNovember 2020 along the Capital’s borders alreadymade their presence felt last weekend when theyblocked the Ghazipur border in what they said wasa “warning to the Government”. Thousands amongthese protesters have come from Haryana, Punjaband western Uttar Pradesh, even though there nowis a nationwide wave in support of their cause —the repeal of the three agriculture legislations that,they say, have been enacted to benefit certain cor-porates. But now, it seems, the farmer leaders haveopted to flexing their muscles even though they wellrealise that no important political decisions at thenational level would be taken in earnest till the results

of elections to four States and a Union Territory are declared in early May. It is in this light that Tikait is taking the fight to Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar’s

door by claiming that the latter wouldn’t be allowed to enter Badauli village in Panipat,where the Chief Minister is scheduled to be on April 14 for unveiling a statue ofBabasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar on the Dalit icon’s birth anniversary. The farmer leaderalleged that the actual reason for Khattar’s visit was to “disturb the amity” amongthe area’s cultivators “as per the BJP’s plot”. To avoid causing any imagined injuryamong Babasaheb’s followers, Tikait also clarified that the farmers were not againstthe statue, they were against Khattar. In the same vein, however, ostensibly not toshut down any possible avenue which may lead to a dialogue with the Centre, thefarmer leaders have also claimed that they are still willing to talk to the Centre onthe three contentious Acts if invited for the same. Their only preconditions remainthat the talks should resume where these were discontinued on January 22 and thattheir demands for total repeal remain unchanged. Well, though it seems like catch-22 without any quick resolution in sight, one would sincerely hope that under no sit-uation would either side resort to any abhorrent step, such as violence.

There are no golden rules for self-defence except that one has to gauge the grav-ity of the situation and act accordingly. Whether the security personnel deployedat West Bengal’s polling stations would fire below or above the waist — espe-

cially as an agitated mob advances towards them — depends upon their threat per-ception and exigency. Even firing to kill is justified if the situation calls for it and ifthere are no other practical options. What is uncalled for in a certain situation can bewell defensible in another. Recently, what happened in Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar, is real-ly unfortunate as four lives were lost in firing by the Central Industrial Security Force(CISF) personnel and no amount of sympathy or compensation can bring them back.

However, what is more unfortunate is the blamegame politics taking place between the BJP and theTMC. While Chief Minister and TMC chief MamataBanerjee termed the incident “genocide”, UnionHome Minister Amit Shah said that her exhortationto gherao the Central forces had instigated the peo-ple to attack the CISF. Sceptics argue that the deathscould have been averted had the CISF jawans firedon their legs with the intention of dispersing the moband not killing anybody — an argument echoed byMamata. However, such suggestions are solelybeing made based on politicisation of the issue andare far from being practical; these people know noth-

ing about what is required to be done by a professional force under such circum-stances and have no idea of how fast things develop on the ground.

It cannot be denied that when an agitated mob of 300-400 people advances towardsa polling booth to ransack it or towards the security personnel with an intention ofsnatching their weapons or even killing them should they put up resistance, the useof mild or medium force can aggravate the situation. In such a situation, the use ofmeans like lathicharge, water cannon, rubber bullets or teargas, instead of acting asa deterrent, can rather act as a provocation to the mob which then can charge thepersonnel with more ferocity. What would follow is a bloodbath in which the securi-ty personnel and common citizens both lose their lives in large numbers. To keep thebody count low and to disperse the bloodthirsty mob, there is no practical option butto fire with the intention to kill as only that would act as a deterrent under such cir-cumstances. However, such nitty-gritty and technical knowhow are an integral partof the training of any professional force which is deployed to maintain law and order.Mamata’s allegations that the CISF has no experience in controlling mobs are moreunfounded than real. However, there should be a thorough inquiry into the incidentand those responsible for instigating the violence should not be spared. If the secu-rity personnel are at fault, strictest action must be taken against those responsible.But we expect our politicians not to do any further politics on the matter — at leastnot over the deaths. It’s plain shameful.

No golden rule

P A P E R W I T H P A S S I O N

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VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021

06

Tikait flexes musclesThe farmers have renewed their dialogue call

while throwing a challenge to the Haryana CM

The Nepal top court’s decision not favouring Oli has come as asurprise and now his political survival hangs by a fine thread

PICTALK

Devotees offer prayers at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar during the ongoing Kumbh Mela PTI

IF THE MAOISTSWITHDRAW

SUPPORT, THEGOVERNMENT

WILL FALL. THEMADHESH-BASED

JANATA SAMAJBADIPARTY MIGHT

PROVE TO BE THEKINGMAKER AS IT

CAN SUPPORT THENEPALI CONGRESSAND THE MAOISTS

TO FORM AGOVERNMENT OR

ALLY WITH OLI

RISHI GUPTA

Armed Forces personnel react differently to different life-threatening situations

Nepal staring atpolitical disquiet

After long political andjudicial scuffling inNepal, its top court intwo important verdicts

nullified the dissolution of thedemocratically electedParliament by the President andtermed illegal the 2018 merger ofthe Communist Party of Nepal(Unified Marxist Leninist) andthe Communist Party of Nepal(Maoist Centre) into the NepalCommunist Party (NCP), sayingthat another party existed withthe same name. It means that theUML and the Maoist parties areback to their old selves.

While the reinstatement ofthe House comes as a big blowto Prime Minister KP Oli, whohas emerged as an ultra-nation-alist leader, an unexpected ver-dict on the future of a dividedNCP has eventually put a fullstop to the power strugglebetween the party chairs of theerstwhile NCP, Oli andPrachanda.

The verdict is being seen asan extrajudicial effort to save thecountry from plunging into polit-ical instability. Considering Oli’sinfluence over the President’soffice, the Council of Ministers,Security Council, extraconstitu-tional bodies and the Press, it wasbelieved that the court wouldfavour Oli and acknowledge hisfaction as the legitimate NCP.That would have left Prachandawith no option but to form a newfaction. Oli’s legal team had alsobelieved in a favourable verdictbut the actual result has deepenedthe political crisis. Now, if theMaoists withdraw support, theGovernment will fall. TheMadhesh-based JanataSamajbadi Party might prove tobe the kingmaker as it can sup-port the Nepali Congress and theMaoists to form a Governmentor ally with Oli to give furtherlease to his premiership.

An expected outcome: The2018 merger of the two main-stream rivals had generated opti-mism among the Nepalese peo-ple that the new leadership wasshowing political maturity.However, it was only a matter ofpolitical survival for Oli andPrachanda as the former hadplanned to weaken the

SOUNDBITETIME TO REDEFINE RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA Sir — When Russian Foreign MinisterSergei Lavrov visited both New Delhi andIslamabad during his whirlwind tour, thevisible and palpable warmth between thetwo nations at Islamabad was conspicu-ous by its absence in Delhi. Not merephoto ops, Russia’s assurance to Pakistanon supply of highly sophisticated militaryequipment and the promise to conductjoint military exercise there does not bodewell for India’s interests. Well, it is not asif all of a sudden Moscow has found a newstrategic and military partner inIslamabad. For years, after a considerableperiod of strong dislike, Russia has builtbridges with Pakistan in its own way. Butin international relations, what is unsaidoften matters more than what is said.Foreign policy is a matter of costs andbenefits; no two nations are permanentfoes. New Delhi, of course, is not on a slip-pery slope as far as its military and tradeties with Moscow are concerned.

But international diplomacy is aclever struggle where minds speak morethan words. New Delhi’s proximity withWashington has not gone unnoticed inRussian diplomatic circles, especiallywhen India has always called Russia an“old friend”. Friends have the right to quar-rel but if that translates into a fight, thenthe repercussions are bound to vitiate theatmosphere in the region. As a matter ofprotocol, a visiting Foreign Minister mayor may not call on the Prime Minister ofthe host country. But PM Narendra Modiis known to rise above formalities.Therefore, tongues wagged when Lavrovleft for Islamabad without meeting thePM.

Ganapathi Bhat | Akola

MAMATA BANERJEE IS LIKE LAKSHMI BAI Sir — Visuals of an injured Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee on a wheelchair lead-ing the fight bring up the memory of RaniLakshmi Bai, the warrior queen of theprincely State of Jhansi, on horseback witha raised sword challenging the mightyBritish Raj undaunted. Bouquet or brick-

bats to Mamata Banerjee depends onwhich part of the political spectrum oneis positioned. Bigotry threatens to disturbcommunal harmony in the State andchange its cherished culture. Like watersfrom a breached glacial lake, moneyflows into the State unchecked. TheEnforcement Directorate follows everyTrinamool leader closely to jump uponhim tooth and claw. And the platoons havetheir fingers on the trigger always to ‘ruth-lessly’ enforce “law and order” in WestBengal.

Haridasan Rajan | Kozhikode

NEED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON COVID Sir — It is unfortunate to note that thescourge of COVID-19 is still continuingworldwide. Right now, there has beenunnecessary panic among the peopledespite all the serious efforts to fight thevirus. As a result, my family members

,including my mother, had to cancel theirtrain tickets to Chennai from Tuticorin—most of them have been wearing masks.What exactly is the reason for the currenttense situation? Countries have been fight-ing with the pandemic for more than a yearnow. In fact, all the healthcare and emer-gency measures like vaccines, face masks,washing of hands and social distancinghave been in place to date. In spite of suchstrict guidelines, people have startedignoring mandatory things like wearing amask for unknown reasons, maybe due totheir lethargic attitude to the crisis.

People must understand that preven-tion is always better than cure. The WHOshould take immediate steps to explain thelatest status on COVID and vaccines.

P Senthil | Mumbai

Send yyour ffeedback tto:letterstopioneer@gmail.com

It seems that the personnel of the centralsecurity forces deployed in election dutiesare not adequately trained to defuse a threat

created by a violent mob without resorting tofiring to kill. What happened in West Bengal'sCooch Behar has proved their incompetencein handling the law and order situation. Theperception that the central forces deployed inthe State are not as politically neutral as theyshould be is not far from reality and it erodestheir institutional credibility. Further, theElection Commission (EC) is supposed to

ensure a level playing field for all the partiesand apply rules uniformly and not selective-ly. But its decisions that invariably go in favourof the BJP make it look like an arm of the rul-ing party. The EC has given us reasons towonder if it follows the dictates of theGovernment.

It would be disingenuous of the EC toclaim that it had not scheduled the polling ineight phases at the BJP's behest to suit itscampaign plan. The task of safeguardingdemocracy is better served by the EC by beingparty-blind and playing its role impartially.Mahatma Gandhi's teaching is that meansshould be as fair as the end. But if what theBJP does in West Bengal is anything to goby, for it the end of wresting power from theTMC justifies whatever means it adopts, beit communal polarisation, misuse of institu-tions, splurge of money or unleashing vio-lence. It is an inversion of truth to say thatthe BJP adheres to Gandhian non-violence.

G David Milton | Tamil Nadu

CAPFs inept in handling law & order I urge everyone tocooperate and followthe COVID protocolsand don't rush tohospital unlessnecessary and goand vaccinate if you are eligible.

Delhi CM— Arvind Kejriwal

The struggleagainst Iran andits proxies andIranian armamentis a huge task. Thesituation that

exists today is not necessarily theone that will exist tomorrow.

Israeli Prime Minister — Benjamin Netanyahu

I want to play Hitler asI like the complexityof his character. InBhool Bhulaiya 2, Iplay a pandit whohelps the family whenthey feel the existence of ghosts.

Actor — Govind Namdev

It's the collectiveresponsibility of all of us to take COVIDseriously. Get yourmask on and staysafe.

Telangana's Cabinet Minister— KT Rama Rao

It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly andtiming the ball sonicely. He wentthrough a bad

patch earlier and has come back as a champion.

Cricketer — Shikhar Dhawan

LETTERS TO TTHE EDITOR

Nix sovereign guaranteeclause for the NaBFID

THIS IS GENOCIDE. I HAVE SEEN THE PICTURES. THE

CENTRAL FORCES HAD SIMPLY SPRAYED THE BULLETS

INSTEAD OF AIMING AT THE LEGS.

—WEST BENGAL CM

MAMATA BANERJEE

EVERY DEATH IS SAD BUT WHY IS IT

THAT MAMATA DIDI HAS TO PLAY POLITICS OF

APPEASEMENT WITH EVERY DEATH?

—UNION HOME MINISTER

AMIT SHAH

In her Budget speech, Finance Minister (FM)Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed setting up ofa new Development Financial Institution (DFI)

termed the National Bank for FinancingInfrastructure and Development (NaBFID). TheGovernment passed a Bill to establish the NaBFID,its objective being “to coordinate with the Centreand States, regulators, financial institutions (FIs),institutional investors and other relevant stakehold-ers, in India or outside India, to facilitate buildingand improving the relevant institutions to supportthe development of long-term non-recourse infra-structure financing in India, including the domes-tic bonds and derivatives markets.”

The NaBFID will also be involved “in lendingor investing, directly or indirectly, and seek to attractinvestments from private sector investors and insti-tutional investors, in infrastructure projects locat-ed in or outside India.” It will also help providefinancing options for projects under the much-trumpeted National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP).Under the NIP, the Union Government has iden-tified over 7,000 projects in all crucial sectors suchas roads, highways, railways, ports, power transmis-sion lines, gas pipelines and so on, requiring aninvestment of over `100 lakh crore over the nextfive years.

The Government will infuse `20,000 crore inNaBFID as budgetary support which will be lever-aged to generate a financing capability of over`3,00,000 crore. This is peanuts when compared tothe mammoth requirement of around ̀ 90 lakh crore(excluding about `10 lakh crore: `4,39,000 crorespent during 2020-21, plus a planned spending of`5,54,000 crore for 2021-22). But the moot ques-tion is whether the new DFI is a sustainable propo-sition?

This is not the first time that the idea of a DFIhas been floated. The first such institution, name-ly the Industrial Finance Corporation of India(IFCI), was set up in 1948, followed by theIndustrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) in1964. In the private sector, the Industrial Credit andInvestment Corporation of India (ICICI) was set upin 1955. This was in sync with the global trend inEurope, Japan, the US and other Asian countrieswhere the DFIs were set up primarily to rebuildinfrastructure devastated by World War II. After thetask was completed, those institutions were woundup. In India, how far these institutions (IDBI/IFCI)helped in building infrastructure is debatable.However, one thing is abundantly clear; theybecame a drain on the national exchequer througha variety of supports such as Government guaran-tees, capital commitments including from theReserve Bank of India (RBI) along with direct andindirect financing by the latter to meet their needs.

In the 90s, the Narasimham/Khan committeesrecommended — as part of the financial reformspackage — their gradual phase-out. They were eitherrequired to transform into banks or close if theycouldn’t.

The panels also recommended the developmentof domestic bonds and derivatives markets to gal-vanise investors to deploy their savings for long-termfinancing infrastructure projects. As a follow up, thethen Vajpayee Government converted the IDBI intoa commercial bank in 2003. The promoters of ICICIdid this much earlier in 1994 by converting the insti-tution into the ICICI Bank. However, the other most

crucial recommendation remainedunattended. In the absence of sustain-able arrangements for channelisinghousehold savings for long-terminvestment (a bank’s source of capi-tal is primarily short-term depositsresulting in what is termed as asset-liability mismatch), currently muchof infrastructure financing is done bythe Government of India (GOI) byway of budgetary support.

The GOI, in turn, raisesresources — albeit for providing bud-getary support — by imposing cess-es, fees and other levies such as theCentral Road and InfrastructureFund (CRIF), the Permanent BridgeFees Fund (PBFF) and monetisationof the National Highways Fund(NHF). For instance, during 2020-21,out of the ̀ 42,500 crore allocated tothe National Highways Authority ofIndia (NHAI) for executing roadsand highways projects, the contribu-tion of the above-mentioned fundswas 49 per cent, 27 per cent and 24per cent respectively.

In this backdrop, and with thepresent arrangement meeting only asmall portion of the mammothfunding needs (`100 lakh croreunder the NIP), setting up of dedi-cated institutions such as the NaBFIDprima facie appears to be an attrac-tive proposition. In fact, the ModiGovernment wants to use theNaBFID as an anchor DFI.

To begin with, the NaBFID willbe 100 per cent owned by the GOI,with equity capital coming by way ofbudgetary support. Over a period oftime, the latter will reduce its share-holding to 26 per cent, implying thatthe majority ownership and control

(albeit 74 per cent) will eventually bein private hands. It would be a pro-fessionally-run body, with theGovernment only appointing theChairperson.

The proposed structure of thenew DFI points towards theGovernment going for a hands-offapproach as the Act does not providefor an oversight mechanism; it willbe free from the “three Cs” i.e. theCentral Bureau of Investigation, theCentral Vigilance Commission andthe Comptroller and Auditor Generalof India. In fact, it goes a step forwardby seeking to protect the manage-ment for the decisions taken as an“act of good faith.” Up to this point,things are hunky-dory.

However, problems begin tocreep when we look at this: “The Actempowers the GOI to extend sover-eign guarantee in case of a default.”The guarantees cover a wide rangelike any liabilities of its own sub-sidiaries, joint ventures, branches andother similar arrangements; letters ofcomfort, or letters of credit for loansor bonds and debentures issued byany DFI funding infrastructure pro-jects in India; and guarantee of theNaBFID’s bonds, debentures, loansand borrowings from multilateralinstitutions, sovereign wealth funds(SWFs), and other foreign institu-tions. To bail out an entity majority-owned and controlled by private par-ties using the taxpayers’ funds is a badidea. Furthermore, to do this whenthe Government is not even exercis-ing any external oversight makes itabhorrent. The FM’s defence that “anaudited report would be placed inParliament every year, besides the

NaBFID having to furnish to the GOIand the RBI a copy of its balancesheet and accounts, together with acopy of the auditor’s report and areport of its working during the rel-evant year, within four months fromthe date on which its accounts wereclosed and balanced” does not inspireconfidence.

One shudders to fathom the con-tingent liabilities emanating from theabove open-ended guarantees pro-vided under the Act and their impacton the fiscal deficit (FD). Already, theFD for 2021-22 is put at 6.8 per centof the Gross Domestic Productwhich is almost double of what is per-mitted under the Fiscal Responsibilityand Budget Management. For 2025-26, the FM puts it at 4.5 per cent. TheNaBFID Act would result in spi-ralling of these numbers.

Team Modi needs to take arelook at the “sovereign guarantee”clause in the NaBFID Act. It shouldbe deleted. As for giving comfort toinvestors, if only project proponentscan generate the desired cash flows(this would require transparencyand efficiency in project execution,simplified processes, enforcement ofcontracts, freedom from bureau-cratic red tape and above all, realis-tic pricing of services shorn of pop-ulism), this will be automaticallyassured.

On the other hand, if these pre-requisites are lacking, resulting inshortfall in cash flows, then even theoffer of sovereign guarantee won’tprovide much comfort even as theNaBFID, too, will end up being adrain on the exchequer just as theerstwhile IDBI.

To bail out an entity majority-owned and controlled by privateparties using the taxpayers’ funds is a bad idea

RATTAN LAL KATARIA

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF

THESEPREREQUISITES

ARE LACKING,RESULTING

IN SHORTFALLIN CASH FLOWS,

THEN EVEN THE OFFER OF

SOVEREIGNGUARANTEE

WON'T PROVIDEMUCH COMFORT

EVEN AS THENABFID,

TOO, WILL END UP BEING

A DRAIN ON THEEXCHEQUER

JUST AS THEERSTWHILE IDBI

Afew years ago, a major English TV news channel in the coun-try started a drive to choose the “Greatest Indian” through onlineand mobile voting. The people of the country chose Babasaheb

Bhimrao Ambedkar as the “Greatest Indian.” This is Babasaheb’s great-est legacy. Unlike other leaders, he is still as relevant in the heartsof crores of Dalits and those who fight for a dignified life for under-privileged Indians, as he was in his time. As the country celebratesthe 130th birth anniversary of Babasaheb on April 14, Ambedkar’sstruggle and values continue to inspire Indians and even the Blackcommunity in the US and others fighting discrimination across theglobe. Ambedkar was different from other leaders in the sense thathe encouraged the underprivileged to get their rights through educa-tion and political struggle. Despite all the protests, insults, reproachand neglect, he did not tread the path of violence and never dreamedof destroying the system. Staying within the confines of constitution-al commitments, working within the system and changing it fromwithin, were the hallmarks of his struggle.

Babasaheb was not only the principal architect of the IndianConstitution, he firmly believed in the role of constitutional values inkeeping the democratic system alive. Education, democratic strug-gle and unity were the core of his philosophy. He drew the path betweensocialist philosophy and communism for social justice. After the RoundTable Conferences in 1931, the British proposed a separate electorate.When Madan Mohan Malaviya spoke to Babasaheb in this regardand envisaged its wider implications on Hindu society, Ambedkaragreed to have a more consistent reservation system for Dalits inplace of a separate electorate. Thus, the historic Poona Pact of 1932was signed. Ambedkar always fought for social justice and said thatthe scriptures that approve untouchability needed to be seen in thelight of new knowledge. Ambedkar did not seek equality, fraternityand freedom only for the Dalits but also tried to bring the entire Indiansociety under the umbrella of his great ideals. When Pandit Nehruwent back on his promise on the Hindu Code Bill, Ambedkar resignedfrom the Cabinet. Currently, while there is intense churning on its rolein ensuring democracy and social justice on a global scale, Babasahebhas become more relevant than ever.

The values of dialogue, constitutional struggle and constant coor-dination are now playing an important role in making the present sys-tem more effective. Babasaheb had also made similar efforts in theprocess of nation building. Just as the Government is working to re-establish India as the “Vishwa Guru”, Ambedkar, too, constantly strivedfor a global stature for Bharat. He was opposed to the prominenceof competitive allegiance of religion, culture, caste and language. Hebelieved that this made it difficult to cultivate Indianness and loyaltyto India. He said, “I want people to be Indian first and to be Indiantill the end, nothing but Indian.”

Following in his footsteps, the Centre is not only ensuring socialjustice, but is also striving to bring the underprivileged into the main-stream through economic empowerment. ‘Start-up India’, ‘Stand-up India’, the National Scheduled Castes Finance and DevelopmentCorporation and scholarships for secondary and higher studies, areall efforts in this direction. On April 14, the whole world will saluteBabasaheb, the true son of the nation, and his contribution towardsnation building will be remembered. However, the younger genera-tion must not only follow Babasaheb’s ideals on his birth anniver-sary but every moment of their life.

(The writer is Minister of State, Social Justice & Empowermentand Jal Shakti. The views expressed are personal.)

Should political partiesplay politics overCOVID-19? That is what

is happening over the deliv-ery of vaccines in the last fewdays. It has resulted in a fightbetween the Opposition-ruled States and the Centrefor more doses of the covet-ed jabs as the former and thelatter have accused eachother of “discrimination” and“neglect” respectively.

When COVID-19 hit thecountry in January 2020,Prime Minister (PM)Narendra Modi took theChief Ministers (CMs) andeven the public on boardabout how to effectively dealwith the situation. He heldseveral meetings with theCMs and consulted and guid-ed the States, promising themof all possible help. Theyworked in tandem.

The pandemic helped theGovernments focus on the

deteriorating healthcare sys-tem, lack of hospitals andfacilities, inadequate socialprotection, the need for morefunds for the health sector,health insurance and so on.Both the PM and the CMsneeded each other and leanedon each other to tackle theenormous medical emer-gency.

However, both were look-ing at an electorate and theirposition at the end of theirterms. Therefore, it becamean individual race for everyone of them. However,whether the Governmentmishandled the lockdownlast year came into question.Still, the lockdown itself didnot turn into a political issue.Even the Opposition partiescould not go beyond a pointto criticise the ModiGovernment.

Now, after one year, withthe pandemic running into its

second wave, politics seems tohave taken over. When thingsgo wrong, it is politics thatcomes to the fore.

Now, there are vaccineshortages and there was anobvious miscalculation onthe part of the authorities. Ifsomething goes wrong, theCentre blames the Stateswhile the States blame theCentre for not delivering therequired doses of vaccines.The demand pertaining to theshots has also gone up. Theinitial response from the pub-lic was one of “wait andwatch”, but now there is aclamour for vaccines as Indiabecame the second worst-hitnation in the world.

While the BJP touts Modias the saviour of the peopleand lauds his efforts in han-dling the pandemic, the CMsof the non-BJP ruled Statesare now alleging that they aregetting a stepmotherly treat-

ment. The fact is that all thepolitical parties have realisedthat COVID-19 has becomea long-term game and theycannot simply sit and not playpolitics over it. So, everything,right from the approval of thevaccines to allocation to theStates, is being politicised.

Former CM of UttarPradesh Akhilesh Yadav hasdeclared that he would nottake the “BJP vaccine”. Othershave questioned the efficacyof the vaccines and rightful-

ly the promise of vaccineavalibility made to the peoplein poll-bound States by theruling party.

It is a time of reckoningfor the State Governmentsand all political parties.Recently, Congress chiefSonia Gandhi, while address-ing the CMs of Congress-ledStates, asked them to priori-tise COVID-19 containment.She also accused the ModiGovernment of “mismanag-ing the pandemic situation byallowing the export of vac-cines resulting in vaccineshortage” in India.

She said: “As the principalOpposition party, it is ourresponsibility to raise issuesand push the Government tomove away from PR tacticsand act in the interest of thepeople.”

The current wave ofinfections will test the coun-try’s health infrastructure and

improvements in it since lastyear. Maharashtra was theworst-hit State during boththe significant surges ofCOVID-19 cases. As of April8, almost 24 million doseswere in stock and another 19million were in the pipeline.Some 3-3.5 million doseshave been administered on aneveryday basis, according todata made available by theUnion Ministry of Healthand Family Welfare.

The second wave camewhen people started cele-brating the success withrespect to effectively tacklingthe first wave. The period alsocoincided with the Assemblyelections in five States andmega religious events likethe Kumbh Mela. On March7, Health Minister HarshVardhan even declared that“we are in the endgame of theCOVID-19 pandemic.”

However, this is not the

appropriate time to question“who” and “why” with respectto the mishandling of the cri-sis. The real question is whatthe Centre and StateGovernments have done dur-ing the pandemic and whatthey can do to contain thesecond wave. The Oppositionmust understand that itshould be more vigilant,active, public-spirited andcourageous.

The Opposition partiesshould play their role as aninstitutional watchdog anddevelop credible policy alter-natives instead of blaming theGovernment. The ModiGovernment should be trans-parent in distributing thevaccines and in addressingthe concerns of the CMs ofthe Opposition-ruled States.All the sides should realisethat this is an unprecedentedcrisis, and playing politics willnot help.

The Opposition should develop credible policy alternatives instead of blaming the Govt, and the Centre must be transparent in distribution of the COVID shots

VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021

07

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FIRSTCOLUMN

REMEMBERING THE‘GREATEST INDIAN’

Ambedkar did not seek equality only for Dalits but triedto bring all of India under the umbrella of his great ideals

UTTAM GUPTA

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

The writer is a New Delhi-based policy

analyst. The viewsexpressed are personal.

Playing politics over vaccines will not help the cause

KALYANI SHANKAR

The writer is a seniorjournalist. The views expressed

are personal.

VIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021 Money 08

MONEY MATTERS

Silver futures on Mondaydropped Rs 98 to Rs

66,885 per kg asparticipants reduced theirbets on low demand.

On the Multi CommodityExchange, silver

contracts for May deliverytumbled by Rs 98, or 0.15

per cent, to Rs 66,885 per kg in a business turnover of 9,516lots. Silver traded lower by 0.47 per cent at USD 25.21 perounce in New York.

Silver futures drop onsubdued demand

Vodafone IdeaLtd (VIL) on

Monday said it willbe sending a"suitableclarification" to thetelecomdepartment onshow-cause noticeover non-paymentof licence fee in

seven circles, and noted that any payment not made on March25, would be paid on April 15 with interest. Last week, theDepartment of Telecom (DoT) issued a show-cause notice toVIL over non-payment of licence fee for the fourth quarter of2020-21, with regard to circles of Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu andKashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh (East), Odisha , aswell as national long distance. "We will be sending suitableclarification to DoT with reference to the said show-causenotice," VIL said in a regulatory filing. VIL explained thatpayment of licence fee is regular quarterly exercise based onself-calculation of revenue for each quarter. Generally, thepayment is made on 15th day of the month following thequarter-end, but in the fourth quarter an estimated payment isrequired by March 25.

Will send clarification to DoTover show-cause notice: VIL

Flipkart onMonday

said it hasentered intoa commer-cial partner-ship with theAdani Group

to strengthen logistics and data centre capabilities of the Walmart-owned company and create about 2,500 direct jobs. In this two-pronged partnership, Flipkart will work with Adani Logistics Ltd, awholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Ports and Special Economic ZoneLtd, to strengthen its supply chain infrastructure and further enhanceits ability to serve its rapidly growing base of customers, a statementsaid. In addition, Flipkart will set up its third data centre atAdaniconnex's Chennai-based facility, leveraging the latter's expertiseand industry-leading data centre technology solutions, it added.Adaniconnex is a new joint venture formed between EdgeConneXand Adani Enterprises Ltd.

Flipkart inks pact with AdaniGroup to create 2,500 jobs

Amazon on Monday said itwill cover the COVID-19 vac-

cination cost for all its Indiaemployees and associates aswell as those in partner networkecosystem. This would includedelivery service partner associ-

ates, including Amazon Flex drivers, 'I Have Space' store partners,trucking partners and their eligible dependents, a statement said. Thebenefit also will be available to all sellers on Amazon.in with an activelisting since last year, it added. come available to individuals above45 years of age in India, Amazon India is encouraging its employees,associates, sellers on Amazon.in and partners to get vaccinated at theearliest appropriate time to protect themselves, their families, andtheir communities," it said. The company has also set up comprehen-sive support mechanisms for employees and associates working withAmazon and hired through staffing agencies, it added.

Amazon to cover vax cost for over 10 lakh employees

PNS n WASHINGTON

India will come out of theCOVID-19 crisis that hasimpacted the entire world withflying colours, Deloitte CEOPunit Renjen has said, assert-ing that the 21st century is"India's century".

Renjen said the Indian gov-ernment has performed well inaddressing the challengesposed by the COVID-19 pan-demic.

"This is India's century andI'm convinced about it,” the 60-year-old prominent Indian-American business leader toldPTI in an interview.

"I am certainly a little biasedgiven my (Indian) heritagebut I'm actually convincedthat this is India's centurybecause of just the raw talentthat exists in India, the num-ber of people that compriseIndia, the democratic traditionthat has been around for 75years,” he said.

Observing that the pan-demic impacted everyone,Renjen said the pandemicimpacted India very hard,given the lockdown that thegovernment had to put inplace, given the size of the pop-ulation and what the virus

potentially could do to India.The Rohtak-born Indian-

American CEO, who has beenheading Deloitte since 2015,described as “remarkable” arecent report from theInternational Monetary Fundwhich projected 12.5 per centgrowth rate for the country.

“Nobody can say with pre-cision, but I really believe thatIndia is going to come out ofthis pandemic growing at thefastest rate;… definitely thefastest large economy,” he said.

“I think the recovery isgoing to be very strong. Thefundamentals (of Indian econ-omy) are there and I'm very

bullish as is Deloitte on India,”said Renjen, also a member ofthe Deloitte Global Board ofDirectors. This was a veryunpredictable virus. India is acountry of 1.3 billion peopleand there are communities inIndia like Dharavi in Mumbaithat are highly congested areas,which are really prime areas forthe virus to spread, he said.

“Given all of those condi-tions, I believe that the Indianeconomy, the Indian peoplehave weathered this as well asthey possibly could,” he said,adding that, however, therehave been difficult times butthat is not just unique to India.

India will come out of Covid crisiswith flying colours: Deloitte CEO

PNS n MUMBAI

The recent fall in gold pricesis unlikely to affect the assetquality of non-banking finan-cial companies (NBFCs)lending against gold in aconsiderable manner, accord-ing to a report.

However, banks that wereaggressively disbursing goldloans during the last fiscalmay see some impact ontheir asset quality, CrisilRatings said in a report.

On a 30-day rolling basis,the gold price has correctedaround 10 per cent over thepast six months, while on anabsolute basis it has fallentwice that rate.

"The correction in goldprices in recent months is notexpected to materially impactthe asset quality of NBFCslending against gold," theagency said.

Apart from periodicallycollecting interest over thepast few fiscal, NBFCs haveensured that disbursementloan-to-value (LTV) is main-tained below 75 per cent, itsaid. For NBFCs, the averageportfolio LTV as ofDecember 31, 2020, was closeto 63-67 per cent, while theaverage LTV on incrementaldisbursements in theOctober-December 2020quarter was around 70 percent.

Fall in gold prices may notimpact NBFCs asset quality

PNS n SEOUL

South Korean President MoonJae-in on Monday welcomed adecision by two South Koreanelectric vehicle battery makersto settle a long-running intel-lectual property dispute thathad threatened thousands ofAmerican jobs and PresidentJoe Biden's environmental poli-cies. In agreeing to pay 2 tril-lion won (USD 1.8 billion) toLG Energy Solution over stolentrade secrets, SK Innovationcan now move ahead withplans to manufacture batteriesin Georgia for electrically pow-ered Ford pickup trucks andVolkswagen SUVs.

In a series of tweets, Moonsaid the companies' last-minutesettlement on Sunday was “for-

tunate” and “very meaningful”and would help stabilise glob-al supply chains in a fast-mov-ing industry that's experienc-ing growing pains.

South Korea's Ministry ofTrade, Industry and Energy ina press release called for“stronger cooperation and sol-idarity” between South Koreanbattery companies whichshould now focus on “prepar-ing for the future in face of

intense global competition.” The agreement between thecompanies averted an inter-vention by Biden in a caseclosely watched for its implica-tions for his clean-energy agen-da, which includes drasticallyincreasing use of electric vehi-cles to help address climatechange.

Biden had until Sundaynight to decide whether to stepin, following a February rulingby a trade commission. Hecalled the agreement a “win forAmerican workers and theAmerican auto industry.”

In a regulatory filing toSouth Korean financial author-ities, SK Innovation said itwill provide LG Energy alump-sum payment of 1 tril-lion won ($888 million) and

the same maximum amount inroyalties. The companies alsoagreed to withdraw all pendingtrade disputes in the UnitedStates and South Korea and notassert new claims for 10 years.

The U.S. International TradeCommission had decided inFebruary that SK stole 22 tradesecrets from LG Energy andthat SK Innovation should bebarred from importing, mak-ing or selling batteries in theUnited States for 10 years.

The decision had jeopar-dized a $2.6 billion battery fac-tory that SK Innovation isbuilding in Commerce,Georgia. The company hascontracts to make batteries foran electric Ford F-150 pickuptruck and an electricVolkswagen SUV.

Moon says EV battery settlement ‘meaningful'

PNS n WASHINGTON

More than a hundred top exec-utives and corporate leadersgathered online this weekendto discuss their response torestrictive voting laws underconsideration in several statesand already enacted inGeorgia, according to a state-ment from organizers of themeeting.

The statement didn't iden-tify the participants, but TheWashington Post reported that

the meeting included execu-tives from major airlines,retailers and manufacturersand at least one NFL owner.

Without offering specifics,the statement — issued by theYale School of Managementand two other civic groups —

noted that that “CEOs indicat-ed readiness to act individual-ly and collectively to shore upAmerican democracy andensure Americans have accessto a world class voting system.”

Such actions could includehalting donations to politi-cians who support the bills andeven delaying investments instates that pass the restrictivemeasures, according to JeffreySonnenfeld, a Yale manage-ment professor and one of theorganizers.

CEOs gather to speak outagainst voting law changes

PNS n NEW DELHI

Pipe manufacturer ManIndustries on Monday said ithas bagged a new order worthRs 766 crore.

"The company has receiveda new order worth Rs 766crore from the domestichydrocarbon sector," ManIndustries said in a regulato-ry filing.

Man Industries said withthis new order the unexecut-ed order book as on datestands at approximately Rs1,900 crore to be executed inthe current financial year.

"This order reflects a robust

business environment and alsoshowcases the trust customershave in the company's techno-logical and executional capa-bilities," the company added.

PNS n WASHINGTON

India is on the right track andis innovating on the policyside, including on digital iden-tity and payments, but it alsoneeds to capture all the seg-ments of the financial marketand institutions to make surethat every piece fits togetherlike a puzzle to fuel growth inthe country, according to a topIMF official.

“The goal is to have aneconomy and a financial sys-tem that can absorb shocks...Balance sheets can be bettermanaged, Non-PerformingLoans (NPLs) can be bettermanaged,” Tobias Adrian,Director of the Monetary andCapital Markets Departmentof the International MonetaryFund (IMF) told PTI in aninterview.

The non-bank financialsystem can be better seen, andcapital markets have to bedeepened and made morerobust, he said during the lastweek's annual Spring meetingof the IMF and the WorldBank. Of course, there is thewhole fintech agenda as well,which is important in India asit is everywhere else in theworld.

“We are in the technologi-cal revolution in paymentspace. And I think India has

been path-breaking in manyof these technologies andpayment systems. Now thereis lending that is done in Indiathat is not done anywhere elsebecause the infrastructure isquite strong in this area. Butof course, more can be done,”Adrian said in response to aquestion.

The IMF official under-scored the significance ofinvestments into financialinstitutions, into oversight,and into infrastructures toensure that the “financial sys-tem can absorb shocks andthat is sustaining growth” ina long-term way.

India, he said, is on theright track and is innovatingon the policy side.

“It has been quite innova-tive on digital identity, forexample. I think no countryis laying like India in that

respect,” he said, noting thatthe country needs to captureall the segments of the finan-cial market and financialinstitutions to make sure thatevery piece fits together likea puzzle to fuel growth inIndia.

The general lesson from theCOVID-19 crisis, he said, isthat when the terrible adverseshock hits one need to aggres-sively supply liquidity.

Secondly, the fiscal supportwas very important in thisparticular crisis and that ofcourse dependent on howmuch fiscal space each coun-try had. Thirdly, of coursefinancial sector policies havebeen very successful. Debtmoratoria, interest rate pay-ments for that debt in partic-ular are fully compatible withregulatory and accountingflexibility, he said.

‘India must capture all segmentsof financial market to fuel growth’

PNS n NEW DELHI

ICRA on Monday said itexpects steady recovery intelecom sector to sustain byway of ARPU expansionwhich is likely to boost rev-enues and margins for theindustry.

That said, debt continues toremain the achilles heel of theindustry, it cautioned. ICRA expects total industrydebt to remain elevated at Rs5 lakh crore as on March 31,2022.

The next round of tariffhikes can provide a fillip to theindustry Average Revenue PerUser (ARPU). The expansionin profitability is expected toresult in improvement in thedebt coverage metrics of theindustry, but it would contin-ue to remain weak given thehigh debt levels, ICRAobserved. Elevated debt levelswill continue to remain the"major impediment" as indus-try added AGR levies relateddebt and spectrum debt afterrecently-concluded auctions.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Biotechnology firmBiocon on Monday saidits subsidiary BioconPharma has receivedGMP compliance certifi-cate from UK's health reg-ulator MHRA for itsBengaluru facility.

"Biocon PharmaLimited, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of BioconLimited, has received acertificate of GMP com-pliance from the MHRA,the UK, for its manufac-turing facility at BioconPark in Bengaluru,"Biocon said.

Biocon's arm getsGMP compliancecertificate

Recovery sustainsin telcos’ operatingmetrics, says ICRA

Man Industries bagsorder worth Rs 766 cr

Sensex nosedives 1,708pts amid massive selloff

PNS n MUMBAI

Equity benchmark Sensexplummeted 1,708 points onMonday following an across-the-board selloff as spikingCOVID-19 cases in the coun-try spooked investors.

The 30-share BSE indexsank 1,707.94 points or 3.44per cent to end at 47,883.38.

Similarly, the broader NSENifty plunged 524.05 points

or 3.53 per cent to finish at14,310.80. IndusInd Bank

was the top loser in theSensex pack, tank-

ing over 8 p ercent, followed byB ajaj Finance ,SBI , ONGC,Tit an , M&M,Bajaj Finser v,ICICI Bank andAxis Bank. DrReddy's wasthe sole gain-

e r ,

climbing over 4 per cent."Domestic equities remind-

ed the bloodbath of March2020 as record rise in COVID-19 cases in the country andpossibility of lockdowns inseveral states dented investors'sentiments," said Binod Modi,Head - Strategy at RelianceSecurities. Concerns of possi-ble reversa l in economicmomentum and earningsrecovery made investors risk-averse and huge selloff led tothe erosion of nearly Rs 9 lakhcrore in investor wealth, headded.

Elsewhere in Asia, boursesin Shanghai, Hong Kong andTokyo were in the red, whileSeoul ended with mild gains.

Stock exchanges in Europewere largely trading on a pos-itive note in mid-session deals.

Meanwhile, international oilbenchmark Brent crude wastrading 0.57 per cent higher atUSD 63.31 per barrel.

PNS n MUMBAI

Noida-based IT solutionsprovider Coforge onMonday picked up a con-trolling stake in SLKGlobal Solutions, a busi-ness process transforma-tion services providerprimarily to the financialservices industry, for areported enterprise valueof USD 195 million.

The deal will furtherstrengthen the financialservices vertical ofCoforge, scale up its BPMoperations and expand itsUS footprint, the compa-ny said in a statement,which did not quantify thedeal value. However,sources told that the enter-prise value of the deal isaround $195 million.Though based inBengaluru, SLK has mostof clients in the US bank-ing and insurance sectorsand has deep domainexpertise in the bankingand insurance businessesof North America.

Coforge acquiresSLK Global at'enterprise value'of USD 195 mn

PNS n NEW DELHI

Lighting and steel pipeproducts maker SuryaRoshni on Monday saidit has bagged an orderworth Rs 299 crore forsupply of carbon steelline pipes to NumaligarhRefinery Ltd for ParadipNumaligarh Crude OilPipeline project inOdisha.

"The company hasobtained an orderamount of Rs 299.07crore (excluding GST)for supply of... externalcoated carbon steel linepipes to NumaligarhRefinery for ParadipNumaligarh Crude OilPipeline project," SuryaRoshni said in a regula-tory filing.

The order is to be exe-cuted within 15 months,it added.

Shares of Surya Roshniwere trading 6.87 percent lower at Rs 359.15apiece.

Surya Roshni

bags Rs 299 cr

order for supply

of steel pipes

ctor DeepikaPadukone hasannounced herdeparture fromMAMI (MumbaiAcademy of

Moving Image). She took toInstagram to share with herfollowers that she has decidedto quit as its chairperson.

Deepika wrote in her note,“Being on the board ofMAMI and serving asChairperson has been adeeply enriching experience.As an artist it was invigorat-ing to bring together cinemaand talent from all over theworld to Mumbai, my secondhome. I have come to realisehowever, that with my cur-rent slate of work, I will beunable to give MAMI theundivided focus and attentionit requires. I depart knowing

that MAMI is in the besthands possible and that mybond and connection withthe academy is one that willlast a lifetime.”

Deepika had replaced film-maker Kiran Rao as theMAMI chairperson in 2019.Deepika had called herappointment a huge responsi-bility. “It’s an absolute honourand a huge responsibility. Ibelieve in MAMI’s vision andwe are committed towardscreating a community thatcinema lovers and creators ofa film passionate nation likeours truly deserve,” she hadsaid.

Deepika currently has mul-tiple projects in the pipeline.Her film 83, directed by KabirKhan and co-starring hus-band Ranveer Singh, is up forrelease soon. She also stars in

Shakun Batra’s domesticnoir with Ananya Pandayand Siddhant Chaturvedi.

The actor is working onPathan, with Shah RukhKhan and John Abraham.She will also star in her firstfilm opposite Hrithik Roshan,titled Fighter, and anupcoming film withPrabhas.

Recently, Deepikawelcomed AmitabhBachchan onboard TheIntern. The film is aremake of Nancy Meyer’sHollywood hit by thesame name.

The original starredAnne Hathaway and RobertDe Niro. The film was earliersupposed to star RishiKapoor, but AmitabhBachchan joined the projectafter Rishi’s death last year.

9

Vijayawada Tuesday April 13, 2021what’s brewing?

ctor NawazuddinSiddiqui says thataspiring actorsneed to make surethey have theirunique style while

entering showbiz, adding thatif they intend to copy thesuperstars, they will not beliked by the audience.

“I would just like to sayfrom my experience that youshould not lose your original-ity. These superstars do fakeacting, so don’t get carriedaway with it. I want to seeyour original acting. If youare acting like a superstar,why would I watch you. Ifyou show something good,something that is interestingand original, I would want tosee that,” he told a newsagency.

The actor adds that starsare now moving to OTTbecause films are not beingreleased in theatres.

“In the beginning, it wasbecause of cause and passion.Now, because of the lock-down and films not releasingin theatres, these big stars are

coming to OTT. That is not agood thing. Now there arebig OTT platforms that aretaking these big stars. Whydidn’t these stars comebefore?” he says.

Nawazuddin makes hismusic video debut in B.Praak’s new song Baarish KiJaaye, which released recent-ly.

Talking about the video, hesays: “My experience wasvery different. I have neverdone it (music video) beforeand I never even paid atten-tion. But they got two tothree options, and we talked.I like the work of B. Praakand this one I liked in thefirst go. (Video director)Arvindr Khaira shot inHyderabad. We shot it in twodays. I have never dancedand had this mentalblockage about it.I was scared,too. But Irehearsedand itwent offwell,” herecalls.

a Anand Sheela,who shot to glob-al fame with thedocumentaryWild WildCountry on con-

troversial spiritual guruOsho Rajneesh, will be backto the screen in Searching forSheela, scheduled to releaseon Netflix on April 22.

Sheela was a crucial figurein helping Rajneesh estab-lish Rajneeshpuram, a utopi-an city for his followers inrural Oregon, which func-tioned between 1981 to1985.

She was also the primaryperpetrator of the 1984Rajneesh bioterror attack inOregon, US.

Post the attack she fled toEurope as a fugitive accusedof arson, wiretapping,attempted murder, and masspoisonings.

She would plead guilty toattempted murder and

assault for her role andwas sentenced to 20

years in federalprison and paroledafter 39 months.

Billed as adocu-film,Searching forSheela aims toexplore her jour-ney throughIndia after 34years and sheds

light on her new life postserving time for her allegedcrimes.

Sheela Birnstiel said thedocu-film will give the audi-ence a glimpse of her “realself ” and the evolution ofher life over the last fourdecades.

“This film is about myjourney of returning to myhome in India, a journey Ihave longed for many years.It captures the rollercoasterof emotions I experiencedon this journey very well. I

am looking forward to shar-ing my story with theworld,” she said.

Searching for Sheela isproduced by DharmaticEntertainment, the digitalcontent arm of filmmakerKaran Johar’s DharmaProductions. FilmmakerShakun Batra, who serves asthe executive producer onthe docu film Searching forSheela, said the documen-tary is not an “investigativepiece” but a deep-dive intounderstanding Sheela, a

woman living on her ownterms with a “questionablepast.” “We trace her journeyas she grapples with society’sexpectations of an ex-con-vict and attempts to re-brand the public opinion ofherself. Searching for Sheelais a documentary that triesto get a closer look at one ofthe most sensationalisedpersonalities in India and Iam grateful to Netflix forproviding us with a platformand a safe space to share herstory,” Batra added.Deepika Padukone resigns as

MAMI chairperson, says cannot give ‘undivided focus'

ctress PriyankaChopra Jonas wasthe first presenterat the 74thBritish Academyof Films and

Television Arts (BAFTA)awards, for the category ofBest Animated film.

“Animated film charac-ters have had a great year— no social distancing, noquarantine. It’s a great timeto be a cartoon,” Priyankasaid, before revealing thewinning film’s name atLondon’s prestigious RoyalAlbert Hall. Pete Docter’sSoul was the winner in thecategory, beating competi-tion from nominees such asOnward and Wolfwalkers.Moments before the awardcelebration started,Priyanka and her husband,

pop star Nick Jonas, werephotographed together.Priyanka wore a fiery redembroidered jacket with anopen neckline and paired it

with ivory harem pants.Nick chose a classywardrobe. He looked dap-per in black suit and a crispwhite shirt.

AM

AA

DOCUMENTARY ON OSHO RAJNEESH'S FORMER AIDE MA ANAND SHEELA TO PREMIERE ON NETFLIX IN APRIL

BAFTA 2021: Priyanka says it’s greattime to be a cartoon in Covid era

NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI:SUPERSTARS DO FAKE ACTING

Rules

ARCHIE

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

REALITY CHECK SPEED BUMP 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

FUN

aking awesomeness tothe next level for pas-sionate fans, &flix hasreleased a specialmusic video AwesomeIn Disguise in collabo-

ration with the leading multilin-gual pop-folk band When ChaiMet Toast. An ode to those whoinspire us to take a leap of faith,the upbeat soundtrack depictshow it’s not just the suits andsuperpowers, but the heart whichis where the awesomeness stemsfrom.

The track which is a foot-tap-ping melody talks about a jour-ney of bringing together a groupof marvelous people to unleashwhat makes them awesome andextraordinary. Packed with mes-merising acoustics, the musicinspires you to #LeapForth withfaith that puts you on the path ofredefining yourself. Along withthe band members AchyuthJaigopal, Ashwin Gopakumar, PaiSailesh, and Pale Francis, themusic video also brings forththose individuals who haveachieved nothing short of mirac-ulous feats through their spectac-ular show of strength, skill, andsheer will.

Featuring in this video will beParul Arora, the National GoldMedalist Gymnast who acedbackflips in a saree, AnamHashim, India’s only professional

street bike freestyle athlete tohave won laurels for the countryon a global stage and SagarWaghela, the star boy of theskateboarding circuit, and more.Other featured talents includeManasi Joshi, Indian para-bad-minton player, the current WorldChampion and a changemaker inthe sporting world andHydroman aka Jaydeep Gohil,India’s first underwater dancer.

With a message that strengthisn’t only defined by your physi-cal capacity to outperform othersbut rather by your sheer tenacityand will of mind to overcomehurdles and prove yourself everysingle time, the band memberssay, “Superheroes aren’t just char-acters with tremendous physiqueand superpowers but rather oneof sound mind and a good heart.This particular trait is so oftenseen in select few who go out ofthe way and never once retirefrom successive faults and fail-ures but rather give it all it takesto see their dream turn into reali-ty. Here are so many superheroesamongst us, with unmatchedabilities and identities and hencethe Awesome In Disguise title.

Being a part of the &flix cam-paign gave us the opportunity toexpress through the song, thetopic of overcoming fears andleaping forth from the hurdlesthat lie in your path, a subject wenaturally relate to in our song-writing.”

Speaking about the musicvideo exclusively with ThePioneer, they add, “The conceptis trying to clearly explain that it’snot the instrument that youchoose, but the path in itself thatdefines your hero journey.Awesome in Disguise is a compila-tion of several acts of unabashedpassion and courage that inspireothers among us to do better.Heroes are not meant to be onlywatched, but rather a beacon ofhope guide in times of dilemmaand doubt. The music video con-veys that even though we mayhesitate to look beyond our com-fort zones or face our fears open-ly, we all have the inner ability tobe our own superhero.”

The fan base of When ChaiMet Toast has been steadilyincreasing with every passingday. “It’s very heart-warming tosee more people discovering our

music and listening to our songs.We were on a six-city tourrecently and had entire audiencessing back every word! It was anindescribable feeling. The loveshowered on us by these incredi-ble fans everywhere is absolutelyencouraging and gives us a spec-tacular high and zest every timewe perform in front of thecrowds. The medley of tunesfrom all over India which is basi-cally the soul and rhythm of thisband and our music has steadilyseen an acceptable form of theculture here in India and is nowslowly shaping up to be one ofthe most favoured types of musicamong young listeners,” the bandtells us.

When Chai Met Toasts clearlystands for pop culture renditionof capturing life the way it isthrough our music and this justfelt like the perfect fit. What’snext in store for the band? Theyreveal, “You can expect a wave ofanticipation and excitement inthe coming months. Along withanother single due to release inthe coming month, we also havethe full album of When We FeelYoung releasing soon.”

The ever-increasing

fanbase of thepopular band

When Chai MetToast is in for a

treat. The band'slatest releaseAwesome In

Disguise is allabout

#LeapingForthand being one'sown superhero.

With soulfulmusic and a

message, theband talks to

The Pioneer's KRAMYA SREE

about theirproject,

upcomingalbums, and

more.

AWESOME IN

DISGUISE!

SHIKHA DUGGAL

aher Shabbir, whohad once played thelead actor oppositeTollywood actressTaapsee Pannu inNaam Shabana, is

now tasting stardom even onOTT platforms, and why not,it’s the new normal! Re-invent-ing his approach towards digi-tal platforms, the Guilty fameis busy carving a niche forhimself in this industry. Notonly has he made his presencefelt in Bollywood, he also hasbeen part of several recentOTT hits including Guilty,Poison 2, Hundred and is nowrooting for Bekaboo 2 that’s fullof an ensemble cast!

The new psycho-thriller willmake you jump at every scaryscene, and messes with yourmind. With Taher playing avital role in it, it’s a whole newdifferent ball-game for him aswell. There is a distinct differ-ence between suspense andsurprise and not confusing thetwo, Bekaboo 2 picks up rightwhere season one left, follow-ing up on a young author,Anaysha, who shot to fameovernight owing to a book shewrote not-so-ethically! “Thereis a target been set on almosteveryone in the series. None isaware of who is after their livesand happiness and this is thewhole USP, the one that’s goingto keep the audiencesengrossed. My character Kiyanis a borderline psychotic andseeks revenge on quite a fewpeople, especially Ananyshaand Kashti! Kiyan doesn’t letthings go easily and neitherforgives quickly. Season 2 willsee a more evolved version ofmy character,” shares Taherwho made his film debut withShahrukh Khan-led Fan.

At the moment, keepingeveryone on their toes with hisnew venture on the digitalplatform, the one thing heloves about being in the show-biz industry is the nature of itsjob. Allowing him to adornmultiple personalities and theability to separate it from both‘real’ and ‘reel’, being anotherperson for a while is excitingfor him! It gives him a kick.Certainly to be able to sustainin this industry is quite chal-lenging yet, Taher Shabbirmanaged to endure with theway he projected those sincerelooking characters on screen.As actors, they sometimes liveup to the audience’s expecta-tions and sometimes do failmiserably, but the one thingthat remains constant is con-tinuing to give path-breakingperformances regardless of theconditions that you’re workingin. Whether you’re working inan exotic outdoor location orin the gullies of Mumbai, as anactor what the businessdemands is to be passionateabout it and so is Taher.

Telling us how he progressedinto the character of Kiyan, hesays, “As per the script, Kiyanhas a lot of potential. What Ineeded currently was to workmy ass off on the body lan-guage because it’s a grey char-acter out there seekingrevenge. Now, how the series isgoing to be received is not inmy hands but as an actor, Iknow that I have given my onehundred percent! I want the

show to be fabulous and theone that stays with the audi-ence.”

He’s not playing a morallygrey character, he’s out and outseeking revenge! Not havinganything wholly good abouthimself in the series, it’s hisway of projecting the characterthat’s turning out to be aninteresting addition to theplotline because it’s a greycharacter. He’s going to keepthe storyline unpredictable forthe viewers throughout desir-ing to be a classic example ofhow grey characters are played.

There’s no black and whiteabout OTT certainly changingthe very face of media today!Years worth of change, webelieve. Due to the crowdpulling to every OTT platformthat’s possible, the competitionis also rising and how.

The time is ripe for OTTseven in the future because fewof them are still hesitant to goto theatres, there’s a re-surge ininfections unfortunately.Everyone’s going through anindustry shift and mainstreamcontent being released onlineis a trend that’s going to con-tinue.

“OTT platforms are thefuture of the entertainmentindustry catering to variousgenres and stories. The plat-forms are growing at lightningspeed! The way things aregoing, it might be possible thatpeople will only prefer OTT asthey are easily accessible and atany place. With their diversecontent and growing audience,digital platforms are anticipat-ed to be the new normal foreveryone,” he adds on how

OTT is staying ahead in thecompetition!

Every set is taking precau-tions because sanitisation hasundoubtedly become the needof the hour! To be secure evenwhile working is everyone’spriority and that cannot becompromised on. The actorshares his experience of shoot-ing amid these unprecedentedtimes and this is his takeawayfrom that — “I was excited toface the camera after a briefhiatus. It felt like a homecom-ing of sorts! While makersensure that all the guidelinesare followed on sets, actors arealso being extra cautious.There were limited people onsets and we wore masks regu-larly. At every point in andaround the sets, there weresanitiser bottles and sprays. Itwas quite a distinct experience,although now we are prettymuch used to it now. It hasbecome a new normal foreveryone sadly! Day by day, itwas getting challenging toshoot during such restrictions,however keeping the guidelinesin mind, I made sure that Icarry my sanitisers, mask,gloves, etc. It was not only toensure my safety but also toensure the safety of my fellowcast and crew members.”Advising the budding actors tonot let an ignorant cloud ofjudgement stopping you frombeing in this industry andnever to pull your contempo-rary down in pursuit of suc-cess, Taher Shabbir solelybelieves in working on one’sinner self rather! Forgivenessshould be more for oneselfthan for others, he concludes.

SHOOTING POST-COVID

FELT LIKEHOMECOMING: TAHER

T

T

e have witnessed a steeprise in maternal deathsduring the Covid-19pandemic. This crisishas shown us that wemust strengthen health

systems to cope with emergencieswithout impacting essential ser-vices,” says Executive Director,Population Foundation of India,Poonam Muttreja.

Besides the overwhelming bur-den of Covid-19 cases in India, theindirect effects of the pandemic arecause for concern, especially in thecase of already vulnerable commu-nities. Women and children havebeen disproportionately affected,with studies registering a significantincrease in the numbers of still-births and maternal deaths com-pared to pre-Covid periods. Arecent review in The Lancet, ofstudies on maternal and childhealth outcomes, has confirmedthat the impact of the Covid-19-associated lockdowns has been dev-

astating for mothers and newborns.Low and middle-income countries(LMICs) have been worst affected.

Clinics and public health facili-ties being inaccessible to many dur-ing pandemic-induced lockdownscut off thousands from essentialhealth services. The United Nationshas estimated that this may havecaused an additional 2,20,000 childdeaths and 11,000 maternal deathsin South Asia alone. These num-bers are likely to increase with Indiapotentially accounting for thelargest proportions. In India, thenumber of women who received allfour antenatal check-ups during thepandemic also dropped by 51 percent and the number of institution-al deliveries were down by 79 percent. The demand for family plan-

ning services satisfied by modernmethods fell by 67 per cent.

National Safe Motherhood Dayis celebrated on Kasturba Gandhi’sbirth anniversary, April 11, everyyear. This year, the focus was onensuring access to quality familyplanning services and reproductivehealth services for all.

A robust family planning pro-gramme is an important way ofcurbing preventable deaths. “Moreaccessible and equitable familyplanning services that offers awider choice of contraceptivemethods to couples are a simple,low-cost intervention that canreduce maternal and child mortali-ty by preventing early pregnanciesand unwanted pregnancies at a laterage,” says Poonam.

“At Population Foundation ofIndia, we have engaged with policy-makers, donors, NGOs and com-munities to consistently raise thediscourse on the need for informeddecision making on women’shealth. We promote effective andgender-sensitive health and devel-opment strategies and policies. Wehave constantly emphasised theimportance of planned families,birth spacing and delayed marriageas strategies to improve maternalhealth,” she adds.

Gender inequality, gender-basedviolence and lack of agency contin-ue to impact women’s ability toaccess maternal and antenatalhealth services. In India, regressivegender norms continue to result ina preference for sons, leading to fre-quent pregnancies. Further socialnorms around child and early mar-riages also impact maternal andchild health.

While the full impact of the pan-demic on the public health systemwill not be clear for some time,Covid-19 has underscored thatstronger maternal and child caresystems are a critical requirement ofhealth system strengthening goingforward.

The foundation has been work-ing at the national, state and com-munity level to change perceptionsaround gender family planning,adolescent sexuality and reproduc-tive health.

On National SafeMotherhood Day,public health expertPoonam Muttrejasaid that the focusneeds to bewidened to includemorbidity as animportant aspect ofmaternal health.

A cause for concern

w

TuesdayApril 13, 2021

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PTI n CHENNAI

Fresh from their clinical display againstSunrisers Hyderabad, two-time champions

Kolkata Knight Riders will look to set therecord straight against nemesis MumbaiIndians in their second match here onTuesday.

They have won just once in their last 12games against MI, and have an overall lop-sided 6-21 head-to-head record.

Having missed the last two playoffs, KKRlooked a completely different unit, in the man-ner in which they defeated SRH on Sunday.

Be it the aggression shown by the top-order or the explosive finish by DineshKarthik, KKR’s displayed a fearless approachunder skipper Eoin Morgan.

The left-right opening combination ofNitish Rana and Shubman Gill started toattack right from the first ball, clearly indicat-ing that the new approach had Morgan’s suc-cess mantra written all over it.

But on Tuesday it will all boil down to bat-tle of wits between Morgan and Rohit Sharma,under whose captaincy MI haswon a record fifth IPL title lastseason in UAE.

MI will pose real chal-lenge for KKR as the titlehoders would be desperate tosecure their first win of the sea-son after their two-wicket loss toRoyal Chal lengersBangalore in the IPLopener.

KRR found it easyagainst SRH bowlers,which lacked fire-power but in JaspritBumrah and TrentBoult, MI attackwill be a complete-ly different propo-sition.

Gill’s struggleto bat at T20pace hasbeen aconcernfor KKRand itwill be

interesting to see the youngopener’s approach againstthe finest in the business. Inhis debut match for MI,Chris Lynn was their top-scorer, albeit with somestroke of luck as he sur-vived some edges andmishits.

But now withQuinton de Kock avail-

able for selection, MImay may go back totheir preferred left-right opening com-bination of Rohitand de Kock.

PTI n MUMBAI

KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda pum-melled the Rajasthan Royals

bowlers into submission with theirsensational stroke play, propellingPunjab Kings to an imposing 221 for sixin the IPL here on Monday.

While Rahul smashed seven foursand five sixes in his 50-ball 91, Hooda,playing his first game since the last IPL,plundered six maximums and fourboundaries as he blazed his way to 64off just 28 balls.

Put into bat, Punjab lost openerMayank Agarwal (14) early, who edgedit back to Royals captain and wicket-keeper Sanju Samson for IPL debutantChetan Sakariya's first wicket.

He ended being the pick of thebowlers, conceding only five runs in the20th over.

Rahul, who got his first four with aglance to the fine-leg fence, and ChrisGayle (40 off 28) gave the team a goodstart with their 67-run stand.

Rahul got a 'life' after Ben Stokesdropped him at the fence in the seventhover even as Gayle, looked in his ele-ments.

The duo then took on Stokes, asGayle hit his 350th IPL six, a pull overdeep square in the 8th over with Punjabracing to 70 for one.

Gayle was dropped by leggie RahulTewatia (0/25) off his own bowling andthe very next ball, the left-handersmashed a six.

However, in the 10th over, RiyanParag (1/7) removed Gayle, who washoled out to Stokes in the deep.

Rahul then changed gears and gotto his fifty with a six over Shivam Dube's(0/20) head in the 13th over.

Hooda then smashed two maxi-mums in the same over and then struckthree sixes off Shreyas Gopal (0/40) inthe next as Punjab went ballistic.

It was Rahul and Hooda's show at

the Wankhede that made the differenceto their total as the duo tore into theopposition attack on way to to their 105-run stand.

Courtesy their monstrous hitting,Punjab added 111 runs in the final eightovers.

Hooda, who had made a 62 againstCSK in his last competitive game inNovember, had stormed out of theBaroda camp ahead of the SyedMushtaq Ali Trophy after claimingthat Krunal Pandya misbehaved withhim. Hooda was subsequently sus-pended.

11ONE OF THE MANY STRENGTHS WE (KKR) HAVE

WITHIN OUR SQUAD IS TWO OF THE MOSTTALENTED GUYS (RANA AND GILL) IN THECOUNTRY OPENING THE BATTING FOR US

— EOIN MORGAN

CAPTAIN’S CALLVIJAYAWADA | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2021

VVSS

Matches 27Kolkata KKnight RRiders 06Mumbai IIndians 21

LAST YEAR’S MATCHES

Mumbai Indians defeated

Kolkata Knight Riders by 49

runs at Abu Dhabi

Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata

Knight Riders by 8 wickets at

Abu Dhabi

VENUE: CHIDAMBARAM STADIUM, CHENNAI

Shubman Gill who scored 954

runs at an average of 32.89 in 39

innings of 42 matches, needs 44

runs to become 11th batsman to

score over 1000 runs for Kolkata

Knight Riders in IPL

Krunal Pandya who took 47

wickets at an average of 32.61

in 70 innings of 72 matches,

needs three wickets to become

the sixth bowler to complete a

fifty of wickets for Mumbai

Indians in IPLFaisel FFeatures

954

KEY PLAYERS

PLAYER RUNS

1. KL Rahul (PBKS) 91

2. Shikhar Dhawan (DC) 85

3. Nitish Rana (KKR) 80

PLAYER WKTS

1. Harshal Patel (RCB) 5

2. Avesh Khan (DC) 2

3. Rashid Khan (SRH) 2

MOST SIXES

1. Deepak Hooda (PBKS) 6

2. KL Rahul (PBKS) 5

3. Nitish Rana (KKR) 4

MOTION PICTURE

Jos Buttler’s wife Louise Buttler and daughter Georgia Rose instands during IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and PunjabKings at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai IPLT20.com

HARDIK WILL BOWL SOON: ZAHEERHardik Pandya did not bowl against RCB due to ashoulder concern but the he will soon contribute inteam's cause with ball in his hand, MI’s Director ofCricket Operations Zaheer Khan said. “Hardik, as awhole package is always of great value. It was aworkload related thing in the previous game. There wasa little bit of a shoulder concern but I don't think it isworrisome. You will see him bowl very soon. We arevery confident that he will be chipping in with the ball inhis hand as well,” added Zaheer.

WILLIAMSON NEEDS EXTRA TIMESRH head coach Trevor Bayliss said Kane Williamsonwas left out against KKR as he needs more time to bematch fit. “We just felt that Kane needed a little bit ofextra time to get match fit and a little bit more time inthe nets,” Bayliss said. “He would have played in placeof Bairstow if that had occurred. But we aren't tooperturbed about that, Jonny has been in form recently.Kane will obviously come into calculations as thetournament unfolds.”

AVESH TAKES HIS DREAM WICKETDC pacer Avesh Khan said he fulfilled a long-cherisheddream when he got former India skipper MS Dhoni'sprized wicket. “Three years ago, I had a chance to takeMahi bhai's wicket, but somebody had dropped thecatch. But now my dream of taking Mahi bhai's wicketis fulfilled, so I am very happy about it,” Avesh said.”

SHAW MADE COMEBACK LIKE CHAMPIONDC opener Shikhar Dhawan heaped praise on hisbatting partner Prithvi Shaw, who made 72 off 38 ballsagainst CSK. “It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat soeffortlessly and timing the ball so nicely. He wentthrough a bad patch earlier and has come back as achampion. I am so happy to see him perform that well.”

NITISH RANA

Rana adds value to KKR with

an ability to stabilise the innings

and accelerate when required

KRUNAL PANDYA

The Sr Pandya is never out of

the game be it with the ball in

hand or with the bat

HEAD TO HEAD

TODATODALIVE FROM

7:30PM IST

STAR SSPORTS 11 NNETWORK

POINTS TABLEP W L NRR PTS

1 DC 1 1 0 +0.779 2

2 KKR 1 1 0 +0.500 2

3 RCB 1 1 0 +0.050 2

4 PBKS 0 0 0 +0.000 0

5 RR 0 0 0 +0.000 0

6 MI 1 0 1 -0.050 0

7 SRH 1 0 1 -0.500 0

8 CSK 1 0 1 -0.779 0

PTI n NEW DELHI

The BCCI is likely to stick tothree teams for the Women’s

T20 Challenge tournament, usual-ly held during the IPL play-offs.

The Board had planned toincrease the exhibition event to fourteams last year but it will continueto be a three-team affair due to theCovid-19 pandemic.

Since the delayed IPL was heldin the September-November win-dow last year, the Women’sChallenge clashed with the WBBL,making the Australian playersunavailable.

“As of now the plan is to havethree teams. A final decision will betaken shortly. There is a goodchance that it will be held in Delhi.Talks are on with the leadingAustralian and England players,” aBCCI official said on Monday.

The last edition, comprisingfour games, was held in Sharjah asthe IPL play-offs took place inDubai and Abu Dhabi.

The decision on the eventcould be taken during BCCI’s

Apex Council meeting on April 16,when the appointment of Indianwomen’s team support staff and itsFuture Tours Programme will alsobe discussed.

The Indian players have been

badly short on match practiceamid the pandemic. India playedtheir first series in a year lastmonth when they lost both theODI and T20 series to the visitingSouth African team.

Women’s T20 Challenge likelyto remain three-team affair

The ‘setback’ called Covid-19 behind him, RCB opener Devdutt Padikkal is nowcompletely ready to play his part in the IPL and confident of replicating his stupendousdomestic form. The 20-year-old left-hander represented Karnataka in Vijay Hazare inMarch and was the second highest run-getter (737 runs) in the tourney @RCBTweets

AFP nMUNICH

Bayern Munich midfielderJoshua Kimmich is con-

vinced the holders can beatParis Saint-Germain at the Parcdes Princes on Tuesday in theirChampions League quarter-final second leg to reach the lastfour.

“I believe that we willprogress, because we’re the bet-ter team,” Kimmich told theclub’s website.

Bayern need to overturn a3-2 defeat from last week’s firstleg in Munich.

“We were the better team inthe first leg, but unfortunatelythe result didn’t correspond tothe performance,” addedKimmich.

“Nevertheless, I’m confi-dent that we can still turn itaround in the second leg.”

Despite peppering the PSGgoal with 31 shots, 12 on target,

Bayern lost the first leg at homeafter Kylian Mbappe converted,twice, and Marquinhos scored asPSG had just four shots on tar-get.

“In the first leg, they threat-ened three times and scoredthree times,” said Kimmich.

“Apart from that, I don’tremember Paris having thatmany chances.

“Overall, our attack hadmore possession and morechances. Now we have to takethese chances.”

AFP n JOHANNESBURG

South Africa levelled theirfour-match T20

International series againstPakistan with a comfortablesix-wicket win in the secondmatch at the Wanderers inJohannesburg on Monday.

Left-arm spinner GeorgeLinde and fast bowler LizaadWilliams took three wicketseach as Pakistan were restrict-ed to 140 for nine in their 20overs.

Captain Babar Azammade 50 for Pakistan.

Aiden Markram led anaggressive South African reply,hitting 54 off 30 balls, and thehosts romped to victory withsix overs to spare.

Stand-in captain HeinrichKlaasen made 36 not out from21 balls and added 49 runs forfifth wicket with George Linde(20 off 10 balls, 2 sixes).

The third game of thefour-game series is onWednesday.

Bayern can beatPSG: Kimmich

MI for Knight Riders

Linde leads SA to series-levelling win

KL (91), Hooda (64 off 28) take Punjab Kings to 221

Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul congratulates teammate Deepak Hooda after he scores fifty against Rajasthan Royals during IPL match in Mumbai @IPL

CAPTAIN PUNJAB

RUNS BALLS OPPOSITION VENUE YEAR

63 33 Chennai Super Kings Mohali 2018

79 47 Rajasthan Royals Jaipur 2019

53 45 Royal Challengers Bangalore Sharjah 2020

40 28 Rajasthan Royals Mumbai 2021

GAYLE'S FIRST INNINGS OF A SEASON FOR PUNJAB

I WAS JUST REACTING TOTHE BALL AND SHOWINGAGGRESSIVE INTENT INMY BATTING. I GOT THISROLE AT NO 4 AND I AMHAPPY TO GET THIS ROLE,AS I BAT AT THIS POSITIONIN DOMESTIC CRICKET.THERE WAS NO DEW, THEBALL IS HOLDING UP ONTHE WICKET FOR A BIT.THE SCORE IS QUITE GOODAND WE SHOULD BE ABLETO DEFEND IT

—DEEPAK HOODA

47

SUMMER SLAM

12

Vijayawada Tuesday April 13, 2021 tollywood

ctor RanaDaggubati feelsthat films fromSouth industryhave always beenpan-India but the

globally renowned filmBaahubali showed the way tomake business the right wayin a pan-India arrangement.

Rana played the role ofantagonist Bhallaladeva inthe two-part film franchise.

Talking about the cultureof pan-India films spreadingand how it was Baahubalithat started it, the actorreflects on other films in thepast, which have also had ahuge reach nationally.

“I was an audience beforean actor and to me whether Iwas watching a Hindi film ora Telugu film the sentimentwas the same. I live inHyderabad and forme be it (Amitabh)Bachchan sir’s filmor a KamalHaasan film, thevibes were thesame. Time andagain there werefilms which brokethe barriers. LikeMani (Ratnam)sir’s film Roza, thatwas originally aTamil film.Nobody in theHindi belthad aprob-lem

with that. They loved it asmuch as the South Indiansloved it. Audience neverAhas a problem (with lan-guage),” says the actor, whorecently released his filmAranya.

The Hindi version of thesame film is titled HaathiMere Saathi but it had to bepostponed due to the risingCovid cases in Maharashtra.

Rana goes on to add, “Theonly thing that changed withBaahubali is that we learnthow to get the businesstogether and how do weactually come forth andrelease it. For a fact, this yearthey have been sellingdubbed rights of all Telugufilms, people on television

are watching it andother lan-

guages.Theywereworkingon differ-entspaces,

they arenow also

watching iton OTT but

now that ischanging.”

‘With Baahubali, welearnt how to get thebusiness together'

kkineni Nagarjuna’s action andthriller drama Wild Dog that hitthe silver screens on April 2,helmed by Soloman, opened topositive response by the movielovers and the critics alike but

failed to ring box office bells.Originally slated for an OTT release, the

makers decided to release in theatres later.And now the latest we hear is that

Netflix bought the OTT rights of Wild Dogfor a good price and the film is likely toend its theatrical run in the coming weeks,so the attention has once again turnedtowards its OTT release.

The film might stream on Netflix frommid May. However, there have also beenreports claiming that the action dramaWild Dog might release on the OTT plat-form in the first week of June.

An official confirmation regarding thesame is awaited.

harwanand and Siddharth have teamed up anintense drama titled Maha Samudram.

While Anu Emmanuel and Aditi RaoHydari are playing female leads, AjayBhupathi of Rx100 fame will don the direc-tor’s hat for the film, whose shooting is pro-

gressing at a very brisk pace.The first look of Aditi Rao Hydari has been unveiled

on Monday and the heroine looks distressful. ‘AnImmeasurable Love’ is what the makers captioned thelook. She will be seen in the role of Maha.

The film is set to release on August 19. AKEntertainments is producing the movie. Other detailsregarding the remaining cast and crew will be out soon.

ass MaharajaRavi Teja anddirectorRamesh Varmawho are in topform are com-

ing up with an actionentertainer Khiladi.

The film’s teaser waslaunched on Monday as atreat for fans and moviebuffs and it promisesKhiladi is going to be anaction-

packed commercial enter-tainer.

Apart from action, thereare high intense emotions,romance and somethrilling elemnts as well inthe teaser.

Ravi Teja who falls inlove with Dimple Hayathitries to assassinate her,making us curious toknow what led him to takethe extreme decision.

Meenakshi Chaudhary,Arjun, Thakoor Anoop

Singh, Murali Sharma,Anasuya Bharadwajare also seen in the

teaser that has onlyone dialoguemouthed by theactor.

“If you playsmart without

stupid emo-tions, you

are

unstoppable,” says RaviTeja and this defines hisruthless character.

Sujit Vaasudev and GKVishnu’s cinematographyand Devi Sri Prasad’sbackground score are themajor assets of the film,other than Ravi Teja’sintense performance.Being made on huge bud-get, every frame looks lav-ish.

Ravi Teja plays a dualrole in the film producedby Satyanarayana Koneru.Bollywood productionhouse Pen Studiosbankrolled the project inassociation with AStudios.

The film under HavishProduction comes withthe tagline play smart.

Srikanth Vissa andmusic director DSP’sbrother Sagar provide dia-logues, while Srimani pens

lyrics and Amar Reddyis the editor of the

film.

emini group needsno introduction.The company hasbeen through thegolden age in theIndian film industry.

Being one of the first compa-nies to join the film industryafter the country’s indepen-dence, the group has hundredsof films to its credit, makingand introducing several stars tothe audiences. The groupincludes several affiliates such

as Gemini Film Circuit, GeminiVFX and Gemini Studios.

Having ruled the industry forthe past 75 years, preparationsare underway for Gemini’sDiamond Jubilee celebrationstoo. It was during this time thatthe company decided to enterthe music industry andannounced the launch ofGemini Records.

In addition to creating pri-vate albums, Gemini Recordswill take over the rights to film

songs too. The company hasoperations in Chennai as well asHyderabad. Gemini is creditedwith producing many presti-gious films in Telugu and Tamil.Completing several years in

such a competitive world is noachievement.

Now with their foray into themusic industry, fans are lookingforward to unique content fromvarious artists.

m

as

g

a

RAVI TEJA ‘PLAYSSMART' IN

KHILADI TEASER

ADITI'S DISTRESSFULLOOK IN

MAHA SAMUDRAM

Wild Dogon Netflix

Gemini group

forays into music

THE FILM WILL GO ON FLOORS INJUNE AFTER NTR COMPLETES

SHOOTING FOR RRR.MIKKILINENI SUDHAKAR ISGOING TO PRODUCE THIS

PAN-INDIA MOVIE THAT WILLHIT THE BIG SREENS ON

APRIL 29, 2022.

oung Tiger NTR who is cur-rently busy shooting for SSRajamouli’s RRR, where heplays the role of KomaramBheem, will next collaboratewith Koratala Siva. Although

rumours are rife that actor will workwith Trivikram Srinivas for his

next, as per the ongoing buzz,the film has been shelved fornow and that the actor has givenhis nod to Koratala.

The film will start in Juneafter NTR completes RRR.Mikkilineni Sudhakar is goingto produce this pand-Indiamovie. Makers of the film

announced that the film willrelease on April 29, 2022.Trivikram Srinivas in the place ofNTR, will be working with SuperStar Mahesh Babu, it is learnt.

y

NTR'S NEXT, APAN-INDIA FILM,WITH KORATALA