Fully Modern Mil- Factory Was Also Arrested Headed by President Xi Jinping to Challenges of Accelerating Itary on Par with the US by 2027

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DEFINING CONFIDENCE MP CABINET EXPANSION COPS SUSPENDED Actor Taapsee Pannu has shared a picture Madhya Pradesh Cabinet was expanded Sunday Eight police officials in Pakistan were suspended for on social media, which is all about with the induction of two loyalists of BJP dereliction of duty after a Hindu temple was vandalised and set on fire being confident LEISURE | P2 leader Jyotiraditya Scindia TWO STATES | P7 INTERNATIONAL | P10

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 273 | www.orissapost.com BHUBANESWAR | MONDAY, JANUARY 4 | 2021 12 PAGES | `4.00 Covishield, Covaxin approved for emergency use

AGENCIES December 6 and 7, respectively. he vaccine will be first The UK and Argentina have already offered to one crore Withdraw approval New Delhi, Jan 3: Eleven months after T approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vac- healthcare workers, along the first case of deadly coronavirus with two crore frontline and cine. More than five crore doses of for Covaxin: AIDAN was detected in India, Drug Controller essential workers the vaccine have already been stock- NEW DELHI: The All India Drug General of India (DCGI) VG Somani and 27 crore elderly with piled by its manufacturer, Serum Action Network (AIDAN) said it Sunday approved Serum Institute of co-morbidities Institute of India. India’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine and Bharat Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will is shocked to learn of the SEC’s Biotech's 'Covaxin' for emergency use, erum Institute of India play a major role in India’s plan to recommendation to grant REU paving the way for their roll-out and ad- Sthis week said it has vaccinate its population against Covid- approval to Bharat Biotech’s ‘10 crore Indians’ card ministration to millions. stockpiled 40-50 million doses 19 due to several factors – low-cost, Covaxin in “clinical trial mode” This is a major relief for India which of its Covid-19 vaccine. India ease of storage and transport. and “especially in the context of infection by mutant strains”. “In has the second highest number of in- is likely to receive a majority Serum Institute of India this week data selling on Dark Web’ of these 50 million doses light of the intense concerns fections in the world, after the US. The said it has a stockpiled 40-50 million arising from the absence of Central government plans to vaccinate doses of its Covid-19 vaccine. India is efficacy data and hence the The massive data dump on the Dark Web nearly 30 crore people in the first phase Astra Zeneca’s ‘Covishield’ and Bharat context of infection by mutant strains. likely to receive a majority of these 50 limited regulatory review of the of drive in the next six to eight months. Biotech’s indigenous ‘Covaxin’ for Pune-based Serum Institute of India million doses. vaccine candidate, the has been leaked from a compromised server The vaccine will be first offered to one emergency use approval January 1 has partnered with Oxford-AstraZeneca As far as Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin implications of public rollout of of digital payments gateway Juspay crore healthcare workers, along with and 2, respectively. The final call was for conducting clinical trials and man- is concerned, it is India’s first in- an untested product, and lack of two crore frontline and essential work- to be taken by the DCGI. ufacturing ‘Covishield’, while Bharat digenous vaccine for coronavirus. The transparency we urge the DCGI INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE pany spokesperson said in a ers and 27 crore elderly, mostly above The expert panel recommended Biotech has collaborated with the inactivated virus vaccine is being de- to reconsider the statement. the age of 50 years with co-morbidities. granting permission for restricted Indian Council of Medical Research veloped in collaboration with the recommendations of the SEC in New Delhi, Jan 3: “Some data records con- The Subject Expert Committee, emergency use of ‘Covaxin’ in “pub- (ICMR) for ‘Covaxin’. Indian Council of Medical Research granting the REU approval to Independent cyber security taining non-anonymised, tasked with vetting the vaccine pro- lic interest” as an abundant precaution, Serum and Bharat Biotech Pfizer had (ICMR) and the National Institute of Covaxin,” it said. researcher Rajshekhar plain-text email and phone posals, had recommended Oxford- in clinical trial mode, especially in the applied for the accelerated approval Virology (NIV). (More P8 & P11) Rajaharia claimed Sunday numbers were compro- that data of nearly 10 crore mised, which form a fraction credit and debit card hold- of the 10 crore data records,” ers in the country is being the spokesperson added. IRREGULAR by MANJUL sold for an undisclosed However, Rajaharia State colleges, varsities to reopen Jan 11 amount on the Dark Web. claimed that the data was According to Rajaharia, being sold on the Dark Web POST NEWS NETWORK the massive data dump on for an undisclosed amount Matric students to answer 80 marks papers the Dark Web has via cryptocurrency Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: Odisha gov- been leaked from Bitcoin. ernment Sunday announced that phys- BHUBANESWAR: School and Mass However, the overall valuation in a compromised “For this ical classes in colleges and universities Education minister Samir Ranjan each paper will be for 100 marks. Dash server of data, hackers in the state will resume from January Dash Sunday said Class X students ap- explained that 20 marks will be eval- Bangalore- are also con- 11 for the students of final year un- pearing for the annual Matric exams uated on the basis of the percentage based digital tacting via dergraduate and post-graduate courses. in Odisha this year will have to answer secured by an examinee from the payments Telegram,” The penultimate semester exams 80 marks in each paper. given 80 marks in that paper. gateway he said. for the students of UG/PG courses will The Board of Secondary Education The results will be announced Juspay. According be held from March 16 to March 31 and (BSE) has decided that 50 marks will within 45-50 days, he pointed out. JusPay told to him, PCI the final semester examinations will take commence physical classroom teach- comprise objective questions in the The minister further said a decision this news agency DSS (Payment Please list myself and my lover in place between June 16 and June 30, a ing for students of 2020-21 Final Year OMR (optical mark recognition) for- on the reopening of hostels will that no card num- Card Industry Data priority list. We would at least like to meet notification issued by the Higher UG/PG courses from 11-01- mat and the remaining 30 marks will be taken later after reviewing the bers or financial infor- Security Standard) have this Valentine’s Day! Education department said. 2021(Monday),” the notification said. be subjective, the minister added. Covid-19 situation. mation was compromised been followed by Juspay in The government decided to reopen The government also issued a guide- during the cyber-attack and storing users’ card infor- colleges and universities considering line for the conduct of classroom teach- It has been made mandatory for all institutes, it said. Hostels will be opened the actual number is much mation. SHORT TAKES the improvement in Covid-19 situation ing which should be held in a regular the persons coming to colleges and var- from January 10 only for 2020- 21 final- lower than the 10 crore-figure “However, if the hackers in the state and the huge academic manner to cover all chapters of the sities to wear facemasks. Social dis- year UG/PG students as well as PhD, being reported. can find out the Hash algo- loss of students due to the pandemic syllabus irrespective of coverage of tancing should be maintained in class- MPhil and other research scholars. “On August 18, 2020, an rithm used to generate the `830 cr GST situation. Classroom teaching has been some chapters by on-line mode. rooms and, if needed, crowded classes In order to compensate for the lost unauthorised attempt on our card fingerprint, they will evasion detected suspended since March 2020. “Whenever possible, the physical can be divided into batches and teach- days, physical classes should be con- servers was detected and ter- be able to decrypt the “The State Public Universities and classroom teaching shall be recorded and ing hours in a day can be extended, ducted on all days except the exami- minated when in progress. No masked card number. In this government as well as non-govern- shared with absentee students,” the the guideline said.However, teachers, stu- nation period, Sundays, January 26 (the card numbers, financial cre- condition, all 10 crore card- New Delhi: The GST ment degree colleges (coming under H.E. guideline said adding that Covid-19 pre- dents and staff residing in active con- Republic Day), February 16 (the Saraswati dentials or transaction data holders are at risk,” department has unearthed `831 crore tax evasion by an Department) are hereby directed to vention protocols need to be followed. tainment zone shall not come to their Puja) and April 1 (the Utkal Divas). were compromised,” a com- Rajaharia noted. unregistered gutkha or tobacco manufacturing unit in the national capital, AT LORD’S ABODE according to an official China expands power of its military statement. Based on specific inputs, a raid was conducted at the factory in Budh Vihar PRESS TRUST OF INDIA The new law provides December 26 last year. area and large quantity of The revised law came into force gutka and machines worth Beijing, Jan 3: China has revised Xi with the legal grounds after the key conclave of the ruling crores were seized by its National Defence Law, expand- to respond to the CPC in November last year finalised officials. The owner of the ing the power of its armed forces plans to build a fully modern mil- factory was also arrested headed by President Xi Jinping to challenges of accelerating itary on par with the US by 2027. during the raid, officials said mobilise military and civilian re- confrontations between By the year 2027, which marks the According to GST sources to defend its national in- centennial of the founding of the Commissioner, Delhi, terests both at home and abroad. China and the US PLA, China will build a fully mod- Shubhagata Kumar, the firm The new law, effective from ern military, a goal that is in align- was evading the payment of January 1, weakens the role of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) ment with the national strength Goods and Services Tax (GST) by manufacturing and State Council, China’s Cabinet most powerful leader after its founder and will fulfil the future national de- clandestinely supplying headed by Premier Li Keqiang, in Mao Zedong, holding the posts of fence need, official media reports ear- gutkha/pan masala/tobacco formulating military policy, hand- CPC General Secretary, head of the lier said. The revised law specifically products without any ing decision-making powers to the military besides the Presidency stresses the need to build a nation- registration and payment of Central Military Commission with prospects of a life-long tenure. wide coordination mechanism for duty. At least 65 workers were (CMC), the overall high-command He is the only civilian leader in the the mobilisation of state-owned employed at the manufacturing of the two million-strong People’s CMC, packed with high-ranking and private enterprises to take part unit, he said. P7 Liberation Army (PLA) headed by military officials. The amendments in research into new defence tech- Xi, Hong Kong-based South China for the National Defence Law were nologies covering conventional Morning Post reported Sunday. passed by the Standing Committee weapons, as well as the non-tradi- Man who returned Devotees at Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar after it opened doors for the public, Sunday PHOTO: MAUSAM NANDA Xi, 67, has emerged as the of the National People’s Congress tional domains of cybersecurity. from Pak jail missing Sundergarh: Birju Kulu, who ODISHA’S ‘SUPER 30’ had returned from Pakistan to his native village at Katanga in this district recently, reportedly went missing from his house. Kulu has spent 20 Destitute medical aspirants on way to become doctors years in Pakistan jail. Though Kulu is untraceable since BORN IN HUMBLE FAMILIES THEY WERE RECONCILING TO THEIR FATE, BUT DESTINY HAD WRITTEN A DIFFERENT COURSE FOR THEM Saturday night, the matter came to light only after his PRESS TRUST OF INDIA labourer, vegetable seller, truck driver, success story. Debashsi Biswal of crack NEET and become a doctor. sister lodged a missing fisherman and idli-vada seller. These Kendrapara is the ward of a small “The year 2020 was a tough chal- complaint at Kutra police Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: Born in meritorious students are products of grocery shop owner for whom ar- lenge for all of us, but firm in our station Sunday. His sister humble families they were recon- ‘Zindagi’ programme run by a non- ranging two square meals is the determination we did not let the Tedrace Kulu said that Birju ciling to their fate, but destiny had governmental organisation of aca- topmost priority. students feel helpless,” Singh told went missing since Saturday written a different course for them. demician Ajay Bahadur Singh. Satyajit Sahoo, son of a vegetable this news agency. night. Police and family Braving all odds, a select group Majority of them got admission vendor in a remote village of Cuttack Another success story is of members along with the of medical aspirants of Odisha in government medical colleges of district is another fortunate lot. Subhendu Parida, who used to vend villagers have launched a coming from humble background the state. The world has come to “We got birth in humble fami- “Idli Vada” alongside his parents. search operation. have got entry in medical colleges know about the success story of lies and were destined to live a life He qualified in NEET exam by after clearing tough National Super 30 of mathematician Anand of penury. It’s only because of the achieving 609 marks.

WEATHER Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) Kumar who helped economically ‘Zindagi’ foundation that we man- Singh started Zindagi Foundation y BHUB CTK examination in 2020. deprived children become engineer aged to keep our dreams alive and in the year 2017 in Bhubaneswar. The

Their dream of becoming medicos by qualifying in JEE exams but, remote places of Odisha whose fam- to parents in the field to keep the are on way to become doctors,” an man behind the success stories of

k y m c MAX 29.8° 30.2° got wings due to noble initiative of the similar feat of the Odisha group ilies’ life starts and ends with the home fires burning. But, provi- elated Sahoo and Biswal said. these children had to leave his med- an Odisha-based charitable group in the field of medical studies is challenge of meeting two ends. dence helped her continue with her Under the programme run by ical studies and sell tea and sharbat TEMP MIN 14.5° 12.2° Forecast whose all the 19 students succeeded no less romantic. Khirodini Sahoo hailing from studies and today her wish of wear- ‘Zindagi’ foundation, talented un- (squash) in the temple town of Humidity 56% 60% in the NEET, the results of which The exciting tales of Khirodini Angul district is the daughter of ing a doctor’s apron is within reach. derprivileged students are selected Deogarh in Jharkhand to sustain his Dry weather were declared in October. Rainfall Nil Nil likely Sahoo, Roshan Paik, Satyajit Sahoo farm labourer Kanhu Charan Sahoo. Roshan Paik whose both parents from across Odisha and provided family undergoing financial hard- The winners are wards of daily and Debashish Biswal hailing from She used to extend helping hands are also agri labourers is another free coaching and food to help them ship and pursue studies. P2 LARRY KING HOSPITALISED AFTER ZOE KRAVITZ FILES FOR DIVORCE MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID FROM KARL GLUSMAN Veteran talk show host Larry King has been Actress Zoe Kravitz and actor Karl Glusman have split hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19. after 18 months of marriage. In court records obtained King is receiving treatment at a medical center by people.com, the Big Little Lies star filed for divorce

here, a source close to King's family told ABC News from Glusman December 23. A representative for y

leisure and CNN, reports variety.com. Kravitz confirmed the split to people.com.

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FORTUNE FORECAST Hrithik entering 2021 with a The Hollywood Taapsee’s new skill

ARIES biggies roster of 2021 You are in high spirits definition of hen it comes to Hollywood, The Marix 4 today. This is a good time to do all those 2021 is going to be a year of Priyanka Chopra will be joining things that you have been procrastinat- Wsuperheroes, reboots and Keanu Reeves in the next part of The ing for a long time. You may do all the follow-ups on the big screen -- and, of Matrix, which is expected to release things you dislike doing, like arranging course, James Bond. later this year. The film is produced, your wardrobe. ‘confidence’ Here is a look at a few exciting co-written and directed by Lana Hollywood releases lined up in 2021: Wachowski, who co-directed and co- Mumbai: Actress Taapsee Pannu has shared wrote three of the previous films TAURUS a picture on social media, which is all about No Time To Die with her sister Lilly. being confident. Certainly the most talked-about Tom And Jerry This day you could be Taapsee posted a picture on social media, Hollywood film not to release in 2020, The live-action/ CG-animated film wasting you time and where she is seen wearing a grey ensemble Mumbai: Actor Hrithik Daniel Craig's final outing as James features the iconic cartoon characters energy in thankless activities. You are not likely to get the result s paired with round sunglasses and has left her Roshan has started the year Bond is now scheduled to release on as they go on another fun-filled ad- you seek, says Ganesha. This is mainly hair open. 2021 with a new skill of fly- April 2 this year. venture. The film stars Chloe Grace because you will be trying to play the “Confidence is not walking into a ing a drone. good guy and going out of your way to room thinking you are better Hrithik posted a video on make everyone happy at the same time. than everyone else. It’s walk- Instagram. The clip featured ing into a room and not hav- Hrithik and his friends lying ing to compare yourself on grass while the War actor GEMINI to anyone else in the is flying a drone, which also first place. features a camera. You need to carefully #HappySunday,” “Entering 2021 with new weigh the pros and cons of the decisions you take Taapsee posted the pic- skills #Droneselfies,” Hrithik today, as well as proceed on all matters ture. wrote as the caption. with caution. You will attempt to dispose Taapsee will next be seen in On the work front, Hrithik off matters casually today. You will worry Rashmi Rocket, where she plays a run- will be seen sharing screen more about your own interests in the ner from the Rann of Kutch who fights space with actor Saif Ali later half of the day. for her identity and becomes an athlete. Khan in the Hindi remake of Priyanshu Painyuli plays Taapsee’s husband the 2017 Tamil superhit in the Akarsh Khurana directorial. film Vikram Vedha. CANCER She will also be seen in Looop Lapeta and The original starred Ganesha reminds you Haseen Dillruba. IANS R. Madhavan as right- that an auspicious work eous police officer must begin with you. Vikram while Vijay Fulfil your task first, Sethupathi played the before em-barking on a helping spree. You will spend the evening in romantic gangster Vedha. In moments with your beloved. It will light- the Hindi remake, en your mood and give you immense joy. Hrithik will play Kiara shares the gangster while Saif essays the cop. LEO The film draws You will open your heart her life mantra from the ancient to someone special lore of Vikram- today, and spill all your hidden desires and feel- Mumbai: Actress Kiara Advani, theatres, in a year that has Betaal, where a wily ings. You will say everything you feel on social media, shared the mantra been fraught by the pan- gangster manages truthfully. Your love and attention is she follows. demic. to escape every time Moretz and Michael Pena. It is ex- likely to be reciprocated. It is a good day, Kiara posted a picture on Kiara, who started her a determined cop Fast & Furious 9 pected to open in the first quarter of for romance is in the air, says Ganesha. Instagram where she is seen wear- journey in Hindi film nabs him, by nar- Hollywood stars Vin Diesel and the year. ing a pink and white bikini and cap- industry with Fugly rating a new story John Cena will give bromance a new tioned it, ‘Swim, Sleep, Hydrate, Eat in 2014, has im- drawn from his spin in the upcoming Fast & Furious Eternals VIRGO Repeat.’ pressed in hit films own life. film, which will be fuelled by the emo- Directed by Chloe Zhao, the film Your courageous Kiara’s recent release was Indoo as M.S. Dhoni: The Hindi re- tion of vengeance. The saga sees the stars Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, nature will impress Ki Jawaani, which revolves around The Untold make will be di- return of Justin Lin as director, who Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Salma many people. a dating application. Story, Kabir rected by helmed the third, fourth, fifth and Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani. It is However, Ganesha The actress has three films lined Singh, and Pushkar- sixth chapters of the series. about the super-powered beings, The warns that something particular could up over the next months -- Good Gayathri, who Celestials, and their villainous ad- ruin your show. On deep contempla- tion, you will find a lot of progress in Shershaah opposite Sidharth Newwz, as also helmed the Mission: Impossible 7 versaries, The Deviants, in a war set your inner self. In the evening, the Malhotra, the Kartik Aaryan- well as the Tamil original. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt millions of years ago. antics of your children will put a smile starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and digitally re- The film, in Mission: Impossible 7, which is on your face. Jug Jugg Jeeyo co-starring leased an- backed by helmed by filmmaker Christopher West Side Story Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor thology Neeraj McQuarrie. It is slated to open Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has and Varun Dhawan. Lust Stories. Panday, is ex- November 19, 2021. re-imagined the musical West Side LIBRA She was among the IANS pected to go Story for the big screen. The classic New rare stars to have re- on floors Morbius York tale tells the story of two lovers Ganesha says today is a good day for business- leases on OTT soon. The Spider-Man spinoff is slated to -- Maria, a Puerto Rican, whose brother men. Your luck will real- as well as IANS release March 19. It stars Jared Leto Bernardo is the leader of the Sharks ly favor you today. Your in the titular role as Michael Morbius, street gang, and Tony, a former leader emotions will dull your brainwork a scientist who turns into a vampire. of the Jets, who battled the Sharks. today and this will create a problem in AGENCIES your gaining success and moving ahead in life and career.

SCORPIO SUDOKU You share an unspoken post To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, bond with your partner; PEANUTS CROSSWORD your eyes speak a thou- column and box must contain the numbers sand words even when 0 to 9 and the letters A to E. you do not talk to each other. Your skills and talents at work are likely to grab attention and you may even receive a round of applause for it.

SAGITTARIUS Pack your travel backs; business trip on the cards. Money make the world go around and so it does for you. Consider financial matters as your priority today. In the evening, sit back, relax and bask in the glory of success, says Ganesha. CALVIN AND HOBBES CAPRICORN You get up from the bed today with a strong desire to prove your metal to the world, feels Ganesha. Enthusiastic and jovial, you are SOLUTIONS in your best possible mood. You will seek approval of your family members for actions. The hard work you will do at work will surely get appreciated and rewarded by the end of the day.

AQUARIUS You will understand the importance of friends in your life, and you will go BREVITY an extra mile to get back CROSSWORD in touch with them. Your communication skills will help you get through the door at work, and everybody, even your competi-

tors will be appreciate your talents.

k y m PISCES c Today being a slightly risky day for, tread cau- tiously when it comes to financial dealings. Read

the fine print and thoroughly thrash out the CHECK FOR SOLUTIONS OF THE PUZZLES TOMORROW SUDOKU nitty-gritty's of any contracts you commit to. COVID-19 TRACKER P3 DEVOTION IN THE AIR MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR INFECTED RECOVERED DEAD Devotees offer prayers at World 8,51,59,587 6,02,31,223 18,46,260 Ram Mandir in Bhubaneswar as the India 1,02,45,326 98,33,339 1,48,475 shrine reopened for downtown Odisha 3,30,309 3,26,209 1,883

people, Sunday

k y m c Srimandir reopens for all devotees POLITICKLE MANJUL DEVOTEES WHO AREN’T ECONOMICALLY WELL-OFF COULDN’T ENTER THE SHRINE AS THEY COULDN’T AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR COVID TESTS

FOR THEY COULDN’T Private hospitals are demanding at least Rs 500 to conduct Covid tests on a person. I couldn’t arrange money to have Covid reports for my family. So, we returned home by paying our obeisance to Patitapaban at the Lions’ Gate SRIBATSHA MOHANTY | A DEVOTEE FROM CUTTACK Only rich people can obtain the Covid reports and visit Srimandir. We don’t have money for the Covid test. We offered our prayers Dense fog across before the Patitapaban and HRAO thanks Naveen are returning home with a state for next 3 heavy heart SANATAN JENA | days, MeT warns (Clockwise from top) Swarms of devotees wait for their turn to visit Srimandir, Several others enter the shrine A DEVOTEE FROM GOP AREA for proposing int’l through the Lions’ Gate and Governor Ganeshi Lal near the temple OP PHOTOS POST NEWS NETWORK POST NEWS NETWORK Covid negative reports. Long queues enter into the shrine due to the many poor people also could not Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: The mete- airport in Pilgrim City were seen on the Grand Road from Covid-19 norms. “I am happy to enter into the shrine as they did orological department has pre- Puri, Jan 3: After remaining shut the early morning,” said an offi- visit the land of Lord Jagannath not have the Covid report. dicted dense fog in different dis- for nine months due to the novel cial of the Shree Jagannath Temple today. May the Lord bless all his “Private hospitals are demand- tricts in the next three days. POST NEWS NETWORK city as a major attraction in east- coronavirus pandemic, Srimandir, Administration. devotees,” said the Governor. School ing at least Rs 500 to conduct Covid According to the warning is- ern India, the association said. the abode of Lord Jagannath, was The SJTA and the Puri district and Mass Education Minister Samir tests on a person. I could not arrange sued by the department, Angul, Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: The Hotel The HRAO claimed that Odisha reopened for all devotees Sunday administration deployed adequate Ranjan Dash, however, visited money to have Covid reports for Boudh, Sonepur, Jagatsinghpur, and Restaurant Association of has huge tourism potential in terms with strict adherence to the Covid- health staff and other officials to con- Srimandir by producing the Covid my family. So, we returned home by Kandhamal and Bhadrak districts Odisha (HRAO) has thanked Chief of art, crafts, culture, cuisines, 19 norms. duct thermal screening of the devo- negative report. “I prayed before paying our obeisance to Patitapaban are likely to witness heavy fog on Minister Naveen Patnaik for pro- beaches, lakes, mountains and Earlier, family members of the tees and verify their identity proofs the Lord for the welfare of all peo- at the Lions’ Gate,” rued Sribatsha the early morning of Monday. posing the Centre to set up an in- tribes. This apart, Odisha is well- servitors were allowed to visit the and Covid reports. A total of 15 ple of Odisha,” Dash said. The min- Mohanty, a devotee from Cuttack. While Bhadrak, Jajpur, ternational airport in Puri to boost known for mangrove forests at Srimandir from December 23 to 25 platoons of armed police personnel ister also expressed his satisfac- Some devotees, meanwhile, claimed Kendrapada, Cuttack, Kandhamal tourism sector. Bhitarkanika and rich temple ar- while the residents of Puri city led by two additional SPs, six DSPs, tion for the elaborate arrangement that the Puri DHH did not have the and Jagatsinghpur are likely to see The HRAO hoped that the state chitecture. had the opportunity to enter the nine inspectors and 35 sub-inspec- made by the district administra- facility to test samples and issue heavy dense fog on the early morn- government would create the re- The association has suggested the 12th century shrine and offer prayers tors and assistant sub-inspectors tion and the SJTA to ensure smooth Covid reports. “A few private hospitals ing of Tuesday and Wednesday. quired infrastructure for the proj- state government to take steps to to the presiding deities from were deployed near Srimandir and darshan for the devotees. in Puri are conducting the Covid The office of the Special Relief ect with the state-of-the-art tech- create additional 5,000 classified December 26 to 31. As part of the on the Grand Road to regulate the BJP national spokesperson tests. Only rich people can obtain Commissioner (SRC) has also is- nology. “The hotel rooms in Covid-19 norms, the shrine was crowd and maintain law and order. Sambit Patra too visited the shrine the Covid reports and visit Srimandir. sued advisory to the Collectors, international airport Odsiha to compete closed for people January 1 and 2 to Governor Ganeshi Lal Sunday vis- by producing all documents. We did not have money to collect the police and other officials asking in Puri will attract with the hotel in- avoid huge rush. “Hundreds of ited the Holy City and paid obeisance On the other hand, many devo- Covid reports. We offer our prayers them to be alert for the same. large number of frastructure of the devotees from several districts of the to Patitapaban (the image of Lord tees who were not aware of the before the Patitapaban and return Police and transport officials of Hindus residing in other states of state Sunday visited Srimandir by Jagannath) at the Lions’ Gate of mandatory Covid negative report home with a heavy heart,” said respective districts may take steps other countries to India. It also producing their identity proofs and Srimandir. The Governor did not could not visit the shrine. Similarly, Sanatan Jena, a devotee from Gop. for controlled plying of vehicles. the coastal city and pleaded for direct Odisha. Besides, the flight connectivity airport will enable between people from other Bhubaneswar and BJD, BJP playing ‘letter politics’, says OPCC prez states to get flight ac- Bodhgaya and Brown sugar worth cess to the land of Bhubaneswar and The OPCC chief said there is a virtual competition between the BJP and the BJD Lord Jagannath,” Varanasi to attract said the association tourists and `50L seized, 2 held when it comes to highlighting issues related to women’s rights in a letter to the Chief Buddhist traffic to Minister Sunday. the state. POST NEWS NETWORK There is also a competition between The association The HRAO also POST NEWS NETWORK Following a tip-off, the QAT team the two over Other Backward also urged the state suggested the state along with Tamando police car- Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: Odisha Classes and Socially and government to take The initiative will help government to pro- Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: The Quick ried out a raid near a roadside Pradesh Congress Committee Educationally Backward Classes necessary steps to attracting more mote water sports Action Team (QAT) of eatery and arrested the accused (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik reservation,” he said. declare the Rath devotees and tourists in Chilika lake to Commissionerate Police Sunday persons while dealing drugs at the Sunday accused the Biju Janata “How long the politics of letter Yatra of Lord from across the country attract more seized brown sugar worth spot. The sleuths seized Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata writing will go on in the state? Both Jagannath as a na- to Odisha. In the process tourists to Odisha. around Rs 50 lakhs in brown sugar weighing Party (BJP) of indulging in publicity parties talk tall on women's issues. tional holiday. “The Puri will definitely The association Tamando area on the 520 grams worth stunts over the safety of women If you go by government’s data, initiative will help become a hub for lauded the state outskirts of the city around Rs 50 lakhs. and children. maximum crimes are reported from attracting more devo- spiritual tourism government and here. The cops also ar- This apart, two mo- Patnaik accused the parties of in- BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh,” tees and tourists the Chief Minister JK MOHANTY | CHAIRMAN, HRAO rested two drug ped- torcycles and four dulging in letter-politics. “Earlier, Patnaik pointed out. from across the coun- for the initiative dlers from an eatery mobile phones were the state saw Chief Minister Naveen Pradhan, on the other hand, is “Just see the trend. Most BJP- try to Odisha. In the to beautify the sur- during the raid here also seized by the Patnaik writing letters to the Union writing to the CM,” he said. ruled states paint a grim picture process Puri will definitely become roundings of Srimandir and de- Sunday morning. cops during the raid. government over several issues. The OPCC chief said that there when it comes to crimes against a hub for spiritual tourism,” said velop Puri as a heritage city. The accused persons were Tamando police ar- Now, a new trend has begun is a virtual competition between women. The situation in Odisha the HRAO letter by its chairman JK “The state government is tak- identified as Sk Nasimuddin rested the accused by regis- wherein a Union Minister is writ- the BJP and the BJD when it comes is no better as crimes against women Mohanty. ing steps to make Odisha as the alias Papu, 23, of Rajpur Basti tering a case (1/21) under NDPS ing a host of letters to the CM. to highlighting issues related to have witnessed a northward trend. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sports capital of India. Besides, under Jaleswar police limits in Act in this regard. The accused This apart, Naveen is writing to women's rights. Besides, more than 5,000 children has a vision to turn Puri into an in- the state has become as a preferred Balasore and Chittaranjan Routraya were later sent to judicial custody the Prime Minister. Union “Both the parties are trying to went missing in two years,” ternational hub for spiritualism destination for investors,” said the of Mancheswar area here. by the court. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra take credits for raising the issues. Niranjan said. and tourism and develop the coastal letter. HANDLOOM EXPO 20K families are in smiles ‘again’ Orissa POST talks to vendors, life guards and tourists visiting the Puri beach; checks their excitement and takes stock of the business scenario CHAITALI SHOME, OP

Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: As Covid restrictions continue to get relaxed; FILE PHOTOS tourists are wasting no time to make a beeline at the beaches here. For the last 35 years, I have been in this We haven’t received any Covid assistance money The pandemic had put hundreds of business….During the pandemic induced from the government. It was quite difficult to small vendors out of business; es- lockdown, I was forced to toil as a manage our expenses during the lockdown. timates say around 20,000 families mason…. Thankfully, the crowd is back Under the Swachhata Abhiyan, we dedicate an had to struggle for two square meals here and business seems to be as usual hour daily to keep the beach clean a day. However, with the new year KARTIKA SAHOO | BHELPURI SELLER NRUSINGHA DALEI | MEMBER OF A VENDORS’ ASSOCIATION 2021 here, revelers and small-scale businessmen are hopeful that this year will bring many fortunes to on the table for his family. He going into the sea,” said G Kartik. and in-laws prefer this beach.” compensate for the last year loss. breathed a sigh of relief saying, Many small-time traders pointed Nrusingha Dalei, a member of a Orissa POST talked to vendors, “Thankfully, the crowd is back here out that although there is a Blue Flag vendors’ association, MBKB, Puri, life guards and tourists visiting the and business seems to be as usual.” category beach, which charges Rs20 said, “We haven’t received any beaches here. For lifeguards G Kartik and Jaga, per hour, tourists prefer the Puri Covid assistance money from the Kartika Sahoo, a bhelpuri seller resident of Bali Dalia Sahi of Puri, beach as it does not have such re- government. It was quite difficult

here, said, “For the last 35 years, I the sea seems to be back to life. strictions regarding vendors. to manage our expenses during the

k y m c had been in this business, it passed “The waves were missing the Annie Hota, a tourist from lockdown.” He added that the ven- from generation to generation. tourists and the tourists were miss- Berhampur, said, “Just a few days ago, dors are abiding by every rule and Never in my life had I faced such a ing this cool breeze, it’s a win-win if I may recall, there was a mishap law and keeping the beach clean. situation.” During the pandemic situation and we hope, we have de- at the Blue Flag beach. There are “Under the Swachhata Abhiyan, induced lockdown, Kartika was feated the virus,” said Jaga. “We are only three lifeguards in a radius of we dedicate an hour daily to keep Women check out garments at Cottonfab-2020 at Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar, Sunday OP PHOTO forced to toil as a mason to put food keeping a strict eye on the tourists one kilometer. Therefore, my husband the beach clean.” P4 MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR downtown

Traffic fines worth `8cr yet to be collected State logs 3 more Covid deaths

k y m PNN & AGENCIES c

POST NEWS NETWORK collection declined to Rs2, 52,76,000 Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: State’s Covid- in 2017. As many as 99,332 persons 19 caseload Sunday mounted to Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: The were found violating traffic regu- 3,30,309 with 192 more people test- Commissionerate Police is yet to col- lations in 2017. ing positive for the infection, while lect traffic penalties of around Rs8 The cops collected to the tune of three fresh fatalities pushed the crores from the persons caught vi- Rs2, 58,11,090 from 1,05,216 traffic vi- toll to 1,883, a senior Health and olating traffic regulations in the olators in 2015. The collection of Family Welfare (H&FW) depart- Twin City during 2020. The pend- fine from traffic violators stood at ment official said. ing fine amount is eight times more Rs 2, 55, 41,905 in 2014. Meanwhile, Of the 192 cases, 109 were re- than the amount collected from the as many as 97,859 persons were ported from various quarantine violators during the above period. fined for violating traffic rules in centres, and the rest detected dur- A reply to an RTI query revealed 2014. As many as 66,302 traffic rule ing contact tracing, the official that the Commissionerate Police violators paid Rs 1, 05, 56,140 in said. has collected Rs1, 14, 69,950 while 2013. The collection stood at Rs 1, 02, Six districts—Bhadrak, Gajapati, fines to the tune of Rs 8,78,1200 are 40,800 in 2012. The Commissionerate Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar VITAL STATS Three deaths were reported from yet to be realised from the viola- data in connection with the fine tions were detected while the cops Police detected 69,164 persons flout- and Malkangiri—did not report Bolangir, Ganjam and Sundargarh tors. As many as 29,128 traffic vio- amount still to be realised from the collected Rs3,32,74,550 from the vi- ing various traffic rules in 2012. any new case since Saturday. SUNDARGARH RECORDED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF Odisha’s positivity rate stands at 4.71 lations were detected by the violators for the last ten years. It also olators during the year. The Speaking on the issue a top traf- Sundargarh district recorded per cent Commissionerate Police during did not share the number of persons Commissionerate Police recorded fic police official stated that the the maximum number of fresh FRESH CASES AT 33, the previous year. who are yet to pay the fine charged a decrease of around 65 per cent in courts have been intimated about cases at 33, followed by Angul at FOLLOWED BY ANGUL AT 24 Over 70 lakh samples have been Meanwhile, traffic sources re- for the violations each year be- the collection of fine during 2020 as the persons who have not paid the 24 and Bolangir at 17. Three deaths AND BOLANGIR AT 17 examined so far vealed that around 85,099 have not tween 2010 and 2019. compared to 2019. fine despite the issuance of chal- were reported from Bolangir, paid the fine for traffic violations The reply also revealed that the On the other hand, the lans against them. The courts will Ganjam and Sundargarh districts, the official said. navirus in a span of 24 hours, tak- which far exceed the number of vi- detection in traffic violations and Commissionerate Police collected take appropriate decision in this the official pointed out. Over 70 lakh samples have been ing the total number of positive olators who deposited the fine subsequent collection of fine amount Rs3, 77,09,900 from 1,80,833 viola- regard. The traffic police are also As many as 53 Covid-19 patients examined so far, including 12,049 cases in the country to 1,03,23,965, amount. witnessed a sharp decline in 2020 due tors in 2018. The Commissionerate trying to streamline the digital in the state died due to comor- Saturday, added the official. according to an update by the Union However, the Commissionerate to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, Police collected Rs3,14,17,300 from systems to send the challans di- bidities. The coastal state’s posi- Meanwhile, India Sunday Ministry of Health and Family Police avoided sharing year-wise as many as 1,16,729 traffic viola- 1,41,674 violators in 2016 while the rectly through online. tivity rate stands at 4.71 per cent, recorded 18,177 fresh cases of coro- Welfare. BJP alleges BJD workers of FOR WORKERS’ CAUSE killing Saffron party leader of Nrutang village at the Mahanga Police Station. Cops have detained a person for questioning. Notably, the miscreants also killed Kulamani’s associate Dibya Singh Baral. Kulamani Baral – a local leader of BJP – was returning home Saturday evening with Dibyasingh on a motorcycle. Some unidentified miscreants attacked the duo with sharp weapons near Jankoti area in Cuttack district. Both sustained critical injuries in the attack. According to an eyewitness, a group of six armed youths re- peatedly hacked the duo leaving BJP leaders and others at SCBMCH in Cuttack to pay their respects to slain them critically injured. Kulamani Baral OP PHOTO Locals rescued the injured in a BJD general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das addresses the state executive body meeting of All Odisha Anganwadi workers and helpers front critical condition. Later, they were affiliated to Biju Sramika Samukhya in Bhubaneswar, Sunday. Minister Tukuni Sahu and MP Subhash Singh are also seen OP PHOTO POST NEWS NETWORK The BJP leader said, “We con- rushed to the community health demn the incident and the mas- centre (CHC) at Mahanga in an Bhubaneswar/ terminds should be booked. There ambulance. However, doctors de- Nischintakoili/Mahanga, Jan could be division of thoughts but clared Kulamani ‘brought dead’. 3: The Bharatiya Janata Party that should not lead to murders in Dibyasingh was shifted to the RSP logs record production despite nCoV challenges (BJP) has alleged that the recent Odisha. The BJD government is SCBMCH as his health condition de- murder of a BJP leader at Salepur now turning Odisha to West Bengal. teriorated. He succumbed to his AGENCIES & PNN A power-packed process of the turnaround. It had was done by the workers of BJD. The police has only harassed BJP injuries Sunday morning while national record created clocked 48 blows to register the BJP leader Bhrugu Buxipatra people in the past and gave pa- undergoing treatment at Cuttack Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: Rourkela by the steel melting highest blow in a single converter said, “The murder of Kulamani Steel Plant, a unit of the state-run tronage to BJD leaders who mur- SCB Medical College and Hospital shop-II (SMS-II) has set July 2, 2020,” the RSP said in a state- Baral was done by the BJD work- dered many BJP leaders in the state (SCBMCH). SAIL, Sunday said it has registered ment. in motion the process of ers. BJD has planned and executed in the past.” Cuttack rural police registered an impressive performance in 2020, Besides, the steel plant regis- the crime. The deceased had been Buxipatra demanded that the a case in this connection and despite the Covid-19 challenges and the turnaround. It had tered the best performance in major visiting police stations seeking jus- CM should take a vow to deliver launched a probe with the help set record monthly hot metal pro- clocked 48 blows to techno-economic parameters such tice in a murder case of a pan- justice in the case otherwise agi- of forensic team. A manhunt is duction of 4,06,397 tonne and crude register the highest as the lowest energy consumption chayat member. Attack on him was tations would be organised across on to nab the assailants. Police steel output of 3,62,388 tonne in blow in a single in November and the highest steel anticipated.” the state. DIG Ashis Kumar Singh, Rural December. converter July 2, 2020 ladle life. During the year, the RSP He also said, “He had tried to Meanwhile, Kulamani Baral’s SP B Jugal Kishore and ASP The year-end performance also RSP made a significant stride into the expose irregularities in execution son Ramakant Baral Sunday lodged Pradyumna Kumar Jena also includes the best single-day pro- niche market by developing many of rural housing schemes. All such an FIR against 12 persons whom reached the spot and took stock duction of 15,180 tonne hot metal 13,336 tonne October 28 and import-substitute grade steel prod- things were done under the pa- Ramakant suspects to be involved of the crime. The motive behind December 30 and a record dispatch base mix stacking of 10,92,111 tonne saleable steel output of 21,354 ucts, the statement said. tronage of BJD minister and MLAs. in his father’s murder. the attack has not been ascer- of 16,552 tonne saleable steel on in the last month. tonne October 31. With favourable market condi- He also had written to the Chief According to police sources, the tained yet. Past enmity could be the last day of 2020, it said. Other major achievements dur- “A power-packed national record tions prevailing now, the authorities Minister Naveen Patnaik on such FIR was filed against four persons a probable cause, a police offi- The raw materials handling plant ing 2020 include the highest sin- created by the steel melting shop- of the RSP are now looking forward issues.” of Jankoti village and eight residents cial stated. (RMHP) clocked the highest monthly gle-day crude steel production of II (SMS-II) has set in motion the to scale new heights in 2021, it added. State-level NTSE Brainstorming session to protect coastal ecosystems POST NEWS NETWORK talk on ‘Coastal processes and cy- The state requires clonic storms along Odisha coast: exam conducted Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: A webinar undertaking advanced Impact analysis with special ref- was organised on the theme ‘Coastal scientific research on erence to turtle nesting habitats’. He POST NEWS NETWORK ecosystems of Odisha: Human im- both current and possible narrated how erosion and accre- THE EXAM WAS pacts and changing scenario’ by future climate scenarios and tion processes are occurring along Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: Around CONDUCTED TO Odisha Environmental Society on diverse cross-cutting the coast commensurate with the de- 50,000 students from the state Sunday. Experts said that while themes. It needs to study velopmental activities, thereby caus- took the state-level National SELECT 259 global warming and climate change the effects on various ing ecosystem disruptions in the Talent Search Examination CANDIDATES FROM are gaining momentum as the off sectors employing different coastal region. He also explained (NTSE) Sunday. The exams were shoot of unsustainable develop- analytical tools how nesting process of Olive Ridley conducted at more than 200 THE STATE FOR mental practices, scientists are turtles was upset in the post-cy- SUNDARA NARAYAN PATRO | exam centers by Directorate of warning about the vulnerability clonic period after episodes of NATIONAL LEVEL PRESIDENT, OES TE & SCERT, Government of of the coastal regions to such detri- Phalin, Hudhud and Titli. Odisha. TALENT SEARCH mental alterations. Bisnu Prasad Dash, Dept. of The exam was conducted to se- EXAMINATION Under such circumstance, miti- to study the effects on various sec- Biosciences and Biotechnology, FM lect 259 candidates from the state gation and adaptation measures PIC FROM INTERNET tors employing different analytical University spoke on the topic for National Level Talent Search STAGE-II, 2021 are required to be undertaken in tools. Shoreline erosion, seawater in- ‘Horseshoe crabs in Odisha coast: Examination stage-II, 2021. Eligible right earnest to protect the coastal Odisha, blessed with a coastline of 482 km, should rise to the occasion by trusion, frequent cyclones and loss Significance, bio-prospecting and students studying in Class X ap- resources and the flow of benefits designing and implementing a comprehensive, robust climate policy to limit in coastal biodiversity are already conservation issues’. He narrated peared the exam. The National Level Talent Search from them. Coasts are very sensi- the magnitude of risks posed by the climate change and adapt to its expect- a concern in many areas of the how various human activities, in- The Directorate of TE & SCERT Examination is conducted by tive to sea level rise, increase in ed impacts, experts opine state. This necessitates the consti- cluding infrastructural develop- is entrusted with the responsibil- NCERT for candidates selected frequency and intensity of storms, tution of an expert committee se- ments and fishing activities, are ity of conducting the first tier through Stage – I. higher level of precipitation and inhabiting these habitats. Odisha, to its expected impacts. lecting scientists from climatology, pushing the horseshoe crab species screening examination known as Earlier, the State Level National warmer ocean temperatures. blessed with a coastline of 482 km, Sundara Narayan Patro, presi- oceanography, environment, biol- into the threatened category. We ‘State Level Talent Search Talent Search Examination, 2020- Further, rising carbon dioxide con- should rise to the occasion by de- dent of OES, said the state requires ogy, geography and social sciences can derive a lot of medicinal and Examination’ for selection of stip- 2021 was schedule to be held centration is making seawaters signing and implementing a com- undertaking advanced scientific re- to deal with the crisis. other benefits from it by protecting ulated number (State Quota) of 13.12.2020 (Sunday) but later changed more acidic, which has significant prehensive, robust climate policy to search on both current and possible On the occasion Pratap Kumar the species. Thus, it needs to be candidates of the national level to January 3, 2021 due to Covid 19 impact on coastal ecosystems and limit the magnitude of risks posed future climate scenarios and on di- Mohanty, Dept. of Marine Sciences, placed in Schedule I instead of

examination. pandemic. the species of animals and plants by the climate change and adapt verse cross-cutting themes. It needs Berhampur University presented a Schedule IV of the Wildlife Act.

k y m c P5 MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR state 4 held for minor’s

rape in Keonjhar Students deprived of NORM VIOLATION

k y m c POST NEWS NETWORK

Keonjhar, Jan 3: Five days after a minor was gangraped at Odia textbooks in AP Jalananda village under Ghasipura police limits in Keonjhar district, Pradesh while the Andhra gov- the police arrested all the four ac- ernment will cater to the needs of cused Sunday. Telugu textbooks to Telugu stu- The accused were identified as dents studying in Odisha in the be- Meda Naik, Chugulu Naik, Balia ginning of the academic session. Naik and Kuna Naik. They were As a result, the studies of nearly arrested under relevant sections 12,500 Odia students were affected due of Indian Penal Code and the to the unavailability of Odia text- POCSO Act. books. The Odisha government According to the police, the vic- was supposed to provide textbooks tim, aged 17, was living with her to Odia students (upto class-10) in widowed mother in the village. It June. According to reports, Odia was December 29 last year. She students are studying in 185 schools had gone to a nullah to answer (in the parts of Odia speaking nature’s call. Finding her alone, the LEFT IN LURCH tracts) in Srikakulam district. OP PHOTO four accused overpowered her and As examinations Odia students are studying in 185 schools (in the Besides, there are scores of Odia stu- took her to a secluded place where are drawing closer, parts of Odia speaking tracts) in Srikakulam dents in various schools in With Covid norms eased, tourists throng Gopalpur beach in Ganjam, in violation of social distancing norms, Sunday. they took turns on her. Odia students in district. Besides, there are scores of Odia students Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh in various schools in Vizianagaram and districts. are worried about Visakhapatnam districts “Due to unavailability of text- how they will Andhra govt with help of Odia teachers has been books in Odia language, students appear the test printing textbooks of Mathematics, Physics, are not interested to study in Odia 20 yrs on, no effort yet for without reading Biology, Social Studies and Environment Science language. For this problem, their the books at all and providing them to Odia students number is falling in schools in the fringe districts of Andhra Pradesh,” POST NEWS NETWORK the current year. lamented students Puspa Majhi, revival of Konark jute mill From November 2, the schools in Swati Dalei and Madhusudan Majhi. Paralakhemundi, Jan 3: After Andhra Pradesh have reopened, On the other hand, the Andhra POST NEWS NETWORK The concerned minister replied it started manufacturing a special demarcation of borders between but the students have not got Odia government with help of Odia that the Chowdwar-based OTM, variety of sack on the efforts of Reaching home, she narrated her Odisha and Andhra Pradesh post textbooks till date. As examina- teachers has been printing text- Jajpur, Jan 3: Even as 20 years have Jharsuguda-based Bhaskar Textile then MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy ordeal before her mother who then Independence, Chapara Zilla tions are drawing closer, they are books of Mathematics, Physics, passed since the closure of the Mills Ltd, Bhubaneswar-based in 1991. This helped it earn profits registered a compliant at the Parishad High School of Odisha worried about how they will ap- Biology, Social Studies and state-owned Konark Jute Mill in Orissa State Handloom till 1994. Ghasipura police station. became a part of Srikakulam dis- pear the test without reading the Environment Science and provid- Dhanmandal in this district, the Development Corporation and Later, then Chief Minister Biju The police said the accused trict in Andhra Pradesh. Scores of books at all. ing them to Odia students every state government seems to be lack- Baripada-based New Mayurbhanj Patnaik sanctioned Rs 8 crore for would be produced in a court after Odia people have been living in the As per the agreement between the year, but Odia textbooks are not ing in efforts for its revival, Textile Mills have been shut down. its modernisation and renovation. their medical examination. area. But their children studying in two governments, Odisha will cater available, said B Rabinda Kumar, a report said. However, the minister failed to The labour outfits had then alleged An investigation is underway, this high school allege that they to the needs of Odia textbooks for Science teacher of Chapara Zilla The jute mill was shut down in give any convincing reply on the re- that several lakhs from the sanc- it was learnt. are deprived of Odia textbooks in Odia students in schools in Andhra Parishad High School. 2001 due to shortage of raw mate- vival of this sick jute mill and cre- tioned funds were usurped. The mill rial and sustained loss. It has been ation of employment opportuni- was procuring raw materials from lying defunct since then and no ties. Reports said that the foundation the farmers of Jajpur, Kendrapara concrete efforts have been made stone for the jute mill was laid in and Jagatsinghpur districts. for its revival. 1975 when Nandini Satpathy was However, the authorities alleging Mayurbhanj’s Merumatha calls for attention the Chief Minister. Later, the jute that the jute procured from these dis- The plant had then mill was established at a plan out- tricts were of sub-standard quality employed over 2,600 lay of Rs 8 crore on the joint efforts procured two new varieties of jute A visitor would reach the shrine after travelling nearly 12km from the block headquarters, of the Centre and the state gov- from Kolkata. This paved the way around 40km from the district headquarters of Baripada labourers including 1,200 ernment. The jute mill was inau- for the downfall of the mill as it permanent staff. The gurated by then Union Minister again turned into a loss making POST NEWS NETWORK planted on the research centre for Steel and Mines Biju Patnaik unit and was closed down in 2001. MAHIMA CULT’S PLACE OF WORSHIP premises, of which about 300 plants mill was producing in 1979. The plant had then em- The state government sold the Baripada, Jan 3: Even as the state have died, owing to im- 13,240 tonnes of different ployed over 2,600 labourers in- jute mill when its accumulated government spends crores of rupees proper maintenance cluding 1,200 permanent staff. The losses touched Rs 27 crore in 2011. for preservation and development and apathetic atti- varieties of sacks mill was producing 13,240 tonnes A private company Sanatan of different places of worship across tude of district of- of different varieties of sacks. The Commercial bought the jute mill for Odisha, the famous ‘Merumatha’ in ficials. The dis- The closure of the jute mill ren- mill incurred loss from the start Rs 13 core, but it failed to run the Mayurbhanj district which belongs trict tourism dered over 26,000 employees and which continued for 12 years. Later, mill and vanished overnight. to the Mahima cult calls for atten- officer had ear- workers jobless. tion amid administrative apathy. lier proposed an It was a profit-making and vi- The state government has al- expenditure of Rs able unit of the state government. ready accorded Merumatha the sta- 1,41,00,000 towards However, due to alleged misman- tus of a tourist place in Mayurbhanj. development and agement and corruption the mill The Mahima shrine is located at beautification of the slipped into bankruptcy and was Sirsha under Saraskana block in the Mahima shrine. The proposal finally shut down. district. This neglected tourist des- had included construction of drink- Reports said the revival of the tination which is located amidst ing water stands, toilets, lighting fa- jute mill seems not to be on the greenery and scenic beauty has cility, a congregation hall and government agenda. It became failed to attract visitors from within a park. clear when Barchana MLA Amar and outside the state. Local denizens namely Rabindra Prasad Satapathy, who is also from The Subarnarekha River flows Nath Sahu, Kunjabihari Sethi, ruling party, questioned the steps near Merumatha. A visitor would district headquarters of Baripada. Merumatha was ceded to the state Sudhir Kumar Sahu, and Ashok being taken by the state govern- reach the shrine after travelling There is a forest cover on 56 acres government for developing a re- Kumar Prusty have demanded im- ment on the revival of the jute nearly 12km from the block head- of land. In 1990, around 20 acres of search centre of medicinal plants. mediate development as well as mill in the State Assembly in quarters, around 40km from the land earlier owned by the Over 500 medicinal plants were beautification of the Merumatha. October, 2020. Chakotiya Bhunjias & their sacred kitchens Selfie proves fatal for man POST NEWS NETWORK waterfall while taking a selfie and went missing Friday. POST NEWS NETWORK STEEPED IN structed in that way so that it can eas- Jeypore, Jan 3: After a frantic Satya’s friends started a search ily be burnt down. search, a team comprising for him; however, he could not be Tarbod, Jan 3: If you happen to TRADITION Instead of using bricks, stone ODRAF personnel and fire traced. On being informed, the be in any village in Nuapada district chips, boulders and iron rods in brigade Saturday afternoon fished ODRAF and fire personnel joined There are a total of 53 hamlets inhabited by people belong to the in Sunabeda sanctuary under constricting their kitchens, they out the body of a man who had them in searching for missing Chakotiya Bhunjia tribe, keep it in Komana block in Nuapada use mud and timbers. gone missing at Duduma water- Satya. “We had been trying hard mind that you should not touch their district. The villages are located Why they regard their kitchen fall near Semiliguda area in to retrieve the body since Friday. red building, locally called as ‘Lal about 36,000 feet above the so sacred? Koraput district. A joint team of fire services de- Bungalow’. mean sea level They in fact worship their deities The deceased was identified partment and ODRAF success- If you touch their red building, and forefathers in this ‘Lal as Satya Parija from Kaliagaon fully recovered his body Saturday even accidentally; they will set the The Chakotiya Bhunjia tribals Bungalow’. area near Jeypore town in the afternoon. It is a drowning case, building on fire. call their kitchen as ‘Lal Anyone from outside their fami- district. Satya had gone to the so his family will get compensa- In fact they have been following Bungalow’ which is the most lies is strictly not allowed to touch waterfall along with four of his tion of Rs 4 lakh as per govern- this bizarre and harsh tradition for sacred place in their house. If their sacred house. Even their mar- friends to celebrate New Year. ment norms,” Machhkund tehsil- any outsider touches it, even generations. ried off daughters no longer enjoy He, unfortunately, fell into the dar Manas Ranjan Patnaik said. accidentally; they assume their There are a total of 53 hamlets in ‘Lal Bungalow’ gets defiled the right of touching the house, let Sunabeda sanctuary under Komana alone going inside it. block in Nuapada district. The vil- Even if the married off daughters lages are located about 36,000 feet there number is next to nothing. teresting as well. filed. They destroy the house by set- come to their parents’ house as above the mean sea level (MSL). Different tribes practice differ- They call their kitchen as ‘Lal ting it on fire and get another one con- guests, their food is cooked outside. These villages are mostly inhab- ent customs and traditions. In that Bungalow’. It is the most sacred structed in its place. This will continue for as long as ited by Chakotiya Bhunjia tribals. way, the Chakotiya Bhunjia people place in their house. If any outsider Since they know that they their they stay in their parents’ house. If People of other tribal communities also follow a tradition which is not touches it, even accidentally; they as- kitchen has the risk of being touched she touches the ‘Lal Bungalow’, the are also living in these villages, but only different from others but in- sume their ‘Lal Bungalow’ gets de- by outsiders, their kitchen is con- next moment it is set on fire. AT HER ABODE Annual bird census begins

POST NEWS NETWORK

Puri/Baripada, Jan 3: The annual bird census of Odisha began Sunday with counting of avian species in Puri and Mayurbhanj districts. The census started at 5.30am and continued till 12noon, a forest department official informed. and Brahmagiri forest ranges under According to the official, separate Puri wildlife division. teams of forest officials conducted The department is finalising modal- surveys at water bodies in Simlipal, ities to include students of the Odisha Baripada, Rairangpur, Karanjia and University of Agriculture and Balasore forest divisions of Technology (OUAT) in the annual Mayurbhanj district. The teams census work, a senior forest official counted the number of avian guests said. Notably, each team was pro-

that have arrived here during the vided with binoculars, two-way radio

k y m c nesting season, including the resi- sets, GPS sets and other equipment dent ones. In another similar drive, to carry out the task. forest officials of Puri forest division The annual census of migratory at including ornithologists and wildlife Hirakud reservoir will be conducted experts carried out the census work by Sambalpur forest division Devotees offer prayers at Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur, Sunday OP PHOTO in Konark, Astaranga, Gop, Balukhand January 7. P6 MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWARS power post

FOCUS ECONOMY We must march on with the quiet

certitude that what has to be

k y m done will be done. c THE MOTHER SOFTER RULES, FASTER GROWTH

he bad year is gone. Hope sion making. The present post- of a good 2021 has set in. lockdown recovery is delicate. It The bell tolls for a new requires participation of all and par- The Smoker Smokes T India despite the bur- ticularly the marginalised to de- geoning battle for coming out of the cide on a course that would ensure he government of India has recently proposed a draft law to raise legal shadows of COVID-19. The econ- sustained growth. Dialogue to cre- age for smoking to 21 years from the present 18 years. Titled ‘Cigarettes omy is “reflating faster at a pace ate a New India is essential for set- T and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and that beats most predictions,” says ting the contours. It needs not only Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply & Distribution) the Reserve Bank of India. a correction but also prevention Amendment Act 2020’, the Bill, when it becomes law, is bound to create an The bounce back it says may from plunging into past mistakes. unnatural atmosphere at the implementation level. be faster in Q4 (last quarter of The RBI’s latest bulletins state India has the unique distinction of being, probably, the only nation in the 2020-21) as the country prepares to the economy is coming out of abyss whole world which sells single cigarette sticks to consumers. Worldwide, a present the new Central budget. Many GST provisions are harsh and should be and with care could improve in smoker is compelled to purchase a sealed pack of cigarettes. The reasons The Credit Suisse adds to it saying medium term and gradually av- behind the Indian scenario could be two fold. First, the average smoker in the growth turn in industrial pol- softened if India wants to be atmanirbhar. China erage the last 30 years’ growth this country being financially stressed, is unwilling to buy a whole pack and icy can add 1.7 per cent to GDP by has taken such steps for decades to help its track of 6.5 to 7 per cent. Credit prefers not to spend a hefty sum. Second, again the average smoker may not 2027 or 0.3-0.5 per cent a year. entrepreneurship capture global markets. Indian Suisse supports it by saying that be a chain smoker and does not feel the necessity to hold on to a whole pack. Nomura expects a gradual with- after a few years of downgrades of That possession could also imply, perforce, sharing with friends and colleagues Shivaji Sarkar drawal of liquidity with higher systems on the contrary work on a ‘blow hot Indian economy, “we have reasons which could be economically draining. These economic assumptions seem policy rates. Recent government blow cold’ model and don’t trust the people to upgrade”. It also feels that cor- acceptable when different surveys are studied. One study for example, con- measures and some other indica- porate tax cut and new labour ducted a few years ago, claims that when taxation is increased by 10% on THE NEW tors suggest positive growth at a codes too should help. cigarettes, number of smokers declines by nearly 8%. These indicators BUDGET HAS TO slower pace as the economy grad- to people. The prolonged lockdown to hit the rural inter-dependent The gradual larger GST collec- point out that higher cost of such goods do make a difference in a country ually unlocks. The RBI says busi- and a protracted slowdown made social fibre and ultimately create tion is also an indicator that pro- where the consumer is extremely price conscious. TAKE CARE OF ness sentiments have moved to a businesses ill-equipped to deal much smaller base as many are duction activities are gaining mo- To combat the menace of underage smoking, Maharashtra government recovery path though overall sen- with the economic pain. The in- feared to lose jobs or social support mentum. The industry wants enacted a law banning sale of single cigarette sticks in September 2020. THE GROWTH timents are yet to reach pre-pan- creasing bad debt problem with they have. The society needs a concessions on e-invoicing and According to findings of that state government, this step has indeed affected TRAJECTORY, demic levels as the unprecedented banks, NBFCs and the financial sec- larger base and the agriculture relaxations on many other issues consumption of cigarettes. Another survey claims that when people are al- lockdown brought activities to a tor added to difficulties though policy should not be dependent on to continue. The government’s im- lowed to buy a single cigarette, they do not feel the effect of higher taxation. SOFTEN MANY grinding halt. public sector banks were merged the market controlled by companies. patience to have larger accrual is According to The Global Tobacco Youth Survey, 2016, ‘the Indian state of LAWS/TAXES, The pandemic hit major to create larger entities to meet The APMC mandis may go through natural but the situation is frag- Maharashtra has the lowest rate of smokers economies. Global growth came global giants. a process of reform but a parallel ile and a helpful attitude towards in that country.’ Such reports strengthen CREATE JOBS down to minus 4 per cent, ad- India’s sequential or month-on- ‘market’ may not be in the interest industry and businesses would the impression that raising taxes alone do not AND DEMAND, vanced economies to minus 6 per month recovery looks better, ac- of the country. Added to this are be beneficial for the country in hinder growth of tobacco addicts. The real cent and the Chinese economy to cording to Centre for Monitoring possibilities of opening up the the long run. Many GST provi- problem lies at the retail shop level. These AND REPOSE about two per cent, according to Indian Economy (CMIE) analyses banking sector to the corporate, sions are harsh and should be soft- and many such other issues never get ad- IMF World Economic Outlook of of the Nomura India Business wiping out the difference between ened if the country wants to be dressed by the government when laws are Piate TRUST IN THE October 2020. The IMF says that in Resumption Index or Purchasing the lender and borrower – remi- atmanirbhar (self-reliant). China drafted and passed in the legislatures. For ex- Tathagata PEOPLE 2021 all economies are supposed to Manager’s Indices (PMI). The PMI niscent of pre-1969 nationalisa- has taken such sustained steps ample, it would be very difficult for a rural Satpathy do better around 4 per cent or suggest that economic activity has tion of banks – situation may not for decades to help its entrepre- cigarette shop owner to judge the true age O more but on a deflated growth in resumed to pre-pandemic levels. But be beneficial. More so as the State neurship capture global markets. of a customer. Today many school going 2020. It projects 10.3 per cent con- the low base effect and low cash lev- Bank of India, Union Bank of Indian systems on the contrary children look very grown up, even though they may be in their teens. The new traction for India and RBI sees els with the poor, who spend more India and Indian Overseas Bank work on a ‘blow hot blow cold’ law would expect every customer to carry a proof of age. The problem does lower 7.5 per cent contraction. and create the mass demand are un- have challenged the bankruptcy res- model and don’t trust the people. not end there because every shopkeeper will then be expected to have the abil- Overall Indian economic growth, able yet to boost up economic ac- olution of one of the biggest com- The country can grow faster if ity to read and decipher that proof. In most other countries, every citizen car- as per IMF, may be 8.8 per cent in tivities. Though many corporates panies and say that their stake is the wealth of the people is not de- ries an identification card (ID). That is considered normal since the ID has the next fiscal year. Since this have restored salaries, many still ten-times larger than what Vijay stroyed as some of the rules such very many roles and uses in regular day to day life. For instance, the ID proof would be on a low base effect of are unable to do so or are delaying Mallya owed to them. The policy as junking of cars and pollution con- of age allows free entry to many museums and sites as well as a person 2020-21(-23.9 per cent) so actual payments. This apart, many who makers need to go through the trol methods, high penalties of below a certain age is entitled to travel discounts on coaches and trains. growth in 2021-22 may be lower lost jobs during the pandemic have gamut before allowing such a move Motor Vehicles Act have done. India unfortunately has a plethora of cards or IDs that do not seem to de- than the 2019-20 level. not yet got them back. amid apprehensions that it would India has to prepare for the real chal- liver. As an example, our Aadhaar cards may be necessary for getting ben- India did not lag behind in an- The recent labour codes have exacerbate the economic crisis. lenges beyond 2021-22. The new efits from government’s welfare schemes but cannot be used as a quick ref- nouncing stimulus and lending increased working hours and are India’s is a peculiar economy Budget has to take care of the erence for age or address verification unless the cumbersome process of using guarantees and pro-poor meas- stated to have done away with that is driven by the poor, who de- growth trajectory, soften many a computer with internet facility is resorted to. A youngster trying to prove ures, including free food grains many of workplace safeguards. spite their low incomes are the laws/taxes, create jobs and de- that her age is above 21 years through her Aadhaar card will not make the and higher rural employment The wage-led growth is perceived largest purchasers and boost man- mand, and repose trust in the peo- cigarette shop owner’s life simpler. guarantees. The relief to the peo- to being replaced by profits, which ufacturing, electricity, gas, min- ple. Softer rules and involvement Across the civilized world, buying alcohol also requires proof of age. In ple, however, did not reflect the in turn creates a smaller base. The ing and many other products. That of people are needed for a better India, that is not even an issue. A person of any age can queue up in front rise in demand, perhaps because new farm laws, though may open is the practical economy and this economy. of any liquor shop and buy whatever amount of alcohol he desires provided of contraction of the cash available up markets for farmers, are likely needs to guide the country’s deci- INFA he has the cash. It is in such activities that the country seems united. Here it can be truthfully claimed that ‘Kashmir to Kanyakumari—India is One’. Throughout the length and breadth of this country, alcohol shops do not ask for verification of age of the purchaser. This is certainly a bigger threat to law and order as well as traffic. It is a proven fact that drivers under the in- SPECTRUM URBANISATION fluence of alcohol have caused serious road mishaps, killing innocents in thousands every year. This is a singularly deadly cause for the huge number of deaths on Indian roads annually. Yet the government does not bother about it. Instead, licences are granted, on a daily basis, to open new liquor shops as well as bars right beside highways. The slogan – ‘Don’t Mix Drinking Smart cities: Are they intelligent enough? and Driving’ – has remained just that, a slogan! Tobacco or Alcohol, the government’s efforts at controlling such intoxi- futuristic city proactively the smart city is an imperative, not deeper study of population growth diction model has many system ad- cants will never have the desired effects since the ground realities are not and predictably adjusts city a choice, and a blueprint of the rate. Influx in various cities is a clear vantages. It can trigger the system being taken into consideration when drafting such imbecile laws. Amanagement infrastructure same needs a well thought prag- indication of unequal allocation in advance and raise the alarm to to facilitate and deliver a better matic approach to address today’s of fair and reasonable government prevent loss of assets and lives. living situation under its design and tomorrow’s concern. attention. Villagers migrate to cities Leveraging an intelligent infor- philosophy. So, smart cities are fast A typical city which people will searching for employment as they mation system might add many ad- WISDOM CORNER becoming a need. But are these fu- love to live in shall have key per- don’t get enough opportunities to vantages to overcome ‘Acts of God.’ ture cities intelligent enough to formance indices (KPIs) like easy support their aspirations in vil- Capital expenditure outlays to Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. support such changed demands? accessibility to transportation, in- lages. So it is a two-sided problem. build a smart city should aim to op- GEORGE BERNARD SHAW Though the answers might have formation system, educational es- The first being reproductive growth, timise the operating expenditure The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly. contrary views but to achieve a tablishment, library, hospital and and the second is the economic outlays in successive years under WILLIAM WORDSWORTH Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced. sustainable and resilient smart other community services, unin- pressure of migration to cities. respective municipal bodies. JOHN KEATS city, the roadmap must bridge the terrupted supply of water, elec- The city designer, therefore, must Otherwise, tax burden will dete- gap between current needs and fu- tricity and IT network, speedy and understand the population growth riorate the health of these techni- ture expectations. efficient waste management sys- pattern of our country and re- cal devices due to inadequate or no SK Nag Smart cities by design are tech- tem and faster crime detection and spective cities. By 2050, our popu- maintenance. A proper functional WORDSWORTH nology-enabled urban infrastructure prevention infrastructure. Therefore, lation will be somewhere between ICT system allows the government TO ACHIEVE A conceptualised to eliminate the a city of next generation should 1.5 to 1.6 billion and to cater to all to optimise resource utilisation by multidimensional inconvenience judiciously address these KPIs to these people’s aspirations we may equitable deployment in a time- Wigg SUSTAINABLE resulting from operating ineffi- make living safer and better. This need many more smart cities to bound manner. This pushes the n Good Friday 1664, Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary, “Home SMART CITY, THE ciencies. Through an evolutionary is a data-centric solution to urban accommodate them in big num- system efficiency upward and, in Oto the only Lenten supper I have had of wiggs and ale.” Though and iterative process, the city aims infrastructure. The concept brings bers. If they are not smart enough, return, brings down the tax burden they were sometimes said to be like Good Friday buns, ancestors of ROADMAP MUST to enhance its dwellers’ quality of down the resource mobilisation sustainability will be an issue. on citizens. hot-cross buns, wiggs seem to have been linked not only with the BRIDGE THE life and tries to achieve ‘ease of liv- need to optimal level with a pre- Covid-19 has proved how weak Our 70 per cent population will end of Lent but with other special occasions, too; Clement Miles ing.’ Modern-day living has many dictive algorithm to reduce waste- our global health system is. The live in cities by 2050. We are yet to noted in his book Christmas in Ritual and Tradition in 1912, “In GAP BETWEEN incremental and associated lifestyle ful mobilisation of govt resources. urban information system design gain momentum to harvest the Shropshire ‘wigs’ or caraway buns dipped in ale were eaten on difficulties. Out of which the grow- For example, a city that has an un- needs to generate and feed the al- benefit of technology-enabled cities. Christmas Eve.” They were also recorded as being associated with St CURRENT NEEDS ing population is a concern for all. derground waste disposal system gorithmic model with near real- Our blueprint must mention the end Andrew’s Day on 30 November, for some reason notably in AND FUTURE Indian population is growing ex- can predict in advance the pattern time data. According to the de- of the road; otherwise, our popu- Bedfordshire. A Lincolnshire variation on an old children’s rhyme ponentially, and soon there will be of garbage being thrown into a mand, the system is necessarily lation’s demand will always sur- goes: Tom, Tom, the baker’s son, Stole a wig and away he run; The EXPECTATIONS many showstoppers caused by over- chute at a particular time of the day. designed to have agility to predict, pass the facility made available wig was eat, and Tom was beat, And Tom went roaring down the population to dismiss the concept Accordingly, a compressed air sys- act and augment the variable re- due to a delayed bureaucratic im- street. In the nineteenth century, wiggs (or wigs or whigs; spellings of ‘ease of living.’ Food security, in- tem (which keeps the system run- sources, sometimes proactively plementation. have been very variable) were widely known and equally widely competent healthcare services, col- ning) is activated in those locations and sometimes reactively. variable in their recipes. Caraway was one constituent mentioned in lapsed public transport system, to optimise the captive require- Prediction plays an important The writer is a some parts of Britain (these were presumably the type recorded in and many such issues will crop in ment of compressed air capacity. role in intelligent system design Mumbai-based MSME The Tale of Ginger and Pickles by Beatrix Potter: “But a person if the government does not address The designing philosophy of where the infrastructure has to strategist, mentor and energy cannot live on ‘seed wigs’ and sponge cake and butter buns”); in population growth. Consequently, smart cities necessarily calls for a combat natural disasters. The pre- expert. Views are personal. other places it was said they should be sweet and contain currants (though in northern England this was a spice wig, a plain wig being without them). In Lincolnshire, plums were considered to be a vital ingredient (though currants were meant, as in plum pudding), while Under the skin Infra requirement Beware of rumours in Hampshire honey was essential. On the other hand, the austere burghers of Bristol said a wigg was a local name for a plain Sir, The Australian media has made Sir, The Biju Patnaik International Airport at Sir, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan halfpenny bun. They were nearest its origin, since a wigg was at first much ado about the alleged breach Bhubaneswar caters to the need of tourists vis- has requested the people to not pay atten- simply a fine wheaten loaf lacking these later elaborations. etters of Covid protocol ‘Down Under’ by iting Puri and Bhubaneswar. Puri is just 58 km tion to the rumours against the much- five Indian players - Rohit Sharma, from Bhubaneswar airport. If an airport comes awaited vaccine to prevent Covid-19. He Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Navdeep up at Puri the state will have two international stated that our prime criteria in the vaccine TOL THE EDITOR Saini and Prithvi Shaw. We believe airports within a distance of 50 km. Bhubaneswar trial are safety and efficacy and nothing LOL Readers of Orissa POST that the quintet was sitting outdoors, being the city of temples attracts as many tourists will be compromised. The objective of the are most welcome to contribute letters as allowed by protocols, and it was only as Puri and Konark. In fact, Puri, Konark and dry run for Covid-19 vaccine is to measure what (200 words), articles and after a drizzle they had to move in- Bhubaneswar form a golden triangle for tourists the operational possibility in a field envi- A dangerous mix columns (between 750-1250 she words). Contributors are doors. Though isolated from the rest visiting the state. Bhubaneswar is smart city ronment, to test the linkages between plan- t a chemistry class, a female was requested to send their of the contingent, they can train sep- and has many star hotels of international stan- ning and execution, and to identify the chal- Astudent wished to make some intending to do, contact numbers and full arately, which is some solace for the dard, and this is required for international lenges and lead the way forward prior to the

potassium hydroxide solution asked her first to postal address/email ID. They may also team. The episode following a stirring tourists’ comfort. Odisha is big state and on the actual implementation. The vaccine, which

k y m send in their valuable comments, opinion c (aqueous) and decided to throw a stir the water in the and suggestions, preferably by email, win in Melbourne must get under path of fast development. Three more airports is worldwide recognised as AZD1222 will large lump of potassium into a bucket bucket for five minutes before adding to: [email protected] the Indian players, administrators, are required in the north, west and south of be the first silver bullet for the country. of water. Her professor observed the potassium. She was puzzled and and fans’ skin. Bhubaneswar to cover the infrastructure re- The people need to be cautious of rumours what she was about to do, out of the ran after him to ask the purpose of quirement of the whole state. and wait for a few months. corner of his eye and hurried towards this action. “It will give me time to get B-15, Rasulgarh Industrial Estate, NJ Ravi Chander, her, and after confirming this was away,” said the professor. Bhubaneswar-751010 BANGALORE Gopal Prasad Mittal, BHUBANESWAR Amit Singh Kushwaha, SATNA (MP) MADHYA DELHI PRADESH P7

MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR

k y m Scindia loyalists return as ministers GST OFFICIALS DETECT c WITH THEIR INDUCTION, THE CURRENT STRENGTH OF MADHYA PRADESH CABINET WENT UP TO 31 `830 CR TAX EVASION PRESS TRUST OF INDIA 3RD CABINET PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Bhopal, Jan 3: The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh cab- EXPANSION New Delhi, Jan 3: Central GST au- inet was expanded Sunday with thorities have detected a tax evasion he first expansion was held the induction of two loyalists of of over `830 crore by an illegal pan- Ton April 21 last year BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, wherein five ministers, masala manufacturing unit here whose exit from the Congress in including Silawat and Rajput, and arrested a person for his in- March last year triggered the fall of were inducted volvement, according to an official the 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led dis- statement. pensation in the state. ilawat and Rajput were The firm was evading the pay- Governor Anandiben Patel ad- Samong the Congress MLAs ment of Goods and Services Tax ministered the oath of office to who had resigned and joined (GST) by manufacturing and clan- The firm was evading the Tulsiram Silawat and Govind the BJP with Scindia in March destinely supplying gutkha/pan payment of Goods and Services last year Rajput, who returned to the cabinet masala/tobacco products without Tax (GST) by manufacturing after a gap of more than two months. n the Assembly bypolls held any registration and payment of With their induction, the cur- Iin November, the BJP had duty, it said. and clandestinely rent strength of the state cabinet won 19 out of the 28 seats, “On the basis of the search at the supplying tobacco went up to 31. The number of mem- while the opposition Congress premises of the manufacturer, it was bers in the council of ministers in had bagged nine found that illegal manufacturing of MP cannot exceed 35. gutkha/pan masala/tobacco prod- at Rs. 4.14 cr approximately, the supply of goods without issue of any During their brief oath-taking cer- days back. coronavirus pandemic delayed the isters, including Silawat and Rajput, uct was going on, evidenced by a statement said. invoice with the intention to evade emony held at the Raj Bhawan, This is the third expansion of bypolls. were inducted. godown, machines, raw materials “On the basis of evidence gath- tax, as well as in transporting, re- Chief Minister Shivraj Singh the state cabinet ever since Chouhan There is a provision that a non- Silawat and Rajput were among and manufactured products at the ered, stocks seized and confessional moving, depositing, keeping, con- Chouhan, Protem Speaker took over as the chief minister for MLA, who got inducted in the cab- the Congress MLAs who had re- premises,” the office of statements recorded the total duty cealing, supplying, or purchasing Rameshwar Sharma and several the fourth term in March 2020 after inet, should get elected to the State signed and joined the BJP with Commissioner central tax (Delhi evasion is estimated to be approx any goods, it said. ministers of the state cabinet were the collapse of the Congress gov- Assembly within six months. Scindia in March last year. West) said in a statement Saturday. `831.72 crores. Further investigation The accused was arrested and present. ernment. The second expansion of In the Assembly bypolls held in Around 65 labourers were found is in progress,” it said. produced before the local court A public relations officer of Raj Silawat and Rajput had been in- Chouhan's cabinet took place on November, the BJP had won 19 out working at the illegal factory, The finished product of gutkha here Saturday that has sent him Bhawan on Sunday said that the res- ducted into the cabinet in April July 2 last year with the induction of the 28 seats, while the opposition it said. was being supplied by the unit to to 14 days judicial custody, the state- ignations of two other ministers, last year during its first expansion. of 28 ministers, including a dozen Congress had bagged nine. The searches resulted in the various states, the statement said. ment said. Imarti Devi and Girraj Dandotia, However, they had to step down in loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia. Silawat and Rajput had won the seizure of finished gutkha and raw One person has been arrested A senior official said the illegal who lost the November 3 Assembly October as they were not members The first expansion was held on bypoll from Sanver and Surkhi con- materials such as chuna, sada in the matter on the basis of his in- unit was operating from Budh Vihar bypolls, have been accepted a few of the state legislature because the April 21 last year wherein five min- stituencies respectively. kattha, tobacco leaves etc, valued volvement in the manufacture and area here. RAINS ADDS TO Chouhan warns stone pelters Kejriwal lauds vaccine approval PRESS TRUST OF INDIA PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Bhopal, Jan 3: Madhya Pradesh Congratulations Chief Minister Shivraj Singh New Delhi, Jan 3: Delhi Chief to all the FARMERS’ WOES Chouhan has said that stern action Minister Arvind Kejriwal on countrymen. and a law were needed against those Sunday said that approval for the Approval by DCGI to who indulge in stone pelting. emergency use of two "made in emergency use of two His statement comes in the wake India" vaccines will give a posi- made in India vaccines of recent incidents of stone pelting construction of the Ram temple in tive direction to the country's fight will give a positive on vehicle rallies taken out in west- Ayodhya ahead of the launch of a against coronavirus. direction to the country’s ern Madhya Pradesh by some nationwide public campaign by the Congratulating the countrymen, fight against corona groups to raise awareness about the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kejriwal saluted the scientists and ARVIND KEJRIWAL I CM construction of Ram temple in Kshetra Trust from January 15 to mo- doctors for the achievement. Ayodhya. bilise funds for the temple project. The Drugs Controller General "Stern action and a law are Right wing organisations, in- of India (DCGI) on Sunday ap- gency use of two made in India vac- Committee (SEC) of the Central needed against stone- pelters. At cluding the Vishva Hindu Parishad proved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine cines will give a positive direction to Drugs Standard Control times, stone pelting poses danger (VHP), have said that stones were Covishield, manufactured by the the country's fight against corona. Organisation (CDSCO). to life," Chouhan told top bureau- hurled at them during the rallies. Serum Institute, and indigenously Salute to the scientists and doctors This paves the way for the roll- crats in the state during an online However, Muslims in the Malwa developed Covaxin of Bharat whose hard work helped us reach out of at least two vaccines in India meeting on Saturday. region (western region) have al- Biotech for restricted emergency use here," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. in the coming days and a massive Vehicle rallies are being taken leged that their places of worship in the country. The approval was granted by the inoculation drive against the coro- out in villages in the state by certain and houses were targeted during "Congratulations to all the coun- DCGI following the recommenda- navirus that has claimed over 1.49 PRESS TRUST OF INDIA in areas across Delhi and mini- groups to raise awareness on the the rallies. trymen. Approval by DCGI to emer- tion by the COVID-19 Subject Expert lakh lives in the country. mum temperatures have increased New Delhi, Jan 3: Waterlogged due to clouding and easterly winds. tents, soaked firewood and blan- "Safdarjung observatory recorded kets, and cold conditions -- farmers a minimum temperature of 9.9 de- camping at Delhi borders in protest grees Celsius, an increase of 6.7 Ghazipur landfill’s height reduced Closure of COVID against new farm laws had a dif- degrees with 25 mm rain. Palam ob- ficult morning on Sunday due to servatory recorded a minimum PRESS TRUST OF INDIA overnight rains. temperature of 11.4 degrees Celsius The continuous downpour led with 18 mm rain. Rain with hail New Delhi, Jan 3: The height of centres in MP soon to waterlogging at agitation venues storm is expected until January the Ghazipur landfill site has re- and waterproof tents did not help 6," the official said. duced by 12 metres due to sustained PRESS TRUST OF INDIA This decision evoked a much, according to the protesters. Thousands of farmers, mostly efforts made in the last one year, Farmer leader Abhimanyu from Punjab and Haryana, have claimed East Delhi BJP MP Gautam Bhopal, Jan 3: The Madhya sharp reaction from the Kohar, who is a member of been camping at three Delhi bor- Gambhir, who is closely associated Pradesh government has ordered opposition Congress, Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, said farm- der points --- Singhu, Tikri and with the project. closure of all COVID care cen- ers have waterproof tents but they Ghazipur -- for more than a month, The landfill site where garbage tres in the state, except those in with Kamal Nath cannot protect them from biting demanding repeal of three farm from East Delhi Municipal Bhopal, from January 1 in view questioning the rationale cold and waterlogging. laws and a legal guarantee for Corporation (EDMC) areas is of the low occupancy of beds, as "The situation is very bad at Minimum Support Price (MSP) dumped, was saturated since 2002 per an official order made avail- behind the order protest sites due to rain which has and other two issues. and had attained a height of 65 me- able on Sunday. caused waterlogging. There is so Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan tres, said the BJP MP. This decision evoked a sharp re- much cold after the rains, but the leader Sukhdev Singh, whose Union "Since day one of becoming East action from the opposition Congress, tinuing in the state. The statistics government is not able to see our is leading the protest at Tikri bor- Delhi MP, my top most priority has with its state unit president Kamal of infection is increasing daily. misery," he said. der, said arrangements made by been to ensure a substantial re- Nath questioning the rationale be- Even the assembly session was Gurwinder Singh, who is camp- farmers to brave the cold weather duction in the Ghazipur landfill hind the order. cancelled due to fear of coron- ing at Singhu Border, said there is are not helping much because of which is a source of pollution and Defending the decision, Chief avirus and the Shivraj government waterlogging at some places as rains and subsequent waterlogging. misery for the people of the con- initial results of our hard labour and regation. Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan closed all COVID care centres in the civic facilities are not up to the Veerpal Singh, a protesting stituency," he said. the garbage mountain is reducing. Machinery including excavators, said the pandemic is under con- state except Bhopal?" mark but asserted that the weather farmer, said their blankets, clothes Multiple meetings with various I would like to tell East Delhi peo- trucks, loaders were deployed 24X7 trol in the state and there is no jus- Hitting back, CM Chouhan said, will not dampen the spirit of farm- and wood are soaked. authorities, use of crores of ru- ple that this is just the beginning to dig the waste and transport it to tification to keep the COVID care if required, these COVID care cen- ers who have been protesting for "Our clothes are soaked due to pees from my MP LAD fund and and we will not give up till we com- trommels for segregation. centres open "just for the sake of tres will be opened again. over a month. waterlogging caused by rains. tremendous efforts put in by EDMC, pletely remove this gigantic dump," Arrangements were made to keeping them open". "Does Kamal Nath want COVID "Despite facing several problems, Besides, we are facing difficulties have finally helped reduce height Gautam asserted. transport the inert material after As per the state government centres to remain open always? we will not move from here until our to cook food as rain water has also of the landfill at the top by 12 me- The EDMC has deployed 15 trom- processing to NTPC Badarpur for order dated December 31, 2020 and The COVID-19 situation is fully demands are met," he said. soaked firewood. We do have an tres, he said. mels to process the legacy waste by its biodiversity park while the re- directed to district collectors and under control in the state. According to a MeT Department LPG cylinder but not everyone "After almost one and a half excavating the dump.Then it is fuse derivative fuel (RDF) is sent to health authorities, a policy deci- Arrangements are already in place official, heavy rainfall was reported here has it," he said. years we are finally witnessing the transported to trommels for seg- a waste to energy plant, he said. sion has been taken to shut the for providing adequate treatment COVID Care centres from the first (to patients). Home isolation is also day of New Year due to low occu- provided. pancy of beds. "If needed, these COVID care These centres were set up centres will be opened again, but 100 Naxals sneaked into MP from C’garh, Maha across the state for lodging there is no justification to keep COVID-19 patients. them open for the sake of keeping PRESS TRUST OF INDIA tured in September last year, The order also stated that in the them open," Chouhan said in a they added. case of rise of infected patients, statement. Balaghat (MP), Jan 3: Around KEEPING VIGIL Sharda (25), who hailed from health authorities can reopen these As on January 2, the total num- 100 Naxals from Chhattisgarh and he Madhya Pradesh police's Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, centres with prior permission of the ber of coronavirus positive cases Maharashtra have sneaked into Tanti-Naxal wing Hawk Force is carried an overall bounty of `eight state government. in Madhya Pradesh stood at 2,43,302 Madhya Pradesh over the past few already deployed in Balaghat lakh `three lakh of MP and `five Meanwhile, Nath tweeted: including 3,627 fatalities, as per months to expand their base, prompt- lakh of Chhattisgarh police- on her "Deaths due to coronavirus con- health officials. ing the state government to seek de- Maoists - two from head. She was killed on November ployment of six companies of para- 3Chhattisgarh and one from 6, police said. Maharashtra - were killed in 3 military forces in the rebel-hit areas, Likewise, Savitri Alias Ayathe separate encounters with police a police official said. in Balaghat (24), who hailed from Gangloor These security forces are likely in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, to be deployed soon in MP’s Balaghat and Shobha Gowde (30) from and tribal-dominated Mandla dis- (CRPF) battalion is also stationed Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, were tricts, which the Naxals have en- there, the official said. killed in police encounters in tered, he said. Police said that Naxals have Balaghat on December 1112. "As per the information provided sneaked into MP from the neigh- Both of them carried rewards to us by our sources, around 100 bouring states can be gauged from of `14 lakh each on their heads, rebels from Chhattisgarh and the fact that three women Maoists- they said.

Maharashtra have entered Madhya Mocha Dalam in Mandla came up paramilitary forces are going to be two from Chhattisgarh and one Besides, Balaghat police had cap-

k y m c Pradesh over the past few months last year, he said, adding that Mandla sent to Balaghat and Mandla to from Maharashtra- were killed in tured dreaded Naxal Badal Singh to expand their base in the region," and Balaghat share a long border. tackle the Naxal menace. three separate encounters with po- Markam of Chhattisgarh in the official said. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister The Madhya Pradesh police's lice in Balaghat in November and September last year after he en- Six dalams (groups) of Naxals Narottam Mishra, during his visit anti-Naxal wing Hawk Force is al- December 2020. tered MP through Balaghat, which are operating in Balaghat and to Balaghat last month, had told ready deployed in Balaghat. Besides, A rebel who had entered Balaghat shares border with Chhattisgarh Mandla districts. Of these, Khatia reporters that six companies of a Central Reserve Police Force from Chhattisgarh had also been cap- and Maharashtra, they said. P8 SADANANDA GOWDA MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR The state government has HOSPITALISED decided to vaccinate health Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda workers, including doctors, collapsed due to low blood sugar in nurses and paramedics on Chitradurga while on his way to the priority along with the police city from Shivamogga on Sunday and

y national personnel has been admitted to a hospital here,

k y m ANIL DESHMUKH | MAHA HOME MINISTER official sources said. c

of the day uote Rawat reviews military COVID-19 VACCINE APPROVAL preparedness along Cong questions nod to The Uddhav Thackeray LAC in Arunachal government in Proud moment for India, Maharashtra could PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Covaxin; BJP hits back collapse over the renaming of Aurangabad and New Delhi, Jan 3: At the end of say SII, Bharat Biotech asked the ruling alliance his two-day visit to various for- to not get involved in a wards posts near the Line of controversy on the issue Actual Control in Arunachal PRESS TRUST OF INDIA @adarpoonawalla took a huge risk Pradesh, Chief of Defence Staff in creating capacity. But his bet RAMDAS ATHAWALE | UNION MINISTER Gen Bipin Rawat on Sunday said New Delhi: With the government was not just about financial re- he was satisfied with the "high approving two COVID-19 vaccines wards. It will help save millions of morale and motivation" of the for emergency use, Serum Institute lives. A salute". The BJP, which armed forces personnel who will Sunday said it is ready to roll out Reacting to the move by the DCGI, has been ensure "certain victory if chal- Covishield vaccine in India in the Bharat Biotech Chairman and systemically lenged or given the opportunity", coming weeks, while Bharat Biotech Managing Director Krishna Ella trampling all according to the Army. termed the nod to Covaxin as a democratic and said, "The approval of COVAXIN for constitutional Gen Rawat's visit to key loca- giant leap for novel product devel- emergency use is a giant leap for in- institutions, has not tions in the frontier state came PRESS TRUST OF INDIA to cause panic in the minds of the opment. first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, novation and novel product devel- spared even the office of Governor amid the nearly eight-month- people. I urge them to do politics on Even as the two companies gear safe, effective and ready to roll-out opment in India. It is a proud mo- long Sino-India border standoff New Delhi, Jan 3: The BJP Sunday other issues, they should avoid up to roll out the vaccines, another in the coming weeks," SII CEO Adar ment for the nation and a great AMARINDER SINGH | PUNJAB CM in eastern Ladakh. hit out at the Congress after some playing with people's precious lives homegrown pharma major Zydus Poonawalla said in a tweet. milestone in India's scientific ca- "CDS complimented soldiers of its leaders questioned the ap- and hard-earned livelihoods," Nadda Cadila said it has received Drug The company has already stock- pability, a kickstart to the innova- for adopting innovative meas- proval process for Bharat Biotech's said. While the entire nation is Controller General of India (DCGI) piled around 50 million dosages of tion ecosystem in India". BJP has ures for surveillance through lo- COVID-19 vaccine, with party pres- happy about the development of approval to initiate Phase III clin- the vaccine and aims to produce up The phase-III human clinical tri- realised after cally developed technology & the ident J P Nadda alleging that when- vaccines, the opposition led by the ical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine to 100 million dosages per month by als of Covaxin began in mid- the gram defence preparedness to face any ever India achieves something com- ZyCoV-D. Pune-based vaccine major March next year. The Oxford- panchayat results Congress is filled with anger, November. Bharat that all its attempts challenge," the Army said in a mendable the opposition party ridicule and disdain, he alleged. Serum Institute of India (SII) had AstraZeneca vaccine has already Biotech aims to recruit 26,000 vol- to finish off the tweet. comes up with "wild theories" to In a tweet, Puri said, "Our in- entered into a collaboration with the been approved by the UK govern- unteers across the country for the JD(S) have failed The Chief of Defence Staff "ridicule" the accomplishments. house cynics M/s Jairam, Tharoor University of Oxford and ment. Commending SII for its ap- phase-III trials. visited several key installations Union Minister Hardeep Singh & Akhilesh are behaving true to AstraZeneca to manufacture the proach on the vaccine, Mahindra Meanwhile, Zydus Cadila said H D KUMARASWAMY | FORMER KARNATAKA including "forward most air Puri also took a swipe at the op- form. They first questioned the vaccine Covishield. group Chairman Anand Mahindra it has received DCGI approval to ini- CHIEF MINISTER maintained" posts in Dibang position leaders, saying they are on valour of our soldiers & are now un- "Happy new year, everyone! All tweeted, "Risk-taking is a funda- tiate phase III clinical trials of its Valley, Lohit sector and Subansiri a quest for permanent political happy that the two vaccines to get the risks @SerumInstIndia took mental characteristic of business. COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D. It will valley since his arrival in the marginalisation. DCGI nod are made in India. Clearly, with stockpiling the vaccine, have A bet can go either way but when be initiating a phase III clinical state on Saturday morning, ac- His dig, however, drew a sharp they are on a quest for permanent finally paid off. COVISHIELD, India's it succeeds it's hugely rewarding. trial in around 30,000 volunteers. SHORT TAKES cording to the Army. retort from Congress leader Jairam political marginalization." On Sunday, Gen Rawat inter- Ramesh who compared him with Jairam Ramesh retorted, "So Active nCoV cases acted with personnel of the Army Nazi propagandists. Nadda ac- says the in-house Goebbels-cum- and Indo-Tibetan Border Police cused the Congress and other op- Albert Speer." FUN TIME drop below 2.5L (ITBP) deployed along the position parties of trying to cause Both Goebbels and Speer were New Delhi: The COVID-19 Subansiri valley, it said. panic among people to further their close allies of German dictator active caseload in India has Sources said Gen Rawat re- "failed politics and nefarious agen- Hitler. Tharoor, a Congress MP dropped below 2.5 lakh with viewed the overall preparedness das". "Congress and the Opposition and former union minister, also the recoveries exceeding new of the armed forces in key for- is not proud of anything Indian. countered Puri, saying he had never cases and low number of ward bases and asked them to re- They should introspect about how questioned the valour of our sol- fatalities per day, the Health main vigilant. The Army and the their lies on the COVID-19 vaccine diers. "I would be happy and proud ministry said Sunday. "India's Indian Air Force have been main- will be used by vested interest if more Indian vaccines are ap- present active caseload taining a high state of operational groups for their own agendas," the proved — but only after a full 3- consists of just 2.39 per cent readiness along the nearly 3,500- BJP chief said in a series of tweets. phase trial confirms they are safe of India's Total Positive km Line of Actual Control (LAC) Some Congress leaders, in- & effective. Short-circuiting the Cases. The new recoveries of with China in view of the east- cluding Anand Sharma, Shashi process is unprecedented, inad- 20,923 in the last 24 hours ern Ladakh standoff. Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, on visable & risks lives. "We are baf- have led to a net decline of Sunday raised serious concerns fled to understand what scientific 2,963 in the Total Active over the grant of approval to Bharat logic has motivated the SEC (sub- cases," the Health ministry Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine for re- ject expert committee) to approve said in a statement. AAP to contest stricted use, saying it is "premature" this vaccine posthaste... In violation and can prove dangerous. of the criteria in the draft regula- all seats in Guj Nadda said, "Time and again we tory guidelines for the develop- Man killed have seen whenever India achieves ment of Covid-19 vaccines pub- by group local body polls something commendable - that will lished by CDSCO on 21/9/20," he further public good - the Congress tweeted, referring to Bharat New Delhi: A 27-year-old man comes up with wild theories to op- Biotech's Covaxin. was beaten to death by a PRESS TRUST OF INDIA pose and ridicule the accomplish- Ramesh had earlier said that group of people in west ments. The more they oppose, the Bharat Biotech is a first-rate en- Delhi's Raghubir Nagar, Ahmedabad, Jan 3: The Aam more they are exposed. Latest ex- terprise while adding that it is puz- police said Sunday. The Aadmi Party (AAP) Sunday said ample is the Covid vaccines." He zling that internationally-accepted deceased has been identified it will contest all seats in the up- said people have been rejecting protocols relating to phase three tri- as Satender, a resident of coming local bodies polls in such politics and will keep doing als are being modified for Covaxin. Janta Colony in Shivaji Vihar. Gujarat, and announced the first so in the future. "Congress and He asked Health Minister Harsh He was previously found list of 504 candidates. other Opposition leaders are trying Vardhan to clarify. People enjoy a merry-go-round ride at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam PTI PHOTO involved in around eight cases, AAP's Delhi MLA and party including that of robbery and thefts, they said. The exact spokesperson Atishi released the cause of quarrel that triggered first list of candidates for the elec- the fight can be ascertained tions to the local bodies in the after nabbing the absconding state, such as municipalities, mu- Intense wet spell to continue Bird flu alert in Rajasthan suspects, police said. nicipal corporations, district and taluka panchayats, likely to be PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Jodhpur divisions. “The virus held in February. is dangerous and necessary "AAP will contest elections on over north India till Jan 5: IMD Jaipur, Jan 3: A bird flu alert guidelines have been issued. 2 held for issuing all seats in the local bodies polls has been sounded in Rajasthan All field officers and poultry fake RTA tax slips in the state for the first time. With PRESS TRUST OF INDIA after the presence of the dreaded farm owners have been asked to this, the party will enter the elec- virus was confirmed in dead remain vigilant. Effective mon- Gurugram: A team of the toral politics of Gujarat as a strong New Delhi, Jan 3: North India is crows in Jhalawar and more itoring is ensured at all sites, es- Regional Transport Authority, alternative to the BJP. AAP will likely to witness an intense wet avian deaths were reported in pecially in wetlands, Sambhar Gurugram have arrested two work to remove the BJP from spell till Tuesday, with a fairly wide- other districts, including Jaipur, Lake and Kaila Devi bird sanc- persons who were allegedly power," she said. spread precipitation accompanied officials said. tuary," Meena issuing fake tax slips of the RTA to drivers, an official said "Not just the local bodies polls, with thunderstorm, lightning and The Animal said, adding a Sunday. The fraudsters but AAP will also contest the hailstorm at isolated places, the Husbandry control room were overpowered by the Vidhan Sabha elections in Gujarat India Meteorological Department Department has has been set RTA team near Ambience as well as other polls. People of (IMD) said Sunday. set up a state-level up at the state Mall and later handed over Gujarat want an alternative," she The activities will peak on Sunday control room and level. He said to the DLF Phase-3 police said. and Monday over the plains sent its teams to the crow station Saturday. She claimed that it is on the de- (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, the districts for deaths were mand of the people of Gujarat Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh and north isolated places in Punjab, Haryana from north Punjab to northeast effective monitoring, they said. reported on December 25 from that AAP is entering the electoral Rajasthan) and on Monday over and north Rajasthan from January Arabian Sea, with a strong inter- On Sunday, seven crows were Jhalawar. Their samples were Nadda to meet politics in the state. the western Himalayan region 7 onwards, the IMD said. action between southwesterly in found dead at the iconic Jal sent to the National Institute of The list is being announced (Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, An active western disturbance association with the western dis- Mahal here, taking the toll to 252 High-Security Animal Diseases Gujarat leaders weeks in advance as the candi- Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, lies as a middle-and-upper-level cy- turbance and lower-level moist in the state. The Principal (NIHSAD) in Bhopal and the dates need to conduct door-to-door Himachal Pradesh and clonic circulation over central southeasterlies. Rains lashed the na- Secretary, Animal Husbandry, bird flu virus was detected. So Ahmedabad: BJP national campaign, she added Uttarakhand), it added. Pakistan and neighbourhood, with tional capital in the morning. Kunji Lal Meena, told reporters far, the death of 100 crows has president JP Nadda and The AAP leader said the party After the wet spell, fresh its induced cyclonic circulation According to a MeT department on Sunday that the deaths due been reported from Jhalawar, 72 general secretary BL northerly-northwesterly winds are to bird flu have been mainly re- Santhosh will visit Gujarat on has also opened an email address over southwest Rajasthan and neigh- official, heavy rainfall was reported from Baran, 47 from Kota, 19 Monday and meet senior for the people to register their likely to set in over the plains of bourhood at lower levels. in areas across Delhi and the min- ported among crows, with most from Pali, seven from Jodhpur party leaders here ahead of complaints, if they have any, northwest India, causing "cold wave A north-south zone of wind con- imum temperatures have increased of them from the Kota and and seven from Jaipur. local body polls. In a against the candidates. to severe cold wave conditions" at fluence was also observed Sunday due to clouds and easterly winds. statement, the party said the two leaders will participate in a meeting in Gandhinagar to be attended by state unit chief CR Patil, Chief Minister Pak-based terror groups resort to cyber recruitment in J&K Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel PRESS TRUST OF INDIA surveillance. the officials, is done to avoid expo- south Kashmir. The new recruits among others. NEW THREAT In 2020, over two dozen terror Earlier, terrorist sure of sleeper cells created by were awaiting orders from across Srinagar, Jan 3: Pakistan's intel- modules were busted by security sympathisers used to Pakistan's ISI within the valley. the border. Terror groups are defi- ligence agency and terror groups are agencies leading to the arrest of establish physical contact Security agencies have busted sev- nitely facing a shortage of arms Man gets now carrying out recruitment in over 40 such sympathisers. with the prospective eral modules following intelligence and that is one of the reasons why Jammu and Kashmir using appli- Two surrendered terrorists, recruits to bring them into a inputs provided by local residents. Pakistan-based terror outfits are 14-yr jail term cations in cyber and mobile space Tawar Waghey and Amir Ahmed terror group’s rank The two terrorists, after being more focused on sending more arms Noida (UP): A court here has as direct physical interactions have Mir, who laid down their arms be- and files recruited into The Resistance Front and less manpower, the officials become difficult due to the secu- fore 34 Rashtriya Rifles of the Army (TRF), which is believed to be a said. They gave an example of last sentenced a man to 14 years' However, after security rigorous imprisonment for rity forces' hawk-eyed vigil, offi- late last month, had given an in- shadow outfit of banned terror month's encounter on the outskirts y cials said Sunday. sight into their joining of terror agencies cracked down on group Lashkar-e-Taiba, were re- of Jammu city where a valley-bound raping a minor in 2016, the such sympathisers, they

Fake videos of alleged atrocities modules that showed that cyber receiving orders as well as religious group of four terrorists was car-

k y m Gautam Buddh Nagar police changed their modus c said Sunday. The order was committed by the security forces and cruitment was being carried out operandi teachings from Pakistan-based rying 11 assault rifles and a huge issued by a special judge for building a false narrative are now on a large scale. Both the terror- Burhan Hamza. The officials said quantity of ammunition. The death cases lodged under the often used by the ISI handlers from ists had come in contact with a code-named Khalid and Mohammed platforms like YouTube and both of there were around 40 such cases of a 22-year-old local terrorist Amir Protection of Children from Pakistan to whip up emotions among Pakistan-based handler via Facebook Abbas Sheikh. The two terrorists them had met their local contact only where the recruitment was done Siraj in north Kashmir late last Sexual Offences (POCSO) the new recruits, they said, citing who indoctrinated them before were provided training online using once in Shopian in south Kashmir, and indoctrination carried out month was yet another case of cyber Act, the police said. intelligence reports and technical handing them over to a recruiter various links available on public the officials said. This, according to through social media, especially in recruitment, the officials said. P9 FRESH SNOWFALL IN MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR The swadeshi KASHMIR AND LADAKH anti-Covid vaccine is welcome and Moderate to heavy congratulations to the snowfall started on scientists Sunday in Kashmir and y Ladakh while rains lashed

national MAYAWATI |

k y m BAHUJAN SAMAJ PARTY SUPREMO the Jammu division c

of the day uote Cops beat up 23 dead in roof collapse ‘Arrogant govt must tourist, video Around 1.60 lakh health goes viral workers in withdraw farm laws’ Punjab will receive a COVID-19 vaccine in at cremation ground INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE the first phase PRESS TRUST OF INDIA The incident was reported Manali, Jan 3: A shocking video BALBIR SINGH SIDHU | New Delhi, Jan 3: In a scathing at- clip of a group of policemen mer- PUNJAB HEALTH MINISTER in the morning when tack on the Centre over the farm- cilessly beating up a man in the several people, who came ers' protests, Congress president newly inaugurated Atal Tunnel Sonia Gandhi Sunday said that beneath the Rohtang Pass near A target has for the last rites of a for the first time since inde- here in Himachal Pradesh went been set for making 140- fruit-seller, took pendence such an "arrogant" gov- viral Sunday. 150 (BJP) MLAs win shelter under ernment has come to power that The police admitted that the in- in the next assembly cannot see the sufferings of 'an- cident involving the tourist and po- polls. To organise a recently built structure nadatas', and demanded that the licemen was a result of an over- the party for this, I of the cemetery to save new farm laws be immediately taking incident amid a massive will soon begin a state-wide tour withdrawn unconditionally. traffic snarl in the tunnel on themselves from Rescue operation carried out by NDRF personnel PTI PHOTO In a statement in Hindi, she said who have been agitating for 39 days Saturday. The video was shot by a B S YEDIYURAPPA | KARNATAKA CHIEF governments and their leaders who at the borders of Delhi in the bitter passerby. MINISTER getting drenched Police followed by a National each man killed. ignore public sentiments in a democ- cold and rain in support of their de- In the clip, a Constable can be AGENCIES Disaster Response Force (NDRF) The chief minister also directed racy cannot govern for long and it mands," Sonia Gandhi said. seen beating the man with a stick. We are a unit also then reached the spot, Meerut's Divisional Commissioner is now quite clear that the protest- In the wake of the government's Many bystanders watch but no political party; Ghaziabad (UP), Jan 3: Twenty- pulling out the dead and the in- and Additional Director General ing farmers will not bow in the face apathy, so far, more than 50 farm- one intervenes. Another police- we will three people, most of them attending jured from the debris. of the police zone to submit a report of the Centre's policy of "tire and ers have lost their lives with some man joins in towards the end of the establish our a funeral, were killed and 15 others Apart from the 23 dead, 15 others on the incident. Union minister V pushover". even taking the step of commit- clip and beats the man again by presence and fight injured when the roof of a shelter were admitted at different hospitals, K Singh, who is a Member of "There is still time, the Modi gov- ting suicide due to the govern- kicking him on the face and slap- the elections (in at a cremation ground in Uttar Ghaziabad (Rural) Superintendent Parliament from Ghaziabad, and sev- ernment should leave the arrogance ment's neglect, she said. The ping him. West Bengal) Pradesh's Muradnagar collapsed of Police Iraj Raja said. At least 18 eral senior police and administra- of power and immediately with- Congress is also supporting the

ASADUDDIN OWAISI | AIMIM CHIEF Sunday, police said. of them had been identified by the tion officials visited the accident site. draw the three black laws uncon- farmers' agitation against the leg- The dead, all of them men, were evening. Prime Minister Narendra Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Atul ditionally to end the agitation of islations. After the sixth round of mostly relatives or neighbours of Jai Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Garg, who is the local BJP MLA, met the farmers who are dying in the cold formal negotiations Wednesday, Ram, who was being cremated at Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief some of the injured at the govern- and rain. This is Rajdharma and a the government and farm unions SHORT TAKES that time, officials said. Rescue Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed ment hospital here. President Ram true tribute to the farmers who reached some common ground to workers sifted through the building's grief over the deaths. Nath Kovind offered his condo- have lost their lives," Sonia Gandhi resolve protesting farmers' con- Arms, ammunition rubble for hours to ensure that “I express my condolences to the lences to the family of the deceased. said. The Modi government should cerns over rise in power tariff and more victims were not trapped near and dear ones of those who lost “My condolences to the family of the remember that democracy means penalties for stubble burning, but seized in Poonch there. The local people were the their lives in this accident, and also deceased. I pray that those hurt in protecting the interests of the peo- the two sides remained deadlocked Jammu: Security forces first to arrive at the cremation hope for a quick recovery of the in- this accident get well soon. Local ad- ple and the farmers-workers, she over the main contentious issues Among the six security per- Sunday recovered a cache of ground in Muradnagar's Ukhlarsi jured,” Modi tweeted in Hindi. ministration is working for relief said. "Along with the people of the of the repeal of three farm laws and sonnel involved, one allegedly be- arms and ammunition near village in Ghaziabad district, ad- Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh as & assistance,” President Ram Nath country, I am also disturbed seeing a legal guarantee for minimum longed to the Border Roads the Line of Control (LoC) in joining the national capital. financial relief for the families of Kovind said in a tweet. the condition of the 'annadatas' support price (MSP). Organisation. Poonch district of Jammu and Twitter users who shared the Kashmir, a police officer said. video clip expressed shock over the This was the third round of "inhuman" treatment of the tourist recovery of arms and MATTER OF FAITH by the policemen involved. ammunition in the Anger brewing among Earlier, a case of hooliganism district following the had come to light when a group of busting of a three-member youngsters from Delhi stopped module of Jammu and their three vehicles midway in the Kashmir Gazanvi Force. Telangana farmers Atal Tunnel, a new tourist attraction where parking vehicle in- INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE fer losses. It is not possible to do it side is an offence, and started click- Suspected Naxal every time. The government is not ing photographs, recording videos held in Gujarat Hyderabad, Jan 3: At a time a business organisation or trader. and dancing. This led to obstruc- when thousands of farmers are It is not a rice miller or a dal miller. tion of traffic inside the tunnel. Surat: A suspected Naxal, protesting on the Delhi borders Sale and purchase is not the re- who was wanted in against three new central farm sponsibility of the government," the Jharkhand for several laws, anger is brewing among the CMO quoted participants in the offences, has been arrested farming community in Telangana meeting as saying. NCW received 23,722 from Kosamba in Gujarat's as well against the state's move The TRS government also cited Surat district, where he not to purchase agricultural pro- heavy losses incurred due to pur- complaints in 2020 worked as a machine duce in their villages. chase of crops during the last six mechanic at a factory for the Farmers' groups and opposition years for the decision. It incurred PRESS TRUST OF INDIA last three years, police said parties are gearing up for statewide Rs 7,500 crore loss due to purchase Sunday. The accused, protests against the Telangana of paddy, sorghum, maize, red New Delhi, Jan 3: The National identified as Guddu Singh, Rashtra Samithi (TRS) govern- gram, Bengal gram and sunflower. Commission for Women received was arrested Saturday in a joint operation carried out by ment's decision not to set up pro- Though the government had pur- 23,722 complaints of crimes com- Kosamba police in Surat and curement centres chased agricul- mitted against women in 2020, the Nawdiha Bazar police in in villages to pur- tural produce by highest in the last six years. Jharkhand's Palamu district, chase various paying the A Hindu devotee offers prayer on a foggy and cold morning in Prayagraj UNI PHOTO Nearly one-fourth of the total V K Patel, inspector of crops. Minimum complaints were of domestic vi- Kosamba police station, said. Interestingly, Support Price olence, according to NCW data. the government (MSP), it had to Among states, the highest number cited new farm sell the same at of complaints were received from School teacher laws while an- lower prices in Digital channels of Prasar Bharati Uttar Pradesh at 11,872 followed by nouncing the the market, as Delhi 2,635, Haryana 1,266 and found hanging move last week, there was no de- Maharashtra 1,188, it added. Of prompting mand for these record 100% growth in 2020 the 23,722 complaints, 7,708 com- Agartala: A retrenched school farmer organi- crops. plaints were received under the teacher was found hanging in sations and non-BJP opposition to The decision evoked sharp re- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA News, the other channels in the right to live with dignity clause. his house in South Tripura slam it for its "U-turn on farm action from farmer groups and op- top 20 digital channels of Prasar The right to live with dignity district, police said Sunday. legislations". position parties. They were baf- New Delhi, Jan 3: Digital chan- Bharati are Marathi News from clause takes into account the emo- Uttam Tripura (32) was found hanging in his house at The government, which had fled over the U-turn by TRS, which nels of Prasar Bharati have reg- DD Sahyadri, Kannada pro- tional abuse of women. According Kamalkantapara, a remote opened procurement centres in vil- had not only opposed the new istered more than 100 per cent gramming on DD Chandana, to the NCW data, a total of 5,294 tribal hamlet in the district, lages to purchase crops during farm laws in Parliament but also growth in 2020, with Pakistan Bangla News from DD Bangla complaints were related to do- about 85-km from here, the Covid-19 lockdown, declared that it joined the nationwide shutdown being the second highest digital and Telugu programming on DD mestic violence. police said. Sub-Divisional was not possible to go in for simi- called by farmer groups on audience for Doordarshan (DD) Saptagiri. “While DD Sports and NCW Chairperson Rekha Police Officer (SDPO), lar procurement again. December 8. and All India Radio (AIR), the Akashvani Sports have created a Sharma said economic insecu- Belonia, Soumya Debbarma "The new farm laws allow farm- In September, the TRS chief had government said Sunday. steady digital following with live rity, increased stress levels, anx- said a case of unnatural ers to sell their crops anywhere. conveyed strict instruction to his The Ministry of Information commentary, Prasar Bharati iety, financial worry, and lack of death was registered with Hence, the state government need party MPs to vote against the farm and Broadcasting said the chan- Archives and DD Kisan have been other such emotional support Puratan Rajbari police station not set up purchase centres in vil- laws in Parliament. He alleged nels across Doordarshan and the ministry said in a statement. steady digital performers featur- from parents/family's side may based on a complaint lodged lages," the Chief Minister's Office that the new legislations would Akashvani clocked over a billion It said during 2020, Prasar ing in top 10,” the statement said. have resulted in domestic vio- by the wife of the deceased. stated after Chief Minister K harm the interests of the farm- digital views and over six billion Bharati's mobile application Underscoring the substantial lence in many instances in 2020. Chandrasekhar Rao held a review ers and enable corporate lobbies digital watch minutes in the year. 'NewsOnAir' added more than 2.5 digital audience for news from the "More so, home has become the meeting with Ministers and top to exploit them. “Interestingly during 2020, million users with the platform Northeast, the ministry said workplace of both the spouses Fire at Noida officials. The issue of procurement centres Pakistan accounted for the second registering over 300 million views. Northeast service of All India and as well as schools and col- "Due to the coronavirus pan- was raised by All India Kisan highest digital audience for DD and Live Radio streaming broadcast- Radio (AIR) News was also in leges for their children. shopping mall demic, the government had set up Sangharsh Coordination Committee AIR content after domestic au- ing over 200 streams emerged as the top 10, and incidentally crossed In such situations, women are purchase centres in villages and (AIKSCC) during 'chalo Hyderabad' dience from within India, with the most popular feature, it said. the 1,00,000 subscribers' digital multitasking being professional at Noida (UP): A fire broke out in the warehouse of a shopping bouhght crops on humanitarian organised by it last week to inten- the United States close behind,” “Besides DD National and DD milestone. the same time supporting their mall in the commercial hub of grounds so that farmers don't suf- sify the agitation against farm laws. families from the same space. Sector 18 in Noida Sunday, officials said. The fire was reported around 1 pm and has belonging to the National ISI rearing and other states. The Modi elsewhere in Wheat procurement. Italy abandoning the Foundation been doused, they said. "The Conference and PDP have already government had not bargained for Data from Rabi Marketing Seasons Day function of his party. There is fire broke out in the switched sides to the Apni Party of its head again this. The situation is worrisome as (RMS) 2016-17 to 2020-21 (five year no denial that he pushes off on warehouse of DLF Mall of Altaf Bukhari, a local businessman ISI is playing a key role and period) shows that a total of 47.58 vacation many times during the India which was soon doused & ex-minister in the PDP-BJP he Intelligence agencies had militancy may raise its head again lakh farmers from MP availed of year and that has been his routine by Fire Department. Nobody Kuru government who floated his own Tsounded out to the government in Punjab. Since last week, joint MSP compared to 44.56 lakh ever since he stepped into politics was injured in the incident," party after the abrogation of Article at least two months ago that ISI of operations launched by the BSF and farmers from Punjab and 37.30 since 2004. But why blame him. an official from local Sector 20 Kolumn 370. The BJP is also wooing 4 Pakistan has shifted tack. It has Punjab Police have led to the lakhs from Haryana. A scrutiny of Even Samajwadi Party president police station said. Independents as the PDP, NC & moved its focus to Punjab where recovery of at least 11 Chinese data revealed that Punjab was Akhilesh Yadav left for London with Apni Party won three seats each. farmers' agitation is building up. It made grenades, two AK- 47 rifles ahead in 2016-17 when out of a his family. As if this is not enough, Nobody has a majority. may provide an opportunity to reap and several rounds of live total of 20.46 lakh beneficial another farmer leader and 11 injured in J&K The BJP’s top leadership is working the harvest. But it seems those ammunition from border farmers in the country 41 per cent Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister overtime to capture the Srinagar handling such Field Reports (FRs) areas of Wazirpur Chak village in belonged to the Punjab, 26 per cent Dushyant Chautala is holidaying in from Haryana & 23% from MP. road mishap DDC as it will be a great day in the from Punjab in the corridors of Gurdaspur district. the Rann of Kutch. Want to know A saffron flag powers here didn't bother much. Come 2018-19 and MP overtook history to have BJP-Apni Party DDC where Bihar's Tejashwi Yadav goes Bhaderwah (J&K): At least 11 Now many new TV channels and Punjab and Haryana. As many as in Srinagar in the heart of the Valley. The BJP for holidaying? Delhi is his people were injured on newspapers have propped up 9.58 lakhs (24 per cent) farmers destination and he doesn't meet has perfected the art of converting Sunday when a passenger JP may have won three overnight in Punjab broadcasting MP tops in wheat from Madhya Pradesh reaped the anybody here. He is not even seen bus skidded off the road and councilors out of the 140 seats a minority into the majority in and printing whatever they like. benefits of MSP in wheat compared y with the agitating farmers or B many states and this process will procurement fell into a deep gorge in Doda in the District Development Council They have appeared on the scene to 23% in Punjab. sending a contingent from Bihar

now continue in the Valley too.

k y m district of Jammu and (DDC) polls in the valley and 72 of and injected fresh ammunition to ne of the reasons for Madhya either. Young ministers belonging c Kashmir, police said. The bus the 140 in the Jammu region. Of Interestingly, the BJP recently the already surcharged OPradesh farmers staying away to the BJP may be sulking as Modi was on its way from the three, it won just one in the captured the Srinagar Municipal atmosphere. What started as an from the current agitation is that Why blame Rahul is keeping a close watch on them Bhaderwah to Jammu when Srinagar rural DDC. But it is trying Corporation indirectly by agitation of Punjab farmers only they have been deriving maximum and a couple of them have paid the its driver lost control due to hard to capture it by engineering a engineering defection of Junaid has now been joined by protesters benefit of MSP compared to hy Blame Rahul Gandhi for his price too in the past. But other slippery conditions near majority. A couple of Councilors Azim Mattoo to the Apni Party. from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Wusual year-end sojourn in parties have no such problem. Ganpat bridge. P10 INDIAN STARTUP WINS MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR RECOGNITION IN S’PORE I am deeply saddened by the A 19-year-old Indian student in death of two French soldiers in Singapore Harsh Dalal is keeping Mali. France is determined in his options open on a startup he its fight against terrorism has built with four applications in

international EMMANUEL MACRON | PRESIDENT, FRANCE his teenage while schooling.

k y m c of the day uote Biden flexes Georgia muscle 11 PAK MINERS SHOT DEAD Court cases PRESS TRUST OF INDIA would be AGENCIES Dillon said in an interview. slapped within Karachi, Jan 3: At least 11 coal 72 hours against "The party feels that way and persons making Washington, Jan 3: President- sees the unique coalition that he's miners from Pakistan’s minority derogatory remarks elect Joe Biden is going all-in to put together." Biden will be Shia Hazara community were against the help Democrats win two Senate in Atlanta on Monday, the same killed on Sunday after gunmen Pakistan’s Army runoffs in Georgia that will deter- day that Trump heads to the north kidnapped them and took them mine party control in the critical Georgia town of Dalton for an elec- to nearby mountains, where they SHEIKH RASHID AHMED | INTERIOR early years of his administration, tion-eve rally. Vice President Mike opened fire on them in the restive MINISTER, PAKISTAN a widespread effort that not long ago Pence also will be in Georgia on southwestern province of would have been unthinkable in a Monday. Harris will be in Savannah Balochistan, according to media Republican-dominated state in the on Sunday. reports. The lockdown Deep South. Republicans face considerable According to police, the min- must be The push ahead of Tuesday’s pressure to maximize their ex- ers were on the way to work at extended until election comes with early voting blanket the state ahead of Tuesday. Machh coal field when the uniden- the end of January. pected Election Day advantage to It’s clear that making some Republicans nerv- The pair has planned media in- make up for an apparent repeat of tified gunmen kidnapped them Chancellor Angela ous as President Donald Trump, terviews in markets across Georgia, Democrats' success in early voting and opened fire on them after tak- The miners Merkel and who narrowly lost the state to Biden, including morning and late-after- turnout in November's election. ing them to the nearby hills, the were on the Six of the miners died on the spot and five who were Germany’s 16 state governors will continues to assert falsely that the noon “drive-time” radio on Election "This is a turnout election, and Express Tribune reported. way to work at critically wounded died on the way to a hospital agree to extend it Georgia election process is rigged. Day. The effort reflects the high the Democrats are turning out their Six of the miners died on the Machh coal Biden and his team have steered stakes, with Democrats needing a votes," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spot and five who were critically field when the An initial investigation has revealed that the MARKUS SOEDER | GOVERNOR, BAVARIA at least USD 18 million to help Jon sweep to tilt the Senate in their warned a GOP crowd Saturday in wounded died on the way to a hos- unidentified attackers identified the miners as being from a Shia Ossoff and Raphael Warnock try to favor, while Republicans need just Cumming, an Atlanta suburb where pital. According to media reports, gunmen Hazara community unseat Republican Sens. David one seat to keep their majority and he campaigned with Loeffler. an initial investigation has re- kidnapped Certainly our them and Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. force Biden to contend with divided In November, about 5 million vealed that the attackers identified A heavy contingent of police, Frontier Corps, and district people don’t opened fire on Biden’s campaign manager and government. Beyond what it means ballots were cast altogether. That in- the miners as being from a Shia administration officials reached the site after the incident use any form incoming White House deputy chief Hazara community and the gun- them of protective for Biden's legislative prospects, cluded 3.6 million early ballots and measures, neither of staff, Jen O'Malley Dillon, con- the president-elect's activity high- about 1.4 million on Election Day. men took them away, leaving oth- masks nor social firmed the figures on Saturday, lights the state's evolution into a le- Democrats posted a wide advan- ers unharmed. “The families of the victims cerned, the daily reported. distancing. you ahead of upcoming visits to the gitimate two-party battleground tage in early ballots, but Republicans A heavy contingent of police, will not be left abandoned by the Those who targeted these in- move around the city (of state by both Biden and Vice and what Biden's team touts as his made up ground on November 3. Frontier Corps, and district ad- [government],” Khan tweeted. nocent coal miners do not deserve Mogadishu) or countrywide, President-elect Kamala Harris. The advantages as the first Democrat Biden defeated Trump by about ministration officials reached the “Have asked the FC to use all re- any concessions, he said. nobody even talks about it money includes about USD 6 mil- since 1992 to carry the state in a 12,500 votes; Perdue led Ossoff by site after the incident. sources to apprehend these killers No group immediately claimed lion in staff and voter data sup- presidential election. about 88,000 votes but fell short of Prime Minister Imran Khan and bring them to justice.” responsibility for the killing but MOHAMED ABDULLAHI FARMAAJO | port and $12 million in fundraising "We're not having any conversa- the required majority to win out- condemned the killing of 11 coal Balochistan Chief Minister Jam banned Sunni extremist organi- PRESIDENT, SOMALIA for the two campaigns. tions about whether there's a value- right. Loeffler and Warnock were miners and termed the incident a Kamal Khan has condemned the sation Lashker-e-Jhangvi has tar- The president-elect and Harris add to have the president-elect be a forced into a runoff because both yet another cowardly [and] inhu- incident and sought an inquiry geted the minority Hazara com- also have recorded robocalls to part of this. There is,” O'Malley fell well shy of a majority. mane act of terrorism.' report from the authorities con- munity in Baluchistan in the past. SHORT TAKES Israelis demand TEMPLE VANDALISM REMEMBERING A HERO Procession marks death PM’s resignation anniversary of Soleimani Jerusalem: Thousands of Israelis protested again 8 police officials Saturday against Prime AGENCIES Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that Baghdad, Jan 3: A mock funeral proces- the long-serving leader sion in Iraq marked the one-year anniver- resign over corruption suspended in Pak sary of the US drone strike near Baghdad that charges against him and for killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani allegedly mishandling the So far, 100 people have been arrested for and top Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al- coronavirus crisis. Holding Muhandis. signs reading "Go" and their alleged involvement in the incident Thousands of mourners joined the march "Everyone is equal before the on the highway leading to the Baghdad air- law," the demonstrators PRESS TRUST OF INDIA lice custody. port Saturday evening where the strike that crowded a Jerusalem square District Police Officer of Karak killed the two men took place. It was blocked near Netanyahu's official Peshawar, Jan 3: Eight police of- with cars. residence, where they have Irfanullah Marwat suspended eight gathered for months to call ficials in Pakistan were suspended police officials on Saturday for Posters of the dead men adorned both for his resignation. on Sunday for dereliction of duty dereliction of duty. sides of the road, which was lined with tents Netanyahu is charged with after a Hindu temple was van- The temple, which also has a that served food and drinks for those who fraud, breach of trust and dalised and set on fire by a mob led Samadhi of a Hindu religious leader, walked the highway. The scene of the bomb- accepting bribes. by members of a radical Islamist was attacked by the mob after mem- ing was turned into a shrine-like area sealed party in the country’s restive bers of the Hindu community re- off by red ropes, with a photo of Soleimani Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. ceived permission from the local au- and al-Muhandis in the middle, as mourners Lack of space in So far, 100 people have been ar- thorities to renovate its decades-old A supporter of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, holds lit candles. Shrapnel marks were still visible rested for their alleged involve- building. a photo of him during a protest in Tahrir Square, Iraq, Sunday on the asphalt and walls in the area. funeral homes ment in the incident, the police The mob, led by some local cler- said, adding that 45 were arrested ics and supporters of Jamiat Ulema- Los Angeles: As communities on Sunday. e-Islam party (Fazal ur Rehman across the country feel the Over 350 people have been named group), demolished the newly-con- pain of a surge in coronavirus in the FIR after the temple in Karak structed work alongside the old Johnson warns cases, funeral homes in the district's Terri village was van- structure. The attack on the tem- hot spot of Southern California 400 mn km within 163 days say they must turn away dalised and set on fire on Wednesday ple drew strong condemnation from lockdown may grieving families as they run by a mob protesting against its ex- human rights activists and the mi- AGENCIES MARS PROBE be released to conduct scientific out of space for the bodies pansion work. Superintendent of nority Hindu community leaders. exploration with an expected lifes- get tougher piling up. The head of the state Police (Investigation) Zahir Shah India has also lodged a protest Beijing, Jan 3: China’s first Mars pan of at least 90 Martian days funeral directors association said that 100 people, including seven with Pakistan over the vandalisa- exploration mission Tianwen-1 (about three months on Earth), and says mortuaries are being leading figures, have been arrested tion of the temple and sought a travelled more than 400 million km the orbiter, with a design life of AGENCIES inundated as the United States in the case while efforts were on to strict action against those re- by Sunday morning and is expected one Martian year (about 687 days nears a grim tally of 350,000 arrest all the 350 nominated ac- sponsible for the incident. to enter Mars orbit next month, on Earth), will relay communica- London, Jan 3: Prime Minister COVID-19 deaths. More than 20 cused in the FIR. The protest was conveyed to the country's space agency said. tions for the rover while conduct- Boris Johnson on Sunday warned million people in the country The leading figures include Pakistan through diplomatic chan- So far, the Mars probe had flown ing its own scientific detection, that the current tiered system of have been infected. Maulana Amanullah, Maulana nels, sources in New Delhi said on in space for 163 days. It was about state-run Xinhua news agency lockdown to arrest the spread of Imdadullah, Maulana Matiullah, Friday. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief 130 million km from Earth and reported. COVID-19 may have to be tough- Maulana Muhammad Hakeem and Minister Mahmood Khan has as- about 8.3 million km from Mars, ac- Tianwen-1 means Questions to ened further as the UK grapples Australian states Maulana Anwar Zaman. sured that the government would cording to the China National Space Heaven and comes from a poem with the new strain of the coron- The arrested accused were pro- reconstruct the damaged temple Administration (CNSA). written by Qu Yuan (about 340-278 avirus. reimpose curbs duced before an anti-terrorist court and the Samadhi at the shortest According to the CNSA, the probe BC), one of the well-known poets of As teachers' unions have been Sydney: More Australian which sent them to three days of po- possible time. is functioning stably and is sched- ancient China. calling for a countrywide closure states and territories are uled to slow down before entering The US, Russia, India and the of all schools for a few weeks due reimposing travel restrictions Mars orbit in more than a month EU have so far succeeded in send- to the rapid spread of the new to prevent the coronavirus and preparing itself to land on the ing missions to Mars regarded as variation, Johnson insisted that spreading from new red planet. the most complex space mission. parents should send their chil- outbreaks in New South Since its launch on July 23, 2020, to complete orbiting, landing and India became the first Asian coun- dren to school from Monday. Wales and Victoria states. the Mars probe has captured an roving in one mission. try to have successfully launched However, he admitted that even The Australian Capital image showing both Earth and the After entering Mars orbit, it will its Mars orbiter mission stricter restrictions for the wider Territory has shut out non- Moon, as well as taking several spend two to three months sur- Mangalyaan which has entered the public may be on their way in the residents who have been in selfies. veying potential landing sites, using orbit of the red planet in 2014. coming weeks as the coronavirus the northern beaches of Tianwen-1 probe, weighing about a high-resolution camera to pre- India also became the first coun- cases in the country jumped by Sydney, where the outbreaks five tonnes, consists of an orbiter, pare for the landing in May. try to have entered the Martian 57,725 this weekend, taking the are most concentrated, a lander and a rover. It is designed After the landing, the rover will orbit in its first attempt. death toll close to 75,000. Greater Sydney and other smaller centers, unless they have an exemption. The island state of Tasmania has barred anyone directly linked Will Turkey become a nuclear power with Pak’s support? to the latest Victorian cases, listing exposure sites. INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE team, says an article. and Malaysia. There have been some media re- There are other indications that Apart from the HLMDG conclave, ports that have spotlighted that New Delhi, Jan 3: A rogue nexus collaboration on nuclear delivery sys- on December 21, 2020, Lt. Gen. Sahir Turkey might be possessing a con- Airport in Yemen involving Pakistan and Turkey, tems was the hot topic discussed dur- Shamshad of Pakistani Army also siderable number of centrifuges, begins operations with China looking the other way, ing the meeting. met Lt. Gen. Wali Turkchi of spinning machines that purify ura- maybe taking root to fulfil Ankara’s The visitors from Islamabad met Turkish Army in Ankara for the nium to higher grades, made by Sanaa: A plane landed ambition to emerge as the worlds top Turkish Army generals and bu- Second Round of Turkish-Pakistani Pakistan. Sunday at the airport in next nuclear weapon power. reaucrats dealing with missile pro- Military Talks. Sources said that On his part, Erdogan has made Yemen's southern port city of Suspicions about Pakistan's covert duction and aerial military hard- transfer of missile technology and no secret about his nuclear ambi- Aden, officials said, the first support for Turkish nukes has been ware. The hosts included Professor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) tions—a gateway for the fulfilment commercial flight to arrive aroused by a recent meeting of the Ismail Demir head of Presidency of were the focus of these discussions. of his self-espoused dream of ele- since the deadly missile Turkey-Pakistan High-Level Military Turkish Defence Industries and Apart from ideological reasons, vating Turkey’s status to the heights attack last week on the Dialogue Group (HLMDG). The as- Temil Kotil, CEO of Turkish geopolitical context. Islamabad and leader, marginalising established there is a clear quid pro quo in the of the Ottoman empire. In facility that killed at least 25 semblage took place on December people and wounded 110 Aerospace Limited (TAI). Ankara have become staunch strate- heavyweights such as Mohamed Turkey-Pakistan alliance. The September 2019, he said: "Some

22-23, 2020. The Pakistani defence delega- gic allies, a partnership sealed by bin Sultan, the Crown prince of International Institute of Strategic countries have missiles with nu-

k y m others. The attack c Wednesday took place just Pakistan's Defence Secretary Lt. tion also visited top Turkish de- personal bonds between Turkey’s Saudi Arabia. The rifts within the Studies, points out that Turkish clear warheads, not one or two. I, moments after a plane Gen. (Retd.) Mian Muhammad Hilal fence companies including Bakyar ambitious President, Recep Tayyip Islamic nations are visible inside the companies have backed Pakistan to however, am not supposed to have carrying members of Hussain led the delegation from (UAV OEM), TAI, HAVELSAN and Erdogan and Pakistan’s military Organisation of Islamic Countries covertly import materials from missiles with nuclear warheads. Yemen's Cabinet landed on a Islamabad, while Deputy Chief of ASELSAN. Analysts say that the backed Prime Minister Imran Khan. (OIC) where Saudi-led camp is at log- Europe, and export the finished This, I cannot accept... And right next flight from the Saudi Arabian Turkish Army General Selcuk insider meetings in Turkey took It is no secret that Erdogan hopes gerheads with an emerging group- products to players like Libya and to us, there is Israel, right? With capital, Riyadh. Bayraktaroglu headed the Turkish place within a rapidly evolving to emerge as the pre-eminent Islamic ing comprising Turkey, Pakistan North Korea. everything, it is frightening." P11 We are reaching a INDUSTRY BODY LAUDS BSNL’S MOVE MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR critical milestone in our vaccine development The PHD Chamber of Commerce and programme and towards our Industry has lauded state-run BSNL’s move goal of helping people fight the to test India-made telecom equipment pandemic with an indigenously before allowing indigenous manufacturers discovered, safe and participate in the 4G tender to be floated

business efficacious vaccine by the company

k y m PANKAJ R PATEL | CHAIRMAN, ZYDUS GROUP c of the Retail Trade Policy, Traders Welfare Centre invites day uote BOYCOTTING CHINA Board at the Centre and all states, CAIT plans to reduce n The traders’ body said it simplification of GST tax system EoIs for 26 per cent would run a programme this and creation of a separate income India has year to “liberate” India's tax slab for traders of the country. become stake sale in BEML e-commerce business from It would urge the government power surplus Chinese imports the clutches of foreign for formation of a joint commit- AGENCIES under the companies leadership of Prime tee of officials and traders in all Minister Narendra ` n It also said it would urge the the districts and also seek the sim- New Delhi, Jan 3: The govern- Modi over the past to 1L cr in 2021 government on the forma- plification of Food Safety and ment Sunday invited preliminary six years and is also witnessing the tion of e-commerce policy Standards Act. bids for strategic sale of 26 per highest growth rate in renewable n CAIT's priorities also CAIT's would also include sup- cent stake along with transfer of energy in the world. INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE In a statement, the traders' body include supporting women porting women entrepreneurs. management control in defence said it would run a programme this It would also make efforts for PSU BEML. RK SINGH | UNION MINISTER entrepreneurs New Delhi, Jan 3: The year to "liberate" the country's e- making the pension scheme more Confederation of All India Traders commerce business from the 2020, the CAIT has set the target added. rational for traders, subsidised (CAIT) Sunday said it has tar- clutches of foreign companies. of bringing down imports from CAIT also said it would urge insurance scheme for traders and For the geted to reduce imports from China "As part of its 'Boycott Chinese China by `1 lakh crore by the end the government on the formation their employees, availing easy ac- logistics to `1 lakh crore this year. Goods' campaign from June 10, of this year," the traders' body of e-commerce policy, National cess of loan for traders. sector, 2020 has been a busy one! More so, during the lockdown, when the sector emerged as the key player in prioritising the shipments of essentials and Private banks witnessed Vaccines nod ‘turning point’ medical goods "Govt has issued the PIM/EOI for disinvestment of 26 per cent eq- RS SUBRAMANIAN | SENIOR VP & MD, DHL EXPRESS uity share capital of BEML Ltd rise in NPAs in FY20: RBI in fight against Covid: Niti along with transfer of management control. Disinvestment will be through a two stage competitive In order to A recent report by the PRESS TRUST OF INDIA bidding process," DIPAM Secretary take undue Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted. advantage Reserve Bank of India (RBI), New Delhi, Jan 3: Terming the ap- Bidders can submit their and profiteering, the cited that gross NPA ratio as integrated steel proval given to two coronavirus Expression of Interest (EoI) for companies fix up well as the ratio of vaccines for emergency use as buying the stake in BEML by the steel prices restructured standard assets “turning point” in India's fight March 1, as per the Preliminary almost at par with the international against COVID-19, Niti Aayog mem- Information Memorandum (PIM) steel prices despite all the to total funded amounts ber VK Paul Sunday said the speed issued by the Department of protection and incentives provided with which scientists and the in- Investment and Public Asset to steel industry backed up with emanating from larger dustry came together to meet this Management (DIPAM). secured iron ore and other raw borrowal accounts in the funded amounts emanating from challenge epitomizes the spirit and At the current market price, a material supply larger borrowal accounts trended potential of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. Today 26 per cent sale could fetch about public sector banks have ` RK SHARMA | SECRETARY GENERAL, FIMI downwards. On the contrary, PVBs India's drug regulator DCGI is a 1,000 crore to the exchequer. gone down experienced an increasing share of Sunday approved Oxford COVID-19 turning Shares of BEML closed at `974.25, NPAs in respect of such accounts," vaccine Covishield, manufactured point in India's fight on Friday. AGENCIES it said. by the Serum Institute, and indige- against Covid as two BEML is involved in sectors SHORT TAKES Further, the share of special nously developed Covaxin of Bharat Made-in-India vaccines get like defence, rail, power, mining and New Delhi, Jan 3: Private sector mention accounts (SMA-0) wit- Biotech for restricted emergency approval for emergency use infrastructure. banks witnessed a rise in non-per- nessed a sharp rise in September use in the country, paving the way The company's total revenue VK PAUL I MEMBER, NITI AAYOG Spinny to expand forming assets (NPA) in respect of 2020, which, according to the re- for a massive inoculation drive. The Serum Institute of India, from operations was `3,028.82 crore biz in Mumbai large borrowal accounts with export, may be an initial sign of stress "Today is a turning point in the world's largest vaccine manu- in fiscal 2019-20. posure of `five crore or above. after lifting of moratorium August India's fight against Covid-19 as facturer, has tied up with SBI Capital Markets has been ap- Mumbai: Online used car A recent report by the Reserve 31, 2020. two Made-in-India vaccines get ap- 19 subject expert committee (SEC) AstraZeneca to manufacture pointed as the advisor by the retailing platform Spinny Bank of India (RBI), cited that However, the share of other cat- proval for emergency use," the Niti of the Central Drugs Standard Covishield. Government of India (GOI) for plans to expand its presence gross NPA ratio as well as the ratio egories of SMAs i.e., SMA-1 and Aayog said in a tweet quoting Paul, Control Organisation (CDSCO). Covaxin has been indigenously advising and managing the pro- in four new cities in 2021, of restructured standard assets to including Mumbai and SMA-2 remained at a relatively who is also the Chairman of "After adequate examination, developed by Bharat Biotech in col- posed strategic disinvestment of Kolkata. The company saw a total funded amounts emanating lower level, it said. National Expert Group on Vaccine CDSCO has decided to accept the rec- laboration with the Indian Council BEML. 82 per cent growth in 2020, from larger borrowal accounts in The RBI report also showed that Administration. ommendations of the Expert of Medical Research (ICMR). selling 9,100 cars in the year the public sector banks have gone the decline in NPAs in the last fi- "The speed with which our sci- Committee and accordingly, vac- Serum Institute of India's CEO on the back of expanded down. nancial year was achieved largely entists and industry came together cines of M/s Serum and M/s Bharat Adar Poonawalla tweeted, "Happy Samsung likely to network and more customers At the end of September 2020, on the back of write-offs. to meet this challenge, epitomises Biotech are being approved for re- new year, everyone! All the risks looking for safe personal large borrowal accounts consti- As per the data, that both public the spirit and potential of stricted use in emergency situa- Serum Institute of India took with transportation despite tuted 79.8 per cent of NPAs and and private sector banks wrote off Aatmanirbhar Bharat," it added. tion," DCGI Dr V G Somani told a stockpiling the vaccine, have fi- report $9bn in liquidity issues, Spinny said 53.7 per cent of total loans, it said. NPAs worth over `2.37 lakh crore. The approval by the Drugs press conference here. This paves nally paid off. COVISHIELD, India's in a statement. The full-stack "During 2019-20, PSBs' GNPA The banks’ net NPA stood over Controller General of India (DCGI) the way for the roll out of at least first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, operating income used car platform had sold ratio as well as the ratio of re- `2.89 lakh crore in 2019-20 as against was given on the basis of recom- two vaccines in India in the com- safe, effective and ready to roll-out over 5,000 pre-owned cars in structured standard assets to total `3.55 lakh crore in 2018-19. mendations submitted by a COVID- ing days. in the coming weeks. AGENCIES 2019. Seoul, Jan 3: Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip Govt plans 10% CIL capex utilisation over maker, is expected to report a Seven of top-10 firms add smaller-than-earlier operating in- share sale in RCFL come estimate due to the weakness New Delhi: The government ` of the US dollar, industry sources is planning to sell 10 per cent ` 8,000cr till December said Sunday. stake in Rashtriya Chemical 75K cr in cumulative m-cap Samsung, also the world's largest and Fertilizers Ltd (RCFL) and PRESS TEUST OF INDIA smartphone vendor, is likely to invited bids from merchant ` ` report an operating income of 9.74 banker and legal firms for IT major Infosys’ m-cap rose by 10,251.38 crore to 5,36,878.45 crore Kolkata, Jan 3: Despite its cash- trillion won ($8.95 billion) during managing the share sale flow issues, Coal India Ltd (CIL) has the fourth quarter of last year, up process. Interested merchant PRESS TRUST OF INDIA already spent over `8,000 crore as 36.8 per cent from a year earlier. bankers and legal advisors capital expenditure (capex) till But the latest estimate is slightly will have to submit their bids New Delhi, Jan 3: Seven of the top- December 2020 in the current fis- lower than the 10.16 trillion won by January 28 and January 29, 10 most valued domestic firms to- cal, and is looking to meet a re- projected a month earlier, reports respectively, the Department gether added `75,845.46 crore in vised target of `13,000 crore of such Yonhap news agency. of Investment and Public market valuation in the past week, expense by the end of FY'21, an of- Samsung reported an operat- Asset Management (DIPAM) with HDFC twins emerging as the ficial said Sunday. ing income of 12.35 trillion won dur- said in a notice. The biggest gainers. Apart from HDFC The capital expenditure target for ing the third quarter of last year, government holds 75 per cent duo, Tata Consultancy Services the financial year 2020-21 was ini- as this will help revive the economy," the highest in over two years, stake in RCFL. (TCS), Infosys, Kotak Mahindra tially set at `10,000 crore, the CIL a CIL official said. driven by rising chip demand and Bank, ICICI Bank and Bajaj Finance official said. The Maharatna PSU had spent a recovery in smartphone demand. were other gainers. The government has instructed `5,023 crore till September this fis- But during the October- Upgrad doubles On the other hand, Reliance the public sector companies to in- cal, which was 118 per cent utili- December period, the global resur- student base Industries Limited (RIL), Hindustan Bank gained `9,609.3 crore to reach `4,279.13 crore to `12,59,741.96 crease their capital expenses to sation of its half-yearly target. gence in virus cases and the weaker Unilever Limited and Bharti Airtel `3,64,199.40 crore and that of TCS crore and that of HUL dipped by boost the economy which was hit The spending was made for dollar may hurt the tech giant's Mumbai: The pandemic that saw erosion in their market valuation. went up by `7,410.96 crore to `2,948.69 crore to `5,60,933.06 by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. procuring heavy earth-moving ma- profitability. has ravaged most of the The valuation of HDFC jumped `10,98,773.29 crore. crore. Bharti Airtel's valuation "With the achievements of our chinery, setting up railway lines, de- "Samsung may have racked up economy, including regular by `20,857.99 crore to `4,62,586.41 Kotak Mahindra Bank added fell by ` 1,063.83 crore to internal goals, the government has velopment of sidings, exploration 4.3 trillion won in operating in- education, has turned out to crore and that of HDFC Bank `6,500.94 crore to take its m-cap to `2,81,015.76 crore. raised our capital expenditure tar- works and investments in joint come during the last quarter, be a huge blessing for zoomed by `15,393.9 crore to reach `3,94,914.98 crore and Bajaj Finance The ranking of top-10 firms are get to `13,000 crore. ventures. smaller than the third quarter's 5.5 edutech platform Upgrad, as `7,84,758.50 crore. gained `5,820.99 crore to reach RIL, TCS, HDFC Bank, HUL, "We have already crossed `8,000 The major challenge for Coal trillion won because of the weak its customer base has more IT major Infosys’ m-cap rose by `3,18,181.18 crore. Infosys, HDFC, Kotak Mahindra crore till December and will defi- India for accelerating capital ex- dollar," said Lee Seung-woo, an than doubled to 1 million `10,251.38 crore to `5,36,878.45 crore. In contrast, the market capi- Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance nitely surpass the `10,000-crore penditure has been the cash-flow analyst at Eugene Investment & since the lockdown. Between The market capitalisation of ICICI talisation of RIL declined by and Bharti Airtel. mark. We will chase the new goal issues, the official said. Securities. its incorporation in 2015 and March 2020, around 5 lakh professionals took the learning and upskilling programmes on Upgrad’s MARKET platform. However, the number of students have OUTLOOK Hopes of healthy Q3 results, vaccine rollout to lift equities been increasing since April, with Upgrad crossing 1 INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE ratio is sharply in the positive sug- tive season sales and opening up next week will be based on the up- million student-mark by gesting higher interest in broader of the economy. coming corporate earnings release December, its co-founder and Mumbai, Jan 3: Expectations of markets. The uptrend in the mar- "The market momentum seen in for the 3rd quarter. IT and bank- MD Mayank Kumar said. healthy quarterly results along with ket is maturing after the the last couple of months is likely ing stocks will be in the limelight FII inflows' supportive global cues Nifty ended up for the to continue on the back of strong as major companies in these sectors After and developments over fast anti- ninth consecutive global cues, sustained inflows, and are expected to kickstart the result a rollercoaster DDA launches new Covid vaccine rollout will power week; however, improving macros trends," said season in the coming days," said the accelerated rise in Indian equities 2020 with a there are no Siddhartha Khemka, Head -- Retail Vinod Nair, Head of Research at housing scheme at least in the near future. satisfying end, markets signs of im- Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Geojit Financial Services. Accordingly, a positive earning could go into the new mediate re- Services. "Improvements in corporate earn- New Delhi: The Delhi calendar year with hopes of Development Authority (DDA) outlook on many sectors will sus- versal." "Further highest ever GST col- ings in the upcoming result season has launched a new housing tain investors' interest in the mar- improvement in corporate On the lections for December at `1.15 lakh will keep the market buoyant." scheme that offers 1,354 flats ket. Besides, the step by step de- performance that would earnings crore can add to the positive mo- According to LKP Securities’ ranging from the velopment over the rollout plan of justify the current front, the re- mentum. The December quarterly Head of Research S Ranganathan, Economically Weaker Section anti-Covid vaccine will further aug- valuations lease of results and Union Budget around "Rural stocks should also be in focus

ment hopes of a faster economic Q3FY21 re- 1st of February will be some of the on the back of sops given last month

k y m (EWS)/Janata to High Income DEEPAK JASANI I HEAD OF RETAIL c Group (HIG) categories in revival. RESEARCH, HDFC SECURITIES sults will key events for the market." coupled with buoyant sale of trac- areas like Dwarka, Vasant However, analysts cite the pos- com- Recently, December automobile tors." Kunj, Rohini, Jasola and sibility of intermittent profit book- into the new calendar year with Jasani, Head of Retail Research mence from data showed healthy up-tick while "Consumer Stocks who have had Manglapuri. Applicants can ing to hamper the upward trajectory. hopes of improvement in corpo- at HDFC Securities. the next week. GST collections reached record a good month of December would apply online till February 16 "After a rollercoaster 2020 with rate performance that would justify "Nifty has finally managed to Investors expect robust earning high levels. also be in focus during the coming through the DDA website. a satisfying end, markets could go the current valuations," said Deepak close above 14,000. Advance decline figures in the back of healthy fes- "The trend in the market starting week." P12 MONDAY | JANUARY 4 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR sports

EATING OUT FIASCO: ALL FIVE ISLOLATED PLAYERS TO TRAVEL IN SAME CHARTERED FLIGHT TO SYDNEY

y Rahane, a born

k k y y m m c BCCI in damage control mode leader: Chappell c AGENCIES PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Rahane called on debutant left- n All five who allegedly violated arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. New Delhi, Jan 2: The entire bio-security protocols to travel New Delhi, Jan 3: Ian Chappell is At that point David Warner and on same flight with others Indian cricket contingent, includ- not surprised to see Ajinkya Rahane Steve Smith were involved in a ing the five players who are in pre- n The 5 were seen training with the captain India ‘flawlessly’ to a series- century partnership. ‘This is a cautionary isolation, will travel to other members of the Indian levelling triumph against Australia brave move’ I thought, and it turned Sydney. It is the venue for the third team in the gym in the Melbourne Test. He feels out to be a very smart one,” Chappell Test against Australia. The five will the Mumbaikar comes across a recalled. n Administration manager Girish travel in the same chartered flight, Dongre under BCCI scanner for ‘born leader’, capable of being both Yadav quickly claimed the wicket BCCI officials said Sunday. The failure to communicate properly ‘smart and brave’. India won the sec- of Warner, caught by Rahane at players are vice-captain Rohit with players ond Test by a convincing margin first slip, and that prompted a five- Sharma, opener Shubman Gill, of eight wickets. wicket slide for Australia to lose the stumper Rishabh Pant, pacer “It was no surprise that Rahane match. Navdeep Saini and batsman Prithvi into an indoor area,” informed the captained India flawlessly at the “However, there’s much more to Shaw. Out of the five, the first three official. MCG. Anyone who saw him in his leadership than just those two im- are expected to part of the playing The Indian side Sunday boarded charge in Dharamsala in 2017 would portant qualities. He is calm when XI in the Test. Question marks over two buses to the Melbourne Cricket have recognised a man born to lead things could easily get out of hand,” the participation arose after a video Ground (MCG) for a gym session cricket teams,” Chappell said the former Oz captain, who is emerged of the five allegedly breach- after their practice session was can- wrote in his column a respected figure in world cricket. ing bio-security protocols. celled due to rain. for a cricket-specific “He (Rahane) has earned the Cricket Australia (CA) in a media Gill boarded a team bus to re- website. In the respect of his teammates, one release Saturday, said it is probing turn to the hotel with several other game Rahane of the most important aspects the matter jointly with the BCCI. members of the touring party after scored 46 and 38 of good captaincy. And he gets The video was posted on Twitter by training. However, a spokesman not out in the two runs when they are needed, a fan who identified himself as for the Indian side said social innings he played. which adds to the respect his Navaldeep Singh. STIRRING THE HORNET’S NEST: This is the picture which has sent both BCCI and CA into a tizzy distancing requirements were met, “The moment team have for him,” Chappell “If you carefully read the CA the report claimed. that caught my at- pointed out. statement, they never said that it’s player (Rishabh Pant) on social me that Cricket Australia will be tak- Dongre is an employee of the BCCI Friday’s incident according to a tention in the “The captain’s century came a breach. They said that they are media, this mess wouldn’t have ing a decision based on a purported and is supposed to handle and also couple of media reports was not Dharamsala at a time when India could eas- seeking to determine if it’s a breach. happened. The players had gone video of a person who first lied and keep the team abreast about the the first time that Indian players match was ily have faded to a two-nil So there is no restriction on these inside the restaurant because it then retracted his statement,” the COVID-19 protocols. seemingly breached the bio-secure the time deficit, and it was this five players travelling with the team was drizzling. This guy, without official added. “There is a professional team of protocols. India captain Virat Kohli performance that to Sydney,” a senior BCCI official said permission, shot a video and then However, the incident has put people who have to ensure that and limited-overs all-rounder Hardik gave his team the on conditions of anonymity Sunday. paid the bill which no one asked him. administrative manager Girish every rule is being followed and it Pandya were also pictured at a shop conviction that “Had the gentleman (the fan) in After that for publicity he put a Dongre in a spot of bother. He is the was Dongre’s duty to ensure that in Sydney in early December victory was question not lied about hugging a screen grab of bill. You want to tell man under the BCCI scanner now. players are told that they can’t get during the white-ball leg of the tour. attainable,” Chappell signed SHORT TAKES off. Ganguly stable Uncertainty over Brisbane Test AGENCIES Minister Ros Bates was quoted as Indian cricket team Wade told the media here Sunday. Kolkata: BCCI president saying by ‘Fox Sports’. Tim Mander, should not come to Sources said that many Indian Sourav Ganguly has tested Brisbane, Jan 3: Reports have Queensland’s Shadow Sports players are unwilling to undergo negative for COVID-19 and is Brisbane if they do emerged about Team India’s re- Minister, said there’s no room for hard quarantine once again after at present not feverish, not want to undergo doctors said Sunday. He had luctance to play the fourth and ignoring the protocols and that quarantine. It’s simple, having gone through it at the be- to undergo compulsory final Test of the ongoing series every individual would have to go everyone will have to follow ginning of the tour. COVID-19 testing after getting against Australia here at the Gabba, through the same drill. protocols They feel that undergoing quar- due to harsher bio-security proto- “If the Indian cricket team want antine once again will affect their admitted to a hospital here QUEENSLAND SPORTS MINISTER Saturday after suffering a cols. However, members of the to spit the dummy and disregard mental strength. That is the reason heart attack. He has Queensland government have said quarantine guidelines in Brisbane they want the Test to be shifted undergone angioplasty to the visiting team should not enter for the fourth Test, then they should- Test. They are willing to make sac- from the Gabba. remove a block in his heart. the state if they are unwilling to co- n’t come. The same rules must rifices to follow the schedule. However, as of now BCCI has The doctors said that ordinate with the protocols that apply for everyone. Simple,” Mander “We’d love to be running out- not taken any call on asking CA to Saturday night was have been laid out. asserted. side in Australia like everybody is shift the Test match from Brisbane ‘uneventful’ and Ganguly “If the Indians don’t want to Australia batsman Matthew doing right now. But we under- to Sydney. “It’s a fluid situation. PTI PHOTO ‘slept well’. He had breakfast play by the rules, don’t come,” Wade has also said that the hosts stand that we need to make some Let’s wait for a few more days,” a and tea in the morning and Queensland's Health Shadow are looking forward to the Gabba sacrifices to get this tour done,” BCCI official said. Ajinkya Rahane poses with his man of the match award at Melbourne routine electrocardiogram (ECG) test done at 10.00am produced ‘satisfactory’ results. “The medical board HOSTING T20 WORLD CUP IN 2021 DEFENDING CHAMPS REGAIN LA LIGA TOP SPOT will meet tomorrow (Monday) and discuss regarding further treatment plans,” said the Tax issues plague BCCI hospital in its statement. Efficient Real Madrid overcome Celta INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE If there is no exemption, the minimum AGENCIES in good shape and if we keep play- Coutinho sidelined New Delhi, Jan 3: The cash-rich BCCI will have to pay is `227 crore, the ing like this we’ll be fighting for maximum `907 crore Madrid: Star forward Philippe BCCI could end up paying up to a Madrid, Jan 3: Real Madrid beat everything,” he added. Coutinho will be out of action massive Rs 906 crore in tax if the ICC has already earmarked the UAE as an in-form Celta Vigo 2-0 at home The trip to Real was their biggest for ‘approximately three Union government declines to grant a backup venue Saturday thanks to a goal and as- test so far since Coudet took charge. months’ after undergoing a full tax exemption for staging the ICC sist apiece from Spanish pair Lucas Celta almost took the lead when successful knee surgery, FC T20 World Cup in India this year. The BCCI will have to get back to the Vazquez and Marco Asensio, put- talismanic striker Iago Aspas ran Barcelona said Saturday. Even if the government grants par- ICC by February 2021 on the issue ting the side above city rivals through and knocked the ball past “Philippe Coutinho has tial exemption, the board will have Atletico Madrid at the top of La keeper Thibaut Courtois but Real undergone a successful to pay at least `227 crore in taxes, if to the BCCI. They are: the T20 Liga. The win took the Spanish defender Nacho recovered to clear operation on the external it wants to host the tournament. World Cup is relocated to the United champions to the summit on 36 it off the line. meniscus of his left knee on The T20 World Cup is just 10 Arab Emirates (UAE). The other is points, one ahead of second-placed After Vasquez had scored their Saturday. The verdict is that months away. The International that it provides an undertaking Atletico. However, Atletico have first goal, Real nearly doubled their he will be out of action for Cricket Council (ICC) has ear- that if it fails to get the exemption played three games less and they lead when Dani Carvajal tried his approximately three months,” marked the United Arab Emirates then it will have to meet the tax li- face Alaves, Sunday luck from outside the box and saw a statement from the club (UAE) as a backup venue to host the abilities, which could be a mini- Real were smarting from a sur- his shot whistle past the post. read. Coutinho was injured in seventh edition of the tournament. mum of `226.58 crore and a high of prise 1-1 draw at struggling Elche Celta suffered a huge blow when the final game of 2020 against The BCCI has already missed a ` in their last match and were miss- Eibar at Camp Nou. 906.33 crore. Aspas, La Liga’s joint-top scorer couple of deadlines – December In 2011 when 50-over World Cup ing captain Sergio Ramos, who with nine goals, was forced off in 31, 2019, and December 31, 2020 – and was held in India, the Manmohan was out with a stomach bug. But visible pain with a suspected mus- now the pressure mounts on it to Singh-led government sat on the ap- they got off to an ideal start thanks cle injury. Shuttlers leave decide quickly if it wants to host plication from the BCCI for inor- to a towering header from Vazquez, Asensio’s goal moments later New Delhi: The Indian the prestigious tournament. An dinately long, before the Prime who out-jumped two Celta de- delivered a knockout blow and they badminton team, including official said that the new and revised Minister himself intervened and fenders to power home a cross later also lost forward Nolito to an Olympic hopefuls Saina deadline is in February. granted it at the last minute. But for from Asensio. injury. Nehwal, B Sai Praneeth and An application of the BCCI, seek- the 2016 T20 World Cup, the Modi Vazquez returned the favour “We played a complete match Kidambi Srikanth, left Sunday ing full tax exemption for the 2021 government had granted only 10 per early in the second half to tee up DOUBLE TROUBLE: Real Madrid goalscorers Marco Asensio (left) and Lucas from start to finish,” Real Madrid for Thailand to compete in T20 World Cup, is lying with the cent tax exemption. Asensio after Real had recovered the Vasquez celebrate after their side’s win over Celta Vigo coach Zinedine Zidane said. “We back-to-back BWF World Tour Union Finance Ministry for a long And because the government ball high in Celta’s half. Zinedine controlled the game, were bal- Super 1000 events. World time, but the Narendra Modi-led had not granted full tax exemp- Zidane’s side comfortably saw out “We said before the game that the pitch,” said Vazquez. “Right anced in our transitions between Champion PV Sindhu will join government is yet to take a final de- tion, the ICC has withheld $23.75 mil- the victory, ending Celta’s unbeaten after slipping up against Elche we now every game is key, we are on attack and defense, and recov- them from London after flying cision on the request. lion from the share that the BCCI run of six games under new coach wanted to show our usual aggres- a good run, we didn’t expect to ered the ball with our pressure,” through Doha. Except for The ICC has given two options was entitled to receive. Eduardo Coudet. sion and win the ball back high up draw the other day but the team are he added. Srikanth, this tournament will be the first event for others since the coronavirus-induced break. The two Super 1000 ODISHA FC REMAIN WINLESS AFTER EIGHT GAMES events – Yonex Thailand Open Jaguars, Panthers (January 12-17) and Toyota Thailand Open (January 19-24) will feature the world’s best. The other members who left Maiden victory for new look East Bengal play out thrilling tie for Bangkok were HS Prannoy, Parupalli Kashyap, Sameer PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Gaikwad, who initiated the goal- POST NEWS NETWORK chase for the Panthers did not turn Verma and Manu Attri. scoring move with a nice long throw- out so. Nishikant Rout (32 n o) top Vasco, Jan 3: SC East Bengal in near the post. The ball bounced Cuttack, Jan 3: Odisha Jaguars and scored for the Panthers while Sparsh (SCEB) finally made the right moves in towards the far post where Odisha Panthers were involved in Somani (31) batted well, but they to beat a lacklustre Odisha FC 3-1 Pilkington capitalised on a defen- a thrilling tie in a game of the MGM consumed too many deliveries. Momota tests +ve and secure their first win in their sive lapse to rise above the man be- Odisha T20 cricket league played Nirbishankar Barik (2/12) was the New Delhi: World No.1 shuttler maiden ISL season here Sunday. fore calmly heading it in. Sunday here at the Barabati best bowler for the Jaguars. Kento Momota’s long-awaited On the other hand, the Odisha side The goalkeeping, too, was spot on Stadium. Batting first Odisha return to the international remained winless even after eight from Debjit Majumder who effected Jaguars could only manage 105 for SANTOSH TRIUMPHS circuit got delayed after the games and are currently at the bot- a couple of spectacular saves from seven in their 20 overs. However, then Top seeded Santosh Mohanty Japanese tested positive for tom of the table with two points. East Manuel Onwu and Diego Mauricio. their bowlers bowled admirably to won the men’s single title Sunday COVID-19. It prompted his Bengal took their points tally to East Bengal players East Bengal went on to double restrict the opposition to the same at the Gurukul Men’s Open tennis national team to pull out of six a good show. celebrate after their their lead with Matti Steinmann score. Incidentally this was the first tournament which concluded upcoming events in Thailand, In the basement battle, the Red- victory over Odisha FC in providing the assist to Maghoma tie of the ongoing tournament. Sunday in Bhubaneswar. In the Badminton World Federation and-Gold scored through Anthony the ISL game played Sunday who made no mistake with a pow- Girija Rout (36) was the top scorer final, Santosh beat Ashish Kumar y (BWF) said Sunday. BWF and Pilkington (12th) and Jacques PHOTO COURTESY: ISL erful shot. for the Jaguars. However, others failed Parida 4-6, 6-3, (10-8). After the first

Badminton Association of Maghoma (39th) to give them a 2-0 Fowler pressed Enobakhare in to support him as the Jaguars lost wick- two sets were shared, it was de-

k k y y m m c Thailand (BAT) can confirm c cushion at half time at the Tilak Odisha FC pulled one back Robbie Fowler-coached side from the place of Maghoma in the 73rd ets at regular intervals. Subham cided that the first to win 10 points that Japan’s men's singles world No.1 Kento Momota has Maidan. The Kolkata heavyweights through Diego Mauricio in the in- start. Fowler made two changes to minute and the 22-year-old Nigerian Nayak (2/21) and Jayant Behera (2/19) will be declared champion. tested positive for COVID-19,” maintained their high intensity jury time (90+3rd minute), but it was his line-up as Surchandra Singh scored on his debut in what was a bowled well in tandem. Basant In the semifinals played earlier BWF said in a statement. before their latest Nigerian recruit not enough as they suffered their and Sehnaj Singh were replaced fine team effort by the SCEB for- Mohanty and Alok Sahoo (both 1/15) Santosh beat Vivek Mahananda “Hence the entire team has Bright Enobakhare sealed the issue sixth defeat. by Milan Singh and Raju Gaikwad. wards. The new recruit looked quite however, had identical figures. 10-1 while Ashish subdued Avish pulled out,” it added. AGENCIES with a terrific 88th minute strike. Everything fell in place for the It was the season’s debutant, sharp and enterprising. What was expected to be an easy Kansari 10-5.

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