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BHUMI’S DESIRE TALIBAN FOR TIES WITH ALL AMIT WINS SILVER Bhumi Pednekar says she wants to be Taliban’s political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Amit Khatri bags silver medal in men’s remembered as an actor who never shied Baradar Saturday said they intend to have ties 10,000m race walk at the World U-20 Athletics Championship away from pushing boundaries LEISURE | P2 with all countries INTERNATIONAL | P10 SPORTS | P12

VOLUME 11, ISSUE 142 | www.orissapost.com BHUBANESWAR | SUNDAY, AUGUST 22 | 2021 12 PAGES + SUNDAY POST | `5.00

IRREGULAR by MANJUL COVID tally crosses Indians ‘abducted’ on 10-L mark in state PNN & AGENCIES

Bhubaneswar, August 21: COVID- 19 caseload in the state surpassed the 10-lakh mark Saturday as 911 more peo- way to Kabul airport ple tested positive for the infection, while 66 fresh fatalities pushed the state’s coronavirus death toll to 7,289, n Of the 150 Indian citizens a Health department official said. picked up by the Taliban The fresh infections took the state’s COVID tally to 10,00,084, he said. School transformation Saturday morning, 78 have At least 116 new cases were found Give Pakistan a little been released and allowed to among people below 18 years of age, rest. Instead, discuss leave war-torn Afghanistan the official said. The daily positivity programme launched Afghanistan! rate stands at 1.27 per cent as the fresh cases were detected from 71,264 sam- n 1,070 schools across in the government schools. AGENCIES ple tests, he said, adding that the in- The walls of these schools Jumbo attacks: 2 killed fection ratio among children and ado- Odisha would be have also been painted based New Delhi, August 21: Amid reports lescents was at 12.73 per cent. redeveloped under this on educational and inter- KHURDA/HINDOL: At least two women of the alleged abduction of around 150 Of the fresh cases, 531 were reported programme in phase-I esting themes. died on the spot after they were Indians from outside the Hamid Karzai from quarantine centres and 380 de- Inaugurating the pro- attacked by elephants in separate International Airport in Kabul Saturday, tected during contact tracing. Khurda, gramme via video-confer- incidents early Saturday morning. The local Afghan journalist Zaki Daryabi which comprises the state capital POST NEWS NETWORK encing, the Chief Minister first incident took place at Golabai said that most of the kidnapped persons Bhubaneswar, recorded the highest said that every child is a village in Khurda district. The were released and they were on the US Marines stand guard at an Evacuee Control Checkpoint at Hamid Karzai International number of new cases at 352, followed Bhubaneswar, August 21: symbol of eternal poten- deceased was identified as Ranga, way to the airport. “Two sources con- Airport, Kabul REUTERS PHOTO by Cuttack (88) and Balasore (51). As part of his 5T model of tial. School transformation wife of Bharat Behera of Golabai firmed that the Indians were released Boudh, Nuapada and Nabarangpur governance, Chief Minister has brought an opportunity village. In the second incident, another by the Taliban and they are on the way report added. Earlier in the day, the did not report any new COVID-19 case Naveen Patnaik Saturday for the students to realise woman named Puni Sahu (55) of 72 Afghan Sikhs, Hindus Tantichira village in ward number 13 to Kabul airport,” Daryabi tweeted. Afghan media reported that men af- Friday, while the new patients were rolled out an ambitious their dreams. “The goal of under Hindol NAC limits of Dhenkanal He also said that these Indians were filiated with the Taliban have abducted forced to stay back found from the remaining 27 districts school transformation pro- a new Odisha will be ful- district was killed by an elephant. P5 taken to the nearby Alokozai com- over 150 people, mostly Indian citi- of the state. Of the total COVID-19 cases gramme in his own con- filled if the students’ dreams pound, a garage designated for US zens, from an area close to the airport. NEW DELHI: The Taliban are learnt to have in the state, Khurda recorded the stituency Hinjili. come true,” he said. forces, from the Kabul airport, adding A local publication ‘Kabul Now’ stopped a batch of 72 Afghan Sikhs and highest number of infections at Under the programme, Describing the transfor- WEATHER they were safe. These Indians were had also confirmed the development. Hindus, including two minority members of 1,57,657, followed by Cuttack at 89,642 state-of-the-art facilities like mation as the foundation Afghanistan parliament, from boarding an BHUB CTK taken to the Alokozai compound as “Over 150, mostly Indian citizens, ab- and Sundargarh at 61,034. e-library, smart classrooms, of a new Odisha, Patnaik there was a huge rush at the airport ducted near Kabul airport Men affiliated Indian Air Force (IAF) plane Saturday. They Deogarh district reported a mini- computer rooms, science said, “The school days are MAX 32.9° 33.0° and the Taliban allegedly inspected with the Taliban have abducted over were sent back from the Kabul airport. mum of 6,271 infections since the laboratories, sports facili- the best time of life for their documents before releasing them. 150 people, mostly Indian citizens, from Seeking evacuation to India, this first batch outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020. ties, reading rooms, labo- everyone. This transfor- TEMP MIN 25.4° 25.0° Forecast The abductors later ushered them an area close to Hamid Karzai of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus had been wait- The Health and Family Welfare ratory, drinking water fa- mation is for you. It will Humidity 87% 84% to the right place at the airport from International Airport Saturday morn- ing outside the airport for over 12 hours department said 66 coronavirus pa- cilities, hygienic toilets and create many opportunities Generally since Friday, president of World Punjabi where their evacuation flight would take ing, a reliable source confirmed to ‘Kabul tients succumbed to the infection in environment conducive for for your future and to make Rainfall 7.1mm 3mm cloudy sky OrganisationVikramjit Singh Sahney said.

off for India after getting the slot, the Now’,” Daryabi said in a different tweet. 12 districts in the last 24 hours. learning have been created you excellent.”

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k y m c GAGA IS THE BEST PERFORMER KYLIE JENNER EXPECTING HER P2 OF OUR GENERATION: RODRIGO 2ND BABY WITH TRAVIS SCOTT SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR Pop star Olivia Rodrigo says she will never Reality TV personality and make-up mogul forget Grammy Award-winner Lady Gaga’s Kylie Jenner is expecting her second child stage performance at the MTV Video Music with Travis Scott. Multiple sources Awards. “She always acts this whole thing exclusively confirmed the news to out – it’s incredible. I love Gaga. I think she's pagesix.com. The two already have three-

y like the best performer of our generation,” year-old daughter Stormi. Kylie has been

k y m leisure says Rodrigo. open about wanting a sibling for her. c

FORTUNE FORECAST BHUMI OPENS Afghan pop singer UP ABOUT Aryana flees to US ARIES MUMBAI: Afghani pop singer Aryana Sayeed Motherland and interestingly enough, that You love meeting people, has fled to the US amid fears following the fall is exactly what happened. I hope and pray as says Ganesha, and you are of Kabul to the Taliban. a result of the recent changes, at the very going to have a wonderful HER LEGACY Sayeed has been updating her Instagram ac- least my beautiful people will be able to start time interacting with the most bril- count with posts about leaving Afghanistan living a peaceful life without the fear of sui- liant people today. You remain a per- to reach the US. cide bombers and explosions.” fectionist as ever, and may spend a fortune to buy that 'perfect' gift to MUMBAI: Actress and environ- The Afghani pop singer shared Aryana Sayeed is a singer, song- please your sweetheart! mentalist Bhumi Pednekar has al- a photograph with her husband writer, and TV personality. She ways signed up films that have sent on the flight to the US to reveal that sings mostly in Persian and Dari out a clear message to the audience she has left her country and later but also has many songs in TAURUS and have meaningful content. She made a post on reaching the Pashto. says always wanted to be part of country after four days of trav- Sayeed is one of Afghanistan’s Communication may be cinema that goes down in the history eling. most famous musical artists, poignant with your loved ones today, says Ganesha. of Hindi films as path breaking. Along with the picture with performing regularly in concerts Your unpretentious character will Bhumi said: “I have been fortu- her husband, she wrote a heart- and philan- seek to safeguard the feelings of oth- nate that film-makers who have felt note on the photo-sharing thropic festi- ers from being hurt. You will learn tried to change the face of content website. vals that total agreement is sometimes in India, have felt that I could be a “I had said in one of my within twice as seductive in love's intima- part of their vision.” cies, feels Ganesha. recent interviews that and She added: “This gives me im- I will be the Last outside mense joy and confidence because Soldier to leave the GEMINI I have always wanted to be part of the country. cinema that goes down in the his- IANS You need to understand and tory of Hindi films as path-break- respect the feelings of oth- ers. You will be beset by ing.” financial worries and plagued by The 32-year-old’s journey in cin- financial insecurity. You will work with ema has just started and she says her grim determination to achieve all your filmography comprises outstand- goals and will be successful in doing ing gems that are among the gen- so, says Ganesha. eration defining films of my time. “I want to be called that actor who never shied away from push- CANCER ing herself and experimented every You will give top priority to single time she came on screen,” love today. Ganesha says she added. IANS that it is the best time to talk your mind to the beloved. Being happy with your colleagues, you will give them a treat in the evening. You will make everyone happy. LEO MANOJ WINS Back-to-school safety tips during pandemic Your expectations from your partner or spouse are likely to be unmet, so keep them While excitement may provide a shield against the SARS- low. For traders and comission Best Actor award at IFFM CoV-2 by trapping these viruses on agents, this could be a tough day, and run high at reuniting with the surface and killing it. hence they should be wary of suffer- MUMBAI: Manoj Bajpayee re- been loved by everyone and it is also ing from financial reversals. friends and classmates Important documents should be ceived the Best Actor award for one of the top shows in the world Carry individual sanitiser signed only after careful his role in The Family Man now. So, I am happy that the web after over a year, Covid-19 has made sanitisation scrutiny, says Ganesha. 2 web series at the Indian series worked, it has got loved children must remember awareness a universal thing. Film Festival of globally! That is fantastic. Whether going out with friends to Melbourne (IFFM) 2021 “In 2018, when Raj and DK to socially distance as play, or with family, or to school VIRGO Friday. Hearing the news, approached me with the nar- much as possible or coaching, children must carry Ganesha says you will raise he said it was a ‘proud mo- ration of my character, I saw individual sanitisers with them. the bar today. You will set ment’ for the entire team so much potential for me to Remember to use it every 20-30 higher goals for yourself, and went on to explain why add to it as an actor. ith children under 18 minutes if you are touching other and will want to crack the existing he chose to make his I thought, yes, I can being one of the large surfaces frequently. barriers. You will be deeply con- web debut with the take the charac- vulnerable and unvac- cerned in the afternoon about your W finances. Petty matters will lower show back in 2019. ter from paper to cinated groups, it is crucial to keep Regular flu shots for kids your spirits. However, Ganesha Manoj said in screen, and to a them extra protected from being ex- As soon as vaccines become advises you to climb the next rung in a conversation: level higher.” posed to the many variants of the While excitement may run high Put on face mask with available for the population under the ladder by spending the evening “It is a big win The Family Covid-19 virus. at reuniting with friends and class- antimicrobial coating 18, don’t hesitate and sign up for in spiritual pursuits. not for me but Man 2, stream- Here are a few tips to keep chil- mates after over a year, children Masking is extremely important. a slot at the earliest. Meanwhile, for the team ing on dren protected in these times: must remember to socially dis- It is important to mask up always, it is always better for all adults in of The Amazon tance as much as possible. If you and have a mask with a snug but the family to vaccinate themselves, LIBRA Family Man, Prime Video, No lunch, bottle sharing want to, simulate a classroom at comfortable fit. Use masks with since children can be carriers of Ganesha says work related because be it bagged two As many Indian states reopen home, let your siblings or parents combination of anti microbial coat- the virus as well, even if they are to the government will film or a web awards at the schools and invite children back to be your classmates, and practice fol- ing which uses organic extracts. asymptomatic. It always helps to prove beneficial to you series, it is team- film festival -- the the classroom, it is crucial to re- lowing all protocols. It is also im- These components, when mixed in give children their regular flu today. Your relations with your siblings work that matters. second going to member to behave in a Covid-ap- portant to not share lunch, water a controlled environment and fur- shots and vaccines for other dis- will improve. You maybe able to spend a Yes, my character, Samantha propriate manner at all times. bottles and other edibles. ther applied to the mask’s surface, eases on time. AGENCIES happy time with your close friends. Srikant Tiwari, has Akkineni. IANS

SCORPIO Your day is equally divided SUDOKU between your near & dear To solve the Sudoku puzzle, fill in the boxes in such a ones and your responsibili- PEANUTS post manner that every row, column and 3x3 box contains ties towards the elderly people. As CROSSWORD the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. you are sensitive, you may go out of your way to help them. For all those who are eagerly waiting to begin the new chapter in life, a marriage pro- posal is due during the evening time, foresees Ganesha.

SAGITTARIUS According to Ganesha, cre- ative juices are likely to flow freely today. You are all geared up to meet new challenges in life and crack few business deals. Financial gains on the cards. However, make sure your health does not take a back-seat all this while. CALVIN AND HOBBES CAPRICORN Love will be on your mind today. Going down the memory lane will make you cherish some golden moments spent with friends and family members. You will SOLUTIONS call up an old friends and share those memories. On the professional front, you will achieve major milestones, predicts Ganesha. All in all, it is a good day for you today.

AQUARIUS

If you are associated with law and legal matters, today is a favourable day for you. You will

aim for the stars, because you know that BREVITY CROSSWORD even if you can't reach there, you will not end up being in the mud. Later on the day, you will receive some favourable news, feels Ganesha.

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k y m You health and mood will be c good today as you will begin to reap the fruits the seeds sown in the past. You will experience happiness and satisfaction from business and returns during the evening. Make the

most of the perfect alignment of planets SUDOKU is what is Ganesha's advice. CHECK FOR SOLUTIONS OF THE PUZZLES TOMORROW P3 COVID-19 TRACKER SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR BEAUTIFICATION PLAN INFECTED RECOVERED DEAD World 21,18,28,977 18,95,70,734 44,32,529 Eviction drive underway for Srimandir heritage corridor India 3,23,93,286 3,15,97,982 4,33,964 work in Puri, Saturday

downtown Odisha 10,00,084 9,84,224 7,289

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RTOs to accept new LL Passenger footfall at BPIA applications from Aug 23 SMART JANPATH WORK POST NEWS NETWORK

Bhubaneswar, August 21: With inches towards normalcy improvement in Covid-19 situa- tion, the State Transport Authority (STA) Saturday asked the Regional THE CITY AIRPORT HAS WITNESSED 52.4 PER CENT RISE IN Transport Offices (RTOs) across PASSENGER TRAFFIC SINCE JULY THIS YEAR the state to resume accepting ap- plications for new Learner’s AVIRAL MISHRA, OP Licences (LLs) from August 23. In deference to a directive is- Bhubaneswar, August 21: The sued by the state government, the Biju Patnaik International Airport STA instructed the RTOs to re- (BPIA), which was hit hard by ceive applications in adherence to Covid-induced lockdowns and Covid protocol. Issuance of LLs travel restrictions, is slowly wit- was suspended in view of Covid nessing normalcy as passenger April 22. It can be mentioned that footfall has improved during the LL test for existing applicants has past two months. resumed August 11. As per sources, the BPIA saw The applicants can book slots 1,06,700 passengers during July from 7 am to 10 pm every day. The this year. This includes 55,935 em- slot duration is of 15 minutes which barking and 50,765 disembarking Bengal and Tamil Nadu had sus- includes 10 minutes of test time. A passengers. This comes against a he BPIA witnessed 1,06,700 pended flight services last year. candidate has to answer at least 12 meagre 33,151 and 70,013 passenger Tpassengers during July this Although no flight restrictions out of 20 questions correctly to pass footfall during May and June. year. This includes 55,935 were issued this year, a surge in the test. Sources said the airport has wit- embarking and 50,765 Covid cases derailed our aim of disembarking passengers nessed 52.4 per cent improvement full capacity operation. During in passenger traffic since July. his comes against a meagre February this year, we saw the ‘Potable water, internet These two months (May and June) T33,151 and 70,013 passenger highest 2.28 lakh passenger move- are also stated to have recoded the footfall during May and June ment, after which numbers dropped for 50K schools in 2 yrs’ lowest flight and passenger move- significantly,” a BPIA official said. POST NEWS NETWORK uring pre-Covid period, the ments this year. The state had wit- During pre-Covid period, the DBPIA was handling about nessed a surge in Covid cases and 30,000 flights and 40 lakh BPIA was handling about 30,000 Bhubaneswar, August 21: Around thus, lockdowns and shutdowns passengers per year flights and 40 lakh passengers per 50,000 government-run schools in in these two months. year. As per data available, about the state will soon have drinking The figures also suggested that 30,231 domestic and 701 interna- water, electricity, internet, toilets the airport reported a 69.9 per cent other states owing to the pandemic, tional flights operated from the and ancillary facilities in two years rise in flight movement in July even after the Directorate General BPIA catering to about 38.69 lakh pas- as part of the implementation of 2021 as compared to the last year. of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had sug- sengers in 2019. While 45 flights National Education Policy (NEP)- The BPIA saw only 62,791 passen- gested otherwise after two months with 12,000 passengers used the 2020 in Odisha. gers in 2020. The officials explained of suspension of service. BPIA services on a daily basis, it fell This was revealed at a review that the reduced number was due “Due to heavy caseloads, many to about 30-33 flights and merely meeting chaired by Union to travel restrictions imposed by states such as Maharashtra, West 6,500 passengers during Covid period. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday. It was decided at the meeting that AIRCRAFT & PASSENGER MOVEMENT AT BPIA a combination of vocational and skill development education will be 2021 2020 imparted to students of 150 schools Month Flight Movement Passenger Movement Month Aircraft Movement Passenger Movement in the state as a pilot project. Drinking water, electricity, in- Jan 2,068 2,13,066 Jan 2,613 3,52,756 ternet, toilets and ancillary facili- Feb 1,994 2,28,448 Feb 2,453 3,01,436 ties will be provided to 50,000 gov- March 2,038 2,20,770 March 1,983 1,86,432 ernment-run schools in the state in April 1,748 1,44,970 April 58 102 next two years, Pradhan said. He ad- Civic authorities removing sculptures from Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar, Saturday, to pave way vised the higher education officials for the Smart Janpath project. A sculpture got broken during its relocation triggering sharp reactions from May 806 33,151 May 162 8975 to launch a campaign in September various quarters OP PHOTOS June 1,182 70,013 June 389 57,830 to ensure 100 per cent immunisa- July 1,422 1,06,700 July 650 62,791 tion of teachers, students above the age of 18 years, and school and Total 11,258 10,17,118 Total 8,308 9,70,322 college staffers. INTERNAL RIFT IN CONG Sensory Park in Capital city by Sept Review poll debacle, my performance

POST NEWS NETWORK ocated near Maharshi in Assembly: Bahinipati to AICC Bhubaneswar, August 21: LCollege road in Ward No-30, Children and adults, especially the facility has come up in an those with special needs, now have area of 16,117 square feet POST NEWS NETWORK lotment of Congress tickets to lead- The Congress MLA sought ac- a reason to cheer as the Capital with an investment of ers who could not win elections. tion against people who failed to city will have its first-ever Sensory `93 lakh by BSCL Bhubaneswar, August 21: The “I have decided to share my revive the party in Odisha. “Those Park at Saheed Nagar by September. internecine squabbles in the state thoughts in the upcoming Congress who often get defeated in the elec- Located near Maharshi College he park will feature rides unit of Congress party seems to legislature party meeting. Doesn’t tions are being given the re- road in Ward No-30, the facility Tsuch as wheelchair swing, have escalated Saturday as party the AICC know about the party af- sponsibility of distributing party has been developed with an in- two-seater swing, bucket swing, leader and MLA Taraprasad fairs in Odisha? Why do I need to tickets. Two and a half years have vestment of `93 lakh by the multiline swing, single-seater Bahinipati fired fresh salvos at say this?” he quipped. elapsed since the last Assembly Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited spring rider, musical polls, Odisha Pradesh Congress The Congress MLA also asked the and General elections. Has the (BSCL) over an area of 16,117 square sound play, drum track, musical Committee (OPCC) president party’s central leadership to con- party undertaken any review of feet. Apart from offering exclusive panel and sound play table Niranjan Patnaik. duct an enquiry into his perform- its performance?” he asked. features meant for children and among others Interacting with media, ance in the Assembly. “This time, “I had never insulted Sonia people with special needs, the park Provision of play equipment and is set to be inaugurated within a Bahinipati claimed that the All the Congress has only nine MLAs. Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the also has special open-air equip- open-air gym will encourage the month’s time. It will feature rides mitted during the Smart City India Congress Committee (AICC) I had never seen such a debacle in Congress party. People vote for ment ensuring adherence to the kids and adults to remain fit and such as wheelchair swing, two- Challenge process the Temple city is well aware of the party affairs the election. The AICC can exam- me on the basis of my perform- universal access guidelines. smart,’’ said CEO of BSCL Sanjay seater swing, bucket swing, mul- has presented a child-friendly in the state. He further claimed ine my performance in the ance. People from all walks of life “The project at Saheed Nagar Kumar Singh. tiline swing, single-seater spring theme-based proposal, which, with that he had not uttered a single Assembly. Had I supported the BJD support me. The way Niranjan will provide recreational facility for Though the work for the Sensory rider, musical polls, sound play, its ideas and challenging concept word against the party’s central and BJP? Had I sold out myself to Patnaik is creating divisions in differently-abled people. The park Park was initiated in 2018, it ran into drum track, musical panel and won the race. And, Bhubaneswar leadership. them? If the central leadership district units of Congress party, I with special features will help the some legal hurdles leading to delay sound play table among others. won the challenge by ranking No- Bahinipati said that he had only has any doubt in this regard, my don’t know when the party can children with special needs during in its progress. However, with works It can be mentioned here that 1 among the 100 participating cities pleaded for debate on the poor con- explanation could be sought,” win the elections and come to the early morning and evening hours. have now been finished, the park in its Smart City Proposal sub- from across the nation. dition of the party in Odisha and al- Bahinipati said. power,” he said. BAMBOO CRAFTS Myopia among kids doubled in 2 yrs: Study

POST NEWS NETWORK xperts claimed that Covid Bhubaneswar, August 21: A study Eand lockdowns really took a on progression of myopia (short- toll on the eye health of people sightedness) among 5 to 15-year- across age brackets old children claimed that the ail- ment saw a two-fold rise in the last ids and youths were hit hard two years. Kprimarily due to increased The analysis conducted by a pri- screen time vate eye hospital attributed the spurt in such cases (myopia and nflow of patients with squint eyes) to increased screen Iproblems like fluctuations in exposure during Covid-induced eye power, progression of eyes lockdowns and shutdowns. and dryness of eyes has “In the last two years, the num- increased manifold ber of myopia cases in this par- ticular age group saw 100 per cent for a longer time due to the lock- ifold, they maintained. Doctors at LV Prasad Eye rise, while the cases of squint eyes downs and shutdowns while on- Cuttack-based ophthalmologist Institute, Bhubaneswar also told this also witnessed a five-fold increase,” line classes also came to the play. All Anurag Mishra also said that there reporter that eye disorders among said Chandra Shekhar Sahoo, con- such factors contributed to the pae- has been an increase in cases of eye kids and youths have become an sultant ophthalmologist from Dr diatric population becoming the disorders in kids and youths dur- emerging issue after the outbreak Agrawals Eye Hospital, new set of digital device consumers. ing the last two years. of the pandemic. Bhubaneswar which studied the Experts claimed that Covid and “Dry eyes is now the most com- Meanwhile, experts suggested paediatric patient database of all lockdowns really took a toll on the mon issue which is often trig- safe practices of using digital de-

its branches. eye health of people across age gered by increased screen time. For, vices like maintaining safe dis-

k y m c According to Sahoo, “There is an brackets. Kids and youths were increased screen time reduces tance from computer, laptop and tel- escalation of cases of kids coming hit hard primarily due to increased the potential of eyes from natural evision sets unlike close devices like with progression of myopia, onset screen time. Inflow of patients blinking which reduces the mobiles. Further, healthy lifestyle, of myopia and other eye ailments. with problems like fluctuations in chances of eye secretion and thus exercise, balanced diet, exposure This comes when schools remained eye power, progression of eyes and prevents normal lubrication of to sunlight could arrest development An elderly woman crafts bamboo baskets alongside Taladanda canal road in Cuttack, Saturday OP PHOTO suspended and kids stayed indoors dryness of eyes has increased man- eyes,” he said. of eye disorders. P4 SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR downtown

State gets 4 lakh green LN MITTAL CALLS ON NAVEEN

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Bhubaneswar, August 21: energy installations Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal, world's largest steelmaking company, met POST NEWS NETWORK Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here Saturday. Bhubaneswar, August 21: The The meeting, which was held at Odisha Renewable Energy the Chief Minister's residence, Development Agency (OREDA) lasted for an hour. Though neither has made significant strides in the Chief Minister nor Mittal made generation and use of renewable any official statement about the energy in the state with more than meet, sources said that they dis- 4 lakh installations serving around cussed about the company's pro- 5.5 million people. posed steel plant project at This was revealed at a high-level Kendrapara. This was the second review meeting held on digital meeting between Patnaik and Mittal mode under the chairmanship of in the past six months. Prior to Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra the meeting, Mittal visited the pro- Mahapatra recently. posed plant site in Kendrapara dis- OREDA chief executive REDUCING CARBON trict and the Paradip port. Dhananjaya Swain said the agency On March 4 this year, was instrumental in making 4 lakh FOOTPRINT ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India different types of renewable en- sibility of incentivising domestic (AM/NS India) had signed an MoU ergy installations by July this year. REDA’s major installations and private use of solar power. with the Odisha government for set- The initiative has led to reduction Oinclude 1,163 rooftop solar Considering the potential of the ting up a 12 million tonne inte- projects having a capacity of in carbon dioxide emission by over new technologies in Odisha, grated steel plant in the state, with generating 12.3 MW power. 30 metric tonne (MT) per year. Steel tycoon LN Mittal meets Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence in Bhubaneswar, Saturday OP PHOTO an investment of `50,000 crore. Besides, the agency has Mahapatra directed the officials to OREDA’s major installations in- installed 2.44 lakh biogas frame a plan for enhancing the use clude 1,163 rooftop solar projects hav- plants, 13, 219 solar-powered of solar-powered devices in domes- ing a capacity of generating 12.3 drinking water projects, 1,687 tic, private and government sectors. MW power. Besides, the agency solar irrigation pumps and For this purpose, a committee has installed 2.44 lakh biogas plants, 18,122 improved solar stoves involving several departments ED to probe 5 big drug seizures of 2020 13, 219 solar-powered drinking for cooking was constituted under the chair- water projects, 1,687 solar irrigation manship of Development pumps and 18,122 improved solar he initiative has led to Commissioner PK Jena. The ED sleuths will investigate the money trail to unearth the whole cartel behind the illegal trade stoves for cooking, Swain said. Treduction in carbon Energy secretary NB Dhal ap- dioxide emission by over Besides, the agency has helped praised the meeting that the cus- POST NEWS NETWORK CB in different cases last year. will investigate the money trail to along with two others were ar- 30 MT per year in the electrification of 2,903 vil- tomer care service of OREDA has The CB also seized huge amount unearth the whole cartel behind the rested in the case. lages with 84,858 households and he Chief Secretary asked been automated for providing seam- Bhubaneswar, August 21: The of brown sugar worth over illegal trade. Similarly, Lokanath was arrested distributed 82,033 solar lanterns, Tthe OREDA to explore the less service like creation of pre- Enforcement Directorate (ED) has several crores from the accused The accused masterminds of by the CB for possessing brown he added. possibility of incentivising liminary data prior to installation, decided to probe the financial trans- persons. drugs trade in the state who will be sugar weighing 2.729 kg valued at During the meeting, Mahapatra domestic and private use of technical support, maintenance of actions in five high profile brown The accused persons procured summoned are: Saikh Hashim (STF `2.79 crore. directed the agency to come up solar power assets, follow up corrective meas- sugar cases busted by the Crime the contraband from Murshidabad Ps 27/2020), Sk Nashim, Debashis The STF arrested Sk Hasim Bux with cost-effective proposals for ures and attending to the com- Branch in 2020. in West Bengal and later supplied Behera, Lokanath Behera and Sk of Sheikhpal, Jhadeswarpur under promoting domestic and private solar based agricultural equip- plaints through phones, mails and Sources claimed that the cen- it to local drug peddlers in Khurda, Ashique. the Jaleswar police limits of use of solar power in the state. ment through awareness drive, messages. tral agency will soon send sum- Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other The STF seized brown sugar Balasore, from Baramunda Bus He directed the officials to pop- demonstration and promotional The toll free number 1800-345- mons to the big drug peddlers to un- parts of the state. weighing over 4.486 kg worth stand October 31. ularise devices like solar water activities. 7135 and mobile numbers earth their financial links. Sources claimed that the con- around `4.5 crore during a raid at The sleuths also seized brown heater, solar lights, solar fencing in The Chief Secretary further 9438016007/9438016008 were oper- The accused peddlers were ar- signments are originally sourced Rasulgarh here June 19, 2020. sugar worth over `1 crore from his farms and agricultural fields and asked the OREDA to explore the pos- ating through the automated system. rested by the Special Task Force of from Bangladesh. The ED sleuths Mastermind Debashis of Balasore possession. Skill training for SHGs TEENAGER DEATH IN FARMHOUSE FIR OVER ALLEGED soon on waste mgmt ‘Water project would hit Samples sent to SFSL COW SLAUGHTER PRESS TRUST OF INDIA POST NEWS NETWORK Bhubaneswar, August 21: The Bhitarkanika biodiversity’ for diatom, viscera test Cuttack, August 21: An FIR has state government Saturday signed been filed with the Cantonment a memorandum of understand- POST NEWS NETWORK POST NEWS NETWORK mother was, however, taken aback police here in connection with al- ing (MoU) with an Ahmedabad- to find Kamini missing from her leged slaughtering of cows in based organisation for technical Bhubaneswar, August 21: Bhubaneswar, August 21: The room around 3am Friday. Sutahata area of the city. support to launch a training Congress spokesperson Commissionerate Police Saturday The family members checked As per her complaint, programme for 'Mission Shakti' Satyaprakash Nayak Saturday lam- sent samples taken from the teenage the footages of a few CCTVs in- Complainant Smita Santuka had self-help groups (SHGs) engaged basted the state government for girl’s body, which was recovered stalled at their neighbour’s house, found a herd of 25 cattle in a pre- in solid waste management. implementing a drinking water from a pond inside a farm at only to find out that Kamini was carious condition in Sutahata area The move aims at enhancing project which could reportedly Raghunathpur, to the State Forensic heading towards Nandankanan August 17. She had contacted a per- knowledge and imparting skill to threaten the biodiversity of Science Laboratory (SFSL) here Road at around 1:55am. son from the minority community the SHGs by creating a pool of Bhitarkanika National Park. for diatom and viscera tests. The The family called the cops, fol- of the locality to shift the cattle trainers and strengthening the “The state government has tests are expected to reveal the ac- lowing which a team of herd to a cowshed in the city. capacities of the functionaries planned a drinking water project tual cause of the girl’s death. Nandankanan police launched a “The person concerned sought involved in sanitation-related work at Kharasrota river to provide Speaking to Orissa POST, DCP search operation. The girl’s body money to release the cattle. I had in cities and towns, according to an water from Kendrapara to Bhadrak. Umashankar Dash said that the was found floating in a pond in a paid `7,000 as advance to him. But, official release. Several villagers recently vented sibility report of the project sug- such area as eco sensitive zone samples have been sent to the SFSL farmhouse situated around a kilo- I could find only seven cattle when Housing and Urban Development their ire over the issue. In order to gests that three vulnerable areas in through a gazette notification.” for various tests. Police can ascer- meter away from Malliks’ resi- I reached the locality with the re- department Principal Secretary suppress people’s voice, the state Bhitarkanika National Park are He also slammed the Forest and tain the cause of death and occur- dence. Later, Nandankanan police maining amount of money August G Mathivathanan signed the MoU government has implicated sev- in close proximity of the project Environment department. rence of any foul play in the case only registered a case (4/21) of unnat- 20. I had spotted a few packets of with the Urban Management Centre eral persons in false cases. The area. When the history of Odisha “I want to ask the government after examining the test reports. ural death and sent the body for au- meat tooin the locality,” she said in (UMC), a not-for-profit organisa- government should ideally listen will be written after 50 years, peo- what the Forest and Environment Notably, the deceased, Kamini topsy. her complaint. tion, it said. to their concerns on why they have ple will decide how the Odisha gov- minister is doing in the state. A Priyadarshini was the daughter Mallik told the reporters that She alleged that some anti-so- The step will help build capaci- this fear that the project can re- ernment tried to destroy the sen- proper study is required on how the of Ramesh Kumar Mallik. Mallik Kamini had secured 89 per cent in cial elements misbehaved with her ties of around 2,000 functionaries sult in water scarcity in the area,” sitive zone with such projects,” he project can affect the zone. It needs hails from Malisahi in Nayagarh the Plus II examination. However, and snatched away her phone when along with 250 mentors and 500 he said. said. to be known how the project could district and is a professor at College she was bit upset for not perform- she enquired about the cattle. master trainers, who will He also alleged that the project Nayak also said, “I want to ask affect the local biodiversity of of Engineering and Technology ing well in the OJEE (Mains). Santuka urged police to take subsequently train as many as is in blatant violation of the Central why the eco sensitive zone approval Bhitarkanika. However, the state (CET) here. Alleging some foul play, her fa- action as per the Odisha 5,000 SHG members and nurture norms for eco-sensitive zones like meeting was planned after 40 per government cannot bypass the According to family sources, ther questioned as to how she could Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 2,000 more for future requirements, Bhitarkanika. “This is a new low cent of the works was already done. Union government rules on eco Kamini had gone to bed after din- scale a 10-feet tall compound wall 1960 and Prevention of Cruelty the release said. for the state government. The fea- Union government has declared sensitive zones,” he said. ner at around 12 in the night. Her to enter the farmhouse. to Animals Act, 1960. CURBING STING MENACE NGT team to probe ‘deforestation’ in Jajpur

POST NEWS NETWORK n The tribunal has also constituted a three-member New Delhi, August 21: The committee comprising an National Green Tribunal (NGT) officer from the Ministry of has issued notice to Odisha tak- Environment and Forest, ing into consideration an applica- Bhubaneswar office, Jajpur tion that alleges illegal cutting of district Collector, and Divisional trees in about 377.83 acres of for- Forest Officer Cuttack est land in Jajpur district for hor- ticulture purpose. n The committee is to The tribunal’s Eastern Zone ascertain whether it is a forest Bench at Kolkata, comprising land or revenue forest land, Judicial Member B Amit Sthalekar whether the conversion of the land is in violation of Forest and Expert Member Saibal Conservation Act, and the Dasgupta, observed that the mat- number of trees felled till date ter requires consideration and asked the state government to file n The green body has asked its response within four weeks. team and submit their report within “Find out who is responsible for the Jajpur Collector to provide The tribunal has also consti- a month. felling of trees in case the same all logistical support to the tuted a three-member team com- The NGT has asked the com- are felled illegally, and asses the en- team and submit their report prising an officer from Ministry of mittee to ascertain whether it is a vironmental compensation and within a month Environment and Forests, forest land or revenue forest land. loss of revenue to the exchequer,” Bhubaneswar office, Jajpur dis- The tribunal has also directed the the tribunal told the committee. of Jajpur. It has been stated that the trict Collector, and Divisional Forest committee to find if the conver- Significantly, the application land is Patara Jungle and Sal Jungle Officer Cuttack. The green body has sion of the land is in violation of has been filed by Tapan Kumar Kisam and that heavy machinery asked the Jajpur Collector to pro- Forest Conservation Act, and the Badal alleging that trees are being is being used for clearing the for-

Women participate in an awareness drive on dengue at Haripur in Cuttack, Saturday OP PHOTO vide all logistical support to the number of trees felled till date. felled illegally in Sukinda tehsil est land.

k y m c P5 SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR state

11 more multi-purpose

k y m Ministers, MLAs visit Tara Tarini temple despite ban cyclone hubs for Jajpur c POST NEWS NETWORK THE SHRINE HAS REMAINED OUT bers of a family from Andhra OF BOUNDS FOR DEVOTEES Pradesh visited the shrine but had POST NEWS NETWORK Purussotampur, August 21: Even AFTER THE DISTRICT to return disappointed after they as the state government is yet to lift ADMINISTRATION CLAMPED were refused entry inside. This Jajpur Town, August 21: Most restrictions on visits of common RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC VISITS sparked sharp resentment among parts of Jajpur district are af- people to Tara Tarini temple in DUE TO RISING CASES OF COVID- devotees who are longing to have fected by floods and cyclones every Ganjam district, two ministers ac- 19.THE TEMPLE IS YET TO a glimpse of the deities. year and to deal with natural dis- companied by 17 MLAs visited the REOPEN FOR Locals alleged that all those who asters, the administration has de- temple and conducted a review of THE COMMON PUBLIC are framing rules are also break- cided to set up 11 more multi-pur- the developmental projects despite ing the rules. They questioned how pose cyclone shelters in the district. the ban, Saturday. could the administration open the According to reports, there are Goddess Tara Tarini, the pre- RECENTLY, MEMBERS OF A gate of the temple for ministers 26 multi-purpose cyclone shel- FAMILY FROM NEIGHBOURING siding deity of Ganjam district, is ters. The state government has ANDHRA PRADESH VISITED THE and legislators when it has banned revered by devotees in and outside SHRINE BUT HAD TO RETURN visits of public to the shrine. approved the new projects, said of the state. DISAPPOINTED AFTER THEY Priya Ranjan Prusty, Chhatrapur Collector in-charge Akshay Kumar Two ministers Dibyashankar WERE REFUSED ENTRY INSIDE sub-collector Nitish Kumar Mallick. As per the decision of the ad- Mishra and Jyoti Prakash Tripathy, Purusottampur tehsil- The administration has decided ministration, committees will be Panigrahi, accompanied by 17 dar Bijay Kumar Behera, BDO to set up new multi-purpose cy- formed for maintenance and man- MLAs including Pranab Prakash Snehalata Panda, vice-chairper- clone shelters at Kalyanpur, Tina agement of the cyclone shelters. Das, Bikram Kumar Panda, Prafulla of the ongoing developmental for devotees after the district ad- closed for ten devotees. Police son, Zilla Parishad, Ashok Kumar and Jari under Binjharpur block, Local sarpanchs will be chair- Samal, Pratap Keshari Dev, projects. ministration clamped restrictions officials have been deployed at the Mahakur, general secretary, dis- Kayan under Dashrathpur block, persons of the committees while Byomokesh Routray, Suryamani The ministers and legislators on public visits due to rising cases gate and refuse entry to the devo- trict unit of BJD, Bausdev Patapur, Antia and Jenapur under volunteers will be its secretaries. Baidya and Basanti Hembram vis- after their arrival were welcomed of Covid-19. The temple is yet to tees wanting to visit the shrine. Mohapatra, former chairman of Dharmashla block, The administration has empha- ited the shrine to have darshan of by Khallikote MLA Suryamani reopen for the common people. As a result, people visiting the the civic body and a host of party Bhubaneswarpur, Nathasahi, sised on activating the disaster the deity. The ministers and the leg- Baidya with mementoes. The tem- As a result, the main gate lead- hill shrine for darshan of the deities leaders were present during Bhuinpur and Jafarpur under management system in the flood- islators also conducted a review ple has remained out of bounds ing to the hill shrine has remained are disappointed. Recently, mem- the visit. Jajpur sadar block. prone areas in the district.

BJD leaders start distributing FORGING A BOND smart health cards in Malkangiri

A programme was organized at BLPur panchayat and Ganjeibahal Saturday where 300 cards were distributed to beneficiaries

Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha took part in a programme at Andarabahal panchayat and distributed smart health cards

Beneficiaries and people’s representatives expressed happiness over the scheme as the cards will help them in meeting huge expense POST NEWS NETWORK Mission Shakti Lopamunda of medical treatment Buxipatra, chairperson of Odisha Malkangiri, August 21: A day State Seeds Corporation Iswar Around 3.5 crore people of 96 lakh after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Chandra Panigrahi and chairper- families will be covered under the new healthcare initiative. Women can avail launched smart health cards under son of special development coun- cashless treatment up to `10 lakh the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana cil Manas Madkami. per year while other family members in Malkangiri, several BJD leaders Another programme was or- will get the benefit up to `5 lakh each have started distributing the cards ganized at BLPur panchayat and to beneficiaries in different parts Ganjeibahal Saturday. 150 cards of the district Saturday. were distributed to beneficiaries in 3.5 crore people of 96 lakh families The scheme aims at enabling each centre. will be covered under new health- around 3.5 crore people to get cash- Forest and Environment Minister care initiative. Women are enti- less healthcare services in 200 hos- Bikram Keshari Arukha also dis- tled to avail of cashless treatment pitals in the state and other parts tributed smart health cards in up to `10 lakh per year and other of the country. Andarabahal panchayat. family members will get the ben- A health card distribution cer- Beneficiaries and people’s rep- efit up to `5 lakh each. The smart emony was organized at Talasahi resentatives expressed happiness health cards will be effective from OP PHOTO primary school in Malkangiri mu- over the scheme as the cards will September 1. nicipality. The programme was at- help them meeting huge expense At least 1.55 lakh families will Women members of a Vana Surakshya Samiti tying rakhis to a tree pledging for its protection on the eve of Rakhi Purnima in Sambalpur, Saturday tended by Mines Minister of medical treatment. benefit from the initiative in Padmanabh Behera, advisor of It may be noted here that around Malkangiri district.

ACF SOUMYA’S DEATH 2 women killed Diarrhoea spreads in Rupsa; 22 affected Rupsa: Diarrhoea is reportedly spreading in Rupsa area of in jumbo attacks Balasore. As many as 22 people were affected by the water borne disease over last 22 days in Routapada panchayat. As the disease CB questions Gajapati DFO Sangram Behera is spreading in Charpal village, locals were panicked. The POST NEWS NETWORK administration is yet to send medical teams to the affected area. POST NEWS NETWORK in relation to the case. However, According to reports, 22 affected people including eight children in the alleged murder case, the Khurda/Hindol, August 21: At least are undergoing treatment at different hospitals. Condition of Paralakhemundi, August 21: A DFO is a key suspect. The team two women died on the spot after they three patients is stated to be critical. They were shifted to the three-member team of Odisha members had also interrogated ac- were attacked by elephants in separate district headquarters hospital while two are in Basta community Crime Branch started question- cused cook Manmath Kumbha incidents early Saturday morning. health centre. It was alleged that the disease has broken out due ing Gajapati Divisional Forest August 16 in connection with the The first incident took place at Golabai to consumption of contaminated water. Officer (DFO) Sangram Keshari alleged murder of the ACF. village under Jankia police limits in Behera Saturday in connection Four others who were also Khurda district. with the death of Paralakhemundi grilled included two ACFs and The deceased was identified as Ranga. Assistant Conservator of Forests two forest guards. She is the wife of Bharat Behera of (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra. The Crime Branch officials in- Golabai village. The woman had gone According to a source, the prob- terrogated them at a special cell to the backyard of her house to pluck ing team led by DSP Gyana Ranjan in Paralakhemundi police sta- flowers in the morning when she was Mishra is quizzing all suspects tion to ascertain as to how a fire attacked by an elephant. She was crit- in the death case that took place mishap, if any, took place at the ically injured. Ranga’s family mem- July 12, 2021. government residence of Soumya. bers rescued and rushed her Khurda hos- It is pertinent to mention, The investigating officialsare pital where she succumbed while Soumya’s postmortem carried Hospital (SCBMCH) reported that Former Gajapati likely to interrogate deceased undergoing treatment. out by the Department of Forensic he died after sustaining 95 per Superintendent of Police Tapan ACF’s wife Bidyabharati Panda Forest department officials reached Medicine and Toxicology (FM&T) cent burn injuries on the inter- Kumar Patnaik had previously who is a key accused in the Golabai village after getting informa- at SCB Medical College and vening night. granted DFO Behera a clean chit alleged murder case. tion about the incident. “We have assured deceased Ranga Behera’s kin to give `40,000 as imme- diate compensation and an additional FLOOD DETERRENCE PROJECT FOR BUDHABALANGA amount of `3.60 lakh within next 15 days as per government norms,” ACF Govind Biswal said. In the second incident, a woman identified as Puni Sahu (55) of Tantichira Survey for ring road in Baripada begins village in ward number 13 under Hindol NAC limits of Dhenkanal district was POST NEWS NETWORK trampled by an elephant. A ring road project along with a spur and automated sluice gates Baripada, August 21: A dream will be built to save people in the project for people of Baripada town town from flooding. Meanwhile, the and its outskirts in Mayurbhanj dis- irrigation department has initiated a trict is going to be realized. Local survey for the project residents have been facing the flood fury from Budhbalanga river every During Phailin, Baripada town was year. massively flooded. All streets were A ring road project along with under water for days together. a spur and automated sluice gates Floodwater even entered the district will be built to control floods in headquarters hospital and remained the town. Meanwhile, the irrigation stagnant as high as 10 ft. Patients department has initiated a survey had a harrowing time for the project. During Phailin, Baripada town Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, while visiting Baripada to address a was massively flooded. All streets been demanding construction of a The committee had recom- ` rally in 2019, had announced setting were under water for days together. ring road and a spur. mended an estimated 62.34 crore up of a ring road Floodwater even entered the district Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, for the project in the initial phase. headquarters hospital and remained while visiting Baripada to address The irrigation department has

stagnant as high as 10 ft. Patients a rally in 2019, had announced set- started a survey for the spur and Sukajodi rivers. The ring road will

k y m c had a harrowing time. ting up of a ring road. Days after the sluice gate eight years after be 7-km long which will protect The flood had inflicted huge the announcement, a technical ad- Phailin, locals said. thousands of people of the town damage on properties. Floodwater visory committee in its 117th meet- Sources said, a report has been from flood fury. breaks the economic backbone of ing decided to construct a spur prepared for construction of eight People of low-lying areas have denizens every year. To mitigate from Damodarpur to Sunamuhin sluice gates at the confluence of blamed apathy of the administra- the annual flood fury, they have ghat in three phases. Budhabalanga, Sarali, Jarali, tion for delay in the project. P6 SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR power post

FOCUS GEOPOLITICS Whatsoever has courage can give

courage to others just as the

k y m flame of the candle can light up c another. THE MOTHER IN THROES OF TALIBAN

our burqa-clad Afghan EAM Jaishankar in his address women auctioned at a street while chairing a UNSC briefing on corner and a Taliban elder “threats to international peace Everything’s Fine F forcibly dragging away a and security caused by terrorist small Afghan girl in full view of her acts” August 19 raised a strong had written a couple of weeks ago about how India’s middle class has stopped parents who turn their back and voice against global terrorism and growing in recent years. The leading indicators of our economy — the walk away on the wailing child. At singled out terrorist organisations Isales of residential properties, cars, two wheelers, consumer durables (fridges, the Kabul International Airport like LeT, JeM and the Haqqani washing machines, televisions) — have been flat. The borrowing by businesses there were scenes of mayhem and network operating (from Pakistani from banks has been at less than a third of what it was a decade ago. The chaos with incessant gunfire and soil against India) with “impunity government’s periodic labour force survey released a few weeks ago showed 12 people dead at the last count, ba- and encouragement” though that, for the first time, more people were employed in agriculture than in the bies passed over the high-rise wall nowhere did he mention the previous period. Meaning people had left their jobs in manufacturing or serv- by parents to American soldiers Taliban. India has to be doubly ices, or they had been fired, and had gone to work on the farm. manning the airport with nary a careful as scores of hardcore ter- Manufacturing jobs in the formal sector have reduced rather than in- thought about their future. The rorists belonging to al-Qaeda, IS and creased in the last few years. Perhaps in a parallel development, tens of medieval savagery and brutality Geographically much closer to the theatre of other groups have been released thousands of dollar millionaire Indians, meaning those worth `7 crore or more, of the Taliban play out to the world by the Taliban from the Bagram have left India in the last four years. I have examined the things above in my in gory detail in their second com- conflict where the ‘Great Game’ of recent times high-security prison and other next book and have written about this in this column also. ing to power. is played out, India could be a target of places. There are good chances of The other interesting aspect of recent years is the introduction of new I was serving in our Embassy Taliban-fomented excesses. It is time for India all terrorist groups, Afghan-bred laws that have taken India in a particular direction. The Gujarat High in Tehran during Taliban 1.0 which as well as ISI-encouraged, to re- Court criticised some parts of a so called ‘love jihad’ law a few days ago. Malay Mishra had a different dynamics and was to calculate its present strategic options group and these could be utilised But similar laws have been enacted in several states since 2014. The laws upended as much by the US at- without being dictated by Western exigencies by Pakistan against India despite are aimed at making marriage difficult if not impossible between Hindus tack as with the confluence of re- the Taliban’s promise of not al- and Muslims by criminalising conversion, which is ostensibly a fundamental INDIA HAS gional forces on the ground. It lowing their soil to launch attacks right of Indians. was possible then for India to be drawal August 31. infrastructure, human resources against foreign countries. These are Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018; Himachal Pradesh MISSED THE BUS part of a broad-based under- The Taliban have by now well development and governance, it has The silver lining has been the Freedom of Religion Act, 2019; Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Viruddh Dharma BECAUSE OF ITS standing with Iran, Russia and realised that governing the coun- been forced to close down its mis- rise of a resistance movement in Samparivartan Pratishedh Adhyadesh, 2020 (Prohibition of Unlawful the US and enlist the support of try against a nationwide opposi- sion and evacuate its diplomatic the Panjshir Valley, some 120 km Conversion of Religion Ordinance); Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantreya HIDE-AND-SEEK local warlords to get rid of the tion, mostly led by young educated and security staff. However, thou- north-east of Kabul, the only hide- Adhyadesh, 2020; and the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021. theocratic Sharia-based regime. tech-savvy millennials, would not sands of Indian nationals and out not yet fallen to the Taliban. The All the laws have come in Bharatiya Janata Party states, all of them have POLICY WITH India has no such advantage this be as easy as accomplishing a Afghan minority groups wait to be resistance is led by former vice come in the last three years and none of them has been justified by any data. REGARD TO time. It has missed the bus be- blitzkrieg military victory. Besides evacuated and that is the govern- president Amrullah Saleh, a bit- Before this, the BJP states were passing laws against beef possession. The cause of its hide-and-seek policy with the US government freezing ment’s top-most priority though ter critic of the deposed president laws were the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015 (passed CONFABULATIONS with regard to confabulations all Taliban assets in the US Federal with all commercial flights closed who now calls himself the acting by the Devendra Fadnavis government); the WITH THE with the Taliban. That’s the rea- Reserve and the IMF stopping its due to closure of the Afghan air president, with the support of Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and son it has been left behind in the quarterly tranche of aid, the space this is a matter of great con- Ahmad Massoud’s forces joined Gausamvardhan Act, 2015; the Gujarat Animal TALIBAN primary talks with the Taliban Taliban could have financial dif- cern. by disgruntled soldiers of the Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2017; and the which had Russia, China, Pakistan, ficulties in running the country. On the 20th anniversary of 9/11 Afghan national army. Ahmad’s fa- Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Qatar and Turkey at the table However, with their total control the Taliban white flag will most ther, Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leg- Preservation of Cattle Ordinance, 2020. with the US being the principal ne- over production of opium, heroin likely fly all over Afghanistan sig- endary Tajik fighter, was close to In Gujarat, the punishment for cow slaughter gotiator (since its infamous Doha and methamphetamine and sit- nalling a mighty drubbing of a India during the Northern Alliance is life imprisonment. No other economic crime deal of February 2020) and rele- ting over $1 trillion worth of rare world power by a ragtag bunch of and remained a formidable force attracts this sentence, and Indian law says cow gated to the second rung. earth minerals, tin, copper and Wahabi Sunni fighters of Pashtun until he was eliminated by al- slaughter is not a religious crime but an eco- By now it is well evident that the gold, the Taliban would not be in origin numbering hardly 50-60,000. Qaeda two days before 9/11. nomic one. Once again, all these laws came after Taliban will not change their much disarray. Besides China has The capitulation of the regular Would it help India to anymore 2014 and in this instance began a spate of lynch- Aakar Patel stripes despite their public show had a quid pro quo to buy peace Afghan forces numbering 300,000 adopt a ‘wait and watch’ approach? ings of Muslims that the world noticed. of moderation and promise of an from the group on the Uyghur and (though bulk of them were ‘ghost Geographically much closer to Readers may have heard of the UAPA law all-inclusive government. Their Turkestan Islamist Movement in soldiers’ and the actual fighting the theatre of conflict where the under which Stan Swamy was jailed and died in It is assumed promise of amnesty for all work- return of financial help and free- forces could be anywhere near one- ‘Great Game’ of recent times is custody. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) to be fine that since ers serving foreign forces and com- dom to use their territory for the fifth of that number) owes much to played out, India could be a target Amendment Act, 2019 allows the government to 2014, India has passion for women and children Belt and Road Initiative. The corruption, demoralisation and de- of Taliban-fomented excesses. It is categorise any individual as a ‘terrorist’, on have been belied by facts on the Russian government has openly sertion. While President Biden is time for India to calculate its pres- suspicion. Such an individual need not have left its moorings ground. The unity government come out in support of the Taliban not off the mark in blaming the ent strategic options without being any affiliation with any terrorist organisation as a pluralist, for which the Afghan Interim while Pakistan, the single biggest Afghan leadership for surrender- dictated by Western exigencies. to be called a terrorist and jailed. The amend- Council under former President factor for Taliban’s stupendous ing without a fight (former president At the cost of sounding clichéd, ment defines a ‘terrorist act’ as one which causes modern, secular Hamid Karzai (and including for- victory, could very likely follow Ashraf Ghani left with his close India has to take its decision keep- ‘injuries to any person, damage to any prop- state because mer peace negotiator Abdullah suit. aides on the day of Kabul’s cap- ing its national interests in view, erty, an attempt to overawe any that is how the BJP Abdullah) has been negotiating India is caught in a cleft. While ture and is currently sheltered in and do that soon before the situa- public functionary by means of criminal with the Anas Haqqani-led Taliban it has acquired tremendous good- the UAE on ‘humanitarian grounds’) tion veers out of hand. force and any act to compel the government or wants it to be team is held back as the Taliban will among the Afghan people over the botched withdrawal of US forces any person to do or abstain from doing any act.’ are likely to take a decision until the last 20 years for its $3 billion would come to haunt his adminis- The writer is a retired It also includes any act that is ‘likely to threaten’ the scheduled American with- worth investments in high-valued tration for years to come. ambassador. or ‘likely to strike terror in people’, giving absolute power to the gover nment to brand any citizen or activist a terrorist without these acts being actually committed. The Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision SPECTRUM SUSTAINABILITY for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 2019 is a law that keeps Gujarati Muslims segregated and ghettoised. People are required by law to reveal their religion while selling and purchasing property. In areas that were declared ‘disturbed’ by the State, Hindus can- not sell property to Muslims and vice versa without government permis- Why aviation should embrace carbon taxation sion. The amendment that was cleared in 2019 gave the Collector authority to determine if the sale of a property would lead to ‘improper clustering’ of Muslims. It also gave the government further power to review the deci- ecent catastrophic floods in tion will make consumers better off. may enable shorter flights that are shipping costs account for very sion of the Collector, even if the buyer and seller made no appeal. In effect, Germany and China have Within 10 years, for example, carbon-free, guilt-free, and cheaper small proportions of the price of even foreigners can lease and buy property in those parts of Gujarat’s Ronce again made clear the European drivers will spend sig- than today. But because batteries end-consumer products. But fuel cities where Indian Muslims cannot. terrible global threat posed by cli- nificantly less to own and run their are far too heavy to power long- constitutes about 20 per cent of total These laws are used by India quite freely, and there is no real restriction mate change. In response, we must automobiles, because electric ve- distance electric flight, decarbon- aviation prices. So, if its cost rises or curb on the government because misuse is not punished and there is no invest in strengthening our re- hicles are much more efficient than isation will require sustainable by 50 per cent, ticket prices could in- accountability even for deaths in custody. I do not know how many readers silience to extreme weather events, gasoline- or diesel-powered cars. aviation fuels (SAFs) to replace crease by around 10 per cent. are familiar with these laws, and if they are whether they are surprised by and accelerate reductions in carbon But in some ‘harder-to-abate’ in- today’s conventional jet fuel. And But if that is the cost of decar- these changes that have come to India since 2014. The curious thing for me dioxide emissions to limit how dustries, decarbonisation will carry whether those SAFs are biofuels or bonising aviation, we must tell con- as a writer is that there is no real debate on what these laws have done to India. much worse that threat will be- a cost. Maritime freight rates could synthetic fuels (made by using elec- sumers openly while placing higher There is not even any comment on them in our newspapers. This is similar come in the future. increase 50 per cent or more when tricity to combine hydrogen and prices in context. More expensive tick- to the facts and data on the economy. A day before the floods hit container ships burn ammonia or CO2), they will almost certainly ets will not significantly reduce con- These numbers quoted above are not disputed by the government or any- Adair Turner Germany last month, the European methanol rather than heavy fuel oil. carry a cost premium, which in- sumer living standards, because air one who supports it. They are merely not commented on and it is assumed Union outlined policies to cut emis- Likewise, wholesale steel prices novation and scale can reduce over travel accounts for only about 3 per to be fine that India’s middle class has stopped growing. Similarly, it is as- THE AVIATION sions by 55 per cent from 1990 lev- could rise by around 30 per cent if time but never eliminate. cent of total consumer expenditure sumed to be fine that since 2014, India has left its moorings as a pluralist, mod- els by 2030. Those measures in- producers use hydrogen as the re- Free markets, voluntary action, in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, ern, secular state because that is how the BJP wants it to be. INDUSTRY, clude a significant role for carbon duction agent rather than coking and innovation will therefore not many people will gain more from pricing, with a tighter cap on emis- coal, or add carbon capture and be sufficient to decarbonise avia- cheaper road transport than they lose ALONGSIDE OTHER sions within the EU’s trading storage to existing processes. tion; public policy is also needed. from more expensive aviation. Nor WISDOM CORNER SECTORS, SHOULD scheme, as well as the elimination Carbon pricing is therefore One option is to make biofuels or will increased flying costs have a of free emissions allowances for needed to allow zero-carbon pro- synthetic fuels less expensive, and regressive distributive effect. EMBRACE CARBON heavy industry and a tax on con- ducers to compete effectively against there is a strong case for public fi- Some green advocacy groups It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just PRICING AS A ventional aviation jet fuel for intra- the old high-emissions technology, nancial support for technology de- hope to cut aviation emissions by as much to stand up to our friends. JK ROWLING European flights. but the effect on end consumers velopment. But a permanent sub- restricting air travel. The airline in- POWERFUL The latter proposal has provoked will be very small. If a tonne of sidy that allows the aviation dustry rightly argues that low-car- What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is industry opposition, with the steel costs 30 per cent more, the industry to avoid the costs of its car- bon flights are feasible. To make that to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. TS ELIOT TOOL TO ACHIEVE International Air Transport price of an automobile will rise bon pollution would be unaccept- a reality as soon as possible, the sec- Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to EMISSIONS Association (IATA) arguing that less than 1 per cent. And even a able. Closing the cost gap will thus tor should welcome carbon pricing, avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are REDUCTIONS AT “tax is not the answer to aviation 100 per cent increase in maritime require either a carbon tax on con- and argue for its application not just already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. sustainability.” In fact, the avia- freight rates will have an impact of ventional jet fuel, or fuel-use man- in Europe but around the world. STEVE JOBS LEAST COST tion industry, alongside other sec- less than 1 per cent on the price of dates requiring airlines to use a tors, should embrace carbon pric- a pair of jeans made in Bangladesh steadily rising percentage of SAFs. The writer is Chair of the ing as a powerful tool to achieve and bought in Berlin or New York. For aviation, moreover, the con- Energy Transitions WORDSWORTH emissions reductions at least cost. As for aviation – another harder- sumer cost effect of a carbon tax will Commission. In some sectors, decarbonisa- to-abate sector, electric engines be non-trivial. Steel, cement, and ©PROJECT SYNDICATE Oxter

his is still to be heard in Northern England, Scotland and Ireland, Worries for India Vaccine for 12+ Tand most of the works in which it is to be found are by authors from those regions. Writers from those countries sometimes export it Sir, With the Taliban having now taken over Afghanistan, India’s foreign policy faces an extraordi- Sir, Zydus Cadila’s three-dose Covid to a wider audience: There are no smiles, only expressions of naked narily difficult time. If the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, India will have to devise plans to vaccine getting the regulator’s emer- hostility aimed at the Leinster players as they retreat behind their line etters deal with the situation. India must be on alert and watch carefully how the Taliban run the government gency use authorisation (EUA) has for the conversion: John O'Neill, with clenched jaw and jutting chin, in Afghanistan. Even though the Taliban leaders have assured that they would moderate their harsh brought much cheer. The home- and Foley, ball under his right oxter, shoulders back as he releases a religious principles, they have failed to walk the talk. They have been perpetrating atrocities against grown ZyCoV-D is the world’s first triumphant roar (Sunday Times, 23 April 2006). It means the armpit, TOL THE EDITOR the civilian population since they took over. It is a fact that if the new Taliban regime in Afghanistan DNA-based vaccine against Covid-19 though it can be used more widely to refer to the underside of the Readers of Orissa POST functions against the interests of the people of that country, it will be difficult for it to continue for and the first in India for those 12 upper arm or the fold of the arm when bent against the body, or even are most welcome to contribute letters a long time. The governance and the new regime’s policies will be under scrutiny by the Afghan peo- years and above. Zydus Cadila’s vac- the armhole of a jacket. To judge from the way Robert Louis Stevenson (200 words), articles and ple. It remains to be seen whether the people will stage more protests and rebellion against Taliban cine showed a primary efficacy of 66.6 columns (between 750-1250 used it in Catriona in 1893, it can have a wider figurative sense: “I’ll words). Contributors are rule in Afghanistan. In eastern and south-eastern Afghanistan hundreds of people staged protests. per cent for symptomatic RT-PCR confess I would be blythe [happy] to have you at my oxter, and I think requested to send their Against this backdrop, India needs to adopt a pragmatic approach rather than an ideological one. positive cases in Phase-III clinical you would be none the worse of having me at yours.” George contact numbers and full US President Joe Biden’s rhetoric about the withdrawal of US forces is an attempt to cover up his trials. The vaccine becomes the sixth

Macdonald Fraser almost made it sound rude in his Flashman and the postal address/email ID. They may also blunder of taking a hasty decision. Biden said that the US would continue to push for regional diplo- to get the EUA in India after Serum

k y m send in their valuable comments, opinion c Mountain of Light of 1990: “A lackey serving the folk in the gallery put and suggestions, preferably by email, macy and arrangements to prevent violence and instability. The interests of the US and India in Afghanistan Institute of India’s Covishield, Bharat a beaker in my hand. What with brandy and funk I was parched as a to: [email protected] are different. India must take into account different aspects of the situation and devise plans to deal Biotech’s Covaxin, Russia’s Sputnik camel’s oxter, so I drank it straight off”. The word is from Old English with it. There are a few elements in India that celebrate the Talibanisation of Afghanistan. If the V, Moderna and Johnson & oxta, which has related forms in some modern Germanic languages. It pro-Taliban elements in India begin to think that the Taliban could provide a template for their fu- Johnson’s vaccines. appears to be linked to Latin axilla in the same sense, a diminutive of B-15, Rasulgarh Industrial Estate, ture plans in India, then it could cause worries to India. NJ Ravi Chander, ala, the wing of a bird, and so is a distant cousin of aisle. Bhubaneswar-751010 Venu GS, KOLLAM (KERALA) BANGALORE P7 SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR state

FEARS OF THIRD WAVE OF COVID

STUDENT UNREST

k y m Health screening of kids c to start from August 24 administration, door-to-door health screening of children and teenagers will be started from August 24. On the basis of the health screen- ing report, a next course of action will be taken. The Collector has ordered formation of taskforce committees. BDOs will head the taskforce at the block level while the commissioner will head the mu- nicipal corporation level taskforce committee. These committees will comprise Preventive Measures child specialists, pediatricians, Ayush medical officers, block ed- IN ORDER TO THE COLLECTOR HAS ORDERED FORMATION OF ucation officer, CDPOs and med- PREVENT SEVERITY TASKFORCE COMMITTEES. BDOS WILL HEAD ical officers. OF THE THIRD THE TASKFORCE AT THE BLOCK LEVEL The Collector has ordered the WAVE, As WHILE THE COMMISSIONER WILL officials to make arrangements for COLLECTOR per the HEAD THE MUNICIPAL isolation beds at all community Students of Khemundi College at Digapahandi in Ganjam district staging a demonstration on their college premises demanding withdrawal of decision, 50 per VIJAY CORPORATION LEVEL TASKFORCE health centres, sub-divisional hos- admission fee hike , Saturday OP PHOTO AMRUTA cent of the beds in COMMITTEE pitals and the district headquar- SNCUs and NBSUs KULANGE ters hospital. The officials have will be reserved HAS ISSUED THE COLLECTOR HAS ORDERED been told to make everything ready AN SOP while nodal THE OFFICIALS TO MAKE medical by August 25. KOTIA CONTROVERSY SATURDAY. THIS ARRANGEMENTS FOR ISOLATION As per the decision, 50 per cent FOLLOWED A BEDS AT ALL COMMUNITY HEALTH of the beds in SNCUs and NBSUs DIRECTIVE FROM THE CENTRES, SUB-DIVISIONAL HOSPITALS AND THE will be reserved while nodal med- STATE GOVERNMENT DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS HOSPITAL ical officers will train doctors of hospitals about Covid cases. Locals gherao Andhra babu in Kodama Asha workers and Anganwadi POST NEWS NETWORK It has become a cause of con- workers will visit houses to conduct POST NEWS NETWORK an MLA also planted saplings on cern for all -- both health officials, health secreening of children. Their this occasion to establish their con- Chhatraur, August 21: As the people and the administration at a reports will be given to ANMs. On Koraput, August 21: Even as trol over the land. third wave of Covid-19 is expected time where there is no provision for the basis of these reports, swabs of Andhra Pradesh has been trying Salur MLA Rajana Dora and to hit the state in September, the vaccination of children below 18 sick children will be collected. every possible trick in the book to senior officials of Andhra Pradesh district administration of Ganjam years of age. If any kid is found Covid pos- grab parts of Kotia panchayat visited the Fatusineri village in has geared up to deal with the In order to prevent severity of the itive, he/she will be treated ei- under Pottangi block in Koraput dis- Kotia panchayat and identified pandemic. In the third wave, more third wave, Collector Vijay Amruta ther at home or hospital. It will trict, people of Kodama panchayat land for establishment of devel- children and youths are feared to Kulange has issued an SOP Saturday. be decided by RRT. The Collector gheraoed an Andhra official while opmental projects at a programme be affected by the deadly virus This followed a directive from the has advised people to be more he was in Fatusineri to lay foun- August 18. The MLA and officials while the second wave is yet to state government. careful, wear masks and main- dation stones of some projects visited the village and identified be over. As per a decision of the district tain social distance. Saturday. land for developmental projects Earlier, people of Kodama pan- worth Rs 5 crore. chayat had appealed to MLAs of the It was learnt that the Andhra district to lay a road from Fatusineri government has executed various to Kodma panchayat. With the help developmental projects in the pan- Youth electrocuted in Sambalpur of five MLAs of Koraput, the road Parbatipuram ITDA P Kurmanath forest department about the road chayat and has decided to take up was started. Each MLA contributed visited Fatusineri area to lay foun- project. more such projects. POST NEWS NETWORK its in Sambalpur district, late the switch board. Family mem- Rs 1 lakh from their kitty. dation stones for various projects, A few days ago, Andhra Pradesh Notably, Andhra has declared Friday night. bers rushed him to Kuchinda hos- But the forest department of the people of the Kodama panchayat officials sparked a dispute by en- Fatusineri and Phagunsineri vil- Kuchinda, August 21: A youth was The deceased was identified as pital where doctors pronounced Andhra Pradesh stopped the proj- and forest officials opposed him tering Fatusineri and Phagunsineri lages in Kotia panchayat as two electrocuted when he came in con- Kuber Nayak, 27, in the village. him brought dead. Kuchinda police ect, saying the area is reserve for- as the Andhra Pradesh had stopped villages of Kotia panchayat and separate panchayats and con- tact with an air-cooler overflowing While going to sleep, he tried to ad- registered a case and handed over est. Local people were infuriated their road project. identifying land for developmental ducted elections there despite with electric current at Khadiapali just the cooler to his side without the body to his family members over the development. The ITDA officer assured the projects to be implemented in the stiff opposition from the Odisha village under Kuchinda police lim- knowing it has been plugged to after post-mortem. When project officer of villagers that he would talk to AP area, Thursday. The officials and government. IN REMEMBRANCE As drought looms, farmers cry for Grand welcome to hockey stars restoration of defunct LI points in Sundargarh POST NEWS NETWORK In the last two years, 53 lift irri- gation points have become defunct POST NEWS NETWORK Khaira, August 21: Drought sit- while 27 shallow points are not uation loomed large in most parts working. Sundargarh, August 21: Four of Khaira block in Balasore district Locals said the department has members of the Indian men’s and due to poor rainfall. Scores of lift claimed in records that it has op- women’s hockey teams- Amit irrigation projects in the area are erationalised 45 lift irrigation points Rohidas, Birendra Lakra, left defunct. Though farmers have in the current year, but in fact only Deepgrace Ekka and Sunita Toppo, been demanding their renovation 8 have been in use form farming. who have made the country and the for a long time, the authorities con- It was alleged that lakhs of ru- state proud for their stellar per- cerned have turned a blind eye to pees were spent for repair of two formance at the Tokyo Olympics, the plight of farmers. lift irrigation points near Mirzapur were given a rousing welcome at Locals said had the lift irrigation village in Sardang panchayat two their hometown here on arrival. points been ready by this time, years ago, but they are not useful They were accompanied by for- they would have been coming handy gated while remaining farmlands for farmers. mer captain of the Indian hockey at this time. At least, farmers could are solely fed by rain. Similarly, a lift irrigation point team Padmashri Dilip Tirkey. have saved their crops from drought. Besides, 2000 hectares are irri- in Goliha panchayat has been de- The players were given a grand Farmlands are dry while thou- gated by shallow wells and bore funct for a long time. welcome by the district adminis- sands of farmers are sitting idle wells. Contacted, Suresh Chandra Dey, tration and the people of worrying for the extensive crop As per information available assistant engineer of the lift irri- Sundargarh. Guests garlanding the martyrs’ memorial at Mathili in Malkangiri district on the occasion of 79th Mathili firing day, Saturday. The firing by police led to the killing of several freedom fighters during a demonstration for loss. from the lift irrigation department, gation department said that some According to reports, paddy is cul- there were 98 lift irrigation projects points are repaired every year, but independence of the country, August 21, 1942 OP PHOTO tivated in 19400 hectares in this in the area in 2019. They used to sup- most of them get defunct due to elec- block. Only 9000 hectares are irri- ply water to 2000 hectares alone. trical problem. Container runs over scooter, e-Waste collection drive launched in Sambalpur

POST NEWS NETWORK one dies anitary workers will visit the Shouseholds in the town and POST NEWS NETWORK Sambalpur, August 21: In its bid collect e-waste comprising electric to make the town clean, the bulbs, computers and accessories, Balasore, August 21: In a road Sambalpur Municipal Corporation mobile phones, laptops, television mishap, a scooter rider was killed has launched a plan to collect and remote sets, air-coolers, Upon their arrival at the on the spot Friday night after being e-waste from every household in printer machine and fans, the Jharsuguda Veer Surendra Sai hit by a container truck on NH-60 the town. enforcement officer said Airport here Saturday, officials near Madhuban Dhaba under Civic body workers will go of the district administration, Jaleswar police limits in Balasore. around in the town and collect e- he e-wastes will be collected and the sports department after The container truck caught fire waste from various households Tonly Saturdays and taken to welcoming them at the airport following the accident. only Saturdays. At the outset, a material recovery stations (MRF) in took them home to Sundargarh the town. There these e-wastes will According to an eyewitness, the team of civic body staff compris- a distance of 22 km in a special be handed over to scrap dealers truck loaded with cartons of snacks ing ward officers, Swachha Sathis, approved by the state pollution carcade. was on its way from Kolkata to Swachh supervisors and sanitary control board(SPCB) On their arrival at the Parijat Balasore when it rear-ended the workers will move around in var- Park here, the stars of the Indian scooter and dragged the rider up ious wards and conduct awareness he scrap dealers used to keep hockey team were taken on a tour to 100 metres. drives among residents. An aware- Tonly those e-wastes which they of the town in an open SUV ac- The deceased has been identified ness vehicle is also engaged in the thought necessary for re-use and companied by bikers on a proces- as Laxmidhar Patra of Nuabazar drive, Subhankar Mohanty, en- these e-waste here and there that scrap collectors used to collect the The sanitary workers were find- dump the rest elsewhere. Many of sion to the sound of dulduli (a typ- area in Jaleswar. Initially, the forcement officer of Sambalpur will help in keeping the town clean. e-waste from households, he said. ing it difficult to clean the drains these wastes without getting ical set of huge drums played scooter caught fire which spread to Municipal Corporation, said. Earlier, people used to mix these They keep only those e-wastes due to this reason. Keeping these decomposed were causing particularly in the western part of the container truck. A number of Speaking to mediapersons, e-wastes and dump it along with which they think necessary for problems in mind, the civic body pollution. At many places these Odisha). wastes were also leading to cartons were reduced to ashes in Mohanty said sanitary workers common wastes for which the san- re-use and dump the rest else- has taken the steps to collect the Large crowds welcomed the play- clogging of drains the inferno. will visit the households in the itary workers were finding it hard where. Many of these wastes with- e-wastes from households, ers with great enthusiasm apart On being informed, a team of town and collect e-waste compris- to segregate the wastes, he said. out getting decomposed are caus- Mohanty added. from felicitating them at

fire services personnel from ing electric bulbs, computers and The e-wastes will be collected ing pollution. At many places Earlier, in its bid to contain pol- women empowerment drive on the Sundargarh Public School and at

k y m c Jaleswar and Basta rushed to the accessories, mobile phones, lap- only Saturdays and taken to ma- these wastes were also leading to lution and adopt austerity measures lines of Mission Shakti programme different squares on the route. accident site and doused the flames. tops, television and remote sets, terial recovery stations (MRF) in clogging of the drains. This re- the civic body launched battery of the state government. After the tour of the town, the Jaleswar police have registered air-coolers, printer machine and the town. There these e-wastes will sults in water-logging in the town driven auto rickshaws to collect Notably, Bhubaneswar is the players were taken to the Circuit a case in this connection and fans. He sought the cooperation of be handed over to scrap dealers during rainy season due to ob- wastes in the town. Moreover, first city in the state to launch a House. The hockey stars were fe- launched a probe. Laxmidhar’s residents to make the plan a success. approved by the state pollution struction in water flow in the women have been given the charge drive to collect e-wastes from licitated by the district adminis- body was sent for postmortem. As a result, people will not dump control board (SPCB). Earlier, the drains, he said. to drive the autos as part of a households in the city. tration at Bikash Bhawan. UTTARAKHAND P8

MAHARASHTRA

SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR

k y m Maha CM urges ‘BJP frantic to patch up with Thackeray’ c

INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE NCP-Congress and will not betray Sena MP Sanjay Raut and other them.” Top Sena leaders, includ- Congress leaders that the blood- Mumbai, August 21: Making a ing Thackeray, have repeatedly less coup on democracy was ex- Oppn parties to startling claim, senior Shiv Sena accused the BJP leadership of posed...Fadnavis’ so-called second- leader Kishore Tiwari has said “treachery and breaking its prom- term lasted barely 80 hours,” a that the state Opposition Bharatiya ise of equal power-share arrange- grim Tiwari recalled. Janata Party is ‘frantically trying’ ment,” made in February 2019, After that mega-failure, he said to patch up with Chief Minister ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. the BJP leaders kept targeting win people’s trust Uddhav Thackeray. Later, the BJP allegedly reneged the CM and his family members The BJP is also willing to con- on it, virtually calling Thackeray personally, and attempted to drag cede all demands of Sena -- its a ‘liar’, which ultimately resulted them into the Sushant Singh Rajput former partner for over two in the unprecedented MVA gov- death case. decades -- which has now allied ernment taking power in November “Till date, the BJP is constantly with the Nationalist Congress 2019. At one point in November harassing the MVA, misusing cen- Party and the Congress to head the 2019, worried BJP leaders from tral agencies, filing fake cases Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) gov- New Delhi had woken up Thackeray against Sena, NCP leaders or min- ernment in the state. at 3 am, begging to forgive-and-for- isters and their families, not spar- More so since Thackeray could start afresh.” pointments with Thackeray Saab get, bury the hatchet and start on ing even ex-BJP leaders who joined emerge as a major national “In fact, people like Leader of ‘to clinch a settlement’ compris- a clean slate, Tiwari said. MVA...All these gimmicks are in- Opposition contender in the 2014 Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, ing Thackeray remaining CM for Still not succeeding, Tiwari said tended to force a break-up of the 3- Lok Sabha elections, which has even want me to mediate between full five years with their support, the BJP resorted to ‘wrecking the party alliance,” Tiwari declared. spooked the BJP, he pointed out, in the Sena and the BJP and hammer with choice of ministries and brand-new MVA’ with Fadnavis The strong reactions of the comments to a private local out an understanding between smoothening all other irritants. suddenly becoming CM of a Sena’s ‘farmer-face’ came after TV channel. the two parties,” Tiwari later However, the CM has given a two-man government in an questions on the renewed attacks Tiwari -- accorded MoS status, elaborated to IANS. ‘thumbs down’ sign -- even publicly unprecedented dawn ceremony at on Shiv Sena launched by Union added: “Every two weeks or so, the He contended that since the past as recently as last June -- to all BJP’s Raj Bhavan. Industry Minister Narayan Rane BJP leaders call up the CM, re- over six months, Fadnavis and overtures, while making it clear “It was only the determination since Thursday during his ‘Jan questing to bury the past and other BJP bigwigs are seeking ap- that – “I have given my word to the of the NCP President Sharad Pawar, Ashirwad Yatra’.

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Chief Ministers – TMC’s Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), DMK’s Nagpur metro, passing through Country’s highest herbal Mumbai, August 21: MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu) and Maharashtra Chief Minister JMM’s Hemant Soren Uddhav Thackeray has urged the (Jharkhand) and Uddhav 20-storeyed skyscraper, operational park opens in U’khand Opposition parties to win peo- Thackeray. ple’s trust and also called upon During the meeting, Gandhi of its energy needs met from them to stay united and strong. urged the leaders to rise above solar power, it will recycle 100 per- He made this appeal during a political compulsions to take on cent water used by it, plus har- virtual meeting of Opposition the BJP in the interest of the na- vest rainwater, bio-digesters are leaders convened by Congress tion and start planning ‘system- provided at all stations, making president Sonia Gandhi Friday. atically’ to realise the ‘ultimate it a clean and sustainable proj- Talking to reporters, Shiv Sena goal’ of winning the 2024 Lok ect. leader Sanjay Raut Saturday said, Sabha polls to provide a govern- Puri added that a traditional “During the meeting, Thackeray ment that believes in the values Rajput-style architecture has stressed that the parties must of the freedom movement and been used in designing the win people's trust.” provisions of the Constitution. Kasturchand Park station in- “As of today, there is no lust for Raut said that apart from dis- cluding its facade, umbrellas, power among the Opposition par- cussion on how to prepare for arcs, nets etc, making it a unique ties, but even when the chair of the next general elections by stay- structure in the city. power is in sight, people should ing united, several issues like al- Nagpur Guardian Minister be able to trust the Opposition par- leged Pegasus snooping, issues and Congress leader Nitin Raut ties with the belief that they will concerning farmers, price rise expressed confidence that the PRESS TRUST OF INDIA scientifically named as Origanum remain strong and united,” Raut and ‘attack on democracy’ fig- Nagpur Metro would prove a big Vulgare, is found in this area and quoted Thackeray as saying dur- ured at the virtual meeting, he boon in the infrastructure de- Dehradun, August 21: India’s forms important part of offering ing the meeting. said. When asked about the velopment of the state's second highest altitude herbal park situ- to lord Badrinath. Various researches The Sena’s Rajya Sabha mem- developments in Afghanistan, capital. ated at a height of 11,000 feet was have established its multiple me- ber said that Sonia Gandhi had Raut said, India faces the threat INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE of such metro train passing Bharatiya Janata Party's inaugurated Saturday at Mana vil- dicinal benefits. Badri Ber, which personally called up the leaders of Taliban since it has the support through commercial or residen- Leader of Opposition Devendra lage close to the Indo-China border is scientifically known as of all parties and requested them of Pakistan and China, which Nagpur, August 21: The Nagpur tial structures in the world, said Fadnavis said that the 'Zero Mile' in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Hippophae Salicifolia, and locally to join the meeting. are India’s enemies. Metro’s unique section -- with a a MahaMetro official. has an immense historic signif- Mana is the last Indian village in called as Amaesh, is another nu- The meeting was attended by “If there are voices of support metro train zipping through the Flagging off the inaugural icance with the Great Chamoli bordering China and is trition-rich fruit and used widely, leaders of 19 Opposition parties, for Taliban in India, the govern- fourth floor of a 20-storeyed com- train along with Gadkari and Trigonometry Survey launched adjacent to the famous Himalayan Chaturvedi said. including NCP supremo Sharad ment should crush them imme- mercial building, a first in India Puri, Thackeray affirmed that de- by the British here in 1907 from temple of Badrinath. The research The second section is dedicated to Pawar and four non-Congress diately,” he said. -- became operational Friday, velopment work would not be Zero Mile, Nagpur, the country’s wing of Uttarakhand’s forest de- Ashtavarga species which is a group running 1.6 km between hindered anywhere in the state. geographical centre-point. partment has developed the park of eight herbs found in the Himalayan Sitabuldi-Zero Mile-Kasturchand “While development should The new corridor links the over three acres of land given by region namely Riddhi (Habenaria Park. take place, we must ensure that Vidhan Bhavan, Reserve Bank of Mana Van panchayat, under the Intermedia), Vriddhi (Habenaria RS member targets MVA The iconic corridor, incorpo- there are no shortcomings in it. India, Central Museum, central government's CAMPA, or Edgeworthii), Jeevak (Malaxis rating unique architecture and We shall do a good job in the Sanvidhan Chowk and Morris Compensatory Afforestation Fund Acuminata), Rishbhak (Malaxis design, has been constructed by 75th year of Indian Independence College in Nagpur. Act, scheme. The herbal park has Muscifera), Kakoli (Fritillaria Roylei), the Maharashtra Metro Rail and it will last for another 75 Simultaneously, the 40,000- around 40 species found in high al- Ksheer Kakoli (Lilium Polyphyllum), govt over Maratha quota Corporation Ltd (MahaMetro) years,” said Thackeray. square feet 'Freedom Park' flank- titude alpine areas in the Himalayan Maida (Ploygonatum Cirrhifolium), and was inaugurated by Chief Gadkari urged the govern- ing the Zero Mile Freedom Park region, Chief Conservator of Forest and Maha Maida (Polygonatum Minister Uddhav Thackeray ment to construct a tunnel to station was also inaugurated to (research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi said. Verticillatum), which are the most PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Chavan, who heads the state cab- along with Union Ministers Nitin give access to the Zero Mile mark the 75th anniversary of Many of these species are en- important ingredients of inet's sub committee on Maratha Gadkari and Hardeep Singh Puri Freedom Park station from the Independence. dangered and threatened as per the Chyawanprash, he said. Mumbai, August 21: Rajya Sabha quota, was ineffective. He said the in the presence of top officials. Cotton Market to avoid road traf- The Freedom Park has unique International Union for The third section consists of MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati Friday Maharashtra government and The 1.6 km corridor in the fic hassles and promised all fi- concepts like a Public Plaza and Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red Saussurea species and includes said a 15-page letter sent to him by Centre were blaming each other Zero Mile Freedom Park station nancial assistance for it. a long History Wall depicting list as well as the State Biodiversity Brahmakamal (Saussurea Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after the Supreme Court struck and 20-floor tall commercial Puri said that the project foun- major moments of the Indian Board. It includes many important Obvallata) which also happens to detailing the state government's ef- down a law that gave reservations tower is part of the upcoming 19 dation stone was laid exactly 7 Freedom Movement. An Indian medicinal herbs also, he said. The be the state flower of Uttarakhand. forts to benefit the Maratha com- in jobs and education to the km long north-south metro rail years ago August 21, 2014 by Army's battle-weary T-55 tank park is divided into four sections. The The fourth section consists of as- munity was far from reality. Maratha community. The MVA that will be ready by the year-end. Prime Minister Narendra Modi which saw action in war is dis- first section contains species asso- sorted alpine species including Speaking at a rally in Nanded, government must inform the peo- It is part of the total 38-km and it is one of the fastest mov- played on a pedestal, plus an am- ciated with Badrinath (Lord Vishnu), Ateesh, Meethavish, Vankakdi, Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, an RS ple about the follow up of the re- long Nagpur Metro with another ing metros in the country. phitheatre, adequate seating and which includes Badri Tulsi, Badri and Choru, all of which are im- member from the President's quota, view petition filed by it in the SC, 19 km coming up in the east-west He said that Nagpur Metro is moving spaces for the people of Ber, Badri Tree, and sacred tree of portant medicinal herbs and are in also said Congress minister Ashok the RS MP added. directions, with barely a handful a green metro with two-thirds the city and tourists. Bhojpatra. Badri Tulsi, which is great demand, he said. ‘Seed bombing’ forests to protect crops from animals Locals attempt self-immolation INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE HNB Garhwal University, Dr in protest against hydel project Annapurna Nautiyal; NK Singh, Dehradun, August 21: The farms Assistant Horticulture Officer at in the hilly villages of Uttarakhand Uttarkashi; Dr Pankaj Nautiyal, have been under regular attacks Krishi Vigyan Kendra at from wild animals over the last Chinyalisaur, and few others to few years. These constant attacks pick the seeds. have left several people dead, cat- This year, seed donations are tle injured, crops and buildings also being sought from the com- damaged and farmlands barren. munity. Semwal explained, “There Recently, the plantation tech- is a feeling of conservation at- nique of seed bombing has been tached to seed donation. Many peo- mooted as a solution to this prob- ple have donated seeds; some give lem. Seed bombs, or balls of seed two, some give 10.” covered in soil, are being thrown Akash Nautiyal, a member of in the forests to ensure food for the Mangal Youth Foundation of wild animals is available in the Uttarkashi, said that they have AGENCIES molish the homes of residents of forest itself, thus negating the need been asking for seed donations Haat village. for them to attack the farms. The from every house they go to. Gopeshwar (U’khand), August As the team moved to raze their campaign, which started in 2017, has “Farmers keep traditional seeds in 21: Villagers affected by the homes, a group of young men and now spread to the entire state, in- their homes even today, which they Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydel proj- women of the village poured some cluding Dehradun, Tehri and sometimes give to us,” he said. ect of THDC India Friday allegedly combustible material over them- Nainital. Himalayan Paryavaran Jadi Booti then took it to the entire state.” Ramgarh block in Nainital is op- In addition to enthusiastic attempted to immolate themselves selves and attempted to set them- Since 2017, when the seed bomb- Agro Sansthan (JADDI), Uttarkashi, Today, the campaign is active timistic about these seed bombs. “We support from the forest depart- in protest against the forcible dem- selves on fire, the Chamoli Police ing initiative began, the number of a non-governmental organisation in many villages of Uttarkashi, made seed bombs with seeds of ment, many important people olition of their homes near the said. However, the police inter- hectares of crops damaged has focused on environmental conser- where women and youth together pumpkin, gourd, zucchini, cu- like Governor Baby Rani project site, the police said. vened well on time and averted dropped (though it rose again last vation. Explaining the idea behind make seed bombs and scatter them cumber, corn and pulses. Just be- Maurya and former Chief However, timely intervention any untoward incident, they said. year). Similarly, the number of in- the campaign, Semwal said, “We in the forests. Seed bombs are pre- fore the rains, some seed bombs Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat by police averted any untoward Efforts are being made to solve juries to humans, cattle and build- planted bare seeds in the forest in pared in the month of June-July were thrown towards the forest. If have been endorsing the cam- incident, they said. the problem through talks between ings has been fluctuating. So while 2017 but most of the seeds were just before the onset of rains as the we grow these vegetables and fruits paign, especially during the The run-of-the-river hydel proj- the villagers and officials of the the data suggests the results of the lost, eaten by birds and trampled by seeds are most likely to germinate near the forest, then our agriculture Harela festival (a folk festival in ect is being built on the Alaknanda firm, police said.

campaign are inconclusive still, it animals. We did not even achieve one in wet soil. The clay balls are dried will survive. This is our third year Uttarakhand). So while the jury river by acquiring the land and The villagers whose land and

k y m c has continued to receive support per cent success. To protect the in the shade for three to four days of making seed bombs,” she said. is still out on whether seed homes of residents of Haat village homes have been acquired by THDC from the community, civil society seed, we made a ball of soil, ma- until they are neither too hard nor The seeds are chosen carefully, bombs are enough to meet the near Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand’s India for the project are refusing to and government. nure and water and put two seeds too soft before being taken into in accordance with altitude and stated objective of reducing Chamoli under an agreement. vacate their homes on the plea that The seed bomb campaign was in it. We named them beej (seed) the forest. soil, said Dwarika Prasad. His man-animal conflict in Trouble began when a team sent the company has not expanded started in the state by Dwarka bombs. We started this campaign on Tulsi Devi, the former village NGO consulted with several ex- Uttarakhand, the community by the local administration at the basic facilities in the area that it had Prasad Semwal, Secretary, a small scale in a few villages and head of Nathuakhan village of the perts like the Vice-Chancellor of is determined to keep trying. request of THDC India tried to de- promised as part of the agreement. The festival of Raksha DELHI GETS HIGHEST P9 Bandhan strengthens the SATURDAY | AUGUST 21 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR spirit of harmony and fraternity in RAINFALL SINCE 2009 our society. On this special Delhi received the highest rainfall in a occasion, we should dedicate month since 2009, the India Meteorological ourselves towards ensuring safety Department (IMD) said Saturday, leading to of women by increasing their waterlogging and traffic snarls across the y participation in nation-building national capital. The last highest rainfall of

RAM NATH KOVIND | PRESIDENT OF INDIA

k y m national 110 mm was recorded August 10, 2010 c

of the day uote FORMER UP CM ‘15 names given by PM to file fake cases against’ KALYAN SINGH Bhakts and trolls will DURING AN ONLINE BRIEFING, SISODIA CLAIMED THAT MANY NAMES ON THE LIST ARE FROM THE AAM AADMI PARTY PASSES AWAY ridicule the PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Commissioner Rakesh Asthana show of unity, but they should has promised to get the job done. remember the New Delhi, August 21: Deputy Rakesh Asthana is Modiji’s ‘brah- famous words of the Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Do politics of votes and win mastra’. He has promised that German Lutheran pastor Martin Saturday alleged that Prime the trust of people. There come what may, he will get the job Niemoller. Cynics will scoff at the Minister Narendra Modi has shared were so many fake cases done, he claimed. effort, but they will realise one day the names of 15 people with Delhi filed against us and raids Sisodia said the AAP does poli- Police, CBI and ED and asked them tics of truth and honesty. that we are fighting for the liberty of conducted but you got all people, including the cynics to conduct raids and file fake FIRs You can send the CBI and the ED, nothing. You want to file P CHIDAMBARAM | SENIOR CONG LEADER against those on the list and ruin we will welcome them, he said. them before the next elections. more fake cases and carry Sisodia said there had been pre- During an online briefing, Sisodia out raids. You are welcome vious instances where AAP lead- claimed that many names on the list ARVIND KEJRIWAL I ers were 'targeted' but nothing We have are from the Aam Aadmi Party. CHIEF MINISTER OF DELHI came out of it. decided to look Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta re- for new The deputy chief minister also talented players jected the allegations as "unfounded and the Delhi Police, asking them claimed that AAP is gaining pop- under a campaign and baseless" and accused the to conduct raids and file fake FIRs ularity in other states like Uttar INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE and train them in 18 Arvind Kejriwal government of re- Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal We have learnt from reliable against them (people on the list) in Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and sports academies of sorting to issuing "concocted state- echoed similar sentiments and sources that Prime Minister order to ruin them before the next had even won 27 seats in the mu- Lucknow, August 21: Former Madhya Pradesh. We will churn out ments" to make AAP relevant in said nothing had come out of the Narendra Modi has handed over a elections, Sisodia claimed. nicipal corporation polls in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister not one but many such players, who the upcoming elections in few states. earlier raids or fake cases. list of 15 people to the CBI, the ED He claimed that Delhi Police which is the stronghold of the BJP. Kalyan Singh (89) passed away will bring laurels to the country and here Saturday due to sepsis and the state in the Olympics besides in multi-organ failure. national and international 14 held for pro-Taliban Singh was admitted to the ICU competitions of Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN | ` posts on social media Danve’s dig at Rahul Institute of Medical Sciences CM, MADHYA PRADESH 935cr embezzled (SGPGI) July 4 in a critical condi- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA tion. On Saturday, his condition worsened due to kidney infection. We need to Guwahati/Hailakandi, August leaves party fuming He breathed his last at 9.15 pm. understand 21: Fourteen people were arrested Singh’s body has been brought that the victory in MGNREGA over from across Assam for social media PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Maharashtra and some other parts to his Mall Avenue residence where in Afghanistan is posts allegedly supporting the of the country to dedicate a newly- Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath being seen by terror Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Mumbai, August 21: Union min- born male calf to a local deity. That and his Cabinet colleagues paid groups as a Pakistani police said Saturday. ister Raosaheb Danve has criti- bull is not used for any agricul- tribuites to the departed soul. victory and an Indian The arrests were made since cised Congress leader Rahul ture or transportation purposes. Earleir, Adityanath had tweeted defeat…. We have to organise Friday night and they have been Gandhi, saying that he was of no The Union Minister of State for the news of the veteran leader’s de- ourselves for a renewed offensive by last 4 years: Cong booked under different sections of use to anyone, and also likened Railway further said, Even if such mise. elements like the JeM the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) him to a stray bull. a bull enters a farm and eats the The state Cabinet is meeting SHANKAR ROYCHOWDHURY | Act, IT Act and CrPC. “@assam- The Congress objected to his in- crop, the farmer forgives the ani- later Saturday night to mourn the FORMER ARMY CHIEF police has arrested 14 persons for decent and shocking remarks and mal saying it needs food. death of Singh. social media posts regarding demanded his removal from the One should look at the great A three-day state mourning has Taliban activities that have at- Union cabinet. work being done by Prime Minister been announced in Uttar Pradesh SHORT TAKES tracted provisions of law of the Danve made the remarks while Narendra Modi...The government and a holiday will be observed land,” special director general of po- speaking at a public rally in Jalna is spending money from its cof- Monday as a mark of respect to lice GP Singh tweeted. district of Maharashtra as part of fers as Railways does not gener- the departed leader. 3 JeM terrorists Singh also advised people to be the ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ taken ate enough revenue from various Deputy Chief Ministers Dinesh careful about inflammatory social out by newly-inducted Minister of sources, including through the sale Sharma and Keshav Maurya have killed in encounter media posts, including retweeting State for Finance Bhagwat Karad. of tickets, he said. expressed their grief over the pass- Srinagar: Three Jaish-e- them, liking them, as their actions Giving his speech in Marathi, Reacting to his remarks, ing away of Singh, while senior Mohammad (JeM) militants could invite penal action. Danve said, “Rahul Gandhi is of Congress’s state unit chief Nana leaders across the political spectrum were killed in an encounter Deputy Inspector General Violet no use to anybody. He is like a ‘saand’ Patole sought Danve’s resignation. have termed his demise as a loss to with security forces in Jammu PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Baruah also urged people to help (bull) dedicated to god. He roams He has crossed all the boundaries. Indian politics. and Kashmir’s Pulwama The party also law enforcing agencies keep tab everywhere, but is of no use to any- His remarks are indecent and shock- Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad district Saturday, officials New Delhi, August 21: The on such social media posts. Baruah one. I have been in the Lok Sabha ing. We demand his removal from chief Mahant Narendra Giri said said. Security forces launched Congress Saturday alleged that Rs demanded that the tweeted “we're registering crimi- for 20 years and have seen his work.” Union cabinet for using such a foul that Indian politics has lost one of a cordon and search operation 935 crore had been misappropriated government restore the nal cases against such persons.” It is a practice in rural language against Gandhi, he said. its tallest leaders. in the upper reaches of forest in MGNREGA schemes over the last four per cent quota for area of Nagbaeran Tral in the four years and said the govern- south Kashmir district ment must be held accountable for differently-abled following inputs about the failing to check corruption. persons in police forces MAN, MUD, MISERY presence of militants there, The party also demanded that the the officials said. government restore the four per cent quota for differently-abled 12.5 crore, which is 1.34 per cent of persons in police forces. the misappropriated amount, stands Earthquake hits Congress spokesperson Pawan recovered. The very fact that mis- Gujarat’s Kutch Khera said a media report, which appropriations have been hap- assessed publicly available infor- pening is a testament to the lack of Ahmedabad: An earthquake mation of the Rural Development accountability and due diligence by of 4.1 magnitude was Ministry, revealed that Rs 935 crore the Narendra Modi government, the recorded in Gujarat’s Kutch was misappropriated in schemes Congress leader alleged. district Saturday with its under the Mahatma Gandhi The Congress party demands epicentre located near Employment Guarantee Act (MGN- that the government of India is held Dholavira, the Institute of REGA) over the last four years. accountable for the misappropria- Seismological Research (ISR) These numbers are the outcome tions in the MNREGA scheme and said. No damage to property of audits done by social audit ensures that social audit is under- or casualty was reported due units under the Rural Development taken as per the provisions of the to the moderate-intensity Department of the Ministry MGNREGA, Khera said. earthquake, officials of the district administration said. of Rural Development, he told a We also demand that the gov- “A 4.1-magnitude earthquake press conference. ernment of India recovers the mis- was recorded at 12.08 pm Khera said the significant out- appropriated amount at the earli- Saturday with its epicentre come of the social audit unit was est and ensures that the recovered 23 km East-Southeast (ESE) that the primary type of misap- money is used to compensate the of Dholavira in Kutch. It was propriation in most cases was fi- poor and marginalised who have recorded at a depth of 6.1 nancial misappropriation which suffered a lot due to Covid-19 mis- km,” the Gandhinagar-based includes and is not limited to management, he said. institute said. bribery, payments to non-existent The Congress leader claimed that persons and to vendors at inflated Tamil Nadu had the highest misap- procurement prices. propriation of Rs 245 crore between 2 Russian women He said of the whopping Rs 935 2017–18 and 2020-21, and in Bihar, Rs crore misappropriated, only Rs 12.34 crore was misappropriated. A farmer ploughs his paddy field at a village near Balurghat in South Dinajpur district, Saturday PTI PHOTO found dead in Goa Panaji: In separate incidents, two Russian women were found dead at their residences at a beach village CLIMATE CHANGE in North Goa on two consecutive days, police said Saturday. While Alexandra Djavi, 24, was found hanging from a ceiling South Asian children at extremely high risk: Unicef fan at her rented place late Thursday, the body of her 34-year-old compatriot - SOUTH ASIA IS HOME TO OVER 600 MILLION CHILDREN AND HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE GLOBALLY Ekaterina Titova - was recovered from her INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE on their access to essential services. impacts of a changing climate countries' economies. apartment Friday, a senior Pakistan, Bangladesh and degrading environment, he Rising global temperatures and police official told PTI. New Delhi, August 21: Young Afghanistan and India are among said further. changing weather patterns have people living in Afghanistan, four South Asian countries where The report found that these South put the futures of millions of chil- Bangladesh, India and Pakistan children are at extremely high risk Asian children are in constant dan- dren living in climate-vulnera- Jawan dies due are among those most at risk of of the impacts of the climate cri- ger from riverine floods and air ble areas in South Asia at con- the impacts of climate change, sis, with a ranking of 14, 15, 15 and pollution, but also that investments stant risk. Worse, before they can to severe weather threatening their health, educa- 26, respectively. While Nepal is in child health, nutrition, and ed- recover from one disaster, an- New Delhi: One Army jawan tion, and protection, pointed a new ranked 51, Sri Lanka is at 61st ucation can make a significant dif- other one strikes, reversing any died and a few others were Unicef report released Saturday. place. Bhutan is ranked 111, with ference to protect children from progress made. injured during a supervised In addition, Nepal and Sri Lanka children at relatively lower risk. climate change. The report also reveals discon- training activity at Mamun are among the top 65 countries Approximately 1 billion chil- South Asia is home to over 600 nect between where greenhouse military station near most impacted globally. dren live in one of the 33 coun- million children and has the gas emissions are generated, and Pathankot in Punjab Saturday ‘The Climate Crisis Is a Child tries classified as extremely high- highest number of young peo- where children are enduring the as the weather conditions Rights Crisis Introducing the risk, including the four South Asian ple globally. South Asian coun- most significant climate-driven y were “severe”, said senior Children’s Climate Risk Index’ countries. tries are among the most vul- impacts. The 33 extremely high-

officials. The senior Army (CCRI) is Unicef ’s first child-fo- For the first time, we have clear nerable globally to the impacts of risk countries, including four from

k y m c officials said that the affected cused climate risk index. It ranks evidence of the impact of climate climate change. Extreme climate- South Asia, collectively emit just jawans have been admitted at countries based on children’s ex- change on millions of children in out any healthcare and water, said ated an alarming crisis for South related events - heatwaves, storms, 9 per cent of global CO2 emissions. the military hospital in posure to climate and environ- South Asia. Droughts, floods, air pol- George Laryea-Adjei, Unicef Asian children. The time to act floods, fires and droughts - af- Conversely, the 10 highest emit- Pathankot and are being mental shocks, such as cyclones lution and river erosion across the Regional Director for South Asia. is now - if we invest in water, fect more than half of the re- ting countries collectively account provided with required and heatwaves, as well as their medical care. region have left millions of children Together, climate change and healthcare and education, we can gion's population every year and for nearly 70 per cent of global vulnerability to those shocks, based homeless and hungry, and with- the Covid-19 pandemic have cre- protect their futures from the continue to burden South Asian emissions. The ongoing ISMAIL SABRI TO BE P10 evacuation of US SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR citizens and Afghan NEW MALAYSIA PM nationals who supported Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Americans over the last Ahmad Shah has appointed former Deputy 20 years is one of the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as new largest and most difficult Prime Minister of the country, the national airlifts in history palace announced. His appointment comes

JOE BIDEN PRESIDENT, US as Malaysia is mired in a political turmoil

k y m international | c of the day uote Haiti faces anger and despair a It's necessary ‘Taliban want ties with all countries, including US’ to stop the week after quake irresponsible police of enforcing its own values on others Co-education banned in varsities REUTERS and attempts to build democracy in other Marceline, August 21: Tensions countries based on outside models KABUL: Taliban officials in in Haiti were rising Saturday over without taking into account historic, Afghanistan’s Herat province have a lack of aid to remote areas of the ethnic and religious issues and fully ordered the government and private impoverished country hardest hit ignoring other people’s traditions universities that girls will no longer by last week’s devastating earth- be allowed to sit in the same classes quake that killed over 2,000 VLADIMIR PUTIN | PRESIDENT, RUSSIA with boys, Khaama News reported. people. Many Haitians whose In a three-hour meeting between homes and livelihoods were de- university lecturers, owners of pri- stroyed by the magnitude 7.2 quake The US-India AGENCIES vate institutions, and the Taliban that struck on Aug. 14 said they The Islamic Emirate of strategic officials, the latter said that there were unsure how to even start re- partnership is Kabul, August 21: Taliban’s po- Afghanistan wants is no alternative and justification building. now even more litical chief Mullah Abdul Ghani diplomatic and trade for continuing co-education and Exasperation over the time it critical in containing Baradar Saturday said the insur- ties with all countries, must be ended. was taking for aid to come through the Taliban and particularly with the US preventing terrorism gent group intends to have eco- Afghanistan has a mixed sys- began to boil over on Friday, with nomic and trade ties with all coun- MULLAH ABDUL GHANI BARADAR I tem of both co-education and sep- residents attacking aid trucks in sev- RO KHANNA | INDIAN AMERICAN tries around the world, including POLITICAL CHIEF, TALIBAN arate classes with schools func- eral towns across the south of the CONGRESSMAN the US. "The Islamic Emirate of tioning separate classes while Caribbean nation. Afghanistan wants diplomatic and co-education is applied both in gov- trade ties with all countries, par- Earlier in the day, unconfirmed ernment and private universities On Instagram, ticularly with the United States of reports said Baradar has arrived and institutes around the country. Emirate who was representing the fication to be continued. we're rolling America," Baradar said in a tweet. in Kabul from southern Kandahar Lecturers in Herat province have Taliban in the meeting in Herat Lecturers in Herat said, since out pop-up Baradar denied media reports to conduct consultation with Afghan reasoned that the government uni- has said that co-education should private institutions cannot afford alerts in Afghanistan that the Taliban has not intended leaders about the creation of a new versities and institutes can manage be ended because the system is the separate classes, thousands of girls with specific steps on to have diplomatic and trade ties government. He returned to separate classes but because of the root of all evils in society. may remain deprived of higher how to protect your with Washington, reports Xinhua Kandahar from Doha on Tuesday. limited number of female students Farid as an alternative suggested education. account. We also news agency. On Tuesday, Taliban spokesman in private institutions, the latter can- that female lecturers or elderly There are reportedly around temporarily removed the ability to "We never talk about cut of trade Zabihullah Mujahid said they in- not afford to create separate class- male ones who are virtuous are view and search the 'Friends' list for 40,000 students and 2,000 lecturers FB accounts in Afghanistan to help ties with any countries. Rumor tended to form an inclusive gov- rooms. allowed to teach female students and in private and government uni- protect people from being targeted about this news has been a propa- ernment and does not want to have Mullah Farid, head of higher for the co-education, there is nei- versities and institutions in the ganda. It is not true," he said. any internal or external enemies. education of Afghanistan Islamic ther an alternative nor any justi- province. NATHANIEL GLEICHER | HEAD OF SECURITY POLICY, FACEBOOK A confrontation also erupted after former President Michel Taliban seize American weapons Martelly visited a local hospital SHORT TAKES Woman set on fire for ‘bad cooking’ in the city of Les Cayes, where one KABUL: Afghanistans military planes, tanks and artillery from of his staff left behind an enve- KABUL: Afghan women are being as sex slaves. has laid down its weapons, and Afghan outposts and from evacu- lope of money that set of a violent 10K rapes recorded shipped into neighbouring coun- "They also force families to the Taliban have wasted little time ating US personnel, revealing one scramble. tries in coffins and used as sex marry their young daughters to in collecting them, raising con- of the heavier costs of a troop with- "We are concerned about the in SA in April-June slaves, according to a former Taliban fighters. I don't see where cerns about how easily troves of drawal amid a collapse of deteriorating security situation Johannesburg: South Africa judge. Najla Ayoubi, who lives is the promise that they think US-made arms, military aircraft Afghanistan's government and army. that may disrupt our assistance registered 10,006 rape cases in the US after "fleeing for my women should be going to work, and armoured vehicles have fallen "We obviously don't want to see to vulnerable Haitians. We are between April and June this life" from the Taliban, said she has when we are seeing all of these into enemy hands and the new our equipment in the hands of talking to the authorities and all year, according to official heard horrific examples of vio- atrocities." capabilities they bring, The Wall those who would act against our actors to try and prevent this," statistics. "This is an increase lence against women since the The Taliban have said they Street Journal reported. interests, or the interests of the said Pierre Honnorat, head of the of 4,201 cases, amounting to a militants took control of her will respect women's rights and Scores of videos have emerged Afghan people," Pentagon United Nations' World Food 72.4 per cent increase, homeland August 15, reports abused. allow them to work and be edu- of Taliban fighters rejoicing near spokesman John Kirby said at a Program in Haiti. compared to the skewed metro.co.uk. The lawyer told Sky News: cated. abandoned American helicopters, press briefing this week. The official death toll from the previous reporting period," She said one woman was "put "They are forcing people to give She said there was "no way to carrying US-supplied M24 sniper The US sent nearly 600,000 small earthquake stands at 2,189 peo- Xinhua news agency quoted on fire because she was accused them food and cook them food. believe" assurances that the rifles and M18 assault weapons, arms, 76,000 vehicles and 208 air- ple, with an estimated 332 people Police Minister Bheki Cele as of bad cooking for Taliban fight- Also there are so many young Taliban wanted to form inclu- stacking other small arms and planes to Afghanistan's military still missing. But residents in saying Friday. He said that ers" in the north of the country. women in the past few weeks sive government, saying she knew materiel in unending piles and and police from 2003 to 2016, ac- towns across the southern rural comparing the two periods Other young women are being being shipped into neighbour- of one female TV anchor who driving Humvees and other US- cording to a 2017 Government countryside are still digging for would leave the statistics forced into marriage and sexually ing countries in coffins to be used was told to go home. made military trucks. Accountability Office report, one bodies believed to lie underneath distorted because of the hard lockdown in 2020, which The Taliban have seized air- of the few such compilations. the rubble. severely restricted freedoms and movement, resulting in less crime. 250 arrested at Australia China condemns suicide anti-lockdown protests TO THE RESCUE Portugal to ease attack on its nationals Covid lockdown ASSOCIATED PRESS Lisbon: The Portuguese government has announced PRESS TRUST OF INDIA were playing nearby were killed Sydney, August 21: Authorities in that the country will move while one Chinese national was Australia say more than 250 people from the “state of calamity”, Islamabad, August 21: China among several others who sus- have been arrested while protest- its highest response to a Saturday asked Pakistan to take ef- tained injuries. ing coronavirus lockdowns in the national emergency, to the fective measures and overhaul the The embassy said that it country. Many faced fines for de- “state of contingency” security mechanism to forestall at- launched the emergency plan im- fying health orders. The protests beginning August 23. At a tacks on its nationals working on var- mediately, “demanding Pakistan took place Saturday in several cities press conference, Minister of ious infrastructure projects after to properly treat the wounded, nationwide, with the largest and State for the Presidency a suicide bomber attacked a convoy conduct a thorough investigation most violent protest in Melbourne. Mariana Vieira da Silva of Chinese nationals in the restive on the attack, and severely punish At least seven police officers highlighted the positive Balochistan province, in the sec- the perpetrators.” were treated for injuries after skir- development in the control of ond such attack in over a month. “At the same time, relevant de- mishes broke out at some of the the Covid-19 pandemic and partments at all levels in Pakistan protests. announced that the Council of must take practical and effective Sydney has been in lockdown Ministers decided to measures to accelerate to implement for two months, while Melbourne anticipate the easing of the strengthened whole-process secu- and Australia’s capital, Canberra, lockdown measures to reopen rity measures and upgraded se- went into lockdown earlier this the country, Xinhua news curity cooperation mechanisms month. Under the rules of the lock- agency reported Saturday. to ensure that similar incidents down, people are mostly confined will not happen again,” it said. to their homes and have limits The embassy further said that placed on their social interactions. 53 suspected recently, the security situation in Protestors say the lockdowns militants held Pakistan has been severe and there should end, but authorities say The Chinese embassy here in a have been several terrorist attacks they are necessary to suppress the Jakarta: The Indonesian statement strongly condemned in succession, resulting in the ca- spread of the virus and save lives. National Police said that its Friday's suicide attack on the con- sualties of several Chinese citizens. Despite the restrictions, counterterrorism squad, voy of Chinese nationals com- The Chinese embassy in Sydney's New South Wales state known as Densus 88, has prising four vehicles in Gwadar, the Pakistan asked its citizens in reported a record 825 new daily arrested 53 suspected port city of strategic importance Pakistan to be vigilant, strengthen community infections on Saturday. militants, who were planning due to the presence of Chinese safety precautions, reduce un- Several cities are battling out- A firefighting helicopter flies by the sun as a wildfire burns in the village of Vilia, Greece. More than 500 wildfires have attacks during the country’s workers and investment. necessary outings, and take ef- breaks of the highly contagious broken out in recent weeks across the country, ravaging swathes of forest and forcing the evacuation of thousands independence day across 11 In the attack, two children who fective security protection. delta variant. of people REUTERS provinces. Of the 53 suspected terrorists, 50 belong to the outlawed Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group and the other three are from the banned Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), police's Rain falls at Greenland ice summit for first time on record spokesman Inspector General Argo Yuwono said Monday. REUTERS to rise. Already, melting from That’s to cover the US state of Florida in Greenland's ice sheet --the world’s not a healthy 2 inches (5 cm) of water. New York, August 21: Rain fell at second-largest after Antarctica’s - sign for an ice That melting event and last Turkey floods the highest point on the Greenland - has caused around 25% of global week's rain were both caused by air toll rises to 81 ice sheet last week for the first sea level rise seen over the last few sheet. Water on ice is circulation patterns which meant time on record, another worrying decades, scientists estimate. That bad. It makes the ice warm, moist air temporarily cov- Ankara: The death toll from sign of warming for the ice sheet share is expected to grow, as global sheet more prone to ered the island. Turkey’s flash floods along the already melting at an increasing temperatures increase. surface melt "This alarming rain at the sum- Black Sea coast has increased rate, scientists said Friday. The rain fell for several hours at mit of Greenland is not an isolated to 81, the country's disaster INDRANI DAS I GLACIOLOGIST, "That's not a healthy sign for an the ice sheet's 3,216-metre summit event," said Twila Moon, deputy lead agency said. Seventy people LAMONT-DOHERTY ice sheet," said Indrani Das, a August 14, where temperatures re- scientist with the US National died as a result of floods in EARTH OBSERVATORY, Kastamonu province. Another glaciologist with Columbia mained above freezing for around COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Snow and Ice Data Center. 10 people died in Sinop and one University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth nine hours, scientists at the US Along with rising floods, fires, in Bartin, Xinhua news agency Observatory. "Water on ice is bad. National Snow and Ice Data Center and other extremes, it is one of

It makes the ice sheet more prone said. Temperatures at the ice cap rain is the many "alarm bells" signalling the

k y m quoted the Disaster and c Emergency Management to surface melt." Not only is water almost never lift above freezing, latest in a string of warning signs need to reduce greenhouse gas Directorate (AFAD) as saying warmer than the usual snow, it's also but have now done so three times about how climate change is af- emissions, she said. Friday. Rescue and relief efforts darker -- so it absorbs more sunlight in less than a decade. 16 -- the largest amount since records the island, which suffered a surface fecting Greenland’s ice sheet. "We really have to stay laser-fo- are continuing as some 30 rather than reflecting it away. In total, 7 billion tonnes of rain began in 1950. ice mass loss August 15 that was Greenland experienced a massive cused on adapting, as well as re- people that are still reportedly That meltwater is streaming fell across Greenland over three The rain and high temperatures seven times above the average for melting event in late July, when ducing the potential for those to be- missing in the flood-hit areas. into the ocean, causing sea levels days, from Aug. 14 through August triggered extensive melting across mid-August. The record-breaking enough ice melted in a single day come truly devastating." Mexico has WALL STREET RALLIES P11 identified a SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR divergent position between AS FED JITTERS EASE our governments on the Wall Street rallied to close sharply interpretation of ... higher at the close of a tumultuous provisions on rules of origin week on waning concerns over for the automotive sector whether the US Federal Reserve could TATIANA CLOUTHIER | begin tightening its dovish monetary

ECONOMY MINISTER, MEXICO

k y m business policy sooner than expected c of the day uote OSL HANDLES HEAVY Continued sequential recovery seen in July: Ind-Ra LIFT CARGO EXPORT Once the AGENCIES cent sequential growth and the proposed According to Ind-Ra, the FROM PARADIP PORT listing of LIC AUTO SECTOR highest monthly sales YTD FY22, happens, about 60 New Delhi, August 21: Continued passenger vehicle (PV) indicating some recovery in con- per cent of the sequential recovery has been seen segment continued to sumer sentiments. "Scooter sales insurance industry in the auto sector in July 2021, ac- increased by 10 per cent YoY, while business would be cording to India Ratings and benefit from the motorcycle sales fell by 6 per cent with listed entities. The sector as a Research (Ind-Ra). Ind-Ra believes increasing preference YoY. The recovery in two-wheeler whole has been growing at a pace that the 18 per cent sequential and demand has remained sluggish, significantly higher than that of the 4 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in- for personal mobility, impacted by the increased cost of overall economy crease in the domestic auto sales pent-up demand and ownership amid price hikes by volumes in July 2021 was led by OEMs, coupled with increasing POST NEWS NETWORK AMIT AGARWAL | new launches ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, FINANCE MINISTRY the continued easing of lockdown fuel prices," Ind-Ra said. restrictions. senger vehicle (PV) segment con- its shift towards utility vehicles In addition, the rating agency ex- Bhubaneswar, August 21: In an "Automotive dealerships have tinued to benefit from the increasing (UVs) with 74 per cent YoY increase change in sales mix has been im- pects the volume growth to con- epoch-making development, heavy With the reopened in almost all parts of the preference for personal mobility, in volumes; the segment accounted pacted to an extent by OEMs pri- tinue in August 2021, driven by im- lift mining equipments comprising boundaries of country and consumer sentiments pent-up demand and new launches, for 47 per cent of the domestic PV oritising production of their UV proving consumer sentiments and Haulpak dumpers and excavators, workplace have improved on a steady decline leading to 45 per cent YoY growth sales in July 2021. "The passenger models amid the global shortage of the onset of the festive season. exported abroad through Paradip blurring and an in daily Covid cases. July 2021 vol- in domestic sales volumes. car segment grew 26 per cent YoY semiconductor chips. However, the agency believes Port. It is for the first time in the increasing number of umes remained below pre-Covid Besides, the volumes were higher in line with the combined YoY Additionally, while consumer that the semiconductor shortage history of the premier sea port of organisations levels (16 per cent below July 2019)," than July 2019, indicating a re- growth in compact and mini seg- demand for two-wheelers remained could pose supply-side challenges Odisha and pertinent to note that engaging with the rating agency said. covery to pre-Covid levels. ments," Ind-Ra said. tepid, with a 2 per cent YoY de- to OEM production, and thereby it was handled by Orissa Stevedores contract or gig workers, it is According to Ind-Ra, the pas- "Domestic PV demand continued The rating agency feels that the cline, the segment recorded 19 per also moderate sales growth. Limited (OSL). pertinent for the organisations to While the exporting firm is realign their POSH policy to ensure Thriveni Earth Movers Private prevention as well as swift action Limited, it is exporting 128 numbers SAMIR PARANJPE | PARTNER AND FORENSICS of heavy as well as small equip- LEADER, GRANT THORNTON BHARAT Spotify to spend $1bn ments comprising 37 Haulpak Govt has created supportive dumpers and excavators of about 4,500 metric tonnes (MT) to Taboneo Industries Port in Indonesia. The cargo is to department is buying its own stock be used for mining activities there. planning to TP Roy Choudhury Private develop 9,010 acres ecosystem for MSMEs: FM In its June quarter, Spotify announced that it now Limited and Orissa Stevedores of land for industrial Limited (OSL) are the stevedores development in the PRESS TRUST OF INDIA has 165 million premium subscribers and 365 million and exporters handling agents re- coming days in Kolar, Ramanagara, Mandya, Tumakuru, monthly active users spectively. Though due to the low Vijayapura and Haveri districts. Over Lucknow, August 21: Union pressure loading is being affected, 81,864 acres of land in 188 industrial Finance Minister Nirmala AGENCIES the exporters and ship are taking areas have been acquired so far and Sitharaman Saturday said the all precautionary measures while allotted for industrial units across micro, small and medium enter- New York, August 21: Swedish loading the cargo. According to the state prises (MSMEs) are the backbone music streaming giant Spotify has sources, similar exports will be of the economy, and the Narendra announced to spend up to $1 billion conducted in future. MURUGESH R NIRANI | Modi government has given the between now and April 21, 2026 to INDUSTRIES MINISTER, KARNATAKA sector its rightful place. repurchase its own shares. The Addressing the launch of the company would commence a stock 'Ubharte Sitaare Fund' here, repurchase programme beginning Investors should SHORT TAKES Sitharaman said, "The government in the third quarter of 2021. of Prime Minister Narendra Modi "Repurchases of up to 10,000,000 nities we see over the long term," be like Rahul has given a proper identity to of the Company's ordinary shares said Paul Vogel, Chief Financial Guardians reaches MSME. The place, which it had have been authorised by the Officer at Spotify. Dravid: Book 1mn downloads not got in decades, is being given In the last two years, One Product (ODOP) scheme can Company's general meeting of share- "We believe this is an attractive to it, and it will be improved." the Centre has know about its benefits. holders, and the Board of Directors use of capital, and based on the New Delhi: Guardians, an app "In the last two years, the Centre Uttar Pradesh has the highest approved such repurchases up to the strength of our balance sheet, we changed the definition of committed to personal safety has done a number of different number of MSMEs and has effec- amount of $1.0 billion. The autho- continue to see ample opportunity owned and developed by True things. The government has MSME in a very flexible tively implemented the One District risation to repurchase will expire to invest and grow our business." Software Scandinavia AB, the changed the definition of MSME manner. Recently, a Bill One Product programme, which on April 21, 2026," it said in a state- Several tech companies like Apple, creators of Truecaller in a very flexible manner. Recently, was tabled in the provides the ideal ecosystem for suc- ment late Friday. Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft, announced that it has achived a bill was tabled in the Parliament Parliament through which cess of an initiative like the Ubharte The timing and actual number have active share repurchase pro- a significant milestone of 1 through which the MSME sector the MSME sector will Sitaare Fund. The fund will go a of shares repurchased will depend grammes. In its June quarter, Spotify million downloads worldwide. will directly benefit," she added. directly benefit long way in making India a major on a variety of factors, including announced that it now has 165 mil- The app is available on both the Google Play Store and Sitharaman further said MSME NIRMALA SITHARAMAN I exporting hub, she said. price, general business and market lion premium subscribers and 365 UNION FINANCE MINISTER Apple App Store. Among the businessmen will not have to un- Meanwhile, a tweet by conditions, and alternative in- million monthly active users. It's a million downloads India dertake an audit for submission Sitharaman’s office said MSMEs vestment opportunities. "The re- year-over-year increase of 20 per accounts for 60% of the total. of their accounts. "The govern- its immediate surroundings alone have been at the forefront of the purchase programme will be exe- cent and 22 per cent, respectively, and After a successful launch in ment has faith in them, and they boast of eight GIs. Modi government's economic cuted consistent with the Company's up from the 158 million subscribers March this year and an can self-attest their accounts and Sitharaman urged the state's policy through policies like capital allocation strategy, which and 356 million MAUs reported in encouraging response from certify them," she said. MSME Minister Sidharth Nath change in definition of MSMEs will continue to prioritise aggres- the last quarter. PRESS TRUST OF INDIA users across the globe, Speaking about the geographi- Singh to establish an MSME cham- to ensure adequate flexibility, sive investments to grow the busi- "Q2 was a strong quarter for Guardians now supports cal indication (GI) tags for spe- ber in every district, and hold aware- effective implementation of ness," the company added. Spotify overall, with the majority New Delhi, August 21: Investing multiple languages including cialised products, she said while ness programmes about the 'Ubharte ECLGS and Factoring Bill in- "This announcement demon- of our major metrics performing is like Test cricket and investors Hindi, Arabic, French, Spanish, they are scattered across the coun- Sitaare Fund' so that entrepreneurs creasing the number of desig- strates our confidence in Spotify's better than expected," Daniel Ek, should aim to be like the tenacious Portuguese, and Indonesian. try, in Uttar Pradesh, Banaras and working under the One District, nated NBFCs to 9,000. business and the growth opportu- Spotify CEO and founder, said. Rahul Dravid - combine technical abilities with behavioural skills to achieve outsized success, says a V-guard opens new book. BIZ BUZZ Test cricket and investing in new store NTPC commissions largest Indian equities have interesting Bhubaneswar: V-guard parallels, an appreciation of which industries Ltd opened a new Big offers on Samsung Galaxy Z Series can help newcomers understand the exclusive showroom at Khurda process of investing and the toolk- town with help of Vijaya Laxmi New Delhi: Samsung India launched great offers for floating solar PV project its required to build a durably suc- Electricals, Khurda, August 20. consumers planning to buy the premium Galaxy Z cessful investment portfolio, it says. The showroom will offer all V- Series foldable smartphones – Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE open sea intake from the Bay of In "Diamonds in the Dust: guard electrical and home Galaxy Z Flip3 5G. From August 24, consumers can Bengal, which has been functional Consistent Compounding for appliances products. Sumanta pre-book the Z Fold3 at `1, 42,999 and the Z Flip3 at New Delhi, August 21: State-run for more than 20 years. Extraordinary Wealth Creation", Kumar Pradhan, Branch Head, `77,999 with introductory offers. Consumers for pre- NTPC has commissioned the largest NTPC is also planning to set up Saurabh Mukherjea, Rakshit inaugurated showroom in the booking Galaxy Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G will be floating solar PV project in India a hydrogen-based micro-grid sys- Ranjan, Salil Desai offer Indian presence of distributor Bijay eligible for either an upgrade voucher of up to `7000 of 25MW on the reservoir of its tem on a pilot basis at Simhadri. savers a simple yet effective in- Kumar sahoo, dealers, staffs or HDFC Bank cashback of up to `7,000 using credit and debit card. Simhadri thermal station in With a total installed capacity of vestment technique to identify and customers of the town. Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. 66,900 MW, the NTPC group has 71 clean, well-managed Indian com- This is also the first solar project power stations, including 29 re- panies that have consistently gen- Motorola launches new Edge phones to be set up under the Flexibilisation also ensure that at least 46,000 newable projects. erated outsized returns for in- Adani Total Gas New Delhi: Motorola launched Made-in-India Edge 20 Scheme, notified by the Government tonnes of CO2e are kept at arm's NTPC has set a target to install vestors. and Edge 20 fusion. The Motorola edge20 is slimmest of India in 2018. length every year during the lifes- 60 gigawatts (GW) of renewable Based on research conducted acquires gas JV (6.99mm) and lightest (163gms) 5G smartphone. It The floating solar installation, pan of this project. energy capacity by 2032. It is also by the award-winning team at New Delhi: Adani Total Gas Ltd comes with the fastest smartphone refresh rate of which has a unique anchoring de- The project would also save 1,364 India's first energy company to de- Marcellus Investment Managers, - the city gas joint venture of 144Hz on a 10-bit HDR10+ AMOLED display, 108MP sign, is spread over 75 acres in an million litres of water per annum, clare its energy compact goals as the book, published by Penguin Adani Group and TotalEnergies Camera system with 30X Super Zoom and packs India’s first Qualcomm RW reservoir. The project has the which would be adequate to meet part of the UN High-level Dialogue Random House’s Penguin Business of France - has acquired 50 per Snapdragon 778G processor for powerhouse performance! The motorola potential to generate electricity the yearly water requirement of on Energy (HLDE). The group has imprint, uses case studies and cent stake in a company that Edge 20 fusion is equipped with a 108MP Quad function camera system, 10- from more than 1 lakh solar PV 6,700 households. The 2000MW coal- over 17 GW of capacity under con- charts to help readers learn the manufactures gas meters to bit AMOLED 90Hz display, True 5G with support for 13 global 5G bands, and modules. This would not only help based Simhadri station is the first struction, including 5 GW of re- art and science of investing in the aid its gas retailing business. exceptional performance with Mediatek Dimensity 800U chipset. light around 7,000 households, but power project to implement an newable energy projects. USD 3 trillion Indian stock market. The firm bought 50 per cent in Smartmeters Technologies Pvt Ltd (SMTPL) for `1 crore, according to a company’s filing to stock exchanges. Smartmeters, which had a Crude falls but no relief to consumers, petrol remains static turnover of `4.83 crore in the INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE same level (Rs 101.84 per litre) that next month by OPEC countries. year up to March 31, 2021, EVEN THOUGH GLOBAL CRUDE OIL manufactures gas meters. was reached on July 17. Diesel This could soften oil prices if there New Delhi, August 21: Fuel con- prices (now at `89.27 a litre) also re- PRICES HAVE FALLEN IN LAST is no big pickup in demand and sumers could have got over `2 per mained unchanged Saturday after COUPLE OF WEEKS THERE HAS US inventory levels remains stable," litre relief while filling up their three consecutive days of price BEEN NO COMMENSURATE CUT IN said an oil sector expert not will- PETROL AND DIESEL RATES IN ‘URJA’ enhances vehicle’s tank with petrol and diesel cut of 20 paise per litre each. ing to be named. INDIA digital experience but due to the reluctance of oil In the month of July, Indian If we see average price of Indian marketing companies to trust the basket crude has remained on an AS PER OIL INDUSTRY EXPERTS, basket of crude for past three New Delhi: Bharat Petroleum current softening of global oil average at $73.54 a barrel. But in EVERY $1 CHANGE IN CRUDE months things become clearer on Corporation Ltd (BPCL) has prices, it is not happening. August, based on global bench- NORMALLY AFFECTS RETAIL PRICE retail pricing of auto fuels. Crude developed an AI-enabled Even though global crude oil mark prices, crude has averaged OF PETROL AND DIESEL ROUGHLY averaged around $66.95 in May, chatbot, Urja - the first in the priced have fallen in last couple around $70.58 a barrel and the BY 45-50 PAISE A LITRE $71.98 in June and $73.54 in July. So country's oil and gas industry - of weeks to reach a level close to $65 average is expected to fall fur- the crude increased by around $6.5 to provide its customers an a barrel from a high of $77 reached ther in coming days as global oil a barrel in the last two months. interface for a seamless self- service experience and faster early last month, there has been no softens on pandemic related de- "The previous fortnight provided This as per calculations should

commensurate cut in petrol and mand concerns. opportunity to OMCs to cut retail have pushed up petrol and diesel

k y m resolution of queries/issues. c The chatbot is "an intelligent diesel rates in India. As per oil industry experts, every applied, retail price of petrol and Under daily price revision, OMCs fuel rates. However, they have cho- prices by about `3.50 per litre dur- virtual assistant with AI/NLP While petrol prices are static $1 change in crude normally af- diesel should have started falling revise petrol and diesel prices every sen to wait and watch as crude is ing the period. But, fuel prices (Natural Language Processing) for past 35 days, diesel prices have fects retail price of petrol and diesel from this week in India with OMCs morning benchmarking retail fuel still swinging on daily basis ris- during the period has gone by capabilities and trained on been cut only by 60 paise per litre roughly by 45-50 paise a litre with requiring to bring down rates by prices to a 15-day rolling average ing and falling consistently. Things more than `7 per litre giving the more than 600 use cases," the over last three days. Even on no major change in rupee-dollar ex- over `1.5-2 per litre in few days or of global refined products’ prices would get clearer when more crude OMCs all the more reason to cut company said in a statement. Saturday petrol remained at the change rate. If this calculation is at one go. and dollar exchange rate. starts entering the market from prices at least now. P12 SUNDAY | AUGUST 22 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR

Hesson named new head coach of Virat Kohli-led side after Katich steps down INDIAN ATHLETE FINISHES SECOND IN 10,000M RACE

WALK AT WORLD U-20

k k y y m m c Hasaranga joins RCB ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS c

have come at a better time during the replacement window, as we Tim David set to aim to continue with the momen- tum, building on our performance make IPL history from earlier this year,” he added. NEW DELHI: The second phase of the When asked, if Hasaranga’s se- 14th edition of IPL will feature a ries winning-seven wickets in three Singapore cricketer for the first time T20 Internationals against India in- as Royal Challengers Bangalore have cluding best figures of 4/9, prompted roped in freelance T20 sensation Tim RCB to select the leg-break bowler, David, who has made a name for Hesson said it’s one of the reason himself across leagues in the world. but not the only reason. While he is of Australian descent, “It’s certainly not a recency fac- the 6 feet 5 inch tall David currently tor and we certainly not surprised plays international cricket for by his success in recent times. We Singapore and he brings with him a like his skill-set. We like the fact that novelty factor in Virat Kohli’s team. he is multi-skilled cricketer and Since ICC has accorded T20I status offers to bat deep as well if we plan to all its 106 member nations, David WANINDU HASARANGA to play an overseas spinner along has played 14 T20I with 558 runs in with Chahal. his kitty at a strike rate of 158 plus. “That gives us an exciting option. Overall, he has played 49 T20 games, factoring in his appearances in the The fact that he performed against BBL and PSL with a tally of 1171 runs India is great but not surprising at at a strike rate of 155 plus. all,” the former Black Caps coach said about Hasaranga, who has been on our radar for a long time. picked 33 wickets in 24 T20I games “If we needed a replacement at an economy rate of 6.56. last time, Wanindu would have “We have a scouting programme been the person, we would have MAKING A MARK: Amit Khatri in action during the men’s 10,000m race walk event in Nairobi that has been in place for at least called upon,” he explained. last two years. We know every The RCB media person deflected player is playing cricket at a decent questions on star Indian players, level. We have an extensive scout- which were not sent across to ing programme and Wanindu has Hesson. SILVER LINING FOR AMIT

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA will now double up as team’s chief MIKE HESSON PRESS TRUST OF INDIA of 42:26.11 minutes. coach Chandan Singh said Khatri’s coach as well. The Rohtak lad rued that he Kenyan rival had the advantage New Delhi, August 21: Sri Lanka The Indian players, support staff Nairobi, August 21: Amit Khatri could not produce his personal as he knows the local high altitude leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, and the team management will be won a silver in men’s 10,000m race best of 40:40.97 which he had conditions. who played a pivotal role in his assembling in Bangalore August 21 walk event to clinch India’s sec- recorded while winning gold dur- “I feel Amit could have won the team's T20 series win against a de- following which the team will un- ond medal at the World U-20 ing the Federation Cup Junior gold but the high altitude conditions pleted Indian side, has been picked dergo a seven-day quarantine. Athletics Championship here National Championships in had affected him. The Kenyan was by Royal Challengers Bengaluru They will also undergo Covid Saturday. January. training in those home conditions (RCB), which maintained its trend tests thrice days during the pe- The 17-year-old Khatri, the na- The high altitude conditions in and it was advantageous to him. of picking players who do well riod. The team will then depart tional record holder and world U- the Kenyan capital had affected “Amit was leading for most against ‘Men In Blue’. via a chartered flight from 20 season leader, clocked 42 minute Khatri’s performance as he strug- part of the race but the Kenyan Along with the world number Bangalore August 29. The other 17.94 seconds to finish second be- gled for breath during the race. took a sudden lead around one and two T20 bowler Hasaranga, who international players and staff will hind Kenya’s Heristone Wanyoni Nairobi is at an altitude of around half laps to go. Amit could not an- replaced Adam Zampa, RCB also assemble in the UAE starting (42:10.84) on the fourth and penul- 1800m from sea level. ticipate that and could not catch picked Sri Lankan pacer August 29 onwards. There will be timate day of the championships. “It is not the result I expected but up him up,” Chandan told this Dushmantha Chameera who re- another six days of quarantine in The mixed 4x400m relay team had I am happy with the silver medal. agency from Army Sports placed Daniel Sams of Australia. the UAE. won a bronze on the first day of Even though I came here five days Institute in Pune. Big Bash Sensation Tim David will “We have made some changes to competitions Wednesday. before the event to acclimatise, the Chandan, who has been with come in as replacement of New the squad pertaining to the situa- Khatri was leading after the high altitude affected me,” Khatri Khatri since 2018, said he had put Zealand’s Finn Allen. tion. We have come a long way and 9000m mark but the local athlete said after his race. “At some point his ward for high altitude train- The franchise also informed that have shown steady progress as a Wanyoni pulled ahead with less in the race, I would not breath ing for five months last year in their head coach Simon Katich team,” Hesson said. than two laps left in the race to properly but I am happy with the Nainital and Mukteshwar in has stepped down from his post “The addition of Wanindu win gold with a personal best silver medal,” he added. Uttarakhand after it became known due to “personal reasons” and Hasaranga, Tim David and time. Paul McGrath of Spain It was also the youngster’s first that Nairobi will host the World U- Director of Cricket Mike Hesson Dushmantha Chameera couldn’t won the bronze with a timing international competition. His 20 Championships. India chess bodies end Raja in contention to become PCB chairman PRESS TRUST OF INDIA “Rameez appears to be the ideal candidate as he is well educated, Karachi, August 21: Former well-versed, and has international feud; announce merger Pakistan Test captain and renowned contacts due to his long years as a commentator Rameez Raja’s name commentator. He has also remained is doing rounds to replace Ehsan CEO of the board in the past and PRESS TRUST OF INDIA development of chess and all the too, with two different bodies – Mani as chairman of the Pakistan only left due to his time pressing chess players in the country,” UP Chess Association and UP Cricket Board (PCB). commitments,” the source noted. Lucknow, August 21: Putting Kapoor was quoted as saying in a Chess Sports Association – at log- Raja didn’t respond to calls and Apparently Imran Khan, himself an end to internal fighting, the press release. gerheads in the state. messages but media reports said a former captain under whom All-India Chess Federation and “Like other federations, we too “This has been a long-running that Prime Minister Imran Khan, Rameez played and was part of the the breakaway Chess Association are struggling to organise our an- feud and as I myself am from who is also patron-in-chief of the 1992 World Cup, feels it is time a for- of India Saturday announced that nual events and championships Kanpur, I believed it was my duty board has decided against giving mer player ran the cricket affairs they have merged into one single due to the Covid pandemic and to resolve this problem on a pri- him extension after his term ends in the country. entity to administer the sport in could not afford to let our internal ority. Today, I am happy to an- in August. Another source said Ehan Mani the country. differences derail the sport even nounce that both the groups are “In the next few days, the PM will had also expressed reluctance to AICF president of Sanjay more,” he added. here,” Kapoor said. send two names to the PCB’s gov- continue for another term due to Kapoor said that the warring fac- AICF secretary Bharat Singh UP Chess Association presi- erning board for the chairman’s health issues. The government and tions, not only at the national level Chauhan said, “Once we formed dent P C Chaturvedi (IAS Retd), Sr election and the members will elect two candidates for the prestigious a senior bureaucrat had been men- board have already appointed a re- but also in various states, have the new body, one of our first goals Vice President of Chess one of them as the chairman,” a position but nothing was confirmed tioned as the two candidates for tired judge, Azmat Sheikh as the now come together under the um- was to address all the concerns of Association of India SL Harsh, source in the PCB confirmed. as yet. the chairmanship but now appar- election commissioner to conduct brella of the federation. every member and bring everybody and Secretary General of Chess He said while they were hearing The source said initially the ently the PM had decided to go for the election process for the chair- “I have personally had several together for the sake of the sport.” Association of India and Secretary, the name of Rameez as one of the names of Mani and Asad Ali Khan, a former captain. man’s post. rounds of talks with all the stake- Apart from the wrangling at UP Chess Association SK Tewari holders and have brought every- the national level, chess has suf- were all present at the press con- body on the same platform for the fered a great deal in Uttar Pradesh ference. Icardi’s injury could impact City, Liverpool script victories flight after a 0-3 loss to Liverpool last weekend. Di Maria helps PSG seal win Messi’s debut Earlier in the day, Liverpool ASSOCIATED PRESS marked their first game in front ASSOCIATED PRESS of a capacity crowd at Anfield in Paris, August 21: Paris Saint- nearly 18 months by beating Burnley, Brest (France), August 21: Paris Germain forward Mauro Icardi with goals by Diogo Jota and Sadio Saint-Germain survived a scare was due for a scan Saturday after Mane earning their team a second without Neymar and Lionel Messi injuring his right shoulder in a straight win to open the season. before beating Brest 4-2 and ex- French league game against Brest. Jota, who scored the first goal tending their winning start in the The Argentina international was in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory at Norwich French league to three games. substituted late in PSG’s 4-2 victory last weekend, glanced in a header Substitute Angel Di Maria Friday Friday night after landing on his off a cross by left back Konstantinos sealed the victory on a counterat- shoulder. He was grimacing as he left Tsimikas in the 18th minute in front tack in injury time just when it the field for the locker room. PSG of The Kop. Mane struck home a looked like Brest might score an coach Mauricio Pochettino told powerful, low shot from a central po- equaliser to claim a point against French media he hoped it’s just a sition from Trent Alexander- the star-studded visitors. scare but “it doesn’t look good.” Arnold’s deft pass in the 69th. Though Neymar and Messi If Icardi is ruled out for next City bounced back from a 0-1 weren’t ready for the game, PSG still week, it could accelerate the loss at Tottenham in the opening had the likes of Kylian Mbappé, timetable for Lionel Messi’s debut. round of the league season and Achraf Hakimi and Netherlands Messi hasn’t played since joining Jack Grealish wheels away in celebration after scoring his first goal for Man Grealish is already looking like midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum in from Barcelona. He missed a month City against Norwich; (inset) Diogo Joto (R) congratulates fellow scorer Sadio an integral member of Pep its starting line-up. of training after leading Argentina Mane after the latter’s goal against Burnley at the Anfield Guardiola’s team. Ander Herrera opened the scor- to the Copa America title July 10. Gabriel Jesus was impressive, ing in the 23rd minute when Brest’s He trained with the team last week ASSOCIATED PRESS cross by Gabriel Jesus flew across albeit against modest opposition, and defense could only half-clear but isn’t yet match fit. the face of the six-yard box. he set up the first two goals. Norwich Mbappe’s cross. Herrera returned Manchester, August 21: Jack That 22nd-minute goal made it labored in the second half as City the ball from the edge of the penalty Grealish scored his first goal since 2-0 for City, which went ahead via showed off its strength in depth. area with a volley that flew in off Angel Di Maria reacts after scoring against Brest; (inset) Ander Herrera a British-record USD 139 million an own-goal by Tim Krul when an After Laporte turned in a shot in the left post. celebrates his goal, Friday move to Manchester City in a 5-0 attempted clearance by Norwich de- the 64th following a ricochet from Mbappe capitalised on some win over Norwich helping the fender Grant Hanley smashed un- a corner he initially flicked on,

more poor defending to head the vis- Brest forward Irvin Cardona the 85th. Di Maria quashed the champions earn the first points of wittingly into the goalkeeper fol- Sterling scored the fourth goal

k k y y m m c c itors’ second goal in the 36th. But should have scored shortly before home fans’ hopes of a surprise re- their Premier League title defense, lowing a cross by Jesus. seven minutes later by tapping in Franck Honorat pulled one back for Idrissa Gueye got the visitors’ third sult with his late goal. Saturday – on a day that saw Aymeric Laporte and substi- a right-wing cross by Kyle Walker. Brest in the 42nd after Romain goal with a long-range effort in- Pochettino will be concerned Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0. tutes Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez completed the rout when Faivre found him in space with side the left post in the 72nd. about conceding two goals, however. The ball deflected in off the in- Mahrez added further goals after he was played through on goal by his heel, and the home team pushed Steve Mounie set up a frenetic fi- PSG have now conceded five in three side of the England midfielder’s left halftime, continuing Norwich’s Ruben Dias’ lofted pass and fin- for an equaliser in the second half. nale with Brest’s second goal in games for the first time since 2004. leg from close range after a driven tough start to their return to the top ished off the post.

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