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URVASHI’S ASPIRATION OWAISI EYES RAJASTHAN US AGENCIES HACKED Actor Urvashi Rautela has shared her AIMIM is keeping a strong vigil on 40 Hackers got into computers at the US Treasury Dept goals for the upcoming year on seats dominated by Muslims in the touching off a govt response involving the National Security Council social media LEISURE | P2 state TWO STATES | P7 INTERNATIONAL | P10

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 253 | www.orissapost.com BHUBANESWAR | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 | 2020 12 PAGES | `4.00 IRREGULAR by MANJUL Lingaraj ordinance cleared STATE CABINET OKAYS AN ORDINANCE FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF LINGARAJ TEMPLE IN THE CAPITAL CITY

POST NEWS NETWORK TREAT FOR JAJPUR & PURI

Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: Keeping the n Tenders for a new medical college at promise made by Chief Minister Naveen Jajpur and a teaching hospital at Puri Patnaik, the state Cabinet Monday de- also get Cabinet nod ` cided to implement new law for better n The 100-seat and 500-bed medical 5L compensation for Are you sure you want to order that? management of Lingaraj temple here, You could be punished for anti-party college at Jajpur will be constructed through ordinance route. ` activities. That is protestors’ food! with a total cost of 426.51 crore While conducting an on-spot review custodial death victim n of Ekamra Kshetra heritage project The 650-bed teaching hospital for Odisha government sanctioned aid for person December 2, Naveen had promised new govt medical college at Puri will come up at a cost of `224.55 crore temple Sevayats to bring the Lingaraj allegedly killed in custody, HC told Two cops held Temple Act “soon”. The Cabinet cleared AGENCIES the ordinance within 12 days of the ical college at Jajpur will be constructed for hunting request from the Sevayats. with a total cost of `426.51 crore. Cuttack, Dec 14: The Puri po- Briefing media persons, Finance Similarly, the panel approved ten- lice Monday informed Orissa inside Simlipal minister Niranjan Pujari said, “Shri der for construction of 650-bed teach- High Court that the state gov- Lingaraj temple has elaborate and ex- ing hospitals for new government med- ernment has sanctioned `5 POST NEWS NETWORK haustive rituals and Seva-puja like ical college at Puri with a cost of `224.55 lakh as interim compensa- Denying the allegations Shri Jagannath temple, Puri. Presently, “The temple administration will be ders for construction of a new medical crore. Both the works have been given tion to the family of the per- made in the rejoinder affi- Baripada, Dec 14: In a case of the management of the Lingaraj tem- further empowered and strengthened college at Jajpur and a teaching hospital to Larsen & Toubro Ltd and targeted son who was allegedly killed davit of petitioner Sarat fence eating crops, two policemen ple is governed under the Odisha Hindu by this new law to more effectively ex- at Puri. The 100-seat and 500-bed med- to complete within three years. in custody by the district po- Kumar Rayguru, who had were arrested for allegedly hunt- Religious Endowment Act, 1951. As ecute the elaborate rituals and Seva-Puja lice as per the HC’s order. filed a PIL, the SP informed ing barking deer inside Simlipal the Endowment Commission is look- as well as administration or manage- Puri superintendent of po- that all procedural steps for National Park here, Monday. ing after management of all temples of ment of the affairs of the temple.” Process begins for reopening places of worship lice(SP) Kanwar Vishal Singh inquiry into the death are The Forest department officials Odisha, it is unable to give special at- With this new law, the management BHUBANESWAR: After being closed for in a counter affidavit informed being scrupulously followed arrested the cops for hunting in- tention to the temple. Therefore, it is of the Lingaraj temple and its properties about nine months due to COVID-19 the HC that the parents of K as per the guidelines of side the restricted area of the considered important to enact a special will be governed by a Committee. An outbreak, the Odisha government Monday Ramesh, the dead person, are National Human Rights park. The arrested cops have been Lingaraj Temple Ordinance for this IAS officer will be appointed as ad- said the process for reopening religious not in police custody or in Commission (NHRC). The identified as Purnachandra Madhei purpose.” ministrator to look after day to day af- institutions has started, a top official said. any forced confinement and NHRC has registered a case and Hemanta Mohanty, attached The Shri Lingaraj Temple Ordinance, fairs of the temple. The ordinance will Following decline in single-day COVID-19 there are no allegations that in this connection and has to Sahadevkhunta police station 2020 aims to provide for vesting of the also empower the Committee to safe- positive cases, the authorities are now they have been subjected to appointed special rapporteur as constables. management of the affairs of temple guard the properties of the temple. mulling reopening of religious places for any misbehaviour, ill treat- (East zone) Vinod Aggarwal, Acting on a tip- and its properties including temples sit- That apart, the government recently devotees, he said. District Collectors have ment or threatening. a retired IAS officer to make The arrested off, a team of uated within its premises, other tem- proposed to undertake several devel- been empowered to take a decision to open Any assertions to the con- a visit to the place of the in- cops are Forest depart- ples, sacred places and mutts in a opmental works for all-round devel- the religious places in their respective trary are not substantiated cident, enquire and submit identified as districts after discussing with stakeholders and putting standard operating ment officials Committee for better administration and opment of the shrine. and do not appear to be cor- a report within four weeks, the Purnachandra procedures (SOPs) in place, Chief Secretary AK Tripathy informed in a tweet. Madhei and conducted raids governance, he said. The Cabinet has also approved ten- rect, the affidavit said. SP’s affidavit said. Hemanta inside the park Mohanty, and caught the constables in cops in action Sahadevkhunta while hunting a 2 mn CCP agents ‘embedded’ Farmer leaders police station female barking GUIDELINES FOR COVID deer. The officials go on day-long also seized a gun and a knife from in big corps across the world their possession. In order to check The data was extracted from a server in Shanghai in 2016 by VACCINE DRIVE OUT hunger strike poaching inside the park, five teams have been formed that have Chinese dissidents, who used it for counterintelligence purposes AGENCIES been conducting raids. Notably, COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network system—a digitalised platform—will be in September this year, six poach- AGENCIES New Delhi, Dec 14: Leaders of ers were arrested while trying to used to track enlisted beneficiaries for the vaccination on a real-time basis around 32 farmer unions observed attempt to kill wild animals in- New Delhi/Canberra, Dec 14: AGENCIES a day-long hunger strike at Delhi’s side Simlipal National Park. Around two million Chinese Singhu border Monday to protest Communist Party (CCP) members New Delhi, Dec 14: Vaccinating 100- against the Centre’s new farm who got secretly embedded in some 200 people in each session per day, laws. MARKET WATCH of the world’s biggest companies, monitoring them for 30 minutes The unions claimed that demon- banks, media groups, universities of its kind in the world,” ‘The after administering the shots for any strations were also held at various INDEX VARIATION and government agencies, have Australian’ journalist and ‘Sky adverse event and allowing only district headquarters across the been exposed. News’ host Sharri Markson said. one beneficiary at a time are among country. SENSEX 46253.46 154.45 ‘The Australian’ newspaper ob- “What’s amazing about this data- the guidelines issued by the Centre The hunger strike began at 8 am tained the leaked database which base is not just that it exposes peo- for the COVID-19 inoculation drive. and ended at 5 pm even as talks

BOURSES NIFTY 13558.20 44.30 apart from the names of ple who are members of According to the guidelines issued with the government remained around two million CCP the Communist Party, to states recently, the COVID Vaccine inconclusive. DOLLAR 73.84 `0.20 members, has their party and who are now living Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) sys- The unions claimed that more EURO 89.49 `0.05 position, birth-date, na- and working all over the tem—a digitalised platform—will people are expected to join the on- CURRENCY tional ID number and It is also going to world, from Australia to be used to track enlisted benefici- going agitation, which entered GOLD `48,954 `370 ethnicity. embarrass some the US to the UK, but it’s aries for the vaccination and anti- Operational Guidelines’, all meas- nators from using the vaccine. At the third week. Among the companies amazing because it lifts coronavirus vaccines on a real- ures should be taken to avoid ex- the end of the session, the vaccine United Farmers’ Front said SILVER `63,814 `79 global companies who BULLION mentioned in the list are appear to have no the lid on how the party time basis. At the vaccination site, posing the vaccine carrier, vaccine carrier with all ice packs and un- leaders also observed a two minute- manufacturers such as plan in place to operates under President only pre-registered beneficiaries vials or ice packs to direct sun- opened vaccine vials should be sent silence over the alleged deaths of Boeing and Volkswagen, protect their and Chairman Xi will be vaccinated in accordance light, the document stated. back to the distributing cold chain over 20 protesters at Delhi bor- WEATHER pharmaceutical compa- intellectual property Jinping,” she added. with the prioritisation, and there Vaccines and diluents should be point,” the guidelines said. ders in last 18 days. nies like Pfizer and from theft, and Around 79,000 CCP will be no provision for on the-spot kept inside the vaccine carrier with “The latest electoral roll for Lok BHUB CTK AstraZeneca, and banks economic espionage branches have been set registrations. the lid closed until a beneficiary Sabha and Legislative Assembly MAX 30.4° 31.2° like ANZ and HSBC. As SHARRI MARKSON | up inside western com- The states have been asked, as far comes to the centre for vaccina- election will be used to identify the per the documents, AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST panies where members, as possible, to allocate the vaccine tion. population aged 50 years or more,”

TEMP MIN 19.4° 17.2° Forecast around 600 people at if called on, are an- from one manufacturer to a dis- “There may not be vaccine vial the guidelines stated. Humidity 98% 88% HSBC, Standard Chartered banks swerable directly to the Communist trict to avoid mixing of different monitors (VVM) and Date of Expiry Under phase one of the vacci- Fog or mist are CCP members. Party and President Xi himself, COVID-19 vaccines in the field. on the label of COVID-19 vaccine, nation, it is planned to vaccinate Rainfall Nil Nil in the morning “It is believed to be the first leak the reports said. As per the ‘COVID-19 Vaccine this should not discourage vacci- nearly 30 crore population. `6Kcr-worth 7th weekly loan Was the 1975-Emergency ‘unconstitutional’? instalment released to states SC SEEKS CENTRE’S RESPONSE ON PLEA SEEKING EMERGENCY TO BE DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL REASON: TO MEET THE GST COMPENSATION SHORTFALL

AGENCIES Emergency of 1975 was unconstitu- POST NEWS NETWORK `1,746.13 crore has been raised tional would be feasible or desirable after through special window and passed n Advocate Harish New Delhi, Dec 14: The Supreme a passage of 45 years. New Delhi, Dec 14: The Union on to Odisha so far to meet GST com- Salve, Court Monday agreed to examine a The plea said that the petitioner is government has released seventh pensation shortfall. The Union gov- representing plea by a 94-year-old woman to declare aggrieved by the trauma and harass- weekly instalment of `6,000 crore ernment has also allowed `2,858 petitioner Veena Sarin, wants a the 1975 Emergency proclamation as ment faced by herself and her family as back-to-back loans to states, in- crore additional borrowings to declaration that unconstitutional and sought a response including her deceased husband dur- cluding Odisha, to meet the GST state of Odisha to meet GST com- the Emergency from the Centre. ing the period beginning June 1975 compensation shortfall. pensation shortfall to help them was Senior advocate Harish Salve, rep- upon the declaration of Emergency. According to the Finance min- in mobilising additional financial unconstitutional resenting petitioner Veena Sarin, sub- Citing the order passed by the then istry, out of `6,000 crore, an amount resources. mitted before a bench headed by Justice President of India under Article 358 and of `5,516.60 crore has been released Significantly, the Union gov- n The top court Sanjay Kishan Kaul that his client 359 of the Constitution, the plea ar- to 23 states and `483.40 crore has ernment had set up a special bor- agrees to examine wants a declaration that the Emergency gued that the freedoms guaranteed been released to the three Union rowing window in October this whether a was unconstitutional. under Article 19 of the Constitution and Territories (UT) with Legislative year to meet the estimated short- declaration that The bench observed that Emergency the rights of citizens to move any court Assembly (Delhi, Jammu & fall of `1.10 lakh crore in revenue y Emergency of was an abuse and something happened, for enforcement of their fundamen- Kashmir and Pondicherry) who arising on account of implemen-

1975 was which should not have had happened. year olds are hauled up for crimes. “In matter how high you are, you will be tal rights remained suspended till the are members of the GST Council. tation of GST. The Finance ministry

k y m c unconstitutional Salve said people were under de- nascent stage of our democracy, rights held accountable. withdrawal of Emergency. The remaining five states Arunachal informed that the borrowings are would be feasible tention for months. “If history is not were suspended for 19 months,” said Justice Kaul replied what will this The petitioner submitted that her hus- Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, being done through this window by or desirable after corrected, then it repeats itself,” he Salve. take us to? band and she were compelled to leave Nagaland and Sikkim do not have the Union government on behalf of a passage of 45 added. Salve said this is a matter of con- After a detailed hearing into the the country for fear of being thrown a gap in revenue on account of the states and UTs. years Salve submitted that today even war- stitutional debate. He added that prin- matter, the top court agreed to exam- into jail on the whims and wishes of the GST implementation. The borrowings have been done crime issues are considered and 90 ciples must be laid down so that no ine whether a declaration that government authority. The Finance ministry said in seven rounds. P2 WONDER WOMAN 1984 IS ABOUT NEETU SUPER EXCITED ABOUT HER TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR COMPLICATED TRUTH: GAL GADOT ACTION-PACKED HOLLYWOOD FILM Hollywood star Gal Gadot feels her upcoming Actress Neetu Chandra is thrilled about her superhero film, Wonder Woman 1984, is a upcoming Hollywood film, Never Back Down: Revolt. reflection of many realities, and says it is a Directed by Kellie Madison, the film is the fourth story about truth. “This film is about truth, instalment in the Never Back Down franchise. The y leisure which sounds simple but is, in many ways, first film had released in 2008. Never Back Down:

Revolt also stars Olivia Popica and Diana Hoyos.

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FORTUNE FORECAST Neena’s idea URVASHI of perfect date ARIES You experience a sense Mumbai: Actress Neena Gupta of freedom today. And in says her version of a perfect this mood you feel like date is one where she can eat doing all the things that and drink anything she likes. you loved to do in your childhood. It is a “(My idea of a perfect date nice time to take your family on an out- reveals her ing, says Ganesha. Given your mood, you is) That someone will take me may start planning for the future of your to a very beautiful place for a loved ones. candle light dinner and we could talk about many things. TAURUS I should be able to order what 2021 goals I want to eat or drink. That’s Ganesha sees you happily my ideal perfect date!” Neena engaged in attending to day to day affairs. The Mumbai: Actress Urvashi Rautela She shared another picture in the Glimpse on how Varun said. day will turn out to be a has announced her same outfit and wrote: “Current The actress also opened up hectic one. Do not expect too many time goals for the up- status: fearlessly unbothered by about generation gap, saying outs or even small breaks. Fortunately you coming year on the opinion of others. How might look in old age she believes that a beginning will not be too uncomfortable with your social media, much of your personality has to be made by both par- tight schedule and will feel as fresh and easy at cease work as you had been at the and it is all are you hiding because of ties. beginning of the day. about self love. a fear of other people’s Mumbai: Actor Varun “Today’s parents have been Urvashi judgement?” Dhawan Monday offered brought up a certain way and posted a portrait Urvashi recently fea- fans a glimpse of how it’s not very easy to change GEMINI picture on tured in a music video, he might look when he their mindset. But I think time You will receive unprece- Instagram, where Teri load ve, sung by grows old with a quirky has come when you have to dented love and affection she is seen smiling Singga, and composed post on social media. try and talk to them. You might from all your friends and at the camera by Tipu Sultan. She is now Varun shared three not succeed but the beginning family members today. It dressed in a saree. looking forward to the re- photos on his verified has to be made,” she said. is a good day to conduct important per- sonal or professional meetings. A lot of joy “Setting uncon- lease of her Telugu film Instagram account that show The actress will be seen hav- and happiness awaits, says Ganesha. ditional self-love Black Rose. him as a young boy, in his current age, and as ing a conversation about dat- as one of my 2021 IANS an old man with salt and pepper beard and ing in Bumble’s web show goals” she wrote grey hair, a look he created using photo-edit- Dating These Days. The show CANCER alongside the ing apps. He captioned the collage with a touch will also see stars such as Sanya Ganesha says that this image. of humour. “Life in isolation. Swipe right to see Malhotra, Kirti Kulhari, will be a unique and aus- me age,” he wrote. Sumukhi Suresh, Sushant picious day for you. You The actor was referring to the fact that he re- Divgikar, and Maanvi Gagroo will get clue and hints of cently tested positive for Covid-19 and is cur- opening up about various bar- this from morning itself. A religious cere- mony in the house, and thereby invita- rently living in isolation. Varun tested positive riers and challenges around tion to guests is indicated. The chance of while shooting for his upcoming film Jug Jugg dating. shifting to a new house is indicated. Jeeyo in Chandigarh. IANS IANS Ganesha expresses his best wishes.

LEO A fun-filled day awaits you. You will enjoy all Tips for a Christmas home makeover the activities that you take up today. At the Christmas Tree work-place too a progressive day It is important to have awaits you. You will be worried about a red-and-white colour Right from trimming the branches, the fruits of your labour, but they are to adding the trail of fairy lights likely to be sweeter than you thought code for furnishings around to adding the snow on the they will be , says Ganesha. and crockery at homes tree with gifts packed placed under the tree to topping it up with a bow, during this festival, Christmas tree decoration is the most VIRGO say the experts important element and can bring Today is a mixed bag that festive vibe to your interiors. of values and pragma- estive makeovers of your abode Personalisation tism, says Ganesha, can add a unique charm to your Everyone has different prefer- and if there were to be festivities and celebrations. ences, but Christmas is all about a competition for the most humanitarian F person, you would be likely to win hands With Christmas around the corner, bright colors especially red and white. down. You would do well to make plans decorate your home and recreate Some may enjoy glitter and shim- to increase your productivity. the Christmas and year-end warmth mer in their textiles. Depending on without breaking the bank. A representational image what catches your eye, you can match Here are a few tips from the experts all textiles according to your taste. LIBRA to give your home a Christmas sound of jingle bells? Add Sparkle nicely with an oversized ribbon and Colour combinations in the Christmas Ganesha says today you makeover. Christmas and glitter go hand in plain paper is a classic look for are the key this season. will wish to spend more Themed Furnishings hand. You can get glitter from can- Christmas decorations. Flowers And Fragrances time with your beloved Christmas decorations become dleholders, pinecones, swine glasses Christmas Colour Fragrances can be decided de- instead of your friends. super fun when you place cushions or using sparkly ribbon as decor el- It’s super important to play with pending on the textiles in your room This is a good day to express your inner- around with sparkles and person- ements around the Christmas trees. colour to get festive decor right. Let and what helps lift and bring up the most feelings and get varied opportuni- ties. This is a good time to propose to alised messages. You can also add Wrap Some Gifts the colour code be red and white for mood and flowers can really help your beloved and give them a happy sur- red and white color socks filled with Presence of wrapped presents your furnishings, crockery or little amp up the place and add some life prise. Ganesha showers you with his candies to your decor. How about around makes your house feel like more fun elements spread around to it, giving your home a great blessings always. adding wind chimes with the soft Christmas. Simple boxes packed to make it an occassion to remember. makeover for the season.

SCORPIO The grey strands on your SUDOKU head is not just a colour, but speaks about your PEANUTS post To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, experiences. Your wisdom CROSSWORD column and box must contain the numbers will make you take appropriate decisions 0 to 9 and the letters A to E. at work. Ganeshji warns you to stay away from courtrooms and legal issues, or the trap may leave a deep scar.

SAGITTARIUS Dressed to kill – this phrase is enough to describe you today, says Ganesha. Decked up from head to toe in chic attire and classy jewellery, you make a bold statement. Like a magnet, you will attract attention at a party. Don't get surprised if your list of admirers becomes longer.

CAPRICORN CALVIN AND HOBBES Generally, it is difficult for you to maintain a cool head over your shoulders, especially during the stressful times. But, to every- one's surprise, you will display remark- able composure while dealing with chal- SOLUTIONS lenges today, feels Ganesha. Family life will be smooth and it will enable you to fully concentrate on you career and increasing your efficiency level.

AQUARIUS Most of the time it is your way or no other way, especially when you charging towards your goal. Today, you will push your limits to BREVITY CROSSWORD achieve what you have desired. You are talented, hard working, creative, and icing on the cake is your luck which is favouring you big time.

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k y m You are likely to feel a lot c of tension and stress today. You will feel down owing to some disagree- ment with someone or due to some unfath-

omable reason. Even that special someone CHECK FOR SOLUTIONS OF THE PUZZLES TOMORROW SUDOKU will be unable to chase away your blues. COVID-19 TRACKER P3 LENDING SUPPORT TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR INFECTED RECOVERED DEAD People under the aegis of ‘Naba World 7,28,00,110 5,10,23,169 16,21,650 Nirman Krushak Sangathan’ demonstrate near Cuttack India 98,85,100 93,88,239 1,43,393 Collectorate, Monday, downtown supporting the ongoing Odisha 3,24,089 3,19,458 1,811

farmers’ agitation

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Relief from cold wave Oppn tears into govt over missing children CB nabs 4 accused as mercury rises POST NEWS NETWORK OPPOSITION BJP AND CONG STAGED DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE THE OSCPCR OFFICE ALLEGING in Infocity rape case Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: In a relief THE CHAIRPERSON HAS FAILED TO PROTECT THE MISSING CHILDREN INCLUDING ‘PARI’ AND ‘PIHU’ from cold wave condition, the night temperature increased by POST NEWS NETWORK BJP Mahila Morcha POST NEWS NETWORK Commission for Protection of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius across the Child Rights (OSPCR) in connec- state, Monday. According to Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: The op- activists tried to barge Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: The state tion with the case. She was sum- Bhubaneswar Meteorological position BJP and Congress ac- into the office of the Crime Branch (CB) has arrested moned by the commission for ap- Centre, Daringbadi and Phulbani tivists Monday gheraoed the Odisha four persons in connection with pearance December 14, 2020. towns, which were witnessing State Commission for Protection OSCPCR and raised the alleged minor girl rape case in Panda had been summoned below 10 degrees Celsius for last of Child Rights (OSCPCR) office slogans against the Infocity area here during the lock- twice by the CB and OSCPCR in few days, have recorded a mini- here over the alleged kidnap and down. the last couple of months. The mum temperature of 12 degrees murder of a five-year-old Nayagarh chairperson The CB officials arrested victim minor’s mother was a re- Celsius each. girl ‘Pari’. Anirudhha Panda from Gop area in ceptionist at the office of the tel- The night temperature at The members of BJP Mahila Jajpur district who was missing Puri and Krushna Chandra Behera evision channel. Panda had al- Sundargarh and Koraput stood Morcha tried to barge into the of- for the last four months. Though the from Chandnichowk area in legedly tried to suppress the at 13 and 13.2 degrees Celsius re- fice of the OSCPCR and raised slo- body of Pari was recovered, the ac- Cuttack. Similarly, two security incident after victim’s mother spectively. Angul recorded a min- gans against the chairperson al- cused was not arrested so for.” guards, who were allegedly involved complained to her. imum temperature of 14.8 degrees leging she has failed to protect The OSCPCR should investigate in rape case, were arrested from The victim had also accused Celsius while it was above 15 de- children of Odisha including ‘Pari’. all these cases and give justice to the Kalinga Nagar area in Jajpur and one police official of sexually grees at the remaining places of They also sought information from missing children and their fami- Capital city here late Sunday night. abusing her. However, the Crime Odisha. the chairperson about other miss- BJP activists gherao the OSCPCR office in Bhubaneswar, Monday lies, he said. Earlier, the Orissa High Court, Branch is yet to arrest the ac- There will be no significant ing children in the state. Stating that every family in while hearing a PIL in this regard, cused police official, said the tel- change in minimum temperature “We have come here to seek data asked Rashmirekha Das, a protest- ernment has done precious little the state is now in a state of shock had expressed displeasure over the evision channel’s officials. and it will be above normal by 2- regarding the missing 5,000 chil- ing BJP activist. except for suspending the Nayagarh following series of missing chil- snail-paced investigation. Director Meanwhile, DGP Abhay stated 3 degrees over the districts of dren in the state. During her visit Similarly, Congress members IIC?” Congress leader Bijaylaxmi dren cases, the Congress leader General of Police (DGP) Abhay that none would be spared if found Odisha during next 3-4 days, the to Nayagarh, the OSCPCR chair- also staged a demonstration out- Sahoo asked. said, has also personally appeared before adequate evidence. Met centre said. person Sandhyabati Pradhan had side the office of Commission, de- Former MP and senior Congress “They are afraid of allowing the HC last month to present the de- Meanwhile, the four accused However, shallow to moderate made an attempt to shield minister manding justice to the families of leader Pradeep Majhi also ques- their children to go outside. What tailed progress of the probe into the were produced in a POCSO court fog is very likely to occur at one Arun Sahoo, who is allegedly in- Pari and other missing kids. tioned the government inaction the police and the government rape case. here which heard the bail pleas and or two places of Koraput, volved in Pari murder case. On “Though four months have passed over the cases of missing children. are doing? What is the role of Meanwhile, OTV managing di- posted the pronouncement of the Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi which basis, you termed ‘Pari’ mur- to Pari incident, the police have not “I want to ask the government SCPCR in the protection of chil- rector Jagi Mangat Panda ap- judgement to December 18. The ac- and Boudh districts, Wednesday der as an act of human sacrifice?” arrested any of the accused. The gov- where is ‘Pihu’, a minor girl of dren?” peared before the Odisha State cused were sent to judicial custody. morning, it said. Impersonator arrested Bhubaneswar: Commissionerate Police Monday SC notice to state, arrested a person for allegedly trying to extort money pretending himself as an income tax officer. Welcoming The accused has been identified as Umakanta Rout, Lingaraj 59, a resident of Haladiapada under Biridi police Centre over mining limits in Jagatsinghpur district. According to Temple sources, Rout introduced himself as an I-T official and demanded Rs 10,000 from one Debasish ordinance Patnaik, a businessman in order to halt a raid on his in dense forests firm. Rout reportedly warned of dire consequences if Patnaik failed to comply with his instructions. Devotees lit POST NEWS NETWORK joint study of Ministry of Patnaik later lodged a complaint with Kharavel earthen lamps Environment and Forests and Nagar police in this regard. Police Monday arrested near Lingaraj New Delhi, Dec 14: The Supreme Ministry of Coal. Rout after registering a case (167/20) under rele- Temple in Court, Monday, issued notice to The petitioner also submitted vant sections of IPC. Rout is also involved in five Bhubaneswar, the Union government, Odisha and that in 10 coal blocks of Odisha other cases of cheating. Monday, other states in a public interest lit- listed for auction, only one block welcoming the igation (PIL) filed against mining Phuljhari East and West had been state Cabinet’s in densely forested and eco-sensi- classified as ‘NOGO’ area. He alleged Rally over RTI activist’s death approval for the tive zones of the country. that Odisha has not red-flagged Bhubaneswar: Right to Information (RTI) activists much-awaited A three-judge bench of the apex this auction yet as most of its from across the state under the banner Odisha ordinance court headed by Chief Justice SA ‘NOGO’ blocks have not been in- Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan, Monday, took out a for better rally here demanding the arrest of people responsi- management of Under scanner the affairs of the ble for the alleged killing of RTI activist Ranjan The petitioner The petitioner pleaded the court Kumar Das of Kendrapara in February. The activists 11th century contended that to quash auction of 14 coal demanded that the government should probe the shrine the Centre has blocks situated in dense forests role of an influential political leader in the murder OP PHOTO auctioned several which were classified as ‘NOGO’ of the activist.The police had a scuffle with the coal blocks situat- by a joint study of Ministry of activists who were trying gherao Naveen Niwas, ed in densely Environment and Forests and the Chief Minister’s residence here. forested areas Ministry of Coal while many blocks Activist Sudeip Shrivastava situated in less sought framing of guidelines to forested areas are deal with forest clearance pro- lying in abun- posals for coal mining in dense- BMC’s thrust on online complaint redressal dance ly forested areas POST NEWS NETWORK The civic body has people about the application and were either taken cognizance in- Bobde also issued notice to cluded. website,” said a senior BMC official. stantly or in a day or two. The on- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, The petitioner further sought Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: Owing to decided to fully As per the data provided by the line platform works in coordination Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, framing of guidelines to deal with the outbreak of Covid-19 and strict transform BMC, earlier the application used with different departments to view Jharkhand and West Bengal in the forest clearance proposals for coal social distancing norms, to receive 80 complaints on a daily complaints and designate work to PIL filed by activist Sudeip mining in densely forested areas. Bhubaneswar Municipal ‘Bhubaneswar basis. From the day of its launch, field workers so that they get re- Shrivastava. He said such clearance could be Corporation (BMC) has decided to One’ into a proper the app had received about 18,900 solved without delay,” the officer The petitioner contended that considered unless all the other redress grievances online. complaints out of which 16,200 had added. the Centre has auctioned several available deposits of the said min- The civic authority’s grievance grievance been resolved. While most of the Moreover, the figures also sug- coal blocks situated in densely eral were exhausted. cell running from its office prem- addressing platform complaints were related to street gested that all complaints related to forested areas while many blocks He sought a direction to the ises had been a popular mode of lighting, others include sanitation, sewerage have been resolved till situated in less forested areas are Union government to classify each intimating various complaints. cal awareness. the Covid-induced lockdowns and sewage and stray cattle. date. It can be mentioned that the lying in abundance. mineral deposit in terms of their Even though BMC had launched “We have decided to fully trans- social distancing norms discour- “Most of the issues such as stray civic authority has recently received The petitioner pleaded the court environmental forest value and an online portal – Bhubaneswar form ‘Bhubaneswar One’ into a aged people to visit the office prem- cattle and lighting were resolved im- an ISO certification for sewerage to quash auction of 14 coal blocks allow mining only in those min- One – in 2018, it got lesser atten- proper grievance addressing plat- ises for their resolution of their is- mediately. Other complaints such management and was the only sec- situated in dense forests which eral deposits where the damage to tion owing to lack of technologi- form. The decision was taken after sues. We will also be educating as lifting of garbage and littering ond country in world to do so. were classified as ‘NOGO’ by a environment would be the least. Panigrahi seeks HC nod ENERGY CONSERVATION WEEK to meet lawyer in jail ECoR to have fully electrified routes by March

Akash Pathak has finally POST NEWS NETWORK an initiative to replace the exist- ZERO CARBON ing florescent based system with confessed during Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: East Coast energy efficient LED lights in office interrogation that he Railway (ECoR) observed Energy EMISSION TARGET building, railway stations, work- Conservation Week from December shops and sheds, residential colonies was never an employee 8 to 14 during which it was revealed ECoR has 96.6 per With addition of and others on a mission mode. of TATA Motors that the railway zone would be- cent of electrified 1,140km electrified With the provision of LED come fully electrified by March track out of routes in last five lights, altogether 2.4 MW of con- next year. 2,708-km routes years under the ECoR, nected load has been reduced. POST NEWS NETWORK Meanwhile, sources in the Crime A rally was organised in all three and the remaining 71.75 per cent goods The provision of LED lights has Branch revealed that Akash has divisions to spread awareness about 105-km routes are and 80.80 per cent resulted in reduction in annual en- Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: Arrested finally confessed during interro- energy conservation. A webinar targeted for passenger traffic is ergy consumption by 10.4 million Gopalpur MLA Pradeep gation that he was never an em- was also organised to mark the en- completion in being hauled by units and reduction in emission 2020-21 electric traction Panigrahi Monday moved the ployee of TATA Motors. The sleuths ergy conservation week. of carbon dioxide by 8,500 tonne Orissa High Court seeking per- Monday got him examined by crime ECoR has 96.6 per cent of elec- per annum. mission to meet his lawyer in psycho analysts. Akash has also trified track out of 2,708-km routes ECOR WILL HAVE 100MWP OF During 2019-20, 38 pairs of trains the jail. The jailed MLA’s lawyer moved court seeking bail. and the remaining 105-km routes are INSTALLED SOLAR POWER LEADING TO have been converted into head on Monday filed a writ petition be- Akash’s personal assistant David targeted for completion in 2020-21. REDUCTION OF CARBON EMISSION BY generation (HOG) system to sub- fore the HC in this regard. Peter also reportedly revealed many With this, ECoR will become a com- 96,000 TONNE PER ANNUM stitute the diesel which was used for Panigrahi was arrested by the important details regarding the pletely electrified zone by March generating electric energy for meet- Crime Branch sleuths for allegedly corrupt practices of the former. 2021. ing passenger amenity such as light- collecting money on behalf of Notably, officials of three pre- With addition of 1,140km elec- fied, entire traffic will be on electric rity and ecological security by re- based solar PV installations’ to the ing, ventilation and air condition- Akash Pathak, son of suspended mier investigating agencies, trified routes in last five years under traction. ducing carbon emission. ECoR has capacity of 86.5 MWp, to augment ing in the railway coaches. Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Enforcement Directorate, Vigilance the ECoR, 71.75 per cent goods and Provision of solar photovoltaic planned commissioning of solar renewal energy generation for meet- The HOG conversion of racks

Abhay Kant Pathak, from various department and Crime Branch, 80.80 per cent passenger traffic is plants on railway premises will re- plants on rooftops of various build- ing traction loads to the maximum has resulted in estimated saving of

k y m c job seekers. Akash, impersonat- have been investigating the trans- being hauled by electric traction. duce dependency on fossil fuel- ings, workshops, hospitals, railway extent. Once these solar plants are 7,800 kilo litres of diesel, amount- ing the managing director of TATA action of huge amount of money This has resulted in bringing down based electricity and help reduce stations totaling 13.5 MWp to sub- commissioned, ECoR will have ing to Rs 48 crore per annum. Motors, duped several youths from through the bank accounts of the consumption of diesel oil, reduction emission of carbon dioxide and stitute 20 per cent energy, for which 100MWp of installed solar power In addition, ECoR has initiated Gopalpur area on the pretext of Pathaks and Panigrahi. The lav- in direct emission and saving in other harmful gases. work is in progress. leading to reduction of carbon emis- a number of energy conservation providing them jobs in the auto- ish lifestyle of the father-son duo haulage cost. Once the remaining Thus, ECoR is focusing on solar Further, ECoR has identified 476 sion by 96,000 tonne per annum. programs to reduce energy con- mobile major. shocked the sleuths. sections and terminals are electri- energy for long-term energy secu- acres of land for installing ‘land- Since 2016, the ECoR has taken sumption by reducing wastage. P4 TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR downtown NANDANKANAN

TO WELCOME NZP BANS VEHICLES IN PREMISES, LOCALS SLAM MOVE

k y m POST NEWS NETWORK for Nandankanan. How can they the visitors and tourists as well. Movement of motor vehicles c MORE ANIMALS restrict us from using the zoo road Locals of both the villages have through the zoo has been adding to Barang, Dec 14: In order to curb on vehicles? Your [NZP] vehicles been using the zoo route to com- the pollution which in turn is harm- POST NEWS NETWOK pollution at Nandankanan Zoological won’t add to the pollution, but our mute for decades now as it was a ful for the zoo inmates. “Hence, Park (NZP) here, zoo authorities vehicles will! We urge the zoo au- shortcut road between the two vil- we’ve decided to ban movement of Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: A team of have decided to ban movement of ve- thorities to discuss the matter with lages,” said Rout, who is also chair- vehicles on the zoo premises,” said Nandankanan Zoological Park hicles on its premises. This, however, the duo village as it will help main- person of Nari Jagarana Mancha— Acharya. (NZP) has left for Kamla Nehru did not go down well with tain a healthy relation,” Routray an outfit for women— while urging About the commuting woes that Prani Sangrahalaya in Indore to Raghunathpur and Daruthenga vil- added. the zoo authorities to revisit the the Raghunathpur and Daruthenga bring nine animals to the zoo here. lagers as they now have to travel at Daruthenga resident Tapan decision. locals would certainly face owing to The exercise is part of an ani- least three more kilometres to reach Kumar Baliarsingh, condemned Young lawyer and a resident of the ban, the senior Forest official mal exchange programme under their place. the decision. “Our forefathers have Raghunathpur Suresh Chandra said, “There’s an alternative road, which more animals will be added Ritu Routray, former sarpanch of given land for Nandankanan. Rout warned to take the issue to though a bit lengthy. We seek active to the wildlife habitat of NZP. Daruthenga gram panchayat, talked Besides, we, as locals, have been the streets. “If situation warrants, cooperation from the locals, espe- According to sources, a six-mem- about the contributions of the vil- extending all kinds of cooperation we’ll definitely oppose the deci- cially from the duo village, for the ber team headed by veterinarian lage towards Nandankanan while to NZP authorities for smooth func- pointed out. nature’s paradise. “Our villagers sion,” Rout said. noble initiative as it would go a Debdutt Mohapatra has headed decrying the decision. “The zoo au- tioning of the zoo. The decision to Raghunathpur samiti member always work towards upholding According to NZP deputy direc- long way in reducing the pollution for Indore Zoo. thorities have certainly forgotten our ban movement of vehicles is un- Jhuna Rout, too, claimed their ‘un- the integrity of Nandankanan by tor Bimal Prasanna Acharya, and creating a liveable tomorrow,” [Daruthenga villagers] sacrifices acceptable,” the young lawyer matched contribution’ towards the facilitating a sense a security to Nandankanan is a world-class zoo. Acharya said. Nandankanan officials will bring ON A FAST two Asian lions, Norms for merger of schools revised

three gharials (two POST NEWS NETWORK Elementary and males and one Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: The state secondary schools female), as many government has revised the norms having enrolment for merger of government schools Indian grey wolves having poor enrolment in sched- less than or equal uled area and backward KBK to 15 in scheduled (two males and one (Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi) re- female) and one gion. and KBK areas to The School and Mass Education be consolidated female Indian fox department Monday issued a cor- rigendum revising its earlier no- with nearby tification issued for consolidation schools The Nandankanan officials will of elementary and secondary bring two Asian lions, three ghar- schools having poor enrolment. ials (two males and one female), as Now, schools having less than read the fresh order. new National Education Policy 2020 many Indian grey wolves (two 15 students instead of 20 as decided The school merger issue rocked is also having similar provision. males and one female) and one fe- earlier in the KBK and scheduled the state Assembly during the win- The state government had iden- male Indian fox. areas will be merged with nearby ter session held recently. Opposition tified 14,382 schools having below The authorities have decided schools. leaders had demanded immediate 40 students. However, after to bring the animals in exchange “Government elementary and rollback of the decision. Later, scrutiny at district and state-level, of one melanistic tiger and a white secondary schools having enrol- School and Mass Education Minister the number comes down to 7772, tiger from the Nandankanan zoo. ment less than or equal to 15 in Samir Ranjan Dash had assured of which 6,048 schools have stu- A team of officials from Indore schedules and KBK areas and less the House to revise the norms. dent strength of less than 20. Now, Zoo will visit Odisha later to take than or equal to 20 in other areas The merger of schools planned the government will conduct fresh OP PHOTO two tigers from NZP under animal to be consolidated with nearby in accordance with law and guide- survey to identify schools for the exchange plan. schools irrespective of distance,” lines of Niti Aayog. Besides, the merger plan. ANMs sit on an indefinite hunger strike at PMG Square in Bhubaneswar, Monday, demanding regular employment STATE’S COVID-19 FATALITIES AT 1,811 Petrol, diesel prices static ODISHA REGISTERS 332 NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES IN 24 HOURS, TAKING THE CASELOAD TO 3,24,089 POST NEWS NETWORK revision by the OMCs. Global crude prices have risen PNN & AGENCIES IN NUMBERS Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: Oil mar- almost $ 10 a barrel in the last one keting companies (OMCs) kept month to reaching over $ 50 a barrel Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: State Sundargarh recorded the highest petrol and diesel prices unchanged now. But even at this level, it is far Monday registered 332 new Covid- number of new cases at 51, followed at `84.35 and `80.48 respectively less than than average crude price 19 cases, which raised Odisha’s by Angul at 35 and Khurda at 29 here Monday. of $ 80.08 a barrel in October 2018 caseload to 3,24,089, while four fresh One each died in Khurda, Dhenkanal, Oil marketing companies con- when petrol prices reached highs fatalities pushed the toll to 1,811, a Ganjam and Jharsuguda tinued to hold back any change in of `84 a litre in the national capital. senior Health and Family Welfare the retail price of petrol and diesel With Monday's pause, fuel prices (H&FW) department official said. Over 64 lakh samples have been continuing with their wait and have now increased on 15 of the Of the 332 new cases, 189 were re- examined so far including 30,891 watch stance that has kept the past 25 days with petrol prices ris- ported from various quarantine Sunday prices of the two auto fuels static ing by `2.65 per litre and diesel by centres and the rest detected dur- Odisha’s positivity rate now stands for the past seven days. 3.41 a litre. ing contact tracing, said the official. at 5.06 per cent Accordingly, there was no change Petrol price had been static since Sundargarh recorded the high- in the retail price of auto fuels breaching $ 50 a barrel mark. Crude, September 22, and diesel rates had- est number of new cases at 51, fol- The recovered cases include 42 Monday with the price of petrol however, has remained static for n't changed since October 2. lowed by Angul at 35 and Khurda from Sundargarh, 39 from Khurda, remaining at `83.71 a litre and diesel the past few days reducing any Though the retail pricing of at 29. 35 from Cuttack, 28 from `73.87 a litre. Across the country as pressure on upward revision in the petrol and diesel has been deregu- Three districts—Boudh, itive patients while under treat- ity rate now stands at 5.06 per cent. Mayurbhanj, 24 from Angul, 21 well the price of the two petroleum fuel prices. lated and oil marketing companies Kandhamal and Malkangiri—did ment in hospitals.” One each died Over 64 lakh samples have been from Bargarh and 18 from Bolangir. products remained unchanged. Petrol price was very close to were following a daily price revision not record any new case since in Khurda, Dhenkanal, Ganjam examined so far, including 30,891 Similarly, 18 from Kalahandi, 18 OMCs have gone on a pause mode breaching the all time high level of formula, the same was suspended Sunday. and Jharsuguda districts, the offi- Sunday, the official further added. from Keonjhar, 17 from Kendrapara, at a time when the news of suc- `84 a litre (reached on October 4, for almost two months to prevent Taking to Twitter, the H&FW de- cial pointed out. As many as 53 Meanwhile, another 389 Covid 17 from Nuapada, 14 from Puri and 10 cessful coronavirus and expecta- 2018) when it touched `83.71 a litre volatility in international oil mar- partment said, “Regret to inform Covid-19 patients have died due to patients recovered in Odisha, tak- persons from Bhadrak have recov- tions of big pick up in demand had on Monday. But the march has been kets from impacting fuel prices about the demise of four Covid pos- comorbidities. The state's positiv- ing the total recoveries to 3,19,458. ered, the H&FW department tweeted. kept crude on the boil with prices halted ever since then with no price regularly during the pandemic. PRIVATISATION FLAYED OEC 2020 to focus on biodiversity POST NEWS NETWORK UN Decade of Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: The eleventh edition of Odisha Environment Biodiversity Congress will be held from December In order to create The UN Decade of 20 to 22 at ODM public school here. momentum for Biodiversityfocuses The theme of this year’s session is biodiversity on conservation of ‘Environment and Biodiversity’. management, the biological diversity Keeping the pandemic and re- UNGA declared and equitable striction on social gathering in the period of sharing of benefits mind, the event will be conducted 2011-20 to be the arising out of through virtual mode. UN decade of utilisation of biodiversity resources Talking about this year’s theme, Orissa Environment Secretary sec- It is in context that that the eleventh retary Sudarshan Das said, edition of Odisha Environment Congress “Biodiversity can be defined as the 2020 chose ‘Environment and variety and variability of life on Biodiversity’ as its main theme earth. Starting from pristine forest covers to the stunning coral reefs Ecologist and Founder of Center for of deep oceans, from the mangrove policy development task, the United edition of Odisha Environment Ecological Sciences. This apart dominated marshlands to the glit- Nations General Assembly, declared Congress 2020 has chosen OES will also organised the tery sand dunes of the desert, each the period of 2011-20 to be the UN ‘Environment and Biodiversity’ as Children’s Environment Congress environment acts as a host to the nu- decade of biodiversity. Furthermore, its main theme. at Xavier University in virtual mode merous indigenous species of flora 2021-30 has been announced as UN There will be discussion on sub- December 22. and fauna that live there.” decade of Ecosystem Restoration. themes such as Biodiversity and The Odisha Environment “A healthy environment ensures The UN Decade of Biodiversity Human Well Being, Climate Change, Congress organised by HDF-Center the sustainability of different ecosys- focuses on three key areas, namely Pandemic and Biodiversity and for Development Action and tems. A degrading environment is conservation of biological diver- Policy and Legal framework on bio- Research in association with Center responsible for the loss of biodi- sity and the fair and equitable shar- diversity among others by scien- for Environment and Development, versity,” he added. ing of the benefits arising out of the tists and environment experts. Regional Museum of Natural People under the banner of ‘Bidyut Shramika Karmachari Mancha’ hold a press meet at a private hotel in Bhubaneswar In order to create momentum utilisation of genetic resources. It This year’s keynote speaker will History, Bhubaneswar and Orissa

condemning the privatisation of discoms, Monday OP PHOTO for biodiversity management and is in context that that the eleventh be Madhav Dhananjaya Gadgil, Environmental Society.

k y m c P5 TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR state

BEAUTIFICATION DRIVE

k y m DGP reviews security in Malkangiri c POST NEWS NETWORK EYE ON REBELS Malkangiri/Bhubaneswar, Dec he DGP said that a special policy is being 14: Director General of Police Tchalked out to contain the red-rebels in the (DGP) Abhay visited the Swabhiman area so that developmental programmes could Anchal in Chitrakonda area of be fast-tracked with ease Malkangiri district Monday to re- he DGP also appealed to the Maoists to shun view security arrangements. Tthe path of violence and join the mainstream The DGP’s visit comes close on of society following which they will be provided the heels of an encounter between with all the assistance security forces and Maoists that available at the government level left two ultras dead. He underscored the need for fast- he DGP also visited the CRPF camp at tracking of infrastructure devel- TTrilochanpur in Kalahandi district. The most opment with the strengthening of vulnerable area in Kalahandi is called DGP Abhay and police officials in Swabhiman Anchal tri-junction bordering Rayagada and Kandhamal security systems in the district. The DGP held a review meeting with senor police and BSF officials velopmental work. And the locals Malkangiri SP Rishikesh D Khilari at Trilochanpur in Kalahandi about the ongoing anti-Maoist op- are also helping us in our efforts. were present at the meeting. district. erations, movement of ultras, law The influence of Maoists on locals The DGP also appealed to the He said that Odisha police has and order situation and progress of has decreased considerably,” the Maoists to shun the path of vio- seized illegal ganja weighing 1291 various developmental activities. DGP told reporters. lence and join the mainstream of so- quintal till November 2020. This He said that a special policy is The top cop also said Maoists ciety following which they will be year’s seizure is more than twice An artist applying brushstrokes on awareness paintings on the wall of Sambalpur Collectorate as part of a being chalked out to contain the were targeting security forces as they provided with all benefits and as- the amount of the contraband beautification drive, Monday OP PHOTO red-rebels in the area so that de- have managed to earn the trust of sistance available at the govern- seized in 2019. velopmental programmes like con- the locals. “Local residents now ment level. The state government’s The DGP also visited the CRPF struction of roads, schools, hospi- trust the state government and the special rehabilitation programme camp at Trilochanpur in Kalahandi Bangladeshi held for tals and appointment of healthcare security personnel more than ever,” will help them return to the main- district. The most vulnerable area Tension prevails over Birsa professionals could be fast-tracked he stated. stream, he said. in Kalahandi is called tri-junction smuggling brown with ease. Senior police officials including, This apart, the DGP also vis- bordering Rayagada, Kandhamal. “We have reinforced police de- Director (intelligence) RK Sharma ited Koraput and the Maoist-in- SPs of all the three districts and sen- sugar into jail Munda statue vandalism ployment in Chitrakonda area to en- IG (Operations) Amitabh Thakur, fested tri-junction area (bor- ior officers of CRPF took part in the sure security for carrying out de- SOG IG Aniruddha Singh, and dering Rayagada, Kandhamal) meeting. POST NEWS NETWORK POST NEWS NETWORK

Balasore, Dec 14: Sahadevkhunta Thakurmunda, Dec 14: Tension police late Sunday night arrested continues to prevail in RI HELD FOR a Bangladeshi man for allegedly Thakurmunda block in MAN KILLS MINOR NIECE TO smuggling brown sugar into the Mayurbhanj district after a statue main jail of Balasore district. of tribal leader Birsa Munda was TAKING BRIBE The accused was identified as vandalised a few days ago. HIDE ILLICIT RELATIONSHIP Sheikh Babu Khan. Police said According to a source, tribal POST NEWS NETWORK Monday freedom fighter and folk hero POST NEWS NETWORK they got in- Babu has links Birsa Munda’s statue was installed Kendrapara, Dec 14: The Revenue formation with drug at Dhipa Sahi of Kendujiani pan- Inspector (RI) of Baradia Revenue Balasore, Dec 14: The incident about smug- chayat under Thakurmunda block Circle in this district was arrested of a seven-year-old girl remaining gling of trade in Arada three years ago. Since then, on while taking a bribe of Rs 5000 missing for three days and her body brown Bazaar area. the occasion of Birsa Munda’s Monday. being recovered Monday in this sugar into birth anniversary, his followers Odisha Vigilance officials caught district took a turn with the police the jail. He served jail would assemble at the statue to cel- Anita Tarai red-handed. Sabita claiming that the deceased’s uncle Acting on term for 13 ebrate the day. Mallick of Gualigaon village had had murdered her to conceal his il- the tip-off However, the statue was found contacted Tarai for a report on a licit relationship. police in years in a loot damaged and lying on the ground sons involved in this mindless act. disputed land as she was directed Informing about the latest shock- civil dress case in 2007 December 10. Condemning this act Meanwhile, the police are learnt to by the Rajkanika tehsildar. Tarai ing development in the case were waiting as an affront to their leader, local have assured the agitating people had asked her to part with Rs 5000 wherein the deceased’s body was near the main gate of the jail when people have been protesting, or- that they along with a forensic to get the asked report. recovered three days after she the accused reached the spot to ganising a ‘prajameli’. They de- team will visit the spot and inves- With no option left, Mallick had went missing, Basta sub-divisional carry out his mission. The police mand immediate arrest of the per- tigate the case. lodged a complaint against the RI police officer (SDPO) Jalandhar detained the accused and found 42 with the vigilance department. A Jali said Deepak Sahu, who hap- grams of brown sugar from his trap was laid. As per the plan, pens to be an uncle of the deceased possession. They also seized Rs Mallick met Tarai at her office girl, had murdered her. decided to kill his niece. than Deepak who along with his 24,000 in cash from him. The seized Monday and handed over chemi- Bishnupriya, daughter of She had been missing since sister-in-law had murdered his brown sugar is estimated to be cal-laced currency notes worth Balaram Patra, was living and December 11 morning when she niece by slitting her throat. After worth Rs 4 lakh. Rs 5, 000. Just when Tarai accepted studying at Deepak’s house in was playing with some of her friends committing the crime, he hid the Babu has links with drug trade the money, the anti-corruption of- Sundarkoili village under Baliapal near her house. Her body was re- body in a bush. in Arada Bazaar area. He served ficials stormed into the office and police limits in Balasore district. covered from a bush near a pond in The police detained the two ac- jail term for 13 years in a loot case caught her red-handed. Deepak had been in an illicit re- the village December 14. cused for further interrogation. in 2007. After completion of his jail The officials recovered the lationship with his sister-in-law. After recovery of the body, the po- Meanwhile, following the rev- term, he could not go back to his amount from her possession and On one occasion, Bishnupriya had lice had detained Deepak, sus- elation of the new facts, tension home due to the Covid lockdown. launched an investigation to find chanced to see Deepak and his sis- pecting his role in the case. ran high in the village. To avoid He was at Balasore jail barracks out if she has accumulated assets ter-in-law in a compromising po- After a few rounds of interro- any untoward incident, a platoon under the custody of police. Reports disproportionate to her known sition. In order to keep his extra- gation, the police became sure of of police has been deployed at said he was fixing a deal through sources of income. marital relationship a secret, he the fact that it was none other the village. phone and was under the radar of cops. He was also involved in illegal Dhanu Yatra artistes seek financial aid gun trade, sources said. In fact, the plot of the festival is based on the mythological story of Lord Krishna slaying his uncle Kansa. It begins with Kansa de- throning Ugrasena and ends with the death of Kansa and coronation of Ugrasena as the king. The festival’s main attraction is King Kansa who sitting on the back of a caparisoned ele- phant moves around the town. During the 11- day festival, the town of Bargarh turns into Mathura Nagar, the kingdom of Kansa and Ambapali -- on the outskirts -- gets decorated and christened as Gopapur while the Jeera POST NEWS NETWORK tivities, the recent cancellation of Dhanu Yatra river which flows between Bargarh and has dealt a huge blow to them. Ambapali is called the Yamuna. Bargarh, Dec 14: Artistes associated with the Yet, they have all welcomed the district Dhanu Yatra Monday met Bargarh District administration’s move. But at the same time Collector Jyoti Ranjan Pradhan and handed they have requested the administration to over a memorandum to him, demanding fi- provide them the remunerations they had nancial assistance. received last year. Among others, Artistes’ This year, keeping the prevailing COVID-19 Federation chairman Chaitanya Paik and situation in mind, the district administration Bhubaneswar Pradhan, who plays King has cancelled the world famous Dhanu Yatra. Kansa’s character in Dhanu Yatra met There are many artistes starting from make- the collector. up men to actors associated with this festival. Earlier, the decision to cancel the 72nd On one hand, this festival has been a source of Dhanu Yatra was taken at the Dhanu Yatra entertainment for many and on the other; it Core Committee meeting held at District has been a source of earning for these artistes. Rural Development Agency (DRDA) con- This year the artistes are to lose this once-in- ference hall Sunday. The meeting was a-year source of income. At a time when most chaired by District Collector Jyoti Ranjan artistes are suffering from financial problems Pradhan, who is also the chairman of due to cancellation of all sorts of cultural ac- Dhanu Yatra Festival Committee. Mob attacks man on suspicion of child-lifting POST NEWS NETWORK Villagers started pecting him to be a child lifter. Some even claimed that they Dhenkanal, Dec 14: Amid chasing and beating saw the young man allegedly a series of child kidnap and the unknown youth lifting a five-year-old girl from murder attempts in Odisha their village. in recent weeks, Sunday night suspecting him to Local police took him to a youth was severely beaten be a child lifter the police station for inter- up by a mob at Mina Bazaar rogation. On December 12 a in Dhenkanal district on sus- three-year-old girl had re- picion of child-lifting. found at Mina Bazaar. When portedly gone missing from

Dhenkanal town police the villagers asked the youth Nayagarh district. She was

k y m c reached the spot and rescued about his name and address, last seen playing near her the youth from the clutches of he didn’t say anything and house at Dadhipatna village the angry villagers. However, neither did he reveal his pur- under Ranpur block in the dis- the villagers demanded strict pose of visit to the village. trict. A strict search operation action against child-lifters. Some villagers started has been launched by the po- The unknown youth was chasing and beating him sus- lice to rescue the girl. P6 TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR power post

FOCUS GOVERNANCE Gratitude: A humble recognition

of all that the Divine has done and

k y m is doing for you. c THE MOTHER TOO MUCH DEMOCRACY

he BJP has distanced some exceptions) to care a damn. itself from the remarks Should a government use the by the Niti Aayog CEO suffering wrought by a pandemic BJP–TMC Faceoff T Amitabh Kant that India to push through such deep changes has been “too much of a democ- that will carry long standing ram- he showdown between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) racy” to allow for reforms, which ifications for ordinary citizens in Bengal with the state Assembly polls only a few months away is he career bureaucrat categorised without listening, debating, ar- T an example of fierce and ferocious duel to both grab and retain as “bold”. Officers trying to keep guing and settling down for a bit power. To achieve their aims, both the contenders are resorting to methods the ruling party in good humour, of give and take? What is this, if flouting norms of decency and Constitutional propriety. The prize for the especially when they have been not the working of a system that BJP is to get to rule Bengal for the first time and use its untapped resources given plum roles, is nothing new. has decided that we have too much for itself and the corporate world itching to invest in a land of opportuni- They do not and must not have the democracy, and it’s time to cut it ties. More importantly, it is toppling Mamata Banerjee who, today, stands right to oppose political choices of down and push ahead on a path as the only opposition to the sway of the BJP. All other non-BJP Chief an elected government. Yet, how that the people at the top have Ministers have either bowed before the whims and diktats of the Center or much they sing today’s tunes, decided is best for all of us – with those who belong to the Congress are convenient punch bags that the saf- where they sing and how they people at the bottom having little fron party would prefer to retain. Bashing the already crumbling Congress sing is a matter of choice. Each one say in the matter? The pandemic edifice is very easy. Apart from the party, the Gandhi family has been some- Jagdish Rattanani must decide individually where has thus been used, not as much what successfully built up as the arch enemy of every true Hindoo. This pub- they want to stand or fall in the full to bring immediate relief to the lic mistrust and dislike towards the Gandhis strengthen the BJP even in glare of the public. Kant was a people or to help migrants who indefensible scenarios. On the other hand, a Mamata type of personality, LET US NOT little too much to digest even for were forced to flee amid the ill-ad- unwilling to bend, with no big corruption charges and being a Hindoo the BJP, which has tried to end the vised order of an almost sudden Brahmin herself, poses a threat that the BJP would not like to face at the CONFUSE THE furore over those remarks with shut down, but to push an agenda national level. Therefore, elimination of Mamata is understandably high PROTESTS WITH Union Minister Ravi Shankar Officers trying to keep the ruling party in good while people of the nation are on the BJP agenda. Prasad saying, “We are proud of humour, especially when they have been given still suffering. And in the process, For the Trinamool it is to win the consecutive third term in office and enjoy REFORMS. our democracy.” Kant himself has more strife and more sufferings power as well as retain the anti-BJP stance. With the Left parties and the Congress THIS IS A explained that the way his re- plum roles is nothing new. They do not and follow and we see it on the roads relegated to the position of distant third and fourth positions, Bengal is wit- marks were reported is not the must not have the right to oppose political and highways where farmers nessing a battle between a rightist ideology that has been foreign to its soil GOVERNMENT way he meant to say it. We must brave the wintry weather to take and a hotchpotch of grassroots politics that started with the promise to work accept his explanations yet note choices of an elected government. Yet, how on a haughty government. Is it any for the dispossessed, farmers and women but ended up getting mired in abuse ON AN AGENDA that his choice of words and the much they sing today’s tunes, where they sing surprise then that the names of of power. THAT HAS timing are ironic, even if nothing crony capitalists are today be- The war of attrition between the BJP and the Trinamool has been con- else needs to be said about the and how they sing is a matter of choice coming synonymous with the tinuing for the past few months, but it has got national attention after a das- NOTHING TO DO thinking in such senior echelons leading lights of the government? tardly attack on the motorcade of the BJP president JP Nadda last week when WITH THE of our bureaucracy. The government is not even get- he was going to campaign for the party at Diamond Harbour, the turf of The question is not about “re- of 15-20 minutes.” The Nobel lau- more so when they are pushed ting into the arguments over MSP Trinamool MP Abhisekh Banerjee, who is a nephew and heir apparent of ORDINARY forms”, which many might rea- reate Abhijit Banerjee under- without discussion. These are and how and why it has been left Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. The selection of the sonably argue are required stood it equally simply and ex- changes to labour laws, mining, out of the farm laws. place for the campaign itself is of great political significance not simply be- CITIZENS (though the popular mood ap- plained: “It is not so much that you coal and tariffs in the power sec- Let us, therefore, not confuse the cause of its connection with the ruling family of the state but also due to OF INDIA pears to have distinctly turned could not make a case for getting tor so that there is no subsidy for protests with reforms. People see the aunt-nephew combine being the pivot of the BJP’s electoral strategy to “anti-reform”). The point is the rid of many of these very old- home users. There is no doubt them as only they can. This is a vertically split the Trinamool Congress exploiting the grouse that top party way these policy actions are being fashioned institutions in the agri- that these are “hard” reforms. government on an agenda that leaders have been nursing against the two for the rise of the nephew at their pushed down the throat of an un- culture sector…, but the lack of The Niti Aayog CEO says they has nothing to do with the ordi- cost. This, the BJP leadership hopes, will play a key role in its dream to make willing nation when trust in the trust is massive. The sudden can- were held up for years and he nary citizens of India. It is taking the lotus bloom in Bengal. promises and actions of the gov- celling of Centre’s liabilities under cares not to pause to think or ask: us on a ride to a mythical, vain- The attack on the convoy of Nadda reflects poorly on the state adminis- ernment isn’t at its best. There are the GST Act does not help. Why? These remarks are bound glorious future, trampling tration, while the explanation given by the Trinamool is even more ludicrous. simple ways to understand what You…have power delivered from to be contested; they will gener- aspirations, dignity and rights According to TMC, Nadda, enjoying Z Plus security cover, “hadn’t informed the nation is going through. top down and (you say) we are ate political heat and social strife. today to build airports, Parliament the local thana of his plan to visit Diamond Harbour, allowed 50 motor cy- Sharad Pawar explained it in a few just going to take decisions.” The anger may not find its way out building and fancy factories for clists in a rally and 30 supporters’ vehicles to be part of his convoy”. lines when he said: “When these But this is precisely the way, the on the streets in every single case tomorrow. According to the Trinamool’s logic this was the reason for the administration’s Bills were tabled before approach and the method of choice but people are seething and this To achieve this, “too much failure to prevent the attack. It further argues the Director General of Parliament, it was conveyed to for this government. We have it on will come out somewhere and democracy” has to be tamed. And Police had deployed, for Nadda’s security, a huge posse of police officials the government that even though authority from Kant, who ex- with not very good outcomes. thus, all the nation’s energy, along the route and at the venue. The question about how the attack could it was possible for them at that mo- plains in remarks that have not Consider how labourers would vibrancy and diversity are being take place despite providing such an elaborate security cover remains ment to clear these important been cited enough: “The (Covid- respond when working hours sucked out. It is the ultimate plun- unanswered. The Trinamool even attributes the attack to the presence of Bills without any discussion, 19) crisis has been used by this gov- have been stretched, when basic der of Mother India. a BJP activist facing 59 criminal cases who was travelling along with there was bound to be a reaction ernment as an opportunity to un- protections, already rendered Nadda, raising slogans and provocative gestures at Trinamool supporters. from the farmers at a later stage. leash reforms that will modernise weak by a contractual system are The writer is a journalist It further alleges the attack had been masterminded by the BJP itself as But the government did not pay India’s agriculture…” He goes on withdrawn and the unorganised and faculty member at its activists were video-graphing the entire rally so as to make it an all-India heed to this and cleared these to cite a host of reforms that can are left to the vagaries of an owner SPJIMR. Views are personal. issue in the media. Bills with a nominal discussion only be contentious and even class that has been known (with ©THE BILLION PRESS The BJP-government at the Centre retaliated by summoning the state Chief Secretary and the DGP to meet the Union Home Secretary for the breach of security and transferred the IPS officers in charge of security to Delhi. This triggered protest from the state and the ruling party which slammed SPECTRUM FARM LAWS the Centre for violating Constitutional propriety, law and order being a State subject under the 7th Schedule of the State List of the Constitution. It’s indeed a brazen show of power by the BJP at the Centre lending itself to the charge of interfering with state affairs and breaching Centre-State re- lationship. Already, the Narendra Modi-government has been accused of en- croaching into state’s powers by passing the three controversial Farm Bills, Centre must review farm laws agriculture being a State subject. But, since everything is considered fair in love and war and in recent times he farmers’ issue is getting domestic ones (Indians) too. The in- power politics has been included in that list, the BJP has become a past mas- both interesting and in- vestments are reportedly made in ter at following this strategic principle in capturing power at the Centre and T triguing. With the new farm farms, toll roads, rail corridors, the states. Winning Bengal this time around will have immense symbolic, laws, foreign investors are bring- airports, ports, smart cities, film strategic and material value for the BJP in national politics. ing in more money and funding cities and similar ventures. Such for warehousing is also increas- investments have heavy baggage. ing, though the farmer gets low The falling rupee-dollar parity and returns. In the talks between the high sensex are linked to these ma- WORDSWORTH Government and farmer repre- neuverings. Shivaji Sarkar sentatives, the farmers refused to It’s said that 55 per cent of the for- Bellwether accept Centre’s offer of a written eign fund flow has reportedly gone guarantee on Minimum Support to two western provinces, t’s not uncommon these days, even though the word is still widely THE FARMERS’ Price (MSP) and offer of levying cess Maharashtra and Gujarat. Uttar Iused, to find it spelled bellweather or even bellwhether. For example — ISSUE IS GETTING on the new private mandis outside Pradesh has got only one per cent. I do not shrink from naming the guilty — the Washington Times for 29 the APMC mandis. They allege labour costs. This margin shrank The prices they get are less and The International Monetary October 2006: “That’s why we should have used some bellweather event BOTH INTERESTING that ingress of corporate is rising to 41 per cent in 2018. The difference as the cost is high, approaching Fund and Copenhagen University like the signing of the Iraqi constitution, or the parliamentary elections AND INTRIGUING. and a review is must. Importantly, on maize reduced from 43 per cent international markets is not easy. report says that 40 per cent of the as our moment to declare victory and exit stage left.” There’s some the facts prove it. to 25.6 per cent. In this backdrop if it is linked to total foreign capital comes from excuse for this, assuming a lack of prior knowledge and the absence of a WITH THE NEW Over the years, between 2013-14 Other crops such as wheat, FPI, the trend is surprising. In disguised sources. But interna- dictionary, since the second part of the word is now rare in our urbanised and 2017-18, since farmers’ return moong, jowar, bajra, arhar, ground- June, 2020, the FPI was `11,736 tional money flows like that de- existence. Wether is an old English word for a castrated ram. The experts FARM LAWS, on their produce started reducing, nut, gram, rapeseed, mustard, bar- crore. It doubles to `22,866 crore spite many recent revelations. It is think it comes from a prehistoric root meaning a year, perhaps because FOREIGN the foreign portfolio investment ley, cotton soybean also were noticed in July. The three farm laws were just not for tax saving but there the ram concerned was a yearling; it’s a relative of veal, via the Latin (FPI) got booming and funding for to be less profitable. Despite rise in introduced as Ordinances on June are many other reasons. Many in- vitulus, a calf. The shepherd used a wether as the leader of the flock, INVESTORS ARE silo – giant steel structures for stor- the MSP, in the past five years the 5. In August as the farm bills were vestors prefer to keep their foot- whom the rest would follow. To be sure to know exactly where he was, a BRINGING IN MORE ing grains for a longer duration - farmer’s actual income has not introduced for passing by prints in shrouds to avoid compe- bell was hung around his neck. So: bellwether. By the fifteenth century, it construction increased. seen much increase. Parliament, the investments jumped tition and other strategic reasons. was being applied to people, as a contemptuous term for a leader whom MONEY AND However, since 1967, when APMC Indian farmers have reasons to to `1,30,576 crore. About half the in- Since it is a critical issue, a de- only sheep would follow, especially one who possessed a loud mouth FUNDING FOR Act was enforced, never have farm- be unhappy. Their yields are low. vestments surprisingly came from tailed discussion and policy for- but little judgement. ers been at such a distress and con- World average for rice per kg per two tiny countries, Mauritius and mulations are needed. For a re- WAREHOUSING IS fusion. Normally, despite not being hectare in 2018 is 4679, maize 5924, Singapore. Another large investor assuring national environment ALSO INCREASING, able to sell at MSPs, they were not all pulses 964, arhar 852, soybean was Netherland. the three laws, having wider and Best bib and tucker unhappy at the returns. The MSP 2791, groundnut 1611, wheat 3425, These three countries have been larger ramifications need a re- THOUGH THE decided a floor price and provided barley 2951 and gram 965. The the topmost foreign investors. These view with farmers, political par- tucker was a bit of lace worn around the neck and top of the bodice the bargaining strength to them Indian average is rice 2638, maize are destinations for round trip- ties, and finance and market ex- Aby 17th-18th century women, presumably something that was tucked FARMER GETS LOW against the market forces. In 2013- 3070, all pulses 757, arhar 757, soy- ping – that is the funds are routed perts. Let the nation not shy away in; the bib was closely related to our modern term — a shirt-front or RETURNS 14, the paddy price was 58 per cent bean 1192, groundnut 1422, wheat through these countries by various from understanding the problem covering for the breast. The expression is first recorded from the middle higher than average input and 3371, barley 2693 and gram 956. investors and supposedly include for an apt solution. INFA of the eighteenth century, initially only for women and girls, as you might expect, but later on also to men, when the words had become a fixed phrase and disengaged from their real meanings. Before then, the common expression seems to have been best bib and band (band Politics over farm laws Colossal waste meaning collar), also commonly used for men as well as women, which continued after the new term had come into use, though it seems to have Sir, For the last 19 days farmers have been protesting Sir, The NDA government’s “new Parliament" is all set for a take-off. The died out at the end of the eighteenth century. The word derives from the for their democratic rights and through this movement “Central Vista” project creation has invited bouquets and brickbats. PM same source as the tucker of food, but is unconnected in meaning. etters they have set an example of relentless courage and Narendra Modi’s ambition is to ensure the upscale building is ready for India’s perseverance. In particular, the success of the “Bharat 75th Independence Day celebration in 2022. The Centre has said it wants to bandh” on December 12 has shaken the government free-up the Lutyens space and bring more and more government ministries TOL THE EDITOR from within. The government is now forced to admit under a common roof apart from housing the Vice President and the Prime Readers of Orissa POST that the decision taken by it was undemocratic and Minister. Also, since the freeze on the number of Parliament seats is going LOL are most welcome to contribute letters flawed and did not benefit the farmers in any way. Now to end in 2026 paving the way for delimitation, states are likely to send (200 words), articles and the question arises as to why the government is in- more representation to the Lower House and consequently to the Upper House columns (between 750-1250 Name of a perfume words). Contributors are sisting that it will not repeal the law but amend it. It too and that will necessitate more space. But what about the mammoth cost The lady requested to send their is not difficult to solve the problem. The remedy is to to be incurred on the exchequer to put the new house in place? `20,000 nice respectable lady with a responded: “It is contact numbers and full just segregate the “Agricultural Price Commission Act”. crore is not little money. What’s wrong with the existing parliament build-

savory smell of perfume got on Chanel and from Paris.” postal address/email ID. They may also This means that the price of the product that is pro- ing? It is a 100-year-old imposing structure that is not just a building. It sym-

k y m A send in their valuable comments, opinion c the bus and took a seat beside me. After about ten minutes later I felt a and suggestions, preferably by email, duced by an industry is determined by the owners of bolises the spirit of Indian democracy that has stood the test of time. Yes, After some moments I dared to ask strong wind in my belly so I slowly to: [email protected] that industry. Even a cobbler determines the price of the structure looks old, but it looks grand. The very fact that the govern- her: “Excuse me lady do you mind me blew it out. Some seconds later she the shoes he makes. So why can’t the farmers deter- ment is desirous of converting the old parliament into a ' museum' has pained please to ask you what is the name of broke and said: “Offf... what is this mine the prices of their products? The problem is, the observers. Felling of innumerable trees to make way for the sprawling this perfume and where did you buy it smell my God”? I said: “Gar lic and B-15, Rasulgarh Industrial Estate, government has taken away this right from the 64,500 sq metre building is another widely disputed issue that has threat- from? I want to buy one for my wife.” from Gilroy city in California.” Bhubaneswar-751010 peasantry. Asit Mohanty, JAJPUR ened to go out of hand. Ganapathi Bhat, AKOLA HIMACHAL PRADESH RAJASTHAN P7

TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR

k y m Cong comeback in Raj ULB Owaisi now eyes big gains in Rajasthan c INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE FRESH INROADS Jaipur, Dec 14: If present trends are to be believed, All India Majlis- AIMIM IS KEEPING A STRONG VIGIL ON polls after panchayat setback E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) 40 SEATS DOMINATED BY MUSLIMS IN STATE leader Asaduddin Owaisi seems to be eyeing big gains in Rajasthan in INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE the long run by luring the Bharatiya AS OWAISI HAS ALREADY MARKED A Tribal Party. SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN BIHAR, HE New Delhi, Dec 14: After the loss In a surprising move, Owaisi re- NOW SEEMS TO BE MAKING ATTEMPTS in Panchayat polls in Rajasthan, cently extended his support to TO CHANGE POLITICAL EQUATIONS IN alarm bells were ringing for Chief Bharatiya Tribal Party in Rajasthan TRIBAL AND MUSLIM BELTS IN Minister Ashok Gehlot but in the soon after it announced to with- RAJASTHAN TOO just-declared urban local poll re- draw its support to the Congress. sults, the Congress pipped the BJP The BTP recently announced its and made inroads in urban areas separation with the ruling party IN THE PRESENT SITUATION, IF OWAISI TIES UP WITH THE BHARATIYA TRIBAL PARTY, THEN HE CAN BE THE which had been strongholds of the in Rajasthan after the Congress GAME-CHANGER IN TRIBAL DOMINATED SEATS OF GUJARAT, MP AND RAJASTHAN saffron party. joined hands with BJP to defeat As per the State Election BTP in Zila Parishad polls in Commission, the ruling Congress Dungarpur district. that there were reports of Owaisi seems to be making attempts to IANS, “Our party has announced won 620 seats, BJP won 548 and in- Soon after the stunning politi- taking a strong interest in Rajasthan change political equations in tribal to withdraw support to the Congress dependent candidates bagged 595 of cal episode, BTP national presi- soon after municipal polls were re- and Muslim belts in Rajasthan too, as it joined hands with the BJP to the total 1,775 councillor/members' Insiders in the party feel that ‘Game of Thrones’ yet again to top- dent Chhotubhai Vasava, tweeted, cently held in three districts. The confirmed sources. emerge winner in the recent local posts in urban local bodies for the urban poll results have given a ple his government. The rebel lead- “#BJP Congress are one. This is Muslim leaders of the state wanted In present situation, if Owaisi ties polls. We are elected representa- which results were declared Sunday. reprieve to the Chief Minister who ers he was hinting at include former the only truth.” their community to be represented up with BTP, then he can be the tives and need to answer to people The Congress is now trying to make is fighting on two fronts - on in- Pradesh Congress Committee chief Replying to his tweet, Owaisi as they had a strong number of cor- gamechanger in tribal dominated who voted for us. They were ques- up for the loss of the Panchayat ternal revolts and the BJP onslaught and ex-Deputy CM Sachin Pilot said, “Vasavaji Congress will teach porators in the walled city. seats of Gujarat, MP and Rajasthan. tioning us about how we could sup- polls and to win maximum seats for to try and pull down his government. and his loyalists Ramesh Meena you and me the lesson of Opposition Feeling deserted, these commu- In Rajasthan, the BTP stands strong port a party which can join hands the post of Chairman. Sensing danger, Gehlot had at- and Vishvendra Singh, who were unity in the morning and evening. nity leaders then approached Owaisi, in Dungarpur, Banswara and with the opposition to emerge as the A jubilant Gehlot thanked the tacked his detractors in the party suspended and removed as state However, it will not rise above the and since then, Owaisi is moni- Pratapgarh districts. winner,” he said. workers and the voters for keep- while inaugurating a Congress of- ministers after Pilot along with 18 Janeyudhari unity itself. Both of toring political developments in The party has two MLAs repre- Meanwhile, all eyes are now set ing faith in the Congress as the fice in Sirohi district recently be- MLAs went to Manesar in an open them are basically one. How long will the state, confirmed official sources. senting Rajasthan Assembly. on what shall be the next step of urban body results will compen- fore the results of Panchayat polls, rebellion against the Gehlot lead- you support them? Is your inde- AIMIM is keeping a strong vigil However, the party which supported Owaisi in the state. Will Rajasthan sate the loss in rural polls. Gehlot saying the state government was ership, earlier this year. pendent power anywhere less than on 40 seats dominated by Muslims Congress in Rajya Sabha polls as continue to be the two-party dom- had blamed Covid-19 for the party's saved from a crisis as the senior lead- The central leadership of the a kingmaker? Hope you will take a in state, they added. Owaisi’s tweet well as during political crisis re- inated state or if there will be a loss in the Panchayat polls, saying ers suspended the rebels within party went into a damage control right decision soon. We are with further strengthens this claim. ported in July has withdrawn its sup- third front coming in at any point, the results were not as per the the party fold. He had also accused mode then to sort out the matter be- you in this struggle of stake,” he said. As he has already marked a sig- port to Congress. remains the most discussed ques- Congress' expectations. the opposition BJP of restarting a fore things went out of control. It needs to be mentioned here nificant presence in Bihar, he now Rajkumar Rout, BTP MLA, told tion in political corridors. Farmers block Delhi-Jaipur highway CALL OF THE DESERT PRESS TRUST OF INDIA One-way traffic from Delhi to Jaipur is open but the Jaipur-Delhi Jaipur, Dec 14: Protesting against traffic is blocked due to the agita- the Centre’s recent farm laws, farm- tion, they said. ers from Rajasthan Monday blocked The police are keeping a vigil the Delhi-Jaipur national highway on the border areas. Thousands of at Shahjahanpur in Alwar district farmers are currently camping at after the police stopped them from Delhi’s borders with Haryana and marching to the national capital. Uttar Pradesh in protest against With the police stopping their the Farmers’ Produce Trade and march along the state's border with Commerce (Promotion and Haryana, the farmers camping at Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers Jaisinghpur-Khera border in (Empowerment and Protection) Shahjahanpur under the leader- Agreement on Price Assurance and ship of Swaraj Abhiyan chief existing form? Let them come clear fears over the MSP. Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Yogendra Yadav and others went on on this,” said Yadav, addressing re- “We are holding a day-long fast Essential Commodities a day-long hunger strike, seeking the porters. He claimed the two right- today to pay tribute to the farmers (Amendment) Act, 2020. repeal of farm laws. wing organisations were not in who lost their lives during the coun- They have expressed apprehen- With the Rashtriya Swayamsevak favour of the farm laws since day try-wide agitation. This fast is being sion that these laws would pave the Sangh affiliates Swadeshi Jagran one. But with the pressure building held to give a message that God way for the dismantling of the min- Manch and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh upon the RSS amid the farmers’ give wisdom to the government,” imum support price system, leav- too raising the demand for a legal agitation, they have now started said Kisan Panchayat president ing them at the ‘mercy’ of big busi- guarantee on the MSP recently, saying that some amendments are Rampal Chaudhary, who is also nessmen. The government has Yadav dared RSS to clarify its stands required. camping on the highway. been maintaining that the new laws on the farm laws. Both the organisations, SJM and Due to blockade, vehicular traf- will bring farmers better opportu- “I have one simple question to BKS, have said the Centre's farm fic on the Jaipur-Delhi highway is nities and usher in new technolo- RSS-affiliated BKS and SJM. Do laws favour farmers but they need being diverted to Bansur and other gies in agriculture. they support the farm laws in the some amendments to allay their routes of Alwar, police said. A tourist rides on a camel during sunrise in Thar desert in Jaisalmer, Monday. PTI PHOTO Vanishing red rice gets protection in Himachal Encourage students to visit

INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE lucrative cash crops. DISEASE-RESISTANT Kanwar said a target has been ‘technological marvel’ Atal Shimla, Dec 14: Himachal Pradesh fixed to bring around 4,000 hectares THE RED RICE IS is trying to protect the traditional MORE DISEASE- of land under cultivation in five variety of red rice that is on the RESISTANT AND years that will produce 40,000 quin- Tunnel: UGC to universities verge of extinction in the hill state HARDIER THAN tals of red rice. by bringing at least 3,000 additional STRAINS To provide legal protection to hectares under its cultivation in five CULTIVATED the rice variety that would also PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ter to vice-chancellors. years, state Agriculture Minister COMMERCIALLY protect the rights of the farmers and The all-weather Atal tunnel will Virender Kanwar said Sunday. OVER MOST OF enable them and others to market New Delhi, Dec 14: The University reduce the distance between Manali The red rice is more disease-re- INDIA the product around the world, the Grants Commission (UGC) has and Leh by 46 km and the travel time sistant and hardier than strains minister said the state has been asked universities and engineering by four to five hours. It is the longest cultivated commercially over most trying to get it registered under colleges to share details of the Atal highway tunnel in the world. of India. Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh with “It is desired that the knowledge RED RICE CAN the Geographical Indications (GI) “With growing health con- BE GROWN IN of Goods (Registration and students and encourage them to of this technological marvel of the sciousness, environmental con- FLOODED Protection) Act of 1999. visit the ‘technological marvel.’ country, encompassing the best cerns and the pressing need for FIELDS WHERE The unique geographical ori- The commission directed that practices in engineering, design, updating our food systems to sur- MANY gin tag would boost its market- students must follow COVID-19 planning, construction and proj- vive climate change, the red rice, VARIETIES ing and exports to foreign coun- guidelines issued by the Centre as ect management be disseminated probably the earliest of cereal WOULD ROT tries, he said. well as the state governments dur- to students of engineering colleges grains that humans started do- In 2013, the red rice became the ing their visit to the tunnel. who should be encouraged to visit mesticating, are making a come- first crop variety of the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this tunnel to see, appreciate and back in the state,” Kanwar told THE RED RICE IS SERVED DURING COMMUNITY KITCHENS AND THE RED RICE FETCHES FOUR-FIVE TIMES (RS be registered under the Protection inaugurated the Atal Tunnel, the assimilate the capabilities in tun- IANS. RELIGIOUS OCCASIONS IN THE HILL STATE, WHILE ITS STARCH IS 200-250 PER KG AVERAGE) HIGHER PRICES of Plant Variety and Farmers Right world’s longest motorable tunnel in nelling efforts which now exist He said the thrust of the gov- CONSIDERED USEFUL FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN THAN THE NORMAL WHITE RICE Act of 2001. Rohtang, in October. within the country,’ he added. ernment is to promote its cultiva- According to experts, the red “Situated at an altitude above The tunnel is built with ultra- tion, giving hope to farm scien- by 4,122 families largely on the rice in the state is around 10,000 conserve all traditional crop strains rice under various local names is 10,000 ft, this 9.02-km tunnel has modern specifications in the Pir tists and conservationists who banks of the Pabbar, a tributary of quintals, registering an average that can be used in case the more gifted. Like 'Poli' is gifted on occa- been constructed in an extremely Panjal range of the Himalayas at worked extensively in recent years the Yamuna, in Chhohara Valley eight-10 quintal per hectare pro- widely cultivated varieties develop sion of happiness like marriages, difficult and hostile climate, de- an altitude of 3,000 metres. to save the variety from certain in upper Shimla. It is also culti- duction. Red rice can be grown in a disease they cannot cope with. religious ceremonies and child- ploying the latest and best prac- The south portal of Atal Tunnel extinction. vated in some stretches of Kullu and flooded fields where many vari- However, red rice production is birth, etc., and 'Path' is gifted to a tices in tunnel technology with is located at a distance of 25 km from At present, most of the red rice Kangra districts. eties would rot. Apart from that, declining in recent years as most sick person and 'Sattu' on the oc- state-of-the-art features, including Manali at an altitude of 3,060 me- is grown in around 1,100 hectares The annual production of red agriculture experts are keen to farmers in the state have turned to casion of sorrow. semi-transverse ventilation, SCADA tres, while its north portal is lo- controlled fire-fighting, illumina- cated near village Teling, Sissu, tion and monitoring system,” UGC in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE The place of sighting is close to the Sainj side. Chief Wildlife Warden Secretary Rajnish Jain said in a let- 3,071 metres. Indo-Tibetan border. Earlier, Himalayan Archana Sharma said the Himalayan Himalayan Shimla, Dec 14: The near threatened serow sighting in the state was re- serow was sighted in Hurling area of and rarely seen Himalayan serow, a goat ported from the Great Himalayan Spiti Valley. antelope, has been sighted and captured National Park (GHNP), a Unesco World GHNP Deputy Ranger Roshan Lal in a camera by the state wildlife wing Heritage site in Kullu district, in 2018. Chaudhary told IANS that the sight- serow spotted in Himachal Pradesh’s remote Spiti At that time, it was caught on a cam- ing of the Himalayan serow in the na- Valley for the first time, era trap laid by the park authorities ture is very rare. officials said. in the “It is an extremely shy animal and its habitat is dense forests. Only in in Himachal’s winter its sighting in the GHNP is possible when it migrates to lower el- evations,” he said. Spiti Valley Chaudhary said one could encounter

signs of serow like pellets, resting

k y m c places and footmarks, but it is almost impossible to spot the THE GOAT ANTELOPE IS AN animal. EXTREMELY SHY ANIMAL AND ITS “In 2018 only once its sighting was recorded in a camera trap HABITAT IS DENSE FORESTS installed in the GHNP,” he said. P8 BLANKETS FOR RAM LALLA TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR The government plans As temperatures drop in Uttar to promote all kinds of Pradesh and winter chill good films, including intensifies, the Ram Lalla idol documentaries and and those of the deity’s brothers short films in a makeshift temple in Ayodhya y have been provided blankets and national PRAKASH JAVADEKAR | INFORMATION

AND BROADCASTING MINISTER a blower to keep them warm

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of the day uote China carrying out development In the coming days, many Indian forces fought political work in Tibet, says Bipin Rawat parties will not be able to come PRESS TRUST OF INDIA in the air," the CDS said. The Indian upfront among the Army, following the Doklam stand- people and the Kolkata, Dec 14: Chief of Defence off in 2017, has taken measures to farmers, their political PLA bravely: Rajnath Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat ensure that the situation does not existence will end stated Monday that the People's escalate there any further, he main- Liberation Army (PLA) is carrying tained. Indian forces are carefully KAMAL PATEL | PRESS TRUST OF INDIA out development activities in Tibet watching the activities of the PLA MADHYA PRADESH AGRICULTURE MINISTER Autonomous Region of China, amid at Doklam, where the armies of New Delhi, Dec 14: As the Ladakh the Sino-Indian standoff at Ladakh. the two most populous countries in Facebook standoff persisted, Defence Minister He also said that Indian forces are the world were engaged in a 73-day must Rajnath Singh said Monday India's well-equipped to deal with any even- eyeball-to- eyeball stand-off in 2017. demonstrate armed forces stood up to aggression tuality, and similar activities are "We have taken necessary action to its neutrality along the Line of Actual being undertaken in the country. "We through a thorough counter anything that would be a revamp of its Control(LAC) in eastern Ladakh are locked in a stand-off in Ladakh. cause of concern to our national se- institutional and fought the Chinese PLA with There is some development activ- curity," he said, when asked about processes and standard "utmost bravery" and "remarkable ity which has been going on in possible Chinese misadventures operating procedures (SOPs), fortitude" and forced it to go back. Tibet Autonomous Region of China. in the eastern sector, in the midst so as to ensure foolproof checks "There comes a point in a na- Every nation will continue to make Garden Reach Shipbuilders and of the Ladakh impasse. and balances that cannot be tion's history, every now and then, preparations to boost its security Engineers here. Indian Armed The CDS further said that the tinkered by an individual’s whims when it needs to stand up for it- based on its strategic interests. forces will leave no stone unturned Indian Armed forces have adequate and political leanings self, tell that it can fight anyone, "I don't think there should be to safeguard the country's fron- strength and reserves to counter any

KC VENUGOPAL | that it's capable to take any much concern in that because we, tiers, he insisted. "China's attempt threat, and is looking to equip them- CONGRESS LEADER challenge, just to survive," of what the armed forces most obvious outcome is a com- on our side, are also carrying out to change the status quo on the selves with more cutting-edge tech- Singh said in unusually LADAKH have achieved this year. parison between India and China's similar activities," Rawat told re- Line of Actual Control along the nology. "Time has come now to look pointed remarks on the "In these testing times our military strength. But I don't want porters after the launch of indige- northern borders amidst the COVID- at the future of war fighting, im- The BJP's seven-month-long military ROW forces have shown exem- to dwell on that. There can be a se- nously built state-of-the-art stealth 19 pandemic necessitated high lev- bibing technology into our sys- stand on caw standoff with China in east- plary courage and remark- rious debate on who owns more frigate 'Himgiri' at Defence PSU els of preparation on land, sea and tems," he said. slaughter ban ern Ladakh. able fortitude. They fought the military might but when it comes is diametrically opposite in Goa In his address at the annual gen- People's Liberation Army(PLA) to soft power there is no scope of am- state to what the eral meeting of industry body with utmost bravery and forced biguity," he added. party has taken FICCI, he also said the "unprovoked them to go back. The coming gen- "India is far ahead of China when NEW HOPE here. In both the states it is the aggression" on India's Himalayan erations of this nation will be proud it comes to leading the world with ruling party frontiers is a reminder of how the of what our forces have managed ideas. If you look at the entire East world is changing and how existing to achieve this year." Asia from Burma to Thailand to SIDDARAMAIAH | CONGRESS LEADER agreements are being challenged. The defence minister said while Indonesia and Malaysia even Japan, In this context, the defence min- the world was fighting the deadly there is a huge Indian cultural im- ister said the future of the region coronavirus virus, India's armed pact on all these countries. Singh SHORT TAKES and world is becoming uncertain forces were valiantly defending its said Buddhism had a "monumen- going by the way power is being borders and asserted that no virus tal influence" over China to an ex- asserted not just in the Himalayas could deter from their duty. "The un- tent that before the 1949 revolution Five killed in but across the Indo-Pacific. Against provoked aggression on our almost 80 per cent of China's pop- the backdrop of the raging protests Himalayan frontiers is a reminder ulation followed Buddhism. road accident by farmers in the National Capital of how the world is changing, how Elaborating on how India was a Pratapgarh (UP): Five people, Region(NCR), Singh also stressed existing agreements are being chal- victim of cross-border terrorism, he including an Uttar Pradesh that agriculture was a "mother lenged, how power is being asserted said countries across the world un- Police constable, were killed sector" and there was no ques- not just in the Himalayas but across derstood India was right about on the spot when the vehicle tion of taking any "retrograde the Indo-Pacific. Pakistan being fountainhead of ter- in which they were steps" against it ever. "And how uncertain the future of rorism. In May, Finance Minister travelling dashed against a Referring to cross-border terrorism, the region and world could be in this Nirmala Sitharaman rolled out a tree near here, police said he said India fought the scourge alone backdrop. As you are aware, there number of reform measures for Monday. Additional SP even when there was no one to sup- is a big build-up of armed forces at the defence sector including mak- (East) Surendra Dwivedi port it, but later, the countries across the LAC in Ladakh," he said. The de- ing separate budgetary outlay to said the driver lost control the world understood that "we were fence minister also said there may procure Indian-made military hard- over the vehicle leading to right about Pakistan being the foun- be comparison between the Indian ware, increasing FDI limit from 49 the accident on Pratapgarh tainhead of terrorism". and Chinese military strength, but per cent to 74 per cent under the au- Patti road under the On the prolonged border stand- when it comes to soft power, India tomatic route and generating a year- Kandhari Police Station, 12 off with China, Singh said India's is far ahead of China. "Whenever wise negative list of weapons which Workers re-install a stall at Marina beach after it reopened for public following its closure due to COVID-19 km from the district future generations will be proud there is a situation at the LAC, the will not be allowed to import. pandemic, in Chennai PTI PHOTO headquarters, Sunday night.

AIIMS nurses on NEW TWIST Google services indefinite strike Kamal Nath hints restored after New Delhi: Around 5,000 nurses of the All India DUBEY’S FAN PAGES DISAPPEAR massive outage Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) advanced their at political exit INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE indefinite strike with immediate effect Monday INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE dent in Madhya Pradesh. Nath, Lucknow, Dec 14: Fan pages New Delhi, Dec 14: Google-owned after the premier medical under whom the party lost the re- dedicated to gangster Vikas services including Gmail and institute allegedly converted New Delhi, Dec 14: Senior cent Madhya Pradesh bypolls and Dubey have started disappear- Google Docs Monday has been the terms of employment Congress leader and former Madhya dashed hopes of the Congress' re- ing at an alarming speed after the partially restored after experi- from permanent to contract Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal turn to power had met Sonia Gandhi Kanpur police took cognizance of encing a major outage in India basis. The strike was earlier scheduled to be observed Nath has hinted at retirement from last week amid the farmers protests. the same. and several other countries. from Wednesday. The nurses politics, sparking speculation within Sources said being a senior leader Of the multiple fan pages, eu- According to Downdetector, union of AIIMS claimed that and outside the party. The veteran with good relations with most par- logizing the gangster, barely two Google Meet and Google Play and the hospital administration leader, whose 15- ties, he may be ap- remain on social media now. were also inaccessible for some has introduced contract month-old govern- pointed treasurer of According to Kanpur (rural) users. Most other Google services terms to their employment ment fell after a re- the party after the Superintendent of Police Brijesh including Google Classroom also which forced them to volt from the party demise of Ahmed Kumar Srivastava, the police got affected by the outage. With pre-empt their strike. MLAs, stunned Patel. Nath has also learnt about the Vikas Dubey Gmail, problems reported by users everyone at a rally been facing the pages when their surveillance ranged from accessing website, on his home turf wrath of state lead- teams found them active. logging and messages issues. Google Mathadi workers Chhindwara ers such as Harpal "An inquiry is underway. We has updated that Gmail, Google Sunday. Kamal Nath Singh Thakur who have checked that the content is in a purported encounter in 'Brahmin Shiromani Pandit Vikas Drive, Google Calendar and most resort to strike said. "I have already have demanded his highly sensitive. Legal action Kanpur after he was arrested in Dubey' and 'Vikas Dubey gangster' other services hit by the outage achieved a lot and resignation after the will be taken. We will also send Madhya Pradesh. Some of the have done the disappearing act has been restored for some users. Thane: Thousands of Mathadi do not have any ambition of any bypoll loss. He is under tremen- a letter to Facebook asking them Facebook pages on Vikas Dubey on social media. "Gmail service has already been re- workers (head-loaders) in Maharashtra stayed away post and want to take rest." dous pressure to quit the post of to block these pages, but first we were found to glorify automatic The Kanpur police has asked stored for some users, and we ex- from work Monday in protest He clarified that he will take "po- state president as he holds the twin will complete our own investi- weapons, eulogize the gangster its surveillance team and cyber pect a resolution for all users in the against the state litical sanyas" when the people of post of leader of the opposition in gation," he said. Vikas Dubey hit and even solicit contract killings. cell to collect more details and near future," Google said in a state- government's "indifferent" Chhindawara desire since he has the assembly. the headlines earlier this year These groups had sensitive take action against those who ment. A large number of YouTube attitude towards their represented this constituency many The Congress wants to make when he was found responsible and objectionable posts. The have created these pages. users found problems in access- demands, a labour leader times and his son is now MP from way for younger leaders to take for the massacre of eight po- pages had names like 'Vikas Incidentally, this is not the first ing the site and watching videos. said. Former MLA and Mathadi the constituency. But party insid- the party responsibility and prepare licemen in an ambush in the Dubey Kanpur Wala' and 'Vikas time that the gangsters have However, some users reported on leader Narendra Patil told ers say that the statement has been for next elections slated to be in Bikru village on July 3. Dubey amar rahe'. Some pages found a strong presence on social Twitter that the they could watch reporters that the work at the made to pressure the leadership 2023. But Nath had asserted that he Dubey was killed a week later like 'Vikas Dubey Fan Page', media. YouTube videos in "Incognito" Agriculture Produce Market to let him continue as state presi- won't leave state politics. mode even during the outage. Committees (APMCs) at Vashi in Navi Mumbai and other places in the state was crippled due to the strike. ‘India to establish regional climate centre for Himalayas’

White tigress, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ern ghats along the east and the Himalayas," he said. The RCC is disasters in the mountainous re- west coast and the Myanmar hills likely to come up in Delhi, gions play a dominant role in de- cub die in zoo New Delhi, Dec 14: India is plan- in the northeast. Mohapatra later told the PTI. The ciding socio-economic activities. New Delhi: A white tigress ning to establish a regional climate Considering the size of Himalayas RCC will provide weather-related Mohapatra said natural calamities and a cub died at the Delhi centre for the Himalayan moun- and its role in India's hydrology, services specially for the farmers and in Himalayas like the earthquakes zoo on Monday due to birth- tain region which will not only pro- meteorology, disaster management, tribes residing there. are well-recognised --- the heavy related complications, vide weather-related advices within ecosystem and many other activi- He added that Himansh, the coun- rainfall leading to cloud bursts and officials said. The six-year-old the country but also to its neigh- ties, the world has correctly recog- try's remote and high altitude re- also many other phenomena that af- feline, Nirbhaya, gave birth to bours, India Meteorological nised it as the 'third pole of the search centre, established in 2016, fect the local agriculture, local in- two cubs Thursday morning. Department (IMD) Director General world', he noted. As a part of the will also undertake weather re- dustry, local bio-system, local lives. Mrutunjay Mohapatra said Monday. ecosystem, as a part of the land, search activities in the Himalayas. "We also have various types of dis- Mohapatra said the work for es- ocean, atmosphere system, the Mohapatra said a lot of initiatives aster phenomenon in other hill Mini clinic tablishing such a centre has al- mountains, including the Himalayas have been taken by the Ministry of ranges like western and eastern ready begun and talks are also on and all other hill ranges play a sig- Earth Sciences and IMD for aug- ghats. In the recent times, we all y scheme in TN with the World Meteorological nificant role, Mohapatra stressed. mentation of observational net- have witnessed that because of the

Organisation (WMO). China is also Being a data sparse region, the rel- in these mountains regions, their agriculture, specifically in these work with deployment of doppler monsoon rains, how the landslides,

k y m Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief c Minister K. Palaniswami building a similar regional climate ative observational network is lim- modelling and hence the forecast- mountains regions. radars and automated weather sta- which have generally realised in Monday launched the centre on its side of the Himalayas, ited as compared to the plain ranges ing and warning services. "We are planning to establish a tions and with the development of the Himalayan ranges or the north- AIADMK's Amma Mini Clinic he said. Addressing a webinar on of the country, Mohapatra observed. "At the same time, we have to regional climate centre for the region specific numerical models east states... How disastrous land- scheme as he inaugurated 'Weather and Climate Services over He said there is a scope to improve develop the climate applications mountains region and it will be and application activities with im- slides have been realised in 630 of the planned 2,000 Mountains Region', Mohapatra said further the physical understand- scenarios, especially with respect providing advices not only to India provement in forecast activities Karnataka and Kerala states," clinics in the state. India has the eastern ghats, west- ing of various processes occurring to water sector, industries, tourism, but also to the entire region in the and warning services. He said the Mohapatra said. P9 VIRTUAL SUMMIT ON DEC 17 TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR The government is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his working to transform Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina Guwahati as a gateway will hold comprehensive discussions on to Southeast Asia the entire spectrum of bilateral ties at a virtual summit on December 17, the y SARBANANDA SONOWAL |

national ASSAM CM Ministry of External Affairs said Monday

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of the day uote Narrow escape for IIT-Madras turns into COVID Himachal Governor Now, Centre upgrades The Chief PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Minister should first Vijayvargiya’s security Hyderabad/Shimla, Dec 14: speak about what the Maha Vikas Himachal Pradesh Governor Aghadi government hotspot with over 100 cases Bandaru Dattatreya sustained Vijayvargiya's vehicle was attacked with stones has done for minor bruises on his knee on peasants Monday after the car he was trav- during a visit to Diamond Harbour area in elling in veered off the road and DEVENDRA FADNAVIS | BJP LEADER The number of IIT-M students who tested positive for coronavirus has increased to 103 hit a tree at Choutuppal near here, South 24 Parganas district December 10 when on Monday and there is fear that the number might go up official sources said. The incident occurred on he was accompanying the BJP president We have been INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE National Highway-65 (Hyderabad- providing free Vijayawada) when the Governor PRESS TRUST OF INDIA treatment for COVID-19 and the Chennai, Dec 14: Just when the was on his way to Nalgonda dis- preventive medicine spread of coronavirus infection trict to attend a felicitation and New Delhi/Kolkata, Dec 14: is part of that in Tamil Nadu appeared to be re- other programmes from BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya's treatment. We made ceding, the premier technical in- Hyderabad, they said. The VIP security has been upgraded it clear that it will be provided free stitute of Indian Institute of Governor thanked his well-wish- with the addition of a "bullet re- of cost. There is no violation of any Technology, Madras (IIT-M) has ers for their prayers. sistant" car in his convoy during model code of conduct turned into a Covid-19 hotspot. Earlier, the car driver lost con- his West Bengal tour, official IIT-M students who tested posi- trol apparently after the steering sources said Monday. PINARAYI VIJAYAN | KERALA CM tive for coronavirus has increased suddenly turned left and the vehicle The Union Home Ministry has to 103 on Monday and there is fear veered off the road and hit a tree issued an order directing the Central that the number might go up. All before coming to a halt, police Industrial Security Force (CISF) This is not a those who have tested positive in- infected and admitted in the Kings /smell, or any other symptoms said. "The Governor, who was to include an armoured vehicle in fight only for cluding research scholars and staff Institute. On December 6, there have been requested to get in touch seated in the front row of the car, the convoy of the 64-year-old na- the livelihoods have been admitted to the Kings was information that about five the hospital officials. suffered minor bruises on his left tional general secretary of the BJP and the lives of 62 Institute here. tested positive for the virus in The post graduate students, re- knee after his leg hit the dash- and ensure he only travels in that crore farmers, but The students allege that the IIT- Krishna Hostel. Five more tested board," a close aide of Dattatreya, SUV, they said. for the 120 crore search scholars and others have people who eat M's decision to run only one mess positive on December 7/8. After been asked to be confined to their who was also travelling in the car, "The security of Mr Vijayvargiya what the farmers produce. To term could be the most probable reason that, inmates of Krishna hostel rooms with arrangements made said, adding he later continued has been upgraded with the in- the protests political is a big insult for the large scale spread of coro- were asked to go into quarantine to deliver food to their rooms. On his journey in another vehicle. clusion of a bullet resistant four- to the food-growers of the country. navirus. One cannot ensure mask and everybody was asked to un- Sunday, 32 fresh coronavirus in- A Raj Bhavan spokesperson in wheeler in the convoy. This has The Modi government should or social distancing as students dergo tests, the scholar added. fected cases were reported and the Shimla said the others travelling been done keeping in mind the se- "As per the order of the Union shed arrogance mostly eat and are in congrega- Queried about informing the Tamil Nadu government has in- with Dattatreya were also safe. curity requirements of the pro- Home ministry, I have been pro- tion -- that too in large numbers. parents, the scholar said all are structed that all the students be After reaching Nalgonda district, tectee in the wake of the recent vided with a bulletproof vehicle," RANDEEP SINGH SURJEWALA | A total of 774 students are in mature and have been diagnosed doctors examined the Governor attack on his vehicle that was part he told the media at the airport. On CONGRESS LEADER tested for the virus infection. the campus and most of those who with minimal symptoms. "As of Till Sunday, there were 66 stu- and after being administered first- of a convoy of BJP president J P December 10, several vehicles in were infected were residents of now I haven't seen parents com- dents and five staff members who aid, he attended the programmes Nadda," an official source said. Nadda's cavalcade were damaged two hostels -- Krishna and Jamuna. ing to Kings Institute," had tested positive for coronavirus as per schedule. Union Home The CISF has been providing 'Z' in the attack. Sources in the BJP SHORT TAKES "These two hostels were not used the scholar said. infection. According to officials, Minister, Governors of Telangana category VIP security cover to said its leaders, including as Covid-19 quarantine centres. The IIT-M has decided to shut- the students who had returned to and Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Vijayvargiya since February last Vijayvargiya and vice president The infection could be multiple down all its departments, centres the campus were quarantined for Pradesh Chief Minister and year. The protection includes a mo- Mukul Roy, sustained injuries in CoBRA officer dies sources," a research scholar said pre- and asked their staff to work from two weeks, but the quarantining ca- Minister of State for Home G bile team of about six-seven armed the melee. ferring anonymity. home and anyone with the symp- pacity is limited. Those who have Kishan Reddy were among those CISF commandos as well as a pilot Nadda has similar 'Z' level VIP Raipur: An officer of the According to the scholar, there toms like fever, dry cough, sore been infected with coronavirus are who spoke to Dattatreya over phone and an escort vehicle. security cover provided by the CRPF's elite unit CoBRA, who was injured in an IED are women students who have been throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste progressing well, officials said. and enquired about his health. Vijayvargiya's vehicle was at- CRPF. His security protocol also blast in Chhattisgarh’s tacked with stones during a visit allows him to travel in a bullet-re- Sukma district, died in the to Diamond Harbour area in the sistant car. Union Home Minister wee hours of Monday, a No Khagyad Chaam state's South 24 Parganas district Amit Shah had said after this in- senior police official said. CHRISTMAS SPIRIT on December 10 when he was ac- cident. "Bengal has descended into Deputy Commandant Vikas in Sikkim this year companying the BJP president. an era of tyranny, anarchy and Kumar, belonging to Vijayvargiya confirmed his secu- darkness under the Trinamool CoBRAs 208th battalion, rity upgrade to reporters after he rule... The manner in which polit- received serious injuries on PRESS TRUST OF INDIA arrived in Kolkata on Monday af- ical violence has been institu- Sunday when the ternoon to take part in a programme tionalised and brought to the ex- improvised explosive device Gangtok, Dec 14: For the first at Mathurapur in South 24 treme in West Bengal under TMC (IED) planted by Maoists time since the 1800s, Buddhist Parganas. rule is sad and worrying". exploded while it was being monasteries of Nynmapa and defused by security Khagyu sects in Sikkim will not personnel in Kistaram police organise the famed Khagyad station limits, he said. Chaam, a traditional mask dance, this year due to the COVID-19 Bihar man loses wife in pandemic. Elephant kills man The mask dances, performed by monks, are held every year in bet, pours acid on her Korba: A 65-year-old man various monasteries in the state was trampled to death by a during the Bhutia festival of INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE wild elephant in The incident came to Losoong (New Year), and are vis- Chhattisgarh's Korba light Sunday when district in the early hours of ited by thousands of devotees as Patna, Dec 14: A man in Monday, taking the toll from well as tourists from all over Bihar's Bhagalpur district bet the woman escaped such incidents to four in the the world. his wife and lost her while from her in-laws last one week, an official gambling. He then forced her said. Budhram Singh Gond to have sex with his gambler house and reached was attacked by the tusker friends and poured acid on her her father’s residence at around 1:30 am when he when she refused to continue was asleep in his hut in sexual relations, an in Lodipur and Ghutra Para village under official said. narrated her ordeal Katghora forest division, he The 30-year-old victim re- said. "At least two Every year pujas and dances People buy decorative items for the upcoming Christmas festival, in Ranchi, Monday PTI PHOTO fused to have sexual relations pachyderms entered the are held over ten days but this with other men after two or tim refused to go with them village and one of them time the rituals will be performed three times and her husband after two or three times. destroyed Gond's hut and for three days, during which Guru then threw acid on her. Sources "We are studying the state- then trampled him to death. Thakmar pujas will be offered for said that he wanted purification ment of the victim and have ar- The kin of the victim was global peace, and protection of UP opposes Kappan’s bail plea of his wife. Rajesh Kumar Jha, rested the accused. He has con- given immediate aid of Rs the world against the COVID-19 SHO of Mozahidpur police sta- fessed that he lost his wife in 25,000, and remaining 5.75 lakh will be given after more pandemic, said Norbu G Bhutia, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA caste conflicts within the State with tion, said that the accused hus- a gambling bet and also forced formalities," the official the former administrator of an intention to destroy the public band Sonu Harijan was arrested her to have sexual relations said. Gangtok's Enchey monastery, New Delhi, Dec 14: The Uttar order and to tarnish the image of and an FIR was registered with his gambler friends," Jha which is considered to be one of Pradesh government Monday op- the government established by against him on Sunday evening. said. As the victim had sus- the holiest sites by the Buddhists. posed in the Supreme Court the bail law…” the affidavit said. "As the case is extremely tained burn injuries, her in- In the wake of the pandemic, the plea of Kerala-based scribe Siddique “Investigation has also revealed sensitive, we have immediately laws held her captive in a house Man arrested state government has suggested to Kappan, arrested on his way to that the accused Kappan is not only registered an FIR and arrested in Mozahidpur to hide the in- Mumbai: A 31-year-old man cut down on the festivities, which Hathras where a young Dalit woman involved in hatching a design to the accused. Further investi- cident. They gave her primary who claims to have lost his are attended by thousands every had died after allegedly being gang- commit a cognizable offence to dis- gation is underway and other medical treatment. job in a telecom company in year, said Sonam Lama, the cur- raped, saying he has been “associ- rupt public order an pace but is accused will be arrested too if The incident came to light the coronavirus- induced rent in- charge of the Enchey ated” with PFI, responsible for dis- also a mastermind having links they are found to be involved on Sunday when the woman lockdown was arrested in monastery. rupting public peace by provoking with various unfortunate riots, dis- in this case," Jha said. managed to escape from her in- Santa Cruz area of Mumbai "This year, the mask dances, “the class and caste conflicts”. vehemently opposed the bail plea turbing public tranquility nation- In a statement to the police, laws house and reached her for allegedly possessing which is an important tradition in The state government in its ad- of Kappan moved by Kerala Union wide,” it said. A bench headed by the accused said that he lost the father's residence in Lodipur drugs worth Rs 15 lakh in the Sikkim, will not be held due to ditional affidavit, filed through of Working Journalists (KUWJ). Chief Justice S A Bobde fixed the bet to someone and a half and narrated her ordeal. Her illicit market, an official said. the pandemic. There is some dis- Satya Prakash Upadhyay, Special “Kappan has been associated plea of KUWJ questioning Kappan's month ago. As per the com- parents immediately took her The Vakola police station appointment among the devotees Secretary of Department of Home with the Popular Front of India arrest for hearing in the third week mitment, the victim was to be to Lodipur police station where official said Faisal Iqbal but keeping in view the guide- Affairs, has given details of the (PFI) which has been responsible of January after asking it to file the handed over to the winners of the police asked the victim to Sayyed, a resident of lines of social distancing we have probe conducted by its Special Task for disrupting the pubic peace of the reply to the additional affidavit of the bet for a month but the vic- go to Mozahidpur police station. Nagpada in south Mumbai, taken the decision," he said. Force (STF) so far in the case and State by provoking the class and the state government. was held on the basis of a tip-off on Sunday by a team led by assistant inspector Sagar Nikam. Syringe makers in a huddle as India plans mass vaccination

Gold seized INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE Managing Director of Hindustan than one year approximately if there plied between August and December billion population. that get disabled after a single use." Pune: Police have seized Syringes & Medical Devices Ltd is a single dose and it may be 1.5 years 2020. HMD has already shipped over The World Health Organisation "To protect the population from con- around 6 kg gold worth New Delhi, Dec 14: With India set (HMD), the estimated demand in if a double dose is needed. "We are 100 million pieces of Kojak Auto (WHO) and UNICEF recommended tracting HIV, Hepatitis B and Rs 3.16 crore from two to begin mass Covid-19 vaccination India would be around 900 million currently producing approximately Disable Syringes to Covax stockpile that auto-disabled syringes must Hepatitis C while getting people, who were coming in a couple of weeks, top syringe pieces of different kinds of syringes one lakh pieces of 0.5 ml Kojak AD facility as the Covid-19 vaccines are be used for administering vaccines preventive vac- from Visakhapatnam in a car, makers in the country are eagerly for just one shot of the vaccine, con- syringes per hour, 24 hours a day. It's showing promising results across the -- particularly in mass in Maharashtra's Solapur waiting for the licenses so that they sidering 60-70 per cent of the coun- going to be a challenge to vaccinate globe and will soon send the next 40 immunisation pro- district, a police official said can supply the required numbers to try gets vaccinated. over 1.5-2 lakh people every hour million syringes within December. grammes. On the func- Monday. The gold was being avoid the last-minute rush or short- "The number would amplify to 1.8 in eight working hours daily," Nath Pavan Mocherla, Managing tion of auto-disabled transported from age. billion if the vaccine India chooses emphasised. Director of Becton Dickinson (BD) syringes and their y Visakhapatnam (in Andhra Reliable sources said on Monday needs two shots," Nath said. He also "By April-June, we will need to - India and South Asia, an American role in the ovid-19

Pradesh) to Sangli in that nation's top syringe manufac- stressed that the time taken to vac- build infrastructure to vaccinate multinational medical technology vaccine im-

k y m c Maharashtra and it is turers are ready to supply nearly 1.8 cinate all of India is linked to what over 2-2.5 lakh people per hour i.e 16 company, said that it is critically munisation cines, suspected to be a case of billion syringes required for has- percentage of population is tar- to 20 lakh people daily." important to make sure that the the Indian gov- smuggling or evasion of sle-free vaccination and are cur- geted and how many vaccine dosages The Covax facility working for healthcare workers are supplied pro- ernment has been adopting the taxes, Superintendent of rently waiting for the tenders to be actually needed. global equitable access to Covid-19 with the right injection devices that gramme, use of single use auto-disabled sy- Police (Solapur rural) open. For example, to vaccinate 60-70 per vaccines ordered 140 million Kojak will ultimately be needed to deliver Mocherla explained: ringes in its vaccination programmes Tejaswini Satpute said. According to Rajiv Nath, cent of India, it may take little less AD Syringes from HMD to be sup- a vaccine to help support India's 1.3 "Auto-disabled syringes are the ones from August 2005," he noted. No, I worry BRITISH SPY THRILLER AUTHOR P10 about the TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR country having an JOHN LE CARRE DIES AT 89 illegitimate British writer John le Carre, whose president, that's real name was David Cornwell, best what I worry about. A known for his Cold War espionage president that lost novels “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and international and lost badly “The spy who came in from the cold”,

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT has died aged 89

k y m | c of the day uote US Treasury, Commerce agencies hacked China tightens up on Sadly, the next four to six months could HACKERS GOT INTO COMPUTERS AT THE US TREASURY DEPARTMENT TOUCHING OFF A info after Xinjiang leaks be the worst of the GOVERNMENT RESPONSE INVOLVING THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL pandemic. The Institute for Health Metrics and ASSOCIATED PRESS hile hacked cybersecurity compa- Evaluation forecast shows over ny, FireEye, would not say who it 200,000 additional deaths Washington, Dec 14: US govern- W ment agencies were ordered to suspected, many experts believe the BILL GATES | MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER scour their networks for malware operation is Russian given the careful tradecraft and disconnect potentially com- promised servers after authorities ews of the hacks came less than a I definitely do learned that the Treasury and week after FireEye disclosed that want to look N nation-state hackers had broken into its at the Commerce departments were network and stolen the company’s own pandemic. The next hacked in a months-long global hacking tools biggest problem cyber-espionage campaign discov- we’re going to face ered when a prominent cyberse- he malware gave the hackers remote is vaccine curity firm learned it had been Taccess to victims’ networks, and distribution and prioritisation. So breached. Alperovitch said SolarWinds grants I'm looking at my potential data and In a rare emergency directive is- “God-mode” access to a network, mak- analytics approach towards that sued late Sunday, the Department The US Treasury Department building ing everything visible GITANJALI RAO | of Homeland Security’s cyberse- ASSOCIATED PRESS Communist Party chief Xu Hairong YOUNG INDIAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIST curity arm warned of an “unac- work and stolen the company’s own SolarWinds software. Hultquist, director of threat analy- called reports on the leaks “mali- ceptable risk” to the executive hacking tools. FireEye, without naming any sis at FireEye. “The actor is oper- Beijing, Dec 14: The Xinjiang re- cious smears and distortions.” branch from a feared large-scale The apparent conduit for the specific targets, said in a blog post ating stealthily, but we are certainly gional government in China’s far The Xinjiang government did Singapore has penetration of US government agen- Treasury and Commerce that its investigation into the hack still finding targets that they man- west is deleting data, destroying not respond to a fax for comment approved cies that could date back to mid- Department hacks - and the FireEye of its own network had identified age to operate in.” documents, tightening controls on on the arrests, the tightened re- Pfizer- year or earlier. compromise - is a hugely popular “a global campaign” targeting gov- On its website, SolarWinds says it information and has held high-level strictions on information and other BioNTech’s novel “This can turn into one of the piece of server software called ernments and the private sector has 300,000 customers worldwide, meetings in response to leaks of measures responding to the leaks. coronavirus vaccine most impactful espionage cam- SolarWinds. It is used by hundreds that, beginning in the spring, had including all five branches of the classified papers on its mass de- The Chinese Foreign Ministry did and expects delivery paigns on record,” said cyberse- of thousands of organisations glob- slipped malware into a SolarWinds US military, the Pentagon, the State tention camps for Uighurs and other not have an immediate comment. of the first shots by curity expert Dmitri Alperovitch. ally, including most Fortune 500 software update. Neither the com- Department, NASA, the National predominantly Muslim minorities, Xinjiang’s government had al- the end of December The hacked cybersecurity com- companies and multiple US federal pany nor the US government pub- Security Agency, the Department of according to four people in contact ready mandated stricter controls on LEE HSIEN LOONG | pany, FireEye, would not say who it agencies, which will now be scram- licly identified Russian state-backed Justice and the White House. It says with government information in SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER suspected - many experts believe bling to patch up their networks, said hackers as responsible. the 10 leading US telecommunications employees there. The Xinjiang regional October, before the the operation is Russian given the Alperovitch, the former chief tech- The malware gave the hackers re- companies and top five US accounting Top officials de- government in China’s news reports, ac- careful tradecraft - and noted that nical officer of the cybersecurity mote access to victims’ networks, firms are among customers. liberated how to re- cording to three SHORT TAKES foreign governments and major cor- firm CrowdStrike. and Alperovitch said SolarWinds FireEye said it had confirmed spond to the leaks far west is deleting data, of the people, all porations were also compromised. The DHS directive - only the fifth grants “God-mode” access to a net- infections in North America, in meetings at the destroying documents, Uighurs outside News of the hacks, first reported since they were created in 2015 - work, making everything visible. Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Chinese Communist Xinjiang. Iraqi forces kill by Reuters, came less than a week said US agencies should immedi- “We anticipate this will be a very including in the healthcare and oil Party’s regional tightening controls on They include after FireEye disclosed that nation- ately disconnect or power down large event when all the informa- and gas industry - and had been headquarters in information following orders for com- 42 IS militants state hackers had broken into its net- any machines running the impacted tion comes to light,” said John informing affected customers. Urumqi, Xinjiang’s munity-level offi- Baghdad: The Iraqi Counter- capital, some of the the leaks cials to burn paper Terrorism Service (CTS) killed people said. They spoke on condi- forms containing sensitive per- 42 militants of the Islamic SHARIF ADDRESSES tion of anonymity because of fears sonal details on residents in their State (IS) terror group during RIOT OF COLOURS of retribution against themselves, area such as their detention status, can operation in Nineveh PDM LAHORE RALLY family members and the govern- and for various state offices to province, the country’s ment workers. throw away computers, tighten military has confirmed. FROM LONDON The meetings began days after management of classified infor- Acting on intelligence The New York Times published mation, and ensure all informa- reports, the CTS forces INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE last month a cache of internal tion related to the camps is now backed by Iraqi and speeches on Xinjiang by top lead- stored on databases disconnected international coalition Lahore, Dec 14: Former Pakistan ers including Chinese President from the internet in special, re- aircraft, stormed into the Ayn Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ad- Xi Jinping. They continued after the stricted-access rooms to bar hack- al-Jahash area south of the dressed the PDM opposition al- International Consortium of ers, the Uighurs said. provincial capital of Mosul, liance’s final power show in Lahore, the former stronghold of the Investigative Journalists worked “They became much more seri- IS, Xinhua news agency during which he accused his suc- with news organisations around the ous about the transfer of infor- reported citing the military cessor Imran Khan for the coun- world to publish secret guidelines mation,” one said. as saying in a statement try’s “prevailing woes”, the media for operating detention centers Publication of the classified Sunday. The CTS forces were reported Monday. and instructions on how to use documents prompted the central engaged in fierce clashes Despite the Pakistan govern- technology to target people. government in Beijing to put with IS militants in the area ment's ban on holding public ral- The Chinese government has more pressure on Xinjiang offi- for two successive days. lies in the wake of the unabated long struggled with its 11-million- cials, several of the Uighurs said. Covid-19 pandemic, the Pakistan strong Uighur population, an eth- Some university teachers and Democratic Movement held the nic Turkic minority native to district-level workers in Urumqi 25 injured in power show, dubbed as ‘first phase' Xinjiang, and in recent years has have been ordered to clean out on Sunday at the city’s Minar-i- detained 1 million or more Uighurs sensitive data on their comput- Rawalpindi blast Pakistan. and other minorities in the camps. ers, phones and cloud storage, Xinjiang officials and the Chinese and to delete work-related social Rawalpindi: At least 25 people Foreign Ministry have not directly media groups, according to one were injured after a blast hit a denied the authenticity of the doc- market area in Pakistan’s Uighur with direct knowledge Rawalpindi city, police said. The sun sets behind the Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May, New Jersey REUTERS PHOTO uments, though Urumqi of the situation. According to city police officer Mohammad Ahsan Younas, an improvised 3 dead, 5 missing explosive device (IED) was Barnier still sees hope to clinch EU-UK deal planted under a cart, which exploded on Sunday in the after ships collide busy Ganj Mandi market near Sharif addressed the rally via ASSOCIATED PRESS progress in the talks. He is expected deadline and promised to “go the hemmed in by EU restrictions, a police station, roughly 2 km video-link from London, where to continue negotiations with his UK extra mile” to clinch a post-Brexit especially if those restrictions ASSOCIATED PRESS away from the military he has been residing since last Brussels, Dec 14: European Union Counterpart David Frost later trade agreement that would avert would have to be progressively headquarters, reports Xinhua year for medical treatment. chief negotiator Michel Barnier Monday. “This deal, it is still pos- New Year's chaos and costs for adapted to mainland standards Beijing, Dec 14: Rescuers in China news agency. A rescue official In his speech, the Pakistan said Monday he still has the firm be- sible," he added. cross-border commerce. in the future. were searching Monday for five told the media that they Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lief that a Brexit trade agreement Both sides are teetering on the Barnier is willing to accept British On fisheries, Barnier demanded sailors missing after a collision be- shifted 22 injured, some in supremo said that Khan was not is possible, and whittled the out- “an agreement that guarantees a re- tween two ships at the mouth of critical condition, to a local only responsible for the country’s standing disputes to be settled ahead European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier said ciprocal, I insist, reciprocal access the Yangtze River that left at least hospital. situation but also those who of the New Year to just two. Monday that two conditions are not yet met to markets and waters.” It high- three dead. brought him into power. Barnier said that the nine-month lighted that just as EU fishermen State broadcaster CCTV showed “They pushed the country into negotiations had come down to brink of a no-deal Brexit depar- trade with no tariffs or quotas, but crave to continue working in British dramatic footage of crews pulling Blast ‘strikes’ unprecedented inflation and un- finding settlements on fair-com- ture, but have committed to a final only if they respect the rules and waters, the UK Seafood industry 11 of the 16 sailors who had been employment," the ousted premier petition rules and fishing rights, push ahead of January 1, when a regulations that have made the is extremely dependent on exports on board the container vessel ship off Jiddah said, adding that Khan’s supporters no longer mentioning the issue of transitional period following EU’s single market of almost 500 mil- into the 27-nation bloc. Xinqisheng 69 from the water, three Dubai: A maritime group says were minting money out of wheat legal mechanisms for resolving fu- Britain’s January 31 departure lion consumers so successful. “Free Johnson has made fisheries and of whom showed no signs of life. an explosion has struck a and sugar crisis.” He further said ture disputes that also long dogged from the bloc is to end. and fair competition, fair and free, UK control over its waters a key The Yangtze is China's most heav- ship off the Red Sea port city that if the incumbent “fake the negotiations. On Sunday, British Prime equitable and open, the two go to- demand in the long saga of leaving ily trafficked river and the point at of Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. The regime” continues to be in for- “Two conditions are not met Minister Boris Johnson and EU gether,” Barnier said. the EU. It has been four-and-a-half which it meets the East China Sea, United Kingdom Marine mer, it will further “jeopardise yet," he said as he entered a meet- Commission President Ursula von Johnson, however, says he does years since Britons voted narrowly just north of the commercial hub Trade Operations, an the country’s security”. ing to brief the 27 EU nations on der Leyen ditched a self-imposed not want British business to be to leave the EU. of Shanghai. organisation under Britain's royal navy, said the blast happened Sunday, without elaborating. It urged ships in the area to exercise caution. Families marry off daughters to ease finances amid Covid-19 Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, also reported the blast. Saudi Many countries had on this remote corner of Sierra alone, nearly half a million more With schools closed and pressure on Leone were greater than the wishes Arabia’s state-run media did made progress against girls under 18 are at risk of being household finances mounting, mar- not acknowledge the of a schoolgirl. Nearby mining op- married off worldwide, most in rying off young girls has become a explosion. traditional and erations had slowed with the global Africa and Asia. more viable option for reducing ex- economy. Business fell off at her One aid organization said staffers penses. The Childline India counted transactional marriages stepfather’s tailoring shop. The in a remote corner of Sierra Leone 5,214 marriages in just four months of girls in recent decades, family needed money. overheard a relative offering up a of lockdown between March and 2 Indians abducted Her suitor was a poor miner in girl as young as 8 for marriage ear- June 2020 across India. This is a in Nigeria but Covid-19's economic his mid-20s, but his parents could lier this year. When chastised, the vast undercount, the organisation havoc has caused provide rice for Marie’s four sis- grandmother later denied doing says, as the majority of cases are not Lagos: Police in southwest ters and access to a watering hole. so. In most cases, needy parents re- reported. Nigeria Sunday warned significant backsliding They could pay cash. Before long, ceive a dowry for their daughter, such Intervention is only sometimes foreign nationals to be Marie was seated on a floor mat in as a bit of land or livestock that effective at preventing the mar- vigilant days after gunmen ASSOCIATED PRESS a new dress as his family presented can provide income, or cash and a riages, even where they are illegal. kidnapped two Indian hers with 500,000 leones ($50) in- promise to take over financial re- Child protection authorities in workers in the region. Koidu (Sierra Leone), Dec 14: side a calabash bowl along with the Gunmen seized the two men sponsibility for the young bride. Bangladesh said they received an 8:30 Wednesday as they drove out The man first caught a glimpse of traditional kola nut. “The day they The girl, in turn, takes on the house- p.m. call back in June warning that of a pharmaceutical firm in Marie Kamara as she ran with her paid for me was on a Friday and then hold chores of her husband's fam- a child marriage was to take place

friends past his house near the vil- I went to his house to stay,” she ily and often farm work. within the hour. As soon as the of-

k y m Ibadan, the capital of Oyo c state. The force was making lage primary school. Soon after, he says flatly, adding that at least now As the coronavirus spread quickly ficials arrived the groom and his fam- a “concerted effort” to find proposed to the fifth-grader. she will eat twice a day. around the world, so too did finan- ily ran away. The family said they and rescue them, but did not “I'm going to school now. I don't Many countries had made progress caused significant backsliding: The before the age of 18. cial hardship. India's harsh lock- were desperate because the father say if the kidnappers had want to get married and stay in the against traditional and transactional United Nations estimates that hard- Though most such marriages down to contain the virus in late was out of work due to the Covid- made contact with the house,” she told him. marriages of girls in recent decades, ships resulting from Covid-19 will take place in secret, Save the March caused millions of impov- 19 crisis, but promised not to go families. But the pressures of a pandemic but Covid-19's economic havoc has drive 13 million more girls to marry Children estimates that this year erished migrants to lose their jobs. ahead with the wedding. P11 ‘FOCUSED ON INVESTING TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR Coal PSUs will adopt alternate IN INDIA FOR LONG RUN’ transport methods like Facebook is committed to investing in India for the mechanised conveyor systems, long term and continues to build tools for computerised loading onto railway businesses to help them build and grow their online rakes etc, thereby replacing road presence, said an official. CRO David Fischer said

business transport in large mines they have made investments and undertaken some

k y m PRALHAD JOSHI | COAL AND MINES MINISTER unique bets that it hasn’t been done anywhere c of the day uote Burger King India NBFCs expect higher credit loss on Covid woes: Study makes remarkable We are proud to be the first THE STUDY BY LEADING CONSULTANCY EY IS BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF THE STANDALONE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF 42 market debut in India to NBFCs, INCLUDING 14 HFCs, FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2020 achieve this feat (of delivering a general PRESS TRUST OF INDIA cargo vessel to a PRESS TRUST OF INDIA overall increase in provision cov- as compared to year ended 31 March Dutch client) since erage rate by 26% as at 31 March 2020 2019. Also, the companies reported New Delhi, Dec 14: In a re- the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team New Delhi, Dec 14: Non-Banking compared to the year ended 31 March a COVID-19 impact of 32% of the ECL markable market debut, shares worked relentlessly towards Financial Companies (NBFCs) are 2019". Further, COVID-19 impact ac- expense for the year ended 31 March of Burger King India Monday building the vessel before the set expecting higher credit loss as well counted for 19% of the ECL al- 2020. The cost of risk ratio has in- zoomed nearly 131% against its timeline and ensured that its as an increase in provision cover- lowance as on March 31, 2020. creased by 202%," EY said. issue price of `60. The stock opened delivery is not affected age rates, mainly due to the impact As per the study titled 'Expected Stage 1 refers to loans with no at `115.35, a huge premium of

ARJUN CHOWGULE | EXEC DIR, CHOWGULE & of the coronavirus pandemic, ac- credit loss analysis for non-banking significant increase in credit risk 92.25% against the issue price on ` COMPANY cording to a study. financial companies' released while Stage 2 indicates loans with the BSE. It later closed at 138.40, The study by leading consultancy Monday, there has been an overall significant rise in credit risk. a gain of 130.66%. On the NSE, it EY is based on an analysis of the increase in gross loans of NBFCs Stage 3 refers to credit impaired jumped 125% to close at `135 after standalone financial statements of by 7.63% and HFCs by 2.44%. "There loans. NBFCs analyse co-relation opening at `112.50, up 87.5%. Limited 42 NBFCs, including 14 Housing was an increase in ECL allowance of a wide range of factors with The company’s market valuation reopening of Finance Companies (HFCs), for the on stage 1 and stage 2 by 56% as their default patterns and shortlist was at `5,282.10 crore on the BSE borders has year ended March 31, 2020. against 25% increase in ECL al- at the close of trade. On traded put the spotlight the factors relevant to their re- firmly on The companies have reported an lowance on stage 3 assets. spective businesses to take into volume terms, 191.55 lakh shares destination India "increase in Expected Credit Loss "ECL expense has increased by account the impact of forward- were traded at the BSE and over and we are (ECL) allowance by 33% and an 219% for the year ended 31 March 2020 looking information. 18.67 crore units on the NSE dur- delighted to partner with the ing the day. WelcomHeritage Hotels to catalyse Burger King India’s share sale domestic tourism was subscribed a massive 156.65 times earlier this month. RAJEEV KALE, PRESIDENT & COUNTRY AIR INDIA SALE The price range for the `810- HEAD, | (HOLIDAYS), MICE, VISA THOMAS COOK (INDIA) crore initial public offering (IPO) Inflationary woes: WPI was fixed at `59-60 per share. Tatas, Interups among The quick-service restaurant chain currently operates 268 stores In India, in India and out of them, eight Flipkart and are franchises, mainly located at PhonePe had airports, while the rest is owned strong results for rises to 1.55% in Nov ‘multiple’ bidders the quarter. The by the company. number of monthly active customers for broad-based month-on-month in- these platforms is at crease of 0.8%, the core-WPI in- an all-time high flation rose to a 22-month high of ‘FICCI will help India 2.6% in November 2020. C DOUGLAS MCMILLON | PRESIDENT & CEO, "In our view, a rise in infla- WALMART achieve 8-10% GDP’ tion for core items and com- modities, including crude oil and mineral oils, would be partly off- POST NEWS NETWORK SHORT TAKES set by a base-effect led decline in the food inflation in December Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: The newly- 2020, resulting in a fairly stable appointed president of Federation Gold tanks `460, print for the ongoing month," of Indian Chambers of Commerce ` Nayar said. & Industry (FICCI) Uday Shankar silver declines 629 Elior India CEO & MD Sanjay said that the association will play New Delhi: Gold prices Kumar said the increasing trend BACK IN RACE a lead role in providing inputs to tanked `460 to `48,371 per 10 in the wholesale price inflation is the government and implement- gm in the national capital essentially a mixed bag. Hopefully A group of 219 Air India Sources said Tata Sons, the holding ing the steps to regain the growth Monday on a weak global the price rise is on the back of employees submitted an company of the Tata Group, has put in an EoI momentum. trend, according to HDFC AGENCIES increased demand and not be- EoI for the carrier in and so did Interups, whose chairman Laxmi Shankar Securities. In the previous In our view, a rise in cause of an increase in input cost partnership with Interups Prasad had in the run-up to the said, “FICCI trade, the precious metal had New Delhi, Dec 14: The whole- inflation for core items and for manufacturing. at the close of the deadline disinvestment made his intentions clear to will provide closed at `48,831 per 10 gram. sale price-based inflation rose to commodities would be "If it is driven purely by de- Monday bid for Air India every input Silver prices also dipped ` 629 a 9-month high of 1.55% in mand, then it is a welcome sign as to the gov- ` ` partly offset by a base- to 62,469 per kg from 63,098 November on costlier manufac- it signals an improvement in the AGENCIES Pandey tweeted. ernment to per kg in the previous trade. effect led decline in the tured items, even as food prices food inflation in December economy, however one would have He, however, did not reveal either regain the "Spot gold prices for 24 carat cooled. The WPI inflation was to watch with caution whether New Delhi, Dec 14: Salt-to-software the identity of the bidders or the growth mo- ` 2020, resulting in a fairly in Delhi fell by 460, reflecting 1.48% in October 2020 and 0.58% the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conglomerate Tata Group and US- number of bids received for buy- mentum. The association will also decline in global gold prices stable print for the in November last year. This is the decides to tighten the monetary based fund Interups Inc were ing the national carrier. play a vital role in making the and rupee appreciation," HDFC ongoing month highest level of wholesale price policy in view of the rising in- among “multiple” entities that Sources said Tata Sons, the hold- country reach 8-10% GDP growth Securities Senior Analyst ADITI NAYAR |PRINCIPAL ECONOMIST, ICRA Tapan Patel said. index-based (WPI) inflation since flation," Kumar added. Monday put in preliminary bids for ing company of the Tata Group, has trajectory quickly.” February, when it was 2.26%. The RBI in its monetary pol- buying loss-making carrier Air put in an EoI and so did Interups, Uday Shankar, President of Walt While food articles saw soften- icy earlier this month had kept in- India. whose chairman Laxmi Prasad Disney, took over as FICCI ing in inflation in November, man- terest rates on hold to support A group of 219 Air India em- had in the run-up to the disin- President for 2020-21 from Sangita ‘Protests may ufactured items witnessed hard- growth and said that inflation ployees submitted an expression of vestment made his intentions clear Reddy at the apex chamber’s 93rd impacts recovery’ ening of prices. Food inflation in will remain elevated, barring tran- interest (EoI) for the carrier in to bid for Air India. Annual Convention. November stood at 3.94%, against sient relief in the winter months. partnership with Interups at the It was not, however, immedi- Sanjiv Mehta, CMD of New Delhi: The current 6.37% in the previous month. It had projected retail inflation, close of the deadline Monday. ately clear if Tatas have bid alone Hindustan Unilever Limited has agitation by farmers has led to The rate of price rise in veg- based on consumer price index, at "Multiple expressions of in- or through its budget airline been elevated as Senior Vice supply chain disruptions, etables and potatoes remained 6.8% and 5.8% in December and terest have been received for AirAsia India. A group of 219 Air President of FICCI. Subhrakant which will impact the economy high at 12.24% and 115.12% dur- while in fuel and power basket it March quarter respectively. Retail strategic disinvestment of Air India Ltd employees, each one con- Panda, Managing Director, Indian in the coming days and may ing the month. was (-) 9.87%. inflation rose sharply to 7.3% in India. The Transaction will now tributing at least `1 lakh, hold 51% Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) impinge upon the ongoing Inflation in non-food articles ICRA Principal Economist Aditi September and further to 7.6% in move to the second stage," in the bidding consortium. The has joined FICCI leadership as recovery from the economic was higher at 8.43% in November, Nayar said with a sharp and fairly October. DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta remaining 49% is with Interups. Vice President. contraction due to COVID-19, industry body CII said Monday. "Given the challenge to get the economy back on the growth Fuel demand in BIZ BUZZ trajectory, CII urges all the FM holds pre-budget stakeholders to urgently seek country drops Ola to invest $326mn ways to end the ongoing Huawei forays into cloud talks with industrialists protests and reach an 3.6% in November in e-scooter plant content network service amicable solution, in the New Delhi: With the union budget- New Delhi: Ride-hailing firm Ola, backed by Japan’s interest of economy," CII said. New Delhi: Chinese telecom making process getting underway, SoftBank Group, said Monday it planned to invest AGENCIES gear maker Huawei Monday Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman `24 billion ($326 million) to set up a factory in Tamil announced its entry into held her first pre-budget consultation Nadu to produce electric scooters. The plant will cloud-based content with top industrialists Monday. The New Delhi, Dec 14: India's fuel have an initial annual capacity to produce two million Investment delivery network (CDN) in meeting assumed importance as it demand fell 3.6% year-on-year scooters and will create nearly 10,000 jobs, Ola said India to help the businesses would bring industry and government MoUs signed in November, reversing the return in a statement, as it gears up to launch electric deliver the best user web- together to identify critical areas of to normal consumption levels scooters in the coming months. The Indian Chennai: The Tamil Nadu experience. The company reform that would pave the way for attained in the previous month. government has been pushing automakers to move government Monday signed claims to have been providing the service in 130 reinvigorating growth in the economy Total demand for petroleum to cleaner fuel technology, especially electric, in an Memorandums of countries. "Given Huawei's 30 years of experience hit hard by the pandemic this year. The products in November fell to effort to reduce its oil import bill and curb pollution Understanding (MoU) with 18 in providing reliable, secure, and sustainable ICT ideas from the industry would go as 17.83 million tonnes from 18.51 in major cities. While carmakers have been slow to companies that involves services to its customers, we have launched the valuable inputs for government million tonnes a year back, ac- launch electric vehicles (EVs), mainly due to the high investment of `19,955 crore. Cloud CDN services to empower Indian businesses budgetary exercise for FY22. Uday Kotak cost of batteries and weak demand from buyers, The companies that signed cording to provisional data pub- to deliver the best user web-experience," Huawei from Kotak Mahindra Bank, Biocon's Kiran sales of electric scooters and rickshaws have picked the MoUs in the presence of lished by the oil ministry's president of cloud and AI business group Steve Majumdar Shaw attended the meeting up pace leading India’s electrification drive. Chief Minister K Palaniswami Petroleum Planning and Kim said in a statement. organised through VC. include Torrent Gas Analysis Cell. (investment `5,000 crore), Ola Electric (electric 2-wheeler manufacturing with investment of `2,354 crore), First Solar, SSEM, Voltas, Mahindra CIE and others. BUDGET 2021: CII recommends three-pronged strategy INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE ment has an unenviable task of en- Emphasising on the Korea Development Bank. This HDFC assigns suring a fine balance between sup- could be achieved by infusing equity new CRO New Delhi, Dec 14: Industry body porting economic recovery and urgent need for in NABARD for financing agricul- CII has recommended a three- growth on one hand and ensuring financial sector reforms, ture and rural sector, SIDBI for fi- pronged strategy for Budget 2021 cen- macro-economic stability on the New Delhi: HDFC Bank nancing MSMEs and IIFCL for fi- Monday said it has approved tering around the key themes of other. CII's suggestions take this Uday Kotak said that nancing infrastructure. the appointment of Sanmoy growth, fiscal consolidation and aspect into cognisance." achieving the vision Other suggestions given by CII in- Chakrabarti as the Chief Risk strengthening of the financial sec- Elaborating on the key themes of clude aggressive disinvestment of Officer (CRO) for three years. tor that would help overcome the im- the CII recommendations, Kotak of a $5tn both loss-making and a few profit- The bank’s Board of Directors pact of Covid-19 on the economy. said, "CII has suggested that the economy is contingent making PSUs, especially given the Monday cleared the The recommendations were pre- Budget proposals should focus on be prioritised in three areas - in- being a $5 trillion economy is con- fact that the capital markets are appointment of Chakrabarti, sented to Finance Minister Nirmala growth, and alongside look at fiscal frastructure, healthcare and sus- tingent on having a strong financial on having a strong performing well and also explore sale Head- Risk Management, as Sitharaman at a meeting with in- management from a 3-year per- tainability. The Budget proposals sector. The government should financial sector or leasing of government's

the CRO of the bank for a dustry leaders held Monday. spective. Aggressive disinvestment should also address two critical bring down its stake in PSBs to surplus land.

k y m c period of three years, with Presenting the suggestions, Uday and monetisation of assets can aug- areas of boosting private invest- below 50% through the market ate, government-owned, profes- The industry body has also rec- effect from December 14. He Kotak, President CII said, "This ment government revenues at a ments and providing support for route, over the next 12 months, ex- sionally-managed Development ommended that government should replaces Jimmy Tata, as part year’s Budget comes at a time when time when tax revenues have fallen employment generation". cept for 3-4 large PSBs such as State Finance Institutions (DFIs) to fi- look at deficit management from of an internal reorganisation, the Indian economy is recovering sharply". Emphasising on the urgent need Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and nance key sectors of the economy, a 3-year perspective given that the according to the from the unprecedented shock Kotak further added, for financial sector reforms, Kotak Union Bank. on the lines of KfW Germany, Brazil complete economic recovery is ex- regulatory filing. caused by Covid-19. The govern- "Government expenditure should said "achieving the vision of India The government should also cre- Development Bank (BNDES), and pected only in FY 2022. P12 TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15 | 2020 | BHUBANESWAR sports

We’ve plenty of moves to handle

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k k y y m m c ‘KOHLI CAN BE RUTHLESS’ Australian chin music, says Gill c PRESS TRUST OF INDIA FINCH SUGGESTS OZ TO STRIKE FINE Henriques included than to play against Australia at Melbourne, Dec 14: Australia lim- their home as your confidence gets ited-overs captain Aaron Finch BALANCE WHILE CONFRONTING Sydney: All-rounder Moises a major boost if you manage to Henriques was Monday added to wants the home team players to score runs here.” INDIA SKIPPER IN TESTS Australia’s injury-hit squad for the strike a ‘fine balance’ when they con- opening Test against India while India and Australia have always front Virat Kohli in the opening pacer Sean Abott was ruled out of shared an intense rivalry on the Test as he believes, if provoked too the match due to a calf strain. field, filled with verbal volleys, ban- much, the India skipper can be Henriques, who had missed the ters and controversies over the ‘ruthless’ against his opponents. three-day second practice game due years. India and Australia have always to a low-grade hamstring strain, The last time the two teams faced shared an intense rivalry on the cleared the fitness Test Monday to off in 2018-19, the Test series saw field, filled with verbal volleys, ban- return to the Test squad after a gap some heated exchanges between ters and controversies over the of four years. The opening game, a the two captains – Kohli and Tim years. day-nighter, begins December 17 in Paine. The last time the two teams faced Adelaide. Abbott became the latest Gill said his team wouldn’t be off in 2018-19, the Test series saw Australian player to join the injury intimidated by sledging. “There some heated exchanges between list after being picking up the strain was a time when (Indian) players the two captains – Kohli and Tim during the second warm-up game. had a reputation of not being too Paine. He is, however, expected to be avail- aggressive, and people would take “I think there will be times when able for the second Test in that for granted when sledging. Melbourne, which begins December things boil over and when you have Things have changed now,” he said. 26. Harris was included in the squad got strong characters on either for the opening Test following a “Every character is different, team that’s going to come to a head spate of injuries, including David some people like to keep quiet and at some point,” Finch was quoted Warner and opener Will Pucovski not react while for others, engaging as saying by ‘Sydney Morning being ruled out of the first game due in a verbal-battle eggs them on to Herald’. to a groin injury. do better. For me, I’m neither the “(But) there is a fine balance kind to always keep quiet, nor the there, isn’t there? You don’t want him were picked and knew that if you type to keep going at the opposition.” (Kohli) to get up and about in the con- played well, you had every chance Ahead of the much-anticipated test. When he does, he can be ruth- of winning. series, many players, including less on an opposition.” “I was really surprised by how India’s Ravindra Jadeja, the Aussie The first Test of the four-game se- confident he was in everyone, he duo of Will Pucovski and Cameron ries, a day-night contest, begins had a lot of time for everyone. Green, have suffered concussions. Thursday in Adelaide and it gains He was great around the group, a In fact, Australia pacer Josh prominence since Kohli will be re- lot more relaxed. I had never Hazlewood said that bouncers will turning home after the match for played with him, I had only played be an integral part of the home the birth of his first child. against him.” team’s strategy during the series. Finch, who was part of the last As someone who had many on- “If the plan is to make us dance home Test series between the two field duels with Kohli, Finch said PRESS TRUST OF INDIA the two innings against Australia to their chin music, be rest assured teams, said the Indian skipper looks it was good to learn about his relaxed ‘A’ in the pink-ball warm-up that we’ve got plenty of great moves in much calmer the way he goes about side. “We have had some great se- Sydney, Dec 14: Young Indian bats- concluded here Sunday. store,” Gill said. his job now. ries where he has been on another man Shubman Gill feels it can be The 21-year-old, who played for India have played just one pink- “I think the change is in the way level as a player but he has been right ‘quite intimidating’ to play cricket Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, ball Test so far in which they beat he goes about it now. I think as a per- up and about in terms of being in Australia but asserted that his is eyeing a Test debut and said he Bangladesh by an innings and 46 son he is probably a bit more relaxed very vocal out in the middle. It was team will not back down when is looking forward to the opportu- runs in Kolkata last year. out on the field and understands the great to see that (relaxed) side of faced with either sledging or short- nity of playing Australia in “We practiced quite a bit with the tempo of the game.” him.” pitched deliveries during the four- Australia. pink ball in the lead up to the Test Finch, who had played under Finch, who led Australia to a 2- Test series starting in Adelaide “It’s quite intimidating to play match against Bangladesh at Eden Kohli in Royal Challengers “What really surprised me was cused more on the opposition than 1 win over India in the ODI series December 17. Australia in Australia, but I am re- Gardens last year (in November). Bangalore, said he was ‘surprised’ how, he obviously does a lot of plan- his own team,” he said. before suffering a 1-2 loss in the In contention for the opener’s ally looking forward to it,” Gill told But I haven’t played any competi- to see the Indian’s confidence in ning and preparation himself, and “At Bangalore, he was always T20Is, is not part of the current slot, Gill showed great technique and KKR’s official website. “As a bats- tive first-class match under lights,” this year’s IPL in the UAE. into the opposition, but he never fo- confident in the XI players that Test squad. composure during his 43 and 65 in man, there is no bigger opportunity Gill said. Struggling Barca to 2022 WT20 Qualification: 86 teams vie for 15 spots

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Romania and Serbia will be com- Asia and Pacific) and Europe will go to the four bottom teams from “The pathway sees the likes of lock horns with PSG peting for men’s T20 World Cup have one top tier regional qualifier the T20 World Cup 2021 and to- Hungary, Romania and Serbia com- Dubai, Dec 14: The ICC Monday qualification and Finland will play and Asia will have A and B to de- gether with Nepal, Singapore, UAE peting for the first time in an ICC Chelsea draw Atletico face-off in announced that as many as 86 host to an ICC event for the very termine which teams will progress and Zimbabwe which have gained event of this format, highlighting teams will fight for the 15 spots in first time. into the two eight-team global qual- direct entry based on the ICC men’s the increased competitiveness Champions League round of 16; easy the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, It will also be the first time that ifiers. T20I team rankings. within associate members,” said the qualifying phase comprising 225 Japan will host a men’s T20 World The 16 available spots in the Four teams from the two global ICC head of events Chris Tetley. draws for Bayern, Juventus, Man City matches across 13 months. Cup Qualifier, on the back of the global qualifiers will be filled by one qualifiers will join hosts Australia The 16 teams that had originally The 15 spots will be decided U19 World Cup Qualifier they will team each from the Africa and and the 11 automatic qualifiers qualified for the 2020 Australia ASSOCIATED PRESS through a four-step qualifying host two weeks before. At regional EAP Qualifier respectively. They from the ICC men’s T20 World Cup event will now play in the T20 process which starts in April next level there will be 67 associate will be joined by two teams each 2021 to make up the 16-team T20 World Cup 2021 in India. Nyon (Switzerland), Dec 14: year. Eleven regional qualifica- members taking part. from the Americas and Europe World Cup 2022. The participating teams for that Barcelona will face Paris Saint- tion tournaments across five re- Due to the depth of strength qualifiers. In the lead up to the Australia event are Australia, Afghanistan, Germain in the Champions League gions have been rescheduled to within Africa and Europe, both Finally, Asia which has a event there will be 225 men’s Bangladesh, England, India, round of 16 in a rematch of their 2021, due to the COVID-19 pan- regions have sub regional qualifiers Qualifier A and B will see one team T20Is scheduled to be played Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, classic encounter at the same stage demic and will now feed into the feeding into a final qualifier for from each event make up the eight across 13 months, giving every New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, four seasons ago. Barcelona will 2022 Australia event. the region. spots from regional qualification. team an opportunity to climb the Papua New Guinea, Scotland, South host the first leg this time because For the first time ever Hungary, Africa, Americas, EAP (East The remaining eight spots will rankings chart. Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. it was unseeded in Monday’s draw after failing to win their group. In 2017, PSG wasted a 4-0 first-leg lead by losing 1-6 at Camp Nou in CRICKET TOURNEY 10-man Arsenal the second leg when Barcelona leg against Porto. scored three goals from the 88th Here are the other pairings: The members of Rourkela and lose to Burnley minute on. Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bhadrak cricket team pose with However, Neymar has since left Manchester City and Sevilla vs dignitaries marking the inauguration with own-goal Lionel Messi’s side in Spain and Borussia Dortmund. of the OCA Inter-District Senior switched to PSG, which also did Teams could not be drawn against Men’s T20 League at the Barabati not have Kylian Mbappe back then. an opponent from their own coun- Stadium in Cuttack, Monday. Odisha ASSOCIATED PRESS Another classy contest will take try or one they already played in this Cricket Association (OCA) secretary place when Atletico Madrid will season’s competition. Sanjay Behera inaugurated the event London, Dec 14: Arsenal’s season face Chelsea. Defending champion Group winners were seeded in here. The tournament is played at went from poor to dreadful as cap- Bayern Munich was paired with a the draw and play the second leg nine different venues in Cuttack tain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Lazio team returning to the knock- at home. The round of 16 is spread (Barabati Stadium, Bidanasi Ground, scored an own-goal and the out stage after a two-decade gap. over four midweeks. First-leg DRIEMS Ground, Nimpur Ground and Gunners were reduced to 10 men Atalanta will host 13-time cham- games are scheduled February Ravenshaw Ground) and in a 0-1 loss to Burnley in the pion Real Madrid, and Liverpool is 16-17 or 23-24; return games March Bhubaneswar (KIIT Ground, Premier League. away first against Leipzig. Cristiano 9-10 or 16-17. The final is sched- Centurion Ground, Mulapadia and The Gunners have now lost Ronaldo will return to his native uled May 29 at the Olympic Vikash Ground). OP PHOTO four consecutive home league Portugal with Juventus for the first Stadium in Istanbul. games. Aubameyang had been looking to end his goal drought, but at the other end of the field at Emirates Messi secures narrow Stadium Sunday. But the striker 10-man Jamshedpur hold Mumbai City headed the ball into his own net while defending a Burnley cor- POST NEWS NETWORK utes later, Ogbeche headed wide ner in the 73rd minute. from close range. The Jamshedpur victory for Barcelona Boos rang out from the home Goa, Dec 14: A flurry of missed defence held firm as both teams crowd with 2,000 fans allowed chances saw table-toppers Mumbai went into the break on level terms. ASSOCIATED PRESS under coronavirus restrictions. City FC settle for only a 1-1 draw The second half picked up where Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta against Jamshedpur FC in the ISL the first had left off with Sergio Barcelona, Dec 14: Facing an- is under increasing pressure at the GMC Stadium, here Monday. Lobera’s men giving everything in other setback in an already difficult with his team 15th in the division Owen Coyle’s men took the lead their bid to find a winner. They season, Lionel Messi found his fin- with 13 points from 12 games — through Nerijus Valskis (ninth missed a golden opportunity in the ishing touch to save Barcelona four points more than Burnley minute) before Mumbai hit back 61st minute when a blocked Ogbeche from falling further behind in the which climbed out of the rele- through Bartholomew Ogbeche shot trickled down to Rowllin Borges. Spanish league. gation zone. (15th). A red card for Aitor Monroy The midfielder had the goal gaping Messi’s late goal secured a hard- Arsenal were already down a around the half-hour mark saw in front but somehow managed to fought 1-0 home victory over man after Granit Xhaka was sent Jamshedpur reduced to 10-man but hoof it over the bar. Levante Sunday to end a two-game off for violent conduct in the 58th some dogged defending and a num- Jamshedpur were doing a lot losing skid for Barcelona. Barcelona are in eighth place at after a VAR check and a review by ber of missed chances for Mumbai, more than just defending. Valskis Messi fired a left-footed shot off nine points behind the leaders. the referee on the sidelines. saw the former get away with a draw. thought he had given them an un- the far post and into the net to get Barcelona and Atletico have played Xhaka had grabbed Ashley Mumbai dominated the early ex- likely lead in the 79th minute, only Barcelona’s breakthrough in the 76th two fewer games than Sociedad. Westwood by the throat and pushed changes as Monroy had to dive to Mumbai City players celebrate the equaliser against Jamshedpur, Monday for the referee to raise his flag. At minute after Levante had withstood Levante goalkeeper Aitor him to the ground after a chal- block Ogbeche’s shot as early as the the other end, Rehenesh produced the hosts with tenacious defending. Fernandez kept Levante in the lenge on another player. first minute. But it was Jamshedpur Cy Goddard down and getting him- goal with a flurry of attacks but in a terrific double-save in the 83rd The victory for Barcelona came match with multiple stops. The Gunners were lucky not who drew first blood. Just nine min- self in the referee’s book. Then, the 28th minute, the match turned minute to keep his side in the game, after last round’s upset loss to Cadiz Messi finally beat Fernandez to be down to nine men after VAR y utes had passed when Jackichand Mumbai found their equaliser. firmly in Mumbai’s favour. Monroy first blocking a stinging volley from and a 0-3 home defeat to Juventus with his 10th shot of the match. deemed that Mohamed Elneny

Singh found Valskis in the penalty Adam Le Fondre made a run down brought Ogbeche down right in Le Fondre and then pushing away in the Champions League. He was set up by Frenkie de Jong wasn’t guilty of violent conduct just

k k y y m m c c box. The Lithuanian’s first-time the right before squaring the ball to front of the referee and got his sec- the rebound to prevent the onrushing Barcelona still have a long way after the Netherlands midfielder and before the corner was taken that shot was unerring. Barely three Bipin Singh. The latter found ond yellow. Ogbeche from bundling it in. to go to get back in the title race, but Braithwaite stole possession from led to the goal. minutes later, Monroy could only find Ogbeche and the Nigerian unleashed Mumbai unleashed wave after Ogbeche then missed a clear-cut it was able to claw back some ground Mickael Malsa inside Levante’s Replays showed Elneny ap- the side netting from a free-kick. a powerful drive past Jamshedpur wave of attacks, but to no avail. chance to put his team ahead in after front-runners Real Sociedad half. Fernandez got his hands to pearing to push defender James Monroy was in the thick of things keeper TP Rehenesh. Mourtada Fall blazed one over in the injury time, failing to divert a free and Atletico Madrid both dropped Messi’s powerful strike, but not Tarkowski in the face. He ended up a couple of minutes later, hacking Jamshedpur responded to the 38th minute while, a couple of min- header from close range into goal. points this weekend. enough to keep it out. with a yellow card instead.

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