Maoist heldCChhaaiibbaassaa:: A member of thebanned CPI (Maoist) wason Tuesday arrested fromhis residence inJharkhand's WestSinghbhum district, policesaid. Acting on a tip-off, ateam of policemen andpersonnel of Cobra, a spe-cial operation unit of theCentral Reserve PoliceForce, conducted a searchoperation in Regda villageand apprehended DagurSundi, a senior officer said.

Arrested SShhiimmllaa:: Himachal PradeshPolice on Tuesday arrestedtwo African nationals onthe charge of smugglingdrugs to the hill state, apolice official said. Tobreak the drugs supplychain, police arrested twoAfricans from Delhi, hesaid. An FIR under theNarcotic Drugs andPsychotropic SubstancesAct was registered atpolice station Rampur inthis connection, the offi-cial said.

SurrenderMMuuzzaaffffaarrnnaaggaarr:: FormerBJP MLA Sangit Som onTuesday surrenderedbefore a court here aftera non-bailable warrantwas issued against himfor not appearing in courtin connection with a caseof blocking a road in2009. Civil Judge SeniorDivision Mayank Jaiswalquashed the non-bailablewarrant against Som andfixed April 22 for furtherhearing in the case.

MishapBBuullddhhaannaa:: The drivers of atrailer and tanker werekilled when the two heavyvehicles collided onMalkapur-Nandura road inMaharashtra's Buldhanadistrict, an official said onTuesday. The trailer, whichwas on its way toMalkapur, and the tankerheaded to Nandura hiteach other atChandurbiswa phata in theearly hours of the day,resulting in both vehiclescatching fire, he said.

TuskerSShhaahhddooll:: A couple wastrampled to death by aherd of wild elephants in aforested area of MadhyaPradesh's Shahdol districton Tuesday, a forest offi-cial said. The incident tookplace near Chitranv villageunder Amjhor forest range,where the victim had goneto collect mahua in themorning, chief conservatorof forest of Shahdol rangeP K Verma said.

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Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

The EnforcementDirectorate has provision-ally attached assets worthmore than Rs 11.15 crore ofShiv Sena MP SanjayRaut's wife and two of hisassociates in a money-laundering investigationlinked to certain landdeals, the agency said onTuesday.

Raut, who has been ac-cusing the BJP-led Uniongovernment of misusingcentral agencies againstits opponents, alleged thatis was an act of vengeanceand said the ED's claimsagainst him will fall flat.

The attached propertiesare in form of lands heldby Pravin M Raut, formerdirector of Guru AshishConstruction Pvt Ltd, inPalghar and Thane dis-tricts, a flat in Mumbai'ssuburban Dadar area ofSanjay Raut's wife VarshaRaut and eight plots at

Kihim beach in Alibaugjointly held by VarshaRaut and Swapna Patkar,the agency said in a state-ment. Swapna Patkar isthe wife of Sujit Patkarwho, according to the ED,is a close associate ofSanjay Raut, Shiv Sena'sRajya Sabha MP and partyspokesperson.

In the Alibaug land deal,apart from the registeredvalue, "cash" paymentswere made to the sellers,the agency found. It saidthe total value of the at-

tached assets is Rs11,15,56,573.

The ED action linked toalleged irregularities inthe re-development of aMumbai 'chawl' and othersimilar instances, comesin the backdrop of severalleaders of the SharadPawar-led NationalistCongress Party (NCP) alsofacing the heat from thecentral agency. The ShivSena, NCP and Congressare part of the Maha VikasAghadi (MVA) govern-ment in Maharashtra.

Rajnandgaon, Apr 05 (PTI):

A man in Chhattisgarh'sRanjangaon has claimed helost Rs 81 lakh after a"Chinese woman" lured himinto investing in a cryp-tocurrency scheme with thepromise of three-fold re-turns, a police official saidon Tuesday.

A case has been regis-tered in Kotwali police sta-tion on the complaint of DrAbhishek Pal, informedR a j n a n d g a o nSuperintendent of PoliceSantosh Singh. "Pal claimsto have got acquainted witha woman named Anna Lifrom Hong Kong through asocial networking site. Onher recommendation, he in-vested USD 35,000, approxi-mately Rs 26 lakh, in a trad-ing app. In all, he investedUSD 107,825, which comes toRs 81 lakh," the official saidquoting the complaint. TheSP said Pal was unable to

withdraw his money evenafter depositing "tax" as de-manded by those operatingthe scheme, and furtherhurdles and "tax" demandsconvinced him that he hadbeen duped. A case has beenregistered under IPC andInformation Technologyprovisions for cheating andother offences, the officialadded.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Urging BJP MPs todedicate themselvesto 'seva' (service) asthe party embarks on

a "samajik nyay pakhwada"from April 7, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi onTuesday laid down a de-tailed programme for themfor every day during the 14-day long exercise.

Speaking at the BJP par-liamentary meeting a dayahead of the party's founda-tion day, Modi cited a num-ber of welfare schemes ofthe government targetingdifferent segments of socie-ty and asked MPs to reachout to people with their de-tails. Modi is also scheduled

to address BJP members onWednesday virtually.

BJP president J P Naddaunderlined the party's risein the Northeast, where it iseither in power on its own

or is part of a coalition gov-ernment, with the firstwoman MP from Nagaland,Phangnon Konyak, whowas elected recently, attend-ing the meeting. Sourcessaid Nadda noted that theparty has achieved the featof having 100 MPs in RajyaSabha for the first time.

Parliamentary AffairsMinister Pralhad Joshi toldreporters that Modi askedthe MPs to actively partici-pate in the programmes."They should dedicatethemselves to service," hequoted him as saying. MPswere given orange caps em-blazoned with the party'sname or symbol, like theone which was sported bythe prime minister recently

during his road show inGujarat. Some MPs werealso sporting caps carryinga photo of Modi.

They will sport the capduring Modi's address onthe foundation day fromParliament Annexe.

Party MPs and othermembers will be highlight-ing the impact of health in-surance programme'Ayushman Bharat' and 'JanAushadhi Kendra', wheremedicines are sold at a sub-sidised rate, on April 7. Theschemes to build houses forthe poor and to reach pipedwater to every householdwill be at the centre of thecampaign on April 8 andApril 9 respectively, Joshisaid.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Delhi University ViceChancellor Yogesh Singhon Tuesday released thevarsity's admission policyfor the 2022-23 academicyear and said eligibilitywill be decided on thebasis of CommonUniversity Entrance Testmarks.

The admissions to theuniversity will be heldthrough the common testthat has been mademandatory for getting into45 central varsities in thecountry. Till last year, ad-mission to the DelhiUniversity was on the

basis of cut-offs marks inClass 12 board exams.Calling the new admissionpolicy a landmark policy,Singh said that except forthe School of OpenLearning and theNational CollegiateWomen's EducationBoard, admission to allundergraduate pro-grammes will only bethrough the CommonUniversity Entrance Test(CUET).

"It is mandatory for allcandidates to appear inCUET-2022, includingthose seeking admissionto supernumerary seats.The eligibility criteria

will be decided on thebasis of marks obtainedin CUET," he said. In 50per cent seats reserved forminority colleges, 85 percent of the marks for ad-mission will be taken fromthe CUET and the remain-ing 15 per cent will be de-cided by the colleges,Singh said. Admission tonon-reserved 50 per centseats will be purely on thebasis of CUET, he said.

Minority colleges likeJesus and Mary, StStephen's and Sri GuruTeg Bahadur Khalsa have50 per cent seats reservedfor minority communi-ties.

Bilaspur, Apr 05:

A tigress was killed in afight with another big cat ata zoo in Bilaspur district,an official said on Tuesday.

The tigress named Cheriwas found dead in her cellin the enclosure at KananPendari Zoological Gardenon Monday morning, andthe autopsy report suggest-ed that she died due to as-phyxiation, the official said.

The incident took placeon the intervening night ofSunday and Monday, thezoo's superintendent SanjayLuthar said.

A tiger named Bhairavand Cheri were housed inseparate cells adjacent toeach other. Prima facie, itappears that the tiger brokeopen the gate between thetwo cells and entered in the

tigress' shelter causing aclash, he said.

Bhairav caught Cheri byher neck and killed her, theofficial said. Cheri wasbrought to Kanan Pendarifrom a zoo in Maharashtra'sNagpur in 2011 as a part ofan animal exchange pro-gramme, he said.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Assets worth Rs 35 crore havebeen attached in connectionwith the 2013 Saradha chit fundmoney laundering case of WestBengal, the EnforcementDirectorate (ED) said onTuesday.The attached assets are in theform of vehicles, buildings, flatsand bungalows in Bishnupur,plot of lands in South 24Parganas, Nadia, Cooch Beharand Jalpaiguri, it said in a state-ment. The "book value" of theseproperties is Rs 35 crore, the EDsaid. "These properties wereeither owned by Saradha Groupor proceeds of crime wereinvested in such properties(Saradha Group having paid fulladvance to vendors)," it said.The Saradha group is alleged tohave run a chit fund scam with

operations spread over thestates of West Bengal, Assamand Odisha till 2013.The group is alleged to havecheated thousands of deposi-tors, promising abnormally highreturns on investments in its ille-gal schemes. The anti-moneylaundering agency field a crimi-nal case in 2013 after studyingthe Kolkata Police FIRs againstthe group and its promoters.As per the ED, the quantum oftotal money mobilised by thisgroup company is about Rs 2,459crore out of which about Rs1,983 crore remains unpaid tothe depositors till date (exclud-ing the interest amount).A charge sheet or prosecutioncompliant was filed by theagency in March, 2016 followedby a supplementary chargesheet that was filed in Augustlast year.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI) India is full of entrepreneurialenergy and the 'Stand Up India'initiative is a part of the ongoingefforts to channelise this spiritto further progress and prosperi-ty, Prime Minister NarendraModi said on Tuesday. TheStand-Up India Scheme facili-tates bank loans between Rs 10lakh and Rs 1 crore to scheduledcaste or scheduled tribe (ST)borrowers and women borrow-ers.In a tweet, Modi said, "India isfull of entrepreneurial energyand the 'Stand Up India' initia-tive is a part of the ongoingefforts to channelise this spiritto further progress and prosperi-ty #6YearsofStandUpIndia".He also tagged a series oftweets from the MyGovIndiahandle which highlight variousfacets of the 'Stand Up India'initiative. "Promoting entrepre-neurship at the grass-root level!Stand Up India adds #NariShaktito the nation's growth story.6YearsOfStandUpIndia,"MyGovIndia said in a tweet.The government handle sharedcase studies of people who werebenefited through the initiative.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

A court here onTuesday dismissedthe bail plea ofRashtriya Janata

Dal's (RJD) youth wingleader and Jamia MilliaIslamia student MeeranHaider in a case of allegedcriminal conspiracy relat-ed to the Delhi Riots in2020.

Additional SessionsJudge Amitabh Rawatpassed the order in thecase lodged by the SpecialCell of Delhi Police undervarious sections, includ-ing the stringent UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act(UAPA). Besides Haider,the police had also charge-sheeted various other ac-cused, including formerJNU student leader UmarKhalid, Sharjeel Imam,

United Against Hate ac-tivist Khalid Saifi, formerCongress councillor IshratJahan, Pinjra Tod activistsGulfisha Fatima, SafooraZargar, Natasha Narwal,and Devangana Kalita andformer AAP councillorTahir Hussain.

The police claimed thata large number of stu-dents, ex-students, andother members of a partic-ular community partici-pated in the anti-C A A ( C i t i z e n s h i pAmendment Act) rally.

Kolkata, Apr 05 (PTI):

Essential commoditiesare becoming dearer by theday in the metropolis as fuelprices continue to touchnew highs, burning a holein the pockets of the com-mon man. Prices of vegeta-bles, foodgrains and cook-ing oil have been on the up-ward curve since the lastone week in most Kolkatamarkets, traders said. Petroland diesel prices were onTuesday hiked by 80 paise alitre each, taking the totalincrease in rates in the lasttwo weeks to Rs 9.20 perlitre, according to a pricenotification of state fuel re-tailers. In Kolkata, a litre ofpetrol costs Rs 114.28 anddiesel Rs 99.02 as onTuesday.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Ministry ofInformation andBroadcasting has directedthe blocking of 22YouTube-based news chan-nels, of which four arefrom Pakistan, allegingthat they were spreadingfake news that could im-pact national security, for-eign relations and publicorder.

This is the first time thataction has been takenagainst the IndianYouTube-based news pub-lishers since the notifica-tion of the IT Rules, 2021 inFebruary last year, it said.

In an official statement,the ministry said that it is-sued an order on Monday

to block 22 YouTube chan-nels, three Twitter ac-counts, one Facebook ac-count and one news web-site.

With this action, theministry has, sinceDecember 2021, issued di-rections for blocking 78YouTube-based news chan-nels and several other so-cial media accounts ongrounds related to nationalsecurity, sovereignty andintegrity of India, publicorder, etc.

Through the recentblocking order, 18 Indianand four Pakistan-basedYouTube news channelshave been blocked, theministry said, withoutnaming them. The blockedYouTube channels had a

cumulative viewership ofover 260 crore, the ministrysaid in an official state-ment, adding that theywere spreading fake newsand coordinated disinfor-mation over social mediaon subjects sensitive fromthe perspective of nationalsecurity, India's foreign re-lations, and public order.

According to the min-istry, multiple YouTubechannels were used to postfake news on various sub-jects such as the IndianArmed Forces, Jammu andKashmir, etc. The contentordered to be blocked alsoincluded certain anti-Indiacontent posted from multi-ple social media accountsoperated in a coordinatedmanner from Pakistan.

ED attaches Sena MPSanjay Raut’s linked assets

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Rauton Tuesday termedEnforcement Directorate(ED) action to attach hisproperty an attack on mid-dle class Marathi manoosand asserted he will not becowed by such moves andresist any act to pressurisehim.Talking to reporters in NewDelhi, Raut pointed out thatthe ED action came on a daywhen the Mumbai Policeformed a SpecialInvestigation Team (SIT) toprobe allegations of extor-tion against the centralagency's officers.Last month, the Rajya SabhaMP had alleged that someED officers were running anextortion racket.Raut said the ED's action isan act of vengeance and theagency's claim against himwill fall flat.

Attack on ‘Middle classMarathi manoos’

‘India full ofentrepreneurial

energy'

Man claims Chinese womanlured him to invest Rs 81 lakh

In ponzi cryptocurrencyscheme

Victim Dr Abhishek Palclaims to have got acquaint-ed with a woman namedAnna Li from Hong Kongthrough a social networkingsite. On her recommenda-tion, he invested USD35,000, approximately Rs 26lakh, in a trading app. In all,he invested USD 107,825,which comes to Rs 81 lakh.He was unable to withdrawhis money even afterdepositing "tax" asdemanded by those operat-ing the scheme, and furtherhurdles and "tax" demandsconvinced him that he hadbeen duped.

About the incident

PM T

O B

JP M

Ps Dedicate themselves to ‘seva’

Prime Minister Narendra Modiwith BJP National President JP

Nadda during the BJPParliamentary party meeting,

in New Delhi, Tuesday.

DU releases 2022-23 admissionpolicy, CUET mandatory

Tigress killed infight at Bilaspur zoo

The incident took place onthe intervening night ofSunday and Monday. A tigernamed Bhairav and Cheriwere housed in separatecells adjacent to each other.Prima facie, it appears thatthe tiger broke open thegate between the two cellsand entered in the tigress'shelter causing aclash.Bhairav caught Cheriby her neck and killed her.

About the fight

SOOTHING TO EYES

A view of the setting sun in the evening, seen from near the Taj Mahal, in Agra, Tuesday.

SARADHA MONEY LAUNDERING CASE

ED attaches Rs 35 croreworth assets

18 Indian, 4 Pak YouTube newchannels blocked over fake news

Essential commoditiessizzle as fuel prices

skyrocket

DELH

I RIO

TS Court dismisses bail plea of Meeran Haider

Rashtriya Janata Dal's(RJD) youth wing leaderand Jamia MilliaIslamia student MeeranHaider in a case of al-leged criminal conspira-cy related to the DelhiRiots in 2020. They al-leged that the accusedhatched a common con-spiracy by calling for amarch, leading a mob,and instigating commu-nal feelings. Attack onthe police personnel,damage to police andpublic/private property,stone-pelting, and arsontook place on the barri-cade/police party sta-tioned outside Jamiacampus.

Charges againstHaider

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

Bhilai, Apr 05:

On Tuesday, DistrictCollector chaired a reviewmeeting and instructedthe officials to work on awar footing for the nexttwo months for ensuringsufficient supply of drink-ing water. There should beno shortage of civicamenities. There must beno shortage of water inany ward of the city anddrinking water should beaccessible to every house-hold. He asked the officialsto work on mission modefor the next two months.

The Collector said thatthere is adequate arrange-ment of drinking water inthe district. The areaswhere there are someproblems, should be re-solved in coordinationwith the concerned agen-cies. All the citizens mustget drinking water supply

in their homes. He furthersaid that drinking water isavailable in sufficientquantity in the district,but the wastage or improp-er use can cause drinkingwater crisis. He asked theofficials to keep an eye onthe supply and checkwhether there are leak-ages in the pipeline. Alltankers are in good condi-tion. Along with this, it isnecessary to conduct pub-lic awareness campaignsfor judicious use of drink-ing water. AdditionalCollector Nupur RashiPanna, DFO ShashiKumar, District PanchayatCEO Ashwini Dewangan,Bhilai CorporationCommissioner PrakashSarve and other officers

were present in the meet-ing. The Collector saidthat it has always been apractice in urban areas tostart a Water Kiosk for thepassers-by during thesummer. Social service or-ganizations do a great jobin this direction. Wherethere are no such organi-zations, the administrativestaff can open waterkiosks.

The Collector said thatthe heat does not only af-fect the citizens duringsummer but the birds arealso highly affected. In thisdirection, the civic bodiesshould launch a publicawareness campaign. Inthe courtyard and bound-ary wall of every house,people should place water-

filled bowls for the birds.There should be arrange-ments for drinking waterin the villages along thehighway. The Collectorsaid that the saplings ofvarious trees were plantedduring the rainy seasonand great efforts weremade to protect them. Thenext two months are veryimportant. Protection ofplants is of utmost impor-tance during thesemonths.

Collector further saidthat schools are going torun till May 15.Considering the situation,proper arrangements forprotection from heatshould be made in schools.To avoid dehydration,there should be an

arrangement of salt-sugarsolution in schools. Theprayer assembly should beconducted in shady placesor in the school room it-self. The children must befamiliarized with the nec-essary guidelines to avoidheatstroke. Arrangementof food etc should be doneon time.

Collector further saidthat it should be ensuredthat the materials used inschools, Anganwadis, hos-tels and departmental of-fices are procured fromCmart or Gauthans.Gauthans are being estab-lished as rural livelihoodcentres. Gauthans are pro-ducing items like spicesand edible oil also.Vegetables are also beingproduced in the baadis.Items like soap, sanitizerare also being producedhere. He asked the officialsto make sure that all thepurchases are done fromthe women of SHGs. It willalso be useful from thepoint of view of increas-ing their income and alsogetting quality goods atlow cost.

Collector reviews water supply preparedness for summer season Instructs officials

to work on missionmode; avoidwastage of water

Bhilai, Apr 05:

March 07, 2022 was ared-letter day in the histo-ry of SAIL-Bhilai SteelPlant. On this day, thePlant crossed the land-mark of 200 MillionTonnes (MT) of CrudeSteel production. For thePlant producing steel fornational infrastructuredevelopment for nearly 63years, this was anotherday of pride and joy.

Of the total 200 MTcrude steel produced, theolder Steel Melting Shop 1(SMS 1) that was phasedout in recent years, has cu-mulatively produced121803072 T before it wasshut down. SMS 1 beganoperations with the inau-gural tapping ceremony ofthe first Open HearthFurnace that took placeon October 12, 1959.

The Open HearthFurnaces of SMS 1 weresubsequently replacedwith Twin HearthFurnaces. SMS 1 crossedthe 50 MT mark in cumu-lative production inAugust 1988, the 75 MTmark in cumulative pro-duction on August 11, 1999and 100 MT mark in cumu-lative production on Dec

26, 2009. By Oct 10, 2019,that is, in 60 years of itsjourney since inception,the SMS 1 had produced121.46 MT of crude steel.

The crude steel pro-duced in SMS 1 was usedto produce ingots thatwere further rolled intobillets in the bloomingand billet mill (BBM). Thebillets produced in BBMwere used to roll out mer-chant products includingTMT bars and rods in thePlant’s Merchant Mills &Wire Rod Mills. BBM hassince also been phasedout.

The Plant’s SteelMelting Shop 2 that cameup in the 1980s during the4 MT expansion with

Concast technology hascumulatively produced72125618 T of crude steeltill the 7th of March 22.SMS 2 produces cast slabsfor Plate Mill and castblooms for Rail & StrlMill.

The new and modernModex unit, Steel MeltingShop 3 that has come up aspart of the Plant’s 7 MTexpansion programmeand began initial opera-tions in March 2018 hascumulatively produced6083085 T of crude steel tillthe 7th of March 22. SMS 3produces cast billets forBar & Rod Mill, MerchantMill and Wire Rod Milland cast blooms forUniversal Rail Mill.

BSP crosses Historical Milestone of 200MT Cumulative Crude Steel Production

Bhilai, Apr 05:

Home MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu attend-ed the swearing-in cere-mony of Tehsil SahuSangh (Durg Rural) atGondwana Bhawan, CivilLines, Durg. All theguests congratulated thenewly elected office bear-ers of the Samaj. HomeMinister Tamradhwaj ad-ministered the oath to thenewly elected office bear-ers of Sahu Samaj.

Home MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu gracedthe function as chiefguest while District SahuSangh President RajeshSahu presided over.Former Cabinet MinisterRamsheela Sahu, FormerMinister JageshwarSahu, former MLA DrDaya Ram Sahu, FormerChairman HandicraftsBoard Deepak Sahu,Ramesh Sahu, Khilwan

Sahu, Nandlal Sahu andRajendra Sahu were pres-ent as special guests. Theprogramme commencedwith offering prayers toBhakt Mata Karma. Onthe occasion, HomeMinister TamradhwajSahu said that inspirationcomes from the society it-self. It has an importantrole in establishing anideal life. Samaj alwaysgives courage and faith.

Sahu Samaj has alwaysbeen exemplary as itmaintained social harmo-ny and brotherhood. Heasked the office bearers toprovide a good social at-mosphere to the cominggenerations. He said thatthe newly elected officebearers of the Samajshould maintain the dig-nity of their posts. Theymust remain kind andsimple to work for the

members of Sahu Samaj.They must help every per-son in the society and givegood values to the chil-dren.

He asked the youth notto forget the great person-alities of the Samaj andfollow the path shown bythem to maintain socialharmony. FormerMinister Ramsheela Sahucongratulated all the of-fice bearers and asked

them to work towardsbuilding a better society.Highlighting the ill effectsof drug addiction and in-toxication, she askedthem to make efforts forbuilding a drug-free andaddiction – free Samaj.Pritam Sahu delivered thewelcome address. GeneralSecretary UmashankarSahu proposed the vote ofthanks. Dayaram SahuGuruji conducted the pro-gramme. The newly elect-ed and nominated officebearers includingPresident Pusau RamSahu, Vice PresidentDayaram Sahu, VicePresident Sushil Sahu,General SecretaryUmashankar Sahu,Treasurer Dwarka Sahu,Assistant SecretaryPushpa Sahu, PublicitySecretary Chetan,Organization SecretarySumran Sahu and otherswere present.

Bhilai, Apr 05:

In the home constituen-cy of Home MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu,women are going to culti-vate sunflower andmarigold at Gauthan. Tomake women self-reliant,the authorities are not justproviding them opportuni-ty to work but are also pro-viding initial capital in theform of loans to thewomen SHGs through thelivelihood mission.Women will soon start self-employment activities inNewai Gauthan of RisaliMunicipal Corporation.

On Tuesday, Women andChild Development in-charge Ishwari Sahu ofRisali Municipal

Corporation distributedthe responsibility of work-ing in Newai Gauthan tothe registered womenSHGs. More than 10women self-help groupshad applied for 5 differentjobs. As the number ofgroups was more, the MiCdistributed the worksamong them through a

lucky draw system.It needs to be mentioned

here that during the lastMIC meeting, MayorShashi Sinha had empha-sized on providing employ-ment to women in the civicbody limits. Thereafter,the Women and ChildDevelopment Departmentin-charge encouraged

women groups to operateutensils banks in eachward. Now the work ofproviding employment inGauthans has been start-ed. A loan of Rs 3.15 lakhhas been provided toMahamaya Self HelpGroup, Newai throughLivelihood Mission for cul-tivation of vegetables and

sunflower in NewaiGauthan. ArunaDhritalhare and AyraBaghel, managers ofLivelihood Mission in-formed that Rs 2 lakhloans are also being pro-vided to other women.

Bharti Women Self HelpGroup will conductFisheries; Tulsi WomenSelf-Help Group will con-duct production of dispos-able cups and plates; JyotiKalash Women Self HelpGroup will conductPoultry Farming;Mahamaya Women SelfHelp Group will be in-volved in Vegetable,Sunflower Cultivation andJai Mata Di Self HelpGroup will cultivateJimikand and Marigold.

Five SHGs to conduct various activities in Newai Gauthan

Robert Poulose

BBhhiillaaii:: Robert Poulose left forheavenly abode at the age of80 years on March 03. Funeralprocession was taken out fromhis residence situated at 4/12Pragathi Nagar Risali onMonday. After the funeral serv-ice at Risali Church, last ritesof the mortal remains wereperformed. He was the fatherof Sajee, Sabu and Seema.

Obituary

Provide a better social atmosphere to the coming generations: Tamradhwaj Sahu

Bhilai, Apr 05:

Director I/c Bhilai SteelPlant, Anirban Dasguptaon Tuesday met membersof several Non-Works de-partments of the Plant tocongratulate them fortheir performances dur-ing fiscal year 2021-22.Director I/c was accompa-nied by ED (Mines &Rowghat) Manas Biswas,ED (M&HS) Dr S K Issar,ED (Projects) A K Bhatta,

ED (P&A) KK Singh andother senior officers ofthe Plant. Dasgupta andother senior officers wentto Ispat Bhavan wherethey met members ofMaterials ManagementDepartment, FinanceDepartment, MarketingDepartment, MinesDepartment, C & ITDepartment, PersonnelDepartment and severalother departments withoffices in Ispat Bhavan in-

cluding INCOS, EDD,RDCIS, CET etc. This wasfollowed by a visit to theHuman ResourcesDevelopment Departmentand Projects Department.Addressing members ofeach of these depart-ments, Dasgupta andExecutive Directors con-gratulated them for theirperformances in fiscalyear 2021-22 and spelt outchallenges before them inthe new fiscal year 2022-23.

Director I/c congratulates Non-WorksDepts for their role in plant performance

Spells out Challenges in New Fiscal Year

Bhilai, Apr 05: SeniorCorporator VashisthNarayan Mishra has re-quested the ChiefMinister to increase theseats in Swami AtmanandGovernment EnglishSchool, Sector 6. Mishrasaid that the Bhilai SteelPlant management hasgradually closed down 67schools which were run byits education department.About 5000 to 10000 chil-dren of BSP employees,private sector workers,labourers and underprivi-leged sections were study-ing in these schools.Closure of BSP schoolshas made an adverse im-

pact on their studies.Further, in the last twoyears of Covid Pandemic,many people working inthe private sector have losttheir jobs or are facingacute financial crises.Such parents are unable tobear the fees of privateschools. Mishra further

said that on ChiefMinister’s initiative, 16schools (SAGES) havebeen opened in the districtand 152 schools have beenopened in the state in thelast two years. But the situ-ation in Bhilai is deterio-rating as the BSP hasclosed down its 67 schools.Mishra said that after theannouncement made bythe Chief Minister, SAGESis being run at the Sector 6school. He demanded thatjust like Old Bhilai School,new sections should beopened for classes 1 to 12 atthis school. This initiativewill greatly benefit thechildren in Bhilai.

Vashisth requests CM to increase seats in SAGES

Bhilai, Apr 05:

The National ServiceScheme students ofChhattisgarh AgriculturalCollege, Risali Dhanorastaged a street play in AtalChowk in Dhanora forspreading awareness onnutrition of pregnantwomen and children. Thisprogramme was a part ofthe Nutrition Fortnightobserved during March 21to April 04. Through thisstreet play, the studentsgave information aboutgood health and other top-ics related to pregnantwomen and children.Through this play, the stu-

dents explained to the vil-lagers the importance of abalanced diet for pregnantwomen and children, dis-eases caused by malnutri-tion and their prevention.For maintaining elec-trolyte balance in the bodyand preventing dehydra-tion during summer, they

suggested consumingfruits and vegetables ac-cording to the season likewatermelon, melon, cu-cumber etc.

BSc (Agriculture) Firstyear students includingAastha, Ananya, Ritika,Ankita, Pratham Soni,Tanveer, Neeraj, Dojesh,Hemant Raj, ShyamSundar, Ratnesh,Suryadeep, Muktesh,Rajiv and Takendra stagedthe street plant. NationalService Scheme officerVivek Pandey, PrincipalDr Shubhendu Roy andSarpanch Manish Sahuwere present in this pro-gramme.

Agricultural College students spreadawareness through street plays

Bhilai, Apr 05:

On the auspicious occa-sion of Navratri, theAradhya Durga MahilaSamiti opened a waterkiosk in Ashish Nagar. Inview of the summer sea-son, they opened this kiosk

for the passersby. TheSamiti has been involvedin various social serviceactivities for the past sev-eral years. Social WorkerSuman Thakur inaugurat-ed the kiosk. SamitiPresident Archana Saharespoke about the social

service initiatives of thesamiti. Manju Ghosh con-ducted the programme.Prayers were offered toMaa Durga at DurgaManch in Ashish NagarRisali. Samiti PatronPratibha Singh, PrachiSingh, Rita Bhatnagar,

Mamta, Swati Parmar,Divya Singh Rekha Singh,Shipra Majumdar, Vimla,Meenu Pandey, Shiny,Usha Paithankar, PadmaSahu, Hemlata Singh,Laxmi Yadav, Julie Guptaand Poonam Singh werepresent.

Aradhya Durga Mahila Samiti opens water kiosk

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06 2022

COLOURFUL LIGHTING

The temple of ‘Maa Mahamaya’ in capital city has been lighted with colourful lights on occasion of ‘Chaitra Navratri’

CM pays tribute to Dau KalyanSingh on his birth anniversary

Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 05: ChiefMinister BhupeshBaghel paid tribute to so-cial worker and greatphilanthropist ofChhattisgarh, DauKalyan Singh by payingfloral tributes on his por-trait at his residence of-fice here. IndustriesMinister, Kawasi

Lakhma was also presenton the occasion. ChiefMinister Baghel said thatDau Kalyan Singh is fa-mous for charity inChhattisgarh. He was al-ways ready to serve thepoor and downtrodden.Chief Minister Baghelsaid that Dau KalyanSingh donated severalacres of land with freehands for many workslike DKS Hospital,Raipur, many other hos-pitals, libraries, collegesand reservoirs etc. Thishelped in providing easyeducation and medical fa-cilities to every section ofthe society. He said thatDau ji’s virtuous deedswill always be remem-bered. His name will al-ways be taken with re-spect in Chhattisgarh.

Khairagarh, Apr 05:Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel conducted massivecampaigning for partycandidate Yashoda Vermafor Khairagarh by-pollholding public meetings inBakarkatta, Salhewara,Palimeta villages. In thesemeetings, people in largenumber attended the gath-ering. At many places CMalso addressed press con-ference and came downheavily against the BJPand its leaders.

CM Baghel said that itwas former PM Late AtalBehari Vajpayee whopromised to form newState of Chhattisgarh ifBJP wins all 11 LS seats inthe state and questionedwhether it was clear-cutnegotiation or not? Onthis Baghel said as to whythe BJP leaders are hav-

ing problem over his dec-laration of formation ofnew district ofKhairagarh.

Speaking to media per-sons Baghel said thatRaman Singh led BJP gov-ernment in the state forlast 15 yrs and never madeKhairagarh as a newDistrict. But now it is theCongress party which haspromised to formKhairagarh as newDistrict and still BJP lead-ers are having problems.CM Baghel charged thatBJP is a rumour spread-ing machine.

CM Baghel further saidthat the party has neithermentioned about victoryof Congress candidate orformation of new districtwithin 24 hrs of winning

Khairagarh by-poll, in lieuof it. The people demand-ing formation of new dis-trict of Khairagarh werereportedly beaten up bypro-BJP workers and lead-ers on Raman Singh be-hest, Baghel charged andadded that Raman Singhhas always ignoredKhairagarh. They wereeven put behind bars.Baghel said that the de-mand for formation ofKhairagarh as district hasbeen there since begin-ning.

Further CM Baghel saidthat the BJP has startedinviting leaders, CMsfrom other state for cam-paigning and this clearlyindicates that BJP has al-ready accepted its defeat.During the election cam-paign by CM, cabinetMinisters RavindraChoubey, Kawasi Lakhma,PCC Chief MohanMarkam, and other lead-ers were also present. CMon this occasion urged thepeople to vote in favour ofCongress candidate andmake her victorious.

RRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: ChiefMinister Bhupesh Baghelhas made a big announce-ment for the candidates ofcompetitive examination.He has said that no fee willbe charged for the exami-nation conducted by the

Special Junior StaffSelection Board.

It is worth mentioningthat the Chief Ministeralready made an announce-ment in the state budgetexempting local candidatesfrom paying examinationfees in exams conducted bystate PSC and professionalexamination board(Vyapam). Now there is awave of joy among candi-dates with the announce-ment of examination feewaiver for exams conduct-ed by Special Junior StaffSelection Board.

It is worth mentioningthat the NSUI members metthe Chief Minister today

and demanded to waive offexamination fee. ChiefMinister Mr. Baghel madean immediate announce-ment to waive off the exam-ination fee. Studentspreparing for the examina-tions said that this decisionwill bring great relief to thestudents belonging toweaker sections as manycandidates used to face dif-ficulties in paying examina-tion fee due to lack ofmoney.

Meanwhile, examinationis being conducted by theSpecial Junior StaffSelection Board for thethird and fourth grade postsin Bastar and Surguja.

Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 05: A high-voltage drama prevailed infront of AmbedkarHospital on Tuesdaymorning after a youngman climbed on the sky-walk built right in front ofthe Hospital and keptthreatening to commit sui-cide by jumping down onbeing denied proper treat-ment in the hospital. Thepassers-by gathered in thearea soon on seeing himhanging on the skywalk

and informed the police.MLA Kuldeep Juneja

too reached the spot fromnearby Devendra NagarChowk immediately after

receiving information andtried to urge the youngman to come down. Butthe young man kept sayingthat he would get downonly after arrival of SP andCollector. This young mannamed Saket, said that hewas upset because of not

getting proper treatment inAmbedkar Hospital andthat he would like to com-mit suicide. The people, po-lice and fire departmenttried to persuade him forabout 45 minutes to comedown but he kept threaten-ing to jump down.

Fire department’s rescueteam member AnilMandlay, Yogesh and Penuclimbed the bridge whiletrying to persuade him. Butthen the young manhanged upside down withthe help of his leg. He thenjumped off. Laxmi Verma,Rajesh Kashyap, KhumanVerma, Stephen, IshwarRao of the second team ofthe fire department presentalong with the police

caught the young man. Theyouth also suffered minorinjuries. He was admittedto Ambedkar Hospital fortreatment. According to theinformation available, theyoung man named Saket isa resident of Satna inMadhya Pradesh. Due tolack of treatment in thehospital, he got into an ar-gument with the hospitalstaff, after which he cameout of the hospital andclimbed the skywalk infront of it. Situation oftraffic jam was also createdon the road. Police are nowtracing the family mem-bers of the youth. Actioncan also be taken againsthim for his attempt tocommit suicide.

Youth jumps off skywalk while threatening to commit suicideComplains of lackof treatment inhospital

Was Atalji’s demand for11 LS seats not a deal: CM

Questions as towhy BJP is havingproblem on forma-tion of newKhairagarh district

‘Exemption of examination fee forexam conducted by State PSC’

CM makes a bigannouncement forthe candidates ofcompetitive exami-nation

Wave of joy amongthe candidates ofcompetitive exami-nations

Raipur, Apr 05: Water cri-sis in Birgaon MunicipalCorporation area is ex-pected to be resolved soon.The residents of Birgaonwill start getting clean andplentiful water for useshortly. Collector SourabhKumar held a marathonmeeting with the officialsregarding the shortage ofwater in Birgaon. RaipurRural Area MLASatyanarayan Sharmawas also present in themeeting. Sharma alsoagreed to use the MLAfund to solve the waterproblem in Birgaon andasked the officials to takeall possible measures to

solve the problem at theearliest.

In this high level meet-ing, Collector SourabhKumar reviewed in depththe reasons for the prob-lem of water scarcity andwater contamination inBirgaon MunicipalCorporation area and in-structed the officers totake prompt action tosolve it. The Collector in-structed CSIDC officerspresent in the meeting toimmediately supply oneand a half MLD waterfrom Urla’s water treat-

ment plant to BirgaonMunicipal Corporation.

The Collector also askedthe Water ResourcesDepartment to make avail-able water from BendriAnicut to BirgaonMunicipal Corporationfrom the intake well ofCSIDC at the earliest. Healso instructed the offi-cers of Raipur MunicipalCorporation to supplywater to BirgaonMunicipal Corporationfrom overhead reservoirof Khamtrai on the basisof need and availability.

The collector also askedto take information aboutthe water available atpresent in the factoriesand tube wells of facto-ries in Urla industrialarea. Proper arrange-ments of transportationfor water supply will bemade by BirgaonMunicipal Corporation.Kumar also directed theofficers to ensure thattankers are arranged inadequate number forwater transportation.

During the discussionon the problem of con-taminated water, the offi-cials said that the prob-lem of contaminatedwater arose due to lowwater level in Kharunriver. The Collector alsoconstituted a committeeof officers ofEnvironment PollutionControl Board under the

chairmanship of SDM toinvestigate the ETP of in-dustries attached to theTendua Nala. Kumar alsodirected to appoint anagency for regular check-ing of water quality ofwater treatment plants ofBirgaon MunicipalCorporation and CSIDCin the meeting. MunicipalCorporation RaipurCommissioner PrabhatMalik, BirgaonMunicipal CorporationCommissioner ShrikantVerma, Water ResourcesDepartment, CSIDC offi-cials along with DistrictCooperative BankPresident PankajSharma, Mayor NandlalDevangan, ChairmanKriparam Nishad, MICmembers Ikram Ahmed,Om Prakash Sahu andShiv Sahu also attendedthe meeting.

Birgaon residents to get enough water soon1.5 MLD water to beavailable from UrlaWater TreatmentPlant

Certificates to be distributed to all eligible

students by April 30RRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: CollectorSourabh Kumar informedthat a camp would be organ-ized for making and distrib-uting caste, residence andincome certificates ofschool students. The collec-tor has directed all the sub-divisional magistrates,through a letter, to ensuredistribution of residence,caste and income certifi-cates of all the charactersby April 30.

He instructed to makecertificates on all the appli-cations that are pending inthe offices so far and dis-tribute them at the schoollevel. Collector has askedthe concerned officers totake personal interest in thiswork and do it seriously. Hehas also asked the BlockEducation Officer andTehsildar to cooperate inthis work at the block level.

Raipur, Apr 05: If Indiahas to become Super Powerand fulfill the responsibilityof India’s independence,then every youth of thiscountry will have to take apledge to serve the nationfor the first two years beforestarting their career afterstudies. Freedom isachieved by sacrifices andits dream can also be real-ized by sacrifice. Makeyouth life meaningful bytaking this resolution.These were said by MukulKanitkar, All IndiaOrganization Secretary ofBharatiya ShikshanMandal as a keynote speak-er in a discussion on thetopic of responsibility offreedom at Mats University.

Kanitkar said that todaywhen the whole country iscelebrating 75 years of in-dependence, then we needto remember how many he-roes sacrificed their lives

for the sake of independ-ence, dedicated themselfand devoted his youth.Kanatkar said that startingfrom the struggle that thetribal brothers of our forestdwelling area, then the warof 1857 and various types ofagitations. How many peo-ple have given their wholelife to their country? Ourcountry is free today due tothe sacrifice of thousandsof heroes who laid downtheir dreams of life for themotherland in their youth.What is the responsibilityof this freedom, the free-

dom which is got after sac-rifice, we have to fulfill theresponsibility of it in ourlife. Every youth of thiscountry, before deciding thedirection of their life, be-fore building their career,have to decide that theyshould serve the nation forat least two years. The spe-cial guest of the program,Chairman, ChhattisgarhYoga Commission, GyaneshSharma said that there is aneed for everyone to under-stand how important yogais for every person, espe-cially the students. In the

Corona period of two years,we have got this lesson thathealth is important inhuman life. We all shouldmake yoga a part of ourdaily routine.

Earlier, Chancellor ofMats University, GajrajPagaria said that today isan important day for MatsUniversity as MukulKanitkar is present amongus who is known through-out the country. He has ded-icated his entire life for theupliftment and moderniza-tion of education. It is theresult of his efforts that theemployment oriented neweducation policy was imple-mented. On this occasion,the guests inaugurated thelatest fully equipped yogahall and psychology lab atMats University. GajrajPagaria, Chancellor ofMats University felicitatedall the guests with memen-toes.

Serve the nation for two years prior to your career: KanitkarRRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: Social WelfareMinister Mrs. Anila Bhendia hassaid that Yoga is the basis of ahealthy lifestyle. Yoga keeps usconnected with nature. Yogainfuses positive energy alongwith physical strength in us. Hesaid that Yoga played a positiverole in removing the physical andmental problems faced by thepeople during the time of Coronapandemic. Mr. Bhedia wasaddressing a yoga conferenceand felicitation program organ-ized by the Yoga Commission atLakhiram Auditorium in Bilaspuron Monday. Chairman ofChhattisgarh Yoga CommissionMr. Gyanesh Sharma, Mayor Mr.Ramsharan Yadav, Chairman ofMunicipal Corporation Mr.Sheikh Nazruddin, President ofChhattisgarh State Co-operativeHousing Association Mr. AshokAgrawal, President of DistrictCo-operative Central Bank Mr.Pramod Nayak, former MLA ofBilha Mr. Siyaram Kaushik, for-mer Mayor Mrs. Vani Rao, for-mer Mayor, Rajesh Pandey,

Member of Yoga Commission,Ravinder Singh, Bilaspur IG,Ratanlal Dangi were speciallypresent.

Mrs. Bhedia said that theimportance of yoga increaseseven more in managing thedecreasing physical immunity,

stressful and hectic lifestyle.There is a need for awareness ofYoga among all the people of thesociety. So that we can becomecooperative in building a healthysociety, state and country. Heappealed to all the people of thestate to compulsorily include

yoga in their daily routine tokeep the body and mind healthy.State Yoga CommissionChairman, Gyanesh Sharma saidthat Yoga Commission is contin-uously working towards makingpeople aware of Yoga. He high-lighted the efforts being madeby the Yoga Commission. MayorRamsharan Yadav said that Yogashould be included as a subjectin the school curriculum. In theprogram, Minister Mrs. Bhediafelicitated yoga institutes,Brahma Kumaris, Art of Living,Patanjali, Gayatri Sansthan andShuddha Yoga Center, Head ofDepartments and Professors ofYoga in universities, Yogainstructors includingYogacharyas by giving citationand insignia. On this occasion,school children and yoga instruc-tors performed various yogapostures. A large number of dig-nitaries, including member ofState Child ProtectionCommission, Mrs. PoojaKhanuja, were present in theaward ceremony.

Yoga is the basis of healthy lifestyle: Bhedia

Administrative approvalof Rs 1.70 cr granted

RRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: As per thedirection of Chief Minister Mr.Bhupesh Baghel, dykes arebeing constructed for the con-servation and promotion ofground water in rivers andstreams in the state. In connec-tion with the approval of dykeconstruction by the Ministry ofWater Resources, approval hasbeen given for construction ofdyke on Shivnath River nearvillage Kukurdi under Masturidevelopment block of Bilaspurdistrict. Administrativeapproval of Rs one crore 70lakh 38 thousand has beengiven to Chief Engineer HasdeoKacchar Bilaspur for this work.The construction of this dykewill prevent and utilize the sub-surface flow water as well asincrease the ground waterlevel of the nearby villages.

Rabi Loan worth 666 crprovided to farmers

RRaaiippuurr:: So far, a loan of Rs 666crore 5 lakh has been given bythe state government to thefarmers for the cultivation ofRabi crops, which is 129 per-cent more than the target dis-bursement of Rs 600 crore loanfor Rabi crops. This loan isbeing provided to the farmersthrough cooperative societieswithout any interest. So far, aloan of Rs 666 crore 5 lakh hasbeen disbursed to the farmersfor the Rabi season.

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

WARNING SIGNALS

With plastic and other waste including drain water getting mixed into ponds, its existence is in danger and water is of no use.

Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 04: TheGovernor, Ms. AnusuiyaUikey, participated in the‘White Coat Ceremony’ ofthe B.D.S. students, firstyear at Dr. HarvanshSingh Judge DentalInstitute organised byPunjab University inChandigarh. The programwas duly started by light-ing the lamp by GovernorMs. Uikey and co-guests.On this occasion, theGovernor gave white coatsto the students enteringthe institute and askedthem to study better in themedical field and work forthe service of humanity. Itis noteworthy that PunjabUniversity is one of theoldest and prestigious uni-versities, which was estab-lished in 1882 in Lahore.About 200 colleges are run-ning under it. Addressingthe ‘White CoatCeremony’, Governor Ms.

Uikey said that the whitecoat you got today has aspecial significance. Thiscoat is a sign of trust aswell as giving you aunique identity among thegeneral public. May youall maintain the dignity ofthis coat and follow yourresponsibilities.

Governor Ms. Uikeysaid that the ‘White CoatCeremony’ is a golden op-portunity for the studentsof the medical institute, sothat the students taking

admission in the instituteget information abouttheir professors and the in-stitute which improvestheir college and academicexperience. On this occa-sion, congratulating allthe students getting ad-mission and wished themall the best for their brightfuture. Governor Ms.Uikey said that two timesare very important for anyeducational institution.One is the time when stu-dents take admission in

the institute to fulfill theirdreams and the other leavethe institute for practicaluse of the education ac-quired after study. I believethat the campus whereyouths build their dreamsmust be welcome. Thiswelcome ceremony willsurely boost the confi-dence and encouragementof the students. He saidthat this golden timewould inculcate in the stu-dents of Dental Collegethe sensitivity and respon-sibility of their profession.This White CoatCeremony will emphasizeon continuing its princi-ples of education, health,research, patient serviceand care in line with theobjectives of the establish-ment. Dental studentswork to give people ahealthy smile. Like vari-ous fields of medical sci-ence, dentistry has its ownspecial importance.

There is a need to makepeople aware about thespecial care of teeth alongwith other parts of thebody. The spirit of serviceis the core of the medicalprofession. You all have tobe sensitive and serve the

patients. Patients willcome to you with great ex-pectation. Your effortshould be to remove theirproblems and give themhealth benefits. The exam-ple set by the people work-ing in the medical field byserving humanity in thedifficult times of Covidcannot be forgotten.Choosing this as a profes-sion is an important deci-sion for all of young stu-dents which will give youspecial experience as wellas self-satisfaction. Thissector of service is notonly reputed but will playa role in building a healthysociety.

The program was at-tended by the ViceChancellor of PunjabUniversity, Professor,Rajkumar, Dean Professor,Renu Vig, RegistrarVikram Nayar, DeanResearch, ProfessorSudhir, ControllerProfessor Jagat Bhushan,Dr. Harvansh Singh JudgeInstitute of DentalSciences and HospitalPrincipal ProfessorHemant Batra, professors,principals and studentswere present.

Governor participates in White Coat Ceremony Of Dr. HarvanshSingh Judge DentalInstitute,Chandigarh

Raipur, Apr 04: StateHome MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu inaugu-rated the newly construct-ed mural on the boundarywall of Directorate ofSainik Welfare, Raipur ina special function. Thesefrescoes depict various ac-tivities of the IndianArmed Forces. Thesenewly constructed fres-coes on the boundary wallof Sainik Kalyan Complexshow the historical workdone by the Indian forcesand the strength of thearmy. By displaying thebravery of the armythrough graffiti, it will actas an inspiration for theyouth of the state, whichwill attract the attention ofthe youth towards thearmy and will motivatethem to join the Indianarmy. Home MinisterSahu also released thenewly constructed audito-rium and upgrade website

of Rajya Sainik WelfareBoard (RSWB) on this oc-casion.

In the program, HomeMinister, TamradhwajSahu felicitated the bravemother of martyr Lt. RajivPandey (Vir Chakra) withshawl and shriphal andhanded over the grant ofex-servicemen beneficiar-ies. The Home Minister,Tamradhwaj Sahu, in hisaddress, appreciated the

valor, sacrifice and dedica-tion of the soldiers and as-sured all possible help forthe welfare of the ex-ser-vicemen. He also appreci-ated the undertakings ofSainik Welfare Board andJhanda Day Fund.

During this, the HomeMinister interacted withthe ex-servicemen andtheir families and assuredto solve their problems.The Home Minister,

Tamradhwaj Sahu, in hisaddress, appreciated thevalor, sacrifice and dedica-tion of the soldiers and as-sured all possible help forthe welfare of the ex-ser-vicemen. He also appreci-ated the workings ofSainik Welfare Board anddonated Rs 11001 to FlagDay Fund. On this occa-sion, the Home Ministerinteracted with the ex-ser-vicemen and their familiesand assured to solve theirproblems. The programwas attended by MLA andHousing Board,Chairman, KuldeepJuneja, DhananjayDevangan, Secretary,Home Department, MajorGeneral Sanjay Sharma(Retd), Air Commodore SKSingh, Commander, AntiNaxal Task Force,Pradeep Tandon,President Jindal Steel andother dignitaries werepresent.

Tamradhwaj Sahu inauguratesauditorium in RSWB office

Bemetara, Apr 05:Chaitra NavratriMahaparva was celebratedin the campus of AllonsPublic School (Pre-PrimaryDepartment) this morningfor Chaitra Pratipada,Nutanvarsh and MangalKamna. Dr. Satyajit Hota,Principal of the School in-augurated the programmeby offering flowers at thefeet of Maa Durga andlighting a lamp . In his ad-dress, he first greeted tinytots for the New Year andsaid that Navratri is a veryunique and wonderful festi-val for grooming and refin-ing oneself in the twilightof two seasons. From

Pratipada to Navami ofShukla Paksha of Chaitramonth, this festival is cele-brated with great gaiety.The first day is the day ofworship of MotherShailputri. Parvati, thedaughter of the Himalayas,is also the protector of allwild animals and the fierceascetic, the trishul in theright hand of Shailputriwhich symbolizes religion,meaning and salvation.The same lotus floweradorned in the left handgives the message of stay-ing away from it by stayingin the gross world. Weshould worship the nineforms of Mother Goddess

with full devotion and law.On the second day ofNavratri, Brahmanchariniis worshipped. Brahmameans one self -existentspirit, the sacred wisdom.and charini means one whobehaves. By worshipping it,man is always cool anddoes not deviate from hispath. He said that thevirtues derived from thesenine forms of mothershould be given to the stu-dents through teachers. Onthe third day, the form ofthe lunar hour is as brightas gold, we should try tohave the same brightnessinside us. The Tiny Tots ofthe school received bless-ings by supplicating at thefeet of Mother Goddess.Thereafter, the programmewas concluded by distribut-ing prasad.

The school managementKamaljit Arora, DirectorPushkal Arora, SchoolAdministrator SunilSharma, Madam RuchiArora, parents and teach-ers were present at theevent.

Ambikapur, Apr 05:Surguja Police has nabbed3 accused involved in morethan 40 odd theft incidentsand the accused have beenarrested from UP and

Madhya Pradesh. ThePolice has also recoveredcash and gold, silver jew-elleries worth Rs 4.5 lakhfrom their possession.

As per information inthis regard, Surguja Policehas taken into arrested 3accused involved in morethan 40 theft incidents inthe region. All the three

accused have conductedtheft in Ambikapur,Kotwali Thana andGandhi Nagar thana area.There are total of 36 casesof theft against the thievesand the Police has also re-covered 458 gms gold, 2.50kg Silver jewelleries andcash of Rs 4.5 lakh, total-ing more than Rs 30 lakhs.

Three nabbed with cash, jewelleries worth Rs 30 lakhWere involved inmore than 40 theftsin Ambikapur region

Prayers held in Allons premises Minor administrativechanges in CU

BBiillaassppuurr,, AApprr 0055:: GuruGhasidas University, Dr. AjaySingh, Assistant Professor,Law Department is appointedas Head of Department incharge of Law Department inplace of Dr. Sagar KumarJaisawal, Assistant Professor,Law Department, till furtherorders for smooth operation ofvarious administrativearrangement.

Smooth operation of variousadministrative arrangements,the following teachers areappointed as Superintendentsof the hostels mentionedagainst their names till furtherorders. Teacher Dr SanoshSoni, Asst. Prof. Deptt of ITand Dr Sanjay Kumar Bharti,Asst. Prof. Deptt of Pharmacyhave been appointed as in-charge of Swami VivekanandBoys’ Hostel and Dr RK SharmaAsst. Prof. Deptt of Economichas been appointed as in-charge of ShaheedVeernarayan Singh Boys’Hostel and and Dr AK Singh,Asst. Prof. Forestry Deptt as in-charge of Dr BR AmbedkarBoys’ Hostel. This order hasbeen brought into order withimmediate effect.

Raipur, Apr 05: Eighty sixper cent of the populationabove 18 years and 48 percent children in 15 to 18years age group in the stateare now fully vaccinatedagainst Covid-19. In boththe age groups, one crore 68

lakh 47 thousand 820 andseven lakh 89 thousand 423people have been adminis-tered both doses of the vac-cine respectively. One crore76 lakh 37 thousand 243 peo-ple are fully vaccinated inthe state so far (till April 4).Similarly, precaution doseshave been administered tofour lakh 40 thousand 754health workers, frontlineworkers and people above60 years of age. Four lakh 13thousand 301 children inthe age group of 12 to 14years have been adminis-tered first dose of the vac-cine.

The first dose of Covid-19vaccine has been adminis-tered to nearly 100 per centof the population above 18years and 69 per cent ofchildren in 15 to 18 yearsage group in the state. Thisincludes one crore 98 lakh

39 thousand 909 citizensabove 18 years and 11 lakh34 thousand 701 adolescentsof 15 to 18 years. A total of

three crore 94 lakh 65 thou-sand 908 vaccines have beenadministered so far acrossthe state, including both the

aforementioned age groups,precaution doses and chil-dren in 12 to 14 years agegroup in the state.

86% adult population and 48% children fully jabbedIn 15 to 18 years agegroup in Ch’garh

Precaution dosesadministered to4.41 lakh people,4.13 lakh children in12 to 14 age grouphave received theirfirst dose

A total of 3.95 crCovid-19 vaccinesadministered in thestate so far

Raipur, Apr 05: Numberof active COVID-19 casesin the state is steadily de-creasing because of thespeedy recovery of COVIDpatients and decline in thenumber of new patientsidentified per day. At pres-ent, the number of activeCOVID infected patientsin the state is 88 and thereis no active COVID patientin Bemetara,Mahasamund, Gariaband,Janjgir-Champa, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Kankerand Narayanpur districts

of the state. The currentaverage positivity rate ofthe state is 0.17 percent.

No new case of coronahas been reported in 20districts of the state as onApril 4. On this day, 7217samples were testedacross the state, in which12 were found COVID-in-fected. No cases werefound in 20 districts of thestate includingRajnandgaon, Balod,Bemetara, Kabirdham,Balodabazar-Bhatapara,M a h a s a m u n d ,

Gariaband, Raigarh,J a n j g i r - C h a m p a ,Mungeli, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Sarguja,Koriya, Surajpur,Jashpur, Bastar,Kondagaon, Dantewada,Kanker and Narayanpuron April 4. On this day onecase each was found inDurg, Raipur, Dhamtari,Balrampur-Ramanujganjand Bijapur, two each inKorba and Sukma andthree people in Bilaspurhave been found COVIDinfected.

Steady decline in the number of COVID patients in state Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 05: In afashion show organizedby Fashion Affinity atCourtyard Marriott, aprestigious hotel inRaipur, the capital ofChhattisgarh, DrSandhya Sahu of the cap-ital was honored withthe award of MrsRajdhani. Dr. SandhyaSahu was also given thetitle of Mrs Face of theYear 2022. Dr Sandhyahas been selected for theMrs India fashion com-petition to be held at thenational level soon inGoa, in which she willalso participate.

The final round of thiscompetition was heldfrom 27 to 30 March. Dr

Sandhya is a homeopath-ic doctor by professionand at the same time sheis also fond of modeling.Dr Sandhya also goes toremote and inaccessibleareas and treats the poorfree of cost. This awardis considered a very pres-tigious award.

In this fashion show,director of Mumbai’s fa-mous film productionhouse Mayur da ji, filmmaker Deepak, directorof this program AnitaKhandelwal, MissUniverse ShahnazSheikh, Miss FeminaApoorva, film actressLeslie Tripathi, IshantKesarwani RohitTripathi LakshyaChoure and other digni-taries were present.

Dr Sandhya Sahu becomes MrsRajdhani and Face of the Year 2022

Raipur, Apr 05: TheHealth Department hascalled for vaccination ofall infants and high-risk

individuals againstHepatitis B as part of theroutine immunizationprogramme. If hepatitisis not treated on time, itcauses liver failure orliver cancer. Hepatitis isan infectious disease thatdamages the liver bycausing inflammation. Ifhepatitis is not treated ontime, it can be fatal.

Under the NationalViral Hepatitis ControlProgram, there is a sys-tem of free investigationand treatment of dis-eases caused by hepatitisinfection in the state.There is a facility for itstesting with rapid diag-

nostic kits up to the subhealth center level in thestate. It is examined andtreated free of cost in alldistrict hospitals andhospitals affiliated togovernment medical col-leges.

State Nodal Officer ofNational Viral HepatitisControl Program DrDharmendra Gahvaisaid that mainly fourviruses A, B, C and E areconsidered to be thecause of this disease. Ofthese, hepatitis A and Eare less serious and usu-ally short-term infec-tions. In most cases, theygo away on their own. It

is caused by eating con-taminated food or drink-ing contaminated water.Hepatitis B and C are themore serious types of thevirus and cause long-term (chronic) infectionsof the liver. Infectionwith the hepatitis B or Cvirus can cause severeliver damage, which canlead to liver failure fromliver cirrhosis and, insome cases, liver cancer.

Dr Gahvai informedthat the hepatitis B and Cinfection spreadsthrough contaminatedblood transfer from an in-fected person. It can bespread from person to

person through drug in-jection and sharing nee-dles, unprotected earpiercing or tattooing, un-protected sex, sharingshaving razors, nail cut-ters, etc. It can also betransmitted from a preg-nant woman to a new-born baby. In most peo-ple, hepatitis B or C infec-tion occurs withoutsymptoms in the earlystages. Late detection ofthe disease leads to se-vere liver damage andcomplications of liverfailure.

If hepatitis C is detect-ed in the early stages, itcan be treated with medi-

cines for three to sixmonths. Hepatitis Bvirus infection is notcompletely curable, but itcan be effectively treatedwith the use of medi-cines. This keeps mostpatients healthy duringtheir lifetime. All infantsand high-risk adults arenow vaccinated againsthepatitis B. They must bevaccinated to protectthem from hepatitis.Unless the infection is di-agnosed, monitored andtreated, many people caneventually develop seri-ous life-threatening liverdisease.

The World Health

Organization has startedcelebrating WorldHepatitis Day on 28 Julyevery year to bringawareness about hepati-tis and to inform peopleabout its detection andtreatment.

The World HealthOrganization is activelycampaigning to elimi-nate viral hepatitis by2030. The Government ofIndia has launched theNational Viral HepatitisControl Program fromthe year 2018 to controland prevent Hepatitis.Under this, free screen-ing and treatment of dis-eases caused by hepatitis

infection is done.All children and ado-

lescents who are underthe age of 18 and whohave not previously beenvaccinated should get thehepatitis B vaccine.People who frequentlyneed blood or blood prod-ucts, patients on dialysis,recipients of solid organtransplants, and inmatesin prisons must get theinjection.

Health workers andothers who may comeinto contact with bloodand blood products in thecourse of their workshould also be vaccinatedagainst hepatitis B.

Babies and high-risk individuals must be vaccinated against hepatitis BHepatitis may raiserisk of liver failureor liver cancer if nottreated on time

Rapid diagnostic kittesting up to thesub-health centerlevel, free testingand treatment indistrict hospitalsand medical collegehospitals

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

MMaaiinnppuurr,, AApprr 0055:: Electricityreached here in villageKaridongri, after 75 years ofindependence, and the vil-lagers welcomed the illumina-tion by worshipping on thefirst day of Navratri festival.The region also resonated inslogans for the state govern-ment appreciating its develop-mental schemes. The villagesituated in the extremes ofgram Panchayat Mardakala, isstill tough to reach, due to lackof pucca roads and bridges,and the coming of power sup-

ply is all set to change the livesof many villagers, especiallythe youth population. The vil-lagers of the region were longtrying to get electricity con-nection in the region andunder the leadership of YuvaCongress Grameen PresidentYashwant Yadav and NutanMarkam had submitted memo-randum to ministers and offi-cials pertaining the issue.Taking the issue on a seriousnote, the administration in thepast six months erected 60-70electricity polls in the region

and electricity supply wasfinally started. The people ofthe region have thanked theCM, Ministers and officials forthe electricity supply and haveopined that the power supplywill finally aid in helping thechildren study in night hoursand the operation of tube wellsin summers. Present wereYashwant Yadav, BaishakuramNagesh, Nutan Markam,Bhuneshwar Patel, NarsinghNagesh , Rameshwar Netamand hundreds of villagers werepresent.

Electricity reaches Karidongriafter 75 yrs of Independence Konta, Apr 05:

Sand mafia ChithluriRajesh, a resident ofKonta in Sukma district ofChhattisgarh state, hasbeen sitting as a sand con-tractor for the last 05,06years, not doing his teach-ing work. It is to beknown that 05 years backteacher Rajesh throughhis father took a tender inthe name of his father,after which his father dieda few years later. Afterthe death of the father, thetender was changed in thename of his mother, Mrs.CH Padmavati, who livesin her home village. Thesand tender is only for thename of the parents, butthe whole work is done bytheir son teacher Rajesh,where in some bills likeway-bill, pit-pass bill, thesignature of the personwho got the tender, thatsignature is also there.Rajesh himself does it.

Rajesh has been busydoing sand work for manyyears by not attending hisacademic work. InSukma district, the spiritsof many sand mafia likeRajesh (teacher) are sohigh that even flout therules of governance andadministration. Evenafter being a governmentemployee, Rajesh has nofear of the administra-tion. Instructions weregiven to the district officerto take strict actionagainst illegal miningmafia, but Sukma districtadministration does nottake any action againstsuch people.

Teacher CH Rajesh hasbeen engaged in contract-ing works by staying inKonta Nagar by not givinghis presence in his origi-nal posted schoolGattapad for many years.For many years, his salaryis being withdrawn everymonth by the Education

Department without anyinquiry. According to theinformation, CH Rajesh iswithdrawing his salary bysetting up Sarpanch,Secretary and CAC.

The biggest thing is thatCH Rajesh has been post-ed as Class III employee inthe year 01/01/2005. Foralmost 17 years, he has notyet seen the face of hisoriginal school and theydo not even know whetherthe school is runningthere or not and howmany children study intheir school. The surpris-ing and surprising thingis that for the last manyyears, a teacher is noteven going to his schooland is also withdrawingsalary every month.

From Bastar divisionand from Sukma district,sometimes the top officersand collectors of educa-tion department come forinspection, but do not takeany action against many

teachers without duty likeRajesh. In this regard,BEO SK Deep of Kontablock and AC Ganesh Soriof Sukma district werealso apprised aboutteacher CH Rajesh. Theofficials said that verysoon CH Rajesh will be in-vestigated and action willbe taken by issuing a clari-fication. And if anyteacher does not do dutyin their original postedschools, their salary willnot be withdrawn.

Teacher functions as sand contractor,not doing his teaching work

Dhamdha, Apr 05:

The people of Dhamdha,known earlier as ‘city oflakes’ have not kept itslandmarks and rich cul-tural heritage alive. It isfor this reason that a totalof 126 ponds which wereexisting right fromGondwana period till date,only a selected few of theponds are existing. Whena team of government de-partment went out insearch of ponds, they weretaken aback on seeing thecondition of ponds in the

city. There is a pond in thecity, where the elephant ofthe King used to bewashed and his bathingwas done and therefore itcame to be known as‘Hathi Budan Talab’. Whatis surprising here is thatthis pond was encroachedupon and by filling it withmaterials it has now beingturned into a farm. Thecondition of ‘GhodaBudan’ Talab is such thatthe encroachers are nowtaking crop of ‘Grams’ init. It was under leadershipof SDM (Revenue) Brijesh

Kshatriya, the team start-ed removing encroach-ment on the ponds fromApril 1 onwards. SDMalong with officialsreached the site along withJCB machine and madesix ponds free from en-croachment. The six gov-ernment ponds weretransformed into farmsand farming was donehere. The cover area of thepond was demolished anddigging was done by theside of this cover usingJCB machine, so that itcannot be re-encroached

again. During this some ofthe encroachers even reg-istered protest, but thelocal administration didnot stopped its drive tomake ponds free from en-croachment. On the firstday, the area near ‘Hathi-Budan’, ‘Tar-Bhanpurpond’, ‘Teli-Dabari’, RajaTalab was removed andthen the other side of‘Raja Talab’ was cleared.

In this anti-encroach-ment drive from ponds,Chief Nagar PalikaOfficer Nagar PanchayatDhamdha Nayak, NayabTehsildar Kuleshwar

Patel, sub-engineerVinayak and other officerswere present. On removalof encroachment from thegovernment ponds washailed by general publicand termed it as a goodstep. SDM Kshatriya saidthat in ancient times‘Dhamdha’ city was verymuch famous and prosper-ous, as there were 126ponds and they were part& parcel of day-to-day lifeand business. He made anappeal to all citizens ofDhamdha to become moreaware in saving the richheritage and landmarks of

city and give their valu-able contribution in sav-ing it. This anti-encroach-ment drive would contin-ue in times to come andprior to rains, there areplans to make all ponds en-croachment-free.

Encroachments removed from 6 govt ponds People have

changed the‘Hathi-Budan’ pondinto farm land

Encroachmentsremoved underleadership of SDM Out of total 121 ponds, 106

ponds are governmentowned or are coming intoused for land-related worksby the local population. It isonly 15 ponds which are inprivate ownership. But itencroaching upon 30ponds, the people havechanged it into farm land.In the first phase, 15 pondswere identified to madefree from encroachmentand out of which encroach-ment is being removedslowly. The work that ofdemarcation and identifica-tion is also being done inthese ponds.

Pithora, Apr 05: TheChief Post Master General(CPMG) of PithoraRamchandra Jai Bhaye fe-licitated a postman with acertificate and an attrac-tive gift for linking morethan 5000 mobile numberswith Aadhar. During thisPostal Superintendent BLJangde, Asst. Suptd.Shailendra Thakur, RaviKacher Dy. Divisional

Postal inspector; SurendraSahu Pithora (up-dakpal),Praveen Banjara, AshokAshu (Dak AdhidarshakNayak) and all RuralPostal Service personswere present.

The Postal officers in-formed Rural PostalServicemen to promotethat rural person needcome upto urban areas inorder to get their postalwork done and directedthem to solve the griev-ances of those having anyproblems related to thepostal department.

CPMG Pithora felicitates postman

For linking more than 5000 mobilephones with Aadhar

Fingeshwar, Apr 05:

Responding to NITIAayog team appreciatingthe Chhattisgarh model ofChief Minister BhupeshBaghel government,Ramkrishna TiwariPresident ShanMahavidyalaya andJitendra Singh ThakurAlderman said that NITIAayog has once again im-plemented the policies ofBhupesh Government inthe country.

NITI Aayog said thatdue to the policies of theGovernment ofChhattisgarh, the state isranked 6th in Ease ofDoing Business and 4th inExport Index, which is abig achievement. Praisingthe Godhan Nyay scheme,NITI Aayog said that itshould be implemented inthe entire country.

According to the reportof NITI Aayog, agricultur-al products have increased

in Chhattisgarh due to theefforts of Bhupesh govern-ment. In mustard, therehas been an increase of 14percent in the productionof soybean by 22 percent.Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel speaks about thework of the government,which will give priority tothe works of public inter-est. Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel’s govern-ment has fulfilled what theCongress told the public inthe assembly elections.Ramkrishna Tiwari saidthat the echo of theChhattisgarh model isechoing within the coun-try and across the borderand under the RajivGandhi Kisan NyayYojana, farmers are get-ting an additional benefitof 10 thousand per acre,due to which the produc-tion of mustard and soy-bean has increased.Alderman Jitendra SinghThakur said that by buy-

ing cow dung at Rs 2 a kgunder Gaudhan NyayYojana, women self-helpgroups are getting finan-cial benefits by joining cat-tle farmers along withdung pickers. The GodhanNyay scheme ofChhattisgarh model hasemerged as the biggestscheme in the whole coun-try to prevent stray cattlefrom roaming on theroads.

The Prime Ministerhimself, in his speeches,has indirectly discussedthe Godhan Nyay schemeof the Chhattisgarh gov-ernment by announcingplans after March 10 forthe problem of stray ani-mals in UP. This will im-prove the breed of live-stock and the use of ver-micompost made fromcow dung in agriculturewill reduce the cost ofagriculture and depend-ence on chemical fertiliz-ers will end, he said.

NITI Aayog appreciates Ch’garh model

Dongargarh, Apr 05:

Few days back a pro-gramme was organised byEconomics Department onConsumer Rights Day atlocal Government NehruGraduation College,Dongargarh. On this occa-sion HoD Economics DrRR Koche gave informa-

tion in detailed about therights and protection ofconsumers about theirrights. In the end of theprogramme Asst. Prof.Economics Deptt ManishaBhedia expressed grati-tude towards the studentsand wished them all thebest in their future en-deavours.

Prog on ConsumerRights Day organised

At Govt Nehru Graduation College

AAnnwwaarrii,, AApprr 0055::

National Science DayCelebration 2022 was organizedunder the joint aegis ofChhattisgarh Science andTechnology Department, Raipurand Chhattisgarh Mahtari CollegeBhakhara in Chhattisgarh MahtariCollege Bhakhara in which Dr.Avinash R. Nichat, Head ofDepartment of Zoology, MaharishiVed Vyas GovernmentPostgraduate College, Bhakharawas the keynote speaker and Mr.DK Sahu, Assistant ProfessorChemistry, Mr. DN Chakradhari,Assistant Professor Zoology andMs. A. Dhidhi, Assistant ProfessorBotany, Chhattisgarh MahtariCollege, Bhakhara were co-speak-ers. While delivering the welcomeaddress, the Principal of the col-lege, Dr. Shailendra Kumar Sahu,highlighted the need and utility ofscience. He said that today we areliving in the age of science andState-of-the-art resources areavailable on the basis of science,but if we use them in the bestinterest, he said.

The keynote speaker of the pro-gram, Dr. Avinash R. Nichat, whileintroducing the life of Dr. CV

Raman, said that today scienceand technology have specialimportance in our daily life andnew discoveries are constantlybeing made.

Co-spokesperson Shri DK Sahusaid that the fact or theory andeffect which science tells, proves itby proving it technical fashion.Shri DN Chakradhari said thattoday we have become soadvanced in the field of technolo-gy that in a moment we get con-nected with each other and covermiles in less time. Rangoli, paint-ing and poster competition wereorganized in the program organ-ized on National Science DayCelebration 2022 and the studentswho got first and second place inthe competition were rewardedand awarded with certificates andemblems.

The program was conducted byShri TK Sahu, Assistant ProfessorHindi and the vote of thanks wasdone by Shri MS Sahu, AssistantProfessor Political Science. Therole of college professors SRBaghel, KD Guwal, LN Bains, PLDhruv, YK Sahu, staff membersTomeshwar Mauryavanshi, ChetnaSahu and students of the collegeswas commendable in the program.

Science Day celebrated in CG Mahtari College

Pandaria, Apr 05:

On the arrival of HinduNew Year Vikram Samvat2079, a grand and uniquetableau of ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj,Maharani Laxmi Bai, RaniDurgavati and Bharatmataalong with D.J and bhajanswere taken out by the peo-ple along with troupes. Inthe welcome of this hugeprocession, present inthousands, various serv-ice-oriented organizationsof the city did the welcomeand Aarti and distributionof juices and fruits wasalso done. Due to Coronaepidemic in the city for thelast two years, New Yearand other festivals couldnot be celebrated withcomplete freedom.

Rammurari Yadav, whilegiving good wishes for thenew year 2079 to the officebearers of various organi-zations of the city, said,keeping the historical

background of Sanatanculture in India,this festi-val is celebrated by differ-ent provinces and sects inthe form of various festi-vals.

The program was con-ducted by RaghunandanGupta and thanks were ex-pressed by Sumit Tiwari.Thousands of townspeopleparticipated in the proces-sion, in which a large num-ber of women participatedin the dress code. Alongwith the city, the Hindu

New Year was celebratedenthusiastically in ruralareas as well. Templeswere also decorated, andon the occasion ofNavratri, the temples ofthe city were also decorat-ed attractively.

All the temples includ-ing Mahamaya Temple,Sheetla Mandir, RamJanaki Temple of the citywere decorated, and apartfrom this, the saffron flagwere unfurled on housetops of the region.

Hindu New Year program celebrated

EXCHANGE GREETINGS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and former Union Minister P Chidambaram exchange greetings at Parliament complex during the second part of the BudgetSession, in New Delhi, Tuesday.

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

BRIEFHeld

Noida: Nine suspect-ed criminals allegedlyinvolved in cases oftheft, snatching andkidnapping were ar-rested following twoseparate encounterswith the police in cen-tral Noida. Four of thesuspected criminalssuffered injuries inthe shootout which oc-curred on Sundaynight under the Phase3 and the Badalpur po-lice station areas,ADCP (Central Noida)Elamaran G said.

PanicMumbai: Parents ofsome 25-30 studentsusing a well-knownMumbai school’s busservice were a wor-ried lot as their wardshad not reached homein time on the first dayof physical classespost the COVID-19pandemic, leading toseveral of them reach-ing the gates of the fa-cility and some takingto social media. A po-lice spokesperson saidthe driver of the buswas new and hencetook a longer route todrop the childrenhome.

RegisteredGurugram: TheGurugram police reg-istered a case after astray dog died when agenerator fell on it at aconstruction site.According to a com-plaint filed by a DLFPhase-3 resident, thedog died on Sunday.The complainant sus-pected foul play andalleged that labourersengaged at the con-struction site droppedthe generator on thedog with the intentionto kill.

SeizedChaibasa: Five IEDsfitted with arrowswere seized during asearch operation bysecurity personnelafter naxals fired atunder constructionBharnia police campin Jharkhand’s WestSinghbhum district.The B company of157th battalion ofCRPF, who are sta-tioned at the place, re-taliated by hurlingpara bombs and noneof its personnel waseither injured orkilled. Central andstate eecurity person-nel carried out searchoperation.

SafetyChandigarh: ThePunjab Police haslaunched a statewideroad safety educationand enforcement driveto prevent accidents.Director General ofPolice (DGP) PunjabVK Bhawra said the en-tire enforcement strate-gy is planned and basedon past year trends. Onan average, daily,Punjab loses 11-12 valu-able lives in variousroad accidents, the ma-jority of which can beprevented or reduced inseverity by focusing onviolations.

NamingNew Delhi: Parks inthe capital will soon benamed after unsungfreedom fighters fromDelhi as a mark of re-spect and recognitionto their sacrifices. Alist of 16 parks hasbeen sent by the DDAto the Delhi govern-ment that will benamed after freedomfighters like LalaHardayal, ColonelGurbaksh SinghDhillon, General ShahNawaz Khan, GobindBehari Lal, ColonelPrem Sahgal andBasanta Kumar Biswasamong others.

Chandigarh, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Haryana Assemblyon Tuesday unanimouslypassed a resolution, notingwith concern the resolutionrecently passed by thePunjab Assembly stakingclaim over the UnionTerritory of Chandigarh.

Haryana Chief MinisterManohar Lal Khattarthanked the members of therival political parties forunanimously supportingthe resolution brought byhis government in theHouse.

Khattar said the discus-sion held for around threehours on the resolution.

While moving the resolu-tion earlier, Khattar rakedup the issues of the con-struction of the SYL canaland transfer of Hindi-speaking areas to the state.Khattar also raised theissue of Bhakra BeasManagement Board and thematter related to the postingof Haryana officials inChandigarh UnionTerritory. The Haryana gov-ernment summoned thespecial session of the stateassembly, days after neigh-bouring Punjab passed aresolution seeking immedi-ate transfer of the UnionTerritory of Chandigarh to

the AAP-ruled state.A political row had erupt-

ed after Union HomeMinister Amit Shah’s re-cent announcement that theCentral Service Ruleswould apply to the employ-ees of the Union Territoryof Chandigarh.

The Union Territory ofChandigarh is the commoncapital of Punjab andHaryana.

While raising the issue ofthe Sutlej-Yamuna Linkcanal, Khattar urged thecentral government to takemeasures for the construc-tion of the canal.

“This House notes withconcern the resolutionpassed in the LegislativeAssembly of Punjab on 1April, 2022 recommendingthat the matter for transferof Chandigarh to Punjab betaken up with the Centralgovernment,” said the reso-lution read out by Khattar.“This is not acceptable tothe people of Haryana,” theresolution said. Haryanacontinues to retain its right

to the capital territory ofChandigarh, it added.

Noting that the right ofHaryana to share waters ofRavi and Beas rivers by theconstruction of the SYLCanal is historically, legally,judicially and constitution-ally established over time,Khattar said the House hasunanimously on at leastseven occasions passed res-olutions urging the earlycompletion of the canal.

“Several agreements, ac-cords, Tribunal’s findingsand judgements of highestjudiciary of the nation haveall singularly upheld theclaim of Haryana to the wa-ters and directed comple-tion of the SYL Canal,”Khattar said as he read outthe resolution.

“In defiance and contraryto these directions andagreements, legislationswere enacted by Punjab todeny the rightful claims ofthe State of Haryana,” hesaid. “The Indira Gandhiagreement, the RajivLongowal accord and the

Venkatramiah commissionhave accepted the claim ofHaryana to Hindi-speakingareas that fall within theterritory of state ofPunjab,” according to theresolution.

The transfer of Hindi-speaking villages fromPunjab to Haryana has alsonot been completed, headded.

Participating in the dis-cussion on the resolution,former Haryana chief min-ister Bhupinder SinghHooda dubbed the resolu-tion passed by the Punjabassembly on transfer ofChandigarh to the state as a“political gimmick”.

Punjab resolution has nomeaning, it is only politicalgimmick... Punjab’s role asan elder brother is accept-able, but if it tries to playrole of big brother, that isnot acceptable to us, saidHooda.

Hooda, who is Leader ofthe Opposition, condemnedPunjab’s resolution andsupported the one moved byKhattar.

He along with otherCongress members, includ-ing Kiran Choudhary, saidHaryana should get its rightand that they would supportthe state government if itdecides to meet the presi-dent, prime minister andHaryana governor over theissue. “We will unitedlyfight for protectingHaryana’s rights,” saidHooda.

Haryana Assembly passes resolutionover Chandigarh issue

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar during assembly session in Chandigarh.

SYL canal issue is also bone of contention

Nursing Council condemns useof its name by publisher

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Indian NursingCouncil (INC) on Tuesdaycondemned the use of itsname by a publisher andan author for the sale oftextbooks with derogatorycontent.

The INC, in a statement,said it has been brought toits notice that the authorand the publisher of a text-

book of sociology for nurs-es have placed the coun-cil’s name on its coverpage. The INC has re-leased a notification dated04/04/2022 and placed onits website which stronglycondemns any derogatorycontent related to socialevils in the society likedowry by using its name,

the statement said.Section 16 of the INC

Act empowers the councilto prescribe the standardsand curricula for thetraining of nurses, mid-wives and health visitors.As per the policy, the INConly prescribes the syl-labus and does not endorseany author or publisher, itsaid. The INC has initiatednecessary action againstthe publisher and the au-thor concerned for misus-ing its name in the contentof the book, the statementsaid.

For sale of textbooks with derogatory content

Asansol, Apr 05 (PTI):

Hinging on actor-t u r n e d - p o l i t i c i a nShatrughan Sinha’s starpower and appeal amongthe Hindi-speaking popu-lation, the TMC hopes toclinch the Asansol LokSabha seat, with the‘Bihari babu’ trying tofight off the outsider tag inthe industrial town.

The ruling party inBengal, which has nevertasted success in poll-bound Asansol, apart fromfour other parliamentaryconstituencies of the state,is pulling all stops to breakthe jinx. “We are hopefulthat Sinha, who is hugelypopular among the mass-es, will be able to clinchthe seat for us,” VSivadasan Dasu,Trinamool CongressPaschim Bardhaman con-vener, said. By-poll to theLok Sabha segment,scheduled on April 12, wasnecessitated as formerUnion minister and two-

time MP Babul Supriyoquit the membership ofParliament last year aftercrossing over to the TMCfrom the BJP.

The saffron party, on itspart, is trying hard to re-tain the seat that Supriyohad twice bagged for thecamp — in 2014 and 2019 —as it fielded fashion de-signer-cum-saffron campmember Agnimitra Paulto counter Sinha.

Supriyo, who left theBJP after being droppedfrom the Union ministry,is contesting on a TMCticket for the Ballygungeassembly by-poll, to beheld along with theAsansol election. The Lok

Sabha by-poll has rekin-dled the ‘insider-outsider’debate, a poll plank thathelped the TMC trouncethe BJP in last year’s as-sembly polls, with the rul-ing TMC at the receivingend this time as the BJPhas gone all guns blazingto project Sinha as an “out-sider”. An industrial beltknown for its coal mines,steel industries andChittaranjan Locomotives,Asansol in PaschimBardhaman district is thesecond largest and mostpopulous city of WestBengal after Kolkata, asper the 2011 Census.

Nearly 15 lakh elec-torate of Asansol are coal

mine workers, factoryworkers, and small-timebusinessmen. About 45 percent of the voters speakHindi, and trace theirroots to Jharkhand, Bihar,and Uttar Pradesh. Thearea also has around 15per cent minority popula-tion. According to TMCsources, nominating thetwo-time Patna Sahib MP,who has worked in Delhifor the better part of hispolitical career, is part ofthe party’s national out-reach strategy.

Popularly called‘Shotgun’ by fans for hisstraightforward dialoguedeliveries in films, Sinha,who joined the TMC afterhis four-decade-long stintin BJP and a brief inningsin Congress, however, re-jected the “outsider” taggiven by his rivals.

“I am no less a Bengalithan any other Bengali. Iam not an outsider. I havealways adored Bengali lan-guage and Bengali culture.I have done many films inBengal, and the Bengalilanguage that I speak isnot dubbed,” Sinha,known for his signature di-alogue ‘khamosh’ told PTI.

“Like my ‘janmabhoo-mi’ (birthplace) Bihar,Bengal has always had myheart,” the former Unionminister in Atal BihariVajpayee’s cabinet said.

Countering him, Paul,BJP candidate and MLAfrom Asansol Dakshin,wondered what TMCwould now have to sayabout branding BJP lead-ers from other states asoutsiders ahead of lastyear’s assembly elections.

“I was born and raisedhere. I am an MLA fromthis area. But the TMCcandidate has no linkswith either West Bengal orthis place. The TMC usedto term BJP leaders ‘out-siders’ during assemblypolls. They must explainthis double standard,” shesaid, exuding confidencethat her party would beable to retain the seat.

A senior TMC leader,who did not wish to benamed, said that the partyfielded Sinha, in its bid todistance itself from theBengali sub-nationalismpoll plank, which is prov-ing to be a hindrance inthe party’s national expan-sion plans.

TMC hopes to break Asansol jinx in election

Shatrughan Sinha during roadshow in Asansol.

As Shatrughan tries to ‘khamosh’outsider cries

Nagpur lawyer, hisbrother usurped lands,resorted to fraud: ED

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Nagpur-based lawyerSatish Uke and his brother“usurped” lands in the cityby creating fake power of at-torney documents, the EDalleged on Tuesday. The twowere arrested by the federalprobe agency under theanti-money laundering lawon March 31 and were latertaken to Mumbai where alocal court remanded themto Enforcement Directoratecustody till April 6.

The lawyer is known forfiling petitions against sen-ior BJP leader and formerMaharashtra chief minis-ter Devendra Fadnavis overthe last few years. The ar-rests came soon after the EDraided the lawyer’s resi-dence in the Parvati Nagararea of Nagpur that day(March 31). The ED said itsmoney laundering caseagainst the brothers stemsfrom two FIRs filed by theNagpur Police (Ajni Policestation) against the broth-ers.

The first police FIR wasfiled by Mohammad Jaffar,

nephew of LateMohammad Samad whowas owner of a five acreland at Mouza Bokhara inNagpur, against Satish Ukeand Pradip Uke who haveallegedly usurped the saidland by creating fake docu-ments, the ED said in astatement. The second po-lice FIR was filed byShobharani RajendraNalode, secretary ofAishwari Sahakari GrihNirman Sanstha againstSatish Uke, Pradip Uke andothers alleging that theyhave allegedly usurped hersociety’s 1.5 acre land situ-ated at Mouza Babulkhedain Nagpur, it said.

Satish Uke

‘Attacks orchestrated by Pak,shows frustration of terrorists’Srinagar, Apr 05 (PTI):

Jammu and KashmirPolice chief Dilbag Singhon Tuesday said the re-cent attacks on civiliansin the Union Territoryhave been orchestrated byPakistan and are a sign offrustration of terrorgroups.

“These acts are simplydue to the frustration ofterror groups and diktatsfrom their masters sittingin Pakistan. It will notdeter us in dischargingour duties and ensuringpeace at all costs. The se-curity forces are commit-ted to this,” Singh, the di-rector general of policesaid.

He said such acts willnot be tolerated and actionagainst the perpetratorswill be taken in duecourse of time.

“These attacks are con-demnable and have beenrightly condemned in thecivil society. These acts

are inhuman and will notbe tolerated at any cost,”Singh told PTI after thewreath-laying ceremonyfor Head Constable VishalKumar of the CRPF, whowas killed in a militant at-tack at Maisuma.

In two other incidentson Monday, two non-locallabourers were injured ina terror attack inPulwama while aKashmiri Pandit shop-keeper was injured in asimilar attack in Shopian.

“The security forces —CRPF, J&K Police — aredischarging their respon-sibilities. We pay our re-

spects to our slain col-league and our best wish-es for the injured col-league for speedy recov-ery,” Singh said.

The DGP said other in-cidents in which migrantlabourers were attackedand a minority communi-ty member was targeted“are signs of barbaric andbeastly acts”.

Responding to a ques-tion, Singh said securityforces have responded pro-portionately to the in-creased activity of overground workers (OGW) ofthe terror groups.

“The OGW presence hasalways been there. Whentheir presence increases,the action by police andsecurity forces also in-creases accordingly. If youlook at the statistics, wehave eliminated 42 terror-ists in the last threemonths and a higher num-ber of OGWs have beenacted against as per law,”he said.

Dilbag Singh

Satheesan launches broadsideagainst CPI(M) on K-Rail project

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 05 (PTI):

Hours ahead of theCPI(M) party congress in itsstronghold Kannur district,Leader of Opposition in theKerala Assembly VDSatheesan on Tuesdaylaunched a broadsideagainst the Left governmenton the K-Rail issue, allegingthat it was adopting “an ex-treme right-wing” stand onthe matter.

The Congress leader, whois actively campaigningagainst CPI(M)-led govern-ment’s flagship K-Rail initia-tive also known asSilverLine, warned the rul-ing party for underminingthe people’s protest againstthe multi-crore semi-high

speed railway project, sayingit will become the“Waterloo” for the party inKerala. “The CPI(M)-led gov-ernment is following thesame right-wing path of theNarendra Modi-led govern-ment at the Centre on thismatter. The BJP governmentcan do this as that party isextreme right,” Satheesansaid here, adding that theLeft is only a namesake forthe present leadership of theCPI(M) as a policy shift hashappened to it from the Leftto extreme right. Briefing the

reporters about the ongoingprotests in the state over theSilverLine rail project here,the Opposition leader saidthe agitation will grow fur-ther as a mass movementand become a “Waterloo” forthe CPI(M) in Kerala just asit lost its base in West Bengalafter Nandigram strugglethat put an end to the overthree-decade old CPI(M) rulein that state. In 2007, manyfarmers were killed in policefiring during an anti-land ac-quisition stir in Nandigram.

“We support this people’sagitation against theSilverLine. Non-bailablecases have been registeredagainst our partymen. TheCPI(M) had done the samething against the people whohad protested in Nandigramand Singur. Finally, it be-came the waterloo for theCPI(M) in West Bengal.SiverLine agitation is goingto become waterloo for

CPI(M) in Kerala,”Satheesan said. TheParavoor MLA dismissed theCPI(M) allegation that theCongress and the BJP havejoined hands to destabilisethe Left government inKerala. “That narrative willnot work,” he said as topleaders of the CPI(M) landedin Kannur to attend the 23rdparty congress of the Leftparty. The five-day long megaconference of the CPI(M),known as the PartyCongress, will begin onWednesday.

Criticising the BJP’s agita-tion headed by UnionMinister V Muraleedharanagainst the K-Rail project,Satheesan urged the leader-ship of the saffron party toapprise Prime MinisterNarendra Modi of theprotests happening in Keralaagainst the project and per-suade him to declare that itwill not be sanctioned.

VD Satheesan

Take into considera-tion all environmen-tal concernsA

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

POLITICAL RALLY

Colombia’s vice-presidential candidate for leftist alliance, Francia Marquez (L), dancesduring a campaign rally ahead of the May general election, in Medellin, Colombia.

BRIEFLimiting

Jackson: Mississippiis the latestRepublican-led stateto ban election officesfrom accepting dona-tions from privategroups for voting op-erations a movementfueled by conserva-tives’ suspicion of do-nations by Facebookfounder MarkZuckerberg.MississippiRepublican Gov TateReeves signed HouseBill 1365, and it willbecome law July 1. Itsays state or local offi-cials who conductelections cannot solic-it or accept donations.

HamperingThe Hague: Lawyersfor Bolivia said thatChile’s decision to filea case at the UnitedNations’ top courtabout a dispute abouta river that crossestheir border in theAtacama Desert hashampered diplomaticefforts to resolve thedisagreement. Thecase between theLatin Americanneighbors at theInternational Court ofJustice is focused on asmall water systembut is seen as an op-portunity to lay downimportant jurispru-dence at present.

RiotQuito: A clash be-tween prison gangsarmed with guns andknives left 20 peopledead, Ecuadorian offi-cials said, and theyannounced that theyhad fully regainedcontrol of the peniten-tiary. InteriorMinister PatricioCarrillo said five ofthe dead had been mu-tilated, six hangedand one poisoned dur-ing the clash in Turi,about 310 kilometerssouth of the capital.At least five peoplehad serious injuries,linked the riot to acriminal economy.

Reviews London: The UK’shealth service haslaunched a new re-view to promote theimportance ofVitamin D and iden-tify ways to improveintake across thepopulation, especial-ly among those mostlikely to be deficientsuch as SouthAsians. Vitamin Ddeficiency is linkedto rickets in childrenand bone pain andmuscle weakness inadults.

LandslideSydney: A Britishfamily of five wascaught in a landslidewhile walking inAustralia’s BlueMountains, and thefather and 9-year-oldson died. The motherand their teenageson were criticallyinjured. The land-slide on a walkingpath at WentworthPass, a populartourist destination inthe mountains westof Sydney, was re-ported to emergencyservices.

TrialMoscow: The trial ofa former journalistwho has remainedbehind bars for morethan 20 months oncharges of passingmilitary secrets toCzech intelligencebegan in a Moscowcourt. Ivan Safronovhas vociferously in-sisted on his inno-cence, while he andmany of his col-leagues have dis-missed the chargesas absurd.

Beijing, Apr 05 (AP):

The COVID-19 outbreakin China’s largest metropo-lis of Shanghai remains ‘ex-tremely grim’ amid an ongo-ing lockdown confiningaround 26 million people totheir homes, a city officialsaid Tuesday.

Director of Shanghai’sworking group on epidemiccontrol, Gu Honghui, wasquoted by state media assaying that the outbreak inthe city was ‘still running ata high level.’ ‘The situationis extremely grim,’ Gu said.

China has sent more than10,000 health workers fromaround the country to aidthe city, including 2,000 fromthe military, and is masstesting residents, some ofwhom have been lockeddown for weeks. Most ofeastern Shanghai, whichwas supposed to reopen last

Friday, remained lockeddown along with the west-ern half of the city.Shanghai recorded another13,354 cases the vast majori-ty of them asymptomaticbringing the city’s total tomore than 73,000 since thelatest wave of infectionsbegan last month. No deathshave been ascribed to theoutbreak driven by the omi-

cron BA.2 variant, which ismuch more infectious butalso less lethal than the pre-vious delta strain. A sepa-rate outbreak continues torage in the northeasternprovince of Jilin and thecapital Beijing also saw anadditional nine cases, justone of them asymptomatic.Workers shut down an en-tire shopping center in the

city where a case had beendetected.

While China’s vaccina-tion rate hovers around90%, its domestically pro-duced inactivated virus vac-cines are seen as weakerthan the mRNA vaccinessuch as those produced byPfizer-BioNTech andModerna that are usedabroad, as well as in theChinese territories of HongKong and Macao.Vaccination rates amongthe elderly are also muchlower than the population atlarge, with only around halfof those over 80 fully vacci-nated. Meanwhile, com-plaints have arisen inShanghai over difficultiesobtaining food and daily ne-cessities, and shortages ofmedical workers, volunteersand beds in isolation wardswhere tens of thousands arebeing kept for observation.

COVID outbreak grim asShanghai extends lockdown

Women walk by a barricaded Galaxy Soho in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Caracas, Apr 05 (AP):

The ground shook atthe instant the voice ofMexican music starAlejandro Fernandez col-lided with the deafeningcheers of fans gatheredfor his first concert inVenezuela in over adecade. After an initialshocked pause at seeingthe artist finally take thestage, the crowd, cell-phones in hand, joinedhim in singing ‘SinTantita Pena’ ‘WithoutToo Much Pity.’

‘It’s beautiful to be inVenezuela,’ he said toscreams and whistlesfrom the sold-out audi-ence, some of whom hadtaken out loans to seehim perform last monthat a 5,000-capacity theaterin Caracas, the capital.

‘Beautiful, dear,Venezuela that I alwayscarry in my heart.’

Prominent artists arereturning to stages in theSouth American countrythis year after leaving itout of tours for years.Multilingual vocal groupIl Divo and LatinGrammy-winning singer-songwriter Kany Garciaare among those withscheduled concerts. Butwith ticket prices rangingfrom $55 to upward of$600, the events are sym-bols of great inequalityin an impoverished na-tion.

Superstars like theBackstreet Boys oncedrew fans to sleep outsidea Caracas arena for daysas they lined up for tick-ets. Guns N’ Roses andShakira came to town. So

did Juanes, whose 2008tour included multiplecities in Venezuela.

Major concerts, howev-er, became more sporadicstarting around 2010.They vanished almostcompletely a few yearslater when the countryfell into a political, socialand economic crisis thateliminated jobs even asinflation collapsed thepurchasing power of mil-lions.

About three quarters ofVenezuela’s populationstill lives on less than$1.90 a day, considered theinternational standardfor extreme poverty. Butfor those who have foundgood private-sector jobs,entered the gig economyor have a business, partic-ularly in Caracas, thingsare looking up.

Music stars return to Venezuelaafter skipping it for years

Cairo, Apr 05 (AP):

Each day brings new fi-nancial burdens for IkhlasZakaria, a single mother ofsix who sells cups of tea ata roadside stand in aprovincial town in Sudan.

Prices for basic goods haveskyrocketed, and at timesshe can only provide onemeal a day for her chil-dren. The cost of the watershe boils for tea has dou-bled. Two of her childrendropped out of school a

few months ago to work inthe fields, but their earn-ings are shrinking as dryspells hurt harvests.

‘The situation has be-come impossible,’ saidZakaria who lives in thewar-ravaged Darfur re-gion and whose husbandleft several years ago.

Across Sudan, livingconditions have rapidlydeteriorated since anOctober military coup sentan already fragile econo-my into free-fall. TheRussian invasion ofUkraine and currency de-valuations have com-pounded the economicpain. The Oct. 25 militarytakeover upended Sudan’stransition to democraticrule after three decades ofrepression and interna-

tional isolation under au-tocratic President Omaral-Bashir. The African na-tion has been on a fragilepath to democracy since apopular uprising forcedthe military to remove al-Bashir and his Islamistgovernment in April 2019.

The coup also stalledtwo years of efforts by thedeposed government ofPrime Minister AbdallaHamdok to overhaul theeconomy with billions ofdollars in loans and aidfrom major Western gov-ernments and internation-al financial institutions.Such support was sus-pended after the coup.

The previous govern-ment also floated its cur-rency to stop black markettrading.

Sudanese go hungry as pricesrise in wake of coup

Sudanese demonstrators walk across a roadblock incapital Khartoum.

United Nations, Apr 05 (AP):

A top official in the glob-al campaign against theuse of land mines urgedRussia to stop its troops inUkraine from laying theweapons that too often killand maim civilians.

Alicia Arango Olmos,Colombia’s ambassador tothe United Nations inGeneva and this year’spresident of the state par-ties to the 1997 conventionbanning the productionand use of land mines, ex-pressed deep concern atmedia reports that Russiais using land mines in itswar in Ukraine.

She pointed to HumanRights Watch, which saidon March 29 thatUkrainian explosive ord-nance disposal techni-cians located banned anti-personnel mines in theeastern Kharkiv region aday earlier. The rightsgroup said Russia isknown to possess the typeof mines that were discov-ered, but Ukraine doesn’t

have them. Arango Olmossaid at a news conferenceat the International Dayfor Mine Awareness andAssistance in Mine Action— that Ukraine is one ofthe 164 state parties to theconvention, but Russia isnot. She said her appeal toRussia is: ‘Anti-personnelmines only cause victims,they don’t resolve any typeof problem.’

‘So please, Russians,please stop using it, be-cause many of the peoplethat are victims of land

mines have nothing to dowith what’s happening be-tween Ukraine andRussia,’ Arango Olmossaid. Prince Mired ofJordan, the special envoytrying to make the land-mine convention univer-sal, said about 80% of theworld’s nations are partiesto the convention. He said33 countries have notjoined, among them somethat may collectively holdtens of millions of anti-personnel mines in mili-tary warehouses and un-

fortunately have buriedmillions more in theground.

Some countries that arenot parties have ‘thepower to significantly turnthe tide and eliminate thishorrendous weapon suchas China, India, Pakistan,Russia and the UnitedStates,’ he said. ‘A coordi-nated and concerted effortis needed at the highestlevel in order to achievefurther accessions. Thiswill not be easy, but it’spossible.’ Meanwhile,Germany’s president is ad-mitting mistakes in policytoward Russia in his previ-ous job as foreign minister.

President Frank-WalterSteinmeier served twice asex-Chancellor AngelaMerkel’s foreign minister,most recently from 2013 to2017, and before that as ex-Chancellor GerhardSchroeder’s chief of staff.In that time, Germanypursued dialogue withRussian PresidentVladimir Putin and culti-vated close energy ties.

Russia urged to stop using land mines in war

Anti tank mines are displayed on a bridge in Bucha, in theoutskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.

Reason for COVID-19 causinglong-term pain found

Washington, Apr 05 (PTI):

Scientists have found im-portant insights into howSARS-CoV-2, the virus thatcauses COVID-19, can leadto long-term pain, an ad-vance that could lead to apotential therapy for thedisorder.

The experiments in-volved a hamster model ofintranasal COVID-19 infec-tion that closely reflectssymptoms experienced bypeople. “A significant num-ber of people sufferingfrom long COVID experi-ence sensory abnormali-ties, including variousforms of pain,” said RandalSerafini, a PhD candidateat the Icahn School ofMedicine at Mount Sinai inthe US.

“We used RNA sequenc-ing to get a snapshot of thebiochemical changesSARS-CoV-2 triggers in apain-transmitting struc-ture called dorsal root gan-glia, Serafini said.

Using a hamster model ofSARS-CoV-2 infection, theresearchers found thatinfection left a gene ex-pression signature in thedorsal root ganglia thatremained even after thevirus cleared. The signa-ture matched gene ex-pression patterns seen inpain caused by other con-ditions, they said. The re-search was presented atthe American Society forPharmacology andE x p e r i m e n t a lTherapeutics annualmeeting held betweenApril 2-5 in Philadelphia,US. “Our findings couldpotentially lead to newtherapies for patients suf-fering from acute andlong COVID, as well asother pain conditions,”said Serafini. “Our studyalso shows that SARS-CoV-2 causes long-termeffects on the body indrastically new ways,further underscoringwhy people should try to

avoid being infected,” thescientist said.

Canberra, Apr 05 (AP):

Australia has accelerat-ed plans to buy long-rangestrike missiles yearsahead of schedule be-cause of growing threatsposed by Russia andChina.

Defense Minister PeterDutton said Tuesday theaccelerated rearming offighter jets and warshipswould cost 3.5 billionAustralian dollars ($2.6billion) and increaseAustralia’s deterrence topotential adversaries.

‘There was a workingassumption that an act ofaggression by China to-ward Taiwan might takeplace in the 2040s. I think

that timeline now hasbeen dramatically com-pressed,’ Dutton toldSeven Network television.

‘When we look at what’s

happened in the Ukraine,there is the prospect ofRussian going into Polandor somewhere else inEurope. That would be a

repeat of the 1930s andthat’s not something thatwe should allow to hap-pen,’ Dutton added, refer-ring to the beginning ofWorld War II.

Under a revisedtimetable, FA-18F SuperHornet fighter jets wouldbe armed with improvedUS-manufactured air-to-surface missiles by 2024,three years earlier thanplanned. The JASSM-ERmissiles would enablefighters to engaged tar-gets at a range of 900 kilo-meters (560 miles).

Australia’s ANZACClass frigates and HobartClass destroyers would beequipped withN o r w e g i a n - m a d e

Kongsberg NSM missilesby 2024, five years aheadof schedule.

The missiles wouldmore than double the war-ships’ strike range.

The new rearmamenttimetable comes after theSolomon Islands an-nounced a draft securitypact with China. Under itsterms, China could sendmilitary personnel to theSouth Pacific islands tohelp maintain order andfor other reasons. It couldalso send warships to theSolomons for stopoversand to replenish supplies,which had led to specula-tion about the possibilityof a Chinese naval basethere.

Australia accelerates missile upgrade due to growing threats

Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton stand next toan anti-ship missile in Sydney, Tuesday.

ChronicleC E N T R A L

Established 1974 Volume 47 No. 181

Life lessonsThere is much that we humanscan learn from the family traitsand courtly behavior of ele-phants. Among big animals, ele-phants have the largest brain,with an African elephant weigh-ing around 4618 gms, (approxi-mately 10 pounds) which isthree times heavier than thehuman brain. No wonder thenthat elephants have attractedthe admiration and curiosity ofhuman beings for thousands ofyears. Scientists have longobserved that related elephantmothers and their children staytogether throughout life intight-knit clans, caring for oneanother's children and formingprotective circles around calveswhen threatened by lions andpoachers. Elephant clan mem-bers talk to one another with acombination of gentle chirps,thunderous trumpets and low-frequency rumbles, unde-tectable to humans. They delib-erate among themselves, makegroup decisions and applaudthemselves for their achieve-ments. "Being part of an ele-phant family is all about unityand working together for thegreater good," says Joyce Poole,one of the world's foremost ele-phant experts and co-founder of'Elephant Voices', which pro-motes the study and ethicalcare of elephants.

RRaannggaannaatthhaann,, vviiaa eemmaaiill

Low profileNeeraj Chopra, the lad fromHaryana created history andmade the nation proud by win-ning the gold medal in thejavelin throw event in the lastTokyo Olympics. Our ownLovlina Borgohain also madethe nation proud by winningthe bronze medal in women'swelterweight boxing and, nat-urally, we were ecstatic.Celebrations and felicitationswere going on across theState till a few days back.Overnight, she has been madeDSP in Assam Police, whichshe very rightly deserves. Butwe know that all good thingsusually come to an end. We allknow that Lovlina will not begetting younger in the comingdays and she should be givenbreathing space to focus onher workouts for the nextParis Olympics. NeerajChopra, the gold medallist, onthe other hand, is maintaininga low profile and concentrat-ing on his daily routine with aneye on repeating the sameperformance in the ParisOlympics. The HaryanaGovernment also seems to bevery down-to-earth in thisregard, curtailing all felicita-tion programmes in the State.Neeraj Chopra is hardly seenin any commercial ads, nor ishe daily projected in the localprint and electronic media.We, the Axomiyas, are veryemotional, the Haryanvis arenot. We celebrate instantlyand forget in the nextmoment. Hima Das is the glar-ing example. I wish bothNeeraj and Lovlina all thebest.

AAsshhiimm,, vviiaa eemmaaiill

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR✍

Central Chronicle welcomes, articles, write ups, comments on different issues foreditorial page (800-900 words), Letter to editor for this page. It can be sent by

e-mail at: editorcentralchronicle@gmail.comThe letters can be edited or rewritten for clarity of thoughts.

WHAT THEY TWEET!

DDeeeeppaakk@@ddeeeeppaakksshheennooyy

I love it when commentarygoes "India is helping rus-sia avoid sanctions" as in

trading in INR. Europe andUS continue to import from

Russia, with Europe actually increasing itsimports recently, and

they'll soon cower and payin Rubles. Countries act in

their best interest.

MMKKBBhhaaddrraa@@BBhhaaddrraaPPuunncchhBajwa behaving per playbook!Historically, this is the kind of

dissimulation Pak army chiefs put onto burnish image in the West - thatthey're inherently reasonable menseeking peace & reconciliation - in

the run-up to a takeover.Very disturbing.

kkuullddeeeepp@@ttaannwwaarr44Think, Decide & Act....Sri Lanka wasdeveloping very fast in the last 70

years, children were studying, youthwere investing their energy in jobs,

trade and construction, schools, hospitals, electricity, water, roads

and industries were being built rapidly in the country.

JJaayy@@jjaayy__kkoottaakkoonneeIndia vs France & the UK 1. Same GDP 2. Faster GDP

growth 3. 15x Population 4.5-10x Land area 5. Larger

stock market cap, army size& defense spend 6.

Democracy Why is India nota G7 or UN Security Council

permanent member likeFrance/UK? Treat us as partners, not a colony.

CChhoouuddhhaarryy@@lliisstteennsshhaahhiiddNH-44 #Pulwama: ' A journey measured in moments, not miles' !

SS RRooyy@@CChhoowwddhhuurryy0011The thing about being an Indiantrained in French history living in

the US is that you are tied (forever)to three countries with strong

exceptionalist self-images and haveto keep explaining, defending, and

critiquing all at the same time.

T he contentious bill providing for legal sanctionto police to obtain physical and biological sam-

ples of convicts and detainees for investigation incriminal matters was passed by Lok Sabha, withHome Minister Amit Shah asserting it will act as a de-fender of human rights of law-abiding citizens. Healso sought to allay the concerns voiced by MPs aboutinvasion of privacy, insisting all data collected underthe proposed law will be protected. The bill, whichseeks to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act,1920, was passed by a voice vote after Shah assuagedthe concerns raised by the Opposition, which claimedthe draft law was "draconian" and could convert Indiainto a "police state". National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) will be the sole custodian of the data and thatno party or private player be involved in the process.Citing poor conviction rate in cases relating to theIndian Penal Code, including rape and crime againstwomen, some experts say repeat offenders can becaught using data available with police. With adventof digital age in India, crime investigation has be-come more complex. Now, the government should alsobring in data protection law so that chances of misuseare minimised with loopholes. The criminal justicesystem can be divided into two parts. The first definesthe elements of a particular crime and specifies thepunishment. The second part determines the way inwhich prosecution and justice will be done. The firstpart comes under the penal code while the second partis called the code of criminal procedure. The penalcode defines a crime, for instance, as murder or rapeand it will also provide punishment to be given oncethe crime is proved. The code of criminal procedureon the other hand will determine the way in whichthe police, prosecutors and magistrates or judges willact during the investigation and trial of the case.During the initial years of colonial rule, East IndiaCompany did not have its own courts. Civil and crimi-nal justice was under the rulers of differentprovinces. Some Indian states even had differentcourts for different religions, but after the Britishconquest of Bengal the system started becoming moreuniform. In the last decade of the 18th century, LordCornwallis made changes in the criminal justice sys-tem and British judges replaced their Indian counter-parts in 'Fauzdari Adalats'. As the Raj expanded,courts were established in different parts of India.The code of criminal procedure was enacted for thefirst time in 1861 as part of a series of criminal law re-forms undertaken by the Raj in the wake of the 1857mutiny. That the 1861 CrPC was designed to rein in re-bellious natives was evident from the immunity itconferred on whites from the criminal jurisdiction ofdistrict courts. Only high courts could then tryEuropean British subjects. In an incremental reform,the next version of CrPC enacted in 1872 providedthat a magistrate could try a European British subjectif he was himself one. The next landmark in codifica-tion was the 1882 CrPC which empowered Indian mag-istrates too to exercise jurisdiction over whites butthey could do so only in presidency towns. The CrPCof 1898 contained further reforms towards providinga uniform law of criminal procedure for the whole ofIndia. The British legacy in this respect was carriedon by independent India till CrPC was recast again in1973. There have since been at least eight majoramendments to the code. CrPC needs to keep up withdevelopments of technology, hence the latest amend-ment becomes relevant for digital age.

Updating procedure

T he UN High Commissioner for Human Rightswill visit China in May. In her announcement,

Michelle Bachelet explained that the tour will alsostop in Xinjiang, where activists and independent ex-perts say the Chinese government is holding one mil-lion Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities ofthe Islamic faith in concentration and labour camps.These groups know how deceptive communist Chinais, but this knowledge is theoretical, and a generalhypothesis without further consideration of how thedeceptive aspects of this system subtly manifest inreal life and how this system diligently hides thetruth. This deception can be planned in such a waythat even people within it may be unable to recognizeit fully. While a few may be aware of it, they still findit difficult to describe it concretely and comprehen-sively. Nowadays while the Chinese live under therule of the CCP, to be a communist isn't only a name,this system is a more complicated and layered identi-ty. In reality, the CCP utilizes an eclectic mix of all so-cial systems, advancing its own interests. These sys-tems emulate some aspects of Nazism, progressing togreater levels of sophistication through learningfrom the past. For example, the discovery of massgraves as evidence of the genocide committed byNazis. To prevent such a discovery in the future, theChinese have diligently and systematically crematedthe bodies of Uyghur victims, among whom somewere still breathing, struggling to survive. This alsoapplies to China's advancement of cruel torture andmurder techniques, not available to Nazism whencommitting the Holocaust. It is worth exploring howthe Chinese deceived their best friends, Pakistanis. Agroup of Pakistanis expressed their wish to pay avisit to houses of local Uyghurs. A farmer tried togive the visitors some hints at the whole deceptivegame. This farmer was allegedly arrested for "tar-nishing the image of the country". The worst part ofcommunists is not only achieving individual physicalsubmission, but to try controlling the collectiveminds of the people, and be always successful indoing so. The critical point is this, if China deceivesits most trustworthy friend, Pakistanis, in this way,even though it is not necessary to do so, what stops itfrom deceiving the whole world about the crimesagainst humanity it is committing now. Many of ide-alist leftists and self-identified liberals and commu-nists fall for deception by China.

Deception by China

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

People walk through Bryant Park in Manhattan area of New York City in US.

HH ow people in low-incomecommunities are coping with

heating cities could set the exam-ple for future heat-stressed citizensto follow. As the world's cities andtowns heat up, authorities and gov-ernments often tell people to shel-ter indoors or use active coolinglike electric fans or air condition-ers. Urban areas can be between 4and 10 degrees hotter than sur-rounding rural areas. For mosturban residents the answer is tocrank up the air conditioning. Butthe electricity use ultimatelymakes climate change worse, andfor the city's poorest residents, thecost is too much to bear.

But how do you follow thisadvice when your home is made ofscrap metal and wood, your accessto electricity averages around fourhours per day, or your modestincome is already spent on foodand simply can't be extended tocooling?

By 2050, more than one billionpeople, including those living insome of the poorest parts of theplanet, could face extreme heatstress unlike anyone in recordedhuman history. Experts, along withthe Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change are asking: howwill these populations adapt?

An international team of anthro-pologists, geographers, engineers,urban planners, architects and epi-demiologists are finding someanswers by studying how people

are coping with hot conditions inKarachi, Jakarta, Hyderabad, andDouala. In these cities, many peo-ple effectively live 'off-grid' withunreliable access to quality hous-ing, water, electricity, shelter andshade. The pandemic only left themmore confined, forced to deal withheat-related illness, even duringperiods of cooler weather.

In a survey of 4,564 low-incomeresidents, only seven peoplereported having or using an air con-ditioning unit; and only 34 percentof respondents reported using anelectric fan as their primary coolingmethod when it was hot. Some 40percent of all respondents had lessthan 12 hours of electricity per day.The lack of readily available water,which in some cases was furtherreduced during COVID-19 meas-ures, was also closely correlatedwith symptoms of heat related ill-ness, such as blurred vision.

Surveyed respondents inIndonesia, Pakistan, India andCameroon with metal roofing were43% more likely to go outside toescape the heat than people withother roofing. How they copedcould set the example for futureheat-stressed citizens to follow,from obvious, well documentedpractices, like increasing airflow orventilation, to using incidentalshade provided by street trees orurban infrastructures like flyovers.

Other informal strategies includ-ed visiting neighbours or relativesand using water, not for hydration,but bathing and wetting down theinterior surfaces of homes. Many ofthese practices are rarely presentin urban heat-action plans devel-oped by city authorities or govern-ments.

These cooling strategies don'toccur in a vacuum. They areenabled by a range of social, cul-tural, technical and economicstructures that make them possibleor permissible. For example,women often have less access to

shade and cooler public places dueto cultural norms and safety con-cerns about being outside, particu-larly when high-density informalhousing means 'outside' is a publicdomain.

Water is used very differently inresponse to heat across Karachi,Jakarta, Hyderabad, and Douala.Bathing was the most commonstrategy in the Pakistani city ofKarachi (used by about a fifth ofthe population), yet not mentionedat all in the Indian city ofHyderabad, pointing to the need tocarefully consider resource avail-ability and cultural norms for howwater is used.

Survey respondents in Karachi,Pakistan were more likely to cooldown with a bath or shower thanrespondents in other surveyedplaces. The difference suggeststhat local customs and waterscarcity play a part in how peoplerespond to extreme heat.

Policymakers can identify,recognise and assist low-tech,energy-efficient and water-effi-cient strategies already being usedacross low-income communities.Some of these can be supportedthrough tweaks informed by thelatest science for example, consid-ering when using a fan helps, whenit hinders heat loss, and when smallamounts of water or ice can helpeffectively cool homes and bodies.

There is an assumption thatbasic access to electricity, water,and shelter is always available theyaren't. Policy focus should not onlybe on the emergency provision ofwater, electricity and shelter dur-ing extreme heat events. This is avery expensive band-aid for anarterial bleed. Extreme heat is notonly a short-term event in the glob-al tropics, populations are alsoexposed seasonally, or all year-round. Ensuring basic access towater, power and shelter all thetime or at least much more of it iscrucial. In rapidly developing parts

of the world, policies that assume astandardised built environment,occupied by geographically stable,atomistic households with reliableincomes don't reflect reality. Theyalso overlook opportunities fornovel solutions to managing heat ina warming world. For example,informal electricity connections(either directly to the grid, or via aneighbour) have played a crucialrole in providing energy and reduc-ing heat stress for the lowestincome groups. Rather than malign'illegal connections', city authori-ties need to support communityconnections that maintain safetywhile providing flexible access.

Low-tech interventions are not apanacea to climate change. Theshade of a tree, appropriate use offans, or improved ventilation ofhomes only works as long as out-door conditions remain survivable.This might not be the case in manyregions by 2050.

We can still feasibly protect theglobal poor from the heat at thecurrent 1-1.5 degree Celsius limit,but not so at 2 degree Celsius whentemperatures will become toomuch for the human body to bear.Staying under 1.5 degree Celsiusmeans low-tech responses have ahigher chance of working. Beyondthat, their efficacy drops off rapid-ly.

Adapting to extreme heat isn'tnew communities have a range oflocalised responses that are deeplyembedded in their social and cul-tural circumstances. Paying atten-tion to everyday strategies is afoundation stone for reducing heat-health risk now and in the future.But it's a foundation on unstableground only limiting warming to 1.5degree Celsius will give the house achance of standing.

((EEllssppeetthh OOppppeerrmmaannnn iissrreesseeaarrcchheerr aatt LLuuddwwiigg--MMaaxxiimmiilliiaannssUUnniivveerrssiittyy,, MMuunniicchh aanndd JJaammiiee CCrroossssiiss PPrrooffeessssoorr aatt tthhee UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooffEEddiinnbbuurrgghh..))

Surviving extreme heat in slums

SSaaddhhaavvii KKhhoossllaa@@ssaaddhhaavviiSocial Media when introduced

was meant to break the boundariesacross the nations; bring peopletogether, networking, find old

school friends…(it did all of this forsometime), but eventually created

walls btwn people, echo chambers, groupism, Us vs Them.

Lost its own purpose!

WALK IN PARK

ELSPETH OPPERMANN& JAMIE CROSS

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

BRIEF

Integrate

New Delhi: Meeshowill integrate its gro-cery vertical in thecore app, in line withits vision to become asingle shopping desti-nation for the next bil-lion users in India,CEO Vidit Aatreysaid. MeeshoSuperstore currentlyprovides 500 productsacross categories.

ChargersMumbai: Solar-pow-ered EV charging solu-tions provider ATUMCharge on Tuesdaysaid it has completedthe installation of 250Universal ElectricVehicle charging sta-tions across India injust six months. Of the250 stations, as manyas 36 have been set upin Maharashtra, 44 inTamil Nadu, 48 inTelangana, 23 each inAndhra Pradesh,Karnataka and WestBengal, 15 in UttarPradesh, 14 in Haryanaand 24 in Odisha, thecompany said.

Stake

New Delhi: Anarockhas acquired 75 percent stake in myHQ, abooking platform forco-working spaces.Anarock ChairmanAnuj Puri told PTIthat it sees huge busi-ness potential in theflexible workspacesegment as the de-mand from corpo-rates, individuals.

CommissionsNew Delhi: TataPower Solar has com-missioned a 160 MWAC solar project atJetstar in Rajasthan.Around 6,75,000monocrystalline PVmodules were used inthis installation and itwill produce 387 mil-lion units of energyper year.

Growth

New Delhi: DellTechnologies Indiaregistered a record an-nual business growthof 64 per cent in the fi-nancial year endedDecember 2021. MDAlok Ohrie told PTIthat its demand veloci-ty reflects how busi-nesses continue to pri-oritise their digitaltransformation.

AcquiresNew Delhi:Integrated diagnosticservice provider,Manipal HealthMapon Tuesday said it hasacquired a majoritystake in Hyderabad-based MedcisPathlabs Pvt Ltd.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Parliament on Tuesdayapproved a bill to revampthe functioning of the insti-tutes of chartered account-ants, cost accountants andcompany secretaries, withFinance Minister NirmalaSitharaman asserting thatthe changes will not impactthe autonomy of these bod-ies.

Rajya Sabha passed theChartered Accountants,the Cost and WorksAccountants and theCompany Secretaries(Amendment) Bill, 2022with a voice vote afternegating all amendmentsmoved by the Opposition.Lok Sabha had cleared thebill on March 30, 2022.

The legislation seeks toappoint non-CharteredAccountant (CA), non-costaccountant and non-com-pany secretary as the pre-siding officer of the disci-plinary committees of therespective institutes.

The Congress, TMC,

DMK and YSRCP opposedthe bill, citing "infirmities"and alleging that it was ablatant attack on profes-sional autonomy.

The three institutes arethe Institute of CharteredAccountants of India(ICAI), Institute of CostAccountants of India (for-merly known as ICWAI),and Institute of CompanySecretaries of India (ICSI).

The bill amends theChartered AccountantsAct, 1949, the Cost andWorks Accountants Act,1959, and the Company

Secretaries Act, 1980.Among other things, the

bill provides for the settingup of a coordination com-mittee headed by theSecretary of the Ministryof Corporate Affairs. It willhave representations fromthe three institutes.

The bill also provides forregistration of firms withthe institutes and it willhelp in paving the way forIndian accountancy firmsto grow big, she said.

It also proposes to en-hance the quantum of finesfor partners and firms

found guilty of miscon-duct.

The Congress, TMC,DMK and YSRCP onTuesday opposed the bill toamend laws governingchartered accountancy, costaccountancy and companysecretaries, citing infirmi-ties in the bill and allegingthat it was a blatant attackon professional autonomy.

After Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharamanmoved the CharteredAccountants, the Cost andWorks Accountants and theCompany Secretaries(Amendment) Bill, 2022 forconsideration and passagein the Rajya Sabha, the dis-cussion started in theUpper House.

BJP member SureshPrabhu, who is also a char-tered accountant, defendedthe bill, saying the Instituteof Chartered Accountantsof India (ICAI) has accept-ed most of the proposalsmooted by the concernedministry in this importantpiece of legislation.

Parliament approvesaccountancy bill

Nirmala Sitharaman

Mumbai, Apr 05: Nithia Capital (Nithia), a glob-al advisory and investmentfirm announced that they havecompleted the acquisition ofCrest Steel and Power Pvt Ltd(CREST) for a total considera-tion in excess of INR600Crores (US$ 80Mn). Thisacquisition was completed inpartnership with AmalgamSteel Private Limited (ASPL)with Nithia retaining majoritycontrol of the partnership.Located in Durg, Chhattisgarh,CREST is an integrated steelplant with a current spongeiron capacity of 225 KTPA andsteel billet capacity of 80KTPA. CREST has over 400acres of land and extensiveroom for brownfield expansionwith a private railway siding,which has been identified aspart of the planned growthcapex projects. These includecompletion of the 1,500 KTPAiron ore pellet plant and neardoubling of the manufacturingcapacities for sponge iron andsteel billet. Commenting, JaiSaraf, Founder and CEO ofNithia Capital said, “Theacquisition of CREST is animportant and strategic stepfor Nithia and is our secondsteel investment in India.

Nithia Capital completes

acquisition of CREST

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Equity benchmarkSensex dropped over 430points on Tuesday as in-vestors booked profits inbanking and financialstocks after sharp gains inthe previous session.

Investor focus returnedto the Russia-Ukraine warand rising oil prices,traders said.

The 30-share BSE gaugeended 435.24 points or 0.72per cent lower at 60,176.50.Similarly, the NSE Niftyshed 96 points or 0.53 percent to close at 17,957.40.

HDFC Bank was the toploser in the Sensex pack,followed by Bajaj Finserv,HDFC, Kotak Bank,IndusInd Bank, BajajFinance and RelianceIndustries.

On the other hand,NTPC, PowerGrid, ITC,Titan, TCS and Nestle

India were among thegainers, surging up to 3.40per cent.

Of the Sensex con-stituents, 17 shares closedlower while 13 were in thegreen.

Banking and financialindices fell sharply, up to1.33 per cent, while thepower segment rallied 3.38per cent.

Elsewhere in Asia,bourses in Shanghai,Hong Kong, Tokyo andSeoul closed on a firm foot-ing.

Stock exchanges inEurope were trading on anegative note in mid-ses-sion deals. Germany'sDAX gained 0.1% to14,536.78, while the CAC 40in Paris lost 0.6% to6,689.80. Britain's FTSE 100shed 0.2% to 7,545.38. Thefutures for the S&P 500and the Dow industrialsslipped 0.2%.

Sensex tumbles over 430 pts,Nifty slips below 18,000

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

The rupee continued itswinning momentum onTuesday, rising 25 paise tosettle at 75.28 (provisional)against the US dollar, asthe American currencyand crude oil prices re-treated from recent highlevels.

Forex traders said weak-ness in the US dollaragainst its key rivalsboosted investor senti-ment, even as the domesticequities settled on a nega-tive note.

At the interbank forexmarket, the domestic unitopened at 75.54 against theUS dollar and touched anintra-day high of 75.28 andfinally closed at 75.28, reg-istering a rise of 25 paiseover its previous close.

On Monday, the rupeestarted the financial year2022-23 on a bullish note,

spurting 21 paise to closeat a one month-high of75.53.

Meanwhile, the dollarindex, which gauges thegreenback's strengthagainst a basket of six cur-rencies, was trading 0.09per cent down at 98.90.

"Persistent risk-on senti-ments, weak dollar indexand stronger regional(Asian) currencies havebeen supporting the localunit in northbound move-ment," said Dilip Parmar,Research Analyst, HDFCSecurities.

"On the global front, in-vestors are assessingmeasures taken againstRussia and the outlook forChina's economic growthas Shanghai remained inlockdown. Near-termfocus will remain RBImonetary policy decisionand stance," Parmaradded. Bullion prices fell.

Rupee surges 25 paise at 75.28against USD, bullion falls

Mumbai, Apr 05:

Windergy India 2022, theupcoming mega wind en-ergy trade fair and confer-ence, is all set to enhancethe wind energy eco-sys-tem by deliberating and fa-cilitating quicker migra-tion to clean energy insync with national resolve.

The three-day megawind energy event will beheld at Pragati Maidan,New Delhi fromApril 27-29, 2022 and will focus onfulfilling national commit-ment of quick migrationto clean energy of whichwind energy is one of thepivotal pillars.

R. K. Singh, CabinetMinister for Power andNew & Renewable Energy,Government of India,Bhagwanth Khuba,Minister of State for New& Renewable Energy,

Chemicals and Fertilizers,Government of India, TheDanish Ambassador HisExcellency Freddy Svane,amidst other dignitariesand industry stalwartswould be part of the highlevel conference thatwould run concurrentlywith the tradefair. The at-tendees can gain by meet-ing over 150 companiesdisplaying their product,solutions and technologyprowess at the show. With2 days of intense delibera-tions along with the 3-dayexhibition, it offers un-matched networking andbusiness opportunities forparticipants.

In order to reduce de-pendency on fossil fueland achieve the target ofnet-zero emission by 2070,Prime Minister NarendraModi at COP26(November 2021) pledged

five key targets towardsfulfilment of this objec-tive. These include: (i)Increasing country’s non-fossil energy capacity to500 GW by 2030 (ii) 50 per-cent of country’s energyrequirements to comefrom renewable energyby 2030 (iii) Reduction oftotal projected carbonemissions by one billiontons from now till 2030(iv) By 2030, India will re-duce the carbon intensityof its economy by morethan 45 percent (v) By theyear 2070, India willachieve the target of Net-Zero. And, wind energywill play a pivotal role inachieving the above ob-jectives and has alreadymade impressiveprogress in terms of ca-pacity addition, manufac-turing capabilities andother areas.

Wind energy trade fair, conference tofocus on quick migration to clean energy

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Capital markets regulator Sebion Tuesday said individualinvestors applying in publicissues of equity shares andconvertibles can use UnifiedPayment Interface (UPI) forapplication amount up to Rs 5lakh.Also, they have been asked toprovide their UPI ID in the bid-cum-application form submit-ted with any of these entities -- syndicate member, stockbroker, depository participantand registrar to an issue andshare transfer agent.The new guidelines will comeinto force for public issuesopening on or after May 1,2022, Sebi said in a circular.The decision has been takenafter National PaymentsCorporation of India (NPCI)

reviewed the systemic readi-ness required at various inter-mediaries to facilitate the pro-cessing of applications withincreased UPI limit.As on March 30, 2022, morethan 80 per cent of SelfCertified Syndicate Banks(SCSBs)/Sponsor Banks/UPIApps have conducted the sys-tem changes and have com-plied with the NPCI provisions.In December 2021, NPCIenhanced the per transactionlimit in UPI from Rs 2 lakh toRs 5 lakh for UPI-basedApplication Supported byBlocked Amount (ASBA) inInitial Public Offers (IPOs).

Individual investorscan use UPI for up toRs 5 lakh payment

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Supply chain disrup-tions and low demandacross segments, especial-ly two-wheelers, are ex-pected to impact automo-bile retail sales in the cur-rent fiscal with the turn-around anticipated only inthe next financial year, au-tomobile dealers' bodyFADA said on Tuesday.

According to theFederation of AutomobileDealers Associations(FADA), the on-goingRussia-Ukraine war andChina lockdown is expect-ed to hit supplies of criti-cal components therebyimpacting the revival ofthe domestic auto indus-try. Besides, revival of de-mand in rural parts of the

county would also have animpact on the overallgrowth of the industry inthe current fiscal.

"We expect the situationto remain challenging inthe current fiscal withsales volumes expected togrow by single digit,"FADA President VinkeshGulati told reporters here.For the fiscal year ended2021-22, the total auto in-dustry retail sales grew by

7.21 per cent to 1,63,75,799units, as compared to1,52,74,314 units in the2020-21 fiscal.

"The near-term outlookfor the Indian auto indus-try continues to remain achallenge as the on-goingRussia-Ukraine war andChina lockdown does nothint towards a smoothpath. Crude is on a boiland hence fuel prices havebeen raised by around Rs10. This will continue torise and further hit senti-ments," Gulati noted.

The passenger vehiclesegment is expected towitness an impact due tothe disruption in preciousmetals and neon gas sup-plies which originatefrom the war hit zone, headded.

Auto industry to reach pre-pandemic highs by FY-24

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The CompetitionCommission has slappedpenalties totalling aroundRs 1.16 crore on 24 entities,including individuals, forindulging in bid riggingand cartelisation in ten-ders floated by the IndianRailways.

As many as 11 entitiesand 14 individuals of theseentities were found to haveviolated competitionnorms. Out of these 25, theregulator did not imposeany penalty on one entity.

Besides slapping penal-ties on 24 of them, thewatchdog has directedthem to cease and desistfrom anti-competitivepractices.

The matter was takenup by the Competition

Commission of India(CCI) following a referencefiled on behalf of theNorth Western Railways.

These entities indulgedin cartelisation in the sup-ply of High PerformancePolyamide Bushes (HPPA)and Self LubricatingPolyester Resin Bushes(SLPR) to the IndianRailways by means of di-rectly or indirectly deter-mining prices, allocatingtenders, controlling sup-

ply and market, coordinat-ing bid prices and manipu-lating the bidding process,CCI said in a release onTuesday. "The evidence inthe matter included regu-lar e-mail communica-tions and WhatsApp ex-changes between the par-ties, quoting of identical/similar prices by certainparties, filing of bids fromsame IP addresses by cer-tain parties in close prox-imity...," it noted.

CCI penalises 24 entities, individuals forbid rigging in Indian Railways tenders

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Over Rs 30,160 croreloans have been sanc-tioned under the Stand-UpIndia scheme in the pastsix years, the FinanceMinistry said on Tuesday.

Stand up India Schemewas launched on April 5,2016, to promote SC, STand women entrepreneursat the grassroot level fo-cusing on economic em-powerment and job cre-ation.

In 2019-20, the Stand UpIndia scheme was extend-ed till 2025.

"More than Rs 30,160crore loans sanctioned toover 1,33,995 accountsunder Stand-Up IndiaScheme in 6 years," theministry said in a state-ment.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Delhi High Court onTuesday asked the Centreto seriously look into theissue raised in a PublicInterest Litigation (PIL)seeking implementation ofa Uniform Banking Codefor foreign exchange trans-actions to control blackmoney generation and be-nami transactions.

A bench of Acting ChiefJustice Vipin Sanghi andJustice Navin Chawla is-sued notice to the Centrethrough ministries ofHome Affairs, Law and

Justice and Finance, andasked them to respond tothe petition.

Additional SolicitorGeneral Chetan Sharma,representing the Centre,submitted that the petition-er has raised a seriousissue which shall be lookedinto by the government.The court, which listed thematter for further hearing

on May 25, asked the Centreto seriously look into theissue raised by the petition-er. Petitioner and advocateAshwini Kumar Upadhyayraised loop holes in the sys-tem in relation to transferof foreign funds whichcould be used by sepa-ratists, Naxals, Maoists,fundamentalists, and ter-rorists.

During the hearing, theASG said, He (petitioner)has raised a serious issue.We will consider it and getback. The issues are seri-ous and important, they dorequire detailed considera-tion. The petition sought di-rection to ensure that RealTime Gross Settlement(RTGS), National

Electronic Funds Transfer(NEFT) and Instant MoneyPayment System (IMPS)are not used for depositingforeign money in Indianbanks. The petitioner saidit is not only harming theforeign exchange reserve ofIndia but is also being usedto provide money to sepa-ratists, fundamentalists,Naxals, Maoists, terrorists,traitors, conversion mafiasand radical organisationslike the SIMI and PFI. Hesubmitted that immigra-tion rules for a visa are thesame whether a foreignercomes in business class oreconomy class, uses AirIndia or British Airways,and comes from USA orUganda.

Centre asked to look into PIL seeking uniform banking codeFor foreign exchangetransactions Washington, Apr 05 (PTI):

A bipartisan group ofAmerican lawmakers hassought the help of theBiden administration inrestricting the interna-tional trade and sale ofRussian-origin diamonds,in view of the massivesanctions that the US andits European allies haveimposed on Moscow.

In a letter to Secretaryof State Tony Blinkenand Treasury SecretaryJanet Yellen, the lawmak-ers expressed concernthat the sanctions issuedby the TreasuryDepartment to target

Russia's diamond indus-try will have a minimalimpact on Alrosa and itsCEO Sergei Ivanov's abili-ty to freely operate global-ly.

Alrosa is the world'slargest diamond miningcompany.

The company, which re-ported sales worth USD4.2 billion last year, is re-sponsible for 90 per cent

of Russia's diamond min-ing capacity, which ac-counts for 28 per centglobally.

It is owned one-third bythe Russian government,and until recently, had anoffice in New York City.

Ivanov is the son of oneof Putin's closest allies,Sergei Borisovich Ivanov,who previously served asthe Chief of Staff of thePresidential ExecutiveOffice, the Deputy PrimeMinister and the DefenceMinister of Russia and re-mains a permanent mem-ber of the Security Councilof the Russian Federation,the letter said.

US lawmakers want India torestrict sale of Russian diamonds

Over Rs 30,160 croreloans sanctioned

under Stand-Up India

WATCHO, one of India’s fastest-growing OTT platforms, premieresyet another thriller web series ti-

tled 'Happy'. Close on the back of deliveringthe enthralling crime drama 'Jaunpur' andaward-winning 'Aghaat', this latest series isa gripping crime thriller that follows thejourney of a chef named Happy Singh in hispursuit of happiness. The eight-episode webseries is live now and available in Hindi.

The thriller revolves around Happy Singhwho makes his living working as a chef at aGirls’ Hostel. Known for his grumpy de-

meanor and extraordinary culinary skills,he is often the center of attention of the

residents and working staff. His onlyfamily member is his mother whoholds him as dear as a 5-year-oldchild. But things take a different

turn when he meets Gunjan, and in-stantly falls for her. What follows is a

mad pursuit of obsessive patterns turn-ing a one-sided lover into an erratic

criminal.Written by Hitesh Bali, under the impact-

ful production of Percept Purple, the showis steeped in a gripping narrative, heart-rac-ing plot twists, building upon the edge-of-your-seat tension with every scene. The starcast includes Bhagwan Das Patel who hasplayed the protagonist Happy. ActorDeeksha Sahu portrays the jovial charac-

ter of Gunjan with her charming smileand forthcoming personality.Bringing in a unique assortment of

snackable content cutting across all gen-res, WATCHO offers many originalshows including web series like GuptaNiwas, Jaunpur, Papa Ka Scooter,Aghaat, Cheaters - The Vacation,Sarhad, Mystery Dad,JaalSaazi, Dark Destinations,It’s My Pleasure, 4 Thieves,Love Crisis, Ardhsatya,Chhoriyan, and RakhtaChandana.

With each choice shemade in films in thepast, Vidya Balan

redefined the space of female-centric films in Bollywood.Following the same footsteps in herlast three releases - 'Shakuntala Devi','Sherni' and 'Jalsa' - the actress empha-sised the importance of producers backingsuch content to bring change in Indian cine-ma. Abundantia Entertainment was one ofthe production houses backing all thesethree projects. "Honestly speaking, when Ijoined the film industry, I did not knowthe exact role of a producer in the mak-ing of a film but with time, since Iworked in multiple female-led films, beit 'Ishqiya', 'No One Killed Jessica' andso on, I realised a very importantthing about filmmaking. "A film es-pecially if it is unconventional,not a success on paper, it needsutmost care and backup of aproducer to take enough riskto make such films and re-lease it correctly to thetarget audience."

She went on adding,"The role of a producerand director is equally im-portant for a film, if one is thefather, another is the mother ofthe film. Having said that I haveworked with Vikram in three consecu-tive successful films and I must say, hisproduction house not only talks aboutcreative empowerment but actuallygoing ahead and making films that areso important in storytelling." VikramMalhotra, the CEO of AbundantiaEntertainment, on the other hand, ad-mits that as a production house, theyfocus on the story first and then therest follows for him. "Yes, be it'Shakuntala Devi', 'Sherni' and 'Jalsa'they are female-led films. But for us,all these stories are equally impor-tant, engaging and entertaining. Thatis why we make a film. We do not lookat the gender of the protagonist buthow strong the content is. Our parameter is sim-ple. We submit to the vision of the storyteller, followed bythe size of the audience that the story can impact and thencomes the economic consideration, of budget and platform," explained Vikram.

Saiyami Kher on working withAshwinyIyer Tiwaryin ‘Faadu’Actress Saiyami Kher

recently wrappedup the shooting for

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwary's webseries 'Faadu'.

It is a love story that alsofeatures Pavail Gulati andAbhilash Thapliyal.

The web series was shot inSerbia, the Konkan region andMumbai. Sharing her experi-ence on the film, Saiyamisaid: "Working with Ashwinymaam was always on mywish list. I am emotional aswe wrap this very specialfilm. I have also madesome 'Faadu' friends forlife and can't wait to sharethis world with everyone."

Apart from this, SaiyamiKher is a part of TahiraKashyap's upcoming film'Sharmaji Ki Beti' and RBalki's 'Ghoomer'. Shewill also be seen in thenew season of 'Breathe:Into The Shadows' and'Highway', a southfilm co-starringAnandDeverakonda.

ACROSS1. Fir or poplar5. Imitate10. Coin factory14. Stash away15. Sports ring16. Native metals17. Recipe component19. Plumbing problem20. Shade of blue21. Endures

22. Rinds23. Italy's capital24. Pickle seasoning25. Fable writer28. Not lasting long (2 wds.)33. Rental agreements35. Absent36. Victory letter37. Coffeepots38. Sheik's wives40. Forbids41. Hamm or Farrow

42. Strong wind43. Changes for the better45. Without meaning48. Restless49. Lofty50. Golf norms52. Religious images54. Solemn56. Wind direction (abbr.)59. Sole60. Excessive62. Superman's girlfriend63. Wash cycle64. Track shape65. Dog's name66. Swiftness67. Obtains

DOWN1. That's opposite2. Ice arena3. Fidgety4. Always, in poems5. Woman's title6. Showy flowers7. Converge8. Rustic hotels9. Tabby, e.g.10. Early car (2 wds.)11. Not pertinent12. Singer ____ Diamond13. Recipe units (abbr.)18. Marry clandestinely22. Sympathy23. Singer Diana ____24. Serious play

25. Grads26. Mysterious27. Alamo locale (2 wds.)29. Rabbits' kin30. Be beholden to31. Tears apart32. Untidy34. Will39. Pub offering40. Affleck and Stiller42. Solidifies44. ____ Gras46. Most rational47. Thinly distributed51. Assisted52. Troubles53. Henhouse54. Small cut55. Musical sound56. Economize57. Right now!58. Slippery creatures60. Tax inits.61. Yuletide drink

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

You will tackle complicated issues withinfinite ease! But you will also findpeople passing the buck onto you. Itirks you no end, having to take theblame for others' mistakes. But here'sa chance, says Ganesha, to turn aweakness into a strength.

Aquarius: Jan 21 – Feb 18You will tackle complicated issues with infi-nite ease! But you will also find peoplepassing the buck onto you. It irks you noend, having to take the blame for others'mistakes. But here's a chance, saysGanesha, to turn a weakness into astrength.

Pisces: Feb 19 – Mar 20A number of great ideas either for newcreative projects or enhancing ongoingones could pop into your head during theday, Aries. If you don't write them downimmediately, they could just as easilypop right out again, never to return! Withall your responsibilities, you could have arather frantic day as your mind constant-ly shifts from one focus to another.

Aries: Mar 21 – Apr 20A person with whom you work, probably awoman, could leave suddenly withoutnotice or stated reason, Taurus. This couldbe confusing, and you might find yourselfwondering if there are changes within thecompany that you know nothing about.Try to learn exactly why this person left. Ifyou can't ask him or her directly, discreet-ly ask someone who might know.

Taurus: Apr 21 – May 21

Someone you've wanted to hearfrom for a long time, perhaps an oldfriend who lives far away, could ringyou up today while you're out,Gemini. You'll be happy to get themessage, but it could result in a frus-trating game of phone tag through-out the day. Don't get so irritated yougive up. Keep trying.

Gemini: May 22 – June 21With Ganesha's grace, whatever youthink or peruse will be successful.Students will excel and finish pendingwork. You can display your imaginationexcellently. In short, a day of happinessand variety.

Cancer: June 22 – July 22You will pay more attention to mattersat home. You may take up home renova-tion projects. You may end up replacingthe entire furniture at your place even.You will spend the day enjoying withyour family members and friends, saysGanesha.

Leo: July 23 – Aug 23You tend to be very intuitive, Virgo, buttoday you could find your psychic abili-ties short-circuit. If you give readings,don't schedule any for today. This isn'tto say your abilities are blocked, butthey aren't as dependable as they usual-ly are. Likewise, your imagination isn'tas reliable either.

Virgo: Aug 24 – Sept 22

Ganesha says that you will be busy inyour work field today and will be ableto attain your goals in your work fieldtoday. Your level of enthusiasm willbe at its peak. Today you may be ableto meet with a person from the oppo-site sex who will be your future part-ner. Ganesha showers you with hisblessings always.

Libra: Sept 23 – Oct 23Being a workaholic may divert yourattention from your family and you mayhave to bear the consequences. It's timeto sort differences with your spouse.But, all this while, you need to be calmand patient. Watch your words in case ofany arguments, warns Ganesha.

Scorpio: Oct 24 – Nov 22To do or not to do? That will be the ques-tion for most of today as you find your-self pulling out of one dilemma only totrip into the next one. Controversy willsurround you and you may find yourselfat the crossroads, where you are unsureof which direction to take. Turn to thewisdom of the experienced for properguidance, advises Ganesha.

Sagittarius: Nov 23 – Dec 21The most intimidating of ventures canprove successful if fortune favours you;you will be fortunate today, says Ganesha.Those of you dealing in stocks and sharescan expect a profitable day ahead, butdon't forget to give credit to your spouse;it will be their luck working wonders foryou.

Capricorn: Dec 22 – Jan 20

C R O S S WO R D 261

SOLUTION 260

HOROSCOPE WEDNESDAY APRIL 06

Bollywood actressSobhita Dhulipalahas wrapped up

the shooting for the sec-ond season of the much-awaited romantic dramaseries 'Made In Heaven'.The actress shared thenews with her followersthrough social media.

Sobhita took to herInstagram and sharedan animated poster inwhich she was sitting inher 'Made In Heaven' sig-nature pose. The actressannounced the wrap upof its second season inthe caption as she wrote,"It's a wrap for big catboss trooper TaraKhanna on season 2 ofMade in heaven! Can't

wait to show you the firethat's been blazing quiet-ly (sic)."

Sobhita shot to famewith her performance inthe first season of theshow. Naturally, the an-ticipation for the secondseason of the show andher performance is pal-pable.

On the film front, theactress has a string ofprojects includingRonnie Screwvala's'Sitara', Mani Ratnam'smagnum opus 'PonniyinSelvan' (Tamil), Telugufilm 'Major' with AdiviSesh and a Hollywoodproject 'Monkey Man' di-rected by and starringDev Patel.

Sobhita Dhulipalawraps up

'Made In Heaven 2’

Vidya Balan: I didn't know the role

of a producer whenI joined films

After the spectacular success ofentertaining original content on

SVOD, ALTBalaji, India's homegrownOTT platform, has now launched theAdvertising-Based Video on Demand(AVOD) model which will set a newbenchmark in the Indian entertainmentindustry by providing a roster of cut-through content. The first-ever realityshqow Lock Upp produced by the brandhas been launched via AVOD and hasbeen a massive success entering everyfamily living room of the country andreceiving robust viewership globally aswell. The Advertising-Based Video onDemand is a system that allows viewersto access free original content. ALTBalajispokesperson said, "The introduction ofAVOD will not only be an added layer ofadvertising revenue to our existing rev-enue streams bit will also help us drivefurther subscriber base via cross-selland up-sell. We are excited about pro-viding a further simplified and seamlessexperience with thousands of hours offree content for mass India." With over80% of ALTBalaji's audience under 35years of age; an exciting library boasting

91+ original shows and many in thepipeline; a flourishing SVOD Business;AVOD is the next step in building thebusiness further. For the first time aplatform with no network support hasattempted to build an AVOD business, asit garners a record number of viewsbased on the strength of the path-break-ing content that it delivers regularly. Theplatform's goal is to reach out to aneven wider audience base, penetratingfurther in hinterlands.

ALT Balaji is all set to disruptthe world of AVOD

WATCHO premiers crime-thriller ‘HAPPY’

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

Pune, Apr 05 (PTI):

Mumbai Indians' domes-tic bowlers will look tostep up as they take on abuoyant Kolkata KnightRiders in the IPL here onWednesday, looking toturn things around afterback-to-back defeats.

MI have so far lookedlike anything but IPL'sfive-time champions, los-ing both their openinggames first against DelhiCapitals by four wicketsand then against a resur-gent Rajasthan Royals by23 runs.

And skipper RohitSharma will seek improve-ments on multiple frontsto effect a turnaroundwhen they face KKR, whocome into the game afterbeating Punjab Kings bysix wickets.

For MI, pacer BasilThampi and spinnerMurugan Ashwin haveproved to be weak-links asthey yielded 73 runs in 3overs during RR's inningsand the duo will need toproduce a better show onWednesday.

In fact, Australian seam-er Daniel Sams too wentfor runs and remainedwicketless in the last twomatches.

The trio will have toquickly recover from theirforgettable outing againstRR and bowl in the rightareas if they have to con-tain the KKR batters.

Jasprit Bumrah, with

his three-for, however,showed why he is the bestin the business, particular-ly at the death and MIwould be hoping for anoth-er stellar show from him.

For a turn-around, Rohithimself will have to be athis brutal best and ham-mer his favourite opposi-tion, against whom he hasa formidable record.

Opener Ishan Kishanhas been rock solid,smashing a brilliant 81 inthe lung-opener followed

by a gusty 54.If Mumbai have to post

score or chase a big total,which is likely at the MCAstadium in Gahunje, Rohitand Kishan would need tofire on all cylinders.

MI has badly missed theservices of SuryakumarYadav, who is known forplaying many a match-winning knocks for thefranchise.

Yadav has recoveredfrom his finger injury butit remains to be seen

whether he plays or notwith Rohit remaining non-committal about his avail-ability.

While the emergence ofunheralded N TilakVerma, who smashed 61off 33 balls to take MI to 81in 8 overs against RR, wasa big positive, the teamstill couldn't chase down atotal of 193.

And the likes ofAnmolpreet Singh, TimDavid and West IndianKieron Pollard will need to

shoulder responsibility.While Singh scored in

single digits, David too did-n't look comfortable onIndian tracks and it needsto be seen if MI brings inSouth Africa's U-19 starDewald Brevis, known as'Baby AB'.

For Kolkata, the biggestasset is star all-rounderAndre Russell comingback to form. His six-hit-ting prowess was on dis-play against Punjab Kingsand he would be keen tocontinue from where heleft.

But their top-order, com-prising Ajinkya Rahaneand Venkatesh Iyer, fal-tered against Punjab andthe duo would want to givethe side a good start.

Skipper Shreyas Iyerhas been getting starts, buta big score is due. Ditto forSam Billings. Nitish Ranatoo has been far from hisbest and needs to go allguns blazing.

KKR pacer UmeshYadav has been impressiveand could pose a potentialthreat to MI batters but hewould need support fromTim Southee and ShivamMavi, while the eightovers from VarunChakravarthy and SunilNarine can change thematch situation.

Mumbai have won 22times against KKR, whileKKR has been victoriousonly seven times, and theywould want to add a win totheir tally.

Winless Mumbai Indiansface uphill task against KKR Dubai, Apr 05 (PTI):

India skipper Mithali Rajdropped a place to seventhbut star opener SmritiMandhana moved up toninth position in the ICCWomen ODI batters rank-ings issued on Tuesday.

After her below-par out-ing in the just-concludedWomen's World Cup, Mithalidropped a rung in the chartwith 686 rating points. Theveteran India captain accu-mulated 182 runs from sevengames at an average of 26.

In comparison,Mandhana (669 points)scored 327 runs from sevengames with a best of 123, av-eraging 46.71 in the show-piece. Besides the duo, vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaurclimbed one place to the 14thspot. Harmanpreet has beenIndia's second best batter inthe World Cup with 318 runsfrom seven games. Her high-est was 109. Australian keep-

er-batter Alyssa Healyjumped to the top of the bat-ter rankings after her phe-nomenal 170 in the finalagainst England. TheAustralian's outstandingknock sent her soaring intothe number one spot, endingSouth African opener LauraWolvaardt's short stay at thesummit. The 32-year-oldHealy smashed 509 runs, in-cluding two hundreds andtwo half-centuries, acrossher nine matches at theWorld Cup at a strike rate of

103.66. Healy finished justahead of compatriotRachael Haynes as the tour-nament's top scorer.

Four Australians re-mained in the top six in thelatest ODI rankings, withBeth Mooney, Meg Lanningand Haynes joining Healyamong the world's top-ranked batters.

England all-rounder NatSciver's unbeaten 148 not outin the world Cup final sawher jump to the second spotin the batting rankings.

Mandhana rises, Mitahli slips inICC Women’s ODI batters rankings

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Royals ChallengersBangalore can avail theservices of star Australianall-rounder GlennMaxwell in its upcomingIPL match againstMumbai Indians on April9, said the team's headcoach Mike Hesson.

Despite joining thecamp after completing hismandatory quarantine pe-riod, Maxwell will not beavailable for RCB's gameagainst Rajasthan Royalson Tuesday due to a clauselaid down by CricketAustralia for its contract-ed players.

Even though he was notpart of the Australiasquad that will completeits tour of Pakistan on

Tuesday with the lone T20match in Lahore, Maxwellhas to wait until April 6 tomake his first appearance

for RCB in ongoing editionof the lucrative T20league.

"It's pretty clear fromCricket Australia's point ofview that no contractedplayers are available be-fore the 6th of April. So, re-gardless of when they ar-rive here, they can't playbefore the 6th of April,"Hesson said in a videoshared on RCB's officialtwitter page.

"We have been wellaware of that as everyother side. We haveplanned for that. Maxi(Maxwell) will be with usand available from the9th."

RCB has so far playedtwo games this season,recording one win and aloss.

Pune, Apr 05 (PTI):

Mumbai Indians' youngrecruit Tim David is keento use legendary all-rounder Kireon Pollard'sexperience to improve hisgame and come out as abetter player after IPL-15.

Pollard has been aMumbai Indians veteranand one of IPL's all-timegreats.

"I think Polly's (Pollard)played over 10 years in theIPL, so there's a lot of ex-perience there," Davidwas quoted as saying in anote shared by the recordfive-time champions onthe eve of their gameagainst Kolkata KnightRiders.

The Singaporean him-self is a big-hitting all-

rounder. "I think that hap-pens over time naturally.You can't just get all of itlike, on a notebookstraightaway. It just hap-pens with different ques-tions here or there, differ-ent situations, differentexperiences at training

and trying to run someideas past him."

"Just get little bits hereand there and hopefully, Ican gain some of those ex-periences from him(Pollard), and maybesome that I can try anduse in a game or that I canadd to my game that canbe successful," addedDavid.

Mumbai Indians havehad a horrendous start totheir campaign havinglost both their games --against Delhi Capitalsand Rajasthan Royals.

But David believed thatthe team would get better.

"He has been a fun cap-tain," David said of skip-per Rohit Sharma, one ofthe finest white-ball expo-nents.

Suncheon, Apr 05 (PTI):

World championshipsbronze medallist LakshyaSen and fast-risingMalvika Bansod pro-gressed to the secondround of the men's andwomen's singles competi-tions respectively afterregistering gruellingthree-game wins at theKorea Open Super 500 bad-minton tournament hereon Tuesday.

While Sen staved off aspirited challenge fromlocal hope Choi Ji Hoon 14-21 21-16 21-18 in just overan hour in his openinground match, Bansod ral-lied her way to notch up astunning 20-22 22-20 21-10win over world no 24 HanYue of China.

Sixth seed Sen, who hasbeen in sensational formin the last six months withback-to-back final finishesat German Open and AllEngland Championships,will next meet Indonesia'sShesar Hiren Rhustavito.

Unseeded Bansod, whohad reached the finals ofSyed Modi Super 300 tour-nament in January, willface sixth seeded ThaiPornpawee Chochuwongin the second round.

However, it was cur-tains for Swiss Open final-ist HS Prannoy as he wentdown meekly toMalaysia's Cheam JuneWei 17-21 7-21 in 41 min-utes.

In doubles, men's pair-ing of Krishna PrasadGaraga andVishnuvardhan GoudPanjala lost 14-21 19-21 toP r a m u d y aKusumawardana andYeremia Erich YocheYacob Rambitan of

Indonesia, while BokkaNavaneeth and B SumeethReddy went down 14-21 19-21 to sixth seededMalaysian pair of OngYew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.

Earlier, Sen found thegoing tough against Choi,who kept things undercontrol for most part ofthe opening game andeven though the Indianclawed back to 14-14, theKorean reeled off sevenpoints on the trot to take a1-0 lead.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Star striker RaniRampal on Tuesday re-turned to the national sideafter a lengthy injury lay-off as India on Tuesdaynamed a 22-memberwomen's hockey squad forthe upcoming FIH ProLeague tie against worldno 1 Netherlands.

The squad also includestwo new faces in midfield-er Mahima Choudharyand striker AishwaryaRajesh Chavan, who willmake their senior team

debut in the double leg tieto be held at the KalingaStadium in Bhubaneswaron Friday and Saturday.

Rani, who led India to ahistoric fourth place finishin the Olympics last year,has not played for the na-tional team since theTokyo Games due to sever-al injuries, mainly ham-string problem.

Since then Rani hasbeen undergoing rehabili-tation at the SAI southcentre in Bengaluru butshe is now fit to take thefield again.

Navi Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Young pacer AveshKhan feels bowlers hardlyhave any respite in a tour-nament like the IPL, andthe key to success for himlies in handling the pres-sure.

Avesh, the most expen-sive uncapped Indian play-er in the ongoing IPL afterLSG paid 25 times morethan his base price of Rs20 lakh to avail his servic-

es, picked up four bigwickets conceding just 24runs against SunrisersHyderabad.

He also bowled a bril-liant 18th over to help hisside beat SRH by 12 runshere on Monday.

"In IPL as a bowlerthere will be pressure onyou in every match andhow you handle that isvery important. I neverthink that I am the mainbowler of the team. I al-ways try to take wicketsfor the team," Avesh saidat the post-match virtualpress conference.

"If I start thinking that Iam the main bowler, I willtake pressure upon my-self, which is unneces-sary."

Avesh said as a bowlerhis main job is to pick upwickets for his side.

"I am very happy to con-tribute to the winningcause. In the first match Igot an opportunity to save11 runs in one over whichI couldn't. Today I was fo-cused on taking wickets,"he said.

Avesh's performancehelped LSG defend 169 forseven, limiting SRH to 157for nine, and register theirsecond win out of threegames in debut IPL sea-son.

London, Apr 05 (PTI):

Out-of-favour India Testbatter Cheteshwar Pujara'sdebut for Sussex has beendelayed until next week dueto visa issues and he willmiss the side's first CountyChampionship match ofthe season startingThursday.

Pujara, who was droppedfrom India's recent Test se-ries against Sri Lanka, wasdue to play Sussex's first sixCounty Championshipmatches of the season be-fore returning later in theseason for the Royal LondonCup and some additionalfour-day games. The clubsaid in a statement that ithas been in regular contactwith Pujara and was work-ing tirelessly to enable himto be available for the first

game of the season againstN o t t i n g h a m s h i r e ."Securing overseas playershas been tremendously dif-ficult in the current cli-mate. We renegotiated theinitial Pujara contract so hecould return for moreCounty Championship andRoyal London Cup matches,and this subsequentlychanged the visa require-ments," SussexPerformance Director,Keith Greenfield said in thestatement.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):Indian boxer Sumit (75kg)entered the semifinals of theThailand Open with a comfort-able win over Timur Nurseitov inPhuket, Thailand on Tuesday.Sumit, who received bye in theopening round, looked in goodtouch throughout the bout. Henotched a 5-0 win againstKazakhstan's Nurseitov in thequarterfinal clash.Sumit became the fourth Indianto enter the last four stage.Monika (48kg), Ashish Kumar(81kg) and Manisha (57kg) arealready through to the semifi-nals. However, it was curtainsfor Gaurav Chauhan (91kg), whowent down 1-4 to 2018 YouthOlympics champion AibekOralbay of Kazakhstan in thequarterfinals.Six Indian pugilists will be seenin action on Wednesday.While Bhagyabati Kachari(75kg), Amit Panghal (52kg) andRohit Mor (57kg) will play intheir quarterfinal, Govind Sahani(48), Varinder Singh (60kg) andAshish Kumar (81kg) will fightfor a place in the finals.

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Former coach RaviShastri has hailed TNatarajan as a deathbowling specialist, sayingthe Indian team missedthe left-arm pacer sorelyduring its T20 World Cupdebacle in UAE.Natarajan, who came tolimelight in India's his-toric Test series winDown Under in early 2021,suffered a knee injuryand missed most part ofthe year before making a

comeback in SunrisersHyderabad's secondmatch of the IPL-15 hereon Monday. "Very happyfor him. We missed himin the World Cup. Hewould've been a certaintyhad he been fit," Shastrisaid in ESPNCricinfo's'T20 Time:Out'. India hadmade a heartbreakinggroup stage exit in theT20 World Cup in 2021."He got injured againstEngland when we wereplaying the ODI seriesand we really missed him

(in the World Cup). "He'sthat specialist deathbowler, bowls those york-ers very skilfully. He's gotgreat control. He is skid-dy. A bit quicker than youthink and hits the bat,"Shastri said. The 31-year-old, who was bought backby SRH for Rs 4 crore,made a fine comebackafter 12 months, picking 2for 26 from his full quotaof four overs, even asthey suffered their seconddefeat on the trot with a12-run loss.

Natarajan death over specialist, wemissed him in T20 World Cup: Shastri

Fit-again Rani returns, Savitato lead India women vs

Netherlands in Pro League

Sen, Bansod enter secondround of Korea Open

Boxing: Sumit stormsinto Thailand open

semifinalsIn IPL, it is very important to handle

pressure as a bowler: Avesh

Maxwell will be available against MI onApril 9, says RCB head coach Hesson

Pujara to miss Sussex’s firstgame due to visa issues

David wants to use Pollard’sexperiences to add to his game

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, RAIPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

A farmer inspects his wheat field before harvesting, ahead of the upcoming festival of Vaisakhi, in Amritsar, Tuesday.

VAISAKHI PREPARATIONS

Devotees perform rituals on the banks of the Ganga river during the Nahay Khay of the Chaiti Chhath festival.

CHAITI CHHATH RITUALS

Printed and Published by Sameer Maheshwari on behalf of Ramgopal Investments Pvt. Ltd. at Navbharat Press, Navbharat Bhawan, Press Complex, Raipur. Editor in Chief - Sameer Maheshwari. Editor: Sameer Shukla (Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act.),Phone: (0771) 4257700 Fax : (0771) 4257703 , Postal Regn. No. C.G./RYPD.N./62/2019-21, Regd. No. 26172/74/RNI

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Delhiites having an elec-tric vehicle will now havea reason to rejoice as fromJune onwards they will beable to charge their EVsfree of cost between 12noon and 3 pm at over 40public charging stationsacross the national capital.

The move is aimed atpromoting the use of elec-tric vehicles and also to in-centivise EV charging atpublic stations, authori-ties said.

This initiative of free af-ternoon charge to EVusers is being taken up byan EV charging startupElectriVa, which has setup over 40 public chargingstations in partnershipwith the three civic bodies.

Authorities aware of theinitiative said that the freecharging will be providedat around 35 charging sta-tions operational along the

ring road at locations in-cluding South Extension,Bikaji Cama Place,Defence Colony, LajpatNagar, Mayur Vihar,Netaji Subhash Place,South Campus, NelsonMandela Road, Hauz Khas,Green Park, GreaterKailash, Punjabi Bagh,Rohini, Saket, ShalimarBagh, Preet Vihar amongothers.

Normally, rates for EVcharging during the morn-ing and evening hours forper unit charge is kept ataround Rs 10.

We will provide charg-ing to all commercial andnon commercial EV usersfor free between 12 noonand 3 pm. By providingfree charging during after-noon hours, we want tobolster the EV ecosystemin the national capital.Presently it is importantto incentivise publiccharging to make peopleswitch from fossil fuel toelectric vehicles, SumitDhanuka, Founder,

ElectriVa told PTI. He saidthat ElectriVa will set up acharging station everythree kilometres in Delhiand locations have alreadybeen allotted by the threecivic bodies.

The penetration of elec-tric vehicles in the auto-mobile sector in Delhi hasgrown in the last fewyears. According to gov-ernment data, around 10%of the total vehicles pur-chased in the city this year(January-March) so far,are electric vehicles.

As many as 10,707 elec-tric vehicles were regis-tered in 2022 so far be-tween January and March14 and out of this 5,888were e-two wheelers (e-bike and e-scooter), datashowed.

Dhanuka said that at thenational level, power gridstability is a concern andif all potential future EVswere to charge at homes, itcan result in grid failureduring peak demand.

In advanced countries

like the UK andNetherlands, having EVpenetration of 12 per centand 20 per cent respective-ly, they have put specialimpetus on strengtheningpublic charging infra-structure.

“Public charging willchange the charging pat-tern of EV users if proper-ly incentivised. It shouldbe prioritised and this nar-rative has to change withspeed in public charginginfrastructure work,” hesaid.

He said that batteryswapping facilities willalso be provided at charg-ing stations soon. He said100 more charging stationsare being set up in Delhi inpartnership with govern-ment agencies across thecity.

The Delhi governmentis also encouraging peopleto buy electric vehiclesand is providing a range ofsubsidies on purchase ofcommercial as well as pri-vate EVs.

From June 1, Delhiites cancharge their EVs free of cost In noon

Noida, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Greater NoidaIndustrial DevelopmentAuthority (GNIDA) onTuesday approved a budg-et of over Rs 5,100 crore for2022-23, allocating Rs 2,000crore from it for land ac-quisition and Rs 1,400crore for developmentworks in villages and resi-dential sectors.

This is the biggest budg-et for any fiscal year since2017-18 for GNIDA, whichheld its 126th Board meet-ing on Tuesday, accordingto officials. The Board ofGNIDA has approved thebudget of Rs 5,104 crore forthe financial year 2022-23.It has been approved in the

board meeting held underthe chairmanship ofIndustrial DevelopmentCommissioner and Noida-Greater Noida AuthorityChairman Sanjeev Mittal,an official statement read.

This is the biggest budg-et after the financial year2017-18. In this budget,maximum emphasis hasbeen given on land acqui-sition, development of in-frastructure and develop-ment works of villagesand sectors, it added.

Officials said after deal-ing with the COVID-19pandemic crisis, GreaterNoida has once againcaught the pace of devel-opment and a glimpse ofthis will be visible in this

time’s budget as specialemphasis is being laid onincreasing the land bank.After the meeting, GNIDACEO Narendra Bhooshansaid in the last few years,the trend of industrial in-vestors towards GreaterNoida has increased rapid-ly. Many investors are ask-ing for land for setting upindustries. The authorityis constantly trying to pro-vide land to them. For thisreason, in the budget of2022-23, more emphasis isbeing given on land acqui-sition, he said. For this, itis planned to spend aboutRs 2,000 crore. Authority isalso focusing on increas-ing capital and infrastruc-ture this year.

GNIDA BUDGET

Rs 2,000 cr for land acquisition,Rs 1,400 cr for development

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Not an inch of land hasbeen ceded sinceNarendra Modi becameprime minister, Unionminister Kiren Rijiju saidin Lok Sabha on Tuesday,hitting back at an opposi-tion MP who accused thegovernment of givingaway Indian territory “bitby bit to China”.

Intervening in the dis-cussion in the lower houseon the situation inUkraine, Rijiju took strongobjection to the remarksmade by BSP MP fromJaunpur Shyam SinghYadav. “Everyone knowsthat our claimed territoryunder the control of Chinaand Pakistan dates back to

earlier times. I don’t wantto take anyone’s name.Since Narendra Modi hasbecome prime minister,not an inch of land hasbeen ceded,” Rijiju saidafter Yadav alleged thatIndian territory was beinggiven away “bit by bit toChina”. The minister said

Arunachal Pradesh,which is a border state, isalso “100 per cent safe andsecure’’.

“I come from ArunachalPradesh. A TV channel didmischief and, taking im-ages from a foreign web-site, said that China hasestablished a village in-side Arunachal which isfalse as that village hadbeen occupied by China in1959,” Rijiju said.

One should not misleadthe country by makingsuch claims, he said.

Rijiju recalled that in2013 when A K Antony wasthe defence minister, hehad stated in the Housethat India’s policy not tobuild infrastructure in theborder areas was wrong.

‘Not an inch of land cededsince Modi became PM’

Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

A team of ISRO scien-tists are visitingChandrapur district inMaharashtra to inspectsome objects, believed to beremnants of a booster rock-et, that streaked across thenight sky over parts of cen-tral India last week. Thespace agency decided to de-pute a team of scientists for“inspection and further sci-entific inquiry” after thedistrict collector ofChandrapur reached out toISRO to examine a metalring and a cylinder-like ob-ject that were found in anopen field in Pawanpur vil-lage. “As requested by thedistrict administration, ateam of scientists fromISRO is visiting Pawanpur

for inspection and furtherscientific inquiry,” thespace agency said in aFacebook post. On April 2,several social media usersposted videos and picturesof unidentified burning ob-jects falling from the sky innorth Maharashtra as wellas some districts ofMadhya Pradesh. Expertsspeculated that they couldbe either meteorites enter-ing the Earth’s atmosphereor the pieces of rocketboosters which fall off aftera satellite launch. A localgovernment official in east-ern Maharashtra’sChandrapur district saidan “aluminum and steel ob-ject” reportedly fell atLadbori village inSindewahi tehsil around7.45 pm.

ISRO scientists to inspectobjects that fell from sky

Pune, Apr 05 (PTI):

M a h a r a s h t r aNavnirman Sena (MNS)Pune city president VasantMore on Tuesday said as aparty functionary he hasto endorse the stand of hisboss Raj Thackeray whohas demanded removal ofloudspeakers frommosques, but as a people’srepresentative he has totake an inclusive approachand it would be difficult forhim to implement the dik-tat in his civic ward. More,a former corporator whoseterm ended a few weeksago, represented a wardwhich has a sizeableMuslim population.Addressing a rally inMumbai last week, MNSpresident Raj Thackeray

called for shutting downhigh-decibel loudspeakersatop mosques. Thackerayhad said if such a step wasnot taken, loudspeakerswould be installed outsidemosques to play HanumanChalisa at a higher vol-ume. “As a city unit presi-dent, I certainly have to ac-cept the stand of partychief Rajsaheb Thackeray,but I think as a people’s

representative (corporator), the issue (to implementThackeray’s diktat ) can beinconvenient for me in myward. A people’s represen-tative has to take an inclu-sive approach,” said More.

The MNS leader said thecivic ward from where hewon last time has a size-able Muslim population,and over the years he hasdone some good work forpeople be it related to bur-ial grounds for Muslims orhospitals for local resi-dents. More said someonefrom a mosque in his ownward called and expressedconcern over the issue andasked whether he will in-stall a loudspeaker (to playHanuman Chalisa) at atime when the holy monthof Ramzan is going on.

‘Difficult to act on Raj Thackeray’sdirective on loudspeakers’

Vasant More

Kannur (Ker), Apr 05 (PTI):

Offering a hands-on feelof a picturesque Keralavillage, the TourismDepartment’s pavilion atthe Ente Keralam’ expothat opened here as part ofthe state government’sfirst anniversary celebra-tions has become an in-stant hit. Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan inaugu-rated the government’sfirst anniversary celebra-tions on Sunday alongwith the expo that high-lights its initiatives overthe last one year and its vi-sion of the journey ahead.With its meticulous depic-tion of an idyllic Keralavillage featuring backwa-ters, paddy fields and farm-steads, the TourismPavilion takes forward the

theme of exploring the un-explored destinations’,seeking to extend the bene-fits of tourism develop-ment to the entire state inan inclusive and responsi-ble manner. TourismMinister P A MohamedRiyas said the Tourismpavilion has been con-ceived and created to con-vey all the delightful expe-riences that Kerala holdsfor tourists, at a time whenthe footfalls are steadily in-creasing, with tourism ac-tivities back in full swingacross the state. The show-piece will be taken to allthe remaining districts toencourage visitors to ex-plore the unexplored spotsas every panchayat in thestate has some best-keptsurprise for tourists, hesaid. Kerala Tourism

Director V R Krishna Tejasaid the KT pavilion is setup along the wide walkwayof the expo venue and ithas been drawing the at-tention of the visitors in abig way. We have recreateda slice of the countrysidelife at the expo, with atouch of nostalgia. Apartfrom depicting the rurallandscape and vibrantlifestyle, the show also fea-tures novel initiatives likeCaravan Tourism, headded. At the outset, thepavilion features the tradi-tional gateway of a typicalKerala house, known asPadippura’. The visitorsare then taken to a lushcountryside and its vi-brant life, an official state-ment said. The view of thepaddy field with a hand-crafted water wheel for ir-

rigation in its midstthrows light on the farm-ing practices of the past.The visitor is then greetedby a thatched house with asmall well and chicken-coop towards its side. Inthe courtyard, one can seeall kinds of plants includ-ing the ubiquitous coconuttree and plantain, it said.

Behind the house, thereis a handloom set that sym-bolizes the craft and tradi-tional industries that flour-ished in villages. The smallpond with ducks gliding init adds to the charm of thesetting. The scene is com-plete with glittering ca-parisons, various kinds ofhandicrafts, theyyam per-formers and kalarippayat-tu practitioners, featuringrich and diverse culturalheritage of Kerala.

Tourism pavilion at Ente Keralam’ expo draws huge footfall

Bhubaneswar,Apr 05 (PTI):The second wife of a

fake doctor in Odisha, whomarried as many as 18times, has been arrestedfrom Jharkhand for al-legedly helping him induping other women, po-lice said here on Tuesday.

Ramesh Chandra Swain,the 66-year-old man from acoastal village in Odisha’sKendrapara district, hadas many as 18 wives acrossseven states over 38 yearsand allegedly duped themof lakhs of rupees by pos-ing as a doctor.

The second wife, a med-ical practitioner, was ar-rested on Monday for al-legedly helping Swain inthe fraud. She is beingbrought to Odisha onTuesday on a transit re-

mand, a police officer said.The woman was employedat Jamnagar in Gujaratand was absconding sinceSwain’s arrest onFebruary 23 this year.

Earlier, the police hadarrested another womanwho claimed to be Swain’ssister, on the charge ofhelping him to get marriedmultiple times and dupingthe women of money. Thepolice came to know abouthis second wife’s involve-ment during Swain’s inter-rogation, police said. A fa-ther of five children,Swain had married hisfirst wife in 1982 and sec-ond wife in 2002. Between2002 and 2020, he befriend-ed other women throughmatrimonial websites andmarried them. Police said

he used to target middle-aged single women whosought companionship onmatrimonial websites.After getting married, heused to leave them aftertaking away their money.

According to police,Swain posed as a doctorposted as a deputy directorgeneral under theMinistry of Health andFamily Welfare.Complaints were notlodged due to the socialstanding of his wives asmany of them werelawyers, doctors, andteachers, the police said.mA case had been regis-tered against Swain at theMahila police station hereunder various sections ofthe Indian Penal Code(IPC).

Fake doc’s 2nd wife held forhelping dupe other spouses

Hyderabad, Apr 05 (PTI):

A woman tied up her 16-year old son to a pole andrubbed chilli powder in hiseyes near their house inSuryapet district ofTelangana as a “punish-ment” over his habit of van-ishing from home for sever-al days and for reportedlygetting addicted to ganja,police said on Tuesday. Theincident happened inKodad town on Monday anda video of the same hasgone viral on social mediashowing the woman smear-ing her son’s face with chillipowder while anotherwoman holds the boy’shands when he tries to re-sist the attempts and laterthe boy is seen screamingin pain. The woman finallyuntied her son after he

promised that he wouldgive up on his “addiction”.The incident triggered a de-bate on social media plat-forms with netizens de-scribing it as the “bestIndian treatment for ganjaaddicts” and appreciatingthe woman while otherssaid putting chilli in theeyes will not solve the issueand it won’t work andtermed the “treatment asequally dangerous”. A po-lice official told PTI overphone that the teenagedboy, a school dropout, whohad left home returned totheir house on Mondayafter a week and that he hada habit of regularly leavinghome for several days andhis mother also suspectedhe had been taking somedrugs and angered over itshe “punished” him.

Woman ties ‘ganja addict’ son topole, rubs chilli powder in eyes

Maoist heldCChhaaiibbaassaa:: A member of thebanned CPI (Maoist) wason Tuesday arrested fromhis residence inJharkhand's WestSinghbhum district, policesaid. Acting on a tip-off, ateam of policemen andpersonnel of Cobra, a spe-cial operation unit of theCentral Reserve PoliceForce, conducted a searchoperation in Regda villageand apprehended DagurSundi, a senior officer said.

Arrested SShhiimmllaa:: Himachal PradeshPolice on Tuesday arrestedtwo African nationals onthe charge of smugglingdrugs to the hill state, apolice official said. Tobreak the drugs supplychain, police arrested twoAfricans from Delhi, hesaid. An FIR under theNarcotic Drugs andPsychotropic SubstancesAct was registered atpolice station Rampur inthis connection, the offi-cial said.

SurrenderMMuuzzaaffffaarrnnaaggaarr:: FormerBJP MLA Sangit Som onTuesday surrenderedbefore a court here aftera non-bailable warrantwas issued against himfor not appearing in courtin connection with a caseof blocking a road in2009. Civil Judge SeniorDivision Mayank Jaiswalquashed the non-bailablewarrant against Som andfixed April 22 for furtherhearing in the case.

MishapBBuullddhhaannaa:: The drivers of atrailer and tanker werekilled when the two heavyvehicles collided onMalkapur-Nandura road inMaharashtra's Buldhanadistrict, an official said onTuesday. The trailer, whichwas on its way toMalkapur, and the tankerheaded to Nandura hiteach other atChandurbiswa phata in theearly hours of the day,resulting in both vehiclescatching fire, he said.

TuskerSShhaahhddooll:: A couple wastrampled to death by aherd of wild elephants in aforested area of MadhyaPradesh's Shahdol districton Tuesday, a forest offi-cial said. The incident tookplace near Chitranv villageunder Amjhor forest range,where the victim had goneto collect mahua in themorning, chief conservatorof forest of Shahdol rangeP K Verma said.

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Former Lok Sabha speakerMeira Kumar pays a floral

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Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

The EnforcementDirectorate has provision-ally attached assets worthmore than Rs 11.15 crore ofShiv Sena MP SanjayRaut's wife and two of hisassociates in a money-laundering investigationlinked to certain landdeals, the agency said onTuesday.

Raut, who has been ac-cusing the BJP-led Uniongovernment of misusingcentral agencies againstits opponents, alleged thatis was an act of vengeanceand said the ED's claimsagainst him will fall flat.

The attached propertiesare in form of lands heldby Pravin M Raut, formerdirector of Guru AshishConstruction Pvt Ltd, inPalghar and Thane dis-tricts, a flat in Mumbai'ssuburban Dadar area ofSanjay Raut's wife VarshaRaut and eight plots at

Kihim beach in Alibaugjointly held by VarshaRaut and Swapna Patkar,the agency said in a state-ment. Swapna Patkar isthe wife of Sujit Patkarwho, according to the ED,is a close associate ofSanjay Raut, Shiv Sena'sRajya Sabha MP and partyspokesperson.

In the Alibaug land deal,apart from the registeredvalue, "cash" paymentswere made to the sellers,the agency found. It saidthe total value of the at-

tached assets is Rs11,15,56,573.

The ED action linked toalleged irregularities inthe re-development of aMumbai 'chawl' and othersimilar instances, comesin the backdrop of severalleaders of the SharadPawar-led NationalistCongress Party (NCP) alsofacing the heat from thecentral agency. The ShivSena, NCP and Congressare part of the Maha VikasAghadi (MVA) govern-ment in Maharashtra.

Rajnandgaon, Apr 05 (PTI):

A man in Chhattisgarh'sRanjangaon has claimed helost Rs 81 lakh after a"Chinese woman" lured himinto investing in a cryp-tocurrency scheme with thepromise of three-fold re-turns, a police official saidon Tuesday.

A case has been regis-tered in Kotwali police sta-tion on the complaint of DrAbhishek Pal, informedR a j n a n d g a o nSuperintendent of PoliceSantosh Singh. "Pal claimsto have got acquainted witha woman named Anna Lifrom Hong Kong through asocial networking site. Onher recommendation, he in-vested USD 35,000, approxi-mately Rs 26 lakh, in a trad-ing app. In all, he investedUSD 107,825, which comes toRs 81 lakh," the official saidquoting the complaint. TheSP said Pal was unable to

withdraw his money evenafter depositing "tax" as de-manded by those operatingthe scheme, and furtherhurdles and "tax" demandsconvinced him that he hadbeen duped. A case has beenregistered under IPC andInformation Technologyprovisions for cheating andother offences, the officialadded.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Urging BJP MPs todedicate themselvesto 'seva' (service) asthe party embarks on

a "samajik nyay pakhwada"from April 7, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi onTuesday laid down a de-tailed programme for themfor every day during the 14-day long exercise.

Speaking at the BJP par-liamentary meeting a dayahead of the party's founda-tion day, Modi cited a num-ber of welfare schemes ofthe government targetingdifferent segments of socie-ty and asked MPs to reachout to people with their de-tails. Modi is also scheduled

to address BJP members onWednesday virtually.

BJP president J P Naddaunderlined the party's risein the Northeast, where it iseither in power on its own

or is part of a coalition gov-ernment, with the firstwoman MP from Nagaland,Phangnon Konyak, whowas elected recently, attend-ing the meeting. Sourcessaid Nadda noted that theparty has achieved the featof having 100 MPs in RajyaSabha for the first time.

Parliamentary AffairsMinister Pralhad Joshi toldreporters that Modi askedthe MPs to actively partici-pate in the programmes."They should dedicatethemselves to service," hequoted him as saying. MPswere given orange caps em-blazoned with the party'sname or symbol, like theone which was sported bythe prime minister recently

during his road show inGujarat. Some MPs werealso sporting caps carryinga photo of Modi.

They will sport the capduring Modi's address onthe foundation day fromParliament Annexe.

Party MPs and othermembers will be highlight-ing the impact of health in-surance programme'Ayushman Bharat' and 'JanAushadhi Kendra', wheremedicines are sold at a sub-sidised rate, on April 7. Theschemes to build houses forthe poor and to reach pipedwater to every householdwill be at the centre of thecampaign on April 8 andApril 9 respectively, Joshisaid.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Delhi University ViceChancellor Yogesh Singhon Tuesday released thevarsity's admission policyfor the 2022-23 academicyear and said eligibilitywill be decided on thebasis of CommonUniversity Entrance Testmarks.

The admissions to theuniversity will be heldthrough the common testthat has been mademandatory for getting into45 central varsities in thecountry. Till last year, ad-mission to the DelhiUniversity was on the

basis of cut-offs marks inClass 12 board exams.Calling the new admissionpolicy a landmark policy,Singh said that except forthe School of OpenLearning and theNational CollegiateWomen's EducationBoard, admission to allundergraduate pro-grammes will only bethrough the CommonUniversity Entrance Test(CUET).

"It is mandatory for allcandidates to appear inCUET-2022, includingthose seeking admissionto supernumerary seats.The eligibility criteria

will be decided on thebasis of marks obtainedin CUET," he said. In 50per cent seats reserved forminority colleges, 85 percent of the marks for ad-mission will be taken fromthe CUET and the remain-ing 15 per cent will be de-cided by the colleges,Singh said. Admission tonon-reserved 50 per centseats will be purely on thebasis of CUET, he said.

Minority colleges likeJesus and Mary, StStephen's and Sri GuruTeg Bahadur Khalsa have50 per cent seats reservedfor minority communi-ties.

Bilaspur, Apr 05:

A tigress was killed in afight with another big cat ata zoo in Bilaspur district,an official said on Tuesday.

The tigress named Cheriwas found dead in her cellin the enclosure at KananPendari Zoological Gardenon Monday morning, andthe autopsy report suggest-ed that she died due to as-phyxiation, the official said.

The incident took placeon the intervening night ofSunday and Monday, thezoo's superintendent SanjayLuthar said.

A tiger named Bhairavand Cheri were housed inseparate cells adjacent toeach other. Prima facie, itappears that the tiger brokeopen the gate between thetwo cells and entered in the

tigress' shelter causing aclash, he said.

Bhairav caught Cheri byher neck and killed her, theofficial said. Cheri wasbrought to Kanan Pendarifrom a zoo in Maharashtra'sNagpur in 2011 as a part ofan animal exchange pro-gramme, he said.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Assets worth Rs 35 crore havebeen attached in connectionwith the 2013 Saradha chit fundmoney laundering case of WestBengal, the EnforcementDirectorate (ED) said onTuesday.The attached assets are in theform of vehicles, buildings, flatsand bungalows in Bishnupur,plot of lands in South 24Parganas, Nadia, Cooch Beharand Jalpaiguri, it said in a state-ment. The "book value" of theseproperties is Rs 35 crore, the EDsaid. "These properties wereeither owned by Saradha Groupor proceeds of crime wereinvested in such properties(Saradha Group having paid fulladvance to vendors)," it said.The Saradha group is alleged tohave run a chit fund scam with

operations spread over thestates of West Bengal, Assamand Odisha till 2013.The group is alleged to havecheated thousands of deposi-tors, promising abnormally highreturns on investments in its ille-gal schemes. The anti-moneylaundering agency field a crimi-nal case in 2013 after studyingthe Kolkata Police FIRs againstthe group and its promoters.As per the ED, the quantum oftotal money mobilised by thisgroup company is about Rs 2,459crore out of which about Rs1,983 crore remains unpaid tothe depositors till date (exclud-ing the interest amount).A charge sheet or prosecutioncompliant was filed by theagency in March, 2016 followedby a supplementary chargesheet that was filed in Augustlast year.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI) India is full of entrepreneurialenergy and the 'Stand Up India'initiative is a part of the ongoingefforts to channelise this spiritto further progress and prosperi-ty, Prime Minister NarendraModi said on Tuesday. TheStand-Up India Scheme facili-tates bank loans between Rs 10lakh and Rs 1 crore to scheduledcaste or scheduled tribe (ST)borrowers and women borrow-ers.In a tweet, Modi said, "India isfull of entrepreneurial energyand the 'Stand Up India' initia-tive is a part of the ongoingefforts to channelise this spiritto further progress and prosperi-ty #6YearsofStandUpIndia".He also tagged a series oftweets from the MyGovIndiahandle which highlight variousfacets of the 'Stand Up India'initiative. "Promoting entrepre-neurship at the grass-root level!Stand Up India adds #NariShaktito the nation's growth story.6YearsOfStandUpIndia,"MyGovIndia said in a tweet.The government handle sharedcase studies of people who werebenefited through the initiative.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

A court here onTuesday dismissedthe bail plea ofRashtriya Janata

Dal's (RJD) youth wingleader and Jamia MilliaIslamia student MeeranHaider in a case of allegedcriminal conspiracy relat-ed to the Delhi Riots in2020.

Additional SessionsJudge Amitabh Rawatpassed the order in thecase lodged by the SpecialCell of Delhi Police undervarious sections, includ-ing the stringent UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act(UAPA). Besides Haider,the police had also charge-sheeted various other ac-cused, including formerJNU student leader UmarKhalid, Sharjeel Imam,

United Against Hate ac-tivist Khalid Saifi, formerCongress councillor IshratJahan, Pinjra Tod activistsGulfisha Fatima, SafooraZargar, Natasha Narwal,and Devangana Kalita andformer AAP councillorTahir Hussain.

The police claimed thata large number of stu-dents, ex-students, andother members of a partic-ular community partici-pated in the anti-C A A ( C i t i z e n s h i pAmendment Act) rally.

Kolkata, Apr 05 (PTI):

Essential commoditiesare becoming dearer by theday in the metropolis as fuelprices continue to touchnew highs, burning a holein the pockets of the com-mon man. Prices of vegeta-bles, foodgrains and cook-ing oil have been on the up-ward curve since the lastone week in most Kolkatamarkets, traders said. Petroland diesel prices were onTuesday hiked by 80 paise alitre each, taking the totalincrease in rates in the lasttwo weeks to Rs 9.20 perlitre, according to a pricenotification of state fuel re-tailers. In Kolkata, a litre ofpetrol costs Rs 114.28 anddiesel Rs 99.02 as onTuesday.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Ministry ofInformation andBroadcasting has directedthe blocking of 22YouTube-based news chan-nels, of which four arefrom Pakistan, allegingthat they were spreadingfake news that could im-pact national security, for-eign relations and publicorder.

This is the first time thataction has been takenagainst the IndianYouTube-based news pub-lishers since the notifica-tion of the IT Rules, 2021 inFebruary last year, it said.

In an official statement,the ministry said that it is-sued an order on Monday

to block 22 YouTube chan-nels, three Twitter ac-counts, one Facebook ac-count and one news web-site.

With this action, theministry has, sinceDecember 2021, issued di-rections for blocking 78YouTube-based news chan-nels and several other so-cial media accounts ongrounds related to nationalsecurity, sovereignty andintegrity of India, publicorder, etc.

Through the recentblocking order, 18 Indianand four Pakistan-basedYouTube news channelshave been blocked, theministry said, withoutnaming them. The blockedYouTube channels had a

cumulative viewership ofover 260 crore, the ministrysaid in an official state-ment, adding that theywere spreading fake newsand coordinated disinfor-mation over social mediaon subjects sensitive fromthe perspective of nationalsecurity, India's foreign re-lations, and public order.

According to the min-istry, multiple YouTubechannels were used to postfake news on various sub-jects such as the IndianArmed Forces, Jammu andKashmir, etc. The contentordered to be blocked alsoincluded certain anti-Indiacontent posted from multi-ple social media accountsoperated in a coordinatedmanner from Pakistan.

ED attaches Sena MPSanjay Raut’s linked assets

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Rauton Tuesday termedEnforcement Directorate(ED) action to attach hisproperty an attack on mid-dle class Marathi manoosand asserted he will not becowed by such moves andresist any act to pressurisehim.Talking to reporters in NewDelhi, Raut pointed out thatthe ED action came on a daywhen the Mumbai Policeformed a SpecialInvestigation Team (SIT) toprobe allegations of extor-tion against the centralagency's officers.Last month, the Rajya SabhaMP had alleged that someED officers were running anextortion racket.Raut said the ED's action isan act of vengeance and theagency's claim against himwill fall flat.

Attack on ‘Middle classMarathi manoos’

‘India full ofentrepreneurial

energy'

Man claims Chinese womanlured him to invest Rs 81 lakh

In ponzi cryptocurrencyscheme

Victim Dr Abhishek Palclaims to have got acquaint-ed with a woman namedAnna Li from Hong Kongthrough a social networkingsite. On her recommenda-tion, he invested USD35,000, approximately Rs 26lakh, in a trading app. In all,he invested USD 107,825,which comes to Rs 81 lakh.He was unable to withdrawhis money even afterdepositing "tax" asdemanded by those operat-ing the scheme, and furtherhurdles and "tax" demandsconvinced him that he hadbeen duped.

About the incident

PM T

O B

JP M

Ps Dedicate themselves to ‘seva’

Prime Minister Narendra Modiwith BJP National President JP

Nadda during the BJPParliamentary party meeting,

in New Delhi, Tuesday.

DU releases 2022-23 admissionpolicy, CUET mandatory

Tigress killed infight at Bilaspur zoo

The incident took place onthe intervening night ofSunday and Monday. A tigernamed Bhairav and Cheriwere housed in separatecells adjacent to each other.Prima facie, it appears thatthe tiger broke open thegate between the two cellsand entered in the tigress'shelter causing aclash.Bhairav caught Cheriby her neck and killed her.

About the fight

SOOTHING TO EYES

A view of the setting sun in the evening, seen from near the Taj Mahal, in Agra, Tuesday.

SARADHA MONEY LAUNDERING CASE

ED attaches Rs 35 croreworth assets

18 Indian, 4 Pak YouTube newchannels blocked over fake news

Essential commoditiessizzle as fuel prices

skyrocket

DELH

I RIO

TS Court dismisses bail plea of Meeran Haider

Rashtriya Janata Dal's(RJD) youth wing leaderand Jamia MilliaIslamia student MeeranHaider in a case of al-leged criminal conspira-cy related to the DelhiRiots in 2020. They al-leged that the accusedhatched a common con-spiracy by calling for amarch, leading a mob,and instigating commu-nal feelings. Attack onthe police personnel,damage to police andpublic/private property,stone-pelting, and arsontook place on the barri-cade/police party sta-tioned outside Jamiacampus.

Charges againstHaider

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

Bhilai, Apr 05:

On Tuesday, DistrictCollector chaired a reviewmeeting and instructedthe officials to work on awar footing for the nexttwo months for ensuringsufficient supply of drink-ing water. There should beno shortage of civicamenities. There must beno shortage of water inany ward of the city anddrinking water should beaccessible to every house-hold. He asked the officialsto work on mission modefor the next two months.

The Collector said thatthere is adequate arrange-ment of drinking water inthe district. The areaswhere there are someproblems, should be re-solved in coordinationwith the concerned agen-cies. All the citizens mustget drinking water supply

in their homes. He furthersaid that drinking water isavailable in sufficientquantity in the district,but the wastage or improp-er use can cause drinkingwater crisis. He asked theofficials to keep an eye onthe supply and checkwhether there are leak-ages in the pipeline. Alltankers are in good condi-tion. Along with this, it isnecessary to conduct pub-lic awareness campaignsfor judicious use of drink-ing water. AdditionalCollector Nupur RashiPanna, DFO ShashiKumar, District PanchayatCEO Ashwini Dewangan,Bhilai CorporationCommissioner PrakashSarve and other officers

were present in the meet-ing. The Collector saidthat it has always been apractice in urban areas tostart a Water Kiosk for thepassers-by during thesummer. Social service or-ganizations do a great jobin this direction. Wherethere are no such organi-zations, the administrativestaff can open waterkiosks.

The Collector said thatthe heat does not only af-fect the citizens duringsummer but the birds arealso highly affected. In thisdirection, the civic bodiesshould launch a publicawareness campaign. Inthe courtyard and bound-ary wall of every house,people should place water-

filled bowls for the birds.There should be arrange-ments for drinking waterin the villages along thehighway. The Collectorsaid that the saplings ofvarious trees were plantedduring the rainy seasonand great efforts weremade to protect them. Thenext two months are veryimportant. Protection ofplants is of utmost impor-tance during thesemonths.

Collector further saidthat schools are going torun till May 15.Considering the situation,proper arrangements forprotection from heatshould be made in schools.To avoid dehydration,there should be an

arrangement of salt-sugarsolution in schools. Theprayer assembly should beconducted in shady placesor in the school room it-self. The children must befamiliarized with the nec-essary guidelines to avoidheatstroke. Arrangementof food etc should be doneon time.

Collector further saidthat it should be ensuredthat the materials used inschools, Anganwadis, hos-tels and departmental of-fices are procured fromCmart or Gauthans.Gauthans are being estab-lished as rural livelihoodcentres. Gauthans are pro-ducing items like spicesand edible oil also.Vegetables are also beingproduced in the baadis.Items like soap, sanitizerare also being producedhere. He asked the officialsto make sure that all thepurchases are done fromthe women of SHGs. It willalso be useful from thepoint of view of increas-ing their income and alsogetting quality goods atlow cost.

Collector reviews water supply preparedness for summer season Instructs officials

to work on missionmode; avoidwastage of water

Bhilai, Apr 05:

March 07, 2022 was ared-letter day in the histo-ry of SAIL-Bhilai SteelPlant. On this day, thePlant crossed the land-mark of 200 MillionTonnes (MT) of CrudeSteel production. For thePlant producing steel fornational infrastructuredevelopment for nearly 63years, this was anotherday of pride and joy.

Of the total 200 MTcrude steel produced, theolder Steel Melting Shop 1(SMS 1) that was phasedout in recent years, has cu-mulatively produced121803072 T before it wasshut down. SMS 1 beganoperations with the inau-gural tapping ceremony ofthe first Open HearthFurnace that took placeon October 12, 1959.

The Open HearthFurnaces of SMS 1 weresubsequently replacedwith Twin HearthFurnaces. SMS 1 crossedthe 50 MT mark in cumu-lative production inAugust 1988, the 75 MTmark in cumulative pro-duction on August 11, 1999and 100 MT mark in cumu-lative production on Dec

26, 2009. By Oct 10, 2019,that is, in 60 years of itsjourney since inception,the SMS 1 had produced121.46 MT of crude steel.

The crude steel pro-duced in SMS 1 was usedto produce ingots thatwere further rolled intobillets in the bloomingand billet mill (BBM). Thebillets produced in BBMwere used to roll out mer-chant products includingTMT bars and rods in thePlant’s Merchant Mills &Wire Rod Mills. BBM hassince also been phasedout.

The Plant’s SteelMelting Shop 2 that cameup in the 1980s during the4 MT expansion with

Concast technology hascumulatively produced72125618 T of crude steeltill the 7th of March 22.SMS 2 produces cast slabsfor Plate Mill and castblooms for Rail & StrlMill.

The new and modernModex unit, Steel MeltingShop 3 that has come up aspart of the Plant’s 7 MTexpansion programmeand began initial opera-tions in March 2018 hascumulatively produced6083085 T of crude steel tillthe 7th of March 22. SMS 3produces cast billets forBar & Rod Mill, MerchantMill and Wire Rod Milland cast blooms forUniversal Rail Mill.

BSP crosses Historical Milestone of 200MT Cumulative Crude Steel Production

Bhilai, Apr 05:

Home MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu attend-ed the swearing-in cere-mony of Tehsil SahuSangh (Durg Rural) atGondwana Bhawan, CivilLines, Durg. All theguests congratulated thenewly elected office bear-ers of the Samaj. HomeMinister Tamradhwaj ad-ministered the oath to thenewly elected office bear-ers of Sahu Samaj.

Home MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu gracedthe function as chiefguest while District SahuSangh President RajeshSahu presided over.Former Cabinet MinisterRamsheela Sahu, FormerMinister JageshwarSahu, former MLA DrDaya Ram Sahu, FormerChairman HandicraftsBoard Deepak Sahu,Ramesh Sahu, Khilwan

Sahu, Nandlal Sahu andRajendra Sahu were pres-ent as special guests. Theprogramme commencedwith offering prayers toBhakt Mata Karma. Onthe occasion, HomeMinister TamradhwajSahu said that inspirationcomes from the society it-self. It has an importantrole in establishing anideal life. Samaj alwaysgives courage and faith.

Sahu Samaj has alwaysbeen exemplary as itmaintained social harmo-ny and brotherhood. Heasked the office bearers toprovide a good social at-mosphere to the cominggenerations. He said thatthe newly elected officebearers of the Samajshould maintain the dig-nity of their posts. Theymust remain kind andsimple to work for the

members of Sahu Samaj.They must help every per-son in the society and givegood values to the chil-dren.

He asked the youth notto forget the great person-alities of the Samaj andfollow the path shown bythem to maintain socialharmony. FormerMinister Ramsheela Sahucongratulated all the of-fice bearers and asked

them to work towardsbuilding a better society.Highlighting the ill effectsof drug addiction and in-toxication, she askedthem to make efforts forbuilding a drug-free andaddiction – free Samaj.Pritam Sahu delivered thewelcome address. GeneralSecretary UmashankarSahu proposed the vote ofthanks. Dayaram SahuGuruji conducted the pro-gramme. The newly elect-ed and nominated officebearers includingPresident Pusau RamSahu, Vice PresidentDayaram Sahu, VicePresident Sushil Sahu,General SecretaryUmashankar Sahu,Treasurer Dwarka Sahu,Assistant SecretaryPushpa Sahu, PublicitySecretary Chetan,Organization SecretarySumran Sahu and otherswere present.

Bhilai, Apr 05:

In the home constituen-cy of Home MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu,women are going to culti-vate sunflower andmarigold at Gauthan. Tomake women self-reliant,the authorities are not justproviding them opportuni-ty to work but are also pro-viding initial capital in theform of loans to thewomen SHGs through thelivelihood mission.Women will soon start self-employment activities inNewai Gauthan of RisaliMunicipal Corporation.

On Tuesday, Women andChild Development in-charge Ishwari Sahu ofRisali Municipal

Corporation distributedthe responsibility of work-ing in Newai Gauthan tothe registered womenSHGs. More than 10women self-help groupshad applied for 5 differentjobs. As the number ofgroups was more, the MiCdistributed the worksamong them through a

lucky draw system.It needs to be mentioned

here that during the lastMIC meeting, MayorShashi Sinha had empha-sized on providing employ-ment to women in the civicbody limits. Thereafter,the Women and ChildDevelopment Departmentin-charge encouraged

women groups to operateutensils banks in eachward. Now the work ofproviding employment inGauthans has been start-ed. A loan of Rs 3.15 lakhhas been provided toMahamaya Self HelpGroup, Newai throughLivelihood Mission for cul-tivation of vegetables and

sunflower in NewaiGauthan. ArunaDhritalhare and AyraBaghel, managers ofLivelihood Mission in-formed that Rs 2 lakhloans are also being pro-vided to other women.

Bharti Women Self HelpGroup will conductFisheries; Tulsi WomenSelf-Help Group will con-duct production of dispos-able cups and plates; JyotiKalash Women Self HelpGroup will conductPoultry Farming;Mahamaya Women SelfHelp Group will be in-volved in Vegetable,Sunflower Cultivation andJai Mata Di Self HelpGroup will cultivateJimikand and Marigold.

Five SHGs to conduct various activities in Newai Gauthan

Robert Poulose

BBhhiillaaii:: Robert Poulose left forheavenly abode at the age of80 years on March 03. Funeralprocession was taken out fromhis residence situated at 4/12Pragathi Nagar Risali onMonday. After the funeral serv-ice at Risali Church, last ritesof the mortal remains wereperformed. He was the fatherof Sajee, Sabu and Seema.

Obituary

Provide a better social atmosphere to the coming generations: Tamradhwaj Sahu

Bhilai, Apr 05:

Director I/c Bhilai SteelPlant, Anirban Dasguptaon Tuesday met membersof several Non-Works de-partments of the Plant tocongratulate them fortheir performances dur-ing fiscal year 2021-22.Director I/c was accompa-nied by ED (Mines &Rowghat) Manas Biswas,ED (M&HS) Dr S K Issar,ED (Projects) A K Bhatta,

ED (P&A) KK Singh andother senior officers ofthe Plant. Dasgupta andother senior officers wentto Ispat Bhavan wherethey met members ofMaterials ManagementDepartment, FinanceDepartment, MarketingDepartment, MinesDepartment, C & ITDepartment, PersonnelDepartment and severalother departments withoffices in Ispat Bhavan in-

cluding INCOS, EDD,RDCIS, CET etc. This wasfollowed by a visit to theHuman ResourcesDevelopment Departmentand Projects Department.Addressing members ofeach of these depart-ments, Dasgupta andExecutive Directors con-gratulated them for theirperformances in fiscalyear 2021-22 and spelt outchallenges before them inthe new fiscal year 2022-23.

Director I/c congratulates Non-WorksDepts for their role in plant performance

Spells out Challenges in New Fiscal Year

Bhilai, Apr 05: SeniorCorporator VashisthNarayan Mishra has re-quested the ChiefMinister to increase theseats in Swami AtmanandGovernment EnglishSchool, Sector 6. Mishrasaid that the Bhilai SteelPlant management hasgradually closed down 67schools which were run byits education department.About 5000 to 10000 chil-dren of BSP employees,private sector workers,labourers and underprivi-leged sections were study-ing in these schools.Closure of BSP schoolshas made an adverse im-

pact on their studies.Further, in the last twoyears of Covid Pandemic,many people working inthe private sector have losttheir jobs or are facingacute financial crises.Such parents are unable tobear the fees of privateschools. Mishra further

said that on ChiefMinister’s initiative, 16schools (SAGES) havebeen opened in the districtand 152 schools have beenopened in the state in thelast two years. But the situ-ation in Bhilai is deterio-rating as the BSP hasclosed down its 67 schools.Mishra said that after theannouncement made bythe Chief Minister, SAGESis being run at the Sector 6school. He demanded thatjust like Old Bhilai School,new sections should beopened for classes 1 to 12 atthis school. This initiativewill greatly benefit thechildren in Bhilai.

Vashisth requests CM to increase seats in SAGES

Bhilai, Apr 05:

The National ServiceScheme students ofChhattisgarh AgriculturalCollege, Risali Dhanorastaged a street play in AtalChowk in Dhanora forspreading awareness onnutrition of pregnantwomen and children. Thisprogramme was a part ofthe Nutrition Fortnightobserved during March 21to April 04. Through thisstreet play, the studentsgave information aboutgood health and other top-ics related to pregnantwomen and children.Through this play, the stu-

dents explained to the vil-lagers the importance of abalanced diet for pregnantwomen and children, dis-eases caused by malnutri-tion and their prevention.For maintaining elec-trolyte balance in the bodyand preventing dehydra-tion during summer, they

suggested consumingfruits and vegetables ac-cording to the season likewatermelon, melon, cu-cumber etc.

BSc (Agriculture) Firstyear students includingAastha, Ananya, Ritika,Ankita, Pratham Soni,Tanveer, Neeraj, Dojesh,Hemant Raj, ShyamSundar, Ratnesh,Suryadeep, Muktesh,Rajiv and Takendra stagedthe street plant. NationalService Scheme officerVivek Pandey, PrincipalDr Shubhendu Roy andSarpanch Manish Sahuwere present in this pro-gramme.

Agricultural College students spreadawareness through street plays

Bhilai, Apr 05:

On the auspicious occa-sion of Navratri, theAradhya Durga MahilaSamiti opened a waterkiosk in Ashish Nagar. Inview of the summer sea-son, they opened this kiosk

for the passersby. TheSamiti has been involvedin various social serviceactivities for the past sev-eral years. Social WorkerSuman Thakur inaugurat-ed the kiosk. SamitiPresident Archana Saharespoke about the social

service initiatives of thesamiti. Manju Ghosh con-ducted the programme.Prayers were offered toMaa Durga at DurgaManch in Ashish NagarRisali. Samiti PatronPratibha Singh, PrachiSingh, Rita Bhatnagar,

Mamta, Swati Parmar,Divya Singh Rekha Singh,Shipra Majumdar, Vimla,Meenu Pandey, Shiny,Usha Paithankar, PadmaSahu, Hemlata Singh,Laxmi Yadav, Julie Guptaand Poonam Singh werepresent.

Aradhya Durga Mahila Samiti opens water kiosk

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06 2022

COLOURFUL LIGHTING

The temple of ‘Maa Mahamaya’ in capital city has been lighted with colourful lights on occasion of ‘Chaitra Navratri’

CM pays tribute to Dau KalyanSingh on his birth anniversary

Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 05: ChiefMinister BhupeshBaghel paid tribute to so-cial worker and greatphilanthropist ofChhattisgarh, DauKalyan Singh by payingfloral tributes on his por-trait at his residence of-fice here. IndustriesMinister, Kawasi

Lakhma was also presenton the occasion. ChiefMinister Baghel said thatDau Kalyan Singh is fa-mous for charity inChhattisgarh. He was al-ways ready to serve thepoor and downtrodden.Chief Minister Baghelsaid that Dau KalyanSingh donated severalacres of land with freehands for many workslike DKS Hospital,Raipur, many other hos-pitals, libraries, collegesand reservoirs etc. Thishelped in providing easyeducation and medical fa-cilities to every section ofthe society. He said thatDau ji’s virtuous deedswill always be remem-bered. His name will al-ways be taken with re-spect in Chhattisgarh.

Khairagarh, Apr 05:Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel conducted massivecampaigning for partycandidate Yashoda Vermafor Khairagarh by-pollholding public meetings inBakarkatta, Salhewara,Palimeta villages. In thesemeetings, people in largenumber attended the gath-ering. At many places CMalso addressed press con-ference and came downheavily against the BJPand its leaders.

CM Baghel said that itwas former PM Late AtalBehari Vajpayee whopromised to form newState of Chhattisgarh ifBJP wins all 11 LS seats inthe state and questionedwhether it was clear-cutnegotiation or not? Onthis Baghel said as to whythe BJP leaders are hav-

ing problem over his dec-laration of formation ofnew district ofKhairagarh.

Speaking to media per-sons Baghel said thatRaman Singh led BJP gov-ernment in the state forlast 15 yrs and never madeKhairagarh as a newDistrict. But now it is theCongress party which haspromised to formKhairagarh as newDistrict and still BJP lead-ers are having problems.CM Baghel charged thatBJP is a rumour spread-ing machine.

CM Baghel further saidthat the party has neithermentioned about victoryof Congress candidate orformation of new districtwithin 24 hrs of winning

Khairagarh by-poll, in lieuof it. The people demand-ing formation of new dis-trict of Khairagarh werereportedly beaten up bypro-BJP workers and lead-ers on Raman Singh be-hest, Baghel charged andadded that Raman Singhhas always ignoredKhairagarh. They wereeven put behind bars.Baghel said that the de-mand for formation ofKhairagarh as district hasbeen there since begin-ning.

Further CM Baghel saidthat the BJP has startedinviting leaders, CMsfrom other state for cam-paigning and this clearlyindicates that BJP has al-ready accepted its defeat.During the election cam-paign by CM, cabinetMinisters RavindraChoubey, Kawasi Lakhma,PCC Chief MohanMarkam, and other lead-ers were also present. CMon this occasion urged thepeople to vote in favour ofCongress candidate andmake her victorious.

RRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: ChiefMinister Bhupesh Baghelhas made a big announce-ment for the candidates ofcompetitive examination.He has said that no fee willbe charged for the exami-nation conducted by the

Special Junior StaffSelection Board.

It is worth mentioningthat the Chief Ministeralready made an announce-ment in the state budgetexempting local candidatesfrom paying examinationfees in exams conducted bystate PSC and professionalexamination board(Vyapam). Now there is awave of joy among candi-dates with the announce-ment of examination feewaiver for exams conduct-ed by Special Junior StaffSelection Board.

It is worth mentioningthat the NSUI members metthe Chief Minister today

and demanded to waive offexamination fee. ChiefMinister Mr. Baghel madean immediate announce-ment to waive off the exam-ination fee. Studentspreparing for the examina-tions said that this decisionwill bring great relief to thestudents belonging toweaker sections as manycandidates used to face dif-ficulties in paying examina-tion fee due to lack ofmoney.

Meanwhile, examinationis being conducted by theSpecial Junior StaffSelection Board for thethird and fourth grade postsin Bastar and Surguja.

Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 05: A high-voltage drama prevailed infront of AmbedkarHospital on Tuesdaymorning after a youngman climbed on the sky-walk built right in front ofthe Hospital and keptthreatening to commit sui-cide by jumping down onbeing denied proper treat-ment in the hospital. Thepassers-by gathered in thearea soon on seeing himhanging on the skywalk

and informed the police.MLA Kuldeep Juneja

too reached the spot fromnearby Devendra NagarChowk immediately after

receiving information andtried to urge the youngman to come down. Butthe young man kept sayingthat he would get downonly after arrival of SP andCollector. This young mannamed Saket, said that hewas upset because of not

getting proper treatment inAmbedkar Hospital andthat he would like to com-mit suicide. The people, po-lice and fire departmenttried to persuade him forabout 45 minutes to comedown but he kept threaten-ing to jump down.

Fire department’s rescueteam member AnilMandlay, Yogesh and Penuclimbed the bridge whiletrying to persuade him. Butthen the young manhanged upside down withthe help of his leg. He thenjumped off. Laxmi Verma,Rajesh Kashyap, KhumanVerma, Stephen, IshwarRao of the second team ofthe fire department presentalong with the police

caught the young man. Theyouth also suffered minorinjuries. He was admittedto Ambedkar Hospital fortreatment. According to theinformation available, theyoung man named Saket isa resident of Satna inMadhya Pradesh. Due tolack of treatment in thehospital, he got into an ar-gument with the hospitalstaff, after which he cameout of the hospital andclimbed the skywalk infront of it. Situation oftraffic jam was also createdon the road. Police are nowtracing the family mem-bers of the youth. Actioncan also be taken againsthim for his attempt tocommit suicide.

Youth jumps off skywalk while threatening to commit suicideComplains of lackof treatment inhospital

Was Atalji’s demand for11 LS seats not a deal: CM

Questions as towhy BJP is havingproblem on forma-tion of newKhairagarh district

‘Exemption of examination fee forexam conducted by State PSC’

CM makes a bigannouncement forthe candidates ofcompetitive exami-nation

Wave of joy amongthe candidates ofcompetitive exami-nations

Raipur, Apr 05: Water cri-sis in Birgaon MunicipalCorporation area is ex-pected to be resolved soon.The residents of Birgaonwill start getting clean andplentiful water for useshortly. Collector SourabhKumar held a marathonmeeting with the officialsregarding the shortage ofwater in Birgaon. RaipurRural Area MLASatyanarayan Sharmawas also present in themeeting. Sharma alsoagreed to use the MLAfund to solve the waterproblem in Birgaon andasked the officials to takeall possible measures to

solve the problem at theearliest.

In this high level meet-ing, Collector SourabhKumar reviewed in depththe reasons for the prob-lem of water scarcity andwater contamination inBirgaon MunicipalCorporation area and in-structed the officers totake prompt action tosolve it. The Collector in-structed CSIDC officerspresent in the meeting toimmediately supply oneand a half MLD waterfrom Urla’s water treat-

ment plant to BirgaonMunicipal Corporation.

The Collector also askedthe Water ResourcesDepartment to make avail-able water from BendriAnicut to BirgaonMunicipal Corporationfrom the intake well ofCSIDC at the earliest. Healso instructed the offi-cers of Raipur MunicipalCorporation to supplywater to BirgaonMunicipal Corporationfrom overhead reservoirof Khamtrai on the basisof need and availability.

The collector also askedto take information aboutthe water available atpresent in the factoriesand tube wells of facto-ries in Urla industrialarea. Proper arrange-ments of transportationfor water supply will bemade by BirgaonMunicipal Corporation.Kumar also directed theofficers to ensure thattankers are arranged inadequate number forwater transportation.

During the discussionon the problem of con-taminated water, the offi-cials said that the prob-lem of contaminatedwater arose due to lowwater level in Kharunriver. The Collector alsoconstituted a committeeof officers ofEnvironment PollutionControl Board under the

chairmanship of SDM toinvestigate the ETP of in-dustries attached to theTendua Nala. Kumar alsodirected to appoint anagency for regular check-ing of water quality ofwater treatment plants ofBirgaon MunicipalCorporation and CSIDCin the meeting. MunicipalCorporation RaipurCommissioner PrabhatMalik, BirgaonMunicipal CorporationCommissioner ShrikantVerma, Water ResourcesDepartment, CSIDC offi-cials along with DistrictCooperative BankPresident PankajSharma, Mayor NandlalDevangan, ChairmanKriparam Nishad, MICmembers Ikram Ahmed,Om Prakash Sahu andShiv Sahu also attendedthe meeting.

Birgaon residents to get enough water soon1.5 MLD water to beavailable from UrlaWater TreatmentPlant

Certificates to be distributed to all eligible

students by April 30RRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: CollectorSourabh Kumar informedthat a camp would be organ-ized for making and distrib-uting caste, residence andincome certificates ofschool students. The collec-tor has directed all the sub-divisional magistrates,through a letter, to ensuredistribution of residence,caste and income certifi-cates of all the charactersby April 30.

He instructed to makecertificates on all the appli-cations that are pending inthe offices so far and dis-tribute them at the schoollevel. Collector has askedthe concerned officers totake personal interest in thiswork and do it seriously. Hehas also asked the BlockEducation Officer andTehsildar to cooperate inthis work at the block level.

Raipur, Apr 05: If Indiahas to become Super Powerand fulfill the responsibilityof India’s independence,then every youth of thiscountry will have to take apledge to serve the nationfor the first two years beforestarting their career afterstudies. Freedom isachieved by sacrifices andits dream can also be real-ized by sacrifice. Makeyouth life meaningful bytaking this resolution.These were said by MukulKanitkar, All IndiaOrganization Secretary ofBharatiya ShikshanMandal as a keynote speak-er in a discussion on thetopic of responsibility offreedom at Mats University.

Kanitkar said that todaywhen the whole country iscelebrating 75 years of in-dependence, then we needto remember how many he-roes sacrificed their lives

for the sake of independ-ence, dedicated themselfand devoted his youth.Kanatkar said that startingfrom the struggle that thetribal brothers of our forestdwelling area, then the warof 1857 and various types ofagitations. How many peo-ple have given their wholelife to their country? Ourcountry is free today due tothe sacrifice of thousandsof heroes who laid downtheir dreams of life for themotherland in their youth.What is the responsibilityof this freedom, the free-

dom which is got after sac-rifice, we have to fulfill theresponsibility of it in ourlife. Every youth of thiscountry, before deciding thedirection of their life, be-fore building their career,have to decide that theyshould serve the nation forat least two years. The spe-cial guest of the program,Chairman, ChhattisgarhYoga Commission, GyaneshSharma said that there is aneed for everyone to under-stand how important yogais for every person, espe-cially the students. In the

Corona period of two years,we have got this lesson thathealth is important inhuman life. We all shouldmake yoga a part of ourdaily routine.

Earlier, Chancellor ofMats University, GajrajPagaria said that today isan important day for MatsUniversity as MukulKanitkar is present amongus who is known through-out the country. He has ded-icated his entire life for theupliftment and moderniza-tion of education. It is theresult of his efforts that theemployment oriented neweducation policy was imple-mented. On this occasion,the guests inaugurated thelatest fully equipped yogahall and psychology lab atMats University. GajrajPagaria, Chancellor ofMats University felicitatedall the guests with memen-toes.

Serve the nation for two years prior to your career: KanitkarRRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: Social WelfareMinister Mrs. Anila Bhendia hassaid that Yoga is the basis of ahealthy lifestyle. Yoga keeps usconnected with nature. Yogainfuses positive energy alongwith physical strength in us. Hesaid that Yoga played a positiverole in removing the physical andmental problems faced by thepeople during the time of Coronapandemic. Mr. Bhedia wasaddressing a yoga conferenceand felicitation program organ-ized by the Yoga Commission atLakhiram Auditorium in Bilaspuron Monday. Chairman ofChhattisgarh Yoga CommissionMr. Gyanesh Sharma, Mayor Mr.Ramsharan Yadav, Chairman ofMunicipal Corporation Mr.Sheikh Nazruddin, President ofChhattisgarh State Co-operativeHousing Association Mr. AshokAgrawal, President of DistrictCo-operative Central Bank Mr.Pramod Nayak, former MLA ofBilha Mr. Siyaram Kaushik, for-mer Mayor Mrs. Vani Rao, for-mer Mayor, Rajesh Pandey,

Member of Yoga Commission,Ravinder Singh, Bilaspur IG,Ratanlal Dangi were speciallypresent.

Mrs. Bhedia said that theimportance of yoga increaseseven more in managing thedecreasing physical immunity,

stressful and hectic lifestyle.There is a need for awareness ofYoga among all the people of thesociety. So that we can becomecooperative in building a healthysociety, state and country. Heappealed to all the people of thestate to compulsorily include

yoga in their daily routine tokeep the body and mind healthy.State Yoga CommissionChairman, Gyanesh Sharma saidthat Yoga Commission is contin-uously working towards makingpeople aware of Yoga. He high-lighted the efforts being madeby the Yoga Commission. MayorRamsharan Yadav said that Yogashould be included as a subjectin the school curriculum. In theprogram, Minister Mrs. Bhediafelicitated yoga institutes,Brahma Kumaris, Art of Living,Patanjali, Gayatri Sansthan andShuddha Yoga Center, Head ofDepartments and Professors ofYoga in universities, Yogainstructors includingYogacharyas by giving citationand insignia. On this occasion,school children and yoga instruc-tors performed various yogapostures. A large number of dig-nitaries, including member ofState Child ProtectionCommission, Mrs. PoojaKhanuja, were present in theaward ceremony.

Yoga is the basis of healthy lifestyle: Bhedia

Administrative approvalof Rs 1.70 cr granted

RRaaiippuurr,, AApprr 0055:: As per thedirection of Chief Minister Mr.Bhupesh Baghel, dykes arebeing constructed for the con-servation and promotion ofground water in rivers andstreams in the state. In connec-tion with the approval of dykeconstruction by the Ministry ofWater Resources, approval hasbeen given for construction ofdyke on Shivnath River nearvillage Kukurdi under Masturidevelopment block of Bilaspurdistrict. Administrativeapproval of Rs one crore 70lakh 38 thousand has beengiven to Chief Engineer HasdeoKacchar Bilaspur for this work.The construction of this dykewill prevent and utilize the sub-surface flow water as well asincrease the ground waterlevel of the nearby villages.

Rabi Loan worth 666 crprovided to farmers

RRaaiippuurr:: So far, a loan of Rs 666crore 5 lakh has been given bythe state government to thefarmers for the cultivation ofRabi crops, which is 129 per-cent more than the target dis-bursement of Rs 600 crore loanfor Rabi crops. This loan isbeing provided to the farmersthrough cooperative societieswithout any interest. So far, aloan of Rs 666 crore 5 lakh hasbeen disbursed to the farmersfor the Rabi season.

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

WARNING SIGNALS

With plastic and other waste including drain water getting mixed into ponds, its existence is in danger and water is of no use.

Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 04: TheGovernor, Ms. AnusuiyaUikey, participated in the‘White Coat Ceremony’ ofthe B.D.S. students, firstyear at Dr. HarvanshSingh Judge DentalInstitute organised byPunjab University inChandigarh. The programwas duly started by light-ing the lamp by GovernorMs. Uikey and co-guests.On this occasion, theGovernor gave white coatsto the students enteringthe institute and askedthem to study better in themedical field and work forthe service of humanity. Itis noteworthy that PunjabUniversity is one of theoldest and prestigious uni-versities, which was estab-lished in 1882 in Lahore.About 200 colleges are run-ning under it. Addressingthe ‘White CoatCeremony’, Governor Ms.

Uikey said that the whitecoat you got today has aspecial significance. Thiscoat is a sign of trust aswell as giving you aunique identity among thegeneral public. May youall maintain the dignity ofthis coat and follow yourresponsibilities.

Governor Ms. Uikeysaid that the ‘White CoatCeremony’ is a golden op-portunity for the studentsof the medical institute, sothat the students taking

admission in the instituteget information abouttheir professors and the in-stitute which improvestheir college and academicexperience. On this occa-sion, congratulating allthe students getting ad-mission and wished themall the best for their brightfuture. Governor Ms.Uikey said that two timesare very important for anyeducational institution.One is the time when stu-dents take admission in

the institute to fulfill theirdreams and the other leavethe institute for practicaluse of the education ac-quired after study. I believethat the campus whereyouths build their dreamsmust be welcome. Thiswelcome ceremony willsurely boost the confi-dence and encouragementof the students. He saidthat this golden timewould inculcate in the stu-dents of Dental Collegethe sensitivity and respon-sibility of their profession.This White CoatCeremony will emphasizeon continuing its princi-ples of education, health,research, patient serviceand care in line with theobjectives of the establish-ment. Dental studentswork to give people ahealthy smile. Like vari-ous fields of medical sci-ence, dentistry has its ownspecial importance.

There is a need to makepeople aware about thespecial care of teeth alongwith other parts of thebody. The spirit of serviceis the core of the medicalprofession. You all have tobe sensitive and serve the

patients. Patients willcome to you with great ex-pectation. Your effortshould be to remove theirproblems and give themhealth benefits. The exam-ple set by the people work-ing in the medical field byserving humanity in thedifficult times of Covidcannot be forgotten.Choosing this as a profes-sion is an important deci-sion for all of young stu-dents which will give youspecial experience as wellas self-satisfaction. Thissector of service is notonly reputed but will playa role in building a healthysociety.

The program was at-tended by the ViceChancellor of PunjabUniversity, Professor,Rajkumar, Dean Professor,Renu Vig, RegistrarVikram Nayar, DeanResearch, ProfessorSudhir, ControllerProfessor Jagat Bhushan,Dr. Harvansh Singh JudgeInstitute of DentalSciences and HospitalPrincipal ProfessorHemant Batra, professors,principals and studentswere present.

Governor participates in White Coat Ceremony Of Dr. HarvanshSingh Judge DentalInstitute,Chandigarh

Raipur, Apr 04: StateHome MinisterTamradhwaj Sahu inaugu-rated the newly construct-ed mural on the boundarywall of Directorate ofSainik Welfare, Raipur ina special function. Thesefrescoes depict various ac-tivities of the IndianArmed Forces. Thesenewly constructed fres-coes on the boundary wallof Sainik Kalyan Complexshow the historical workdone by the Indian forcesand the strength of thearmy. By displaying thebravery of the armythrough graffiti, it will actas an inspiration for theyouth of the state, whichwill attract the attention ofthe youth towards thearmy and will motivatethem to join the Indianarmy. Home MinisterSahu also released thenewly constructed audito-rium and upgrade website

of Rajya Sainik WelfareBoard (RSWB) on this oc-casion.

In the program, HomeMinister, TamradhwajSahu felicitated the bravemother of martyr Lt. RajivPandey (Vir Chakra) withshawl and shriphal andhanded over the grant ofex-servicemen beneficiar-ies. The Home Minister,Tamradhwaj Sahu, in hisaddress, appreciated the

valor, sacrifice and dedica-tion of the soldiers and as-sured all possible help forthe welfare of the ex-ser-vicemen. He also appreci-ated the undertakings ofSainik Welfare Board andJhanda Day Fund.

During this, the HomeMinister interacted withthe ex-servicemen andtheir families and assuredto solve their problems.The Home Minister,

Tamradhwaj Sahu, in hisaddress, appreciated thevalor, sacrifice and dedica-tion of the soldiers and as-sured all possible help forthe welfare of the ex-ser-vicemen. He also appreci-ated the workings ofSainik Welfare Board anddonated Rs 11001 to FlagDay Fund. On this occa-sion, the Home Ministerinteracted with the ex-ser-vicemen and their familiesand assured to solve theirproblems. The programwas attended by MLA andHousing Board,Chairman, KuldeepJuneja, DhananjayDevangan, Secretary,Home Department, MajorGeneral Sanjay Sharma(Retd), Air Commodore SKSingh, Commander, AntiNaxal Task Force,Pradeep Tandon,President Jindal Steel andother dignitaries werepresent.

Tamradhwaj Sahu inauguratesauditorium in RSWB office

Bemetara, Apr 05:Chaitra NavratriMahaparva was celebratedin the campus of AllonsPublic School (Pre-PrimaryDepartment) this morningfor Chaitra Pratipada,Nutanvarsh and MangalKamna. Dr. Satyajit Hota,Principal of the School in-augurated the programmeby offering flowers at thefeet of Maa Durga andlighting a lamp . In his ad-dress, he first greeted tinytots for the New Year andsaid that Navratri is a veryunique and wonderful festi-val for grooming and refin-ing oneself in the twilightof two seasons. From

Pratipada to Navami ofShukla Paksha of Chaitramonth, this festival is cele-brated with great gaiety.The first day is the day ofworship of MotherShailputri. Parvati, thedaughter of the Himalayas,is also the protector of allwild animals and the fierceascetic, the trishul in theright hand of Shailputriwhich symbolizes religion,meaning and salvation.The same lotus floweradorned in the left handgives the message of stay-ing away from it by stayingin the gross world. Weshould worship the nineforms of Mother Goddess

with full devotion and law.On the second day ofNavratri, Brahmanchariniis worshipped. Brahmameans one self -existentspirit, the sacred wisdom.and charini means one whobehaves. By worshipping it,man is always cool anddoes not deviate from hispath. He said that thevirtues derived from thesenine forms of mothershould be given to the stu-dents through teachers. Onthe third day, the form ofthe lunar hour is as brightas gold, we should try tohave the same brightnessinside us. The Tiny Tots ofthe school received bless-ings by supplicating at thefeet of Mother Goddess.Thereafter, the programmewas concluded by distribut-ing prasad.

The school managementKamaljit Arora, DirectorPushkal Arora, SchoolAdministrator SunilSharma, Madam RuchiArora, parents and teach-ers were present at theevent.

Ambikapur, Apr 05:Surguja Police has nabbed3 accused involved in morethan 40 odd theft incidentsand the accused have beenarrested from UP and

Madhya Pradesh. ThePolice has also recoveredcash and gold, silver jew-elleries worth Rs 4.5 lakhfrom their possession.

As per information inthis regard, Surguja Policehas taken into arrested 3accused involved in morethan 40 theft incidents inthe region. All the three

accused have conductedtheft in Ambikapur,Kotwali Thana andGandhi Nagar thana area.There are total of 36 casesof theft against the thievesand the Police has also re-covered 458 gms gold, 2.50kg Silver jewelleries andcash of Rs 4.5 lakh, total-ing more than Rs 30 lakhs.

Three nabbed with cash, jewelleries worth Rs 30 lakhWere involved inmore than 40 theftsin Ambikapur region

Prayers held in Allons premises Minor administrativechanges in CU

BBiillaassppuurr,, AApprr 0055:: GuruGhasidas University, Dr. AjaySingh, Assistant Professor,Law Department is appointedas Head of Department incharge of Law Department inplace of Dr. Sagar KumarJaisawal, Assistant Professor,Law Department, till furtherorders for smooth operation ofvarious administrativearrangement.

Smooth operation of variousadministrative arrangements,the following teachers areappointed as Superintendentsof the hostels mentionedagainst their names till furtherorders. Teacher Dr SanoshSoni, Asst. Prof. Deptt of ITand Dr Sanjay Kumar Bharti,Asst. Prof. Deptt of Pharmacyhave been appointed as in-charge of Swami VivekanandBoys’ Hostel and Dr RK SharmaAsst. Prof. Deptt of Economichas been appointed as in-charge of ShaheedVeernarayan Singh Boys’Hostel and and Dr AK Singh,Asst. Prof. Forestry Deptt as in-charge of Dr BR AmbedkarBoys’ Hostel. This order hasbeen brought into order withimmediate effect.

Raipur, Apr 05: Eighty sixper cent of the populationabove 18 years and 48 percent children in 15 to 18years age group in the stateare now fully vaccinatedagainst Covid-19. In boththe age groups, one crore 68

lakh 47 thousand 820 andseven lakh 89 thousand 423people have been adminis-tered both doses of the vac-cine respectively. One crore76 lakh 37 thousand 243 peo-ple are fully vaccinated inthe state so far (till April 4).Similarly, precaution doseshave been administered tofour lakh 40 thousand 754health workers, frontlineworkers and people above60 years of age. Four lakh 13thousand 301 children inthe age group of 12 to 14years have been adminis-tered first dose of the vac-cine.

The first dose of Covid-19vaccine has been adminis-tered to nearly 100 per centof the population above 18years and 69 per cent ofchildren in 15 to 18 yearsage group in the state. Thisincludes one crore 98 lakh

39 thousand 909 citizensabove 18 years and 11 lakh34 thousand 701 adolescentsof 15 to 18 years. A total of

three crore 94 lakh 65 thou-sand 908 vaccines have beenadministered so far acrossthe state, including both the

aforementioned age groups,precaution doses and chil-dren in 12 to 14 years agegroup in the state.

86% adult population and 48% children fully jabbedIn 15 to 18 years agegroup in Ch’garh

Precaution dosesadministered to4.41 lakh people,4.13 lakh children in12 to 14 age grouphave received theirfirst dose

A total of 3.95 crCovid-19 vaccinesadministered in thestate so far

Raipur, Apr 05: Numberof active COVID-19 casesin the state is steadily de-creasing because of thespeedy recovery of COVIDpatients and decline in thenumber of new patientsidentified per day. At pres-ent, the number of activeCOVID infected patientsin the state is 88 and thereis no active COVID patientin Bemetara,Mahasamund, Gariaband,Janjgir-Champa, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Kankerand Narayanpur districts

of the state. The currentaverage positivity rate ofthe state is 0.17 percent.

No new case of coronahas been reported in 20districts of the state as onApril 4. On this day, 7217samples were testedacross the state, in which12 were found COVID-in-fected. No cases werefound in 20 districts of thestate includingRajnandgaon, Balod,Bemetara, Kabirdham,Balodabazar-Bhatapara,M a h a s a m u n d ,

Gariaband, Raigarh,J a n j g i r - C h a m p a ,Mungeli, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Sarguja,Koriya, Surajpur,Jashpur, Bastar,Kondagaon, Dantewada,Kanker and Narayanpuron April 4. On this day onecase each was found inDurg, Raipur, Dhamtari,Balrampur-Ramanujganjand Bijapur, two each inKorba and Sukma andthree people in Bilaspurhave been found COVIDinfected.

Steady decline in the number of COVID patients in state Central Chronicle News

Raipur, Apr 05: In afashion show organizedby Fashion Affinity atCourtyard Marriott, aprestigious hotel inRaipur, the capital ofChhattisgarh, DrSandhya Sahu of the cap-ital was honored withthe award of MrsRajdhani. Dr. SandhyaSahu was also given thetitle of Mrs Face of theYear 2022. Dr Sandhyahas been selected for theMrs India fashion com-petition to be held at thenational level soon inGoa, in which she willalso participate.

The final round of thiscompetition was heldfrom 27 to 30 March. Dr

Sandhya is a homeopath-ic doctor by professionand at the same time sheis also fond of modeling.Dr Sandhya also goes toremote and inaccessibleareas and treats the poorfree of cost. This awardis considered a very pres-tigious award.

In this fashion show,director of Mumbai’s fa-mous film productionhouse Mayur da ji, filmmaker Deepak, directorof this program AnitaKhandelwal, MissUniverse ShahnazSheikh, Miss FeminaApoorva, film actressLeslie Tripathi, IshantKesarwani RohitTripathi LakshyaChoure and other digni-taries were present.

Dr Sandhya Sahu becomes MrsRajdhani and Face of the Year 2022

Raipur, Apr 05: TheHealth Department hascalled for vaccination ofall infants and high-risk

individuals againstHepatitis B as part of theroutine immunizationprogramme. If hepatitisis not treated on time, itcauses liver failure orliver cancer. Hepatitis isan infectious disease thatdamages the liver bycausing inflammation. Ifhepatitis is not treated ontime, it can be fatal.

Under the NationalViral Hepatitis ControlProgram, there is a sys-tem of free investigationand treatment of dis-eases caused by hepatitisinfection in the state.There is a facility for itstesting with rapid diag-

nostic kits up to the subhealth center level in thestate. It is examined andtreated free of cost in alldistrict hospitals andhospitals affiliated togovernment medical col-leges.

State Nodal Officer ofNational Viral HepatitisControl Program DrDharmendra Gahvaisaid that mainly fourviruses A, B, C and E areconsidered to be thecause of this disease. Ofthese, hepatitis A and Eare less serious and usu-ally short-term infec-tions. In most cases, theygo away on their own. It

is caused by eating con-taminated food or drink-ing contaminated water.Hepatitis B and C are themore serious types of thevirus and cause long-term (chronic) infectionsof the liver. Infectionwith the hepatitis B or Cvirus can cause severeliver damage, which canlead to liver failure fromliver cirrhosis and, insome cases, liver cancer.

Dr Gahvai informedthat the hepatitis B and Cinfection spreadsthrough contaminatedblood transfer from an in-fected person. It can bespread from person to

person through drug in-jection and sharing nee-dles, unprotected earpiercing or tattooing, un-protected sex, sharingshaving razors, nail cut-ters, etc. It can also betransmitted from a preg-nant woman to a new-born baby. In most peo-ple, hepatitis B or C infec-tion occurs withoutsymptoms in the earlystages. Late detection ofthe disease leads to se-vere liver damage andcomplications of liverfailure.

If hepatitis C is detect-ed in the early stages, itcan be treated with medi-

cines for three to sixmonths. Hepatitis Bvirus infection is notcompletely curable, but itcan be effectively treatedwith the use of medi-cines. This keeps mostpatients healthy duringtheir lifetime. All infantsand high-risk adults arenow vaccinated againsthepatitis B. They must bevaccinated to protectthem from hepatitis.Unless the infection is di-agnosed, monitored andtreated, many people caneventually develop seri-ous life-threatening liverdisease.

The World Health

Organization has startedcelebrating WorldHepatitis Day on 28 Julyevery year to bringawareness about hepati-tis and to inform peopleabout its detection andtreatment.

The World HealthOrganization is activelycampaigning to elimi-nate viral hepatitis by2030. The Government ofIndia has launched theNational Viral HepatitisControl Program fromthe year 2018 to controland prevent Hepatitis.Under this, free screen-ing and treatment of dis-eases caused by hepatitis

infection is done.All children and ado-

lescents who are underthe age of 18 and whohave not previously beenvaccinated should get thehepatitis B vaccine.People who frequentlyneed blood or blood prod-ucts, patients on dialysis,recipients of solid organtransplants, and inmatesin prisons must get theinjection.

Health workers andothers who may comeinto contact with bloodand blood products in thecourse of their workshould also be vaccinatedagainst hepatitis B.

Babies and high-risk individuals must be vaccinated against hepatitis BHepatitis may raiserisk of liver failureor liver cancer if nottreated on time

Rapid diagnostic kittesting up to thesub-health centerlevel, free testingand treatment indistrict hospitalsand medical collegehospitals

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

MMaaiinnppuurr,, AApprr 0055:: Electricityreached here in villageKaridongri, after 75 years ofindependence, and the vil-lagers welcomed the illumina-tion by worshipping on thefirst day of Navratri festival.The region also resonated inslogans for the state govern-ment appreciating its develop-mental schemes. The villagesituated in the extremes ofgram Panchayat Mardakala, isstill tough to reach, due to lackof pucca roads and bridges,and the coming of power sup-

ply is all set to change the livesof many villagers, especiallythe youth population. The vil-lagers of the region were longtrying to get electricity con-nection in the region andunder the leadership of YuvaCongress Grameen PresidentYashwant Yadav and NutanMarkam had submitted memo-randum to ministers and offi-cials pertaining the issue.Taking the issue on a seriousnote, the administration in thepast six months erected 60-70electricity polls in the region

and electricity supply wasfinally started. The people ofthe region have thanked theCM, Ministers and officials forthe electricity supply and haveopined that the power supplywill finally aid in helping thechildren study in night hoursand the operation of tube wellsin summers. Present wereYashwant Yadav, BaishakuramNagesh, Nutan Markam,Bhuneshwar Patel, NarsinghNagesh , Rameshwar Netamand hundreds of villagers werepresent.

Electricity reaches Karidongriafter 75 yrs of Independence Konta, Apr 05:

Sand mafia ChithluriRajesh, a resident ofKonta in Sukma district ofChhattisgarh state, hasbeen sitting as a sand con-tractor for the last 05,06years, not doing his teach-ing work. It is to beknown that 05 years backteacher Rajesh throughhis father took a tender inthe name of his father,after which his father dieda few years later. Afterthe death of the father, thetender was changed in thename of his mother, Mrs.CH Padmavati, who livesin her home village. Thesand tender is only for thename of the parents, butthe whole work is done bytheir son teacher Rajesh,where in some bills likeway-bill, pit-pass bill, thesignature of the personwho got the tender, thatsignature is also there.Rajesh himself does it.

Rajesh has been busydoing sand work for manyyears by not attending hisacademic work. InSukma district, the spiritsof many sand mafia likeRajesh (teacher) are sohigh that even flout therules of governance andadministration. Evenafter being a governmentemployee, Rajesh has nofear of the administra-tion. Instructions weregiven to the district officerto take strict actionagainst illegal miningmafia, but Sukma districtadministration does nottake any action againstsuch people.

Teacher CH Rajesh hasbeen engaged in contract-ing works by staying inKonta Nagar by not givinghis presence in his origi-nal posted schoolGattapad for many years.For many years, his salaryis being withdrawn everymonth by the Education

Department without anyinquiry. According to theinformation, CH Rajesh iswithdrawing his salary bysetting up Sarpanch,Secretary and CAC.

The biggest thing is thatCH Rajesh has been post-ed as Class III employee inthe year 01/01/2005. Foralmost 17 years, he has notyet seen the face of hisoriginal school and theydo not even know whetherthe school is runningthere or not and howmany children study intheir school. The surpris-ing and surprising thingis that for the last manyyears, a teacher is noteven going to his schooland is also withdrawingsalary every month.

From Bastar divisionand from Sukma district,sometimes the top officersand collectors of educa-tion department come forinspection, but do not takeany action against many

teachers without duty likeRajesh. In this regard,BEO SK Deep of Kontablock and AC Ganesh Soriof Sukma district werealso apprised aboutteacher CH Rajesh. Theofficials said that verysoon CH Rajesh will be in-vestigated and action willbe taken by issuing a clari-fication. And if anyteacher does not do dutyin their original postedschools, their salary willnot be withdrawn.

Teacher functions as sand contractor,not doing his teaching work

Dhamdha, Apr 05:

The people of Dhamdha,known earlier as ‘city oflakes’ have not kept itslandmarks and rich cul-tural heritage alive. It isfor this reason that a totalof 126 ponds which wereexisting right fromGondwana period till date,only a selected few of theponds are existing. Whena team of government de-partment went out insearch of ponds, they weretaken aback on seeing thecondition of ponds in the

city. There is a pond in thecity, where the elephant ofthe King used to bewashed and his bathingwas done and therefore itcame to be known as‘Hathi Budan Talab’. Whatis surprising here is thatthis pond was encroachedupon and by filling it withmaterials it has now beingturned into a farm. Thecondition of ‘GhodaBudan’ Talab is such thatthe encroachers are nowtaking crop of ‘Grams’ init. It was under leadershipof SDM (Revenue) Brijesh

Kshatriya, the team start-ed removing encroach-ment on the ponds fromApril 1 onwards. SDMalong with officialsreached the site along withJCB machine and madesix ponds free from en-croachment. The six gov-ernment ponds weretransformed into farmsand farming was donehere. The cover area of thepond was demolished anddigging was done by theside of this cover usingJCB machine, so that itcannot be re-encroached

again. During this some ofthe encroachers even reg-istered protest, but thelocal administration didnot stopped its drive tomake ponds free from en-croachment. On the firstday, the area near ‘Hathi-Budan’, ‘Tar-Bhanpurpond’, ‘Teli-Dabari’, RajaTalab was removed andthen the other side of‘Raja Talab’ was cleared.

In this anti-encroach-ment drive from ponds,Chief Nagar PalikaOfficer Nagar PanchayatDhamdha Nayak, NayabTehsildar Kuleshwar

Patel, sub-engineerVinayak and other officerswere present. On removalof encroachment from thegovernment ponds washailed by general publicand termed it as a goodstep. SDM Kshatriya saidthat in ancient times‘Dhamdha’ city was verymuch famous and prosper-ous, as there were 126ponds and they were part& parcel of day-to-day lifeand business. He made anappeal to all citizens ofDhamdha to become moreaware in saving the richheritage and landmarks of

city and give their valu-able contribution in sav-ing it. This anti-encroach-ment drive would contin-ue in times to come andprior to rains, there areplans to make all ponds en-croachment-free.

Encroachments removed from 6 govt ponds People have

changed the‘Hathi-Budan’ pondinto farm land

Encroachmentsremoved underleadership of SDM Out of total 121 ponds, 106

ponds are governmentowned or are coming intoused for land-related worksby the local population. It isonly 15 ponds which are inprivate ownership. But itencroaching upon 30ponds, the people havechanged it into farm land.In the first phase, 15 pondswere identified to madefree from encroachmentand out of which encroach-ment is being removedslowly. The work that ofdemarcation and identifica-tion is also being done inthese ponds.

Pithora, Apr 05: TheChief Post Master General(CPMG) of PithoraRamchandra Jai Bhaye fe-licitated a postman with acertificate and an attrac-tive gift for linking morethan 5000 mobile numberswith Aadhar. During thisPostal Superintendent BLJangde, Asst. Suptd.Shailendra Thakur, RaviKacher Dy. Divisional

Postal inspector; SurendraSahu Pithora (up-dakpal),Praveen Banjara, AshokAshu (Dak AdhidarshakNayak) and all RuralPostal Service personswere present.

The Postal officers in-formed Rural PostalServicemen to promotethat rural person needcome upto urban areas inorder to get their postalwork done and directedthem to solve the griev-ances of those having anyproblems related to thepostal department.

CPMG Pithora felicitates postman

For linking more than 5000 mobilephones with Aadhar

Fingeshwar, Apr 05:

Responding to NITIAayog team appreciatingthe Chhattisgarh model ofChief Minister BhupeshBaghel government,Ramkrishna TiwariPresident ShanMahavidyalaya andJitendra Singh ThakurAlderman said that NITIAayog has once again im-plemented the policies ofBhupesh Government inthe country.

NITI Aayog said thatdue to the policies of theGovernment ofChhattisgarh, the state isranked 6th in Ease ofDoing Business and 4th inExport Index, which is abig achievement. Praisingthe Godhan Nyay scheme,NITI Aayog said that itshould be implemented inthe entire country.

According to the reportof NITI Aayog, agricultur-al products have increased

in Chhattisgarh due to theefforts of Bhupesh govern-ment. In mustard, therehas been an increase of 14percent in the productionof soybean by 22 percent.Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel speaks about thework of the government,which will give priority tothe works of public inter-est. Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel’s govern-ment has fulfilled what theCongress told the public inthe assembly elections.Ramkrishna Tiwari saidthat the echo of theChhattisgarh model isechoing within the coun-try and across the borderand under the RajivGandhi Kisan NyayYojana, farmers are get-ting an additional benefitof 10 thousand per acre,due to which the produc-tion of mustard and soy-bean has increased.Alderman Jitendra SinghThakur said that by buy-

ing cow dung at Rs 2 a kgunder Gaudhan NyayYojana, women self-helpgroups are getting finan-cial benefits by joining cat-tle farmers along withdung pickers. The GodhanNyay scheme ofChhattisgarh model hasemerged as the biggestscheme in the whole coun-try to prevent stray cattlefrom roaming on theroads.

The Prime Ministerhimself, in his speeches,has indirectly discussedthe Godhan Nyay schemeof the Chhattisgarh gov-ernment by announcingplans after March 10 forthe problem of stray ani-mals in UP. This will im-prove the breed of live-stock and the use of ver-micompost made fromcow dung in agriculturewill reduce the cost ofagriculture and depend-ence on chemical fertiliz-ers will end, he said.

NITI Aayog appreciates Ch’garh model

Dongargarh, Apr 05:

Few days back a pro-gramme was organisedby EconomicsDepartment onConsumer Rights Day atlocal Government Nehru

Graduation College,Dongargarh. On this oc-casion HoD EconomicsDr RR Koche gave infor-mation in detailed aboutthe rights and protectionof consumers about theirrights. In the end of the

programme Asst. Prof.Economics DepttManisha Bhedia ex-pressed gratitude to-wards the students andwished them all the bestin their future endeav-ours.

Prog on Consumer Rights Day organisedAt Govt Nehru Graduation College

AAnnwwaarrii,, AApprr 0055::

National Science DayCelebration 2022 was organizedunder the joint aegis ofChhattisgarh Science andTechnology Department, Raipurand Chhattisgarh Mahtari CollegeBhakhara in Chhattisgarh MahtariCollege Bhakhara in which Dr.Avinash R. Nichat, Head ofDepartment of Zoology, MaharishiVed Vyas GovernmentPostgraduate College, Bhakharawas the keynote speaker and Mr.DK Sahu, Assistant ProfessorChemistry, Mr. DN Chakradhari,Assistant Professor Zoology andMs. A. Dhidhi, Assistant ProfessorBotany, Chhattisgarh MahtariCollege, Bhakhara were co-speak-ers. While delivering the welcomeaddress, the Principal of the col-lege, Dr. Shailendra Kumar Sahu,highlighted the need and utility ofscience. He said that today we areliving in the age of science andState-of-the-art resources areavailable on the basis of science,but if we use them in the bestinterest, he said.

The keynote speaker of the pro-gram, Dr. Avinash R. Nichat, whileintroducing the life of Dr. CV

Raman, said that today scienceand technology have specialimportance in our daily life andnew discoveries are constantlybeing made.

Co-spokesperson Shri DK Sahusaid that the fact or theory andeffect which science tells, proves itby proving it technical fashion.Shri DN Chakradhari said thattoday we have become soadvanced in the field of technolo-gy that in a moment we get con-nected with each other and covermiles in less time. Rangoli, paint-ing and poster competition wereorganized in the program organ-ized on National Science DayCelebration 2022 and the studentswho got first and second place inthe competition were rewardedand awarded with certificates andemblems.

The program was conducted byShri TK Sahu, Assistant ProfessorHindi and the vote of thanks wasdone by Shri MS Sahu, AssistantProfessor Political Science. Therole of college professors SRBaghel, KD Guwal, LN Bains, PLDhruv, YK Sahu, staff membersTomeshwar Mauryavanshi, ChetnaSahu and students of the collegeswas commendable in the program.

Science Day celebrated in CG Mahtari College

Pandaria, Apr 05:

On the arrival of HinduNew Year Vikram Samvat2079, a grand and uniquetableau of ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj,Maharani Laxmi Bai, RaniDurgavati and Bharatmataalong with D.J and bhajanswere taken out by the peo-ple along with troupes. Inthe welcome of this hugeprocession, present inthousands, various serv-ice-oriented organizationsof the city did the welcomeand Aarti and distributionof juices and fruits wasalso done. Due to Coronaepidemic in the city for thelast two years, New Yearand other festivals couldnot be celebrated withcomplete freedom.

Rammurari Yadav, whilegiving good wishes for thenew year 2079 to the officebearers of various organi-zations of the city, said,keeping the historical

background of Sanatanculture in India,this festi-val is celebrated by differ-ent provinces and sects inthe form of various festi-vals.

The program was con-ducted by RaghunandanGupta and thanks were ex-pressed by Sumit Tiwari.Thousands of townspeopleparticipated in the proces-sion, in which a large num-ber of women participatedin the dress code. Alongwith the city, the Hindu

New Year was celebratedenthusiastically in ruralareas as well. Templeswere also decorated, andon the occasion ofNavratri, the temples ofthe city were also decorat-ed attractively.

All the temples includ-ing Mahamaya Temple,Sheetla Mandir, RamJanaki Temple of the citywere decorated, and apartfrom this, the saffron flagwere unfurled on housetops of the region.

Hindu New Year program celebrated

Nandini Ahiwara, Apr 05:

BJP Ahiwara CityPresident VinodGandharva led in the cele-berations of gettingAhiwara full tehsil statusby the Chhattisgarh gov-ernment, and the workerscelebrated by burstingfirecrackers at Ahiwarabus stand, under the lead-ership of Natwar LalTamrakar of BharatiyaJanata Party AhiwaraMandal.

Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel inaugurated theTehsil office through videoconferencing, recently andAhiwara MunicipalityPresident and BharatiyaJanata Party Durg DistrictGeneral Secretary NatwarTamrakar, added it as thevictory of the people of

the region. BharatiyaJanata Party StateWorking Committee mem-ber Ravi Shankar Singhalso thanked the govern-

ment in making Ahiwaraa tehsil, for which a pro-posal was made during thetenure of the then ChiefMinister Raman Singh.

After the status oftehsil, along with Ahiwarashould also be given thestatus of block as soon aspossible so that Ahiwara

can develop and Ahiwaracan walk towards a new di-rection, he said.

On this occasion, main-ly Bharatiya Janata YuvaMorcha State WorkingCommittee member DauAnand Tamrakar,Councilor VidyanandKushwaha, CouncilorBhagwan Singh Netam,Yuva Morcha DistrictExecutive MemberShubham Tamrakar, YuvaMorcha Ahiwara MandalGeneral Secretary RahulChandel, formerCouncilor Samaru Patel,Yuva Morcha NagarDistinguished citizens ofthe city including VicePresident Sahil Khan,Raju Yadav, DharamNishad, RamchandNishad, Ganesh were pres-ent.

Victory of gaining tehsil status is dedicated to the people: Tamrakar

EXCHANGE GREETINGS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and former Union Minister P Chidambaram exchange greetings at Parliament complex during the second part of the BudgetSession, in New Delhi, Tuesday.

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

BRIEFHeld

Noida: Nine suspect-ed criminals allegedlyinvolved in cases oftheft, snatching andkidnapping were ar-rested following twoseparate encounterswith the police in cen-tral Noida. Four of thesuspected criminalssuffered injuries inthe shootout which oc-curred on Sundaynight under the Phase3 and the Badalpur po-lice station areas,ADCP (Central Noida)Elamaran G said.

PanicMumbai: Parents ofsome 25-30 studentsusing a well-knownMumbai school’s busservice were a wor-ried lot as their wardshad not reached homein time on the first dayof physical classespost the COVID-19pandemic, leading toseveral of them reach-ing the gates of the fa-cility and some takingto social media. A po-lice spokesperson saidthe driver of the buswas new and hencetook a longer route todrop the childrenhome.

RegisteredGurugram: TheGurugram police reg-istered a case after astray dog died when agenerator fell on it at aconstruction site.According to a com-plaint filed by a DLFPhase-3 resident, thedog died on Sunday.The complainant sus-pected foul play andalleged that labourersengaged at the con-struction site droppedthe generator on thedog with the intentionto kill.

SeizedChaibasa: Five IEDsfitted with arrowswere seized during asearch operation bysecurity personnelafter naxals fired atunder constructionBharnia police campin Jharkhand’s WestSinghbhum district.The B company of157th battalion ofCRPF, who are sta-tioned at the place, re-taliated by hurlingpara bombs and noneof its personnel waseither injured orkilled. Central andstate eecurity person-nel carried out searchoperation.

SafetyChandigarh: ThePunjab Police haslaunched a statewideroad safety educationand enforcement driveto prevent accidents.Director General ofPolice (DGP) PunjabVK Bhawra said the en-tire enforcement strate-gy is planned and basedon past year trends. Onan average, daily,Punjab loses 11-12 valu-able lives in variousroad accidents, the ma-jority of which can beprevented or reduced inseverity by focusing onviolations.

NamingNew Delhi: Parks inthe capital will soon benamed after unsungfreedom fighters fromDelhi as a mark of re-spect and recognitionto their sacrifices. Alist of 16 parks hasbeen sent by the DDAto the Delhi govern-ment that will benamed after freedomfighters like LalaHardayal, ColonelGurbaksh SinghDhillon, General ShahNawaz Khan, GobindBehari Lal, ColonelPrem Sahgal andBasanta Kumar Biswasamong others.

Chandigarh, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Haryana Assemblyon Tuesday unanimouslypassed a resolution, notingwith concern the resolutionrecently passed by thePunjab Assembly stakingclaim over the UnionTerritory of Chandigarh.

Haryana Chief MinisterManohar Lal Khattarthanked the members of therival political parties forunanimously supportingthe resolution brought byhis government in theHouse.

Khattar said the discus-sion held for around threehours on the resolution.

While moving the resolu-tion earlier, Khattar rakedup the issues of the con-struction of the SYL canaland transfer of Hindi-speaking areas to the state.Khattar also raised theissue of Bhakra BeasManagement Board and thematter related to the postingof Haryana officials inChandigarh UnionTerritory. The Haryana gov-ernment summoned thespecial session of the stateassembly, days after neigh-bouring Punjab passed aresolution seeking immedi-ate transfer of the UnionTerritory of Chandigarh to

the AAP-ruled state.A political row had erupt-

ed after Union HomeMinister Amit Shah’s re-cent announcement that theCentral Service Ruleswould apply to the employ-ees of the Union Territoryof Chandigarh.

The Union Territory ofChandigarh is the commoncapital of Punjab andHaryana.

While raising the issue ofthe Sutlej-Yamuna Linkcanal, Khattar urged thecentral government to takemeasures for the construc-tion of the canal.

“This House notes withconcern the resolutionpassed in the LegislativeAssembly of Punjab on 1April, 2022 recommendingthat the matter for transferof Chandigarh to Punjab betaken up with the Centralgovernment,” said the reso-lution read out by Khattar.“This is not acceptable tothe people of Haryana,” theresolution said. Haryanacontinues to retain its right

to the capital territory ofChandigarh, it added.

Noting that the right ofHaryana to share waters ofRavi and Beas rivers by theconstruction of the SYLCanal is historically, legally,judicially and constitution-ally established over time,Khattar said the House hasunanimously on at leastseven occasions passed res-olutions urging the earlycompletion of the canal.

“Several agreements, ac-cords, Tribunal’s findingsand judgements of highestjudiciary of the nation haveall singularly upheld theclaim of Haryana to the wa-ters and directed comple-tion of the SYL Canal,”Khattar said as he read outthe resolution.

“In defiance and contraryto these directions andagreements, legislationswere enacted by Punjab todeny the rightful claims ofthe State of Haryana,” hesaid. “The Indira Gandhiagreement, the RajivLongowal accord and the

Venkatramiah commissionhave accepted the claim ofHaryana to Hindi-speakingareas that fall within theterritory of state ofPunjab,” according to theresolution.

The transfer of Hindi-speaking villages fromPunjab to Haryana has alsonot been completed, headded.

Participating in the dis-cussion on the resolution,former Haryana chief min-ister Bhupinder SinghHooda dubbed the resolu-tion passed by the Punjabassembly on transfer ofChandigarh to the state as a“political gimmick”.

Punjab resolution has nomeaning, it is only politicalgimmick... Punjab’s role asan elder brother is accept-able, but if it tries to playrole of big brother, that isnot acceptable to us, saidHooda.

Hooda, who is Leader ofthe Opposition, condemnedPunjab’s resolution andsupported the one moved byKhattar.

He along with otherCongress members, includ-ing Kiran Choudhary, saidHaryana should get its rightand that they would supportthe state government if itdecides to meet the presi-dent, prime minister andHaryana governor over theissue. “We will unitedlyfight for protectingHaryana’s rights,” saidHooda.

Haryana Assembly passes resolutionover Chandigarh issue

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar during assembly session in Chandigarh.

SYL canal issue is also bone of contention

Nursing Council condemns useof its name by publisher

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Indian NursingCouncil (INC) on Tuesdaycondemned the use of itsname by a publisher andan author for the sale oftextbooks with derogatorycontent.

The INC, in a statement,said it has been brought toits notice that the authorand the publisher of a text-

book of sociology for nurs-es have placed the coun-cil’s name on its coverpage. The INC has re-leased a notification dated04/04/2022 and placed onits website which stronglycondemns any derogatorycontent related to socialevils in the society likedowry by using its name,

the statement said.Section 16 of the INC

Act empowers the councilto prescribe the standardsand curricula for thetraining of nurses, mid-wives and health visitors.As per the policy, the INConly prescribes the syl-labus and does not endorseany author or publisher, itsaid. The INC has initiatednecessary action againstthe publisher and the au-thor concerned for misus-ing its name in the contentof the book, the statementsaid.

For sale of textbooks with derogatory content

Asansol, Apr 05 (PTI):

Hinging on actor-t u r n e d - p o l i t i c i a nShatrughan Sinha’s starpower and appeal amongthe Hindi-speaking popu-lation, the TMC hopes toclinch the Asansol LokSabha seat, with the‘Bihari babu’ trying tofight off the outsider tag inthe industrial town.

The ruling party inBengal, which has nevertasted success in poll-bound Asansol, apart fromfour other parliamentaryconstituencies of the state,is pulling all stops to breakthe jinx. “We are hopefulthat Sinha, who is hugelypopular among the mass-es, will be able to clinchthe seat for us,” VSivadasan Dasu,Trinamool CongressPaschim Bardhaman con-vener, said. By-poll to theLok Sabha segment,scheduled on April 12, wasnecessitated as formerUnion minister and two-

time MP Babul Supriyoquit the membership ofParliament last year aftercrossing over to the TMCfrom the BJP.

The saffron party, on itspart, is trying hard to re-tain the seat that Supriyohad twice bagged for thecamp — in 2014 and 2019 —as it fielded fashion de-signer-cum-saffron campmember Agnimitra Paulto counter Sinha.

Supriyo, who left theBJP after being droppedfrom the Union ministry,is contesting on a TMCticket for the Ballygungeassembly by-poll, to beheld along with theAsansol election. The Lok

Sabha by-poll has rekin-dled the ‘insider-outsider’debate, a poll plank thathelped the TMC trouncethe BJP in last year’s as-sembly polls, with the rul-ing TMC at the receivingend this time as the BJPhas gone all guns blazingto project Sinha as an “out-sider”. An industrial beltknown for its coal mines,steel industries andChittaranjan Locomotives,Asansol in PaschimBardhaman district is thesecond largest and mostpopulous city of WestBengal after Kolkata, asper the 2011 Census.

Nearly 15 lakh elec-torate of Asansol are coal

mine workers, factoryworkers, and small-timebusinessmen. About 45 percent of the voters speakHindi, and trace theirroots to Jharkhand, Bihar,and Uttar Pradesh. Thearea also has around 15per cent minority popula-tion. According to TMCsources, nominating thetwo-time Patna Sahib MP,who has worked in Delhifor the better part of hispolitical career, is part ofthe party’s national out-reach strategy.

Popularly called‘Shotgun’ by fans for hisstraightforward dialoguedeliveries in films, Sinha,who joined the TMC afterhis four-decade-long stintin BJP and a brief inningsin Congress, however, re-jected the “outsider” taggiven by his rivals.

“I am no less a Bengalithan any other Bengali. Iam not an outsider. I havealways adored Bengali lan-guage and Bengali culture.I have done many films inBengal, and the Bengalilanguage that I speak isnot dubbed,” Sinha,known for his signature di-alogue ‘khamosh’ told PTI.

“Like my ‘janmabhoo-mi’ (birthplace) Bihar,Bengal has always had myheart,” the former Unionminister in Atal BihariVajpayee’s cabinet said.

Countering him, Paul,BJP candidate and MLAfrom Asansol Dakshin,wondered what TMCwould now have to sayabout branding BJP lead-ers from other states asoutsiders ahead of lastyear’s assembly elections.

“I was born and raisedhere. I am an MLA fromthis area. But the TMCcandidate has no linkswith either West Bengal orthis place. The TMC usedto term BJP leaders ‘out-siders’ during assemblypolls. They must explainthis double standard,” shesaid, exuding confidencethat her party would beable to retain the seat.

A senior TMC leader,who did not wish to benamed, said that the partyfielded Sinha, in its bid todistance itself from theBengali sub-nationalismpoll plank, which is prov-ing to be a hindrance inthe party’s national expan-sion plans.

TMC hopes to break Asansol jinx in election

Shatrughan Sinha during roadshow in Asansol.

As Shatrughan tries to ‘khamosh’outsider cries

Nagpur lawyer, hisbrother usurped lands,resorted to fraud: ED

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Nagpur-based lawyerSatish Uke and his brother“usurped” lands in the cityby creating fake power of at-torney documents, the EDalleged on Tuesday. The twowere arrested by the federalprobe agency under theanti-money laundering lawon March 31 and were latertaken to Mumbai where alocal court remanded themto Enforcement Directoratecustody till April 6.

The lawyer is known forfiling petitions against sen-ior BJP leader and formerMaharashtra chief minis-ter Devendra Fadnavis overthe last few years. The ar-rests came soon after the EDraided the lawyer’s resi-dence in the Parvati Nagararea of Nagpur that day(March 31). The ED said itsmoney laundering caseagainst the brothers stemsfrom two FIRs filed by theNagpur Police (Ajni Policestation) against the broth-ers.

The first police FIR wasfiled by Mohammad Jaffar,

nephew of LateMohammad Samad whowas owner of a five acreland at Mouza Bokhara inNagpur, against Satish Ukeand Pradip Uke who haveallegedly usurped the saidland by creating fake docu-ments, the ED said in astatement. The second po-lice FIR was filed byShobharani RajendraNalode, secretary ofAishwari Sahakari GrihNirman Sanstha againstSatish Uke, Pradip Uke andothers alleging that theyhave allegedly usurped hersociety’s 1.5 acre land situ-ated at Mouza Babulkhedain Nagpur, it said.

Satish Uke

‘Attacks orchestrated by Pak,shows frustration of terrorists’Srinagar, Apr 05 (PTI):

Jammu and KashmirPolice chief Dilbag Singhon Tuesday said the re-cent attacks on civiliansin the Union Territoryhave been orchestrated byPakistan and are a sign offrustration of terrorgroups.

“These acts are simplydue to the frustration ofterror groups and diktatsfrom their masters sittingin Pakistan. It will notdeter us in dischargingour duties and ensuringpeace at all costs. The se-curity forces are commit-ted to this,” Singh, the di-rector general of policesaid.

He said such acts willnot be tolerated and actionagainst the perpetratorswill be taken in duecourse of time.

“These attacks are con-demnable and have beenrightly condemned in thecivil society. These acts

are inhuman and will notbe tolerated at any cost,”Singh told PTI after thewreath-laying ceremonyfor Head Constable VishalKumar of the CRPF, whowas killed in a militant at-tack at Maisuma.

In two other incidentson Monday, two non-locallabourers were injured ina terror attack inPulwama while aKashmiri Pandit shop-keeper was injured in asimilar attack in Shopian.

“The security forces —CRPF, J&K Police — aredischarging their respon-sibilities. We pay our re-

spects to our slain col-league and our best wish-es for the injured col-league for speedy recov-ery,” Singh said.

The DGP said other in-cidents in which migrantlabourers were attackedand a minority communi-ty member was targeted“are signs of barbaric andbeastly acts”.

Responding to a ques-tion, Singh said securityforces have responded pro-portionately to the in-creased activity of overground workers (OGW) ofthe terror groups.

“The OGW presence hasalways been there. Whentheir presence increases,the action by police andsecurity forces also in-creases accordingly. If youlook at the statistics, wehave eliminated 42 terror-ists in the last threemonths and a higher num-ber of OGWs have beenacted against as per law,”he said.

Dilbag Singh

Satheesan launches broadsideagainst CPI(M) on K-Rail project

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 05 (PTI):

Hours ahead of theCPI(M) party congress in itsstronghold Kannur district,Leader of Opposition in theKerala Assembly VDSatheesan on Tuesdaylaunched a broadsideagainst the Left governmenton the K-Rail issue, allegingthat it was adopting “an ex-treme right-wing” stand onthe matter.

The Congress leader, whois actively campaigningagainst CPI(M)-led govern-ment’s flagship K-Rail initia-tive also known asSilverLine, warned the rul-ing party for underminingthe people’s protest againstthe multi-crore semi-high

speed railway project, sayingit will become the“Waterloo” for the party inKerala. “The CPI(M)-led gov-ernment is following thesame right-wing path of theNarendra Modi-led govern-ment at the Centre on thismatter. The BJP governmentcan do this as that party isextreme right,” Satheesansaid here, adding that theLeft is only a namesake forthe present leadership of theCPI(M) as a policy shift hashappened to it from the Leftto extreme right. Briefing the

reporters about the ongoingprotests in the state over theSilverLine rail project here,the Opposition leader saidthe agitation will grow fur-ther as a mass movementand become a “Waterloo” forthe CPI(M) in Kerala just asit lost its base in West Bengalafter Nandigram strugglethat put an end to the overthree-decade old CPI(M) rulein that state. In 2007, manyfarmers were killed in policefiring during an anti-land ac-quisition stir in Nandigram.

“We support this people’sagitation against theSilverLine. Non-bailablecases have been registeredagainst our partymen. TheCPI(M) had done the samething against the people whohad protested in Nandigramand Singur. Finally, it be-came the waterloo for theCPI(M) in West Bengal.SiverLine agitation is goingto become waterloo for

CPI(M) in Kerala,”Satheesan said. TheParavoor MLA dismissed theCPI(M) allegation that theCongress and the BJP havejoined hands to destabilisethe Left government inKerala. “That narrative willnot work,” he said as topleaders of the CPI(M) landedin Kannur to attend the 23rdparty congress of the Leftparty. The five-day long megaconference of the CPI(M),known as the PartyCongress, will begin onWednesday.

Criticising the BJP’s agita-tion headed by UnionMinister V Muraleedharanagainst the K-Rail project,Satheesan urged the leader-ship of the saffron party toapprise Prime MinisterNarendra Modi of theprotests happening in Keralaagainst the project and per-suade him to declare that itwill not be sanctioned.

VD Satheesan

Take into considera-tion all environmen-tal concernsA

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

POLITICAL RALLY

Colombia’s vice-presidential candidate for leftist alliance, Francia Marquez (L), dancesduring a campaign rally ahead of the May general election, in Medellin, Colombia.

BRIEFLimiting

Jackson: Mississippiis the latestRepublican-led stateto ban election officesfrom accepting dona-tions from privategroups for voting op-erations a movementfueled by conserva-tives’ suspicion of do-nations by Facebookfounder MarkZuckerberg.MississippiRepublican Gov TateReeves signed HouseBill 1365, and it willbecome law July 1. Itsays state or local offi-cials who conductelections cannot solic-it or accept donations.

HamperingThe Hague: Lawyersfor Bolivia said thatChile’s decision to filea case at the UnitedNations’ top courtabout a dispute abouta river that crossestheir border in theAtacama Desert hashampered diplomaticefforts to resolve thedisagreement. Thecase between theLatin Americanneighbors at theInternational Court ofJustice is focused on asmall water systembut is seen as an op-portunity to lay downimportant jurispru-dence at present.

RiotQuito: A clash be-tween prison gangsarmed with guns andknives left 20 peopledead, Ecuadorian offi-cials said, and theyannounced that theyhad fully regainedcontrol of the peniten-tiary. InteriorMinister PatricioCarrillo said five ofthe dead had been mu-tilated, six hangedand one poisoned dur-ing the clash in Turi,about 310 kilometerssouth of the capital.At least five peoplehad serious injuries,linked the riot to acriminal economy.

Reviews London: The UK’shealth service haslaunched a new re-view to promote theimportance ofVitamin D and iden-tify ways to improveintake across thepopulation, especial-ly among those mostlikely to be deficientsuch as SouthAsians. Vitamin Ddeficiency is linkedto rickets in childrenand bone pain andmuscle weakness inadults.

LandslideSydney: A Britishfamily of five wascaught in a landslidewhile walking inAustralia’s BlueMountains, and thefather and 9-year-oldson died. The motherand their teenageson were criticallyinjured. The land-slide on a walkingpath at WentworthPass, a populartourist destination inthe mountains westof Sydney, was re-ported to emergencyservices.

TrialMoscow: The trial ofa former journalistwho has remainedbehind bars for morethan 20 months oncharges of passingmilitary secrets toCzech intelligencebegan in a Moscowcourt. Ivan Safronovhas vociferously in-sisted on his inno-cence, while he andmany of his col-leagues have dis-missed the chargesas absurd.

Beijing, Apr 05 (AP):

The COVID-19 outbreakin China’s largest metropo-lis of Shanghai remains ‘ex-tremely grim’ amid an ongo-ing lockdown confiningaround 26 million people totheir homes, a city officialsaid Tuesday.

Director of Shanghai’sworking group on epidemiccontrol, Gu Honghui, wasquoted by state media assaying that the outbreak inthe city was ‘still running ata high level.’ ‘The situationis extremely grim,’ Gu said.

China has sent more than10,000 health workers fromaround the country to aidthe city, including 2,000 fromthe military, and is masstesting residents, some ofwhom have been lockeddown for weeks. Most ofeastern Shanghai, whichwas supposed to reopen last

Friday, remained lockeddown along with the west-ern half of the city.Shanghai recorded another13,354 cases the vast majori-ty of them asymptomaticbringing the city’s total tomore than 73,000 since thelatest wave of infectionsbegan last month. No deathshave been ascribed to theoutbreak driven by the omi-

cron BA.2 variant, which ismuch more infectious butalso less lethal than the pre-vious delta strain. A sepa-rate outbreak continues torage in the northeasternprovince of Jilin and thecapital Beijing also saw anadditional nine cases, justone of them asymptomatic.Workers shut down an en-tire shopping center in the

city where a case had beendetected.

While China’s vaccina-tion rate hovers around90%, its domestically pro-duced inactivated virus vac-cines are seen as weakerthan the mRNA vaccinessuch as those produced byPfizer-BioNTech andModerna that are usedabroad, as well as in theChinese territories of HongKong and Macao.Vaccination rates amongthe elderly are also muchlower than the population atlarge, with only around halfof those over 80 fully vacci-nated. Meanwhile, com-plaints have arisen inShanghai over difficultiesobtaining food and daily ne-cessities, and shortages ofmedical workers, volunteersand beds in isolation wardswhere tens of thousands arebeing kept for observation.

COVID outbreak grim asShanghai extends lockdown

Women walk by a barricaded Galaxy Soho in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Caracas, Apr 05 (AP):

The ground shook atthe instant the voice ofMexican music starAlejandro Fernandez col-lided with the deafeningcheers of fans gatheredfor his first concert inVenezuela in over adecade. After an initialshocked pause at seeingthe artist finally take thestage, the crowd, cell-phones in hand, joinedhim in singing ‘SinTantita Pena’ ‘WithoutToo Much Pity.’

‘It’s beautiful to be inVenezuela,’ he said toscreams and whistlesfrom the sold-out audi-ence, some of whom hadtaken out loans to seehim perform last monthat a 5,000-capacity theaterin Caracas, the capital.

‘Beautiful, dear,Venezuela that I alwayscarry in my heart.’

Prominent artists arereturning to stages in theSouth American countrythis year after leaving itout of tours for years.Multilingual vocal groupIl Divo and LatinGrammy-winning singer-songwriter Kany Garciaare among those withscheduled concerts. Butwith ticket prices rangingfrom $55 to upward of$600, the events are sym-bols of great inequalityin an impoverished na-tion.

Superstars like theBackstreet Boys oncedrew fans to sleep outsidea Caracas arena for daysas they lined up for tick-ets. Guns N’ Roses andShakira came to town. So

did Juanes, whose 2008tour included multiplecities in Venezuela.

Major concerts, howev-er, became more sporadicstarting around 2010.They vanished almostcompletely a few yearslater when the countryfell into a political, socialand economic crisis thateliminated jobs even asinflation collapsed thepurchasing power of mil-lions.

About three quarters ofVenezuela’s populationstill lives on less than$1.90 a day, considered theinternational standardfor extreme poverty. Butfor those who have foundgood private-sector jobs,entered the gig economyor have a business, partic-ularly in Caracas, thingsare looking up.

Music stars return to Venezuelaafter skipping it for years

Cairo, Apr 05 (AP):

Each day brings new fi-nancial burdens for IkhlasZakaria, a single mother ofsix who sells cups of tea ata roadside stand in aprovincial town in Sudan.

Prices for basic goods haveskyrocketed, and at timesshe can only provide onemeal a day for her chil-dren. The cost of the watershe boils for tea has dou-bled. Two of her childrendropped out of school a

few months ago to work inthe fields, but their earn-ings are shrinking as dryspells hurt harvests.

‘The situation has be-come impossible,’ saidZakaria who lives in thewar-ravaged Darfur re-gion and whose husbandleft several years ago.

Across Sudan, livingconditions have rapidlydeteriorated since anOctober military coup sentan already fragile econo-my into free-fall. TheRussian invasion ofUkraine and currency de-valuations have com-pounded the economicpain. The Oct. 25 militarytakeover upended Sudan’stransition to democraticrule after three decades ofrepression and interna-

tional isolation under au-tocratic President Omaral-Bashir. The African na-tion has been on a fragilepath to democracy since apopular uprising forcedthe military to remove al-Bashir and his Islamistgovernment in April 2019.

The coup also stalledtwo years of efforts by thedeposed government ofPrime Minister AbdallaHamdok to overhaul theeconomy with billions ofdollars in loans and aidfrom major Western gov-ernments and internation-al financial institutions.Such support was sus-pended after the coup.

The previous govern-ment also floated its cur-rency to stop black markettrading.

Sudanese go hungry as pricesrise in wake of coup

Sudanese demonstrators walk across a roadblock incapital Khartoum.

United Nations, Apr 05 (AP):

A top official in the glob-al campaign against theuse of land mines urgedRussia to stop its troops inUkraine from laying theweapons that too often killand maim civilians.

Alicia Arango Olmos,Colombia’s ambassador tothe United Nations inGeneva and this year’spresident of the state par-ties to the 1997 conventionbanning the productionand use of land mines, ex-pressed deep concern atmedia reports that Russiais using land mines in itswar in Ukraine.

She pointed to HumanRights Watch, which saidon March 29 thatUkrainian explosive ord-nance disposal techni-cians located banned anti-personnel mines in theeastern Kharkiv region aday earlier. The rightsgroup said Russia isknown to possess the typeof mines that were discov-ered, but Ukraine doesn’t

have them. Arango Olmossaid at a news conferenceat the International Dayfor Mine Awareness andAssistance in Mine Action— that Ukraine is one ofthe 164 state parties to theconvention, but Russia isnot. She said her appeal toRussia is: ‘Anti-personnelmines only cause victims,they don’t resolve any typeof problem.’

‘So please, Russians,please stop using it, be-cause many of the peoplethat are victims of land

mines have nothing to dowith what’s happening be-tween Ukraine andRussia,’ Arango Olmossaid. Prince Mired ofJordan, the special envoytrying to make the land-mine convention univer-sal, said about 80% of theworld’s nations are partiesto the convention. He said33 countries have notjoined, among them somethat may collectively holdtens of millions of anti-personnel mines in mili-tary warehouses and un-

fortunately have buriedmillions more in theground.

Some countries that arenot parties have ‘thepower to significantly turnthe tide and eliminate thishorrendous weapon suchas China, India, Pakistan,Russia and the UnitedStates,’ he said. ‘A coordi-nated and concerted effortis needed at the highestlevel in order to achievefurther accessions. Thiswill not be easy, but it’spossible.’ Meanwhile,Germany’s president is ad-mitting mistakes in policytoward Russia in his previ-ous job as foreign minister.

President Frank-WalterSteinmeier served twice asex-Chancellor AngelaMerkel’s foreign minister,most recently from 2013 to2017, and before that as ex-Chancellor GerhardSchroeder’s chief of staff.In that time, Germanypursued dialogue withRussian PresidentVladimir Putin and culti-vated close energy ties.

Russia urged to stop using land mines in war

Anti tank mines are displayed on a bridge in Bucha, in theoutskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.

Reason for COVID-19 causinglong-term pain found

Washington, Apr 05 (PTI):

Scientists have found im-portant insights into howSARS-CoV-2, the virus thatcauses COVID-19, can leadto long-term pain, an ad-vance that could lead to apotential therapy for thedisorder.

The experiments in-volved a hamster model ofintranasal COVID-19 infec-tion that closely reflectssymptoms experienced bypeople. “A significant num-ber of people sufferingfrom long COVID experi-ence sensory abnormali-ties, including variousforms of pain,” said RandalSerafini, a PhD candidateat the Icahn School ofMedicine at Mount Sinai inthe US.

“We used RNA sequenc-ing to get a snapshot of thebiochemical changesSARS-CoV-2 triggers in apain-transmitting struc-ture called dorsal root gan-glia, Serafini said.

Using a hamster model ofSARS-CoV-2 infection, theresearchers found thatinfection left a gene ex-pression signature in thedorsal root ganglia thatremained even after thevirus cleared. The signa-ture matched gene ex-pression patterns seen inpain caused by other con-ditions, they said. The re-search was presented atthe American Society forPharmacology andE x p e r i m e n t a lTherapeutics annualmeeting held betweenApril 2-5 in Philadelphia,US. “Our findings couldpotentially lead to newtherapies for patients suf-fering from acute andlong COVID, as well asother pain conditions,”said Serafini. “Our studyalso shows that SARS-CoV-2 causes long-termeffects on the body indrastically new ways,further underscoringwhy people should try to

avoid being infected,” thescientist said.

Canberra, Apr 05 (AP):

Australia has accelerat-ed plans to buy long-rangestrike missiles yearsahead of schedule be-cause of growing threatsposed by Russia andChina.

Defense Minister PeterDutton said Tuesday theaccelerated rearming offighter jets and warshipswould cost 3.5 billionAustralian dollars ($2.6billion) and increaseAustralia’s deterrence topotential adversaries.

‘There was a workingassumption that an act ofaggression by China to-ward Taiwan might takeplace in the 2040s. I think

that timeline now hasbeen dramatically com-pressed,’ Dutton toldSeven Network television.

‘When we look at what’s

happened in the Ukraine,there is the prospect ofRussian going into Polandor somewhere else inEurope. That would be a

repeat of the 1930s andthat’s not something thatwe should allow to hap-pen,’ Dutton added, refer-ring to the beginning ofWorld War II.

Under a revisedtimetable, FA-18F SuperHornet fighter jets wouldbe armed with improvedUS-manufactured air-to-surface missiles by 2024,three years earlier thanplanned. The JASSM-ERmissiles would enablefighters to engaged tar-gets at a range of 900 kilo-meters (560 miles).

Australia’s ANZACClass frigates and HobartClass destroyers would beequipped withN o r w e g i a n - m a d e

Kongsberg NSM missilesby 2024, five years aheadof schedule.

The missiles wouldmore than double the war-ships’ strike range.

The new rearmamenttimetable comes after theSolomon Islands an-nounced a draft securitypact with China. Under itsterms, China could sendmilitary personnel to theSouth Pacific islands tohelp maintain order andfor other reasons. It couldalso send warships to theSolomons for stopoversand to replenish supplies,which had led to specula-tion about the possibilityof a Chinese naval basethere.

Australia accelerates missile upgrade due to growing threats

Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton stand next toan anti-ship missile in Sydney, Tuesday.

ChronicleC E N T R A L

Since 1974 Volume 10 No. 6

Life lessonsThere is much that we humanscan learn from the family traitsand courtly behavior of ele-phants. Among big animals, ele-phants have the largest brain,with an African elephant weigh-ing around 4618 gms, (approxi-mately 10 pounds) which isthree times heavier than thehuman brain. No wonder thenthat elephants have attractedthe admiration and curiosity ofhuman beings for thousands ofyears. Scientists have longobserved that related elephantmothers and their children staytogether throughout life intight-knit clans, caring for oneanother's children and formingprotective circles around calveswhen threatened by lions andpoachers. Elephant clan mem-bers talk to one another with acombination of gentle chirps,thunderous trumpets and low-frequency rumbles, unde-tectable to humans. They delib-erate among themselves, makegroup decisions and applaudthemselves for their achieve-ments. "Being part of an ele-phant family is all about unityand working together for thegreater good," says Joyce Poole,one of the world's foremost ele-phant experts and co-founder of'Elephant Voices', which pro-motes the study and ethicalcare of elephants.

RRaannggaannaatthhaann,, vviiaa eemmaaiill

Low profileNeeraj Chopra, the lad fromHaryana created history andmade the nation proud by win-ning the gold medal in thejavelin throw event in the lastTokyo Olympics. Our ownLovlina Borgohain also madethe nation proud by winningthe bronze medal in women'swelterweight boxing and, nat-urally, we were ecstatic.Celebrations and felicitationswere going on across theState till a few days back.Overnight, she has been madeDSP in Assam Police, whichshe very rightly deserves. Butwe know that all good thingsusually come to an end. We allknow that Lovlina will not begetting younger in the comingdays and she should be givenbreathing space to focus onher workouts for the nextParis Olympics. NeerajChopra, the gold medallist, onthe other hand, is maintaininga low profile and concentrat-ing on his daily routine with aneye on repeating the sameperformance in the ParisOlympics. The HaryanaGovernment also seems to bevery down-to-earth in thisregard, curtailing all felicita-tion programmes in the State.Neeraj Chopra is hardly seenin any commercial ads, nor ishe daily projected in the localprint and electronic media.We, the Axomiyas, are veryemotional, the Haryanvis arenot. We celebrate instantlyand forget in the nextmoment. Hima Das is the glar-ing example. I wish bothNeeraj and Lovlina all thebest.

AAsshhiimm,, vviiaa eemmaaiill

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR✍

Central Chronicle welcomes, articles, write ups, comments on different issues foreditorial page (800-900 words), Letter to editor for this page. It can be sent by

e-mail at: editorcentralchronicle@gmail.comThe letters can be edited or rewritten for clarity of thoughts.

WHAT THEY TWEET!

DDeeeeppaakk@@ddeeeeppaakksshheennooyy

I love it when commentarygoes "India is helping rus-sia avoid sanctions" as in

trading in INR. Europe andUS continue to import from

Russia, with Europe actually increasing itsimports recently, and

they'll soon cower and payin Rubles. Countries act in

their best interest.

MMKKBBhhaaddrraa@@BBhhaaddrraaPPuunncchhBajwa behaving per playbook!Historically, this is the kind of

dissimulation Pak army chiefs put onto burnish image in the West - thatthey're inherently reasonable menseeking peace & reconciliation - in

the run-up to a takeover.Very disturbing.

kkuullddeeeepp@@ttaannwwaarr44Think, Decide & Act....Sri Lanka wasdeveloping very fast in the last 70

years, children were studying, youthwere investing their energy in jobs,

trade and construction, schools, hospitals, electricity, water, roads

and industries were being built rapidly in the country.

JJaayy@@jjaayy__kkoottaakkoonneeIndia vs France & the UK 1. Same GDP 2. Faster GDP

growth 3. 15x Population 4.5-10x Land area 5. Larger

stock market cap, army size& defense spend 6.

Democracy Why is India nota G7 or UN Security Council

permanent member likeFrance/UK? Treat us as partners, not a colony.

CChhoouuddhhaarryy@@lliisstteennsshhaahhiiddNH-44 #Pulwama: ' A journey measured in moments, not miles' !

SS RRooyy@@CChhoowwddhhuurryy0011The thing about being an Indiantrained in French history living in

the US is that you are tied (forever)to three countries with strong

exceptionalist self-images and haveto keep explaining, defending, and

critiquing all at the same time.

T he contentious bill providing for legal sanctionto police to obtain physical and biological sam-

ples of convicts and detainees for investigation incriminal matters was passed by Lok Sabha, withHome Minister Amit Shah asserting it will act as a de-fender of human rights of law-abiding citizens. Healso sought to allay the concerns voiced by MPs aboutinvasion of privacy, insisting all data collected underthe proposed law will be protected. The bill, whichseeks to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act,1920, was passed by a voice vote after Shah assuagedthe concerns raised by the Opposition, which claimedthe draft law was "draconian" and could convert Indiainto a "police state". National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) will be the sole custodian of the data and thatno party or private player be involved in the process.Citing poor conviction rate in cases relating to theIndian Penal Code, including rape and crime againstwomen, some experts say repeat offenders can becaught using data available with police. With adventof digital age in India, crime investigation has be-come more complex. Now, the government should alsobring in data protection law so that chances of misuseare minimised with loopholes. The criminal justicesystem can be divided into two parts. The first definesthe elements of a particular crime and specifies thepunishment. The second part determines the way inwhich prosecution and justice will be done. The firstpart comes under the penal code while the second partis called the code of criminal procedure. The penalcode defines a crime, for instance, as murder or rapeand it will also provide punishment to be given oncethe crime is proved. The code of criminal procedureon the other hand will determine the way in whichthe police, prosecutors and magistrates or judges willact during the investigation and trial of the case.During the initial years of colonial rule, East IndiaCompany did not have its own courts. Civil and crimi-nal justice was under the rulers of differentprovinces. Some Indian states even had differentcourts for different religions, but after the Britishconquest of Bengal the system started becoming moreuniform. In the last decade of the 18th century, LordCornwallis made changes in the criminal justice sys-tem and British judges replaced their Indian counter-parts in 'Fauzdari Adalats'. As the Raj expanded,courts were established in different parts of India.The code of criminal procedure was enacted for thefirst time in 1861 as part of a series of criminal law re-forms undertaken by the Raj in the wake of the 1857mutiny. That the 1861 CrPC was designed to rein in re-bellious natives was evident from the immunity itconferred on whites from the criminal jurisdiction ofdistrict courts. Only high courts could then tryEuropean British subjects. In an incremental reform,the next version of CrPC enacted in 1872 providedthat a magistrate could try a European British subjectif he was himself one. The next landmark in codifica-tion was the 1882 CrPC which empowered Indian mag-istrates too to exercise jurisdiction over whites butthey could do so only in presidency towns. The CrPCof 1898 contained further reforms towards providinga uniform law of criminal procedure for the whole ofIndia. The British legacy in this respect was carriedon by independent India till CrPC was recast again in1973. There have since been at least eight majoramendments to the code. CrPC needs to keep up withdevelopments of technology, hence the latest amend-ment becomes relevant for digital age.

Updating procedure

T he UN High Commissioner for Human Rightswill visit China in May. In her announcement,

Michelle Bachelet explained that the tour will alsostop in Xinjiang, where activists and independent ex-perts say the Chinese government is holding one mil-lion Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities ofthe Islamic faith in concentration and labour camps.These groups know how deceptive communist Chinais, but this knowledge is theoretical, and a generalhypothesis without further consideration of how thedeceptive aspects of this system subtly manifest inreal life and how this system diligently hides thetruth. This deception can be planned in such a waythat even people within it may be unable to recognizeit fully. While a few may be aware of it, they still findit difficult to describe it concretely and comprehen-sively. Nowadays while the Chinese live under therule of the CCP, to be a communist isn't only a name,this system is a more complicated and layered identi-ty. In reality, the CCP utilizes an eclectic mix of all so-cial systems, advancing its own interests. These sys-tems emulate some aspects of Nazism, progressing togreater levels of sophistication through learningfrom the past. For example, the discovery of massgraves as evidence of the genocide committed byNazis. To prevent such a discovery in the future, theChinese have diligently and systematically crematedthe bodies of Uyghur victims, among whom somewere still breathing, struggling to survive. This alsoapplies to China's advancement of cruel torture andmurder techniques, not available to Nazism whencommitting the Holocaust. It is worth exploring howthe Chinese deceived their best friends, Pakistanis. Agroup of Pakistanis expressed their wish to pay avisit to houses of local Uyghurs. A farmer tried togive the visitors some hints at the whole deceptivegame. This farmer was allegedly arrested for "tar-nishing the image of the country". The worst part ofcommunists is not only achieving individual physicalsubmission, but to try controlling the collectiveminds of the people, and be always successful indoing so. The critical point is this, if China deceivesits most trustworthy friend, Pakistanis, in this way,even though it is not necessary to do so, what stops itfrom deceiving the whole world about the crimesagainst humanity it is committing now. Many of ide-alist leftists and self-identified liberals and commu-nists fall for deception by China.

Deception by China

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

People walk through Bryant Park in Manhattan area of New York City in US.

HH ow people in low-incomecommunities are coping with

heating cities could set the exam-ple for future heat-stressed citizensto follow. As the world's cities andtowns heat up, authorities and gov-ernments often tell people to shel-ter indoors or use active coolinglike electric fans or air condition-ers. Urban areas can be between 4and 10 degrees hotter than sur-rounding rural areas. For mosturban residents the answer is tocrank up the air conditioning. Butthe electricity use ultimatelymakes climate change worse, andfor the city's poorest residents, thecost is too much to bear.

But how do you follow thisadvice when your home is made ofscrap metal and wood, your accessto electricity averages around fourhours per day, or your modestincome is already spent on foodand simply can't be extended tocooling?

By 2050, more than one billionpeople, including those living insome of the poorest parts of theplanet, could face extreme heatstress unlike anyone in recordedhuman history. Experts, along withthe Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change are asking: howwill these populations adapt?

An international team of anthro-pologists, geographers, engineers,urban planners, architects and epi-demiologists are finding someanswers by studying how people

are coping with hot conditions inKarachi, Jakarta, Hyderabad, andDouala. In these cities, many peo-ple effectively live 'off-grid' withunreliable access to quality hous-ing, water, electricity, shelter andshade. The pandemic only left themmore confined, forced to deal withheat-related illness, even duringperiods of cooler weather.

In a survey of 4,564 low-incomeresidents, only seven peoplereported having or using an air con-ditioning unit; and only 34 percentof respondents reported using anelectric fan as their primary coolingmethod when it was hot. Some 40percent of all respondents had lessthan 12 hours of electricity per day.The lack of readily available water,which in some cases was furtherreduced during COVID-19 meas-ures, was also closely correlatedwith symptoms of heat related ill-ness, such as blurred vision.

Surveyed respondents inIndonesia, Pakistan, India andCameroon with metal roofing were43% more likely to go outside toescape the heat than people withother roofing. How they copedcould set the example for futureheat-stressed citizens to follow,from obvious, well documentedpractices, like increasing airflow orventilation, to using incidentalshade provided by street trees orurban infrastructures like flyovers.

Other informal strategies includ-ed visiting neighbours or relativesand using water, not for hydration,but bathing and wetting down theinterior surfaces of homes. Many ofthese practices are rarely presentin urban heat-action plans devel-oped by city authorities or govern-ments.

These cooling strategies don'toccur in a vacuum. They areenabled by a range of social, cul-tural, technical and economicstructures that make them possibleor permissible. For example,women often have less access to

shade and cooler public places dueto cultural norms and safety con-cerns about being outside, particu-larly when high-density informalhousing means 'outside' is a publicdomain.

Water is used very differently inresponse to heat across Karachi,Jakarta, Hyderabad, and Douala.Bathing was the most commonstrategy in the Pakistani city ofKarachi (used by about a fifth ofthe population), yet not mentionedat all in the Indian city ofHyderabad, pointing to the need tocarefully consider resource avail-ability and cultural norms for howwater is used.

Survey respondents in Karachi,Pakistan were more likely to cooldown with a bath or shower thanrespondents in other surveyedplaces. The difference suggeststhat local customs and waterscarcity play a part in how peoplerespond to extreme heat.

Policymakers can identify,recognise and assist low-tech,energy-efficient and water-effi-cient strategies already being usedacross low-income communities.Some of these can be supportedthrough tweaks informed by thelatest science for example, consid-ering when using a fan helps, whenit hinders heat loss, and when smallamounts of water or ice can helpeffectively cool homes and bodies.

There is an assumption thatbasic access to electricity, water,and shelter is always available theyaren't. Policy focus should not onlybe on the emergency provision ofwater, electricity and shelter dur-ing extreme heat events. This is avery expensive band-aid for anarterial bleed. Extreme heat is notonly a short-term event in the glob-al tropics, populations are alsoexposed seasonally, or all year-round. Ensuring basic access towater, power and shelter all thetime or at least much more of it iscrucial. In rapidly developing parts

of the world, policies that assume astandardised built environment,occupied by geographically stable,atomistic households with reliableincomes don't reflect reality. Theyalso overlook opportunities fornovel solutions to managing heat ina warming world. For example,informal electricity connections(either directly to the grid, or via aneighbour) have played a crucialrole in providing energy and reduc-ing heat stress for the lowestincome groups. Rather than malign'illegal connections', city authori-ties need to support communityconnections that maintain safetywhile providing flexible access.

Low-tech interventions are not apanacea to climate change. Theshade of a tree, appropriate use offans, or improved ventilation ofhomes only works as long as out-door conditions remain survivable.This might not be the case in manyregions by 2050.

We can still feasibly protect theglobal poor from the heat at thecurrent 1-1.5 degree Celsius limit,but not so at 2 degree Celsius whentemperatures will become toomuch for the human body to bear.Staying under 1.5 degree Celsiusmeans low-tech responses have ahigher chance of working. Beyondthat, their efficacy drops off rapid-ly.

Adapting to extreme heat isn'tnew communities have a range oflocalised responses that are deeplyembedded in their social and cul-tural circumstances. Paying atten-tion to everyday strategies is afoundation stone for reducing heat-health risk now and in the future.But it's a foundation on unstableground only limiting warming to 1.5degree Celsius will give the house achance of standing.

((EEllssppeetthh OOppppeerrmmaannnn iissrreesseeaarrcchheerr aatt LLuuddwwiigg--MMaaxxiimmiilliiaannssUUnniivveerrssiittyy,, MMuunniicchh aanndd JJaammiiee CCrroossssiiss PPrrooffeessssoorr aatt tthhee UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooffEEddiinnbbuurrgghh..))

Surviving extreme heat in slums

SSaaddhhaavvii KKhhoossllaa@@ssaaddhhaavviiSocial Media when introduced

was meant to break the boundariesacross the nations; bring peopletogether, networking, find old

school friends…(it did all of this forsometime), but eventually created

walls btwn people, echo chambers, groupism, Us vs Them.

Lost its own purpose!

WALK IN PARK

ELSPETH OPPERMANN& JAMIE CROSS

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

BRIEF

Integrate

New Delhi: Meeshowill integrate its gro-cery vertical in thecore app, in line withits vision to become asingle shopping desti-nation for the next bil-lion users in India,CEO Vidit Aatreysaid. MeeshoSuperstore currentlyprovides 500 productsacross categories.

ChargersMumbai: Solar-pow-ered EV charging solu-tions provider ATUMCharge on Tuesdaysaid it has completedthe installation of 250Universal ElectricVehicle charging sta-tions across India injust six months. Of the250 stations, as manyas 36 have been set upin Maharashtra, 44 inTamil Nadu, 48 inTelangana, 23 each inAndhra Pradesh,Karnataka and WestBengal, 15 in UttarPradesh, 14 in Haryanaand 24 in Odisha, thecompany said.

Stake

New Delhi: Anarockhas acquired 75 percent stake in myHQ, abooking platform forco-working spaces.Anarock ChairmanAnuj Puri told PTIthat it sees huge busi-ness potential in theflexible workspacesegment as the de-mand from corpo-rates, individuals.

CommissionsNew Delhi: TataPower Solar has com-missioned a 160 MWAC solar project atJetstar in Rajasthan.Around 6,75,000monocrystalline PVmodules were used inthis installation and itwill produce 387 mil-lion units of energyper year.

Growth

New Delhi: DellTechnologies Indiaregistered a record an-nual business growthof 64 per cent in the fi-nancial year endedDecember 2021. MDAlok Ohrie told PTIthat its demand veloci-ty reflects how busi-nesses continue to pri-oritise their digitaltransformation.

AcquiresNew Delhi:Integrated diagnosticservice provider,Manipal HealthMapon Tuesday said it hasacquired a majoritystake in Hyderabad-based MedcisPathlabs Pvt Ltd.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Parliament on Tuesdayapproved a bill to revampthe functioning of the insti-tutes of chartered account-ants, cost accountants andcompany secretaries, withFinance Minister NirmalaSitharaman asserting thatthe changes will not impactthe autonomy of these bod-ies.

Rajya Sabha passed theChartered Accountants,the Cost and WorksAccountants and theCompany Secretaries(Amendment) Bill, 2022with a voice vote afternegating all amendmentsmoved by the Opposition.Lok Sabha had cleared thebill on March 30, 2022.

The legislation seeks toappoint non-CharteredAccountant (CA), non-costaccountant and non-com-pany secretary as the pre-siding officer of the disci-plinary committees of therespective institutes.

The Congress, TMC,

DMK and YSRCP opposedthe bill, citing "infirmities"and alleging that it was ablatant attack on profes-sional autonomy.

The three institutes arethe Institute of CharteredAccountants of India(ICAI), Institute of CostAccountants of India (for-merly known as ICWAI),and Institute of CompanySecretaries of India (ICSI).

The bill amends theChartered AccountantsAct, 1949, the Cost andWorks Accountants Act,1959, and the Company

Secretaries Act, 1980.Among other things, the

bill provides for the settingup of a coordination com-mittee headed by theSecretary of the Ministryof Corporate Affairs. It willhave representations fromthe three institutes.

The bill also provides forregistration of firms withthe institutes and it willhelp in paving the way forIndian accountancy firmsto grow big, she said.

It also proposes to en-hance the quantum of finesfor partners and firms

found guilty of miscon-duct.

The Congress, TMC,DMK and YSRCP onTuesday opposed the bill toamend laws governingchartered accountancy, costaccountancy and companysecretaries, citing infirmi-ties in the bill and allegingthat it was a blatant attackon professional autonomy.

After Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharamanmoved the CharteredAccountants, the Cost andWorks Accountants and theCompany Secretaries(Amendment) Bill, 2022 forconsideration and passagein the Rajya Sabha, the dis-cussion started in theUpper House.

BJP member SureshPrabhu, who is also a char-tered accountant, defendedthe bill, saying the Instituteof Chartered Accountantsof India (ICAI) has accept-ed most of the proposalsmooted by the concernedministry in this importantpiece of legislation.

Parliament approvesaccountancy bill

Nirmala Sitharaman

Mumbai, Apr 05: Nithia Capital (Nithia), a glob-al advisory and investmentfirm announced that they havecompleted the acquisition ofCrest Steel and Power Pvt Ltd(CREST) for a total considera-tion in excess of INR600Crores (US$ 80Mn). Thisacquisition was completed inpartnership with AmalgamSteel Private Limited (ASPL)with Nithia retaining majoritycontrol of the partnership.Located in Durg, Chhattisgarh,CREST is an integrated steelplant with a current spongeiron capacity of 225 KTPA andsteel billet capacity of 80KTPA. CREST has over 400acres of land and extensiveroom for brownfield expansionwith a private railway siding,which has been identified aspart of the planned growthcapex projects. These includecompletion of the 1,500 KTPAiron ore pellet plant and neardoubling of the manufacturingcapacities for sponge iron andsteel billet. Commenting, JaiSaraf, Founder and CEO ofNithia Capital said, “Theacquisition of CREST is animportant and strategic stepfor Nithia and is our secondsteel investment in India.

Nithia Capital completes

acquisition of CREST

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Equity benchmarkSensex dropped over 430points on Tuesday as in-vestors booked profits inbanking and financialstocks after sharp gains inthe previous session.

Investor focus returnedto the Russia-Ukraine warand rising oil prices,traders said.

The 30-share BSE gaugeended 435.24 points or 0.72per cent lower at 60,176.50.Similarly, the NSE Niftyshed 96 points or 0.53 percent to close at 17,957.40.

HDFC Bank was the toploser in the Sensex pack,followed by Bajaj Finserv,HDFC, Kotak Bank,IndusInd Bank, BajajFinance and RelianceIndustries.

On the other hand,NTPC, PowerGrid, ITC,Titan, TCS and Nestle

India were among thegainers, surging up to 3.40per cent.

Of the Sensex con-stituents, 17 shares closedlower while 13 were in thegreen.

Banking and financialindices fell sharply, up to1.33 per cent, while thepower segment rallied 3.38per cent.

Elsewhere in Asia,bourses in Shanghai,Hong Kong, Tokyo andSeoul closed on a firm foot-ing.

Stock exchanges inEurope were trading on anegative note in mid-ses-sion deals. Germany'sDAX gained 0.1% to14,536.78, while the CAC 40in Paris lost 0.6% to6,689.80. Britain's FTSE 100shed 0.2% to 7,545.38. Thefutures for the S&P 500and the Dow industrialsslipped 0.2%.

Sensex tumbles over 430 pts,Nifty slips below 18,000

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

The rupee continued itswinning momentum onTuesday, rising 25 paise tosettle at 75.28 (provisional)against the US dollar, asthe American currencyand crude oil prices re-treated from recent highlevels.

Forex traders said weak-ness in the US dollaragainst its key rivalsboosted investor senti-ment, even as the domesticequities settled on a nega-tive note.

At the interbank forexmarket, the domestic unitopened at 75.54 against theUS dollar and touched anintra-day high of 75.28 andfinally closed at 75.28, reg-istering a rise of 25 paiseover its previous close.

On Monday, the rupeestarted the financial year2022-23 on a bullish note,

spurting 21 paise to closeat a one month-high of75.53.

Meanwhile, the dollarindex, which gauges thegreenback's strengthagainst a basket of six cur-rencies, was trading 0.09per cent down at 98.90.

"Persistent risk-on senti-ments, weak dollar indexand stronger regional(Asian) currencies havebeen supporting the localunit in northbound move-ment," said Dilip Parmar,Research Analyst, HDFCSecurities.

"On the global front, in-vestors are assessingmeasures taken againstRussia and the outlook forChina's economic growthas Shanghai remained inlockdown. Near-termfocus will remain RBImonetary policy decisionand stance," Parmaradded. Bullion prices fell.

Rupee surges 25 paise at 75.28against USD, bullion falls

Mumbai, Apr 05:

Windergy India 2022, theupcoming mega wind en-ergy trade fair and confer-ence, is all set to enhancethe wind energy eco-sys-tem by deliberating and fa-cilitating quicker migra-tion to clean energy insync with national resolve.

The three-day megawind energy event will beheld at Pragati Maidan,New Delhi fromApril 27-29, 2022 and will focus onfulfilling national commit-ment of quick migrationto clean energy of whichwind energy is one of thepivotal pillars.

R. K. Singh, CabinetMinister for Power andNew & Renewable Energy,Government of India,Bhagwanth Khuba,Minister of State for New& Renewable Energy,

Chemicals and Fertilizers,Government of India, TheDanish Ambassador HisExcellency Freddy Svane,amidst other dignitariesand industry stalwartswould be part of the highlevel conference thatwould run concurrentlywith the tradefair. The at-tendees can gain by meet-ing over 150 companiesdisplaying their product,solutions and technologyprowess at the show. With2 days of intense delibera-tions along with the 3-dayexhibition, it offers un-matched networking andbusiness opportunities forparticipants.

In order to reduce de-pendency on fossil fueland achieve the target ofnet-zero emission by 2070,Prime Minister NarendraModi at COP26(November 2021) pledged

five key targets towardsfulfilment of this objec-tive. These include: (i)Increasing country’s non-fossil energy capacity to500 GW by 2030 (ii) 50 per-cent of country’s energyrequirements to comefrom renewable energyby 2030 (iii) Reduction oftotal projected carbonemissions by one billiontons from now till 2030(iv) By 2030, India will re-duce the carbon intensityof its economy by morethan 45 percent (v) By theyear 2070, India willachieve the target of Net-Zero. And, wind energywill play a pivotal role inachieving the above ob-jectives and has alreadymade impressiveprogress in terms of ca-pacity addition, manufac-turing capabilities andother areas.

Wind energy trade fair, conference tofocus on quick migration to clean energy

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Capital markets regulator Sebion Tuesday said individualinvestors applying in publicissues of equity shares andconvertibles can use UnifiedPayment Interface (UPI) forapplication amount up to Rs 5lakh.Also, they have been asked toprovide their UPI ID in the bid-cum-application form submit-ted with any of these entities -- syndicate member, stockbroker, depository participantand registrar to an issue andshare transfer agent.The new guidelines will comeinto force for public issuesopening on or after May 1,2022, Sebi said in a circular.The decision has been takenafter National PaymentsCorporation of India (NPCI)

reviewed the systemic readi-ness required at various inter-mediaries to facilitate the pro-cessing of applications withincreased UPI limit.As on March 30, 2022, morethan 80 per cent of SelfCertified Syndicate Banks(SCSBs)/Sponsor Banks/UPIApps have conducted the sys-tem changes and have com-plied with the NPCI provisions.In December 2021, NPCIenhanced the per transactionlimit in UPI from Rs 2 lakh toRs 5 lakh for UPI-basedApplication Supported byBlocked Amount (ASBA) inInitial Public Offers (IPOs).

Individual investorscan use UPI for up toRs 5 lakh payment

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Supply chain disrup-tions and low demandacross segments, especial-ly two-wheelers, are ex-pected to impact automo-bile retail sales in the cur-rent fiscal with the turn-around anticipated only inthe next financial year, au-tomobile dealers' bodyFADA said on Tuesday.

According to theFederation of AutomobileDealers Associations(FADA), the on-goingRussia-Ukraine war andChina lockdown is expect-ed to hit supplies of criti-cal components therebyimpacting the revival ofthe domestic auto indus-try. Besides, revival of de-mand in rural parts of the

county would also have animpact on the overallgrowth of the industry inthe current fiscal.

"We expect the situationto remain challenging inthe current fiscal withsales volumes expected togrow by single digit,"FADA President VinkeshGulati told reporters here.For the fiscal year ended2021-22, the total auto in-dustry retail sales grew by

7.21 per cent to 1,63,75,799units, as compared to1,52,74,314 units in the2020-21 fiscal.

"The near-term outlookfor the Indian auto indus-try continues to remain achallenge as the on-goingRussia-Ukraine war andChina lockdown does nothint towards a smoothpath. Crude is on a boiland hence fuel prices havebeen raised by around Rs10. This will continue torise and further hit senti-ments," Gulati noted.

The passenger vehiclesegment is expected towitness an impact due tothe disruption in preciousmetals and neon gas sup-plies which originatefrom the war hit zone, headded.

Auto industry to reach pre-pandemic highs by FY-24

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The CompetitionCommission has slappedpenalties totalling aroundRs 1.16 crore on 24 entities,including individuals, forindulging in bid riggingand cartelisation in ten-ders floated by the IndianRailways.

As many as 11 entitiesand 14 individuals of theseentities were found to haveviolated competitionnorms. Out of these 25, theregulator did not imposeany penalty on one entity.

Besides slapping penal-ties on 24 of them, thewatchdog has directedthem to cease and desistfrom anti-competitivepractices.

The matter was takenup by the Competition

Commission of India(CCI) following a referencefiled on behalf of theNorth Western Railways.

These entities indulgedin cartelisation in the sup-ply of High PerformancePolyamide Bushes (HPPA)and Self LubricatingPolyester Resin Bushes(SLPR) to the IndianRailways by means of di-rectly or indirectly deter-mining prices, allocatingtenders, controlling sup-

ply and market, coordinat-ing bid prices and manipu-lating the bidding process,CCI said in a release onTuesday. "The evidence inthe matter included regu-lar e-mail communica-tions and WhatsApp ex-changes between the par-ties, quoting of identical/similar prices by certainparties, filing of bids fromsame IP addresses by cer-tain parties in close prox-imity...," it noted.

CCI penalises 24 entities, individuals forbid rigging in Indian Railways tenders

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Over Rs 30,160 croreloans have been sanc-tioned under the Stand-UpIndia scheme in the pastsix years, the FinanceMinistry said on Tuesday.

Stand up India Schemewas launched on April 5,2016, to promote SC, STand women entrepreneursat the grassroot level fo-cusing on economic em-powerment and job cre-ation.

In 2019-20, the Stand UpIndia scheme was extend-ed till 2025.

"More than Rs 30,160crore loans sanctioned toover 1,33,995 accountsunder Stand-Up IndiaScheme in 6 years," theministry said in a state-ment.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Delhi High Court onTuesday asked the Centreto seriously look into theissue raised in a PublicInterest Litigation (PIL)seeking implementation ofa Uniform Banking Codefor foreign exchange trans-actions to control blackmoney generation and be-nami transactions.

A bench of Acting ChiefJustice Vipin Sanghi andJustice Navin Chawla is-sued notice to the Centrethrough ministries ofHome Affairs, Law and

Justice and Finance, andasked them to respond tothe petition.

Additional SolicitorGeneral Chetan Sharma,representing the Centre,submitted that the petition-er has raised a seriousissue which shall be lookedinto by the government.The court, which listed thematter for further hearing

on May 25, asked the Centreto seriously look into theissue raised by the petition-er. Petitioner and advocateAshwini Kumar Upadhyayraised loop holes in the sys-tem in relation to transferof foreign funds whichcould be used by sepa-ratists, Naxals, Maoists,fundamentalists, and ter-rorists.

During the hearing, theASG said, He (petitioner)has raised a serious issue.We will consider it and getback. The issues are seri-ous and important, they dorequire detailed considera-tion. The petition sought di-rection to ensure that RealTime Gross Settlement(RTGS), National

Electronic Funds Transfer(NEFT) and Instant MoneyPayment System (IMPS)are not used for depositingforeign money in Indianbanks. The petitioner saidit is not only harming theforeign exchange reserve ofIndia but is also being usedto provide money to sepa-ratists, fundamentalists,Naxals, Maoists, terrorists,traitors, conversion mafiasand radical organisationslike the SIMI and PFI. Hesubmitted that immigra-tion rules for a visa are thesame whether a foreignercomes in business class oreconomy class, uses AirIndia or British Airways,and comes from USA orUganda.

Centre asked to look into PIL seeking uniform banking codeFor foreign exchangetransactions Washington, Apr 05 (PTI):

A bipartisan group ofAmerican lawmakers hassought the help of theBiden administration inrestricting the interna-tional trade and sale ofRussian-origin diamonds,in view of the massivesanctions that the US andits European allies haveimposed on Moscow.

In a letter to Secretaryof State Tony Blinkenand Treasury SecretaryJanet Yellen, the lawmak-ers expressed concernthat the sanctions issuedby the TreasuryDepartment to target

Russia's diamond indus-try will have a minimalimpact on Alrosa and itsCEO Sergei Ivanov's abili-ty to freely operate global-ly.

Alrosa is the world'slargest diamond miningcompany.

The company, which re-ported sales worth USD4.2 billion last year, is re-sponsible for 90 per cent

of Russia's diamond min-ing capacity, which ac-counts for 28 per centglobally.

It is owned one-third bythe Russian government,and until recently, had anoffice in New York City.

Ivanov is the son of oneof Putin's closest allies,Sergei Borisovich Ivanov,who previously served asthe Chief of Staff of thePresidential ExecutiveOffice, the Deputy PrimeMinister and the DefenceMinister of Russia and re-mains a permanent mem-ber of the Security Councilof the Russian Federation,the letter said.

US lawmakers want India torestrict sale of Russian diamonds

Over Rs 30,160 croreloans sanctioned

under Stand-Up India

WATCHO, one of India’s fastest-growing OTT platforms, premieresyet another thriller web series ti-

tled 'Happy'. Close on the back of deliveringthe enthralling crime drama 'Jaunpur' andaward-winning 'Aghaat', this latest series isa gripping crime thriller that follows thejourney of a chef named Happy Singh in hispursuit of happiness. The eight-episode webseries is live now and available in Hindi.

The thriller revolves around Happy Singhwho makes his living working as a chef at aGirls’ Hostel. Known for his grumpy de-

meanor and extraordinary culinary skills,he is often the center of attention of the

residents and working staff. His onlyfamily member is his mother whoholds him as dear as a 5-year-oldchild. But things take a different

turn when he meets Gunjan, and in-stantly falls for her. What follows is a

mad pursuit of obsessive patterns turn-ing a one-sided lover into an erratic

criminal.Written by Hitesh Bali, under the impact-

ful production of Percept Purple, the showis steeped in a gripping narrative, heart-rac-ing plot twists, building upon the edge-of-your-seat tension with every scene. The starcast includes Bhagwan Das Patel who hasplayed the protagonist Happy. ActorDeeksha Sahu portrays the jovial charac-

ter of Gunjan with her charming smileand forthcoming personality.Bringing in a unique assortment of

snackable content cutting across all gen-res, WATCHO offers many originalshows including web series like GuptaNiwas, Jaunpur, Papa Ka Scooter,Aghaat, Cheaters - The Vacation,Sarhad, Mystery Dad,JaalSaazi, Dark Destinations,It’s My Pleasure, 4 Thieves,Love Crisis, Ardhsatya,Chhoriyan, and RakhtaChandana.

With each choice shemade in films in thepast, Vidya Balan

redefined the space of female-centric films in Bollywood.Following the same footsteps in herlast three releases - 'Shakuntala Devi','Sherni' and 'Jalsa' - the actress empha-sised the importance of producers backingsuch content to bring change in Indian cine-ma. Abundantia Entertainment was one ofthe production houses backing all thesethree projects. "Honestly speaking, when Ijoined the film industry, I did not knowthe exact role of a producer in the mak-ing of a film but with time, since Iworked in multiple female-led films, beit 'Ishqiya', 'No One Killed Jessica' andso on, I realised a very importantthing about filmmaking. "A film es-pecially if it is unconventional,not a success on paper, it needsutmost care and backup of aproducer to take enough riskto make such films and re-lease it correctly to thetarget audience."

She went on adding,"The role of a producerand director is equally im-portant for a film, if one is thefather, another is the mother ofthe film. Having said that I haveworked with Vikram in three consecu-tive successful films and I must say, hisproduction house not only talks aboutcreative empowerment but actuallygoing ahead and making films that areso important in storytelling." VikramMalhotra, the CEO of AbundantiaEntertainment, on the other hand, ad-mits that as a production house, theyfocus on the story first and then therest follows for him. "Yes, be it'Shakuntala Devi', 'Sherni' and 'Jalsa'they are female-led films. But for us,all these stories are equally impor-tant, engaging and entertaining. Thatis why we make a film. We do not lookat the gender of the protagonist buthow strong the content is. Our parameter is sim-ple. We submit to the vision of the storyteller, followed bythe size of the audience that the story can impact and thencomes the economic consideration, of budget and platform," explained Vikram.

Saiyami Kher on working withAshwinyIyer Tiwaryin ‘Faadu’Actress Saiyami Kher

recently wrappedup the shooting for

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwary's webseries 'Faadu'.

It is a love story that alsofeatures Pavail Gulati andAbhilash Thapliyal.

The web series was shot inSerbia, the Konkan region andMumbai. Sharing her experi-ence on the film, Saiyamisaid: "Working with Ashwinymaam was always on mywish list. I am emotional aswe wrap this very specialfilm. I have also madesome 'Faadu' friends forlife and can't wait to sharethis world with everyone."

Apart from this, SaiyamiKher is a part of TahiraKashyap's upcoming film'Sharmaji Ki Beti' and RBalki's 'Ghoomer'. Shewill also be seen in thenew season of 'Breathe:Into The Shadows' and'Highway', a southfilm co-starringAnandDeverakonda.

ACROSS1. Fir or poplar5. Imitate10. Coin factory14. Stash away15. Sports ring16. Native metals17. Recipe component19. Plumbing problem20. Shade of blue21. Endures

22. Rinds23. Italy's capital24. Pickle seasoning25. Fable writer28. Not lasting long (2 wds.)33. Rental agreements35. Absent36. Victory letter37. Coffeepots38. Sheik's wives40. Forbids41. Hamm or Farrow

42. Strong wind43. Changes for the better45. Without meaning48. Restless49. Lofty50. Golf norms52. Religious images54. Solemn56. Wind direction (abbr.)59. Sole60. Excessive62. Superman's girlfriend63. Wash cycle64. Track shape65. Dog's name66. Swiftness67. Obtains

DOWN1. That's opposite2. Ice arena3. Fidgety4. Always, in poems5. Woman's title6. Showy flowers7. Converge8. Rustic hotels9. Tabby, e.g.10. Early car (2 wds.)11. Not pertinent12. Singer ____ Diamond13. Recipe units (abbr.)18. Marry clandestinely22. Sympathy23. Singer Diana ____24. Serious play

25. Grads26. Mysterious27. Alamo locale (2 wds.)29. Rabbits' kin30. Be beholden to31. Tears apart32. Untidy34. Will39. Pub offering40. Affleck and Stiller42. Solidifies44. ____ Gras46. Most rational47. Thinly distributed51. Assisted52. Troubles53. Henhouse54. Small cut55. Musical sound56. Economize57. Right now!58. Slippery creatures60. Tax inits.61. Yuletide drink

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

You will tackle complicated issues withinfinite ease! But you will also findpeople passing the buck onto you. Itirks you no end, having to take theblame for others' mistakes. But here'sa chance, says Ganesha, to turn aweakness into a strength.

Aquarius: Jan 21 – Feb 18You will tackle complicated issues with infi-nite ease! But you will also find peoplepassing the buck onto you. It irks you noend, having to take the blame for others'mistakes. But here's a chance, saysGanesha, to turn a weakness into astrength.

Pisces: Feb 19 – Mar 20A number of great ideas either for newcreative projects or enhancing ongoingones could pop into your head during theday, Aries. If you don't write them downimmediately, they could just as easilypop right out again, never to return! Withall your responsibilities, you could have arather frantic day as your mind constant-ly shifts from one focus to another.

Aries: Mar 21 – Apr 20A person with whom you work, probably awoman, could leave suddenly withoutnotice or stated reason, Taurus. This couldbe confusing, and you might find yourselfwondering if there are changes within thecompany that you know nothing about.Try to learn exactly why this person left. Ifyou can't ask him or her directly, discreet-ly ask someone who might know.

Taurus: Apr 21 – May 21

Someone you've wanted to hearfrom for a long time, perhaps an oldfriend who lives far away, could ringyou up today while you're out,Gemini. You'll be happy to get themessage, but it could result in a frus-trating game of phone tag through-out the day. Don't get so irritated yougive up. Keep trying.

Gemini: May 22 – June 21With Ganesha's grace, whatever youthink or peruse will be successful.Students will excel and finish pendingwork. You can display your imaginationexcellently. In short, a day of happinessand variety.

Cancer: June 22 – July 22You will pay more attention to mattersat home. You may take up home renova-tion projects. You may end up replacingthe entire furniture at your place even.You will spend the day enjoying withyour family members and friends, saysGanesha.

Leo: July 23 – Aug 23You tend to be very intuitive, Virgo, buttoday you could find your psychic abili-ties short-circuit. If you give readings,don't schedule any for today. This isn'tto say your abilities are blocked, butthey aren't as dependable as they usual-ly are. Likewise, your imagination isn'tas reliable either.

Virgo: Aug 24 – Sept 22

Ganesha says that you will be busy inyour work field today and will be ableto attain your goals in your work fieldtoday. Your level of enthusiasm willbe at its peak. Today you may be ableto meet with a person from the oppo-site sex who will be your future part-ner. Ganesha showers you with hisblessings always.

Libra: Sept 23 – Oct 23Being a workaholic may divert yourattention from your family and you mayhave to bear the consequences. It's timeto sort differences with your spouse.But, all this while, you need to be calmand patient. Watch your words in case ofany arguments, warns Ganesha.

Scorpio: Oct 24 – Nov 22To do or not to do? That will be the ques-tion for most of today as you find your-self pulling out of one dilemma only totrip into the next one. Controversy willsurround you and you may find yourselfat the crossroads, where you are unsureof which direction to take. Turn to thewisdom of the experienced for properguidance, advises Ganesha.

Sagittarius: Nov 23 – Dec 21The most intimidating of ventures canprove successful if fortune favours you;you will be fortunate today, says Ganesha.Those of you dealing in stocks and sharescan expect a profitable day ahead, butdon't forget to give credit to your spouse;it will be their luck working wonders foryou.

Capricorn: Dec 22 – Jan 20

C R O S S WO R D 261

SOLUTION 260

HOROSCOPE WEDNESDAY APRIL 06

Bollywood actressSobhita Dhulipalahas wrapped up

the shooting for the sec-ond season of the much-awaited romantic dramaseries 'Made In Heaven'.The actress shared thenews with her followersthrough social media.

Sobhita took to herInstagram and sharedan animated poster inwhich she was sitting inher 'Made In Heaven' sig-nature pose. The actressannounced the wrap upof its second season inthe caption as she wrote,"It's a wrap for big catboss trooper TaraKhanna on season 2 ofMade in heaven! Can't

wait to show you the firethat's been blazing quiet-ly (sic)."

Sobhita shot to famewith her performance inthe first season of theshow. Naturally, the an-ticipation for the secondseason of the show andher performance is pal-pable.

On the film front, theactress has a string ofprojects includingRonnie Screwvala's'Sitara', Mani Ratnam'smagnum opus 'PonniyinSelvan' (Tamil), Telugufilm 'Major' with AdiviSesh and a Hollywoodproject 'Monkey Man' di-rected by and starringDev Patel.

Sobhita Dhulipalawraps up

'Made In Heaven 2’

Vidya Balan: I didn't know the role

of a producer whenI joined films

After the spectacular success ofentertaining original content on

SVOD, ALTBalaji, India's homegrownOTT platform, has now launched theAdvertising-Based Video on Demand(AVOD) model which will set a newbenchmark in the Indian entertainmentindustry by providing a roster of cut-through content. The first-ever realityshqow Lock Upp produced by the brandhas been launched via AVOD and hasbeen a massive success entering everyfamily living room of the country andreceiving robust viewership globally aswell. The Advertising-Based Video onDemand is a system that allows viewersto access free original content. ALTBalajispokesperson said, "The introduction ofAVOD will not only be an added layer ofadvertising revenue to our existing rev-enue streams bit will also help us drivefurther subscriber base via cross-selland up-sell. We are excited about pro-viding a further simplified and seamlessexperience with thousands of hours offree content for mass India." With over80% of ALTBalaji's audience under 35years of age; an exciting library boasting

91+ original shows and many in thepipeline; a flourishing SVOD Business;AVOD is the next step in building thebusiness further. For the first time aplatform with no network support hasattempted to build an AVOD business, asit garners a record number of viewsbased on the strength of the path-break-ing content that it delivers regularly. Theplatform's goal is to reach out to aneven wider audience base, penetratingfurther in hinterlands.

ALT Balaji is all set to disruptthe world of AVOD

WATCHO premiers crime-thriller ‘HAPPY’

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

Pune, Apr 05 (PTI):

Mumbai Indians' domes-tic bowlers will look tostep up as they take on abuoyant Kolkata KnightRiders in the IPL here onWednesday, looking toturn things around afterback-to-back defeats.

MI have so far lookedlike anything but IPL'sfive-time champions, los-ing both their openinggames first against DelhiCapitals by four wicketsand then against a resur-gent Rajasthan Royals by23 runs.

And skipper RohitSharma will seek improve-ments on multiple frontsto effect a turnaroundwhen they face KKR, whocome into the game afterbeating Punjab Kings bysix wickets.

For MI, pacer BasilThampi and spinnerMurugan Ashwin haveproved to be weak-links asthey yielded 73 runs in 3overs during RR's inningsand the duo will need toproduce a better show onWednesday.

In fact, Australian seam-er Daniel Sams too wentfor runs and remainedwicketless in the last twomatches.

The trio will have toquickly recover from theirforgettable outing againstRR and bowl in the rightareas if they have to con-tain the KKR batters.

Jasprit Bumrah, with

his three-for, however,showed why he is the bestin the business, particular-ly at the death and MIwould be hoping for anoth-er stellar show from him.

For a turn-around, Rohithimself will have to be athis brutal best and ham-mer his favourite opposi-tion, against whom he hasa formidable record.

Opener Ishan Kishanhas been rock solid,smashing a brilliant 81 inthe lung-opener followed

by a gusty 54.If Mumbai have to post

score or chase a big total,which is likely at the MCAstadium in Gahunje, Rohitand Kishan would need tofire on all cylinders.

MI has badly missed theservices of SuryakumarYadav, who is known forplaying many a match-winning knocks for thefranchise.

Yadav has recoveredfrom his finger injury butit remains to be seen

whether he plays or notwith Rohit remaining non-committal about his avail-ability.

While the emergence ofunheralded N TilakVerma, who smashed 61off 33 balls to take MI to 81in 8 overs against RR, wasa big positive, the teamstill couldn't chase down atotal of 193.

And the likes ofAnmolpreet Singh, TimDavid and West IndianKieron Pollard will need to

shoulder responsibility.While Singh scored in

single digits, David too did-n't look comfortable onIndian tracks and it needsto be seen if MI brings inSouth Africa's U-19 starDewald Brevis, known as'Baby AB'.

For Kolkata, the biggestasset is star all-rounderAndre Russell comingback to form. His six-hit-ting prowess was on dis-play against Punjab Kingsand he would be keen tocontinue from where heleft.

But their top-order, com-prising Ajinkya Rahaneand Venkatesh Iyer, fal-tered against Punjab andthe duo would want to givethe side a good start.

Skipper Shreyas Iyerhas been getting starts, buta big score is due. Ditto forSam Billings. Nitish Ranatoo has been far from hisbest and needs to go allguns blazing.

KKR pacer UmeshYadav has been impressiveand could pose a potentialthreat to MI batters but hewould need support fromTim Southee and ShivamMavi, while the eightovers from VarunChakravarthy and SunilNarine can change thematch situation.

Mumbai have won 22times against KKR, whileKKR has been victoriousonly seven times, and theywould want to add a win totheir tally.

Winless Mumbai Indiansface uphill task against KKR Dubai, Apr 05 (PTI):

India skipper Mithali Rajdropped a place to seventhbut star opener SmritiMandhana moved up toninth position in the ICCWomen ODI batters rank-ings issued on Tuesday.

After her below-par out-ing in the just-concludedWomen's World Cup, Mithalidropped a rung in the chartwith 686 rating points. Theveteran India captain accu-mulated 182 runs from sevengames at an average of 26.

In comparison,Mandhana (669 points)scored 327 runs from sevengames with a best of 123, av-eraging 46.71 in the show-piece. Besides the duo, vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaurclimbed one place to the 14thspot. Harmanpreet has beenIndia's second best batter inthe World Cup with 318 runsfrom seven games. Her high-est was 109. Australian keep-

er-batter Alyssa Healyjumped to the top of the bat-ter rankings after her phe-nomenal 170 in the finalagainst England. TheAustralian's outstandingknock sent her soaring intothe number one spot, endingSouth African opener LauraWolvaardt's short stay at thesummit. The 32-year-oldHealy smashed 509 runs, in-cluding two hundreds andtwo half-centuries, acrossher nine matches at theWorld Cup at a strike rate of

103.66. Healy finished justahead of compatriotRachael Haynes as the tour-nament's top scorer.

Four Australians re-mained in the top six in thelatest ODI rankings, withBeth Mooney, Meg Lanningand Haynes joining Healyamong the world's top-ranked batters.

England all-rounder NatSciver's unbeaten 148 not outin the world Cup final sawher jump to the second spotin the batting rankings.

Mandhana rises, Mitahli slips inICC Women’s ODI batters rankings

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Royals ChallengersBangalore can avail theservices of star Australianall-rounder GlennMaxwell in its upcomingIPL match againstMumbai Indians on April9, said the team's headcoach Mike Hesson.

Despite joining thecamp after completing hismandatory quarantine pe-riod, Maxwell will not beavailable for RCB's gameagainst Rajasthan Royalson Tuesday due to a clauselaid down by CricketAustralia for its contract-ed players.

Even though he was notpart of the Australiasquad that will completeits tour of Pakistan on

Tuesday with the lone T20match in Lahore, Maxwellhas to wait until April 6 tomake his first appearance

for RCB in ongoing editionof the lucrative T20league.

"It's pretty clear fromCricket Australia's point ofview that no contractedplayers are available be-fore the 6th of April. So, re-gardless of when they ar-rive here, they can't playbefore the 6th of April,"Hesson said in a videoshared on RCB's officialtwitter page.

"We have been wellaware of that as everyother side. We haveplanned for that. Maxi(Maxwell) will be with usand available from the9th."

RCB has so far playedtwo games this season,recording one win and aloss.

Pune, Apr 05 (PTI):

Mumbai Indians' youngrecruit Tim David is keento use legendary all-rounder Kireon Pollard'sexperience to improve hisgame and come out as abetter player after IPL-15.

Pollard has been aMumbai Indians veteranand one of IPL's all-timegreats.

"I think Polly's (Pollard)played over 10 years in theIPL, so there's a lot of ex-perience there," Davidwas quoted as saying in anote shared by the recordfive-time champions onthe eve of their gameagainst Kolkata KnightRiders.

The Singaporean him-self is a big-hitting all-

rounder. "I think that hap-pens over time naturally.You can't just get all of itlike, on a notebookstraightaway. It just hap-pens with different ques-tions here or there, differ-ent situations, differentexperiences at training

and trying to run someideas past him."

"Just get little bits hereand there and hopefully, Ican gain some of those ex-periences from him(Pollard), and maybesome that I can try anduse in a game or that I canadd to my game that canbe successful," addedDavid.

Mumbai Indians havehad a horrendous start totheir campaign havinglost both their games --against Delhi Capitalsand Rajasthan Royals.

But David believed thatthe team would get better.

"He has been a fun cap-tain," David said of skip-per Rohit Sharma, one ofthe finest white-ball expo-nents.

Suncheon, Apr 05 (PTI):

World championshipsbronze medallist LakshyaSen and fast-risingMalvika Bansod pro-gressed to the secondround of the men's andwomen's singles competi-tions respectively afterregistering gruellingthree-game wins at theKorea Open Super 500 bad-minton tournament hereon Tuesday.

While Sen staved off aspirited challenge fromlocal hope Choi Ji Hoon 14-21 21-16 21-18 in just overan hour in his openinground match, Bansod ral-lied her way to notch up astunning 20-22 22-20 21-10win over world no 24 HanYue of China.

Sixth seed Sen, who hasbeen in sensational formin the last six months withback-to-back final finishesat German Open and AllEngland Championships,will next meet Indonesia'sShesar Hiren Rhustavito.

Unseeded Bansod, whohad reached the finals ofSyed Modi Super 300 tour-nament in January, willface sixth seeded ThaiPornpawee Chochuwongin the second round.

However, it was cur-tains for Swiss Open final-ist HS Prannoy as he wentdown meekly toMalaysia's Cheam JuneWei 17-21 7-21 in 41 min-utes.

In doubles, men's pair-ing of Krishna PrasadGaraga andVishnuvardhan GoudPanjala lost 14-21 19-21 toP r a m u d y aKusumawardana andYeremia Erich YocheYacob Rambitan of

Indonesia, while BokkaNavaneeth and B SumeethReddy went down 14-21 19-21 to sixth seededMalaysian pair of OngYew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.

Earlier, Sen found thegoing tough against Choi,who kept things undercontrol for most part ofthe opening game andeven though the Indianclawed back to 14-14, theKorean reeled off sevenpoints on the trot to take a1-0 lead.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Star striker RaniRampal on Tuesday re-turned to the national sideafter a lengthy injury lay-off as India on Tuesdaynamed a 22-memberwomen's hockey squad forthe upcoming FIH ProLeague tie against worldno 1 Netherlands.

The squad also includestwo new faces in midfield-er Mahima Choudharyand striker AishwaryaRajesh Chavan, who willmake their senior team

debut in the double leg tieto be held at the KalingaStadium in Bhubaneswaron Friday and Saturday.

Rani, who led India to ahistoric fourth place finishin the Olympics last year,has not played for the na-tional team since theTokyo Games due to sever-al injuries, mainly ham-string problem.

Since then Rani hasbeen undergoing rehabili-tation at the SAI southcentre in Bengaluru butshe is now fit to take thefield again.

Navi Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Young pacer AveshKhan feels bowlers hardlyhave any respite in a tour-nament like the IPL, andthe key to success for himlies in handling the pres-sure.

Avesh, the most expen-sive uncapped Indian play-er in the ongoing IPL afterLSG paid 25 times morethan his base price of Rs20 lakh to avail his servic-

es, picked up four bigwickets conceding just 24runs against SunrisersHyderabad.

He also bowled a bril-liant 18th over to help hisside beat SRH by 12 runshere on Monday.

"In IPL as a bowlerthere will be pressure onyou in every match andhow you handle that isvery important. I neverthink that I am the mainbowler of the team. I al-ways try to take wicketsfor the team," Avesh saidat the post-match virtualpress conference.

"If I start thinking that Iam the main bowler, I willtake pressure upon my-self, which is unneces-sary."

Avesh said as a bowlerhis main job is to pick upwickets for his side.

"I am very happy to con-tribute to the winningcause. In the first match Igot an opportunity to save11 runs in one over whichI couldn't. Today I was fo-cused on taking wickets,"he said.

Avesh's performancehelped LSG defend 169 forseven, limiting SRH to 157for nine, and register theirsecond win out of threegames in debut IPL sea-son.

London, Apr 05 (PTI):

Out-of-favour India Testbatter Cheteshwar Pujara'sdebut for Sussex has beendelayed until next week dueto visa issues and he willmiss the side's first CountyChampionship match ofthe season startingThursday.

Pujara, who was droppedfrom India's recent Test se-ries against Sri Lanka, wasdue to play Sussex's first sixCounty Championshipmatches of the season be-fore returning later in theseason for the Royal LondonCup and some additionalfour-day games. The clubsaid in a statement that ithas been in regular contactwith Pujara and was work-ing tirelessly to enable himto be available for the first

game of the season againstN o t t i n g h a m s h i r e ."Securing overseas playershas been tremendously dif-ficult in the current cli-mate. We renegotiated theinitial Pujara contract so hecould return for moreCounty Championship andRoyal London Cup matches,and this subsequentlychanged the visa require-ments," SussexPerformance Director,Keith Greenfield said in thestatement.

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):Indian boxer Sumit (75kg)entered the semifinals of theThailand Open with a comfort-able win over Timur Nurseitov inPhuket, Thailand on Tuesday.Sumit, who received bye in theopening round, looked in goodtouch throughout the bout. Henotched a 5-0 win againstKazakhstan's Nurseitov in thequarterfinal clash.Sumit became the fourth Indianto enter the last four stage.Monika (48kg), Ashish Kumar(81kg) and Manisha (57kg) arealready through to the semifi-nals. However, it was curtainsfor Gaurav Chauhan (91kg), whowent down 1-4 to 2018 YouthOlympics champion AibekOralbay of Kazakhstan in thequarterfinals.Six Indian pugilists will be seenin action on Wednesday.While Bhagyabati Kachari(75kg), Amit Panghal (52kg) andRohit Mor (57kg) will play intheir quarterfinal, Govind Sahani(48), Varinder Singh (60kg) andAshish Kumar (81kg) will fightfor a place in the finals.

Mumbai, Apr 05 (PTI):

Former coach RaviShastri has hailed TNatarajan as a deathbowling specialist, sayingthe Indian team missedthe left-arm pacer sorelyduring its T20 World Cupdebacle in UAE.Natarajan, who came tolimelight in India's his-toric Test series winDown Under in early 2021,suffered a knee injuryand missed most part ofthe year before making a

comeback in SunrisersHyderabad's secondmatch of the IPL-15 hereon Monday. "Very happyfor him. We missed himin the World Cup. Hewould've been a certaintyhad he been fit," Shastrisaid in ESPNCricinfo's'T20 Time:Out'. India hadmade a heartbreakinggroup stage exit in theT20 World Cup in 2021."He got injured againstEngland when we wereplaying the ODI seriesand we really missed him

(in the World Cup). "He'sthat specialist deathbowler, bowls those york-ers very skilfully. He's gotgreat control. He is skid-dy. A bit quicker than youthink and hits the bat,"Shastri said. The 31-year-old, who was bought backby SRH for Rs 4 crore,made a fine comebackafter 12 months, picking 2for 26 from his full quotaof four overs, even asthey suffered their seconddefeat on the trot with a12-run loss.

Natarajan death over specialist, wemissed him in T20 World Cup: Shastri

Fit-again Rani returns, Savitato lead India women vs

Netherlands in Pro League

Sen, Bansod enter secondround of Korea Open

Boxing: Sumit stormsinto Thailand open

semifinalsIn IPL, it is very important to handle

pressure as a bowler: Avesh

Maxwell will be available against MI onApril 9, says RCB head coach Hesson

Pujara to miss Sussex’s firstgame due to visa issues

David wants to use Pollard’sexperiences to add to his game

CENTRAL CHRONICLE, BILASPUR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022

A farmer inspects his wheat field before harvesting, ahead of the upcoming festival of Vaisakhi, in Amritsar, Tuesday.

VAISAKHI PREPARATIONS

Devotees perform rituals on the banks of the Ganga river during the Nahay Khay of the Chaiti Chhath festival.

CHAITI CHHATH RITUALS

Printed by Sameer Maheshwari on behalf of Ramgopal Investments Pvt. Ltd. at Navbharat Press, G.E. Road, Press Complex, Raipur and Published at Navbharat Bhawan, Near Bus Stand, Bilaspur, Editor in Chief - Sameer Maheshwari.Editor: Sameer Shukla (Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act.) Phone: (07752) 224563, 230591 Fax : (07752) 405338, Raipur : (0771) 4257700 Fax : (0771) 4257703, Regd. No. CHHENG/2012/44065

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Delhiites having an elec-tric vehicle will now havea reason to rejoice as fromJune onwards they will beable to charge their EVsfree of cost between 12noon and 3 pm at over 40public charging stationsacross the national capital.

The move is aimed atpromoting the use of elec-tric vehicles and also to in-centivise EV charging atpublic stations, authori-ties said.

This initiative of free af-ternoon charge to EVusers is being taken up byan EV charging startupElectriVa, which has setup over 40 public chargingstations in partnershipwith the three civic bodies.

Authorities aware of theinitiative said that the freecharging will be providedat around 35 charging sta-tions operational along the

ring road at locations in-cluding South Extension,Bikaji Cama Place,Defence Colony, LajpatNagar, Mayur Vihar,Netaji Subhash Place,South Campus, NelsonMandela Road, Hauz Khas,Green Park, GreaterKailash, Punjabi Bagh,Rohini, Saket, ShalimarBagh, Preet Vihar amongothers.

Normally, rates for EVcharging during the morn-ing and evening hours forper unit charge is kept ataround Rs 10.

We will provide charg-ing to all commercial andnon commercial EV usersfor free between 12 noonand 3 pm. By providingfree charging during after-noon hours, we want tobolster the EV ecosystemin the national capital.Presently it is importantto incentivise publiccharging to make peopleswitch from fossil fuel toelectric vehicles, SumitDhanuka, Founder,

ElectriVa told PTI. He saidthat ElectriVa will set up acharging station everythree kilometres in Delhiand locations have alreadybeen allotted by the threecivic bodies.

The penetration of elec-tric vehicles in the auto-mobile sector in Delhi hasgrown in the last fewyears. According to gov-ernment data, around 10%of the total vehicles pur-chased in the city this year(January-March) so far,are electric vehicles.

As many as 10,707 elec-tric vehicles were regis-tered in 2022 so far be-tween January and March14 and out of this 5,888were e-two wheelers (e-bike and e-scooter), datashowed.

Dhanuka said that at thenational level, power gridstability is a concern andif all potential future EVswere to charge at homes, itcan result in grid failureduring peak demand.

In advanced countries

like the UK andNetherlands, having EVpenetration of 12 per centand 20 per cent respective-ly, they have put specialimpetus on strengtheningpublic charging infra-structure.

“Public charging willchange the charging pat-tern of EV users if proper-ly incentivised. It shouldbe prioritised and this nar-rative has to change withspeed in public charginginfrastructure work,” hesaid.

He said that batteryswapping facilities willalso be provided at charg-ing stations soon. He said100 more charging stationsare being set up in Delhi inpartnership with govern-ment agencies across thecity.

The Delhi governmentis also encouraging peopleto buy electric vehiclesand is providing a range ofsubsidies on purchase ofcommercial as well as pri-vate EVs.

From June 1, Delhiites cancharge their EVs free of cost In noon

Noida, Apr 05 (PTI):

The Greater NoidaIndustrial DevelopmentAuthority (GNIDA) onTuesday approved a budg-et of over Rs 5,100 crore for2022-23, allocating Rs 2,000crore from it for land ac-quisition and Rs 1,400crore for developmentworks in villages and resi-dential sectors.

This is the biggest budg-et for any fiscal year since2017-18 for GNIDA, whichheld its 126th Board meet-ing on Tuesday, accordingto officials. The Board ofGNIDA has approved thebudget of Rs 5,104 crore forthe financial year 2022-23.It has been approved in the

board meeting held underthe chairmanship ofIndustrial DevelopmentCommissioner and Noida-Greater Noida AuthorityChairman Sanjeev Mittal,an official statement read.

This is the biggest budg-et after the financial year2017-18. In this budget,maximum emphasis hasbeen given on land acqui-sition, development of in-frastructure and develop-ment works of villagesand sectors, it added.

Officials said after deal-ing with the COVID-19pandemic crisis, GreaterNoida has once againcaught the pace of devel-opment and a glimpse ofthis will be visible in this

time’s budget as specialemphasis is being laid onincreasing the land bank.After the meeting, GNIDACEO Narendra Bhooshansaid in the last few years,the trend of industrial in-vestors towards GreaterNoida has increased rapid-ly. Many investors are ask-ing for land for setting upindustries. The authorityis constantly trying to pro-vide land to them. For thisreason, in the budget of2022-23, more emphasis isbeing given on land acqui-sition, he said. For this, itis planned to spend aboutRs 2,000 crore. Authority isalso focusing on increas-ing capital and infrastruc-ture this year.

GNIDA BUDGET

Rs 2,000 cr for land acquisition,Rs 1,400 cr for development

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

Not an inch of land hasbeen ceded sinceNarendra Modi becameprime minister, Unionminister Kiren Rijiju saidin Lok Sabha on Tuesday,hitting back at an opposi-tion MP who accused thegovernment of givingaway Indian territory “bitby bit to China”.

Intervening in the dis-cussion in the lower houseon the situation inUkraine, Rijiju took strongobjection to the remarksmade by BSP MP fromJaunpur Shyam SinghYadav. “Everyone knowsthat our claimed territoryunder the control of Chinaand Pakistan dates back to

earlier times. I don’t wantto take anyone’s name.Since Narendra Modi hasbecome prime minister,not an inch of land hasbeen ceded,” Rijiju saidafter Yadav alleged thatIndian territory was beinggiven away “bit by bit toChina”. The minister said

Arunachal Pradesh,which is a border state, isalso “100 per cent safe andsecure’’.

“I come from ArunachalPradesh. A TV channel didmischief and, taking im-ages from a foreign web-site, said that China hasestablished a village in-side Arunachal which isfalse as that village hadbeen occupied by China in1959,” Rijiju said.

One should not misleadthe country by makingsuch claims, he said.

Rijiju recalled that in2013 when A K Antony wasthe defence minister, hehad stated in the Housethat India’s policy not tobuild infrastructure in theborder areas was wrong.

‘Not an inch of land cededsince Modi became PM’

Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Apr 05 (PTI):

A team of ISRO scien-tists are visitingChandrapur district inMaharashtra to inspectsome objects, believed to beremnants of a booster rock-et, that streaked across thenight sky over parts of cen-tral India last week. Thespace agency decided to de-pute a team of scientists for“inspection and further sci-entific inquiry” after thedistrict collector ofChandrapur reached out toISRO to examine a metalring and a cylinder-like ob-ject that were found in anopen field in Pawanpur vil-lage. “As requested by thedistrict administration, ateam of scientists fromISRO is visiting Pawanpur

for inspection and furtherscientific inquiry,” thespace agency said in aFacebook post. On April 2,several social media usersposted videos and picturesof unidentified burning ob-jects falling from the sky innorth Maharashtra as wellas some districts ofMadhya Pradesh. Expertsspeculated that they couldbe either meteorites enter-ing the Earth’s atmosphereor the pieces of rocketboosters which fall off aftera satellite launch. A localgovernment official in east-ern Maharashtra’sChandrapur district saidan “aluminum and steel ob-ject” reportedly fell atLadbori village inSindewahi tehsil around7.45 pm.

ISRO scientists to inspectobjects that fell from sky

Pune, Apr 05 (PTI):

M a h a r a s h t r aNavnirman Sena (MNS)Pune city president VasantMore on Tuesday said as aparty functionary he hasto endorse the stand of hisboss Raj Thackeray whohas demanded removal ofloudspeakers frommosques, but as a people’srepresentative he has totake an inclusive approachand it would be difficult forhim to implement the dik-tat in his civic ward. More,a former corporator whoseterm ended a few weeksago, represented a wardwhich has a sizeableMuslim population.Addressing a rally inMumbai last week, MNSpresident Raj Thackeray

called for shutting downhigh-decibel loudspeakersatop mosques. Thackerayhad said if such a step wasnot taken, loudspeakerswould be installed outsidemosques to play HanumanChalisa at a higher vol-ume. “As a city unit presi-dent, I certainly have to ac-cept the stand of partychief Rajsaheb Thackeray,but I think as a people’s

representative (corporator), the issue (to implementThackeray’s diktat ) can beinconvenient for me in myward. A people’s represen-tative has to take an inclu-sive approach,” said More.

The MNS leader said thecivic ward from where hewon last time has a size-able Muslim population,and over the years he hasdone some good work forpeople be it related to bur-ial grounds for Muslims orhospitals for local resi-dents. More said someonefrom a mosque in his ownward called and expressedconcern over the issue andasked whether he will in-stall a loudspeaker (to playHanuman Chalisa) at atime when the holy monthof Ramzan is going on.

‘Difficult to act on Raj Thackeray’sdirective on loudspeakers’

Vasant More

Kannur (Ker), Apr 05 (PTI):

Offering a hands-on feelof a picturesque Keralavillage, the TourismDepartment’s pavilion atthe Ente Keralam’ expothat opened here as part ofthe state government’sfirst anniversary celebra-tions has become an in-stant hit. Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan inaugu-rated the government’sfirst anniversary celebra-tions on Sunday alongwith the expo that high-lights its initiatives overthe last one year and its vi-sion of the journey ahead.With its meticulous depic-tion of an idyllic Keralavillage featuring backwa-ters, paddy fields and farm-steads, the TourismPavilion takes forward the

theme of exploring the un-explored destinations’,seeking to extend the bene-fits of tourism develop-ment to the entire state inan inclusive and responsi-ble manner. TourismMinister P A MohamedRiyas said the Tourismpavilion has been con-ceived and created to con-vey all the delightful expe-riences that Kerala holdsfor tourists, at a time whenthe footfalls are steadily in-creasing, with tourism ac-tivities back in full swingacross the state. The show-piece will be taken to allthe remaining districts toencourage visitors to ex-plore the unexplored spotsas every panchayat in thestate has some best-keptsurprise for tourists, hesaid. Kerala Tourism

Director V R Krishna Tejasaid the KT pavilion is setup along the wide walkwayof the expo venue and ithas been drawing the at-tention of the visitors in abig way. We have recreateda slice of the countrysidelife at the expo, with atouch of nostalgia. Apartfrom depicting the rurallandscape and vibrantlifestyle, the show also fea-tures novel initiatives likeCaravan Tourism, headded. At the outset, thepavilion features the tradi-tional gateway of a typicalKerala house, known asPadippura’. The visitorsare then taken to a lushcountryside and its vi-brant life, an official state-ment said. The view of thepaddy field with a hand-crafted water wheel for ir-

rigation in its midstthrows light on the farm-ing practices of the past.The visitor is then greetedby a thatched house with asmall well and chicken-coop towards its side. Inthe courtyard, one can seeall kinds of plants includ-ing the ubiquitous coconuttree and plantain, it said.

Behind the house, thereis a handloom set that sym-bolizes the craft and tradi-tional industries that flour-ished in villages. The smallpond with ducks gliding init adds to the charm of thesetting. The scene is com-plete with glittering ca-parisons, various kinds ofhandicrafts, theyyam per-formers and kalarippayat-tu practitioners, featuringrich and diverse culturalheritage of Kerala.

Tourism pavilion at Ente Keralam’ expo draws huge footfall

Bhubaneswar,Apr 05 (PTI):The second wife of a

fake doctor in Odisha, whomarried as many as 18times, has been arrestedfrom Jharkhand for al-legedly helping him induping other women, po-lice said here on Tuesday.

Ramesh Chandra Swain,the 66-year-old man from acoastal village in Odisha’sKendrapara district, hadas many as 18 wives acrossseven states over 38 yearsand allegedly duped themof lakhs of rupees by pos-ing as a doctor.

The second wife, a med-ical practitioner, was ar-rested on Monday for al-legedly helping Swain inthe fraud. She is beingbrought to Odisha onTuesday on a transit re-

mand, a police officer said.The woman was employedat Jamnagar in Gujaratand was absconding sinceSwain’s arrest onFebruary 23 this year.

Earlier, the police hadarrested another womanwho claimed to be Swain’ssister, on the charge ofhelping him to get marriedmultiple times and dupingthe women of money. Thepolice came to know abouthis second wife’s involve-ment during Swain’s inter-rogation, police said. A fa-ther of five children,Swain had married hisfirst wife in 1982 and sec-ond wife in 2002. Between2002 and 2020, he befriend-ed other women throughmatrimonial websites andmarried them. Police said

he used to target middle-aged single women whosought companionship onmatrimonial websites.After getting married, heused to leave them aftertaking away their money.

According to police,Swain posed as a doctorposted as a deputy directorgeneral under theMinistry of Health andFamily Welfare.Complaints were notlodged due to the socialstanding of his wives asmany of them werelawyers, doctors, andteachers, the police said.mA case had been regis-tered against Swain at theMahila police station hereunder various sections ofthe Indian Penal Code(IPC).

Fake doc’s 2nd wife held forhelping dupe other spouses

Hyderabad, Apr 05 (PTI):

A woman tied up her 16-year old son to a pole andrubbed chilli powder in hiseyes near their house inSuryapet district ofTelangana as a “punish-ment” over his habit of van-ishing from home for sever-al days and for reportedlygetting addicted to ganja,police said on Tuesday. Theincident happened inKodad town on Monday anda video of the same hasgone viral on social mediashowing the woman smear-ing her son’s face with chillipowder while anotherwoman holds the boy’shands when he tries to re-sist the attempts and laterthe boy is seen screamingin pain. The woman finallyuntied her son after he

promised that he wouldgive up on his “addiction”.The incident triggered a de-bate on social media plat-forms with netizens de-scribing it as the “bestIndian treatment for ganjaaddicts” and appreciatingthe woman while otherssaid putting chilli in theeyes will not solve the issueand it won’t work andtermed the “treatment asequally dangerous”. A po-lice official told PTI overphone that the teenagedboy, a school dropout, whohad left home returned totheir house on Mondayafter a week and that he hada habit of regularly leavinghome for several days andhis mother also suspectedhe had been taking somedrugs and angered over itshe “punished” him.

Woman ties ‘ganja addict’ son topole, rubs chilli powder in eyes