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Exports dip 0.8 pcin Dec, trade deficitwidens to $15.71 bn

8

KCR turning over anew leaf in 2021

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SOURAV GANGULY IN ICU IN KOLKATA;UNDERGOES PRIMARY ANGIOPLASTY

THREE CRORE ON FRONTLINE TO GET FREEVACCINE IN 1ST PHASE: HEALTH MINISTER

MUMBAI ATTACK MASTERMIND ARRESTEDIN PAKISTAN OVER TERROR FINANCING

IF SOMEONE IS HINDU, HE HAS TO BEPATRIOTIC: RSS CHIEF MOHAN BHAGWAT

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)president Sourav Ganguly has been

hospitalised in Kolkata and is undergoing primaryangioplasty after suffering "chest discomfortwhile doing tread mill at his home gym". Theformer India captain reached the Woodlandshospital in Kolkata at 1pm on Saturday. Thehospital said that an ECG was conducted, whichshowed "hyper acute ST segment elevation ininferior leads and lateral leads". "Mr SouravGanguly, 48 years old, President BCCI, formerCaptain of Indian Cricket team and eminentpersonality suffered from chest discomfort while doing tread mill at his homegym. He had family history of IHD Ischemic heart disease.

Free coronavirus vaccines will be given in thefirst phase to three crore people who have

been on the frontline in the fight against thehighly contagious disease, Health MinisterHarsh Vardhan said today. The governmentwill give priority to 1 crore healthcare workersand 2 crore frontline workers when Indiabegins the rollout of Covid vaccine. "In 1stphase of #COVID19Vaccination free #vaccineshall be provided across the nation to mostprioritised beneficiaries that incl 1 crorehealthcare & 2 crore frontline workers. Detailsof how further 27 cr priority beneficiaries are to be vaccinated until Julyare being finalised (sic)," Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted this afternoon.

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the Mumbai attackmastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist,

was arrested on Saturday in Pakistan overterror financing charges, an official said.Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in theMumbai attack case, was arrested by theCounter-Terrorism Department (CTD) ofPakistan. However, the CTD did not reveal theplace of his arrest. "Following an intelligence-based operation conducted by the CTD Punjab(Pakistan), proscribed organisation LeT leaderZaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was arrested oncharges of terrorism financing," it said. It further said that Lakhvi, 61, wasarrested in a case of terrorism financing registered in a police station.

If someone is a Hindu, he will be patrioticand that will be his basic character and

nature, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said onFriday while citing Mahatama Gandhi'sremarks that his patriotism originates fromhis dharma. Mr Bhagwat was speaking atan event to release the book titled "Makingof a Hindu Patriot: Background ofGandhiji's Hind Swaraj", authored by JKBajaj and MD Srinivas. Releasing the book,Mr Bhagwat said there is no need forspeculation that the Sangh "is trying toappropriate Gandhiji, that is not the case, no one can appropriategreat personalities like him."

ANUSHA PUPPALA n HYDERABAD

At a time when political partiesin the state played dirty politicsover disbursement of aid toflood-hit people, a cop from TSused his two months' salaryand raised additional funds tohelp build house for a 70-year-old pensioner who had lost herhome in flash floods.

Meet 31-year-old Telangana

cop Gundrathi Satish, who iscurrently serving as Sub-Inspector in Palakurthy PoliceStation in Jangaon district. Hehas offered a newly builthouse as New Year gift to 70-year-old Bandipelli Rajamma,whose house collapsed duringheavy rains this year inJangoan district.

At the behest of higherauthorities, Satish was doingrounds in

Lakshminarayanapuram vil-lage following heavy rains in

August-September. He wasamong the cops who were

tasked with evacuating localsfrom f lood-affected andflood-prone areas.

Satish, who hails fromKothagudem district, decidedto help Rajamma after observ-ing that she had been living ina kutcha house.

Speaking to The Pioneer,Gundrathi Satish said: "I feltreally sad looking at her smallhouse, which can accommo-date only one person.

Expert panel okays emergency use of CovaxinThe recommendation of Covaxin comes despite lack of efficacy data and with Phase III trials only half over

PNS n NEW DELHI

An expert panel of India's cen-tral drug authority on Saturdayrecommended granting per-mission for restricted use ofBharat Biotech-developedindigenous COVID-19 vaccineCovaxin in emergency situation,especially in the context ofinfection by mutant strains,officials said.

The recommendation forBharat Biotech's vaccine came aday after the panel cleared theSerum Institute of India's emer-gency use athorisation applica-tion for the Oxford-AstraZenecavaccine Covishield.

This paves the way for the

roll-out of at least two vaccinesin India in the coming days,while two more are in advancestages of development.

At a press conference in NewDelhi, Union minister PrakashJavadekar said India was prob-ably the only country where fourvaccines were in the pipeline.

Asked about some religiousfigures raising doubts over vac-cines, Javadekar said "our vac-cine is effective" and the rest ofthe world was also using it. Headded that vaccines are intro-duced after tests and those thatwould be brought in would besafe.

Union Health MinisterHarsh Vardhan appealed to

people on Saturday not to bemisguided by "rumours"regarding the safety and effica-cy of the coronavirus vaccine,and said, "We will not compro-mise on any protocol before

approving a vaccine."The Union Health Ministry

on Saturday said the SubjectExpert Committee (SEC) of theCentral Drugs Standard ControlOrganisation (CDSCO) has rec-

ommended granting permis-sion to the Serum Institute ofInstitute (SII) for restrictedemergency use of Covishield inIndia, subject to multiple regu-latory conditionalities.

"The SEC of CDSCO meton January 1 and 2 and madethe recommendations for theconsideration and final deci-sion of the Drugs ControllerGeneral of India (DCGI),"the ministry said.

Covaxin has been indige-nously developed by BharatBiotech in collaboration withthe Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR).

The SEC again deliberatedon the emergency use authori-sation (EUA) application ofBharat Biotech on Saturdayafter it presented the updateddata, justification and request-ed for consideration of theirproposal in the wake of inci-dence of new mutated coron-avirus infection.

DCG will take final call

Indiasuccessfullycultures UKstrain: ICMRPNS n NEW DELHI

India has successfully culturedthe new coronavirus strain,which originated in the UK,the Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR) said onSaturday. The ICMR claimedthat no country has yet report-ed successful isolation andculture of the UK-variant ofSARS-CoV-2. Culture is theprocess by which cells aregrown under controlled con-ditions, generally outside theirnatural environment.

"UK-variant of the virus,with all signature changes, isnow successfully isolated andcultured at the NIV from theclinical specimens collectedfrom UK-returnees," ICMRsaid.

Loan apps: Man harassedby money lenders ends lifePNS n HYDERABAD

A man allegedlydied by suicidehere on Saturdayafter beingharassed by app-based moneylenders, police said.

The 36-year-old man,who used to work at a privategodown, took a loan throughabout 10 apps and was alleged-ly harassed by the lenderswho informed thecontacts inhis phone about the loan, thepolice said.

Upset over this, hehanged himself to death,

they said.The amount bor-

rowed by the man isnot clear, they said.

A case on chargesof abetment to suicide

and also under the pro-visions of the IT Act has

been registered, they added.The police in Telangana

have been conducting investi-gations against instant app-based lenders accused ofharassing borrowers overrepayment.

KTR has all qualities tobecome CM: GuthaPNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Rashtra Samiti work-ing president and IT MinisterKT Rama Rao has all the qual-ities required to become theChief Minister, TelanganaLegislative Council chairmanGutha Sukhender Reddydeclared on Sunday.

This comes on top of TRSsenior MLA Redya Naik'srecent statement that it is hightime Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao made KTRChief Minister of the state.

"KTR is efficient and has theenergy to work with persever-ance…KTR has dynamism.There is no link between elec-tions and administration",Gutha told media persons.

Answering queries on theNagarjuna Sagar by-election,Gutha mentioned that nobodyhad asked him to contest the

bypoll. "Even I didn't tell any-one that I am interested in con-testing the by-election. Partywill decide whether ticketshould be given to a Nomulafamily member or any otheraspirant. I have alreadyappealed to all political partiesto elect a member from thebereaved family unanimously,though there is a different tra-

dition across the state. But inNalgonda we need to elect afamily member of departedsitting MLA unanimously. Westarted this tradition whenRagya Naik died. My personalopinion is to continue the sameeven now", he observed.

Responding to queries onCongress leader K Jana Reddy'scandidature for the Sagar by-elections, Gutha said that therewas no difference between a'big' personality and a 'small'personality. People would casttheir vote to party symbols.Even Jana Reddy had lost elec-tions thrice, he said. Muchprominence would not be givento Jana Reddy's son should hecontest the by-elections.Further, there would not be'local' and 'non-local' issuesbecause all leaders were stayingin Hyderabad.

Telangana to see multiple polls in 2021PNS n HYDERABAD

Different regions in Telanganawill witness multiple elections in2021, with major parties aspir-ing to prove their superiority.For all contesting parties, 2021is as good as an 'election year'.

Already many far-reachingchanges have taken place in thestate's political arena. As thingsstand, there is possibility of afierce competition betweenthe regional TRS party and thenational BJP. Besides, theCongress is determined toprove its strength.

The Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar Graduates'

Constituency elections;Warangal, KhammamCorporation elections as well asthe Nagarjunasagar Assemblyconstituency by-elections will beheld. All major parties arepreparing in advance for these

elections.The State Election

Commission is preparing tohold elections for the GreaterWarangal and KhammamMunicipal Corporations as wellas for five municipalities. TheSEC has already written to thegovernment, seeking arrange-ments for the polls.

According to the TelanganaMunicipal Act-2019, arrange-ments have to be made to holdthe next elections three monthsbefore the expiry of the term ofthe municipal governing bodies.

In this context, the ElectionCommission has decided tohold simultaneous elections for

seven municipalities whoseterms are expiring soon.

As for the Greater WarangalMunicipal Corporation, theKhammam MunicipalCorporation and the AchanpetaMunicipality (NagarkurnoolDistrict) governing body, theirterm ends on 14th March thisyear. The term of the SiddipetMunicipality governing bodyends on April 15.

Apart from these, theElection Commission intendsto hold simultaneous electionsfor the newly upgradedNakirekal Municipality(Nalagonda District),

‘Jail staff found guiltyof glorifying Asaram’PNS n SHAHJAHANPUR

Two senior officials ofShahjahanpur jail have beenfound guilty of facilitating anevent inside the prison glori-fying rape convict Asaram bythe distribution of blankets bysome followers of the self-styled godman last month, anofficial said on Saturday.

Besides the Shahjahanpurjail superintendent and jailor,a prison security guard too hasbeen found guilty, said DeputyInspector General (Jails) R NPandey, who conducted theprobe into the December 21episode.

Pandey said the probe reportagainst the jail superintendentand the jailor has been sent tothe DG (Prison) for furtheraction against them.

Meanwhile, a departmentalaction has been initiated

against one prison guard whilethree others have been issuedshow-cause notices to explaintheir involvement in theDecember 21 event in the jail,the DIG (Prison) added.

It was found in the probethat three people had come forthe event from the godman'sashram, the DIG said,

‘Modi's intlrating a prideor all Indians’ PNS n NEW DELHI

Noting that Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's approvalrating is the highest amongworld leaders in a survey con-ducted by a US data firm, BJPpresident J P Nadda onSaturday said this is a testi-mony to his able leadershipand a matter of pride for allIndians.

While Nadda tweeted tolaud Modi's leadership,

TN dentist jailed forforging daughter's NEETmarks to get admissionPNS n CHENNAI

A 47-year old dentist wasarrested for allegedly forginghis daughter's NEET scorecard and a call letter for med-ical counselling to get MBBSadmission, police said onSaturday.

The dentist, Balachandran,hailing from Paramakudi inRamanathapuram district wasarrested and produced beforea court here which remandedhim to judicial custody onFriday. A police officer said thedentist has been lodged at theSaidapet sub-jail.

The forgery came to lightrecently when the father anddaughter duo turned up forMBBS admission counsellingsession held here and produceda 'call letter' for counselling anda 'NEET marksheet' thatshowed a score of 610.

Congress mayissue notice toKomatireddyPNS n HYDERABAD

The Congress high com-mand has a rather difficultchoice to make when it comesto taking 'disciplinary action'against its MLA fromMunugode KomatireddyRajagopal Reddy, who hasraised a banner of revoltagainst the party.

The party may take actionon Sunday, though it is notclear whether it would be inthe form of issuing show-cause notice or suspendinghim. If it is going to be sus-pension, the decision couldpave the way for RajagopalReddy switching his loyaltiesto the BJP.

Hence, some of the leadersin the party are of the opin-ion that it would be better towait till Rajagopal Reddytenders his resignation.

Legislators may be dis-qualified on grounds ofdefection by the PresidingOfficer of a legislature basedon a petition by any othermember of the House.

Gundrathi Satish with Bandipelli Rajamma and her old house

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TS cop builds a house for lonely woman pensionerSpends 2 months' salary, pools money

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(IN HYDERABAD)

After his fortnight-longretreat in his favouritegetaway, the farmhouse

at Erravelli, immediately fol-lowing his return from NewDelhi, Chief Minister KChandrashekara Rao has mademany about-turns in policiesand climb-downs from posi-tions on key issues. Heraldingthe New Year, these resets arewelcome, though they mayhave been forced by theTelangana Rashtra Samithi’ssetbacks in by-election to theDubbaka Assembly seat andthe GHMC polls.

Not a word worth trustinghas leaked about KCR’s back-to-back meetings with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi andHome Minister in Delhi, butthe results on the ground arelouder than words. He has notspoken any further on his

proposal for floating a ThirdFront, which he revived aheadof the GHMC elections, whilethe fulminations against theCentre for underfundingTelangana have lost their edge.

At the first available oppor-tunity when the PrimeMinister addressed ChiefSecretaries of States, theTelangana government agreedto dovetail its flagship healthscheme, Aarogyasri, with theCentre’s Ayushman Bharat.After vehemently arguing allalong that Aarogyasri, serving85 lakh families, was far supe-rior to the Centre’s healthinsurance scheme whichwould cover 26 lakh families,it fell in line post KCR’s Delhivisit.

In a way, the rollback of themuch-vaunted farm sectorreforms at the nascent stageindicated that KCR, who fan-cies himself as a progressivefarmer by claiming that an

income of Rs 1 crore can begenerated from one acre ofland, had made a U-turn. Justa few weeks ago on December8, the TRS Ministers and otherleaders had staged sit-ins onhighways in solidarity with thefarmers’ call for a nation-widebandh.

He reversed two farm poli-cies that signalled not only lackof adequate foresight and plan-ning but also an unambiguousadmission of the soundness ofthe Centre’s new farm laws.

Firstly, the decision to procurepaddy, sorghum, maize andred gram directly from the vil-lages at the minimum supportprice (MSP) drained theexchequer. Secondly, the moveto impose regulated farming inorder to wean them awayfrom paddy evoked anger andresentment among large sec-tions of farmers.

The first decision was arealisation that direct pro-curement from the villages atMSP was in conflict with the

controversial farm laws, whichsought to provide an opportu-nity to the farmers to selltheir produce anywhere in thecountry. The government istoeing the line pushed byDefence Minister RajnathSingh that the new farm lawsshould be given time for 1-2years to know their effect

before moving either forwardor repealing them.

The Chief Minister hasalso thrown open the gates ofhis 9-acre official residence,Pragathi Bhavan, serving ashis de facto secretariat forseveral years, to MLAs and tohike salaries, retirement ageand pensions to the govern-ment employees. Yet, all theseNew Year’s Eve reforms arecosmetic. These are barelysufficient to stem the erosionin the government’s credibil-ity for failing to fulfil keypromises like creation ofmore jobs and building two-bedroom houses it madebefore the 2018 Assemblyelections. They provide norebuttal to the charges ofcrony capitalism in real estateand engineering sectors,besides corruption in depart-ments helmed by importantMinisters.

What is needed, apart from

easier access to the ChiefMinister, is delegation ofgreater authority to Ministersand MLAs.

The freer access to thefortress-like Pragathi Bhavan-- into which even HomeMinister Mahmood Alireportedly could not enterwith prior clearance -- willwork for the party’s owngood. Three decades ago,there were special grievancecells in the Secretariat meantfor the public, while formerchief minister YS RajasekharaReddy went a step further byholding daily praja darbars.

The KCR government canrightfully lay claim to creditfor mega-projects l ikeKaleswaram LI scheme,Mission Bhagiratha, 24X7electricity supply, to nameonly a few, though a wholenew set of changes arerequired for the TRS to facethe Assembly elections in2023, possibly even earlier ifthe Modi government optsfor simultaneous Lok Sabhaand Vidhan Sabha polls.

Urban governance is inshambles as evidenced bythe October flooding inHyderabad, governmentoffices which have regularinterface with people likerevenue, municipal adminis-tration and health need sen-sitisation and semblance ofhonesty. There must be anend to the British-era notionof ‘mai-baap sarkar’ wherethe babus are the rulers andpeople mere subjects to belorded over. It is senseless toreduce property tax and turna blind eye to corruptionand collusion of municipalofficials with land-grabbers.

It is not enough for theKCR government to turnover a new leaf in selectareas. There is a notionamong some influencers thatease of doing business isonly for businesses, espe-cially those in glamouroussectors like information tech-nology. Reforms must be tiedto the larger goal of improv-ing people’s lives in everysphere of activity.

S NAGESH KUMARFormer Resident Editor,

The Hindu

He reversed two farm policies that signalled

not only lack of adequate foresight and

planning but also an unambiguous

admission of the soundness of the Centre’s

new farm laws. Firstly, the decision to

procure paddy, sorghum, maize and red

gram directly from the villages at the MSP

drained the exchequer

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

KCR TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF IN 2021

PNS n KHAMMAM

The number of divisions in theKhammam MunicipalCorporation (KMC) will beincreased from 50 to 60 aftercarrying out the delimitation ofthe divisions (wards).

It may be recalled that theState Election Commission(SEC) has written to theMunicipal Administrationdepartment asking it to carryout delimitation of the wardsand divisions in municipalitiesand municipal corporationsthat are going to polls soon.

The tenure of theKhammam MunicipalCorporation is going to expireby March 15, 2021. The pollsshould be conducted to themunicipal corporation beforethe deadline.

As the elections are sure to

be held soon, political partiesare gearing up for the polls.

In the municipal corpora-tion, the TRS had 34 seats outof the 50 divisions. After thechange of political equations,the TRS improved its tally to42. The Congress has strengthof three and left parties had fiveseats.

Minister Puvvada AjayKumar is going to take the

Municipal corporation elec-tions as a matter of prestigesince the elections are going tobe conducted for the first timeafter he became the Minister.

The TRS, which is preparingitself to approach the elec-torate with development agen-da has deployed all importantleaders in the district andentrusted the responsibility offive divisions to each leader.

The TRS has been activelysearching for the potentialcandidates as the number ofdivisions are going to increaseby 10.

The Congress has constitut-ed a publicity committee underthe leadership of CLP leaderMallu Bhatti Vikramarka. Itappointed one in-charge foreach division.

The BJP which is in fullswing after tasting success inDubbak by-election andGHMC elections, set its sightsto capture the KhammamMunicipal Corporation.

The BJP has constituted newcommittees for Khammamdistrict and the city as a preludeto the preparation for the civicpolls. The Left parties and theTDP are also devising theirstrategies to prove their mettlein the polls.

KMC to add 10 more wards,parties gear up for elections

Continued from Page 1

It recommended "grant of per-mission for restricted use inemergency situation in publicinterest as an abundant precau-tion, in clinical trial mode, spe-cially in the context of infectionby mutant strains, to BharatBiotech," the health ministrystated. According to sources,the committee, however, statedthat the firm shall continue theongoing phase 3 clinical trial andsubmit data emerging from thetrial as and when available.

The committee noted that thevaccine is an inactivated wholevirion, coronavirus vaccine, hav-ing potential to target mutatedcoronavirus strains, a sourcesaid. The data generated so fardemonstrates a strong immuneresponse (both antibody as wellas T cell) and in-vitro viral neu-tralisation.

While granting the restrictedemergency use approval for theOxford COVID-19 vaccine onFriday, the panel had imposedcertain regulatory provisions,including that the shot is indicat-ed for active immunisation in

individuals of 18 years or moreto prevent the disease and thatSII should submit safety, effica-cy and immunogenicity datafrom the ongoing clinical trialsin the country and across theglobe for review at the earliest.

Also, the Pune-based firmshould submit the safety dataincluding the data on adverseevents following immunisation(AEFI) and adverse event of spe-cial interest (AESI) with dueanalysis every 15 days for the firsttwo months and monthly there-after till the completion of theongoing clinical trial in thecountry, according to the recom-mendations.

Thereafter, the firm shouldsubmit the safety data as per theprovisions and standard proce-dures. According to sources, therecommendations stated thatthe vaccine should be suppliedalong with fact-sheet and sepa-rate leaflet for the guidance of thehealthcare provider.

The Serum Institute of India,the world's largest vaccine man-ufacturer, has tied up withAstraZeneca to manufactureCovishield.

Expert panel okays...

Continued from Page 1

Finding fault with the lan-guage used by some of theMPs, Gutha said that it wasnot correct tospeak aboutthe ChiefMinisterin a dis-paragingmanner."MPs haveto giverespect to the posi-tion and not to persons.However, political leaderswho do not follow this cul-ture are losing respect amongpeople", he said.

Continued from Page 1

adding the two people whowere mentioned to have con-ducted the programme inthe jail in the press releaseissued by the jail superinten-dent, did not attend it.

On checking the entry reg-ister, it was found that therewas no entry of the names ofthose who conducted theprogramme and this is a seri-ous matter, the DIG said,adding that departmentalaction has been initiatedagainst the prison securityguards on duty at the gate.

Three others who werepresent during the pro-gramme have been issuedshow-cause notices, the DIGsaid.

The probe into the eventglorifying Asaram waslaunched on complaints of aman whose daughter hadbeen raped by the godman.

Asaram was convicted inApril 2018 of raping aShahjahanpur girl at hisashram at Manai village nearJodhpur in 2013.

Continued from Page 1

On scrutiny, medical admis-sion authorities found thather name did not figureeither in the rank chart or calllist for couselling. It wasfound that the girl had a scoreof 27 but submitted a forgedcertificate and similarly, thecall letter too was fake. Basedon a complaint from author-ities, police launched a searchand arrested the dentist. In2019, a NEET impersonationscam rocked Tamil Nadu andat least nine people werearrested including medicalstudents. A number of 'aspi-rants' allegedly hired 'expert'proxies to write NEET ontheir behalf. Such hired indi-viduals scored good marks inthe test which aided aspirantsto get admissions in medicalcourses.

Continued from Page 1

A legislator is deemed to havedefected if he either voluntar-ily gives up the membership ofhis party or disobeys the direc-tives of the party leadership ona vote. This implies that a leg-islator defying (abstaining orvoting against) the party whipon any issue can lose his mem-bership of the House. The lawapplies to both Parliament andAssemblies. KomatireddyRajagopal Reddy, after dar-shan of Lord Venkateswara atTirumala on January 1, reiter-ated that he would join BJP.About one and a half years ago,Rajagopal Reddy had statedthat the BJP was 'alternative' forthe TRS in Telagnana and evencriticised Rahul Gandhi andstate leadership. TheDisciplinary ActionCommittee then issued a show-cause notice to RajagopalReddy. Later, he had sent a let-ter explaining his stand.

However, this time, RajgopalReddy did not criticise anyCongress leader. However, he

said that his brother andBhongir MP KomatireddyVenkat Reddy would not leavethe party.

The Telangana Congress issomewhat demoralised asmany leaders likeVijayashanthi, AChandrasekhar, BikshpathiYadav, former Mayor BandaKarthika Reddy, GuduruNarayana Reddy, Vikram Goudand several others have left theparty. These leaders are notpublic representatives, butRajagopal Reddy is a sittingMLA; and his parting shot willhave an impact on the party.

Rajagopal Reddy has kepthimself aloof from party activ-ities. He has paid occasionalvisits to CLP office. He hadstayed away from party state in-charge and general secretaryManickam Tagore when hewas eliciting opinions fromleaders in the party on theselection of new TPCC chief,though his brotherKomatireddy Venkat Reddywas in the race for the TPCCpresident post.

Continued from Page 1

Rajjama is very old andgets pension of Rs 1,500 fromthe state government. Her sonis handicapped. She lost herdaughter-in-law and is notable to hear properly becauseof old age. Apart from all this,her small house collapsed dur-ing heavy rains this year.Looking at her situation I feltlike helping her and decided togift her a house that I canafford with my salary".

He further added, "Thehouse cost Rs 1,60,000. I usedmy savings and two months'salary which added up to Rs80,000 to build the house. So,I discussed with the villagesarpanch and other villagers.Village sarpanch donated Rs10,000, Upa-Sarpanch donat-ed Rs 5,000, and other vil-lagers helped with theremaining money."

"She was in tears when she

saw the new house and sheeven said 'I never dreamt ofliving in a new house'. I amglad that I could help an oldwoman who was in a helplesssituation. My family, mainlymy mom, is really happy thatI could help the woman.When I wanted to help her, Idiscussed with my mom andshe said it's really great thatyou got this thought and sheencouraged me to help the oldlady. I got inspired by my fel-low officers in the state whokeep helping someone inneed. I am really happy toreceive appreciation from mysenior officers and col-leagues". DIG BadugulaSumathi, who is all praise forSub-Inspector Satish, tweetedon Saturday, "Simply fantas-tic, you made us proud.Jangaon Police PalakurthySubinspector GundrathiSatish built a house for the oldwoman as New Year's gift".

‘Jail stafffound guilty...

TS cop builds ahouse for lonely...

TN dentistjailed forforgingdaughter's...

KTR has allqualities tobecome CM:Gutha

Congress mayissue notice to...

‘Modi's intl rating apride or all Indians’ Continued from Page 1

the BJP also held a press con-ference wherein Union minis-ter Prakash Javadekar said it isa "rare phenomenon" that theprime minister's publicapproval has been rising overthe past six years, defying thegeneral trend of fluctuatingratings for most leaders.

American firm MorningConsult, which regularlytracks approval ratings ofworld leaders, said over 75 percent people approve of Modiwhile 20 per cent disapprove,putting his net approval ratingat 55 per cent.

This is higher than anyother world leader the firmtracks. Referring to the survey,Nadda tweeted that Modi hasyet again emerged as the mostpopular head of governmentfor his efficient handling ofvarious issues and manage-ment of the COVID-19 crisis.

"PM @narendramodi ji'spopularity not only rises

unabated across all demo-graphic groups & geographicregions of the country and healso gets a thumbs up global-ly for his dedication to hiscountry. PM Modi ranksNumber 1 among all globalleaders in this (these) challeng-ing times," he said.

Ever since the Modi-ledgovernment came to power,people's trust in the govern-ment and the faith that thenation is progressing in theright direction have risen dras-tically, he added.

"This rating is testimony ofhis able leadership and hardwork and is a thing of pride forall Indians," Nadda said.

According to MorningConsult's survey, GermanChancellor Angela Merkel'sapproval rating was 24 per centwhile it was in the negative forUK Prime Minister BorisJohnson as more people disap-prove of his work than thosewho approve.

Continued from Page 1

Jadcharla Municipality(Mahabubnagar District) andKottur Municipality(Rangareddy District).

Hence, the governmentintends to hold the GraduatesMLC elections and theNagarjunasagar Assembly by-election by March this year.Thus, elections to sevenmunicipal bodies are likely tobe held in April or May.

All political parties havebraced up for polls ever sincethe SEC wrote a letter to thegovernment concerningarrangements for the elec-tions.

Telangana tosee multiplepolls in 2021

Covid vax dryrun underwayat 46 centres inTelugu statesPNS n HYDERABAD/AMARAVATI

A dry run of Covid-19 vacci-nation was underway Saturdayat 46 centres in AndhraPradesh and Telangana as partof nationwide assessment ofpreparedness of health author-ities to implement the pro-gramme when the vaccine ismade available.

The trial run was being con-ducted at 39 centres in AndhraPradesh and seven centres inTelangana. Officials said theprocess was underway in asmooth manner.

In Andhra Pradesh, wherethe first phase of dry run wasconducted at five centres inKrishna district on December28, the process was conduct-ed at three centres in each ofthe 13 districts on Saturday.

Dummy beneficiaries linedup at four designated centresin Hyderabad and at three cen-tres in Mahabubnagar districtat 9 a.m. to receive the vaccine.

Konduru is new NAFSCOB chiefPNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana State CooperativeApex Bank (TSCAB) chairmanand Karimnagar DistrictCooperative Central Bank(DCCB) chairman KonduruRavinder Rao has been unani-mously elected as the chairmanof the National Federation ofState Cooperative BanksLimited (NAFSCOB).

This is the first time in the 55years history of the NAFSCOB,an apex body for the coopera-tive banks of the country, aTelugu speaking person waselected as the national bodychairman for a period of fiveyears.

Ravinder Rao would be head-ing the NAFSCOB which com-prises of 33 state cooperativebanks and 393 district cooper-ative central banks in the coun-try. Ravinder Rao was elected as

chairman at the NAFSCOBgeneral body meeting whichwas organised on Tuesday inMumbai.

After the election of the newboard of directors, RavinderRao was unanimously elected asthe chairman of the NAFSCOB.Earlier, Ravinder Rao was pre-sented with a special award bythe NAFSCOB under thedemocratic management prac-tices and good governance cat-

egory. NABARD chairman GRChinthala, International coop-erative alliance vice chairmanand chairman KribcoChandrapal Yadav and otherswere also present.Similarly,Karimnagar DCCB wasadjudged as the winner of thefirst prize for annual perfor-mance for the year 2018-19 atall India level by the NationalFederation of State CooperativeBanks limited (NAFSCOB).

Ind-UK flights toresume fromJan 8, only 30flights per weekPNS n NEW DELHI

Only 30 flights per week willoperate between India andthe UK when services resumefrom January 8, CivilAviation Minister HardeepSingh Puri announced onFriday and said this arrange-ment will continue tillJanuary 23.

Indian and UK carriers willeach be operating 15 flightsper week during the aforemen-tioned period to and fromDelhi, Mumbai, Bengaluruand Hyderabad only, he said.

Over 60 passenger flightsper week were flying betweenIndia and the UK inDecember. However, theAviation Ministry suspendedall passenger flights connect-ing the two countries fromDecember 23 onwards as anew variant of coronavirusemerged in the UK.

Ravinder Raowould be headingthe NAFSCOBwhich comprises of 33 statecooperative banksand 393 districtcooperative centralbanks in country

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | JANUARY 3, 2021hyderabad 03

Prof Akhila K Sahoo and Prof R.Chandrasekar, faculty at theSchool of Chemistry, University

of Hyderabad (UoH) have been electedas a Fellow of the Indian Academy ofSciences (IASc), Bengaluru, inrecognition of their researchcontributions from the University ofHyderabad.Akhil K. Sahoo who joinedUniversity of Hyderabad in 2007, earlier worked as a scientist at SaiAdvantium Pharma. He did his Postdoctoral Research at KyotoUniversity, Japan and Ph.D. at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune.His Research work includes C-H Activation, Ynamides, EnergyMaterials, Organometallics. Prof. R. Chandrasekar joined the UoH in2008 and did his Postdoctoral Research from Karlsruhe Institute ofTechnology and Ph.D. at Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research.His areas of research include, Molecular/Polymer Self-assembly,Organic Photonics, 2D/3D Lithography.

CITY LIGHTS

Abhay Kumar Gupta has takenover charge as DivisionalRailway Manager,

Secunderabad Division, SouthCentral Railway (SCR).Gupta belongs to the 1989 batch ofIndian Railway Service of Engineers(IRSE) and prior to this posting, hewas serving as Chief Engineer,North Western Railway. He had graduated in civil engineering fromHBTI, Kanpur and started his career with Indian Railways in 1989and in over two decades of service, has held several importantassignments.Gupta has served important posts such as SeniorDivisional Engineer, Allahabad, Deputy Chief Engineer, Construction,Secretary to General Manager, North Central Railway, AdditionalDivisional Railway Manager, Jodhpur Division, IRICEN/ Pune andChief Engineer in Construction organisation of South EasternRailway, East Coast Railway, North Central Railway and NorthWestern Railway. He has undergone training in prestigious railwayinstitutes like National Academy of Indian Railways, Vadodara,Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering, Pune, Indian School ofBusiness, Hyderabad, INSEAD, Singapore and ICLIF, Malaysia, therelease added.

Abhay Kumar Gupta takes over as DRM of SCR's Sec'bad div

The installation ceremony of Rev.Poola Anthony as MetropolitanArchbishop of Hyderabad will

be conducted at St Mary's HighSchool Grounds in Secunderabadon Sunday. On the occasion, aPontifical High Mass will becelebrated by 12 bishops from thetwo Telugu States. Bishop Anthonywill be received from the outskirtsas he enters the city from Kurnool and the Holy Mass will begin at4.30 pm at St Mary's High School Grounds. Outgoing ArchbishopThumma Bala will be part of the Pontifical High Mass to beconcelebrated by Bishops from Andhra and Telangana. Theinstallation ceremony, which will be conducted taking all Covid-19precautionary measures, will see Rev. Bala formally handing overthe key of St. Joseph's Cathedral to the new Archbishop. Rev.Anthony will be the fifth Archbishop as a successor of FirstArchbishop Mark Gopu, Second Archbishop Samineni Arulappa,third Archbishop Marampudi Joji and the fourth ArchbishopThumma Bala. Pope Francis had on November 19 appointed BishopAnthony as Archbishop after accepting Archbishop Bala'sresignation, as he reached the retirement age of 75 in April 2019.

Poola Anthony to take over asnew Archbishop of Hyderabad

Telangana Director General of Police Mahendar Reddy, onSaturday appreciated the training expertise of TSSP Force, andthe quality of training imparted in TSSP (Telangana State Special

Police)Training Centres. Mahendar Reddy, who visited TSSP on theoccasion of New Year and interacted with all the BattalionCommandants and Additional commandants, said TSSP trainershave shown great enthusiasm and perseverance in ensuring thesmooth conduct of the training. The DGP discussed the vision of thePolice Department for its future endeavours and the role of TSSP inthe state. The DGP also appreciated the TSSP role in the impleme-ntation of Lockdown regulations in view of pandemic and noted thatTSSP police personnel in the state have been on the frontlines andperforming challenging duties relentlessly against all odds.

Telangana DGP appreciates training expertise at TSSP

BRINGING IN NEW

YEAR WITH A PRAYER

PNS n HYDERABAD

Several prominent shoppingmalls in the posh Madhapurand Kukatpally areas are soongoing to change hands, it islearnt.

One of the malls have indi-cated selling its group shares,some other malls are likely tofollow the suit.

According to an estimate,there are at least 42 shoppingmalls in the city. It is predict-ed that another 12 malls aregoing to be added to the exist-ing malls in the city.

Spread of Coronavirus invirulent form and lockdowneffect, caused severe loss tobusinesses. The managers ofthe malls indicate that theexisting malls have been facingrough weather let alone start-ing the new malls in the city.The number of footfalls to themalls has come down drasti-cally pushing up the overheadcosts. As such maintenance ofthe malls has become a her-culean task.

According to manager of amall, the shopping malls hav-ing multiple screens to screenfilms have witnessed noimprovement in their posi-tion as the audience turn out isnot along the expected lines.

Moreover, the sales in thestores have come down. It waspredicted that the number offootfalls to the malls willincrease after unlocking thelockdown, but in vain. But outof fear of contracting the virus,the people are still confiningthemselves to their homes. Infact, after unlock 5.0 the num-ber of footfalls to malls hasincreased, but it is less than 40-50 per cent of the customers

the malls used to have prior toCovid pandemic.

Even international brandshave closed down their outletsin the malls due to Coronavirussituation. Some other interna-tional brands are headingtowards bankruptcy. This hasaffected the shopping malls inthe city adversely.

Several people from variousparts of the country settleddown in the cosmopolitan city

of Hyderabad. Therefore,demand for internationalbrands, compared to the localbands, is high, a representativeof the shopping mall groupsaid. As the outlets for theinternational brands are back-tracking, the existence of manyother shopping malls hasbecome questionable. In fact,some of the malls are offeringconcessions and discounts. Thework from home concept has

affected the business in malls,a manager of a mall said.

Gachibowli, Kondapur,Madhapur, Kukatpally andBanjara Hills and some otherareas are home to the shoppingmalls. They sustain businessmostly depending on the soft-ware employees. But, they arenot visiting the malls as theyare working from home. Manymalls are likely to down theirshutters due to this situation.

However, some of the mallsare optimistic about regainingthe business. Some of the mallmanagers predict that normalconditions will prevail after thevaccination against Corona-virus. They describe the cur-rent phase is only transitory.

Shopping malls face rough weather PNS n HYDERABAD

The Covid recovery rate inTelangana rose to 97.52 percent on Saturday as 535 recov-eries were reported during thelast 24 hours.

The new figure took thecumulative number of recov-eries to 2,79,991, health offi-cials said. The state's recoveryrate is higher than the nation-al average of 96.1 per cent.

The number of active casesin the state dropped further to5,571, including 3,418 whoare in home or institutionalisolation. Two persons suc-cumbed to the virus in the last24 hours, taking the state'sdeath toll to 1,546.

The fatality rate remained0.53 per cent against thenational average of 1.4 percent. According to director ofpublic health and family wel-fare, 44.96 per cent of thedeaths occurred due to Covid,while 55.04 per cent had co-morbidities. The state report-ed only 293 new cases as theauthorities conducted fewertests.

The labs tested 26,590 sam-ples against 40,000-45,000.While government-run labo-

ratories conducted 22,998 tests,the remaining 3,952 sampleswere tested in private labs.

There are 18 government-run laboratories, 56 private lab-oratories and 1076 RapidAntigen test centres in thestate. Samples tested per mil-lion population ratio rose fur-ther to 1,86,762. GreaterHyderabad MunicipalCorporation (GHMC) report-ed 72 new cases during last 24hours.

Rangareddy district saw thesecond highest number of newcases at 34 followed byMedchal Malkajgiri (26),Karimnagar (22), WarangalUrban (14) and Sangareddy(12).Remaining districts

recorded new cases in singledigit. Over 90 per cent of bedsin government-run and privatehospitals treating Covid in thestate remained vacant.

Out of 8,585 beds availablein 61 government hospitalstreating Covid, 7,807 bedswere vacant. A total of 778people were undergoing treat-ment in these hospitals.

Similarly, in 219 private hos-pitals treating Covid, only1,375 beds were occupied. Outof 7,790 beds, 6,415 werevacant.

The data shows that 63.9 percent of those tested positive sofar were aged between 21-50years. As many as 22.91 percent were aged above 51 years.

Temples across the city were abuzz withactivity on Sunday as people thronged inlarge numbers to seek blessings of theLord on the first day of New Year. The

arrivals at many temples wereconsiderably high. Among all, SriVenkateshwara Swamy temple in

Himayathnagar, Birla Mandir, Chikkadpallyand Chilkur witnessed heavy rush.

Serpentine queues were witnessed at thesetemples as people flocked the temples

right from crack of dawn.

-SV Chary

Several peoplefrom variousparts of thecountry settleddown inHyderabad.Therefore,demand forinternationalbrands is high

Telangana’s Covid recovery rate jumps to 97.5 per cent

PNS n HYDERABAD

Just when the Covid-19 casesin Telangana appeared to be ona downward trend, as many as22 members of a family inSuryapet town have testedpositive.

Health officials said onSaturday that the family mem-bers were found infected afterthey attended the last rites ofa relative a few days ago.

Those tested positive are res-idents of a gated community inthe town. According to DistrictMedical and Health Officer KHarshvardhan, none of themhas any symptoms.

"They are under home iso-lation. We are monitoring theircondition," he said.

The official also clarifiedthat none of the family mem-bers has history of air traveland ruled out their beinginfected by the new mutantstrain of the virus recentlyfound in the UK.

One of the family members,a tuberculosis patient, testedpositive during regular check-ups. Since he had attended thefuneral of a relative, otherswho were present were alsoalerted.

The health department gotCovid test conducted on agroup of 38 people and of them22 were found infected.

This is the first incident afternearly four months in whichsuch a large number of peoplefrom one family has testedpositive.

Officials said the familymembers who had gatheredfor the last rites were related toa 70-year-old man, who didnot follow measures such aswearing face mask and physi-cal distancing.

Authorities sounded an alertand collected samples of theneighbours. They also took upsanitsation in the township.The officials said there was nocommunity transmission.

22 members of family test positive for Covid

DURGA PRASAD SUNKUn HYDERABAD

Telangana Police have received12.42 lakh 'Dail 100' distresscalls last year. The averageresponse time to attend thosecalls and reach the spot hasbeen 8 minutes.

'Dail 100' is used as a Reliableconsistent emergency responsemanagement. "We are one ofthe few states in the countrywhere Dail 100 facilities areavailable throughout the state,"said M Mahendar ReddyDirector General of Police,Telangana To facilitate the has-sle-free response to all thosedistress calls, police officialshave strengthened the ground-level staff and distributed 859

patrol cars, 1525 blue colt vehi-cles to all the police stations inthe state. Further, the policeofficials are continuously mon-

itoring those calls to provideimmediate response.

Although the averageresponse time to attend those

calls and reach the spot hasbeen 8 minutes in the state, theresponse time in urban areasincluding Hyderabad,Rachakonda and Cyberabad is5 minutes, 10 minutes in dis-trict headquarters and theresponse time is 20 minutes inrural areas," said MahendarReddy.

Explaining about the newtechnology introduced last yearMahendar Reddy said, "Wehave introduced new technol-ogy - location based services(LBS) - to Dail 100/112. If anycitizen in distress calls 'Dail100', the location of the personcan be traced out by the police,so that the patrol teams canreach the victim as early as pos-sible."

Further, to understand thequality of service of the policepersonnel in addressing thecalls of citizens we are takingthird party feedback and con-tinuously trying to improve ourservices, added MahendarReddy.

In addition to these ‘Dail 100and 112’ with the aim of citi-zens friendly proactive policingapproaches to improve publicaccess to police service, officialsare implementing other initia-tives like taking complaintfrom social media. Throughsocial media posts police haveattended 1.59 lakh complaints.

Initiatives like SHE teams,job melas and Hawk eye mobileapps are helping police to pro-vide services to public.

Dial 100 buzzing! Over 12 lakh calls made last yearWHAT NUMBERS SAY!

1122,,4422,,668800 Dial 100/112 calls serviced

11,,5599,,991155social media

complaints attended

44,,885555SHE Teams

complaints attended

66,,7788,,118899petitions attended

11,,1155,,774433Hawk Eye com-plaints attended

77,,338844aspirants getplacements

55,,0000,,000000benefitted

through policeinitiatives

11,,7777,,229922 MeeSeva servicesprovided

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Kachiguda Police crackeda house burglary case within12 hours and arrested theaccused on Saturday. Thepolice officials also seized 35lakhs from the accused.

The accused identified asNanda Kusaraju hailing fromWest Godavari district inAndhra Pradesh changed hisname to Nanda Gopal and cre-ated documents accordingly.

In 2018, the accused joinedas a helper to paralytic DrVijay Sitharam Kale and com-mitted theft. According to thepolice, as per the plan theaccused created a duplicate keyfor flat and almarah.

While the occupants wereaway, the accused gained entryinto the house using thoseduplicate keys and committedtheft of gold, silver ornamentsand cash all worth of Rs 35lakhs.

"The accused took advan-tage that the disability of thepatient Dr Vijay SitharamKale, who was admitted inhospital. Dr Sitharam Kale'swife Chaya Vijaya Kale wasattending on him," said AnjaniKumar, Hyderabad City PoliceCommissioner.

Based on the complaintKachiguda police registeredthe case. While the investiga-tion is in progress, on reliableinformation about the pres-ence of the accused atHafeezpet, the police appre-hended the accused and recov-ered the entire stolen proper-ty, intact.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Rachakonda Police onFriday arrested a couple fortheir involvement in matri-monial frauds.

The accused couple wereidentified as Hrudayanand,30, and Anusha, 29.

According to the police,the accused persons createda fake profile on a dating we-bsite and befriended DonaldHorashies Rozario, imper-sonating as a woman. Underthe pretext of marriage, theyduped him to the tune of Rs21 lakh. The accused bor-rowed money from the com-plainant on the pretext of var-ious reasons.

After realising that he wascheated, the complainantapproached the police. Basedon evidences, the policeapprehended the accused andsent him to judicial custody.

Couple held forcheating manon matrimonial website in city PNS n HYDERABAD

Governor Dr TamilisaiSoundararajan has visited theCovid vaccination dry run cen-tre at Primary Health Centre,Tilaknagar on Saturday.

She went round the dry runcentre and had interaction withthe medical and health staff andthe beneficiaries who weregiven the vaccine.

The visit by Governor, alongwith her husband Dr PSoundararajan, a renownedNephrologist, turned out to bea huge morale booster to thefrontline warriors and the ben-eficiaries who were taking thevaccination in the state.

The Governor, who herself isa medical professional, hasinspected the cold chain sys-tem, vaccination rooms, per-sonally observed the vaccina-tion process at the centre.

Dr Tamilisai Soundararajanappealed to the people not to bevaccine-hesitant.

“Vaccine is safe. People allover the world are taking thevaccine. There is not even asingle incident of fatality due tothe vaccination till now. Peopleshould not be afraid to take thevaccine. I am concerned thatsome surveys indicated that 40per cent of the health careworkers have shown vaccine-hesitancy. We all must take vac-cine and get protected from thevirus,” she added.

Dr Tamilisai said that thevaccination process would betaken in four stages in the state

and around 80 lakh peoplewould be vaccinated. Around5 lakh people would be giventhe vaccine in first phase.

The healthcare workers,frontline warriors, peopleabove 50 years of age andthose below 50 years of agewith other health complica-tions would be covered as partof the vaccination in the state.

She stated that the dry runwould help find out the effec-tiveness of the system and themeasures to initiate for actualrollout of the vaccination later.

Vaccine is safe, says TamilisaiGuv's visit to PHC boosts morale of health staff

Cops crack burglary case within 12 hours

Two University of Hyderabad faculty elected fellow of IASc

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | JANUARY 3, 2021 hyderabad 04

Alarge number of small-scale interventions havebeen implemented dur-

ing the management of Covid-19. Some of these interventionsare applicable only in specificplaces, while others are applic-able across several locations.

Policymaking requires com-bining multiple local-levelinterventions to producecoherent, universally applica-ble principles, and one way ofaccomplishing integration is tocreate models. Charlie Munger,Warren Buffet’s confidante,elegantly explains how themodel works as a unifyingscheme: “Well, the first rule isthat you can’t really knowanything if you just rememberisolated facts (or experiences)and try and bring ’em back. Ifthe facts don’t hang togetheron a latticework of theory, youdon’t have them in a usableform. You’ve got to have mod-els in your head. And you’vegot to array your experienceboth vicarious and direct onthis latticework of models. …

You’ve got to hang experienceon a latticework of models inyour head.”

Simply, models convertplace and time-specific expe-riences into universal princi-ples, which are required forpolicymaking. One model forpreparing policies for Covid-19 management is the ‘Swisscheese model of defence’.

The Swiss cheese model is apopular framework used toensure safety in several indus-tries. It consists of multipleslices of Swiss cheese, stackedside by side. Each slice ofcheese represents a barrier toprevent a risk or threat frombecoming reality. Applied toCovid-control, each slice is aCovid-control intervention,and multiple slices represent aseries of barriers to the virus.These interventions reducethe risk of getting infected by

the virus. The weaknesses inthe interventions are repre-sented by the holes in theslices. Additionally, these holesvary in size and position.Interventions fail when holesin different slices momentar-ily align. In these circum-stances, coronavirus passesthrough the lined up holes inthe slices, leading to infection.

Ian Mackay, a virologist atthe University of Queensland,Australia, has assembled thecurrent form of the Swisscheese model for managingCovid-19 operations. Theglobal scientific communityhas developed a broad consen-

sus on 10 interventions mostsuitable for tackling Covid-19.

These are: social distancing,masks, hand washing, avoidingface touching, avoidingcrowds, testing and tracing,ventilation, clear governmentmessaging and financial sup-port, isolation and quaranti-ning and finally, vaccines.

The model predicts thatwhile each slice is protective inits own way, the best protectionis obtained by following all 10interventions, because the pos-sibility of the virus traversingthe 10 slices is highly improb-able. As these 10 interventionshave to be carried out at three

levels - individual, communi-ty and government, therefore,any policy would have to clear-ly spell out the role of eachlevel.Once implemented inthis way, the 10 slices wouldminimise the risk of a commu-nity contracting Covid-19.

As holes in the slice repre-sent a weakness in the inter-vention, policymakers have to

ensure that existing holes donot expand or change locationin a way that allows the viruseasy passage across the cheeseslices (barriers). One hole isthe ‘infodemic’ accompanyingthe epidemic.

People are being inundatedwith so much informationthat a feeling of saturation hasset in, and people feel asthough they already knoweverything about the disease.This is accompanied by cau-tion fatigue, in which peoplehave to bestow their attention24x7 to prescribed behaviours,thus adherence wanes overtime.

The experience of theUnited States in curbing spit-ting while handling its tuber-culosis crisis in the late 19thcentury has useful lessons forpolicymakers to avoid thishole. Spitting in America was

due to “indifference on thepart of the citizens of a com-munity, a lack of civic pride,and a failure to appreciate thedanger from the unrestrainedpractice of this vile habit”. Atwo-pronged approach wasfollowed – anti-spitting legis-lation plus cultivating a cultureof good hygiene in order to getpeople to stop spitting.

Some of the interventionsadopted to bring about achange in culture were: distri-bution of pamphlets, use ofnewspapers, encouraging cit-izens to spread the anti-spittingdiktat in their neighbour-hoods, advertisements on pub-lic transport, roping in privatecivic associations and socialnetworks like the NationalTuberculosis Association,Women’s Health ProtectiveAssociation and Federationof Women’s Clubs.

“Sanitary Squads” consistingof groups of health officerswere also deployed to conductrandom raids in public placesto fine and arrest people spit-ting.

None of the above interven-tions or weaknesses is new foradministrators. What is differ-ent is the way these multi-pronged interventions werebrought together to form acoherent policy applicableacross time and place. TheSwiss cheese model rules outa single point of failure andmakes the whole anti-Covidresponse (policy) greater thana mere sum of individualinterventions.

(Author has a PhD fromthe USA and a DLitt from

Kanchi University. The articleis based on his research

and practice and views arepersonal)

DR. SAMEER SHARMA

The ‘Swiss cheese model' for pandemic managementThe Swiss cheese model is a popularframework used to ensure safety in severalindustries. It consists of multiple slices ofSwiss cheese, stacked side by side

PNS n HYDERABAD

Police personnel are helpingthe ruling party leaders pur-sue vindictive politics, allegedTelangana Pradesh CongressCommittee (TPCC) Presidentand MP N Uttam KumarReddy. He condemned theTRS government for implicat-ing Congress leaders in falsecases.

Bhongir MP KomatireddyVenkat Reddy, MLAs SridharBabu and Sitakka, formerunion minister Balram Nayak,ex-minister Konda Surekha,ex-MP Gaddam Vinod, ex-MLC Konda Muralidhar Rao,DCC presidents NainiRajender Reddy, Rajaiah andothers led by Uttam KumarReddy met Raghava Reddy,who was languishing in theWarangal Central Prison, dur-ing the ‘mulakhat’ on Saturday.

Later, speaking to themedia, Uttam Kumar Reddyaccused Minister forPanchayat Raj ErrabelliDayakar Rao of resorting tovindictive politics. He allegedthat Jangaon DCC presidentJanga Raghava Reddy wasarrested by the Kazipet policebased on a false complaintlodged by one T Sammaiah

two months ago. He saidthough the complainant hadrealised his mistake and want-ed to compromise, DayakarRao, in connivance with somelocal police, reopened the caseand got Raghava Reddy arrest-ed. He said that the chargeslevelled against RaghavaReddy were totally baselessand politically motivated. Hetermed the arrest as illegal.

He advised the police to actas per law within the sphere ofthe Constitution and stopdancing to the tunes of the rul-

ing party. He said that theCongress was all set to returnto power in next elections andit would take action againstthose who implicated theCongress leaders and cadre infalse cases.

He said that Congresswould not tolerate harass-ment of party cadre by thepolice. He further stated thatthe Congress would explore alllegal options to counter thefake case against Janga Reddyand other Congress leaders inthe State.

The TPCC Chief allegedthat TRS was trying to weak-en the Congress by putting itssenior leaders in jail in falsecases. He said that theCongress would launch a ‘JailBharo’ if the govt and policedid not stop harassment ofCongress leaders.

Earlier, Uttam KumarReddy and other Congressleaders were stopped by thepolice on the Hyderabad-Warangal National Highway.The Congress leaders had aheated argument with thepolice for their action. SomeCongress workers also tried toremove the barricades, whichled to a minor scuffle. Finally,the police allowed theCongress leaders to proceedtowards Warangal Central Jail.

PNS nMEDCHAL

Metropolitan Commissioner ofthe Hyderabad MetropolitanDevelopment Authority(HMDA) Arvind Kumar hasenquired the officials on theprogress achieved in the UppalSkyway project and asked chiefengineer BLN Reddy to con-stantly monitor the execution ofskyway projects at Uppal andMehdipatnam so as to completethem within the stipulated time.He laid emphasis on the HMDAfunctioning more responsiblydrawing up a special actionplan in the New Year.Addressing a meeting of the topofficials of the HMDA at itsoffice in Swarna JayantiComplex on Saturday, he askedthem to ensure that the HMDAshould make much head inplanning and infrastructuralmanagement this year.Execution of the HMDA’s devel-

opment works was delayed in2020 because of the pandemicsituation, he said and insistedthat this year the HMDA shouldovercome the delays and regis-ter progress.The HMDA authorities con-ducted themselves more active-ly in implementing develop-

ment works in municipalities onthe outskirts of the city andearned plaudits from the peopleof these civic bodies, he said ask-ing them to work with more per-severance and play a crucial rolein the realms of planning andinfrastructure development.Earlier, he cut the cake welcom-

ing the 2021 and greeted the offi-cials and employees on the occa-sion. HMDA secretary Santosh,Urban Forest DirectorPrabhakar, chief engineer BLNReddy, directors (planning)Balakrishna and Sivasaranappa,chief accounts officer SaratChandra and others took part.

‘Police help TRS leaderspursue vindictive politics’

n Jangaon DCC ChiefRaghava Reddy wasimplicated in a false case,alleges Uttam KumarReddy

n Congress leaders meetRaghava Reddy inWarangal Prison Uttamasks TS Police to act asper law

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and MP N UttamKumar Reddy addressing the media in Warangal on Saturday

TO WARD-OFFEVIL EYE

A petty vendor on thecity street riding a

two-wheeler selling the‘dishti bomma’, or image

in question is thefearsome face of a

demon on a squarishmetal plate meant to bedisplayed prominentlyon the premises wherethe object that needs

protection from an evil eye

Expedite skyway projects :HMDA chief

PNS n HYDERABAD

Upping the ante against thegovernment, Telangana StateBJP unit chief Bandi SanjayKumar on Saturday allegedthat the government hadweakened local bodies. Hesaid the situation of local rep-resentatives in Telangana wasworse. He said that KCR willremember the people's repre-sentatives only during theelections. He alleged that theChief Minister had not allo-cated a penny for the devel-opment of local bodies.

He said the Centre wasfunding the Rythu Vedikasand others. He pointed outKCR was bowing before theCentre to get rid of cases.Bandi made it clear that thosewho are wise will not allywith the TRS.

He alleged that the ChiefMinister diverted the Centralfunds given to local bodies toother schemes. He advisedKCR to get the report on theopinion of local representa-tives about him.

Exuding confidence overthe BJP that it would come topower in the next elections,Bandi Sanjay said that thegovernment is making theCollectors to initiate actionagainst sarpanches if theyspoke against the govern-ment.

Metropolitan Commissioner of the Hyderabad Metropolitan DevelopmentAuthority (HMDA) Arvind Kumar making a point to officials on Uppal skywaymodel at a review meeting

Govt weakenedlocal bodies,alleges BJP chief

PNS n HYDERABAD

Congress MLC T JeevanReddy lashed out at MunugodeMLA Komatireddy RajagopalReddy alleging that some lead-ers are shifting their loyaltieswith selfish motives.

He pointed out that theparty is greater than personsand reminded that RajagopalReddy’s victory was not hispersonal one. He won theelections on the Congress sym-bol, he pointed out. Hedemanded that the leaders,who want to quit the party,have to tender their resigna-tions to their posts first. Hesuggested to the leaders not toindulge in blackmailing poli-tics.

Speaking to the media here

on Saturday, Jeevan Reddyreminded that even after two-and-a-half years there was nomention of PRC. The govern-ment did not even give inter-im allowance to the employees.In Andhra Pradesh, the

YSRCP government has given27 per cent while the erstwhileTDP government had given 20per cent IR to the employees.

He alleged that the ChiefMinister is pacifying theemployees by hosting dinners.The education sector weak-ened as there is no adequatefaculty. He alleged that the gov-ernment has issued a job noti-fication to win the confidenceof jobless keeping an eye ongraduate MLC polls. The gov-ernment has not even filled asingle job in new districts.Minister for Prohibition andExcise Srinivas Goud, whowas the employee leader beforegetting the Cabinet berth, isnot bothering about theemployees’ problems, healleged.

SWITCHING LOYALTIES

Rajagopal Reddy’sstatement draws flak

The HMDAauthoritiesconductedthemselvesmore actively inimplementingdevelopmentworks inmunicipalitieson the outskirtsof the city

PNS nMEDAK

District Collector VenkataRami Reddy released the cal-endar of the computer opera-tors and accounting assistants,who are working for theMahatma Gandhi NationalRural Employment Guaranteescheme, at the chambers of theCollectorate, along withDistrict Rural DevelopmentOfficer Srinivas, here onSaturday. Speaking on theoccasion, the Collector advisedthe computer operators towork tirelessly to keep thedistrict in the forefront of theState in the EmploymentGuarantee scheme. MedakDistrict Computer Operatorsand Accounting AssistantsWorking Committee chair-man and others were present.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Minister for TransportPuvvada Ajay Kumar hopedthat the New Year will bringthe Corporation back to nor-mal and he thanked all the offi-cers and employees of TSRTCfor bringing the Corporationback onto the track andthanked Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao for hisunstinted support to theTSRTC.

The Minister for Transportgreeted the officers andemployees of TSRTC andTransport Department atTransport Bhavan inKhairatabad on Saturday.Speaking on the occasion, theminister said that 2020 was dif-ficult for people especiallyTSRTC as it incurred hugelosses.

Due to the intervention ofthe government and support tothe TSRTC, the Corporationslowly improved, thanks tothe interest and support ofChief Minister KChandrashekar Rao, he said.

He also said that the ChiefMinister is supporting everymonth by releasing Rs 100crore for payment of salaries tothe TSRTC from budget andan additional amount wasreleased for TSRTC towardspayments for PF, CCS, 12 daysstrike period salary, balance

50% salary during the Coronaperiod out of the box budget.

Now slowly the TSRTC isgetting revenue of nearly Rs 10crore per day and the cargo,

parcels and courier services isalso earning approximatelyRs.15 lakhs per day apart fromregular revenue from bus ser-vices.

The old occupancy ratiohas to be reached and also therevenue by providing goodservices to the common man.

The Chief Minister haswaived off the tax to privatevehicle owners for the Coronaperiod. He also gave promo-tions to AMVIs as MVIs.Moreover, six online servicesin the Transport Departmentwere introduced so that noperson should come to theRTA office except for learninglicence and inspection of vehi-cles as it is the main aim of thegovernment.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Somesh Kumar, ChiefSecretary, Government ofTelangana, asked officials ofExcise and Commercial Taxdepartments to put moreefforts in the ensuing threemonths to achieve greater taxrealisation for the government.

Employees of CommercialTax and Excise departmentmet the Chief Secretary toextend New Year greetings atBRKR Bhavan. On the occa-sion, the Chief Secretary con-gratulated officials of thedepartment for workingtogether as a cohesive, well-knit team and for helpingsecure higher revenues for thegovernment. Furthermore, heappealed to the employees towork even harder in the New

Year and urged them to whole-heartedly re-dedicate them-selves towards ensuring eco-nomic buoyancy of the State.

He further informed that thegovernment has taken the his-toric and unprecedented deci-sion of creating 131 posts indifferent categories and sanc-tioned 14-new Prohibition and

Excise stations in the Excisedepartment. Similarly, the gov-ernment has also created 161posts in different categoriesand sanctioned 18 newCommercial Taxes Circles inthe Commercial Taxes depart-ment. Similarly, many postswere upgraded increasing pro-motional avenues.

Officials urged to strive forboosting revenue for govt

Somesh Kumar, Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, addressingemployees at a review meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday

n Now slowly the TSRTC isgetting revenue of nearlyRs 10 crore per day andthe cargo, parcels andcourier services are alsoearning approximatelyRs.15 lakhs per day, apartfrom regular revenue frombus services.

n The old occupancy ratiohas to be reached andalso the revenue byproviding good services tothe common man

Minister for Transport Puvvada Ajay Kumar receives a bouquet at a meeting inTransport Bhavan in Khairatabad on Saturday

New Year will bring TSRTCback on track, says Puvvada

PNS n PATANCHERU

Patancheru constituencywould be made a sports hub,asserted MLA GudemMahipal Reddy. He was thechief guest at the closing cer-emony of the Day and NightCricket match held at theMaitri Cricket The ground inPatancheru to mark the NewYear.

Speaking on the occasion,he said that parents shouldgive equal priority to sportsas well as education to theirchildren. Today's parents feelthat they are not paying anyattention to sports exceptthat they expect their chil-dren to pursue higher educa-tion.

He called upon them toreduce the use of smart-

phones and encourage theirchildren to take interest insports that provide physicaland mental relaxation.

He said five acres havebeen already been allotted inJinnaram and another fiveacres will be allocated for amini-stadium at Pati villagein Patancheru zone. He saidhe has been encouragingsports since he was an MPPas he was interested in sportssince his childhood.

Patancheru will be asports hub: MLA

Collectorreleasescalendar

sundaymagazine

86Tips to lead a successful lifeMindful decisions and action are the keysto a successful life. We list 10 things togive up in order to declutter your mind

F R O M T H E I N S I D E

I think it's a mistakewhen women cover

their emotions to looktough. I say let's ownwho we are and use it

as a strength— Gal Gadot

Rise in 2020 fuel sales showssigns of economic recovery: IOC

HYDERABAD, January 3, 2021

Despite disruptions in commercialactivities due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In India, over 1,50,000 people diedon the roads in 2019. While thenumber was less in 2020, owinglargely to the Coronavirus pandem-ic, what, in your view, are the main

reasons for such a high number of roaddeaths? Would you say that with theMotor Vehicles Amendment Act, the sit-uation has improved of late? Are peopledriving better?

It is indeed a matter of grave con-cern for the country. It is true that a

lot many people die in India due toroad accidents. In my view, there arefour reasons for such high roaddeaths:

The first is poor road engi-neering — primarily wrongdesigns. We have identified theseas “black spots”. So far, we havebeen able to fix nearly 1,200-1,250black spots. There is still a list ofabout 3,000 black spots on theNational Highways waiting to befixed, and to improve those, wehave made two policies/plans. A

plan of `7,000 crore has beenapproved by Asian Development

Bank and another `7,000 crore hasbeen granted by the World Bank. In this, the Indian Government will con-

tribute 50 per cent. All of this money wouldbe used to fix the black spots or the accidentspots.

For the new roads, care has been takento incorporate the best road engineering,one that includes a lot of preventive mea-sures. Underpasses, bridges and signalshave been designed keeping in accountmultiple cross-sections of roads. We havestudied this issue a lot and very carefullyand improved upon it.

Two, after a road accident, immedi-ate medical help is required. On thisfront, we have tried to provide medicalvans immediately and saved severallives. Now we are trying to build heli-pads on roadsides (based on sugges-tions that this would expedite thehelp extended to the injured), so theycan be shifted quickly to the hospi-tals and more lives can be saved.Emergency services certainly is thesecond most important aspect forus.

The third “issue” (if I may callit that) is that of education (orlack of it). It is important thatproper education be imparted onthe rules of the road. For this,

beginning with the primary classes,we are trying to inculcate a sense of dis-

cipline and respect for the rules of the roadin the younger generation.

Earlier, such messages were put across to peo-ple by way of inculcating fear of the law ratherthan respect for it. We have in the recent pastroped in Bollywood celebrities such as Shah RukhKhan and Akshay Kumar, to share the message ofroad safety and importance of following road rules.These campaigns were carried out on big platformsin order to widen their outreach and create more

awareness among the masses.The fourth aspect is enforcement. As you might be

aware, for the first time, we studied the vehicle rules ofseven-eight countries across the globe (with the help ofthe World Bank) and came up with a modern Act(which has since been ratified by Parliament). Owing tothis, rigorous implementation of the laws and rules isbeing carried out, and we have incorporated an intelli-gent traffic system for road safety. For example, if a carcrosses a red signal, the camera will immediately capturea photo and the fine slip would be sent directly to yourhouse.

So while we are consistently working on all fouraspects, I must share that much more is being thought ofand planned at the Government level to make the roadssafer for our public. We all are very sensitive to this issue.

The number of fatalities in the age group of 18-35 ismore than 60 per cent. By way of such accidents, we lose

about three per cent of the nation’s gross domes-tic product (GDP). And this is no small number.

With help from the World Bank, TamilNadu’s incumbent Government has done com-mendable work in this area and reduced thenumber of accidents and casualties by 25 percent. However, one thing stands true: Due toCovid-19, the on-road traffic was light and, nat-urally, the number of accidents has reduced to alarge extent.

Despite the current scenario, sincereattempts have been made in this direction by theTamil Nadu and other State Governments inwhich the National Highways, state highways,district roads and city highways are under thescanner. We have started working on variousprojects at different levels to increase awareness.Recently, a road safety council was also set up.We are working on this very seriously.

We had set our sights on reducing accidentsand deaths by 50 per cent in the next 30 years. Imade this declaration in Stockholm, assertingIndia’s commitment to make our roads safer andaccident-free. We will definitely reduce accidentsand deaths by 50 per cent before 2024. This ismy belief. We and all other stakeholders areworking very seriously and speedily to achievethis end.

Also, due to the new Act, the control overrule violators has increased. The punishmentshave become more severe, the amount of fineshas increased and automobile engineering hasalso seen a lot of improvement. I have asked theautomobile manufacturers to put in airbags evenin economy models. Overall, I feel that theresults in the forthcoming years will be goodand we are sensitive towards this issue.

One of the best things to have happened isthe help given to the Government by the media,both electronic and print, in spreading aware-ness and putting out the importance of this issuein the public domain. It has received goodresponse, too.

Sir, you just spoke on need for better roadsafely education. Due to the pandemic, sharedmobility services like Uber and Ola have beenhit and various new drivers and aggregatorshave emerged. How do you plan to educatethese people? Even in schools, do you thinkdriving training should be given and includedin the syllabus? How do you get the new dri-vers to follow it?

There is a shortage of about 22 lakh driversin our country. The Ministry of SkillDevelopment and Entrepreneurship has alsomade some plans and policies, but there stillremains a vast shortage of drivers. I have decid-ed that I will not allow driverless cars to enterIndia because our country is poor and drivingprovides a source of employment.

While on this issue, let me tell you that ourplans were stayed by the Tamil Nadu High Courtso we couldn’t go ahead. There are about 100-150 driving schools in our country, whereas weneed about 2,000 driving schools. These drivingschools have to come up primarily not in bigcities like Mumbai, Delhi or Pune but intribal/backward areas where the socially andeconomically backward people live; places whichare poor and aspiring districts, where there is noemployment...

I am happy to announce that we now have anew plan. In this plan, there is provision for dri-ving training schools. During my tenure, I aimto open at least 1,000 driving training schoolsacross the country. We have already prepared ascheme for this. We will not only back everysuch school, we would also help set up newinstitutes, which would also provide the fitnessand pollution certificates. To achieve that certainmachines are also being procured. This is beingdone to lower the pollution levels on the onehand and to generate new employment even inthe private sector, on the other. This is theattempt we are making and now the new ruleswill hasten the process.

BACK IN THE

FAST LANE

>> p2

SO FAR, WE HAVEBEEN ABLE TO FIX

NEARLY 1,200-1,250BLACK SPOTS.

THERE IS STILL ALIST OF ABOUT 3,000

BLACK SPOTS ONTHE NATIONAL

HIGHWAYS WAITINGTO BE FIXED, AND TOIMPROVE THOSE, WE

HAVE MADE TWOPOLICIES/PLANS. A

PLAN OF `7,000CRORE HAS BEEN

APPROVED BY ASIANDEVELOPMENT BANK

AND ANOTHER`7,000 CRORE HASBEEN GRANTED BYTHE WORLD BANK

1A direct and candid

conversation with thechangemakers and nation

builders of India

NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways

and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, spoke to Agenda on a wide range of

issues concerning his ministries and laid out the roadmap for developmental

and economic recovery after COVID-19

sundaymagazine

miscellany 06THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE

SENSE OUT OF CHANGE IS TOPLUNGE INTO IT, MOVE WITH

IT, AND JOIN THE DANCE— ALAN WATTS HYDERABAD, January 3, 2021

The last question about roadsafety is that recently there wasa lot of controversy about the

Global NCAP test in which variouspopular cars failed but India’s ownmanufactures — Mahindra and Tata— performed very well. As BharatNCAP is set to start from this year,do you think the cars will nowbecome safer and would you want tosay anything about the Global NCAPresults?

Here, I’d like to share that India’spublic transport system definitelyneeds to be strengthened. In ourcountry, more than 18 crore vehicleshave been registered. Given the grow-ing number of cars owned per family,parking issues are increasingly grow-ing, especially in the big cities.

So, we are trying to encouragepeople to switch to public transport byoffering great connectivity (forinstance, from Mumbai to Pune andMumbai to Nashik). We also plan tointroduce double-decker AC buses,with economy class at the lower leveland executive class at the upper. Justas in flights, food and beverages willbe provided on board and these buseswill run on bio-fuel.

In some of the hill regions, besidesropeways and cable cars, funicularrailways are being planned. These takeless time to build and cause much lesspollution. We are also making the E-highways electric. The Mumbai-Delhihighway is being built at a cost of `1lakh crore and 30-40 per cent workhas already been accomplished. Thishighway will be completed in abouttwo years and people will be able totravel from one metro to the other inabout 12 hours. A pilot project for thisis in the works.

We are trying to introduce variousinnovative technologies. For instance,for the very first time in our country,we have initiated a project in Nagpurwhich has received approval from rail-ways, the Maharashtra Governmentand the Urban Affairs Ministry. It iscalled Broad Gauge Metro. As against`350 crore per km that is being spent tobuild a Metro line, the Broad GaugeMetro would cost only `5 crore per kmto build. We have made use of the exist-ing broad gauge and made an eight-boxed Broad Gauge Metro which willrun from Gondia to Nagpur, Nagpur toAmravati, Amravati to Narkhed andfrom Narkhed to Nagpur, then fromNagpur to Chandrapur to Ramtek.

This entire 850-900 km broadgauge line is being used to replace thestandard gauge with eight-boxedbroad gauge double-decker in whichpassengers can sit on both the upperand lower levels. It will have an ACfirst class chair car and a second classchair car. In addition, there will beone box for milk, fruits and vegetablesand one box for restaurants. It willwork just like an airline. This BroadGauge Metro will travel at the speedof about 160km/hr as compared toour passenger car which has the speedof about 40km/hr and express whichgoes at 60km/hr.

To put it in straightforward terms,this Broad Gauge Metro will replacepassenger cars on Delhi to Chandi-garh and Delhi to Jaipur route and thetravellers would be able to book a seatfor themselves just as they do for air-lines. This would fetch the Govern-ment good revenue and cut down onour losses, and people would be ableto travel more comfortably. The dis-

tance of 250 km would be covered intwo hours straight.

The Metro will stop at every sta-tion for about a minute and thenquickly gain speed. This technology isalso in place and we have worked a loton it. Basically, public transport onelectricity is much more beneficial forpeople from the perspectives of pollu-tion, ticket cost and safety.

I would also like to share thatrecently, we made a jalmarg on RiverGanga — from Varanasi to Haldia andfrom Prayagraj to Varanasi. And nowwe have given a proposal to the WorldBank for a similar project on RiverYamuna from Delhi to Mathura,Mathura to Agra, Agra to Etawah andfrom Etawah to Prayagraj. So if we goon water, decidedly public transportand waterways are the cheapest.

Here, I must share that I have ful-filled my promise as the TransportMinister to make airplanes land onwater. An amphibious aircraft servicehas been launched in Gujarat whichtouches down both on water and land.The day is not far when such amphibi-ous aircraft will start operating widelyin our country.

Not just cars, scooters and buses,but new innovations have beendevised comprising electric buses,trolley buses, double-decker buses,public transport running on electrici-ty, Broad Gauge Metro, amphibiousplanes and suchlike to bring about atransport revolution. I am workinghard with my team to bring about allthe changes in the transport sector.Hundred new airports are being cur-rently constructed; naturally dams willbecome water ports and rivers will beused to build a new network whichwill reduce accidents, pollution andexpenditure while being sustainableand comfortable.

You have recently announced high-way projects specific to the North-east. Can you tell us a bit moreabout that connect in the remoteareas?

In the Northeast, we are currentlyworking on projects worth about `1lakh crore. We are building six bridgeson the Brahmaputra river and, in manyplaces of Arunachal Pradesh, Megha-laya and Tripura, we have put in a lot ofwork to create good road network.India is changing and so is the North-east. Even in Jammu & Kashmir, we arebuilding tunnels at a cost of `11,000crore. Work on Zoji La has started andthe road to Mansarovar is almost 85 percent complete.

There have been some issuesregarding the Char Dham project fol-lowing the Supreme Court verdictwhich I feel will be resolved soon. Inthe Northeast, we are making a num-ber of bridges on the Brahmaputrariver and several roads are coming upin the backward areas.

I am greatly inspired by a quote byAmerican President John F Kennedywhich states: “American roads are notgood because America is rich, butAmerica is rich because Americanroads are good.” Roads bring prosperi-ty and now Arunachal, Meghalaya,Tripura, Manipur, all have good roads.

To move on to MSMEs, now thatAatmanirbhar Bharat being our bigslogan, what plans or policies havebeen made to benefit the MSMEs inbringing in and conducting busi-nesses?

The idea of Aatmanirbhar Bharatis that India must be turned into ahappy, prosperous, strong and No. 1global economy, and to do this wehave to reduce our imports andincrease our exports. We have toupgrade our technologies and our pri-mary aim should be to prepare andproduce in India whatever things weimport today. Without compromisingon the quality, we have to reduce