First India-Mumbai Edition-05th November 2022

MUMBAI l SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 178

KNEW ABOUT THE ATTACK BEFOREHAND: IMRAN

Imran Khan, former Pakistani prime minister, on Friday claimed that four bullets hit his legs during an assassination attempt while he was standing atop a container during his long march in Wazirabad on Thursday. Khan said he had learned about the looming danger beforehand.

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI

BSE SENSEX 60950.36

CONGRESS RELEASES FIRST LIST FOR GUJ POLLS The Congress party, on Friday, released the first list of 43 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls. Prior to this, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge chaired a meeting of party’s central election committee in order to finalise the candidates. Sonia Gandhi also attended the meet virtually.

113.95 | NSE NIFTY 18117.20

64.50

DHONI MOVES HC FOR CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST IPS

Cricketer M S Dhoni has moved the Madras High Court to initiate contempt proceedings and issue summons to IPS officer G Sampath Kumar for his alleged statements against the Supreme Court and certain senior counsels in the matter pertaining to match-fixing.

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WATCH THE NATIONAL HINDI NEWS CHANNEL BHARAT24 - JAHAN TAK BHARAT WAHAN TAK BHARAT24

In ‘Naya J&K’, foreign terrorists find no support, 40 killed in 10 months, local recruitment zero

Harud-e-Aman in

Kashmir!

Chinar leaves turn Nishat Park in Srinagar into a wonderland bathed in hues of red as Autumn is at its full vigour in the valley. Nishat Park has been laid out in typical Mughal garden style and draws nature lovers not just from around J&K, but across India as well

Crucial ‘State failed to maintain law & READ GUJ: EX-TV ANCHOR GADHVI IS AAP’S CHOICE FOR CM POST

order, victims must be comped’ l Supreme Court forms panel to

look into records of 108 missing people, asks govt to submit report

1992-93 MUMBAI RIOTS Ahmedabad: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday named former TV anchor and journalist Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate for next month’s Assembly elections in Gujarat. The announcement was made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday.

P5

DELHI MCD POLLS TO BE HELD ON DEC 4, RESULTS ON DEC 7

New Delhi: The elections for Municipal Corporation of Delhi will be held on Dec 4 while the counting of votes will be done on Dec 7, said Delhi State Election Commissioner Vijay Dev. The official said that the Model code of conduct is implemenyted in Delhi from today itself.

I-T SEARCHES ON JHARKHAND CONGRESS MLAS

Ranchi: The Income Tax Dept on Friday conducted searches at properties linked to Jharkhand Congress MLAs Kumar Jaimangal and Pradip Yadav. Jaimangal alias Anup Singh is a legislator from Bermo, while Yadav who joined Congress after splitting from JVM-P represents Poriyahat. P5

First India Bureau New Delhi: Almost three decades after the communal riots of 199293, which left 900 dead and more than 2,000 injured in Mumbai, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the state government to compensate the families of victims who were still missing.

Observing that there was a failure on the part of the State Government to maintain law

l State govt ‘could compensate kin

of only 60 of the 168 that were reported missing after the riots’

The committee consisting of the Secretary of MSLSA (Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority) and the other two government officers appointed under this order, shall monitor the efforts of the state government to trace other victims who were entitled to compensation.. but were not paid. —Supreme Court and order and to protect the rights of the people guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the court

Srinagar: Security forces dismantling terror ecosystem in J&K have brought down the local recruitment in terrorist outfits to zero leaving the terror sponsors in Pakistan frustrated.

From January to October, 40 foreign terrorists have been killed in different encounters in the region and the ones who are on run, are being chased by the security forces.

All the terror outfits are facing leadership crisis as the mercenaries sent by Pakistan are finding it hard to garner local support. Foreign terrorists, who have been killed in the first 10-months of this year, were instrumental in provoking and luring local youth into terror groups and pushing them on the path of death and destruction.

OTHER COURT STORIES SC TO HEAR PLEA ON AIR POLLUTION IN DELHI-NCR ON NOV 10

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on Nov 10 a plea seeking measures to curb worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR. A bench of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Bela M Trivedi posted case for hearing on Nov 10 after an advocate mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.

PLEA SEEKING MUSK’S IMPLEADMENT JUNKED WITH COST

noted: “If the citizens are forced to live in an atmosphere of communal tension, it affects their right to Turn to P6

New Delhi: A bench of the Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed an application seeking impleadment of Elon Musk in a plea concerning the suspension of the Twitter account of a woman slapping a cost of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner.

ED ATTACHES SHABIR SHAH’S SRINAGAR HOUSE IN TERROR FUNDING New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached Jammu and Kashmir separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s Srinagar house as part of a money laundering probe linked to a case of fuelling terrorist activities in the union territory. The house, worth Rs 21.80 lakh, is located in Botshah colony, Sanat Nagar, in Srinagar’s Barzulla police station area, officials said. “Shabir Ahmad Shah was actively involved in the activities of fuelling unrest in Kashmir valley by way of stone pelting, processions, protests, bandhs, hartals and other subversive activities.”

L-G SINHA MEETS KIN OF KASHMIRI PANDIT KILLED BY TERRORISTS Jammu: J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday met the family members of Puran Krishan Bhat who was gunned down by terrorists in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. Bhat was killed on October 15 outside his ancestral house in the Chowdhary Gund area of Shopian where he had gone to look after his orchards. Flanked by Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and ADGP Mukesh Singh, L-G Sinha, visited the house of Bhat at Muthi in Jammu and offered his condolences to his wife Sweety Bhat and children Shriya and Shanu.

MP: 11 killed, 1 injured as SUV collides with bus in Betul Betul: As many as 11 persons were killed and one person sustained injuries after an SUV they were travelling in collided with a bus near Jhallar police station in Betul in the wee hours on Friday.

Betul Superintendent of Police (SP) Simala Prasad said that the accident occurred around 2 am. An empty bus was moving on the road and the SUV, which was coming from the Amravati district collided head-on with the bus.

The injured person is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Further investigation into the matter is on.

`2 LAKH FOR KIN OF DEAD, INJURED: CM

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan condoled the deaths of 11 persons in an accident. He tweeted, “I pray to the Almighty that may the people, who lost their lives in this tragic incident, find eternal peace.

Our govt stands in support of the kin of the departed souls in this hour of grief.”

PM ANNOUNCES EXGRATIA FOR VICTIMS PM Modi on Friday condoled the loss of lives in the accident that took place in Betul, and announced an ex-gratia for the next of kin of each deceased and also the injured. Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

SHIV SENA LEADER SUDHIR SURI SHOT DEAD AMID PROTEST IN AMRITSAR, ONE ARRESTED

Debunk Guj devt model, adopt Raj’s, Gehlot says

First India Bureau

Naresh Sharma, Shikha Sharma & Hanspal Yadav

New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri was shot dead in Amritsar on Friday, reportedly outside a temple in the city, where Sena leaders had been protesting against the temple authorities after some broken idols were found in the trash on its premises.

Someone from the crowd shot Suri more than five times, an official said.

“Sudhir Suri was shot

Suri was reportedly on the hitlist of several gangs, and had been accorded govt security with 8 police personnel attached to his detail Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri shot dead in Amritsar.

outside Gopal Mandir, Amritsar during some agitation. He collapsed and was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his bullet injuries,” the

Amritsar police said, adding that the accused has been arrested and the weapon used in the incident recovered.

Punjab DGP Gaurav

Yadav said the accused runs a garments shop near Gopal Mandir where the Hindu leader was leading a dharna.

Reacting to the incident, BJP spokesperson

Priti Gandhi tweeted, “Right under the nose of several police officers in Amritsar, Hindu activist Sudhir Suri shot dead at point blank range. He was reportedly on the hitlist of pro-Khalistani elements. Meanwhile Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann is busy with AAP’s election campaign in Gujarat. What a shame!!”

Based on reports that he was being targetted, Suri had been provided security by the government with around eight Punjab Police personnel being attached to him.

Baran: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the Gujarat model of development should be debunked and that of Rajasthan’s should be adopted nationwide.

The Congress leader also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to study various social security and welfare schemes of the Rajasthan government and implement them nationally. Gehlot also recommended Chiranjeevi

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

Health Insurance Scheme, Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and Anuprati Scheme for nationwide implementation.

“The Rajasthan government has taken historical decisions on social security and welfare schemes,” he said.

NEWS MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

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02

K’taka guvs preside People angry as CM incapable of Maha, over meet of border districts getting big projects: Ajit Pawar First India Bureau

LOP claims there is ‘tremendous anger’ against ‘inefficiency’ of the Shinde-led Maha govt First India Bureau Shirdi: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar on Friday claimed bigticket projects had moved away from the state due to the “inefficiency” of the Eknath Shinde-led government.

Lakhs of youths have missed employment opportunities in Maharashtra because of the state government’s ineptitude, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader said, while addressing a party meeting in Shirdi. He also claimed there was “tremendous anger” among the public against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

NCP president Sharad Pawar, who is undergoing treatment in a Mumbai hospital, joined the meeting through a video link.

Ajit Pawar said Shinde—who took oath on June 30—had told the Assembly that investment of up to Rs4 lakh crore would come to Maharashtra with VedantaFoxconn’s semiconductor plant, but he is now blaming the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for the Rs1.5 lakh crore pro-

‘EXPLAIN MATHS BEHIND 75K JOBS’

Ajit Pawar, Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. —FILE PHOTO

NCP DELEGATION MEETS GONDIA OFFICIALS OVER LAUNCH OF RICE PROCUREMENT Gondia: An NCP delegation on Friday met officials in Gondia district seeking an immediate start to paddy procurement. The delegation under former MLA Rajendra Jain met District Marketing Officer Manoj Bajpayee and warned of an agitation if procurement doesn’t start immediately. “Upwards

ject going to Gujarat.

“The Shinde government is not being truthful. Its failure is causing projects to move away from Maharashtra. As long as this government is in power, unemploy-

of 2.30 lakh farmers who cultivate 1.90 lakh hectares of paddy are already distressed due to heavy rains. Delay in procurement is forcing them to sell their harvest at lower prices in the open market,” Jain claimed.

DMO Bajpayee said 110 procurement centres have already been set up in Gondia.

ment will only grow,” the former deputy CM claimed, adding that the government has also consistently ignored the NCP’s demand that a “wet drought” be declared in the state due to

crop losses amid excessive rains in October.

Alleging that many NCP leaders are being offered inducements to leave the party, which was a constituent of the MVA regime, he said,

Mumbai: Stating that people of Maharashtra must be sure that they are not being fooled, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday asked the state government to explain the maths behind the recruitment drive for 75,000 government vacancies. CM Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis distributed appointment letters to 2,000 candidates on Thursday. The NCP’s national spokesperson Clyde Crasto in a statement said, “Good for the people of Maharashtra that the ShindeFadnavis government has started a drive to recruit aspirants for 75,000 government jobs. But they must also explain the maths here. Are these 75,000 jobs ‘plus’ the 2 crore jobs as promised by the BJP in 2014 or ‘minus’.”

“Don’t fall prey to such tactics. People do not like the way the Shiv Sena’s name and poll symbol have been frozen . There is tremendous anger against Eknath Shinde,” he said.

Kolhapur: Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and his Karnataka counterpart Thaawarchand Gehlot presided over a coordination meeting between the border districts of the two states in Kolhapur, an official said on Friday.

Various common issues between the border districts and areas of further enhancing cooperation were discussed during the interstate meet, the Maharashtra governor tweeted.

Officials including the district collectors and police superintendents from the border districts of the two states were present for the meet.

As per the Kolhapur district administration, issues such as flood management of Krishna river, water level of the Al-

Governors Gehlot and Koshyari in Kolhapur on Friday.

Problem issues like Maha-K’taka border dispute, Almatti dam were not discussed matti dam, prevention of illegal liquor traffic from Goa, easy trade and lumpy skin disease management were discussed in the meeting.

According to a senior administration officer in Belgavi, the “informal

meeting” was organized following general instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The officer said that contentious issues like the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute or raising the height of Almatti dam were not discussed.

A consensus was reached to make direction boards in Marathi and Kannada for bilingual residents in the border areas.

Maha CM Shinde bats for all-round development in Palghar district First India Bureau Palghar (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday virtually inaugurated the office complex of the charity commissioner in Palghar district.

He said his govern-

ment was committed to the development of the district by taking into ac-

count environment considerations and aspirations of the people.

The aim is to bring tribal communities, who form a large part of the district’s population, into the mainstream through all-round development, Shinde said via video link at the event.

Shinde group MLA denies entering Mantralaya without signing in first

IN BLACK & WHITE

First India Bureau

Kirit Somaiya shows an FIR registered against Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Kishori Pednekar to the media, at Bandra in Mumbai on Friday. Following his long-standing allegations, the BJP leader now claims that he has submitted evidence of proving the former Mumbai mayor’s involvement in an SRA flats scam case to the police.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Mumbai: Santosh Bangar, an MLA with the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena faction, was accused of trying to enter the Maharashtra Secretariat (Mantralaya) premises, along with his supporters, without making the mandatory entry at the gate—an allegation that the legislator refuted.

According to officials, Bangar even used an expletive when he was asked to sign the register by police personnel posted at the

Santosh Bangar reportedly verbally abused a cop; report on incident submitted to DGP’s office, Home Dept. —FILE PHOTO

gate to Mantralaya.

The MLA from Kalamnuri in Hingoli district was allowed to enter after one of the persons in his entourage entered the required details in the

visitors’ register, said officials.

However, no complaint was filed, though a report on the incident was submitted to the office of the Director General of Police

as well the state Home department.

Bangar, however, said the allegations were baseless.

“We were stopped at the (Mantralaya) gate by a cop there. One of my supporters told him I was an MLA, after which he greeted me and I returned the gesture. I also told him my personal assistant would fill in the entry details,” Bangar told a news channel.

He said police may have made an entry of the incident in their diary thinking he would complain being an MLA.

HEATED DEBATE

Rebel Sena MLAs should seek fresh mandate: Aaditya Thackeray CM Eknath Shinde asks Thackerays to introspect instead of hurling accusations at his faction; says his faction stood for BJP-Sena alliance First India Bureau Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday dared the rebel party MLAs including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to seek a fresh mandate, and said he too was ready to resign and contest an election afresh.

Speaking at the same event earlier, CM Shinde said Uddhav Thackeray should introspect as to why 40 of the Sena’s 55 MLAs quit rather than calling them names.

“I reiterate my demand that the 40 rebel MLAs should resign and seek fresh mandate.

I will also resign from my seat and seek reelection. Let people decide,” said Aaditya Thackeray.

“If I were the Deputy Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis), I would have walked out of this government and called for fresh elections,” he added.

“If two-thirds of the legislative party revolts and the rebellion is legitimized, there would

I reiterate my demand that the 40 rebel MLAs should resign and seek a fresh mandate. I will also resign and seek re-election. Let people decide.... If I were the Dy CM (Fadnavis), I would have walked out of this government and called for fresh elections.

—Aaditya Thackeray

be unrest in the country,” he said, referring to the revolt by Shinde and others which brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government in June this year.

Earlier, during the event, CM Shinde said that Uddhav Thackeray had nothing new to say except calling him and the MLAs of his faction “traitors”.

“Instead of intro-

specting on what went wrong, he (Uddhav Thackeray) has been levelling accusations against us. For me, ideology is important, not the chief minister’s post. Our MLAs were

angry and people wanted Shiv Sena to get out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. We stood for the Sena-BJP alliance for which people had voted,” Shinde stated.

UDDHAV THACKERAY TO LAUNCH MAHA TOUR FROM VIDARBHA First India Bureau Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray may begin his tour of Maharashtra from Buldhana district of Vidarbha region on November 06, said party spokespersons on Friday.

Thackeray’s close aide MLA Sanjay Rathod, who has now moved to the Eknath Shinde group, will also visit the former in his constituency and

Banjara Samaj temple Pohradevi. Apart from this, Uddhav will also visit his constituency in Washim district. According to sources, Uddhav Thackeray has taken up the responsibility of bringing back the ‘old’ Shiv Sena back, after the recent split.

MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

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Gangster seeks permit for mosquito net; plea rejected First India Bureau Mumbai: Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala wanted a mosquito net and created quite a buzz when he took a plastic bottle filled with dead mosquitoes to a court to highlight conditions in his prison cell. But the ploy did not work and his request for a net was turned down.

A sessions court in Mumbai on Thursday rejected the application

by Lakdawala, a former associate of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim who is facing multiple criminal cases, including those under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA).

Lakdawala was arrested in January 2020 and has been lodged at the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai since then.

He had recently filed an application in court seeking permission to use a mosquito net. In his application, Lakdawala said that in 2020 when he was remanded in judicial custody, he was permitted to use a mosquito net, but in May this year, the prison authorities seized

SC restrains BMC from action over Marathi signs FRTWA files petition against decision; says BMC checking on violations First India Bureau

Ejaz Lakdawala, former aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim —FILE PHOTO

Undertrial Ejaz Lakdawala brings bottle filled with dead mosquitoes to court to support request the net citing security concerns.

On Thursday, when Lakdawala was produced before the sessions court, he showed a plastic bottle filled with dead mosquitoes and said the inmates of Taloja jail have to face this problem every day. But the jail authorities opposed the plea citing security reasons.

The court, while rejecting the application, said the accused applicant (Lakdawala) could use Odomos and other mosquito repellents.

Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) not to take any coercive action against members of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), for failing to put up signboards in Marathi outside their shops and establishments, till December 18.

The deadline for putting up the signboards in Marathi was September 30.

A division bench comprising Justice KM Joseph and Justice Hrishikesh Roy asked the civic body and the Maharashtra government to file their replies on the matter by the next date of hearing.

The SC was hearing a special leave petition filed by FRTWA challenging the decision of

Deadline to put up sign boards in Marathi was extended to Sept 30 by the Mumbai civic body. —FILE PHOTO

the state government mandating all shops and establishments to display their names in Marathi (Devanagari) script as well.

Senior Counsel Gopal Shankarnarayan and advocate Mohini Priya, appearing on behalf of the FRTWA, sought relief after pointing out that the BMC has started taking action against the shops and establishments which are yet to put up the sign boards in Marathi. The SC has asked the federation to file an affidavit giving out a detailed list of its members.

The association also contended that it has

THE ORDER

challenged the constitutional validity of the amendment in the Act to incorporate the rule of compulsory signboard in Marathi.

The Act was enacted to improve the condition of workers who work at these establishments. However, the language of the signboards has nothing to do with the welfare of workers.

On February 23 this year, the Bombay High Court had upheld the government decision terming it as “reasonable” considering display of signboards in other languages were not prohibited.

Tigress Maya sighted with Mentally ill man makes 3-month-old cub at TATR hoax call on terror threat

03

234 samples test +ve for Omicron in genome sequencing First India Bureau Mumbai: All 234 swab samples tested in the 16th genome sequencing series in Mumbai have been detected with the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, including 36, or 15%, with the XBB subvariant, a civic official said on Friday.

About 14%, or 33, of the 234 samples, have been found infected with the XBB.1 subvariant, a release from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

“Of the 234 patients, 24 (10%) are younger than 20 years of age, 94 (40%) in the 21-40 age segment, 69 (29%) in the 41-60 age group, 36 (15%) in the 61-80 age group, and 11 (5%) are older than 81,” the civic release informed.

Breaking down the age of the patients whose samples were genome

No reason to panic on account of these subvariants but people need to strictly adhere to COVID-19-appropriate behaviour and follow steps taken by authorities to curb the spread of infection.

—BMC Health Department

sequenced, the release said 16 were younger than 18, three were aged below five years, six were in the 6-12 age group and six were in the 14-18 age segment.

It said 87 of 234 patients had not taken the COVID-19 vaccine, and 15 of them had to be hospitalized, with no ICU admission.

Of the 147 patients who had been vaccinated, seven had to be hospitalized, while two died in private hospitals due to comorbidities, the release added.

132-YEAR-OLD TUNNEL DISCOVERED AT MUMBAI’S STATE-RUN JJ HOSPITAL

First India Bureau

First India Bureau Chandrapur: Visitors to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur have been treated to the sight of the famous tigress Maya and one of her cubs, an official said on Friday.

Home to over 88 big cats, TATR was thrown open to tourists on October 01 and has since received more than 30,000 visitors in its core and buffer zones, said Mahesh Khore, assistant conservator of forest TATR (core area).

The tigress Maya, who is at least 13 years old, was spotted carrying her three-month-old cub in her mouth, as she was shifting it to a safer place in the reserve, he said.

Footage of the big cat and her cub has been widely shared on social media.

The big cat has been spotted by tourists at Navegaon Road and Kumbi Pat areas in the reserve and many have captured her movements on camera, footage of which was widely shared on social media, Khore said.

“We have installed camera traps to capture

The cub is part of Maya’s 5th litter at TATR. She has birthed 15 cubs so far and only few have survived the movement of the big cat and her young cub,” the official said.

Mumbai: A mentally 36-year-old man from Ulhasnagar in Thane district placed an anonymous hoax call warning of ‘terrorists’ visiting the area near the iconic Haji Ali Dargah, police said on Friday.

Acting on the call, which came in to the Mumbai police control room around 2 pm, a team from the Tardeo police station was dispatched to the spot, along with a bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS). However, a search around the Dargah proved futile, as nothing suspicious was found, said the official.

The police tried to reach the anonymous caller again but his phone was found to be switched off. The city police then sought tech-

nical help to ascertain the identity of the caller and the purpose for the call.

They found that the caller was a man who had suffered a brain injury 14 years ago and was under treatment.

In view of his mental condition, no criminal case was registered against him, the official added.

In a similar incident last year, a man was arrested for making a hoax bomb threat call at Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazar.

The arrested caller was identified as Dinesh Suttar and was booked.

A 200m tunnel, dating back to 1890, has been discovered at the state-run JJ hospital in Mumbai, an official said, adding that the building under which the tunnel was discovered was once used as a medical ward to treat women and children, but later converted into a nursing college.

The 132-year-old structure was discovered during an inspection of the nursing college after a complaint of water leakage.

“Some staffers told us there may be a basement, after which we carried out further inspection and discovered the tunnel,” he said.

—PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

TIME FOR CHANGE

After rape cases, doc wants ‘2-finger test’ banned in matrimonial disputes lll

A forensic med professor has been fighting to get the ‘regressive’ virginity test barred for over a decade; has written report to substantiate his claims

First India Bureau Nagpur: The recent ruling by the Supreme Court, in which it outlawed the practice of performing the “two finger” virginity test in sexual assault cases, was hailed by a Maharashtra-based professor of forensic medicine who has been fighting to get the practice banned. He also said the ban should be extended to marital disputes as well.

Dr Indrajit Khandekar, who works

at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Sevagram, has been fighting for a ban on the “virginity test” since 2010. In 2018, he even submitted a report to the Medical Council of India seeking that the test be removed from the medical curriculum.

In his report, he had highlighted the unscientific basis of the practice, and how it violates human rights and leads to gender discrimination.

A few days ago, the Supreme Court, too, deplored the “regressive”

and “invasive” practice on rape survivors, and said it instead re-victimized women who might have been sexually assaulted.

The top court issued a slew of directions to the central and state governments that any person who conducted the two-finger test or per vaginum examination, in contravention of its directions, shall be guilty of misconduct.

Calling it a “landmark judgment”, Dr Khandekar said the twofinger test was an unsci-

entific, inhumane, derogatory and discriminatory practice that violated a woman’s dignity.

“Though the SC…has banned two-finger test in relation to rape victims, various family courts and high courts have directed doctors to conduct such tests…. When the

said test is unscientific for rape victims, then how could the same test be scientific in matrimonial dispute cases?

The fight will not be over until the SC restrains the lower and high courts…from passing such orders,” he said.

When the said test is unscientific for rape victims, then how could the same test be scientific in matrimonial dispute cases? The fight will not be over until the Supreme Court restrains the lower and high courts…from passing such orders.

—Dr Indrajit Khandekar, Professor of Forensic Medicine, MGIMS

PERSPECTIVE MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

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GROWING ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

A MAJOR GLOBAL CHALLENGE

economy, regional and interstate disparities, poor skill development, prevalence of caste system, tax evasion- undue concentra­ tion of incomes in a few hands, unemployment and underemployment, corruption, administrative bottlenecks, heavy dependence on agriculture sector and inadequate public infrastructure. India has to use the new technology to increase productivity and wages to reduce income inequality. Implement reforms that redistribute money and power, level the playing field, prioritise interests of lower strata of society and review present system of taxation and social spending.

COL RAJESH BHUKAR

The author has been Head Security Rajasthan Operations of Cairn Energy and DGM HR in Jindal Saw Ltd

E

The pandemic has severely affected the poor and hurt the middle class in terms of loss of accumulated wealth and savings. The rising inequality is linked to slower economic growth.

The five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden - are among the most equal in the world on a variety of criteria

conomic inequality is the unequal distribution of income and opportunity between different groups in society or between different nations. It is a concern in almost all countries around the world and often people are trapped in poverty with little chance to climb up the social ladder. Income and wealth inequality has risen practically in all major advanced economies over the past two to three decades. Income distribution trends are more mixed in emerging economies but many of them including China and India have experienced rising inequality.

Rising inequality has hampered economic growth by dampening aggregate demand and slowing productivity and stirred social discontent, political polarization, and populist nationalism. The pandemic has revealed vulnerability of societal and economic fragility. People across all income categories feel that economic inequality is a global challenge. The challenges are well expressed by UN Chief António Guterres when he states that “Income disparities and a lack of opportunities” are creating a vicious cycle of inequality, frustration and discontent across generations.

The mega trends that have mainly impacted modern day economy and inequality are: Technology, Climate change, Urbanisation and International Migration. Whilst technological innovations have

MUSK WIELDS THE

AXE ON STAFF

supported economic growth, offering new possibilities in fields such as health care, education, communication and productivity, there is also evidence to show that it has led to increased wage inequality, and displaced workers. Climate change, according to the World Social Report, is making the world’s poorest countries even poorer, and could reverse progress made in reducing inequality among countries. It is noteworthy that today more people live in urban areas than rural areas, a trend that is expected to continue over the coming years.

Although cities drive economic growth, they are more unequal than rural areas. The fourth megatrend, international migration, is described as both a “powerful symbol of global inequality”, and “a force for equality under the right conditions”.

Effects of Inequality. Higher rates of health, social problems and reduced population-wide satisfaction and happiness. Drag on economic growth, Unstable economies and fosters political dysfunction, Unequal distribution of resources fostering conflict, war and displacement, Creates vicious cycles of poverty that reinforce vulnerabilities and negatively affect those in greatest need, Leads to a societal breakdown in trust, solidarity and social cohesion, and Rapid environmental degradation.

Reasons for Divergences in Income. Political instability, Low levels of education and skills, Quality of work culture, Savings and investment habits of people, State of tax collection by government, Levels of corruption and criminality, State of social

A

week after he completed the $44 billion deal to acquire the social media platform, Elon Musk announced his arrival at Twitter waving an axe in one hand and a harsh set of rules for employees in the other. Beginning Friday the axe was set to fall on around 7500 employees. Employees will have to put in 80 hours of work with no leave, no five-day week and no holiday. Twitter’s “Days of Rest”, or the monthly breaks for employees, are reported to have been removed from their calendars. It sounds like Musk is leading an army to war! He has also ordered Twitter to cut infrastructure costs by one billion dollars.

Investment in education, advance technology, R&D and infrastructure must be boosted, with stronger programs for worker up skilling, reskilling, & lifelong learning that respond to shifts in the demand for skills. Pursue sustainable growth and economic welfare, Primary product dependency, and Geographical location Indian Scenario. India is a developing nation with large number of affluent elite but has a poor record on economic equality. While the top 1% hold 22% of total national income, the bottom 50% share has gone down to 13%.

India’s middle class is relatively poor, with an average wealth of just 29.5% of the total national income. India has noticeable social inequality with huge differential access to wealth, power, and prestige. Social inequality exists on grounds of gender, race, age, ethnicity, religion, and kinship basis. Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) prepared by the NITI Aayog highlighted that one in every four people in the country are multi dimensionally poor. The factors that act complementary to the rise and sustenance of inequality in India are:- Labour intensive manufacturing with poor performance, lesser jobs despite growing

Those with a small following may still stick to it but those with millions of Twitter followers like Barrack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Amitabh Bachchan and other celebrities may have to rethink But bigger ripples are being made over his plan to monetise the blue tick marks of verification one gets to see on a message. Fixing $8 per such message has already caused a flutter even if it is lower than

THE WAY FORWARD Levy a modest progressive wealth tax on multimillionaires for redistribution to reduce income inequality.

Harness the potential of technological transformation to foster more inclusive economic growth, broaden capital ownership and reform corporate governance to reflect wider stakeholder interests.

Investment in education, advance technology, R&D and infrastructure must be boosted, with stronger programs for worker up skilling, reskilling, and lifelong learning that respond to shifts in the demand for skills.

Frame policies that directly reduce income inequality and pursue inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth, ensuring a balance among economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Rationalise patterns of taxation and ownership and provision of public goods, such as health care and education.

Globally, debt forgiveness and reform of trade agreements benefitting the underdeveloped countries that in turn can reduce income and other forms of inequality.

The pandemic has severely affected the poor and hurt the middle class in terms of loss of accumulated wealth and savings. The rising inequality is linked to slower economic growth. The five Nordic countries - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are among the most equal in the world on a variety of criteria, and they have attained high levels of welfare and equality. This is due to strong focus on social solidarity, taxation and higher spending on education and healthcare.

They are a role model for all nations emulate with due modifications as per their own situations and conditions.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

the $20 Musk planned to charge earlier. Twitter users will still be unhappy. But in a my way or highway approach, Musk is firm on the $8 price tag for Blue. The price for blue tick marks will also include facilities like priority in search, fewer ads and the freedom to post long videos. Those with a small following may still stick to it but those with millions of Twitter followers like Barrack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Amitabh Bachchan and other celebrities may have to rethink.

Users quitting the platform will be a blessing in disguise. Tweets, especially the videos, have done more harm than good.

04

IN-DEPTH

BJP BETTER PLACED THAN CONGRESS TO HANDLE REBELS IN HIMACHAL

H

imachal Pradesh is witnessing rebellions in both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress before the November 12 Assembly elections.

These rebels are bent on spoiling the prospects of both the parties.

The BJP expelled five of its leaders on Monday and another the next day as they had turned defiant over denial of tickets. Those expelled included Kripal Parmar, the state vice-president and former Rajya Sabha MP. Congress too is grappling with the problem and hoped that Priyanka Gandhi’s visit might help in placating the rebels. Together 20 nominations were filed by the rebels of the two parties.

The impact of rebellion on the two parties will vary. The threat posed by the BJP rebels may become inconsequential after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies in the State. The same cannot be said about Priyanka Gandhi. Her party also does not have a good track record in resolving disputes and make it easy for rebels to queer the pitch for it.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK Amongst thousands of persons, hardly one strives for perfection; and amongst those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows me in truth.

—Bhagavad Gita

TOP TWEETS Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

Paid obeisance to Sant Shri Ravidas ji at Ravidas Ghat. An embodiment of humanism and one of the greatest spiritual figures of his times, Guru Ravidas ji and his teachings serve as an inspiration for PM @narendramodi ji for building an inclusive, equal and harmonious society.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal

Looting the taxpayer, fooling the poor! Nearly 2 lakh fake construction workers in Delhi paid allowances by AAP government. l Vol 1 l Issue No. 178 l RNI TITLE NO.

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HIMACHAL PRADESH ELECTIONS

Priyanka promises 1L jobs, OPS, financial assistance for women Kangra (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said her party will provide 1 lakh jobs, restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and provide financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to every woman in the state if it is voted to power in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Addressing a rally here, Vadra said the Congress will also fight the drug menace, which is ruining the future of the youth and build English-medium schools in every Assembly constituency.

She also targeted the state government, saying the state has “drowned” in debt under the BJP dispensation and 63,000 government posts are lying vacant.

Citing the work done by the Congress in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the only two states where the party is in power on its own, Vadra said her party will fulfil its promises in Himachal as well.

“The Congress will create 1 lakh jobs...

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is sitting here, he has provided 5 lakh jobs in three years. The Congress government in Rajasthan has provided 1.30 lakh jobs,” the Congress leader said.

CONG’S SUDHIR SHARMA HITS BACK AT SHAH Dharamshala: Sudhir Sharma, considered one of the CM candidates of Congress, said having many faces for the top post shows that his party has competent leaders.

The remarks came in response to Amit Shah’s jibe that there are seveneight aspirants for the Himachal Pradesh CM’s post in the Congress.

BHARAT JODO YATRA TAKES BREAK IN T’GANA

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra waves to the party supporters during the Parivartan Pratigya Rally for the upcoming Himachal elections, at Nagrota Bagwan, in Kangra on Friday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

PM TO ADDRESS 2 RALLIES IN HIMACHAL TODAY

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra poses for a selfie after offering prayers at Maa Jwala Devi Temple, in Kangra on Friday. Chhattishgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is also seen.

—PHOTO BY ANI

IN THE COURTYARD PROPHET REMARK ROW: DELHI COPS TO HANDLE JINDAL FIRS

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed that all FIRs against expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal lodged across the country in connection with his alleged remarks against Prophet Muhammad be transferred to Delhi Police.

A bench also extended interim protection to Jindal till the probe is concluded

by Delhi police.

U’KHAND DOMICILE WOMEN: SC LIFTS STAY ON HC ORDER

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the stay imposed by Uttarakhand High Court on a 2006 order giving 30% reservation to women having domicile of the state in state civil services. A bench of Justices SA Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian issued notice in the matter and sought reply on the Uttarakhand govt’s plea.

CANNOT RESTRICT WOMAN’S REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE: KERALA HC

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday observed that there can be no restriction on a woman’s right to exercise her reproductive choice, to either procreate or abstain from it. The court took the route of an earlier apex court judgement where it was held that as per Article 21 of the Constitution of India, a woman has right to make reproductive choice as it is a dimension of her personal liberty. It ruled in a petition of a 23-year-old MBA student seeking termination of her pregnancy from consensual sex with her classmate.

UP COURT AWARDS LIFE IMPRISONMENT TO 5 FOR MURDER Bareilly: A court here has sentenced five people to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of the head of sanitation workers six years ago during a marriage ceremony. The court held them guilty on Monday and pronounced the sentence on Thursday. On April 22, 2016, Rajeev had gone to attend a wedding where he was shot dead.

Hyderabad: The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a break on Friday and will resume from Medak in Telangana on Saturday. “#BharatJodoYatra will take a day’s break on 4th Nov. We begin afresh from Medak, Telangana on 5th Nov,” Bharat Jodo’s official Twitter handle said.

MP HC SETS ASIDE CONVICTION OF MAN IN KIDNAPPING CASE

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has set aside a lower court order of 1998 convicting a man of kidnapping a woman of a different faith, whose kin had claimed she was a minor at the time. Nayab Khan was, on Aug 26, 1998, sentenced to two years in jail and fined Rs 5,000 by the court of the Panna additional sessions judge under section 363 (kidnapping) of the IPC.

MLAS’ POACHING CASE: TELANGANA HC ADJOURNS HEARING ON BJP PLEA

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday adjourned hearing to Monday on a BJP petition seeking probe by the CBI or sitting judge into the alleged attempt to buy four MLAs of the TRS. The court also adjourned the hearing on the petitions of the wife of one of the accused and others. The court made it clear that the stay on the investigation in the case will continue till the next hearing. As the state government has filed an elaborate counter, the counsel for the BJP sought time to go through the same and prepare for arguments.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two rallies in Sindar Nagar and Solan on Saturday in his campaign for the BJP in the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls scheduled for November 12. Official sources said he will also visit Radha Soami Satsang in Beas in Punjab.

I-T searches on J’khand Cong MLAs over tax evasion charges Ranchi/New Delhi (PTI): The Income Tax Department on Friday conducted searches at properties linked to Jharkhand Congress MLAs Kumar Jaimangal and Pradip Yadav.

Jaimangal alias Anup Singh is a legislator from Bermo, while Yadav who joined Congress after splitting from the JVM-P represents Poriyahat.

Congress is a partner of the JMM-led ruling alliance in the state.

The searches were

conducted at the properties of the legislators in Ranchi, Bermo and Patna, officials said.

Some private people, including an iron ore trader in Chaibasa, were also searched by the I-T

Morbi: Civic body’s chief officer suspended days after bridge collapse Morbi (PTI): The Gujarat government has suspended Morbi Municipality’s Chief Officer Sandipsinh Zala in the wake of the bridge collapse incident that claimed 135 lives, a senior official said on Friday. The British-era suspension bridge, built on the river Machchhu in Morbi town, had collapsed on Sunday evening. The people who died in the tragedy included women and children.

“The state Urban Development Department has suspended Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality Sandipsinh Zala,” said Morbi District Collector G T Pandya. Resident Additional Collector of Morbi

Department, they said.

Jaimangal said he was extending full cooperation to the I-T Department which is conducting the searches as part of an investigation into tax evasion charges.

“The searches were carried out under the pressure of the BJP. Such action will have to be faced by those who are against BJP. I am against BJP and so, I am facing it. But, it can’t scare me,” he told reporters.

BJP accuses Delhi govt of registering ‘bogus’ workers New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Friday accused the Delhi government of registering “bogus” construction workers and siphoning off money meant for them for AAP’s party-related work.

In a joint conference with party MP Manoj Tiwari, BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s intent and integrity was polluted.

Patra termed it the biggest corruption case in India as far as construction workers were concerned. He said three NGOs working for construction workers alleged massive corruption in their registration through proxies.

The BJP leader accused the Delhi govt of disbursing Rs 3,000 crore among “fake” construction workers.

BJP’s Sambit Patra termed it biggest corruption case in India as far as construction workers were concerned.

—FILE PHOTO

Elaborating on the figures, Patra said between 2006 and 2021, over 13 lakh construction workers were registered under the Delhi government’s labour department. Of these, over 9 lakh were registered between 2018 to 2021.

Patra said investigations had revealed 2 lakh fake registrations in Delhi. He alleged that

65,000 workers had the same mobile number while 15,700 had the same residential address in Delhi and the remaining 4,370 had the same permanent address.

However, none of these workers sharing the same temporary or permanent address are connected to each other, he said.

Ex-TV anchor Isudan Gadhvi is AAP’s CM candidate for Gujarat

Land grabbing: ED raids nearly a dozen places in WB, J’khand

Arvind Kejriwal greets AAP’s CM candidate Isudan Gadhvi at a public meeting ahead of Gujarat elections, in Ahmedabad, on Friday. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann is also seen.

Ahmedabad (PTI): The AAP on Friday named former TV anchor and journalist Isudan Gadhvi as its CM candidate for Assembly elections in Gujarat.

The announcement was made by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who said the 40-year-old Gadhvi got as many as 73 per cent votes in a poll conducted by the party.

Gadhvi was pitted against state party unit chief Gopal Italia, who played a key role in the Patidar community agitation. He hails from a farmers’ family in

Dwarka district’s Pipaliya village and belongs to the other backward castes, which account for 48 per cent of the state’s population.

Kejriwal said the party conducted the poll by asking people to choose their chief ministerial face. Over 16 lakh people voted and 73 per cent of those preferred Gadhvi, Kejrwial said.

Last week, Kejriwal had urged people to contact the party through SMS, WhatsApp etc to give their views about who should be CM candidate from the party.

New Delhi (ANI): Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at nearly one dozen locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand in a money laundering case against those illegally occupying Indian Army lands, sources said. As per sources, the raids are going on at nearly four places in West Bengal and eight in Jharkhand. The places searched included residential and office premises of a Kolkatabased businessman Amit Agrawal and several others, sources said. As per sources, Agrawal was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and the raids were planned after his revelation in the case.

WOOING HINDU VOTERS

Is Didi trying to save her political future by an ‘image makeover’?

Mahesh Sharma

has been given the additional charge of the Chief Officer until further orders, he said.

Morbi Municipality had given the contract of the bridge repair and maintenance to Oreva group for 15 years, officials said.

Police have so far arrested nine persons in connection with the bridge collapse incident.

05

New Delhi: Once bitten, twice shy. It seems that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is following the age old adage.

In view of her experience with the previous Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, she has started improving relations with the acting Governor of the state, La Ganesh. He is also not very active as Ganesh is not a full time governor. He has to see both Manipur and West Bengal together and secondly he also spends time in his home state Tamil Nadu. So, after he

became the caretaker governor in July, goodwill is visible between the government and the Raj Bhavan.

Such is the harmony that Mamata Banerjee, who avoids even visiting Delhi for central government functions,

went to Chennai to attend the birthday celebrations of Governor La Ganesh’s elder brother. Now the question is, what message does she want to convey with this? Will improving relations with the caretaker governor give

her party relief from central agencies? Or is it part of a bargain, allegations of which have surfaced for the past few days? Keep in mind that Didi has attacked the BJP in the past and also praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. So, her politics has confused the opposition parties, because of which she is also walking away from the Opposition parties. It seems that she is doing politics of completely stopping Hindu voters from turning against her in her state while at the same time trying to get some relief from Central agencies.

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06

‘Mizoram contributing to India’s endeavour to engage with neighbours’ First India Bureau Aizawl: President Droupadi Murmu, who was in Mizoram on a two-day visit, said on Friday that the tribal majority state benefits from and makes contributions to the nation’s endeavour to engage with neighbours in the region.

Addressing a special assembly session here, she said that Mizoram

can explore its past, find best governance practices from premodern days, and revive it within contemporary systems for the betterment of people.

She also stated that the Mizoram Legislative Assembly, over the years, “has evolved into an effective instrument in finding solution to people’s problem”.

Murmu stated that she was keen to see in-

creased women’s representation in public life, particularly among lawmakers.

“The Centre’s ‘Act East Policy’ places emphasis on the northeast for improving the country’s ties with the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region. Mizoram benefits from and also makes contributions to the nation’s endeavour to engage with the

President Droupadi Murmu accorded a guard of honour on her first visit to Sikkim, in Gangtok, on Friday. —PHOTO BY PIB

Farmers backbone of rising India: Vice Prez Dhankhar VP exhorts the PU alumni to give back to one’s alma mater and to the society at large First India Bureau Chandigarh: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said farmers are the backbone of a rising India and also credited industry with driving the agriculture sector into a “new trajectory”.

“Bharat is on the rise as never before. It is a global recognition. And in this rise, farmers are the backbone,” he said in his inaugural address at the 15th edition of the agriculture and food technology fair organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.

The vice president said the commitment of

Spl status to Bihar only on papers: Nitish Patna (PTI): In a veiled jibe at the Modi govt at the Centre, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar claimed that "prachar prasar" (propaganda) was going on with little on offer for the poorer states.

Kumar, who snapped ties with the BJP two months ago, also lamented that the long-standing demand for special status to Bihar, which “all poor states should get”, was not accepted.

“Is anything worthwhile happening in poor states? Only propaganda is underway (Garib gurba rajyon mein kuchh ho raha hai?,” Nitish Kumar said on Thursday.

Bharat is on the rise as never before. It is a global recognition.

And in this rise, farmers are the backbone.... It is the farmer who needs to be well informed so that he adopts economically sustainable measures.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar lighting the lamp at 3rd Global Alumni Meet in Panjab University, in Chandigarh on Friday.

the industry to drive the agriculture sector on a novel trajectory is commendable, welcome

and needs to be taken to higher stages of execution.

Calling the theme of

—Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President

the fair -- Digital Transformation for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security -- an apt

GOVT ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF UP IAS VIDYA BHUSHAN Ahtesham Siddiqui Lucknow: UP’s famous IAS officer Vidya Bhushan’s resignation has been accepted by the government.

Bhushan’s wife and IPS officer Alankrita Singh is already under suspension for going to foreign without permission.

2008-batch officer Vidya Bhushan is originally from Bihar.

He has been the DM of Amethi, Pratapgarh, Etawah.

IAS Vidya Bhushan, while being MD PVVNL in Varanasi, had sent his resignation to department.

He has resigned on medical ground.

Before the resignation of Bhushan, the government had also

UP TRANSFERS

one, he said its relevance can never be over emphasised.

Vice President Dhankhar also lauded the central dispensation over its contribution in feeding 80 crore people for free in the last two years, a reference to the Union government’s efforts to tackle COVID-19 situation.

For us, agriculture is not a profession, it is a tradition and a way of life, he asserted.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal were also present on the occasion.

neighbours in the region,” she stated.

Murmu said that the state has done well on all parameters, despite challenges posed by the topography of the hilly state.

“After achieving the status of a full-fledged State in 1987, Mizoram has not looked back.

The topography of the hilly region poses special challenges for development; yet the

Bhubaneswar (PTI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to convene an all-party meeting for quick resolution of border issues with Andhra Pradesh.

Though Kotia cluster comprising 28 villages is presently located within Odisha, 21 villages have found a place in the newly carved ParvatipuramManyam district of the neighbouring state. The district headquarters is just 40 km from some villages of the cluster in Odisha state.

Both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments are engaged in a five-decade-long political tug-of-war over the ownership of 21 out of the 28 villages in the Kotia panchayat and the case is sub-judice at the Supreme Court

Work on new building of Parliament going on at very fast pace: Puri

Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurates UMI Expo 2022, in Kochi.

Kochi (PTI): With less than a month to go for the November deadline, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said construction work of the new Parliament building is going on at a very fast pace.

The govt has been maintaining that the project would be completed by November and winter session would be held in new building.

In August, MoS for

Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore had told Lok Sabha that the physical progress of the new Parliament building is 70 per cent and the month of November is the deadline.

Addressing a press conference here after inaugurating ‘15th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Expo’, Puri said there are over 4,000 people working round-theclock on the project.

SHEKHAWAT IN N-E

‘Modern technology to address N-E’s flood problem’ Union Jal Shakti Minister hopes for a solution to the recurring problem First India Bureau Shillong: Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed optimism that modern science and technology will come up with a workable solution to the flood problem in the North East region.

Participating in a discussion on Space Applications in Flood Management in the North Eastern Region at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) at Umiam near here on Thursday, he said, “the ministry intends to make maxi-

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat interacts with locals in Shillong.

mum use of modern science and technology to come up with a workable solution to the ageold problem of floods in the Northeast region.”

He said, “Several measures are being taken on a large scale to provide relief to the Northeastern states from the ravages of floods.”

He said the aim of the Jal Shakti Ministry is to provide water to each

among all Indian states, providing an ideal home for extraordinary and rich biodiversity, she noted.

“Our multiple initiatives in promoting renewable sources of energy have won admiration around the world.

Meanwhile, we as individual citizens, policymakers, lawmakers or administrators must strive at our level to help heal the planet.

Pradhan wants all-party meet on issues with Andhra

Vidya Bhushan & Alankrita

approved the VRS application of IAS Juthika Patankar and IAS Renuka Kumar.

Officers in the bureaucracy say that Vidya Bhushan is considered to be a very good and hardworking officer.

He says that his wife IPS Alankrita Singh had gone on foreign study leave but she was suspended and leave application was not accepted which made Vidya Bhushan sad.

state has done remarkably well on all parameters, especially when it comes to human development.

“As a tribal-majority state, Mizoram can explore its past and find best governance practices from pre-modern days that can be revived within contemporary systems,” she said.

Mizoram has the highest forest cover

and every household and agricultural land.

Shekhawat said that the discussions revolved around technological intervention to expedite the development activities and its implementation in the region, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and commitment to bring in all-round development in the Northeast.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inspects preparations at Ravidas Ghat ahead of ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’, Varanasi, on Friday.

It requires the Odisha government to be proactive on the ground, thereby bringing the government and administration closer to the residents of these border villages. —Dharmendra Pradhan,

Union Education Minister

since 1968.

In a letter to Patnaik written on October 31 and released to the press on Friday, Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, said the chief

minister should also review the progress made by the inter-state committee and highlight the developmental activities taken up in the border villages.

CRUCIAL READ 3 SIBLINGS DIE IN REFRIGERATOR EXPLOSION IN TN

Chennai (Agencies): Three siblings, including two women, were asphyxiated to death in Chengalpattu district early on Friday. The deceased included V Girija (63), her sister , S Radha (55) and their brother, Rajkumar (48). Rajkumar’s wife Bhargavi (41) and daughter Aaradhana (7) are admitted to the hospital. The family had come to Chengalpattu to perform the first death anniversary rituals of Girija’s husband Venkataraman.

DHARMA SANSAD: NOTICE TO YATI NARSINGHANAND

Ghaziabad (PTI): The UP Police has issued a notice to Yati Narsinghanand, the priest of Ghaziabad’s Dasna Devi temple, instructing him not to organise a “dharma sansad” and a preparatory meeting for which permission has not been obtained from the district administration. Narsinghanand, who often triggers controversy with his provocative remarks, has called 3-day “dharma sansad” beginning December 17.

FROM PG 1 ‘State failed to... life guaranteed by Article 21. The violence witnessed by Mumbai in December 1992 and January 1993 adversely affected the right of the residents of the affected areas to lead dignified and meaningful life.”

Affected persons had a right to seek compensation from the state, it noted.

Constituting a committee to look into records relating to 108 people who went missing during the riots, the bench headed by Justice SK Kaul directed the state to endeavour to trace their family members or legal heirs.

“Legal heirs of the missing persons,

traced out hereafter, would be paid compensation of Rs2 lakh with interest at the rate of 9% per annum from January 22, 1999 till actual payment,” said the bench, also comprising justices AS Oka and Vikram Nath.

On hearing that 97 of 253 riots cases are lying dormant, the top court surmised that the reason must be that either the accused therein are not traceable or are absconding, and directed the High Court to issue appropriate directions to the concerned courts in which these cases are pending.

The state will have to set up a special cell for tracing the accused, and expedite pending cases, it added.

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Commodity

Price

Change

% Chg

Currency

Price

Change

% Chg

GOLD

50,869.00

604.00

1.18 (Per 10g)

USDINR

82.35

0.53

0.64

SILVER

59,477.00

2061.00

3.46 (Per 1kg)

GBPINR

92.57

0.71

0.76

*Rates till the edition went to print.

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Forex reserves post biggest weekly gain of $6.56 billion

business BRIEFS

GAIL Q2 RESULTS: PROFIT FALLS 46% YOY TO `1,537 CR

New Delhi: State-owned gas utility GAIL Ltd on Thursday reported a 46% drop in its September quarter net profit as it slashed petrochemical output after a former unit of Russian energy giant Gazprom stopped gas supplies. Net profit stood at `1,537.07 crore in JulySeptember compared with `2,862.95 crore profit in the same period a year back. The profit for the firm that transports and sells natural gas was sequentially down 47.2% from `2,915.19 cr profit in the April-June. —PTI

BANKS’ LOANS ROSE 17.9% Y/Y IN TWO WEEKS TO OCT 21

New Delhi: Indian banks’ loans rose 17.9% in the two weeks to October 21 from a year earlier, while deposits rose 9.5%, the Reserve Bank of India’s weekly statistical supplement showed on Friday.

Outstanding loans rose 290.86 billion rupees ($3.54 billion) to 128.89 trillion rupees in the two weeks to October 21.

Non-food credit rose 240.65 billion rupees to 128.63 trillion rupees, while food credit rose 50.21 billion rupees to 256.55 bn rupees. —FIB

ADANI GROUP OPENS DATA CENTRE IN CHENNAI

New Delhi: Richest Indian Gautam Adani-led group on Friday announced the opening of its Chennai hyperscale data centre as it looks to capture a share of one of the world’s fastest-growing data centre markets.

AdaniConneX, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX, opened ‘Chennai 1’ hyperscale data centre campus that is powered by renewable energy, the company said in a statement. “In Phase 1, the campus offers 17 MW (IT Load) that will scale up to 33 MW (IT Load) at full capacity,” it said.

—PTI

OLA ELECTRIC WILL ACHIEVE ONLY 50% PRODUCTION TARGET

New Delhi: Ola Electric will miss its target to fully utilise installed production capacity in next six to eight months and will achieve only 50% of it by Nov 2023, founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said on Friday. At the time of launch of the new S1 Air electric scooter ahead of Diwali last month, he had said the company was already producing more than 1,000 a day at its ‘future factory’ and would be scaling it up significantly beyond that.

—PTI

07

Mumbai (PTI): India’s forex reserves increased by $6.561 billion to reach $531.081 billion for the week ended October 28, the RBI said on Friday.

The overall reserves, which have been on a declining spree, had dropped by $3.847 billion to $524.52 billion in the previous reporting week. In October 2021, the country’s forex

kitty had reached an all-time high of $645 billion. The reserves have been declining as the central bank deploys the kitty to defend the rupee amid pressures caused by global developments.

Foreign currency assets (FCA), a major component of the overall reserves, increased by $5.772 billion to $470.847 billion during the week to October 28, according to the Weekly Statistical Supplement released by

the RBI on Friday.

Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect

of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign ex-

SENSEX SNAPS 2-DAY LOSING RUN AMID FIRM ASIAN CUES; POSTS WEEKLY GAIN Mumbai: Benchmark indices ended in the green on Friday after falling for the past two days, helped by continuous buying from foreign institutional investors and a largely positive trend in Asian and European markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 113.95 points or 0.19% to settle at 60,950.36. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty ended 64.45 points or 0.36% higher at 18,117.15.From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, State Bank of India, Reliance Industries, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance and Wipro were among the winners. Dr Reddy’s, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Infosys, HDFC Bank and NTPC were among the laggards. —PTI

change reserves.

The value of gold reserves increased $556 million to $37.762 billion.

The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were up by $185 million to $17.625 billion. The country’s reserve position with the IMF also climbed by $48 million to $4.847 billion in the reporting week, the apex bank data showed.

For the week ended October 28, the rupee closed with its first weekly gain in seven weeks. The local currency, along with most other Asian peers, gained on bets that the Fed Reserve.

Goyal: Need fastrack clearance of patents

SRIF commits `5,000 crore to help MSMEs

IEX trade volume dips 13% to 7,972 mn units

New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal has directed officials to fastrack the clearance of patents filed by governmentrelated bodies in a timebound manner.

Goyal also asked them to explore the possibilities of merging Textile Research Associations (TRAs) or fostering partnerships among TRAs engaged in similar kinds of research to bring synergy among these bodies.

The minister for Textiles instructed that the quarterly engagement of TRAs with the ministry be institutionalised.

We must encourage startups and young scientists in the niche areas like technical textiles, Goyal said during a review meeting of TRAs. He asked textile research

Mumbai (PTI): Government-backed Self Reliant India Fund (SRIF) on Friday announced that it has committed over `5,000 crore to help small businesses with growth capital in its first year of operations.

The fund, which started as part of the government’s flagship ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ programme, has provided approvals to 38 ‘daughter funds’ with a commitment amount of more than `5,000 crore, as per an official statement.

It has a ‘Mother FundDaughter Fund’ structure wherein SRIF, the mother fund, invests up to 20 per cent of the corpus of the Daughter Fund, which raises the balance 80 per cent of the capital from outside sources, it explained.

New Delhi (PTI): The total trade volume of Indian Energy Exchange dipped 13% to 7,972 million units (MU) in October compared to a year ago.

The Indian Energy Exchange achieved 7,972 MU volume in October 2022, including Green Power trade of 403 MU, and 3.58 lac RECs (equivalent to 358 MU).

“The total volume on the Exchange in October’22 was lower by 13% on YoY basis due to high volume base of last year, and lower by 2% on MoM basis due to reduced REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) trading,” it stated.

Improved supply of domestic coal led to easing of supply side constraints, resulting in decline of prices on the IEX, it explained.

The average clearing

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS z Piyush Goyal has directed

officials to fastrack the clearance of patents filed by government-related bodies in a time-bound manner

z He asked textile research

associations to submit proposals for any support

associations to submit proposals to the ministry for any support they require to reach world-class levels of state-of-the-art labs, and modern machinery, amongst others.

Maruti Suzuki lines up over `7K crore capex CAPACITY OF OVER 22 L UNITS z Maruti Suzuki India has

a cumulative production capacity of over 22 lakh units per annum across its two manufacturing plants in Haryana and parent Suzuki Motor’s facility at Gujarat

New Delhi (PTI): Maruti Suzuki India plans to invest over Rs 7,000 crore this year on various initiatives, including the construction work of its new plant in Haryana and new model launches, according to company CFO Ajay Seth.

The country’s largest carmaker has already commenced work at the new facility in Sonipat district.

The Kharkhoda-based plant, the company’s third set-up in the country, is expected to be operational by

2025 with an installed production capacity of 2.5 lakh units in the first phase.

Currently, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has a cumulative production capacity of over 22 lakh units per annum across its two manufacturing plants in Haryana and parent Suzuki Motor’s facility at Gujarat.

The two plants in Haryana— Gurugram and Manesar—together roll out around 15.5 lakh units per annum.

In May, the auto major

had announced to invest `11,000 crore in the first phase of the Sonipat facility.

“We will be spending upwards of `7,000 crore this year,” Seth said in an analyst call. Elaborating on the investment plans, he said the earmarked amount would cover various activities. “We’ll have to place orders to various vendors (for the Sonipat plant). So, that will be one major portion of the capex,” Seth noted.

IN INDIA IN THE SEPTEMBER QUARTER

Apple leads premium smartphone segment New Delhi (FIB): Apple led the premium segment in India with 40% share, followed by Samsung and OnePlus, with registering highest ever shipment share in the country in the September quarter.

Apple reached its highest ever share of 5% in India’s smartphone market during the quarter driven by a strong channel push ahead of the festive season.

For the first time ever, an iPhone (iPhone 13) topped the overall India smartphone quarterly shipment rankings, according to Counterpoint Research.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z For the first time ever,

iPhone 13 topped the overall India smartphone quarterly shipment rankings

z Apple reached its highest

ever share of 5% in India’s smartphone

“In terms of price bands, the premium segment (`30,000 and above) reached its highest ever share of 12% during this quarter,” said research analyst Shilpi Jain.

“The iPhone 13 became the top smartphone model in Q3 2022, a first for Apple in India,” she noted.

According to data from business intelligence platform Tofler, Apple India

logged a net profit of `1,263 crore, a growth of 3% (yearon-year) in the fiscal year, as sales were up a massive 45%.Samsung held the second spot in the premium segment.

` GAINS 53 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.35/$ Mumbai: The rupee appreciated by 53 paise to close at 82.35(provisional) against the United States dollar on Friday, as the greenback retreated from its elevated levels At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.85 and finally settled at 82.35 against the American currency, registering a rise of 53 paise over its previous close amid a positive trend in domestic equities. On Thursday, the rupee had closed 8 paise lower at 82.88.

—PTI

price in the Day-ahead market was Rs 3.83 in October, which was lower by 32% on MoM (month-onmonth) basis and 52% on YoY (year-on-year) basis.

Going forward, further correction in prices due to improvement in coal availability and reduction in demand due to onset of winters, will provide opportunity for cost optimization by Discoms and Open Access consumers, resulting in increased volumes on the Exchange.

Reliance plans to enter into salon business New Delhi (PTI): The country’s largest retailer Reliance Retail is planning to enter the salon business by acquiring a 49% stake in Naturals Salon & Spa. Reliance Retail, part of oil-to-chemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries, is in talks with the promoters of Naturals Salon & Spa, which operates over 650 salons across India.

Naturals Salon & Spa, founded in the early 2000s, had the target to expand to 3,000 salons by 2025.

After this acquisition, Reliance Retail would compete with players like HUL, which operates in the salon segment with the beauty brand Lakme.

OTHER STORIES INDIA LOOKING AT GREATER MARKET ACCESS FOR PHARMA PRODUCTS IN UK UNDER FTA: OFFICIAL

New Delhi: India is looking at greater market access for its pharmaceutical products in the UK as part of the proposed free trade agreement with Britain, an official said on Friday. The official also said that a leaked chapter of the agreement, which is floated on some portals, on IP is edited, distorted, and is a manipulated version of an initial document of the UK. “The best part in the proposed agreement is that both sides have highlighted their red lines and sensitivities. Ever-greening & touching manufacturing of generic medicines is completely non-negotiable.”

—PTI

INDIGO 2ND QUARTER LOSS WIDENS TO `1,583.34 CRORE

New Delhi: InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of the country’s largest airline IndiGo, on Friday posted widening of loss to `1,583.34 crore for the September quarter as higher fuel costs and exchange rates impacted the bottom line.

However, total income of the company rose to `12,852.29 crore in the second quarter of the current fiscal from `5,798.73 crore in the same period a year ago.

—PTI

SAMSUNG LOGS RUPEES 14,400 CR REVENUE IN INDIA IN SEPT-OCTOBER

New Delhi : Samsung India on Friday said that its mobile business division garnered record revenue of `14,400 crore during the festive months of September and October in India, making it the best Diwali sales for the South Korean giant. Samsung India’s mobile division turned in record sales riding on strong consumer demand for premium smartphones such as Galaxy S22 series.

—PTI

GE AEROSPACE, TASL EXTEND $1-BILLION CONTRACT FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINE COMPONENTS

New Delhi: GE Aerospace and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd have extended their long term contract worth $1 billion for production and supply of several commercial aircraft engine components. The engine parts will be manufactured at the TataTCoE. In a joint release on Friday, GE Aerospace and TASL said they have extended the manufacturing agreement under which TASL will continue to produce and supply several commercial aircraft engine components to GE’s global engine manufacturing factories.

—PTI

Remember, you are the author of your life story. Difficulties may ‘fall’ upon you, but you always choose your response.

—Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India

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2ND FRONT MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

Fadnavis performs ‘mahapuja’ at Pandharpur, assures devt FOR PROGRESS

Deputy CM also lauds contribution of Warkari sect in keeping flag of ‘Bhagwat dharma flying high’ First India Bureau Pandharpur: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta performed the official puja at the famous Vitthal temple in Pandharpur in Solapur district on the occasion of Kartiki Ekadashi on Friday.

Warkari couple Uttamrao and Kalavati Salunke got the opportunity to perform the ritual alongside Fadnavis and his wife in the early hours of the day.

“As a chief minister earlier, I got the opportunity to offer the ‘mahapuja’ on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi and I am fortunate that I also got the opportunity to offer prayers on the oc-

Bullet train: 4 companies submit bids for BandraKurla station

Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis with wife Amruta at the Lord Vitthal temple in Pandharpur on Friday.

casion of Kartiki Ekadashi,” said Fadnavis, while addressing a gathering after the ritual.

The deputy chief minister lauded the contribution of the Warkari sect and said that Warkaris kept “the flag of the Bhagwat dharma high, despite several invasions”.

Fadnavis further said that he had held a meeting on Thursday to discuss development plans for Pandharpur.

“When Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had come to Pandharpur for

I was told that along with the development plan, the restoration of the temple has to be done urgently. I have instructed the district collector to start the restoration work of the temple immediately and the necessary funds will be made —Devendra Fadnavis, Maha Deputy CM available.

Ashadhi Ekadashi, he had expressed his views on developing the temple town on the lines of development of various corridors in other religious sites in the country by suggesting changes in the old developmental plans for Pandharpur,” said Fadnavis.

The district authori-

ties and other stakeholders have made a good developmental plan for the temple and in the coming days, the state government will put it into action, he said.

“I would like to assure all citizens, devotees and shopkeepers that they will start the work by taking everyone into

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

CYRUS MISTRY ACCIDENT

Wife could not merge car into narrow lane, Darius Pandole tells Palghar police First India Bureau Mumbai: Dr Anahita Pandole, who was driving the ill-fated car on September 04 that met with an accident killing Former Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry and one other, could not merge into another lane as the road turned narrow near the Surya River bridge, causing the collision, said a police official.

Her husband, Darius, who survived the accident but suffered severe injuries, told the police the sequence of events that led to the MercedesBenz colliding with a road divider. Mistry (54) and his friend—Darius’s brother Jahangir Pandole—were killed after the car crashed into a road divider on a bridge.

The statement of 60-year-old Darius, who had to undergo multiple surgeries and was in hospital for weeks after the accident, was recorded on Tuesday by the of-

‘Holistic approach to medical mgmt needed’ First India Bureau

Project to halve travel time between Mumbai, Ahmedabad.

First India Bureau Mumbai: Larsen & Toubro Limited, J. Kumar Infraprojects Limited, Afcons Infrastructure Limited and MEIL-HCC Joint Venture have entered bids for the design and construction of an underground station at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex for the high speed rail corridor, popularly known as the bullet train project, officials said on Friday.

BKC is the only underground station on the 500km MumbaiAhmedabad bullet train corridor.

Technical bids for the underground BKC station station were opened on Friday, an official of the National High Speed Rail Corp. Ltd said, adding, “Financial bids will be opened for technically qualified bidders once the technical evaluation is completed.”

NHSRCL had invited bids for its design and construction in July this year under the multi-billion dollar project’s C1 package.

The BKC station will be a three-level structure with a concourse and service floor.

confidence, without pressurizing anyone and by giving adequate compensation to land owners in case of land acquisition,” said the deputy chief minister.

He also assured that in the implementation of the development plan, the tradition of wari will not be disturbed.

Activists of the ‘Kinner Maa Ek Samajik Sanstha’ participate in an awareness rally organized as a part of their ‘Pan India Legal Awareness & Outreach Campaign’, in Mumbai, on Friday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Pune: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the need of the hour was to have a holistic approach to medical management.

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology & Earth Sciences was speaking at the three-day ‘National Conference on Research in Health and Biomedical Sciences, which was organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University).

“Our entire medical and clinical practice is taken over by technology. When I joined, the first lesson was that ‘pulse is the teacher’.

Now you get to see the pulse and you do not see the face of the patient as we have such a huge fas

08

Cops inspect the car after the fatal crash on Sept 04. —FILE PHOTO

He (Darius) said…. A car which was ahead of their vehicle went to the second lane from the third and Anahita also tried to follow the same. When she tried to take the car to that lane, there was a truck on the right side due to which she was not able to merge into that lane. —Police official ficials of Kasa police station in Palghar.

“His statement was recorded at his south Mumbai residence for 1.5 hours, during which he gave details of the accident,” said the official on Friday.

“He said his wife was driving the MercedesBenz…on their way to Mumbai. A car which was ahead of their vehicle went to the second lane from the third and

CRUCIAL READ SIT ARRESTS 5 OVER RERA IRREGULARITIES IN KALYAN-DOMBIVALI FROM THANE DISTRICT Thane: A special investigation team probing Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) norm irregularities in projects in Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation limits in Thane district on Friday arrested five persons, an official said.

Those arrested are agents operating real estate businesses and obtaining registration of projects, Senior Inspector Vikas Ghodke of Unit V of the Crime Branch, said. The probe centres on two cases filed in Manpada and Dombivali police stations.

EDU BOARD PUSHES DEADLINE FOR CLASS X, XII REGISTRATIONS

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh—FILE PHOTO

cinating provision called telemedicine,” he said.

He added there is a need for all to get integrated and learn from each other.

“The need of the hour is to have a more holistic approach in medical management, not only involving technology but also various streams of medicines, both Oriental as well as Western, which beautifully taught us during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Anahita also tried to follow the same,” said the official.

“When she tried to take the car to that lane, there was a truck on the right side due to which she was not able to merge into that lane,” he said, adding that “the lane narrowed near the Surya river bridge.”

“Anahita’s statement is yet to be recorded as she is still recovering,” said the official.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) on Friday pushed the deadline for Class X and Class XII 12 examination registrations for regular, repeater, and private candidates.

Students can now register for the HSC exam by November 15 and for the SSC exam, the date has been pushed to November 25.

FAKE COPS ‘ROB’ TAXI, PASSPORTS FROM FOUR IN MUMBAI Mumbai: Four passengers of a taxi were allegedly robbed by a group of men posing as policemen on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai. The incident took place near Kherwadi junction on Tuesday night.

The taxi was intercepted and victims were asked to alight the vehicle. Their passports were snatched and they were asked to sit in another vehicle.

22 BOOKED FOR MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS WORTH `18.8 LAKH FROM HOUSING SOC ACCOUNT Thane: An offence has been registered against 22 members of the managing committee of a housing society in Thane city in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs18.18 lakh. The police on Thursday registered a case against the accused, including the chairman, secretary and treasurer of the society located in Panchpakhadi area.

According to the police, the co-operative department had conducted an audit of accounts and unearthed the crime.

GETTING READY

Maha Cong leaders go into fitness mode for ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ 5km walk every morning part of prep; yatra to travel through 15 Assembly, 6 Parliamentary constituencies First India Bureau Mumbai: With the impending arrival of the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Maharashtra, several senior Congress leaders

in the state have been practising brisk walking and doing exercises to keep pace with national leader Rahul Gandhi during the public outreach programme.

The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is scheduled to arrive at Deglur in Nanded district of Maharashtra from neighbouring Telangana around 7 pm on November 07.

Former state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said he and other leaders have been practising brisk walk and exercis-

Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi will lead the yatra into Maharashtra on November 07. —ANI PHOTO

ing to match Gandhi’s steps, while state Congress President Nana Patole said he has been

doing warm up exercises and push-ups to keep himself fit for the yatra.

“Citizens in Nanded

are all set to participate in the yatra. We are practising and exercising as and when we get time. Walking is good for health,” said Chavan, who hails from Nanded.

Patole said that as the party’s state unit chief, it was his duty to travel the entire 382km-long stretch of the yatra in the state with Gandhi.

DP Sawant, Congress leader and MLA from Nanded, said the party leaders from the state will try to walk during the yatra as much as they can.

SHINDE-FADNAVIS GOVT WORKING FOR DEVT OF GUJARAT: NANA PATOLE Jalna (PTI): Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday accused the Eknath Shinde-led government of working for the development of Gujarat, citing that all the development projects were being shifted to the neighbouring state.

Speaking to reporters here, Patole alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced projects for Maharashtra to save the reputation of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government. The prime minister on Thursday announced projects worth Rs2 lakh crore for Maharashtra. His statement has come in the wake of the state government coming under fire after proposed big-ticket projects moved out of Maharashtra to poll-bound Gujarat and other states.

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09

MUMBAI, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

9 70 s .

1 d n a 1960s is. So h e t h f t o m e l o t yles fr s is an examp ith Cit y first s n o i h to fas ion w ter top e h l s g a a a h f m d o o n c of Dis pays h tform boots a d e l r r i t o t w a disco re the s, pla Classic ylon jumpsuit nd let’s explo na gn Wearin oogie shoes o rb put you

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR

uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

D

isco party fashion is a different range of fashion, mostly consisting of glittery clothes and attractive head accessories.

This fashion defines a unique fashion statement. Divas mostly prefer to wear platform shoes, jumpsuits, halter dresses, hot pants, colourful leisure suits, loud patterns, sequins,

glitter, and gold lamé to shine out loud in the party environment.

This range of fashion was first seen in the 1970s when fashion reached new levels of creative expression and some might say, ostentation for men and women.

A totally glamorous era when women, no longer limited to strict fashion industry dictates, could choose a variety of hemlines and wear pants in nearly all situations, to highlight themselves through these attractive clothing styles and discard the restrictive garments of the past.

As many of the trends and ideals of the 1960s counterculture and radical movements gradually came to influence mainstream fashion, cloth-

ing became an increasingly colourful expression of individual choice. Exaggerated fashion trends showed the growing acceptance of anti-conformity, self-actualization and revolt against convention. According to Anne-Lise Francois, in the 1970s, people wore clothes that stood out in order to fit in.

Disco fashion is no less than the fusion of glamour with fantasy.

It is a simple world where you can live and style yourself like your favourite fantasy character. Old movies and music videos have played important role in disseminating this range of fashion among the younger generation. The trend boomed in the mid-70s when dancers and rock stars used to style themselves differently.

In the largest and most famous discos, such as Studio 54, journalist Ed McCormack observed fashions that varied “from Pierre Cardin suits to silver cosmic clothing, from Halston originals to backless halters, through all the shades, cycles and fetishes of chic, camp and queer, until it culminates in the truly bizarre ensemble of one muscular young madman who sports a leather aviator’s cap, smoked Captain Midnight goggles and red plastic clothespins clamped onto his bare nipples.”

Some daring dancers spray-painted their bodies in silver and gold. Others wore futuristic costumes of spandex and shiny metallic trapunto to nearly nothing on the dance floor.

ETC MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

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“ GURU NANAK: THE BENIGN REVOLUTIONARY” REVOLUTIONARY”

ARIES

LIBRA

MAR 21 - APR 20

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

TAURUS

SCORPIO

APR 21 - MAY 20

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

GEMINI

SAGITTARIUS

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

NOV 23 - DEC 22

CANCER

CAPRICORN

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

DEC 23 - JAN 20

LEO

AQUARIUS

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

JAN 21 - FEB 19

VIRGO

PISCES

AUG 24 - SEP 23

FEB20 - MARCH 20

Despite hectic schedule you will manage to find time for family.

Seek the opinion of your family before finalizing a property deal. Your bold initiatives on romantic front bring back passion and spark in romantic relationship.Overall health remains fine and satisfactory.

Using your initiative at work will be much appreciated. You may get a chance to pursue old hobby. Health tips from an expert will enable you to get closer to your fitness goals. Your generous behavior would enable to enjoy some lovely moments with family.Overall a good day.

Following a health diet will be a good idea.

Luck favours you today on the professional front. Focussing on health now will help you in keeping physically fit. Clarity of mind and retentive power will help you forge ahead on the academic front. Frustration on the romantic front is possible.

D

o not be surprised to read the word “Revolutionary” appending Guru N a n a k ’ s name. People associate revolutions with bloody, violent subversions where one exploitative regime is replaced by a more “romantic idea” that is ultimately exploitative. That euphoria in the streets lasts, but temporarily, as the dark shadows of power consume the “new heroes”.

Nanak, however, preached a radically different & ever-flowing revolutionary thought that would alter the minds & hearts of humans forever. It would chisel away the fossilized attitudes, faiths, superstitions & philosophies. His principles gave the people new tools to fight inequality, stagnation & immorality.

Nanak walked

WOMEN:

His first observation was of women being exploited physically, emotionally and psychologically to the detriment of equality, growth & morality.

Ever since that queer depiction of a Caveman hitting a woman on the head and dragging her inside, the brutal exploitation of women has been practised as insidious, though in subtler forms.

Nanak saw that women were gifted with the divine capacity to give birth & carry forward civilization. He was shocked to see evil being perpetrated over this sacredness. Noticing the altruistic nature of women in raising children with patience & care, being the pillars of support to their husbands & families,

he was convinced that a woman was not equal to a man........she was in fact a lot higher, next only to God !!

These simple words changed the oldest attitude of man:

“भंड सो क्यों मंदा आखिए, जित जब: राजान, भंड बाजा ना कोए” { “why say a woman is any less ; she begets Kings & Queens ; there’s none to equal a woman” }.

LITERATURE:

Nanak had preached five articles of faith called Kakkars (कक्कार), so named because their first letter was K. (क).

The most revolutionary among these is “Kavita” (किवता), signifying Literature.

Nanak knew that it was only via literature that human thought could continue to evolve. In one enlightened stroke, he demol-

ished the set-in-stone concept of “gospel truths” that propagated one final truth written in scriptures of different faiths. His very own thought, he preached, was a workin-progress of this evolutionary process.

Even Words, he believed, were enslaved, as people captured them in books & scriptures without imbibing their message.

Accepting this view of Nanak, 120 dialects were used to write Guru Granth Sahib (the Holy scripture of Sikhs) to stress that no thought could be a slave to any one language. He thus thawed all frozen thoughts and let them flow freely as ever-expanding wisdom!!

CHARACTER:

The biggest challenge before Nanak was to change the egocentric nature of humans to

let other revolutionary ideas prosper. For that to happen, he sowed a simple but profound mantra in the hearts of his followers. He broke the inherent selfishness by teaching them to give a portion of their earnings to the needy before consuming their share: { “वंड के शको” }.

This act was further expanded into communities and Gurudwaras in the form of Langar, where wholesome food was served to all without hesitation & prejudice of colour, religion or race.

This ignited brotherhood amongst people and brought bliss into their lives. Best of all, it kindled a heroic flame inside those hearts for battles he foresaw ahead. A HERO, by definition, is one who places others’ interests before his own. Common men were turned into heroes by this simple but singular shift in the consciousness of the SELF. Thus, 553 years back, a light shone upon the earth to eternalise its revolution.

Millions of dark corners were, and continue to be, illuminated by the sapience of a farmer’s son.

Family will be most supportive, when it really matters for you.

Some of you may add to your list of properties by booking a new one. It is good day to confess your love as stars appear favourable for positive reply. A long drive is likely to help you get over mental tiredness.

Avoid raising controversial issues at home to maintain harmony.

Successful implementation of new ideas and projects would add to your prestige on the professional front. It is a wonderful day to build new connections. Your relationship requires you to be tactful.

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Distant relatives may drop in for a surprise visit.

On professional front, recognition for good work would motivate you to work harder. Those awaiting an affirmation on romantic front are likely to get lucky today, as partner responds positively. Associate yourself with an humanitarian group.

Your efforts on the professional front will be recognised.

Opting for some healthy choices will ensure you remain in perfect health. You will feel much happy and contented on the family front. Today you will enjoy the trust of senior management. Try and build new connection.

You will succeed in resolving disputes with family members, normalizing ties.

Despite your misgivings, you retain good health. You will do much to bring peace and harmony at home. You will remain much in demand on social front. Some of you can get romantically involved.

Happiness in the domestic sphere will only come with a changed mind set. Some of you are likely to become a part of an overseas official trip. Better to consult an expert in financial matters before making an investment. Harsh words may create a rift in your romantic relationship, be careful.

A friend or colleague may motivate you to take up a healthy activity. Parents may appear more than happy with what you deliver. Plans for overseas travel are likely to materialise.

You are likely to get clearance or approval for your construction plans. You find things moving in the way you want them.

Gifting something to your beloved is likely to make the day memorable.

Matrimonial match for siblings will bring happiness for entire family. You will get a good price for your property.

Those awaiting results are assured of succeeding with flying colours. You’ll have a wonderful day.

FA CE OF TH ED AY

RAINU SINGH

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

across continents preaching innumerable divine messages.

However, I will touch upon his three biggest Revolutionary ideas that became the touchstones for all succeeding philosophies.

These perceptions were his interpretations of information he plucked from the Natural environment.

Your intuition will save you from a tricky spot today.

Yoga would help in raising energy levels and improve your metabolism. You will manage to achieve your aim through travel. This is a great time on the academic front, when you mange to render your best. Your partner will say yes to you.

10

Saurabbh Sachdeva

DIKSHA DAFOUTI, Model

ETC

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MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

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P

riyanka Chopra recently stepped out in an all-white outfit for a brand promotion in Mumbai. The actress looked incredibly excited to be to visiting Mumbai which reflects in her stunning outfits. For the event, PC chose a semi-formal all-white outfit that’s business and bougie all at the same time. The new mama was spotted in an all-white outfit consisting of a Christopher Esber crop top and a pair of matching high-waisted trousers. The ribbed white top featured a striking underbust quartz that definitely made a fashion moment. The stylish tight-fitted white top also featured cap sleeves and a high neckline which was perfectly paired with a high-waisted, wide-leg pair of trousers with flowy pleated details. However, the hero of her allwhite look had to be her effortless curls with soft blond highlights.

Priyanka Chopra

RAKUL’S STATEMENT SHELL

Bipasha Basu

SILVER DANGLERS

R

akul Preet Singh, of late, has managed to turn heads with her traditional looks. She has an outfit for every mood and it’s a matter of sartorial choice. Yet another ensemble that she managed to steal the attention with was her green sharara attire, an ideal pick for pre-wedding festivities.

The star has pulled off an elegant outfit with utmost ease and confidence but her statement dangler earrings have caught our eyes. Rakul has been making a case for modern silhouettes and accessories like a pro.

One can see in the photos, Rakul wore a green embroidered strap kurta teamed with a georgette sharara and a net dup a t t a featuring a drill border. She accessorised her look with shell silver plated danglers encrusted with diamonds by Ritika Sachdeva and it costs Rs 4,400.

Bipasha flaunts her pregnancy glow

B

ipasha Basu is one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood. She is experiencing one of the best phases of her life. The actress is expecting her first baby with her husband Karan Singh Grover and keeps giving us a glimpse of her pregnancy journey. She took to her Instagram handle to share a picture from her photoshoot and we have to admit that she oozes oomph in this picture.

Taking to her Instagram handle, Bipasha Basu shared a picture of her sitting on a bench and posing in style. Bipasha looks stunning in this blingy golden off-shoulder dress which has a slit as she flaunts her baby bump. Sharing this picture, Bipasha wrote, “Love yourself at all times Love the body you live in.”

JANHVI’S CUTE

interaction with Abdu Deepika Padukone

B

Rakul flaunting her earrings Rakul Preet Singh

Janhvi Kapoor

igg Boss 16 has become one of the most popular shows on the telly screens at present. International internet sensation and ace singer Abdu Rozik is becoming quite popular on the show for his flirting skills. He is seen giving compliments to the female contestants and their faces light up with appreciation.

In the recent promo of the Weekend Ka Vaar episode, Bollywood diva Janhvi Kapoor and Sunny Kaushal are seen going inside the Bigg Boss 16 house. The actors have come to the show to promote their movie Mili.

Roohi actress shared that she has also learned his phone number and repeated it, making him blush. She also whispered her number in his ears and Abdu says he will call her.

GUSHING OVER HUBBY

D

eepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are role models for many people in the country. While the lovebirds will ring their fourth wedding anniversary on November 14, it looks like Deepika and Ranveer can’t keep calm. They never leave a moment to exude couple goals and are often seen appreciating each other’s social media posts.

Her post...

Just a few minutes ago, Deepika Padukone shared a photo of ‘Ranveer Singh showering kisses on her wifey’s photo’ at a store launch in Delhi. Taking to Instagram, Deepika captioned this photo by saying, “Find someone who looks at you like you are their whole universe @ranveersingh.” In another Instagram story, Deepika dropped heart emoji for the Gunday actor.

CITY

STAY MASKED

GET VACCINATED

BUZZ

MUMBAI | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022

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PADMA SHRI KRISHN HOLDS FIRST ART EXHIBITION ADITI CHAVAN

cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

A

rt is not just for art enthusiasts but for everyone as colours do not discriminate between who is good at giving the art a form. Hence, humans have the knack to give a flair to everything they make.

Right from architecture, to poetry to portraits and more. Padma Shri Krishn Kanhai is one such preserver of artwork who has protected the legacy for 46 years which was passed down to him by his father.

He has painted almost 5,000 paintings throughout his career. Now, bringing forward his work to

Shilpa Shetty during the exhibition

the people of Mumbai, Krishn Kanhai Ji has held his art exhibition at the famous ISKCON temple, in Mumbai.

Presented by ace fashion designer and politician Shaina N C and Tao Foundation, the opening event was graced by some renowned names in the political and entertainment world. While Actor Shilpa Shetty and Rajesh Sharma,

(L-R) ) Shaina NC, Shilpa Shetty, Krishn Kanhai and Shrikant Shinde

Founder of Capri Global Capital Limited inaugurated the event, some big names such as politician and Eknath Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde, Chandrashekhar Bawankule and many more personalities made their presence known.

Talking in an exclusive interview with City First, Shaina N C revealed that the idea of the exhibition

was to show spirituality and art together. Kanhai Ji said, “The main subject of my paintings is Krishna. I have painted several portraits. One of them is in the parliamentary, another is UP’s assembly. One painting is also allocated in the ‘Statue of Unity,' museum. Although I got such good opportunities to paint huge personalities, my main subject is

to paint Lord Krishna and his stories.”

“Whenever an artist makes a painting, his main purpose is to show that artwork to the world. Lord Krishna’s life story is such that it attracts everyone towards it. It has beauty, melody, colours and so much more. I also attempted to depict something similar and tried to bring different emotions and col-

ours alive on the canvas,” he added.

Kanhai Ji revealed that he does not like sticking to a single form of art. Although the subject of his paintings is Lord Krishna mainly, the way he paints him is always different.

“Before I sleep at night, I am always thinking about how to make my next painting more unique. Of course, I have to research a

lot when taking up a new type of painting form.

Even currently, while coming from Vrindavan to Mumbai, all I wanted was to give the people of Mumbai something different.”

Padmashri Krishn Kanhai’s exhibition at the ISKCON temple is open till 6th November 2022. A part of the proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to the ISKCON temple.

Allegations about Gurmeet's Priyanka's win fan meet

T

A

here has been an ongoing controversy surrounding Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel's win at the Miss USA pageant with several claiming that the decision was rigged. Amid the backlash, former Miss World contestant Leilani McConney has claimed that the year she participated in the beauty pageant, the results were rigged as well.

She revealed that a similar thing happened when she went for the Miss World contest where an Indian network that had sponsored the entire pageant was unfairly biased towards Priyanka. "I literally went through the same thing at Miss World. Me, I went through that," she said.

"I was Miss Barbados and I went to Miss World, and the year I went, Miss India won.

Mind you, Miss India had won the previous year. The sponsor was also Zee TV, an Indian cable station. They sponsored the entire Miss World. Our sashes had Zee TV, and then our country," she narrated.

Priyanka Chopra

fter the lockdown was completely over in most countries this year, we are seeing a huge number of large-scale events taking place all around the world.

Such an event took place in South Africa recently. This event was attended by none other than the charming Gurmeet Choudhary. All his fans in the audience were captivated by his electrifying performance.

This goes to show how his fan base is not restricted to India but is global.

He too was excited to see such a large crowd that had come to see him perform. Expressing his elation he said, “The audience here was really amazing and so full of life. It feels incredible to see people who have loved and supported me for such a long time, face to face, in a foreign country at that.”

Gurmeet Choudhary

Kratika to play the lead role

S

tar Bharat has always delivered top-notch content to their viewers.

The channel has always strived the right Chord of the audience with their aim to always deliver something different yet relatable and yet again the channel is all set to launch a brand-new show with a stellar cast. Speaking of the same it’s speculated that Kratika Sengar will return to the television world with this new show marking her comeback and portraying a strong character.

Kratika Sengar who was on a long break from the TV world is finalized by the channel to play the female lead in the show. It’ll be a surprise for her fans to see her return on television after a very long time.

According to a source, the news is that the show is based on a true story inspired by a real-life incident.

Kratika Sengar

JK CEMENT COMMISSIONS ITS NEW PLANT AT PANNA, MP CITY FIRST

J

K Cement Ltd. one of India’s leading manufacturers of Grey Cement in India and one of the largest White Cement manufacturers in the world, commissioned its new greenfield integrated cement plant at Panna in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. The new plant has an installed capacity of 3 MTPA and is equipped with the latest state-of-theart technology. With this, JKCement becomes the first company to set up the first large-scale industry of Panna that will contribute significantly to the development of the district.

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the plant. The inauguration ceremony was attended by

During the Commissioning of JK Cement’s New Plant at Panna

VD Sharma, Member of Parliament and MP state BJP President, Brijendra Pratap Singh, Minister of Mineral Resource and Labour, Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon, Minister for Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion and Prahalad Lodhi, MLA-Pawai and members of the Singhania family.

Speaking at the inauguration, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Di-

rector of JK Cement Ltd. said, " The Panna plant is a significant milestone in our growth journey and reaffirms our commitment to the state. We have a solid presence in the grey cement segment in the North and are now well-placed to consolidate our position by diversifying into the central markets. Our operations at Panna are in line with our strategic expansion plans

to enter untapped markets for our Grey Cement business and be among the market leaders in delivering high-quality cement products."

As part of an expansion plan for its grey cement division, the company's newly built grinding unit at Hamirpur (U.P) along with its Panna plant will further augment the capacity from existing units to reach 20 MTPA

thereby further strengthening its presence in India.

The company plans to further increase capacity to 25 MTPA by FY 2024-25 and has also developed a roadmap for 30 MTPA of cement capacity for the next few years.

In line with the company’s commitment to sustainability, Waste Heat Recovery System has been installed at the cement plant and Alternative Fuel

will be used to partially replace the fossil fuels for power generation.

Adding to this Dy. Managing Director and CEO, Madhavkrishna Singhania said, “We have entered the right market at the right time. Our strong presence is already visible, and we plan to ramp up our production very quickly.

But we plan to achieve this growth in a sustainable and environment-friendly

way. All our new plants are being set up with WHRS, and this will accelerate our adoption of green power and take us much closer to the target of 75% by 2030. Our increased production is in sync with our long-term sustainability targets of controlling emissions, increasing fuel efficiencies and thermal substitution rate, and expanding our green power capacities.”

This expansion will add significant value to the local community and state by creating employment opportunities, and improving the overall infrastructure within the region. The cement plant will provide a strong identity and presence for the brand in Madhya Pradesh, further strengthening JKCement’s legacy of trust.