First India-Jaipur Edition-22nd February 2023

SHAH: NAGA PEACE TALKS

UNDERWAY, MODI’S INITIATIVE WILL BEAR FRUIT

Tuensang: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that Naga peace talks are underway and hoped that the initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring lasting peace in the northeastern state will bear fruit. P5

JEWELLER JOYALUKKAS WITHDRAWS $278 MN IPO

Bengaluru: Indian jeweller Joyalukkas has withdrawn its `23 billion ($277.95 million) initial public offering (IPO), a document on the market regulator’s website showed on Tuesday. The reason for the withdrawal was not immediately clear. Joyalukkas did not immediately respond to comment.

PM MODI SENT TROOPS TO LAC, NOT RAHUL, SAYS EAM JAISHANKAR

New Delhi: In an interview with ANI, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday hit out at Congress for repeatedly questioning the Centre over border skirmishes with China, saying that “it was PM Modi and not Rahul Gandhi who has sent troops to LAC.” P6

MAXIMUM NEWS WIDER REACH!

074 CHANNEL NO

INDIA’S UPI AND SINGAPORE’S PAYNOW INTEGRATED IN

A FIRST

OUR UPI GOES GLOBAL!

Digital transactions will soon exceed cash in India: PM Modi

RBI calls it significant milestone for the cross-border infrastructure

As 1st Ukraine war anniv nears, all signs point to more misery with no end in sight

Digital transactions will soon surpass cash as UPI is increasingly becoming the most preferred payment mechanism in the country. Many experts are estimating that very soon India’s digital wallet transactions are going to overtake cash transactions.

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Cross-border retail payments and remittances between India and Singapore currently amount to over $1 billion annually. UPI-PayNow linkage will grow in utility and will contribute more in facilitating trade.

—Lee Hsien Loong, PM of Singapore

IN SPEECH, PREZ PUTIN SUSPENDS NUCLEAR ARMS TREATY WITH U.S.

Moscow: Russian President Putin on Tuesday delivered a state-of-the-nation address. Explaining his decision to suspend Russia’s obligations under New START, Putin on Tuesday accused US and its NATO allies of openly declaring the goal of Russia’s defeat in Ukraine. “They want to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on us and try to get to our nuclear facilities at same time,” he said, declaring his decision to suspend Russia’s participation in treaty. “In this context, I have to declare that Russia is suspending its participation in Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms.”

JOE BIDEN VISITS POLAND

Brussels: US President Joe Biden made a surprise trip to Kyiv early Monday. The trip came ahead of Biden’s planned two-day visit to Poland. The President visits Warsaw on Tuesday where he meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda

begins

THACKERAY’S PLEA

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech is a “propaganda” and we will continue to support Kyiv and continue talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

—Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister

Crucial

READ

Moni Sharma

New Delhi/ Singapore: India and Singapore launched on Tuesday a real-time link to facilitate easier cross border money transfers between one of the world’s biggest recipients of remittances and an Asian financial powerhouse.

Transfers of funds will be possible using just mobile phones due to the tie-up between India’s UPI and Singapore’s facility. Such cross-border transfer arrangements typically lower costs of payments. Modi said 74 bn transactions amounting to over `126 tn, which is approx 2 tn Singapore dollar, was done through UPI in 2022.

KNOW ABOUT UPI-PAYNOW WORKING AND BENEFITS

 Now, transfer money between the 2 countries can be done just using mobile number or UPI ID

 Students and migrant workers in Singapore will be benefitted by lowcost transfer of money

 According to government data issued recently, there are currently 6.5L Indians residing in S’pore

 The payment linkage between UPI and PayNow will reduce the remittance cost by 10 percent

 Over 74 billion transactions, worth `126 trillion (or about SGD 2 trillion) carried out via UPI in ’22

 PayNow-UPI linkage is the result of collaboration between the MAS & Reserve Bank of India

State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances, Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances. For Singapore users, service will be made available through DBS-Singapore and Liquid Group.

—Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

NSitharamanOffice @nsitharamanoffc Hon’ble @PMOIndia Shri@narendramodi & Hon’ble Singapore Prime Minister Mr @leehsienloong today witnessed the launch of crossborder linkage between India & Singapore using their respective Fast Payment Systems - Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow.

New Delhi (FIB): The Supreme Court on Tuesday, on an experimental basis, began using artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing technology for live transcription of its hearings. Announcing initiative, CJ said, “We’ll see how it works, especially in constitution bench matters, because then we’ll have a permanent record of arguments...”

‘CULPRITS OF 26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS ROAM FREE IN PAK’

Lahore (PTI): Perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai attacks are still roaming freely in Pak & Pakistanis should not feel offended when India talks about 2008 carnage, lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar said in Lahore event. In a viral video, writer responded to a member in the audience, ‘We should not blame each other, it will solve nothing, tense atmosphere should be doused.’

GEHLOT DEFENDS OLD PENSION SCHEME

WE KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE OPPOSING OPS: GEHLOT

Country will become Vishwaguru only when work is done for social security: CM

Naresh Sharma

Jaipur: CM Ashok Gehlot has attacked PM Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding OPS. Gehlot said on Tuesday, “We have given OPS this time. Union FinMin Sitharaman is opposing OPS. PM has protested in the Parl as well. Lots ofthings were

said for States implementing the OPS. We will deal with them, we know how to deal with them. If govt repeats, schemes will become stronger. We won’t let OPS come to an end.”

Gehlot was speaking at the statue unveiling ceremony at Raghunandpura in KishangarhRenwal in Jaipur dist on Tuesday. Turn to P9

AMID OPPN UNITY TALKS, KHARGE SAYS CONGRESS TO LEAD GOVT IN 2024

LISTED FOR TODAY

The Supreme Court on Tuesday listed former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s petition challenging the decision of the ECI to allot party name ‘Shiv Sena’ and symbol ‘bow and arrow’ to the Eknath Shinde faction for hearing at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

It will be done on an experimental basis for a day or two to iron out creases in transcription before becoming a norm. —DY Chandrachud, CJI

Sania ends career with 1st round defeat in Dubai

Free Championships on Tuesday. Sania along with American partner Madison Keys suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova. Sania and Keys lost 4-6, 0-6 to the formidable Russian pair in exactly one hour.

Chumukedima: At a time when there is renewed talk of Oppn unity in context of 2024 LS polls, Cong prez Mallikarjun Kharge said Cong in talks with other parties and asserted that an alliance led by Cong would come to power at Centre next year. P5

TATA BAGS TITLE RIGHTS FOR WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE

New Delhi: Tata Group on Tuesday bagged title rights for inaugural Women’s Premier League beginning in Mumbai on March 4. “I am delighted to announce Tata Group as title sponsor of inaugural WPL,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said.

KARNATAKA GOVT TRANSFERS OFFICERS ROOPA AND SINDHURI

Bengaluru: Karnataka Govt on Tuesday transferred two senior women bureaucrats IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri and IPS officer D Roopa, involved in a bitter public spat. The two officers were transferred without specifying their new posting.

Mukesh Mathrani and Shiv Prakash Purohit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das and MD Monetary Authority of Singapore Ravi Menon during launch of UPI-PayNow linkage between the two countries via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

‘It is a huge resource’, SC

live transcription of its hearing

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot unveils the statue of farmer leader late Jagdish Kakraliya at Pachkodiya village in Jaipur on Tuesday.

Min Dhariwal asks Sandhu to review ‘land pooling’ at Phagi

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

Supari killer held for conspiring to kill RAC female constable

First India Bureau

gets 10-year jail term in 20-yr-old rape case

Abhishek Shrivastava

Jaipur: The State’s biggest land pooling scheme will be implemented at Phagi in Jaipur.

The authorised committee has considered this area suitable for the scheme. UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal will decide on the recommendation of the committee and work on the scheme will start as soon as Dhariwal gives the green signal.

This scheme will be built on 3,200 hectares of land in Sector 57. Dhariwal has instructed UDH advisor GS Sandhu to study the matter. The JDA recommended to appoint the

authority for the scheme. JDA Director Engineering-III will be the Land Pooling Officer. The left side part of Phagi Renwal Road will be included in the scheme. There is planning to implement the scheme simultaneously in two phases. Farmers themselves had proposed to surrender land in land pooling.

 Under this law, there is a provision to take land from the account holders with mutual consent

 The area where land pooling is to be done is first notified under this law

 As far as possible, account holders get

Six injured as miscreants pelt stones at ‘baarat’ in Udaipur

First India Bureau

Udaipur: Nearly half-adozen people, including two children, were injured in Gogunda town of Udaipur district on Monday night after miscreants pelted stones at a marriage procession of a specific community, police said.

Police informed the incident occurred during a marriage procession of the Nagarsi community in Shobhawas village under the Sayra Police Station area.

“A controversy erupted on the issue of making the groom of Nang-

arsi society sit on a mare.

The accused Mohan Singh Rajput and his two sons started throwing stones at the marriage procession. The accused also made casteist remarks about the victims.

Robots to perform surgery at SMS hosp

Vikas Sharma

Jaipur: Robots were the centre of attraction for everyone at the ongoing Platinum Jubilee Celebration of SMS Medical College here. The SMS Hospital bought two robots worth Rs 50 crore which would assist doctors during surgeries. These robots have been ordered for the Department of General Surgery and Urology. Urology HoD Dr Shivam Priyadarshi explained

the merits of the robot in the Science of Life exhibition.

Dr Priyadarshi, in a special conversation with First India, said that the SMS Hospital is the second institute in the government medical colleges of the country, where surgery would be done with the assistance of a robot. Doctors would be allowed to work with robots only after training. Experienced doctors will be trained first in Kochi and Bangalore.

More than half-a-dozen people were injured and rushed to hospital,” police said.

“The two injured kids were later referred to the hospital for further treatment,” police added.

maximum 55 per cent land as compensation from their land

 15 per cent land for road 15 per cent land amenity area 5 per cent land EWS

 It is proposed to get 10 per cent more land for LIG category to JDA

 About 3,200 hectares of Phagi Road area in Sector 57 should be included in the land pooling scheme

 Ring road crosses the state highway at village Ratlya while running from Sanganer to Phagi Renwal road

 This scheme will be implemented in two phases, first from Ramlya to Dabla Khurd and second from Dabla Khurd to Paharia

 Work on both phases will go on simultaneously

 JDA should be appointed as the authority to implement the scheme

 A consultant firm should be appointed for technical support of JDA

 Road network plan should be made for direct connectivity to Mansarovar and Tonk Road

Pilot reaches Shillong, urges to ‘vote in’ Cong for State’s betterment

First India Bureau

Shillong: With just a few days left for the 2023 assembly elections, all the political parties in Meghalaya are roping in star campaigners to reach out to the voters.

AICC Congress leader Sachin Pilot arrived in Shillong on Tuesday to campaign for the party candidates for the ensuing polls. The Congress leader addressed a press conference at Congress Bhawan in Shillong.

“The voters of Meghalaya will give

their mandate to Congress for the progress and development of the state,” he said. Urging voters to bless the Congress party, Pilot said, “The Congress may not have the resources to match BJP, but we have the support and the blessings of the voters.”

Illegal construction: JDA notice to Raj Aangan resort

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Notice was issued to Raj Aangan resort management upon the direction of JDA’s Chief Enforcement Controller Raghuveer Saini. The resort is located in Maharaja Kishan Singh Nagar, JDA Zone 8.

Zone 8 Enforcement Officer Rohit Srivastava gave notices to illegal builders. Uday Singh Rathore, Vijay Laxmi Rathore, Jaivardhan

From tomorrow, Raj Roadways bus to ply on Jpr-Mumbai route

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Rajasthan Roadways will start operating eight new super luxury and sleeper buses on seven routes, including Mumbai, from February 23. There will be a direct bus from Jaipur to Mumbai and its fare would be Rs 2048.

Apart from this, passengers going from Jaipur to New Delhi will reach in five hours. For this, two luxury buses will operate be-

tween Jaipur and New Delhi via Delhi-Mumbai Expressway through Dausa.

Nathmal Didel, MD of Rajasthan Roadways, said, “For the first time,

they are going to start bus services between Jaipur and Mumbai. It will be inaugurated by Transport Minister Brijendra Singh Ola on February 23,” he said.

Singh Rathore, Pradyuman Singh got notices under Sections 32, 33 and 72 of the JDA. They have been instructed to remove encroachment within seven days.

Action will be taken on violation of JDA regulations and High Court orders. JDA Zone -8 Deputy Commissioner Sher Singh Luhadia sent officials on the spot.

Jaipur: A supari killer was arrested by Jamwa Ramgarh Police on Tuesday for allegedly taking money to kill a female RAC constable. Police informed that RAC constable Suman Chaudhary is posted in the RAC battalion in Chainpura.

“Suman Chaudhary’s husband Prithvi Singh conspired the killing of his wife and fixed a deal of Rs. 20 lakhs with supari killer Sadaam Khan to Suman. The four aides of supari killed reached Saipura village to kill the female RAC constable. However, they could not succeed and were nabbed by the police. During interrogation, the accused revealed that Prithvi Singh, who is also a constable, wanted to kill his wife,” police said.

Narpat Joya

Nagaur: Makrana ADJ court has awarded 10year imprisonment to former MLA Bhanwar Lal Rajpurohit in a 20-year-old case of rape. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh, which will be given to the victim. Rajpurohit will have to serve 10 months of imprisonment in addition to ten years in case he does not give the fine.

Additional Public Prosecutor Ram Manohar Dudi said that on May 1, 2002, the complainant had lodged a case against former MLA Bhanwarlal Rajpurohit for raping her. The former MLA called the complainant to his house and forcibly raped her. He also got the complainant’s seven-month pregnancy forcibly aborted. He had also given five hundred to the complainant after raping her.

Docs’ delegation meets Guv over ‘Right to Health’ Bill

Jaipur: A delegation of doctors protesting against the ‘Right to Health’ bill met Governor Kalraj Mishra on Tuesday and apprised him of the discrepancies in the bill.

After meeting the governor, the joint-action committee of doctors announced that they will continue their protest against the bill and if required, will sit on an indefinite strike.

“The Governor has been informed about the flaws in the bill. The protest against the bill

MLAs’ ‘hearing’ postponed for six weeks

Kamal Kant

Jaipur: The hearing by Rajasthan High Court in the matter related to the resignations of Congress MLAs was postponed for six weeks.

Petitioner Rajendra Rathore presented an application requesting the court to extend the date of hearing because he has to go to Guwahati for Kataria’s oath ceremony.

will be continued and there will be more protests in the coming days. If needed, fast unto death will also be started,” said the delegation.

Governor Kalraj

Mishra also assured help to the agitating doctors. Notably, the hospitals have already boycotted treatment to patients under Chiranjeevi Scheme and RGHS.

Four crushed to death in Jaipur’s Dudu area

First India Bureau

Dudu (Jaipur): Four people were crushed to death in Dudu town of Jaipur district on Tuesday after a speeding trailer ran over them, police said.

Police informed the deceased have been identified as Amarchand Mali, Jitendra Sen, Salim Mansuri and Pawan Kumar Mali, all residents of Padasoli village of Dudu town.

Bodies of deceased being taken to mortuary on Tuesday.

COUPLE RUN OVER BY SPEEDING JEEP IN SIKAR, SAY POLICE

Sikar/Jaipur: The Lakhi Mela of Khatu Shyam Ji Temple will begin on Wednesday and around 40 lakh devotees are expected to offer prayers in the temple during the mela. The Lakhi Mela will be held till March 4 and the devotees will have to walk 12 km to reach the temple. The roads leading to the temple have been renovated and widened so that devotees should not face any difficulty to reach the temple. The route chart to reach the temple has also been issued and the devotees will be given about 15 seconds each to worship inside the temple.

Jaipur: BJP national president JP Nadda will visit Rajasthan on 24 February and tour Hanumangarh where he will address the party meeting. Notably, Nadda will hold election meetings in Nagaland on 22 and 23 February. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Sohna-Dausa part of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Dausa on February 12. The programme was organised by the NHAI.

TO

Jaipur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will take part in a ‘Prabhat Gram Milan’ programme in Dungarpur on Friday. Organised every five years, the ‘All India Village Development — Prabhat Gram Milan’ will be held at Bhemai village from Friday to Sunday. Bhagwat will address a gathering, RSS’ Rajendra Lalwani said. He will also participate in the two-day ‘Gram Vikas Baithak’. Bhagwat is scheduled to meet volunteers from Sagwara on Sunday morning before leaving for Udaipur.

“The incident occurred at Gaiji Mod on Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway on Tuesday afternoon. The four victims were standing near the roadside when a speeding trailer heading towards Ajmer crushed them. Their bodies were dragged to 100 meters and later split into pieces,” police said.

Sikar: A couple was killed in Sikar on Tuesday after they were hit by a speeding Bolero jeep, police said. Police informed the deceased has been identified as Rajkumar Solanki and his wife Sita Devi (50), both residents of Nani village of Sikar district. “The incident occurred near Sai Baba Temple in the Mundwara area on Tuesday evening. The victims were heading towards Sangliya Ashram when their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Bolero jeep,” police added.

JDA Director, Engineering to be the Land Pooling Officer; scheme to be built on 3,200 hectares of land allowed by farmers of the area

UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal

Vikas Sharma

A minor girl sustains head injury in the attack.

A broken car windshield after stone pelting incident.

Newly constructed Delhi-Mumbai expressway.

Top cops brainstorm over organised crime

Police officers of 5 States including Rajasthan chalk out plan to eliminate gangs and their interstate networks. Officers discussed plan for effective action against organised crime, arms smuggling and drug trafficking gangs in North India

NIA raids premises of gangster Lawrence’s aide

Shiv Prakash Purohit & Sunil Sihag

WAR ON GANGS

Shivendra Parmar

Jaipur: Top police officers from five states met at the Rajasthan Police Headquarters here to discuss the elimination of the organised crime and gangster network in the country, said an official on Tuesday.

The Additional Director General (ADG) and Inspector General (IG) Crime level officers from five states, namely Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, attended the meeting.

In order to take effective action against organised crime, arms smuggling and drug trafficking gangs flourishing in North India, the police officers chalked out a plan to eliminate the gangs and their network.

The meeting started under the chairmanship of Rajasthan DGP

Umesh Mishra in which an interstate plan to stop organised crimes was discussed, said a spokesperson.

Mishra has said that for effective prevention of criminal incidents, there is a need for concerted and serious collective efforts by the police as well.

Taking a tough stand against gangsters and hardcore criminals, Mishra expressed the need for mutual coordination among neighbouring states for the arrest of gangsters. He stressed on sharing of criminal data and intelligence in relation to organized criminals, following and supporting such anti-social elements on social media and also

FOCUS ON CHILD ABUSERS, CYBER CRIME, ARMS, DRUGS

l Stress on keeping an eye on behaviour of child abusers sent to child reform homes

l Sharing of information and collective efforts to nab cyber criminals

l 60,000 SIMs have been blocked in the Mewat region in the past

Strengthen human intelligence gathering along with technology

on continuous action against those who give any kind of help to them.

ADGP SOG Ashok

Rathore, Commissioner of Jaipur Police Anand Srivastava, ADGP Crime

l Strengthen police monitoring system on Bharatmala and rural roads

l Need to set up central unit against operating gangs abroad

l Need for regular inspection of hardcore criminals using mobiles phones from inside various jail

l Seriousness on incidents of arms and drugs smuggling on international border

Organised crimes can be curbed by sharing all necessary information about hardcore criminals with police officers of neighbouring states.

—Umesh Mishra, DGP Rajasthan

Dinesh MN, Hawa Singh Ghumaria and S Sengatthir, IG Omprakash, Haryana ADGP Charu Bali, Punjab ADGP Amit Prakash, Delhi’s Special CP Ravindra Singh Ya-

Joshi targets Shekhawat over ERCP

Naresh Sharma

Jaipur: PHED Minis-

ter Mahesh Joshi cornered Union Minister

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday accusing him of misleading Prime Minister Modi and create hurdles and not declaring ERCP as a national project.

“Being from Rajasthan, if there is any deficiency, it should be covered by him. But he is busy creating an atmosphere against Rajasthan. He also does not cooperate in the

Water supply to remain shut down in city on Feb 24-26

First India Bureau

Jaipur: The water supply will remain closed in entire Jaipur city for 3 days from 24 to 26 February due to water works. If needed, water will be supplied from local tube well or tankers. There will be no evening supply in Jaipur on February 24, said an official.

On February 25, the supply of both the times will be completely closed. Morning supply will remain closed on February 26. 220 MLD water supply will be increased from next week. Supply is affected due to works at 216 MLD treatment plant being built in Surajpura.

investigation and does not give voice sample to ACB in phone tapping case,” he said.

Joshi was speaking in the Atal Ground Water Scheme workshop in the auditorium of Ag-

ricultural Research Institute, Durgapura in Jaipur from Tuesday.

“ERCP should be declared a national project. We will give connection to every house in JJM. But from where

will you get water for the tap? Population wise our graph is going up and groundwater graph going down. Ram may get angry but Raj should not get angry,” he said.

dav, Gujarat’s Mukesh Patel, IG Navjyoti Gogoi, Satyendra Singh, DIG Rahul Prakash, Additional CP Kailash Bishnoi, SP Monika Sen participated in the meeting.

Jodhpur/Sri Ganga-

nagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at the premises of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s close aide Kailash Manju in Jodhpur and three places in Sri Ganganagar and Anupgarh and rounded up three persons. However, they were later released after questioning for about three hours.

Sources said that they were questioned for transactions with gangsters. However, the NIA has not made any disclosure about this.

The NIA team raided a house in Homeland City Colony under Sadar police station of Sri Ganganagar. The team also took action in 61 GB, 62 GB and 65 GB of Anupgarh area.

NIA had input that the persons against whom action was taken here have connections with gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Rohit

&

Kailash Manju has been a long-time associate of Lawrence Bishnoi and on the basis of call records, the NIA teams conducted searches in rural and urban areas of Jodhpur as Bishnoi’s network has been active there.

Godara, Neeraj Bawana and others.

Earlier in the day, NIA conducted raids at the premises of gangster Bishnoi’s close aid

l Role of Lawrence’s henchmen has come to fore in several cases of extortion, firing and murder l NIA sources revealed Kulwinder is also connected to international drug syndicates l NIA launched searches at over 70 locations across several states l Raids were conducted at over 30 locations in Punjab and Haryana

Kulwinder in Gandhidham. In a major crackdown, the NIA launched searches at over 70 locations across several states on Tuesday.

Umesh Mishra, Dinesh MN, Anand Srivastava, Ashok Rathore, Charu Bali, Amit Prakash, Ravindra Singh Yadav, & Mukesh Patel in the meeting to discuss elimination of organised crime and gangs, at Rajasthan Police Headquarters in Jaipur on Tuesday.

Vehicles of Jodhpur police and NIA team during raid on Tuesday.

LAWRENCE BISHNOI

HIS GANG

Mahesh Joshi speaking during workshop as Subodh Agarwal and other officials listen on Tuesday.

‘REVDI’ BUDGET FOR RURAL BENGAL?... FOR TMC & BJP NORTH BENGAL CRUCIAL

since been making all attempts to expand and strengthen its base in North Bengal and with the advancement of the panchayat polls the battle of supremacy has intensified. And it will be very interesting to see who manages a stronghold in the region. According to political grapevine, there’s buzz that the Centre may hold peace parleys with the KLO — a proscribed militant outfit that was formed in 1995 by a section of Rajbanshis to demand a separate Kamtapur state comprising several districts from North Bengal and Assam.

Even as the WB unit of the BJP has denied the same, the ruling party has taken cognisance of it and has been fiercely opposing another “Partition” of WB. Clearly North Bengal is high in the agenda for both TMC and BJP and no party is leaving any stone unturned.

A POPULIST WEST BENGAL BUDGET

l `3,39,162-crore budget was presented by Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya

l Government has waived agricultural income-tax on tea gardens and rural employment cess

However, the TMC swept the 2021 Assembly polls, bagging 211 of the total 294 seats as against the BJP’s 77. The BJP still had an upper hand in North Bengal, winning 29 of its 54 seats while the TMC managed 24 seats in the region. However, the TMC has since been making all attempts to expand and strengthen its base in North Bengal and with the advancement of the panchayat polls the battle of supremacy has intensified. And it will be very interesting to see who manages a stronghold in the region

Ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, focussed on the schemes meant for the rural populace and the budget had jhalak of the same. In the `3,39,162-crore budget presented by Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the government has waived agricultural income-tax on tea gardens and the rural employment cess and announced a death-benefit scheme for fishermen and a ` 3,000-crore project for strengthening rural roads.

“I propose to exempt payment of rural employment cess under the West Bengal Rural Employment and Production Act 1976 and the education cess under the West Bengal Primary Education Act 1973 for the next two years (financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25). Also, I propose to waive the agricultural income tax on tea gardens for the next two financial years,” Bhattacharya said in her budget speech.

“In order to ensure the continuity of financial support beyond 60 years of age, I am happy to announce that the

CRACKING ROADS & HEATWAVE IN FEB

l Death-benefit scheme for fishermen and a `3,000-crore project for strengthening the state of rural roads

l Recipients of Lakshmi Bhandar shall receive `1,000 per month after attaining 60 years by way of automatic transition to the oldage pension scheme

recipients of Lakshmi Bhandar shall receive `1,000 per month after attaining 60 years by way of automatic transition to the old-age pension scheme,” she said.

There was another booster for the TMC recently when ahead of the Panchayat elections, BJP MLA from Alipurduar, Suman Kanjilal, defected to the TMC recently. He became the third saffron party MLA from North Bengal to join the Mamata Banerjee-led party since the 2021 state Assembly elections. Altogether, six state BJP MLAs have switched to the TMC so far since the 2021 polls. However, three days after Kanjilal’s defection, a section of TMC leaders from North Bengal held a press conference in Siliguri, where they said the BJP must come clean on the demand for statehood

Fresh cracks have surfaced in roads leading to the Badrinath shrine from Joshimath where cracks in buildings and houses not long ago had sparked fears that the town was sinking. The Border Roads Organisation has been instructed to examine the cracks and fix them before pilgrims begin their journey to the holy shrine. As there is no information about the Uttarakhand government restricting the number of pilgrims and heavy vehicles, fear about their safety is quite palpable.

Add to this the fury of Nature in several states which are witnessing heat waves in February or record temperatures earlier than normal.

for North Bengal.

It may be noted that to the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a section of the BJP leaders had spoken in favour of the demand for a separate North Bengal state in a bid to woo the Rajbanshi community and Gorkhas in the region, many of whom have been pressing for it for quite a long time now and expectedly, the BJP swept the region, winning seven of the its eight parliamentary seats. Of the state’s total 42 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP won 18 as compared to the TMC’s 22. However, the TMC swept the 2021 Assembly polls, bagging 211 of the total 294 seats as against the BJP’s 77. The BJP still had an upper hand in North Bengal, winning 29 of its 54 seats while the TMC managed 24 seats in the region. However, the TMC has

Fresh cracks have surfaced in roads leading to Badrinath shrine from Joshimath where cracks in buildings and houses not long ago had sparked fears that town was sinking

The unprecedented change signals early onset of summer and increases concern about the damage that has been caused to the environment. The immediate adverse fallout of this weather pattern may be on the standing wheat crop. According to private weather forecaster Skymet, temperatures in the wheat growing states are 2 to

IN-DEPTH

CONGRESS RATTLED AS RAIDS CARRIED ON ITS LEADERS IN COAL LEVY CASE

A senior TMC leader said, “We have already entered the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) in North Bengal’s hills. Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha ruling GTA is our ally. So, we are hopeful that for 1st time we would win Darjeeling LS elections.”

He also said, “From the North Bengal’s plains, three BJP MLAs joined the TMC, even as we also won the Dinhata by-election. People of this region are eager to see development and we are also campaigning on this issue. So, in 2024 LS polls, too, we would perform better than expectations.” Another TMC section however sounds cautious in its assessment. A party veteran said: “Notwithstanding over leverage with GTA, we should not forget that various regional rivals such as Bimal Gurung, Binay Tamang and Humro Party chief Ajoy Edwards have now joined hands and are again raking up the demand for the Gorkhaland state. Such a situation will again help BJP.”

However, BJP’s state general secy Dipak Burman, who is also an MLA from North Bengal, said, “Our three MLAs went to TMC, but people’s support is with us. If they cast their votes in Panchayat polls and next year’s Lok Sabha elections, BJP will sweep every part of North.”

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

3 degrees higher than normal. India’s wheat production had fallen from 109.59 mt to 106.84 mt last year due to the heat wave.

The Skymet pinned the blame on dry weather in several states to the “largely rain deficit December” in 2022. The seasonal shortfall was carried forward in January as well, albeit to a lesser extent, it said. It is this absence of rain which is causing “heat stress” and impacting wheat and other rabi crops. Worse, chances of rain are “unlikely” over parts of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. To compound India’s problems El Nino is expected to “knock the wind out of its monsoon sails”.

On Monday the Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at 13 premises in Chhattisgarh in connection with the coal levy case. The ED’s case is that a levy of Rs 25 per tonne of coal was being charged by some middlemen in connivance with politicians and bureaucrats. Some Congress leaders’ residences were among those raided. The ED had arrested Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia pointing a suspicious finger at the high office. The ED may term the raids as routine investigation into alleged money laundering but their timing raises doubt. With the All India Congress Committee’s plenary session due to be held in Raipur soon, the Congress has reason to doubt ED’s intent. Senior leader of the party Jairam Ramesh hit out at the BJP’s “third-rate politics of vendetta, vengeance and harassment”. Ramesh alleged that under BJP the ED has come to mean “eliminating democracy”. The raids may weaken the Congress in the state which goes to poll this year.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Know from the rivers in clefts and in crevices: those in small channels flow noisily, the great flow silent. Whatever’s not full makes noise. Whatever is full is quiet. Buddha

TOP TWEETS

I call upon all my brothers and sisters of Odisha, especially the youth to join this unique initiative. Let us showcase the beauty and greenery of our villages and the limitless tourism opportunities in Odisha. Kiren

In times of crisis, true leaders step up. Thank you Hon’ble PM Shri @ narendramodi ji for leading India in extending a helping hand to Turkey and for exemplifying the spirit of #VasudhaivaKutumbakam. Let’s continue to stand together and support one another as a global family.

news

ROBIN ROY The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India

NAGALAND, TRIPURA, MEGHALAYA ELECTIONS

Naga peace talks are on, hopeful PM’s initiative will bear fruit: HM

Tuensang (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that Naga peace talks are underway and hoped that the initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring lasting peace in the northeastern state will bear fruit.

Addressing an election rally in Tuensang, Shah said there are some issues related to development and rights of eastern Nagaland and those will be addressed after the assembly elections.

“There was an insurgency in Nagaland before 2014... We started the peace process. I am hopeful that the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bear fruit in bringing lasting peace in the state with the preservation of Naga culture, language and tradition,” he said.

Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the apex tribal body in the region, had called for a boycott of the assembly elections over their ‘Frontier Nagaland’ separate statehood demand.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has held discussions with ENPO and an ‘agreed agreement’ has been reached. But we could not materialise it due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.

“I promise you all that

after the elections, the agreement will be implemented through which all issues of eastern Nagaland will be addressed. There will be massive development in the region and you will get your rights,” he said.

Asserting that several measures were taken in the last nine years of BJP rule at the Centre to bring peace in the Northeast, he claimed that there was a 70 per cent dip in violent incidents in the region during the period.

NDPP and BJP are contesting the poll on a 40-20 seat-sharing formula.

Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 27 and votes will be counted on March 2.

There was an insurgency in Nagaland before 2014... We started the peace process. I am hopeful that the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bear fruit in bringing lasting peace in the state with the preservation of Naga culture, language and tradition.

—Amit Shah, Union Home Minister

IN THE COURTYARD MEHRAULI MURDER: POONAWALA TO BE PRODUCED BEFORE SESSIONS COURT

New Delhi: A local court on Tuesday moved the Mehrauli murder case to a higher court for initiation of trial proceedings. Accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who allegedly strangled his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, will be produced before the Saket’s principal district and sessions judge on February 24. The court noted that the chargesheet was filed under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the IPC.

TN GOVT MOVES SC AGAINST RSS ROUTE MARCH IN STATE

New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order permitting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out its route march in the state on rescheduled dates. The state government, in its plea before the top court, said the route march would pose a law and order problem and sought a stay on the high court order.

Cong hampers law and order: Nadda in K’taka

Hassan (ANI): Coming down heavily on the Congress party, BJP national president JP Nadda on Tuesday said that the former appeases a particular religion, hampers law and order situation and he hoped that the people of Karnataka will support BJP.

ARREST FOR WAVING BLACK FLAGS IS NOT ILLEGAL: KERALA HC

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a declaration that arrest and detention for waving black flags in protest is ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional.’ The petition, which also sought compensation for those booked for waving black flags at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in protest last year, was rejected by a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Murali Purushothaman.

HC SEEKS GoI’S STAND ON PLEA AGAINST MANDATORY REPORTING OF POCSO CASES

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought Centre’s stand on a plea against the POCSO Act provisions pertaining to mandatory reporting of sexual offences against minors to police. A bench issued notice on the petition by lawyer Harsh Vibhore Singhal who sought “judicial invalidation” of sections 19, 21 & 22 of the POCSO Act. The court asked the central government to file its reply to the petition within six weeks.

NO TO PM’S RALLY: MEGHALAYA CM FACES BJP RAP

Shillong: After permission for PM Narendra Modi’s rally at the PA Sangma Sports Complex in Tura was denied, BJP’s state unit lashed at the Conrad Sangma govt. “The Director of Sports & Youth Affairs, under instructions from a scared and insecure CM Conrad Sangma, denied us permission to hold a campaign rally at the PA Sangma stadium,” BJP spokesperson Bernad N Marak, said on Tuesday.

CONG TO LEAD GOVT IN 2024: KHARGE AMID UNITY TALKS

New Delhi: Amid renewed calls for unity among Opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday set the ball rolling and claimed that an alliance led by the grand old party will come to power at the Centre after the general elections. “An alliance government will come to power at the Centre in 2024. The Congress will lead,” Kharge said.

Tripura polls: Who will be the kingmaker?

Sharat K Verma

New Delhi: The big question ahead of the polling for Tripura assembly polls was who will play the role of king maker? Never before has a kingmaker been needed. In last polls too, BJP got absolute majority. It alone won 36 seats in the 60-member assembly. Despite this, it tied up with its ally IPFT, which got eight seats. Prior to that, CPM had been forming the government on its own for 25 consecutive years. This time it is a fourcornered fight. Al-

Free bus rides for K’taka women and schoolkids

Bengaluru: Working women and schoolchildren will get free rides in public buses from April 1, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said here on Tuesday.

Speaking after dedicating KSRTC’s Volvo Multi Axel BS4-9600 sleeper buses ahead of the polls here, the chief minister said the purpose of chalking out this scheme was to en-

able women become self-reliant. They need to introduce mini school buses and the existing buses will be utilised to start the operation, Bommai said.

though the main contest is triangular, yet the way TMC is fighting, it cannot be dismissed.

The BJP-IPFT alliance in the state is up against the CPM-Congress alliance, while Tipra Motha has formed a strong third angle. That is why it seems that this time no party may get absolute majority. In such a situation, only one party will be the kingmaker. From the politics of 15 days before the elections, it seems that Pradyot Debbarma’s Tipra Motha may play the role of kingmaker.

Nadda was addressing a public rally in Karnataka. “In Congress rule, there is a divideand-rule environment. Congress appeases a particular religion and hampers the law and order situation. I hope the people of Karnataka will support BJP and let Basavaraj Bommai continue serving the people of the state,” he said. Nadda hit out at the Congress leader Siddaramaiah saying that the latter has excelled in disturbing law and order and promoting appeasement.

Didi launches portal for non resident Bengalis

Kolkata: On the International Mother Language Day, the West Bengal government on Tuesday launched a special portal through which non-resident Bengalis residing in other Indian states and even in other countries will be able to communicate with the state government in times of emergency. Launching the portal Apan Bangla (Own Bengal) at a colourful function on Tuesday, CM Mamata Banerjee said the portal is meant ‘to communicate’ and ‘to connect’ with Bengalis residing out of West Bengal.

“Siddaramaiah has excelled in disturbing law and order and appeasement. It is evident from the fact that Siddaramaiah’s government withdrew over 170 cases of PFI cadres who were accused of disturbing peace and law and order and released hundreds of accused from jail,” he said.

Lauding the work done by BJP in the state he said that the govern-

ment has done the work of doing good to the Dalits, increasing their reservation on the land of Karnataka.

“The welfare of Karnataka, the welfare of the people of Karnataka, the welfare of all sections of Karnataka...

Our government has done the work of doing good to our Dalits, increasing their reservation on the land of Karnataka,” Nadda said.

Country’s voice can’t be suppressed: Cong

New Delhi (PTI): Slamming the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on premises linked to its leaders in Chhattisgarh, the Congress said on Tuesday that the country’s voice cannot be suppressed by spreading the fear of “puppet agencies”.

The party, which is in power in Chhattisgarh, said it is ready to fight it out and will fearlessly raise people’s issues.

A large number of Congress leaders and workers held a protest in front of the central agency’s office in Raipur and accused it of taking action at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The protesters, led by Congress MLA Dhanendra

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Tuesday staged a protest near the residence of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Janpath Road here, demanding an apology over her party spokesperson Pawan Khera’s “disgraceful” remark against the late father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sahu and former Rajya Sabha member Chhaya Verma, held a sit-in at the ED office building in Pachpedi Naka area.

Privilege Committee

of Rajya Sabha to meet on Feb 27, 28

RS Chairman Dhankar presses for breach of privilege notice against 12 Oppn MPs

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha’s Privilege Committee has scheduled its meeting on February 27 and 28 wherein it is likely to discuss the alleged breach of privilege by 12 MPs whose case was referred to it by RS

English words’ use irks Nitish at agri event

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, though the official agenda has not been circulated yet.

Dhankhar had referred the matter of alleged breach of privilege by

END OF ROAD FOR RETIREES?

OPPN MPs WHO FACE

PRIVILEGE NOTICE

The members include Sanjay Singh, Shaktisinh Gohil, Sushil Kumar Gupta, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, Naranbhai J Rathwa, Syed Nasir Hussain, Kumar Ketkar, Imran Pratapgarhi, L Hanumanthaiah, Shrimati Phulo Devi Netam, Jebi Mather Hisham and Ranjeet Ranjan.

12 members of the Upper House arising out of non-adherence to the directions of the Chair.

Patna: A Bihar farmer was on Tuesday was reprimanded by CM Nitish Kumar for using too many “English words” while narrating his exciting life journey. Farmer Amit Kumar, at “fourth agriculture roadmap” started lavishing praise on the CM. Barely a few minutes into his speech, he was stopped by CM, who remained in his seat.

Why no retired officer was appointed Guv this time?

Mahesh Sharma

New Delhi: The President appoints governors in 12 states and lieutenant governors in one Union Territory on the recommendation of the Central government. The special thing about the appointments this time was that no retired officer got a chance in this. Leaving aside the transfers of governors, six new faces were sent to the Raj Bhavans and all are connected to

politics. Even before this, the Deputy Governor was appointed in Delhi, breaking the tradition of appointing a retired officer, the Central Government appointed Vinay Kumar Saxena, associated with an NGO, as the Deputy Governor. Now only a few selected officers are left in the Raj Bhavans all over the country.

Excluding the lieutenant governors and administrators, out of 28 states in the country,

only two states have exofficio governors. RN Ravi is a former IPS officer in Tamil Nadu and

CV Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal is a former IAS. Apart from these, all

the others are from the background of politicians or social workers.

Among the new appointments made this time, except retired Supreme Court judge Justice SAbdul Nazeer and former army officer Kaivalya Trivikram Parnaik, rest are people associated with BJP politics. Former Tamil Nadu Pradesh BJP President CP Radhakrishnan has been made the Governor of Jharkhand, while for-

mer Union Minister Shiv Pratap Shukla has been sent to the Raj Bhavan of Himachal Pradesh. Veteran BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria, who was the Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, has been made the Governor of Assam. It may be noted that a few days back Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a scathing remark about government officials and since then the attitude has changed.

Union HM Amit Shah addresses a public meeting ahead of the Nagaland Assembly elections, in Tuensang on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

JP Nadda in Hassan on Tuesday. Karnataka BJP chief Nalinkumar Kateel, BJP National Gen Secretary CT Ravi and others also seen.

BJP PROTESTS NEAR SONIA’S RESIDENCE

President Droupadi Murmu. —FILE PHOTO

Women’s empowerment is only way to ensure peace, social inclusion:

Murmu addressed Women’s World Summit being held in Abu Dhabi via video conference

New Delhi (ANI):

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that she has the full conviction that women’s empowerment is the only way to ensure peace, social inclusion and prosperity in the world. Addressing the two-day Women’s World Summit 2023 being held in Abu Dha-

Prez

bi through a video message, President Murmu congratulated Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for successfully hosting this important summit.

Murmu also lauded Emirati women, saying they are representing the UAE at a global level, occupying prominent positions and mak-

ing their country proud.

“This Summit is also a reflection of Her Highness’s vision about the women of your country and the world. Today, Emirati women are representing the UAE at a global level, occupying prominent positions and making their country proud,” she said. The United

Arab Emirates is hosting the international conference ‘Global Women Summit 2023’

in Abu Dhabi highlighting the role of female leadership in establishing peace, social inte-

EAM questions timing of BBC’s documentary, says it’s ‘politics’

New Delhi (ANI): “Actual politics” is being conducted “ostensibly as media” by people who do not have the “courage to come into political field,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told ANI, alluding to the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Terming the furore as “politics by another means,” Jaishanka said, “Sometimes politics of India doesn’t even originate in its borders, it comes from outside.” “We are not debating just a documentary or a speech that somebody gave in a European city or a newspaper edits somewhere -- we are debating, actually politics,

which is being conducted ostensibly as media — there is a phrase ‘war by other means’ this is politics by another means — I mean you will do a hatchet job, you want to do a hatchet job and say this is just another quest for truth which we decided after 20 years to put at this time,” he said.

Coming a year just

CRUCIAL READ

JUMBO KILLS 16

PEOPLE IN 12 DAYS IN JHARKHAND

Ranchi (PTI): A tusker has allegedly killed 16 people in five Jharkhand districts in the past 12 days with four in a block in Ranchi district alone on Tuesday, forest officials said. This has prompted the Ranchi administration to impose prohibitory order under Section 144 Cr PC in Itki block prohibiting gathering more than five people to restrict further casualties, Ranchi divisional forest officer Srikant Verma said. Villagers of Itki block have been asked to remain inside their houses, specially during sunrise and sunset.

HYDERABAD SHOCKER: STRAY DOGS MAUL 4-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH

Hyderabad (ANI): In a horrific incident, a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs at a housing society in Erukula Basti, in Bagh Amberpet in Hyderabad. The child was identified as Pradeep. In footage captured on a CCTV camera, the boy can be seen walking around playfully when street dogs attack him. About six stray dogs kept biting the child until he fell to the ground unable to stand again. By the time someone could come to his rescue, the boy fell unconscious and bled profusely.

NIA CONDUCTS RAIDS AT PREMISES OF GANGSTER LAWRENCE BISHNOI’S CLOSE AIDE

Kutch (ANI): National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at the premises of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s close aide Kulwinder in Gandhidham. According to sources, Kulwinder has been a longtime associate of Bishnoi. Cases of providing shelter to the people of the Bishnoi gang were also against him. NIA sources revealed Kulwinder is also connected to international drug syndicates. In a major crackdown against gangster syndicates, the NIA launched searches at over 70 locations across several states on Tuesday. The searches were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

UTTAR PRADESH: 3

KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENT IN SITAPUR

Sitapur (ANI): Three people, including two women, were killed in a road accident after a car hit a bike on Monday evening in Imaliya Sultanpur area here, police said. The deceased have been identified as Jhabbu (35), Rajeshwari (32), and Sonashree (60). “The victims were on their way to Sitapur to attend an auspicious program when a speeding car hit them from the front in Imaliya Sultanpur area, near village Durgapur, Sitapur district,” police said.

BIHAR: 22 ARRESTED FOR VIOLENCE IN JETHULI VILLAGE

Patna (Agencies): As many as 22 persons have been arrested by Patna Police in connection with the violence in Jethuli village, an official said on Tuesday. Among the arrested, 9 of them were involved in firing on Sunday where two persons died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries in the hospital. Two persons are currently battling for their lives in Patna Medical College and Hospital. “We have deployed an adequate police force in the village to restore peace”, officials said.

before the Lok Sabha polls of 2024, the external affairs minister questioned the timing of the documentary.

“I mean, come on, you think timing is accidental! Let me tell you one thing - I don’t know if the election season has started in India, Delhi or not, but, for sure it has started in London, New York,” he added.

for

New Delhi (Agencies):

The Union Home Ministry has written to the States to nominate adequate number of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers for Central deputation. The Ministry expressed concern that the State governments were either withdrawing the names of selected officers or not relieving them for taking up an assignment with the Centre that resulted in considerable delay in the placement of the officers at the Centre and adversely impacted the entire process of “selection, deputation and cadre management”.

New Delhi (ANI): Noting that he belongs to a family of bureaucrats and that the political opportunity as a union minister came as a bolt from the blue in 2019, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that his father Dr K Subrahmanyam was removed as Secretary, Defence Production, by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi soon after she came back to power in 1980 and he was superseded during the Rajiv Gandhi period with someone junior to him becoming the Cabinet Secretary. Jaishankar talked about his journey from foreign service to politics and said he had always aspired to be the best officer and get elevated to the post of Foreign Secretary.

‘PM MODI SENT TROOPS TO LAC, NOT RAHUL GANDHI’: JAISHANKAR HITS OUT AT CONGRESS New Delhi (ANI): Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the government over China’s aggression on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it is not the Congress leader but Prime Minister Narendra Modi who sent the Army to the Line of Actual Control as a countermeasure to troop deployment by China and the opposition party should have honesty to look at what happened in 1962. Jaishankar said the Modi government had increased the budget by five times to ramp up border infrastructure. Referring to Congress and other opposition parties outraging over the Chinese building a bridge on the Pangong Lake last year, the Minister said the area had been under illegal occupation of China since the 1962 war.

UP: Cyber cop Triveni Singh seeks VRS

Dr. Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: With IPS Dr. Triveni Singh, who made his identity as a Cyber Cop in UP Police, has created a stir in the Police Department of UP by asking for VRS! Singh has cited health issues as the reason for seeking VRS, although his retirement is to be in November 2025.

Dr. Triveni Singh is a PPS officer of the 1994 batch. He was promoted from PPS to IPS by the Yogi government and in November 2019 Yogi government posted him as captain in Azamgarh, however, Singh was removed from there in 2020 and posted in cyber headquarters and since

gration and driving prosperity.

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubaraq in her keynote address said that the summit comes at a “historical moment”.

“The summit has come at the historical time when humanity needs someone to light candles to light the way to get out of narrow lanes after health pandemics, political conflicts and social and economic crises,” she

said.

Lauding the women’s participation in UAE’s development, Murmu further said, “You have several women as Ministers, members of the UAE Federal National Council, and prominent Ambassadors. They have taken their country to Mars, and they are working to make their country carbon-neutral.”

“India has always been at the forefront of

promoting gender respect and democracy in society. Our history is full of examples of women taking up leadership roles. In fact, the Indian scriptures have laid great stress on respect for women. I quote here one such example, which says ‘Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante tatra’ meaning wherever women are given due respect, even the Gods like to live there,” Murmu said.

NIA raids in 8 states target nexus of gangsters, terrorists, & drug mafia

New Delhi (Agencies): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is carrying out searches at multiple locations in 8 states in cases related to a nexus between gangsters, terror groups & drug mafia, officials said.

The raids were being conducted in the national capital, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat & Madhya Pradesh, they said.

The NIA action comes a few days after the government had declared Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, who is currently based in Pakistan, a terrorist under the stringent anti-terror law.

The NIA re-registered two cases last year from the Special Cell of the Delhi Police to probe a conspiracy being hatched by criminal gangs based in India

Himachal govt dissolves Staff Selection Commission

then, he is posted in the same squad. Singh has also received the President’s, Bravery Medal. Singh, who has solved over 250 crimes, is also known as ‘Cyber Singham’. Interestingly, a web series is also being made on him by the name of Cyber Singham. Singh is credited to have solved and exposed the gang of 146 crore fraud in Cooperative Bank.

Shimla (PTI): The state government dissolved the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) located at Hamirpur, whose functioning was suspended after the recruitment exam paper for junior office assistants (IT) was leaked in December.

“The reports of departmental inquiry and vigilance bureau pointed out irregularities and papers were being leaked and sold to selective people for the past 3 years, following which the state government has decided to dissolve the commission with immediate effect,” said CM Sukhvinder Singh.

NIA conducts searches and raids at more than 70 places across various states, on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

CBI SEARCHES AT 30 LOCATIONS IN PUNJAB TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION AGAINST FCI OFFICIALS

New Delhi: The CBI on Tuesday launched searches at 30 locations in Punjab as part of its probe into allegations of corruption against Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials who procured inferior grains to benefit merchants and rice millers, officials said. The CBI teams started coordinated raids on the premises of grain merchants, rice mill owners, and serving and retired officials of the FCI in multiple districts of Punjab as part of ‘Operation Kanak 2’, they said. This is second round of searches in the FIR pertaining to an organised syndicate of officers at the FCI, who allegedly charged bribes of Rs 1,000-4,000 per truck unloaded at the FCI godowns from private millers per crop season for covering up lower quality grains supplied by them and other favours.

and abroad to raise funds, recruit youths to carry out terrorist activities in Delhi and

other parts of the country besides indulging in targeted killings of prominent persons.

60 MPs knock at Rlys door seeking Vande Bharat train services

New Delhi (PTI): With ‘Vande Bharat’ trains running at almost full capacity on 10 routes, 60 parliamentarians, including 14 MPs from non-NDA parties, have petitioned the railways to begin the operation of the state-of-the-art trains connecting their constituencies.

While most ofs the petitions have come from BJP MPs, including senior leader Devendra Fadnavis who has asked for a train between Solapur and Mumbai.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has requested for a Vande Bharat train from Dharwad to

Bangaluru and Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia for a train to Gwalior.

Out of the 10 Vande Bharat trains currently in operation, the Bilaspur-Nagpur Vande Bharat Express had the lowest occupancy till January this fiscal, while the Mumbai-Gandhinagar route recorded the highest, official data showed.

Thank you dost, says Turkey as NDRF team returns

New Delhi (PTI): The NDRF’s mission in quake-hit Turkey was full of challenges emotional, professional and personal. They returned to India after the difficult mission, a part of their heart still thinking if “we could have saved more lives”, yet a part filled with the love and affection they received from the affected people.

“The locals did not know Hindi or English. What we saw was the language of hu -

manity and respect for India. We wish we could have saved more lives…but what we received there was such love which cannot be

earned easily,” Secondin-command-rank officer V N Parashar said. Parashar said he and others received WhatsApp messages

from a number of people who wrote ‘thanks’ to them and got it translated to Hindi from Google before sending it to them.

GEN PANDE SAYS MOBILISATION OF FIELD HOSPITAL SHOWS RELIEF TEAM’S OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS

New Delhi (PTI): Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said the force is proud of its medical team for rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to quake-hit Turkiye, and asserted that the mobilisation of a field hospital in short time indicates the team’s excellent operational preparedness. He said this after interacting with members of the Indian Army’s medical team that has returned to the country after rendering extensive services to a large number of earthquake-hit people in Turkiye.

NDRF WAS FIRST AMONG INTERNATIONAL TEAMS TO REACH TURKEY, SAYS NDRF DG ATUL KARWAL

New Delhi (ANI): The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is one of the international teams who reached the earthquake-hit Turkey first for relief and rescue under ‘Operation Dost’, NDRF DG Atul Karwal said on Tuesday. Karwal also said that “The first challenge was how soon we can mobilize our teams and reach Turkey as our aim was to reach there as soon as possible to save more people’s lives.”

President Droupadi Murmu during her address via video message.

‘INDIRA REMOVED MY FATHER AS UNION SECY, HE WAS SUPERSEDED DURING RAJIV GANDHI PERIOD’

EAM Dr S Jaishankar speaks to ANI Editor, Smita Prakash (not in frame) during an interview, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

‘Relieve IPS officers

Central deputation’

—PHOTO BY ANI

IPS Dr Triveni Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with NDRF personnel involved in ‘Operation Dost’ in New Delhi.

business BRIEFS

SPICEJET BOARD TO CONSIDER FUND RAISING OPTIONS

IN OPEN MKT FROM BUFFER STOCK

CENTRE TO SELL 20 LAKH TONNES OF WHEAT

New Delhi: SpiceJet on Tuesday said its board will meet on Friday to consider options to raise funds as well as to convert certain outstanding liabilities into equity shares of the company.

The no-frills airline, which has been grappling with multiple headwinds, including legal woes, is looking to raise fresh capital through issuance of eligible securities to qualified institutional buyers. Besides, the carrier plans to issue equity shares on preferential basis consequent. —PTI

OYO TO DOUBLE

PREMIUM HOTELS IN INDIA IN 2023

New Delhi (PTI):The Centre on Tuesday announced sale of an additional 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market to further bring down the retail prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta) and asked flour millers to cut rates with softening in wholesale price of grain.

On January 25, the Centre had announced sale of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock to check rise in prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta).

According to an official statement, the government has decided that stateowned Food Corporation of India (FCI) will offload an additional quantity of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in open market under the

Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The stocks will be sold through e-auction to flour mills/private traders/bulk buyers/manufactures of wheat products.

New Delhi: OYO on Tuesday announced its plan to double the number of premium hotels in India with the addition of around 1,800 such hotels in 2023. Its premium hotel brands include Townhouse Oak, OYO Townhouse, Collection O and Capital O. OYO currently has about 1,800 premium hotels in India. The move is aimed at capitalising on the surge in business travel by increasing its footprints across all the major business cities. —PTI

GOLD

DECLINES BY `371; SILVER RATES SEES A

DIP OF `230

New Delhi: Gold price declined `371 to `56,100 per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday amid weak global trends, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the yellow metal had closed at `56,471 per 10 grams. Silver also plunged `230 to `65,742 per kg. “Spot gold prices in the Delhi markets traded at `56,100 per 10 grams, down `371 per 10 grams,” Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said. In the overseas market, both gold and silver were quoting lower at $1,833/ounce & $21.68/ ounce, respectively. —PTI

HSBC INDIA PRE-TAX PROFIT JUMPS 15% TO $1.277 BILLION

Mumbai: Foreign lender HSBC on Tuesday reported a 15.04% jump in its pre-tax profit from operations in India at $1.277 billion for 2022. The bank had reported a pre-tax profit of $1.11 billion from its operations in India, which continues to be fourth largest contributor for group profits, in 2021. It has added 1,000 people to its India headcount in 2022, to take the total employee strength to 39,000, its biggest in any market. —PTI

TOP TALKING POINTS

 The Centre announced sale of an additional 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market to further bring down the retail prices of wheat and wheat flour and asked flour millers to cut rates with softening in wholesale price

 On Jan 25, the Centre had announced sale of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in open mkt

collectively help in reducing market price of wheat and wheat products for consumers,” it said.

After announcement of the OMSS policy, the food ministry said that prices of wheat and atta have come down but still inflation figure for January 2023 was at 3 months high of 6.52%.

As per the government data, the average prices of wheat across major cities stood at `33.15/kilogram on Monday, while the average prices of atta (wheat flour) stood at `37.63/kg.

Last month, the government announced plans to sell 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock under the OMSS.

The proposal to sell stocks in the open market was taken by a group of ministers, sources said.

“So far, 50 lakh tonnes (30+20 lakh tonnes) of

wheat have been decided to be offloaded under the OMSS. The reduction in reserve price along with additional offloading of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat will

Goods and services exports may reach $1 trillion each by 2030, says Union Min Goyal

New Delhi (PTI): India’s goods and services exports are growing at a healthy rate and are expected to be around $1 trillion each by 2030, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. The country’s merchandise and services exports touched an all-time high of $422 bn and $254 bn, respectively, in 2021-22.

“My own estimates seem to suggest that we will converge by 2030...Seven years from now at about $1 trillion of goods and $1 trillion of services (exports).

Indians spending over $1 bn/month on foreign travel

Mumbai (PTI): Indians are spending nearly $1 billion every month on foreign travel which is significantly more than the preCovid levels, reveals Reserve Bank data on outward remittances.

During the April-December period of 2022-23, the outward remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme for resident individuals towards ‘travel’ was $9.95 billion.

The corresponding spending on travel during 2021-22 was $4.16 billion, and $5.4 billion in the preCovid year 2019-20, according to the RBI data.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

 The services sector, driven by the IT industry, has created a potential not only in terms of jobs, giving value to talent, but also providing India with an opportunity to showcase to the world its strengths

“That is the trajectory I can see which will mean merchandise doing 8- 9.5% and services doing anywhere between 16-17%”, Goyal said here at an event. The services sector, driv-

STOCK MARKETS EDGE LOWER IN CHOPPY TRADE

Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally lower in a highly volatile trade on Tuesday as investors preferred to stay cautious ahead of the release of minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

The BSE Sensex edged down 18.82 points or 0.03% to settle at 60,672.72. The NSE Nifty slipped 17.90 points or 0.1% to end at 17,826.70.

From the Sensex pack, Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, Wipro, TCS, UltraTech Cement, Tech Mahindra were the major laggards.

E-vehicle sales went up by 28.86% in Q4 2022

First India Bureau New Delhi : The sale of electric vehicles rose 28.86% QoQ in Q4 2022 (October-December), according to a latest report of JMK Research.

The report claimed that a total of 3,57,248 EVs were sold in the quarter, the majority of which were electric two-wheelers. While registered E2W sales accounted for 65.13% of total EV sales this quarter, E3W (cargo and passenger combined) accounted for a share of 30.32%, the report said.

As per the report, nine

electric two-wheeler models, six electric threewheeler models, and five electric cars were launched in the quarter, while over 26,000 charge points were set up by the end of Q4 2022 in India.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for a majority sales share (14.33%) this quarter as well, followed by Maharashtra (13.78%).

RUPEE FALLS 9 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.82 AGAINST US DOLLAR

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 9 paise to close at 82.82 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 82.76 against the greenback and finally settled for the day at 82.82 (provisional), registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close of 82.73.

 The country’s merchandise and services exports touched an all-time high of $422 billion and $254 billion, respectively, in 2021-22

 During April-Jan this fiscal, goods exports rose to $369.25 bn & services exports are estimated to touch $272 bn

en by the IT industry, has created a potential not only in terms of jobs, giving value to talent, but also providing India with an opportunity to showcase to the world its strengths, he said.

Govt focussing on production of high value pharma

New Delhi (PTI): The government is taking steps to produce “high value pharmaceuticals” in the country to reduce import dependency for such critical articles, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Manufacturing of components of high-end medical devices in the country will be another big step in moving towards self reliance. “Working on the vision of reducing import dependency through indigenous production, the govt is focussing on production of high value pharmaceuticals and high-end medical devices,” he said.

IN NEXT TWO YEARS

Flour millers were advised to bring down the prices of atta and other products in line with the reduction in market prices of wheat.

OTHER STORIES

Out of the 30 lakh tonnes, the FCI is selling 25 lakh tonnes to bulk consumers like flour millers through e-auction and 2 lakh tonnes to states/UTs.

RCAP RESOLUTION: NCLAT CONCLUDES HEARING, RESERVES ORDER OVER LENDERS PLEA

New Delhi: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Tuesday concluded its hearing and reserved its order over the petition filed by lenders of Reliance Capital seeking a second round of financial bids for the debt-ridden firm, presently going through the insolvency resolution process. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Torrent Investments concluded his arguments and submitted that the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) intends for maximisation of the value, but the focus should be on the revival of the assets. —PTI

TELCOS' BODY COAI BATS FOR MORE 5G SPECTRUM

New Delhi: Industry body COAI on Tuesday made a strong pitch for setting aside mid band 6GHz spectrum for mobile operators, saying it is critical for proliferation of 5G services, and delicensing it to “use for all” will impact quality and cost of next generation services. Radiowaves in 6GHz is a sweetspot for telecom service providers as current spectrum in the mid band is “woefully short of requirement of telcos”. Also, 6GHz, with its propagation qualities, will be ideal for densely populated areas, specially urban locations. —PTI

WHEAT CROP REACHES VEGETATIVE PHASE IN MP, PARTS OF PUNJAB

New Delhi: Wheat crop has reached the maximum vegetative stage in Madhya Pradesh, parts of Punjab and Haryana, according to the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC). Whereas in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, wheat crop is yet to reach the maximum vegetative phase due to delay in sowing, it said in its latest report. The life cycle of a wheat plant is divided into three main development phases, namely the vegetative phase, in which leafs and tillers are developed; the reproductive phase, and the grain fill stage. —PTI

USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION IMPROVING ACADEMIC RESULTS: BYJU'S CO-FOUNDER

Gurugram: Penetration of technology in the education sector is giving improved academic results, Divya Gokulnath, Co-Founder of BYJU’s, said on Tuesday. Edtech is an area which has seen growth, especially since Covid-19. The use of technology in education is delivering improved academic results, she said. On the contribution of BYJU’s, she said the ed-tech company has close to 7.5 million paying customers and another 5.5 million students from the remotest part of the country who are being given online learning for free. The Bengaluru-based company provides early learning, middle school education and test preparation, among others. —PTI

44% people want to move into new home

New Delhi (PTI): Nearly 45% of Indian respondents plan to move into a new home over the next two years and most of them, including millennials, want to purchase residential properties instead of renting, acc to a survey.

Based on the survey, property consultant CBRE India released a report ‘Voices from India: How will people live, work and shop in the future?’.

The sample size of the global survey was more than 20,000 people, of which 1,500 were from India across age groups --

Gen Z (Age 18-25), Late Millennials (Age 26-33), Early Millennials (Age 34-41), Gen X (Age 42-57) and Baby

MAJOR FINDINGS

 The survey found that respondents display a stronger intention to move to a new home in the next two years (44% as against 31% in the last two years)

 As per the report, 72% of respondents planning to move in the next two years would prefer to buy a house than rent one

Boomers (Age 58+).

The survey found that respondents display a stronger intention to move

to a new home in the next two years (44% as against 31% in the previous two years).

NO. OF

BHIWANI

HARYANA POLICE BOOKS FORTY UNNAMED RAJASTHAN COPS

Haryana (PTI): Haryana Police on Tuesday registered a case against 30 to 40 unnamed Rajasthan police personnel on a complaint by a woman that her pregnant daughterin-law lost her child after she was allegedly assaulted by them during a raid to nab her son, who is an accused in the Bharatpur abduction-murder case.

Following the complaint of Dulari Devi, an FIR has been registered under sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452 (house-trespass) and 312 (causing miscarriage) of the IPC.

“We had exhumed the

UDAIPUR: RAFEEK

KHAN HOLDS

PUBLIC HEARING

body of the stillborn baby whose postmortem was conducted by a board of doctors on

Monday and the final report is awaited,” Varun Singla, SP of Nuh, told PTI.

1 QUINTAL OF CANNABIS SEIZED, TWO ARRESTED

Udaipur: Chairman of Rajasthan State Minorities Commission, Rafeek Khan, on Tuesday held a public hearing at Circuit House in Udaipur. He heard the grievances of people and gave assurance of their speedy disposal. Later, he also held a meeting with District Collector Tarachand Meena, Zila Parishad CEO Mayank Manish, and Additional District Collector City Prabha Gautam.

Jhalawar: In a major drug haul, the CIDCB wing of Rajasthan Police on Tuesday seized more than 1 quintal of cannabis worth around Rs 20 lakhs and arrested two smugglers in the Jhalawar district. The illegal drugs were being smuggled in a truck from Orissa to Bhilwara and later supposed to be supplied to local smugglers. The accused have been arrested and are being interrogated.

LAWYERS’ PROTEST CONTINUES AGAINST KILLING OF ADVOCATE IN JODHPUR

Jodhpur: Lawyers in Jodhpur on Tuesday boycotted judicial work and continued to protest the brutal murder of advocate Jugraj Chauhan in Jodhpur last Saturday. The agitating advocates took out a protest march from Heritage Bhavan to Sojati Gate and blocked the road. The lawyers demanded that a compensation of Rs 1 crore, police protection and a govt job should be given to the dependent of the family. Meanwhile, judicial work remained boycotted in Jaipur on Tuesday in protest against the brutal killing of advocate Jugraj Chauhan in Jodhpur. The advocates at the Jaipur bench of the Rajasthan HC and subordinate courts boycotted the judicial work and demanded justice for the victim.

Shekhawat takes on CM for criticising raids by Centre

VHP’S MAHA PANCHAYAT IN MEWAT TODAY IN FAVOUR OF BAJRANG DAL MEMBERS

New Delhi (ANI): In the aftermath of the Bhiwani deaths case in which some Bajrang Dal members were booked for their alleged involvement, Vishva Hindu Parishad will organise a Maha Panchayat in Haryana’s Mewat on Wednesday against the “false charges” levelled by the Rajasthan Police on the outfit. The Rajasthan Police booked a Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar for his alleged involvement in the matter triggering a protest by the Hindu outfits including VHP. The FIR also named some other VHP leaders for alleged kidnapping and thrashing the two victims from Rajasthan.

PRATAPGARHI, GHANSHYAM TIWARI, CHOPDAR MEET FAMILIES OF VICTIMS

Bharatpur: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi and Rajasthan Madarsa board chairman MD Chopdar met the family members of two men allegedly lynched in Haryana. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ghanshyam Tiwari demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. Tiwari said, “I want that action should be taken against the accused after conducting a fair investigation in matter. When there is any matter between two states, the CBI investigates it. It would be better if this matter is investigated by the CBI.” Tiwari said that Gehlot-led government’s policies have always been to promote crime, and therefore crime is increasing.

Baljit Yadav runs to sensitise youths about govt’s failure

First India Bureau

Pali: Independent MLA from Behror Baljit Yadav started his tour of 200 assembly constituencies of Rajasthan on Tuesday and ran from Mangal Kalash Circle in Sumerpur to spread the message among the youths and residents about the present government’s failure to stop competitive examination papers from leaking. He said that the government hesitates to give jobs to the youths. Talking to the media, he said that he was running to create

awareness among the people in 200 assembly constituencies across Rajasthan.

Attacking the present government also, he appealed to the youngster to uproot the present government whose only focus is

New Delhi (ANI): Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday came down heavily on Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for criticising raids by central agencies and alleging their misuse.

“There is a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and black money. Due to that, some people are disconcerted. By expressing it like that, CM wants to divert attention,” the Union minister said.

“If I speak about the misuse of agencies, perhaps nowhere else has there been such misuse as that in Rajasthan,” the Union minister said, adding that if people who have misused the agencies raise such questions, “I think it is meaningless”.

In a tweet, the Union minister posted on Tuesday, “People of a credit cooperative soci-

ety in Jodhpur were introduced to the Chief Minister in a sponsored manner!” The Union minister added, “And then CM called me “accused”…this was also another vicious planning against me…”

Over a scam, concerning the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society, the Union minister said, “The CM is trying to get political mileage.”

ACB arrests 3 lawyers in bribery case in Sikar

Ramesh Sharma

Sikar: A team of ACB has arrested three lawyers for allegedly seeking bribes and claiming to act on behalf of a Patan SHO, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. According to the complainant, the lawyers had demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh on behalf of

elections. During the programme, the residents of Sumerpur warmly welcomed the MLA with a garland and a turban. A large number of youth and city residents and workers were present on the occasion.

the SHO in lieu of removal of some sections and favouring him in a case registered against him at a local police station. The deal was fixed at Rs 70,000. Sagarmal, Ujjwal Khokhar, and Bajranglal were arrested on Monday night while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000, the ACB spokesperson said.

3 held after Garib Rath receives hoax call

Dholpur (ANI): Three persons were detained for allegedly spreading rumours regarding presence of a bomb in Hazrat Nizamuddin -

M.G.R. Chennai Central Garib Rath Express train late on Monday night, officials said.

As per the police, Hazrat NizamuddinM.G.R.Chennai Central Garib Rath Express (12612), was stopped at the Dholpur station for

IT raids multiple locations of Udaipur-based group

First India Bureau

Jaipur: The IncomeTax Department on Tuesday raided the premises of a Udaipurbased group and seized documents related to undisclosed income and assets. The IT sleuths carried out search and seizure operations at 12 different locations in Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Nathdwara and Mumbai and other cities. Sources informed that following inputs of undisclosed income and tax evasion, more than

Image for representational purpose only.

200 employees of the IT department from Jaipur and Mumbai raided the premises of the group and recovered documents relating to transactions of

crores of rupees. The search operation continued till late Tuesday evening while the IT officials also searched the bank lockers of the group.

three hours, after a passenger claimed that there was a bomb on the train. They raised a complaint on ‘Rail Ma-

dad’ portal, they said. The complainant claimed that there was a bomb in G2 Coach of the train and two other

RR TIWARI AHEAD IN THE RACE FOR THE POST OF DCC PRESIDENT

R R Tiwari is ahead in the race for the post of DCC president in Jaipur. Sitaram Agrawal and Pushpendra Bhardwaj are also in the race. The appointment may be announced soon. Congress in charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has already taken the opinion of the party’s public representatives from Jaipur. If one DCC president is made, then he will be a non-Muslim.

Yogesh Sharma

personstold him about the same.

The police along with the teams of GRP Police and RPF forces immediatly sumg into action and reached the spot and launched a search operation. The bomb disposal squad was also called on the spot for investigation. Other than the G2 Coach, G3 and G4 were also evacuated and the search operation was

MINISTER FOND OF EXPENSIVE GLASSES!

O ne cabinet minister is fond of expensive glasses. The minister bought two glasses for two lakh rupees. Now, this expensive purchase is the talk of the town. The number of glasses is 8+. He became a cabinet minister in half term. An interesting fact is that the glasses were purchased in cash.

carried out at the three coaches.

After over three hours of conducting searches, the police confirmed that nothing was found on the train, and the train was given clearance to go ahead.

The police detained three persons for spreading rumours about the bomb, and they will be thoroughly interrogated, said officials.

Due to the growing influence of Sanatan culture, the thorn in the society, which is doing discriminatory politics of appeasement, is worried.By breaking the statue of Lord Parshuram in Gogunda, they have shown their low mentality, in fact it is an attack on Hindu unity.

FROM PG

We know...

Gehlot said that we have welfare schemes and have schemes for social security. “They talk about becoming Vishwaguru. You will become Vishwaguru only when you work for social security. Weekly money is received under social security abroad. The central government should also make a law for social security,” he said. Gehlot said that the PM had promised that he would keep a positive outlook on the ERCP.

“The Jal Shakti minister is from Jodhpur, but he doesn’t care. PM is now confusing on ERCP,” he said. Gehlot said that if the government changes, his government does not stop previous works. “But they stop our work. The BJP government closed the refinery. 30 thousand crore extra will be spent in five years as its cost has increased. The project which was worth 40 thousand crores, has become worth 70 thousand crores,” he said. Gehlot said that the schemes of his government are very strong.

COLLECTOR & SP LOCK HORNS: COP MAY BE SHIFTED SOON!

I n one of the border districts of Rajasthan, the Collector, and SP were posted together in January 2022. It was a coincidence that both were posted in a district for the first time. But there was no coordination between the two. Even after being a promotee IPS officer, the SP does not care about the collector and

for this reason there are reports of conflict between the two, which is also known to the government. It was believed that SP’s name would be on the transfer list of IPS officers, but SP was not transferred due to his high contacts. However, due to a serious controversy, SP got into trouble and the media pointed fingers at the functioning of the police. Due to this, the discussion about the transfer of the SP started again.

Rajendra Chhabra

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot interacting with the families of violence victims Junaid and Nasir.

Broken statue of Lord Parshuram in Gogunda.

Baljit Yadav running along with supporters in Sumerpur on Tuesday. He is to cover 200 assembly constituencies.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat @gssjodhpur

Ashok Gehlot@ashokgehlot51

A few days ago I met the families of Junaid and Nasir, who lost their lives due to violence in Haryana. Rajasthan Police is making all-out efforts to provide justice to the victims of this heinous crime and justice will be ensured.

Three accused Sagarmal, Ujjwal Khokhar, and Bajranglal in the ACB custody in Sikar on Tuesday.

Garib Rath was stopped at Dholpur station on Monday night.

Cultivate a greater self-worth for happiness, find more meaning, be significant not just successful.

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

CM UNVEILS THE STATUE OF FARMER LEADER LATE JAGDISH KAKRALIYA

Interests of all sections have been taken care of in budget: CM

2,000 units of free electricity per month to farmers

` 19,000 cr package in budget to give relief to masses from inflation

Tripti Gautam

Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, on Tuesday, unveiled the statue of farmer leader Late Jagdish Kakraliya in Pachkodiya village of Jaipur. He said that late Kakraliya did remarkable work for the development of the area by making special contribution in the works of social concern like education of poor girls and organising mass marriages. “He will always be remembered for the social service done by him as an active and aware public represent-

CM, RAHUL, PRIYANKA TO ATTEND WEDDING OF BHANWAR JITENDRA’S

DAUGHTER IN ALWAR TODAY

CM Ashok Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will reach Alwar today to attend wedding of daughter of former Union Minister and Congress leader Jitendra Singh’s daughter Manavika with Kunwar Avijit Singh of Pali royal family. More than 500 guests from India and abroad including important Congress & BJP leaders will attend the gala wedding.

ative. The unveiling of his statue will inspire the younger generation

Kataria to take oath as Assam Guv today

for social service,” Gehlot said. The Chief Minister said, “The

PENSION FOR RETD EMPLOYEES WITH CPF OPTION

On Tuesday, CM Gehlot won the hearts of electricity employees as he gave option of pension scheme for retired personnel with CPF option. The employees were deprived of pension due to CPF option in power companies. Notably, First India had given indications to this effect. On Tuesday, ACS (Finance ) Akhil Arora issued orders for all boards, corporations and autonomous institutions. Now, onetime pension option has been opened for all retired employees who can apply for "re-option" till 30 June 2023. OPS will be applicable from April 1, 2023 for all such retired employees.

budget has been prepared according to the wishes of the common

FRONT

Lakheri youth would bring laurels to Raj in future: Birla

Bhanwar S Charan

man after holding prebudget dialogue with all sections and is being praised everywhere. To give relief from inflation, a relief package of Rs 19,000 crore has been announced,” he said.

Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi said that late Jagdish Kakraliya was a social worker who worked in public interest with a visionary thinking. Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria said that new dimensions of development are being established in Raj under CM’s leadership. Disaster Management Min GR Meghwal said that in this era of inflation, the masses have got relief from state govt’s schemes. MoS Home R S Yadav said that State government is doing excellent work in all sectors including irrigation, roads, electricity, water and education.

Barmer Refinery Project to be completed by Jan 2024:Puri

Petrol ` 16 & Diesel

` 8 costlier in Raj as compared to Haryana, he says

Mukesh Mathrani & Shiv Prakash Purohit

Assam (ANI): Gulab

Chand Kataria will take oath as the Governor of Assam today. Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party and leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Kataria will now assume the role of Governor.

While speaking to media he said, "I will fulfil constitutional responsibility given to me by PM Modi and our party in such a way I will live up to the expectations of high command & PM,"

adding, "Even before this, whatever responsibility was given to me by BJP, I have fulfilled it very well. Kataria has held various positions in his political career.

STATE LEADERS TO ATTEND OATH TAKING EVENT

Jaipur: BJP has accepted resignation of newly appointed Assam Guv GC Kataria from party membership. Kataria had written a letter to party’s state president Satish Poonia on Feb 16. Poonia informed that resignation has been accepted. He also wished Kataria success. Kataria will take oath as Assam Guv today. State President Satish Poonia, Dy LoP Rajendra Rathore, MLA Pratap Singh Singhvi, Bihari Lal Bishnoi will attend the oath taking ceremony.

Shivendra Parmar

Barmer: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, who was on a day-long visit to district to take stock of Barmer refinery project, claimed that the project will be completed by January 2024. Puri said that it was planned to be complete by the end of December 2022 but it got delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic. After inspecting the project progress, the Minister was interacting with mediapersons at the refinery complex at Pachpadra in Barmer. During the press conference Petroleum Minister also criticised the former UPA government, alleging that the project was first planned in 2005. But nothing happened

Union Government had decided that if the State government wasn’t ready to bear the additional cost, they were quite happy to bear the additional financial burden but in that situation equity of Rajasthan government in the refinery project would be decreased by 10 percent.

—Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Petroleum Minister

till 2013, Puri claimed, adding that government in 2014 had taken the decision on project. He further informed that HRRL refinery complex will process 9 MMTPA of crude & produce more than 2.4 million tons of petro-

Bundi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, gave Lakheri the biggest gift ever in the sports sector. He along with MLA Chandrakanta Meghwal laid the foundation stone of the 'Indoor Sports Complex' to be built under the 'Khelo India Scheme' at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. Birla told the gathering that he wanted to provide all those sports facilities in rural areas so that the youth could go abroad & hoist tricolour.

Birla laid the foundation stone of sports complex by offering prayers in a grand programme organised at Sports Stadium in Lakheri. He said that youth of Lakheri also wanted to bring laurels to nation, but they never got the resources that would help them move forward. “Seeing the enthusiasm on their faces today, I believe that youth will bring laurels

Om Birla during the foundation laying ceremony of the Indoor Sports Complex being built under 'Khelo India Scheme' at Lakheri town in Bundi district on Tuesday. Also seen here is Chandrakanta Meghwal and others.

PM MODI PRAISES OM BIRLA'S INITIATIVE, 'SUPOSHIT MAA ABHIYAN'

A drive initiated by Om Birla, re tweeted by PM Modi saying, ‘Along with healthy mother and child lies the prosperity of the entire family.’ Birla has started this campaign for the pregnant women of deprived class. Nutrition kits are distributed to pregnant women under the campaign and reach their homes for 9 consecutive months. 1,000 women were identified in the 1st phase. 90% of these women gave birth to healthy babies. In view of its success, nutrition kits are being given to 3,000 women in 2nd phase. Birla started the drive in Ramganjmandi area on Monday.

to Hadoti & Raj,” he said, adding that in first phase an indoor sports complex is being built e, where players will be

able to practice in all weather conditions. Birla called upon the parents to send children to playground.

Raje meets leaders in Jodh, takes feedback

Rajeev Gaur

lll

Arora instructed officers to prepare data of unsold houses in various schemes and to put these houses up for sale at a discounted rate

Jaipur: While chairing a review meet of remaining and surplus houses, after completion of schemes, RHB

Commissioner Pawan Arora said that the consumers must deposit the outstanding lease amount of the institutional and commercial assets built by the board across the state by March 5. ”There are thousands of such institutional and commer-

cial assets created by RHB across the state, which have been taken

over by the consumers but the outstanding lease amount hasn’t yet

chemicals which will reduce import bill on account of petrochemicals.

“Project will bring self-reliance to India in terms of import substitution of petrochemicals. Post commission, it shall reduce import bill by Rs 26,000 crore.”

Rajendra Chhabra

Jaipur: Young IAS Subham Chaudhary is on APO for the past 58 days. After returning from maternity leave, the official had given joining while being APO, but why isn't the official given any posting and has been forced to stay at home, only DoP can answer these questions.

A 2014 batch IAS officer, Chaudhary was given her first posting in November 2016 as SDO, after she completed her initial training in Mussoorie and Government of India. Since then, in a small service period of five years, she has been transferred seven times. Before going on leave, she served as Dungarpur Collector for four months and as Labour Commissioner for three months. Similarly, she was transferred from the post of Joint Secretary, Industries, within ten months of being given

the chair.

It is possible that considering her service record, DoP is still mulling as to what responsibility she should be given and perhaps that is why, she still is on APO. A native of Delhi, Shubham is an IAS topper and scored the 11 th rank in 2014.

Meanwhile, another young IAS officer, Avdhesh Meena of 2017 batch - is also on APO for the past four months. He was suddenly put on APO from the post of Commissioner, Jodhpur Development Authority. He could serve on the post for merely five months and courted controversy. Now, it remains to be seen till when does DoP keep Avdhesh on APO.

Jodhpur: Former CM Vasundhara Raje, during her stay in Pali and Jodhpur, not only took necessary feedback from senior leaders and party workers, but also strengthened the party for the Assembly polls to be held this year. Along with this, she called for bringing the BJP govt in Rajasthan. She expressed concern about the deteriorating law & order situation in Jodhpur and the entire state.

Vasundhara Raje @VasundharaBJP

Isn’t the incessant murders one after the other in Chief Minister’s home turf, an evidence of criminals being fearless of the govt? Mr Chief Minister if this is the condition of your area, what would be happening in the other parts of Rajasthan? Do something! #Rajasthan

been paid in full. In such a situation, Board is constantly losing revenue,” Arora said and directed to open cash collection counters at all headquarters from February 25 to March 31 to deposit lease amount. Officers should ensure that all remaining houses are included in the e-bid submission & eauction to be held on Wednesday so that the public can easily select and purchase the houses,” he said.

First India Bureau

Kota: UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal, on Tuesday, went door-todoor in wards of Kota to inform people about Cong’s ‘Haath se Haath Jodo’ campaign. A march was taken out in Ward No 32 of Kota North Corporation, where Dhariwal told people about the government’s welfare schemes, took feedback of development works, listened to people’s problems and gave instructions for redressal. He

said, “Such events bring solidarity in the society, but the BJP government has never allotted plots to any society.

Only one society got the plot in the previous BJP government and that too with the intervention of the CM of MP.”

Arora: Consumers must deposit outstanding lease amount of RHB’s commercial assets by March 5

Dhariwal connects with masses under ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo’ drive

DoP keeps young IAS on APO, for reasons best known to it!

Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep S Puri inspects the Barmer Refinery project under construction at Pachpadra village in Barmer district on Tuesday. Also seen here is Kailash Choudhary and others.

CM Ashok Gehlot during the statue unveiling ceremony of farmer leader late Jagdish Kakraliya at Pachkodiya village in Jaipur on Tuesday. Also seen are Dr CP Joshi, Lal Chand Kataria, Govind Ram Meghwal, Rukshmani Kumari and others.

GC Kataria, newly appointed Guv of Assam being welcomed by Diganta Barah, Dy Commissioner of Kamrup on his arrival at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, in Guwahati on Tuesday.

MESMERIZING WORK OF ANJU MODI!

City First highlights the outstanding work of the highly acclaimed and multi-faceted designer Anju Modi in the field of reviving age-old Indian crafts and textiles

Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, the crowned jewel of Dubai, is set to host one of India’s premier single-day fashion events called Fashion Connect, season 14. Presented by First India News, this No. 1 fashion event is scheduled to take place on March 19, 2023. An experiential show at the forefront of art, design, fashion, and immersive offerings is back with its fourteenth Season.

Asia’s most loved and India’s favourite fashion designer, Anju Modi, will be showcasing her scintillating garments at this year’s Fashion Connect event. Her work takes a more conscious, progressive, inclusive, and interactive approach with her love for

Each dimension of Anju Modi’s personality can be seen in her body of work, which displays the passion and gentleness of an artist. The 32-year-old label’s guiding principles Timeless, Vintage, Handicraft, and

Organic are deeply influenced by the founder’s passion for textiles and Indian craftsmanship. Anju Modi is a thinker and philosopher who draws inspiration from the subtleties in literature, mythology, architecture, and other forms of art. Each ensemble pays homage to contemporary feminism while also celebrating the cultural history of India.

As she continues to collaborate closely with master artisans and weavers around the nation, her designs are firmly based in textile history, immersed in studies of diverse techniques also promoting sustainable and ethical fashion.

A non-conformist, Anju Modi has pushed the envelope with all of her creative endeavours, including the costumes for Bajirao Mastani and Ram-Leela. Off the screen, legendary Indian performers like Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Kriti Sanon, and many others found their styles in Anju Modi. Her highly acclaimed work for both blockbusters earned her numerous important accolades including Filmfare, Star Guild, IIFA, TOIFA, etc. She has been a custodian of Indian tradition who strived to modernise long-standing customs. The exquisitely created pieces are a strong testament to the brand’s success in promoting craftsmanship.

Fashion Designer Anju Modi

We all find ourselves procrastinating and putting off things on our todo-list for another day. If you find yourself in such a situation, then the 5-minute rule can change your life.

WHAT IS THE 5 MINUTE-RULE?

The five-minute rule is a cognitive-behavioural technique that is designed to overcome procrastination and boost productivity.

The basis of this rule is that all you need to do is commit to spending just five minutes on whatever it is you’re procrastinating, after which you’re free to stop if you want. For most procrastinators, starting is the hardest part. In most cases, people continue to work after the five-minute timer expires, but knowing that they could stop if they wanted to give them that little extra incentive to start something they may have put off.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE 5-MINUTE-RULE?

Here’s a simple way to implement the rule:

Identify and Remove Distractions: The first step is to find out what is distracting you, this can be Instagram or YouTube.

You can also use a website blocker to remove distractions while you work. You just need to commit to the 5-minute rule like you did to your toxic ex.

Set a Timer: Set a timer on your phone or laptop for five minutes.

Start Working for 5 Minutes: When the timer starts, you start working.

Give it your all even if you don’t feel like working; after all, you can stop in five minutes if you like.

Assess how you Feel After the Timer Goes

Off: When the timer goes off, see how you feel. The chances are you’ve overcome the most significant

BEAT PROCRASTINATION WITH THE FIVE-MINUTE-RULE

hurdle, which was to start, and now you’re on your way to finishing what you started.

WHAT MAKES THE 5 MINUTE-RULE EFFECTIVE Procrastination is not because of laziness or poor time management skills. In reality, it is a coping mechanism to deal with the negative emotions associated with a task. Whether it’s insecurity, anxiety, resentment, or boredom, we try to avoid these negative emotions for as long as possible. That’s where our buddy procrastination comes in. Our brains try to protect us in strange ways sometimes. By procrastinating, we avoid the negative feelings now, even though we know the stress will be worse later on. We really weren’t designed to think ahead into the future because we needed to focus on providing for ourselves in the here and now. As we evolved, our ancestors needed to focus on the ‘here and now.’ We still follow those same ideas. When we put a task off, we trick our brains into thinking that it is someone else’s problem. This way, we can feel stress-free right now. If we ever want to stop procrastinating, we have to understand these fundamental feelings that we all share.

By using the 5-minute rule, we relieve some of the stress expected from the task. A 5-minute burst of activity is a lot less daunting. We don’t want to feel stressed for an hour, but we can rush through 5 minutes of the activity before we feel stressed. Additionally, we get the satisfaction of completing a task.

OTHER WAYS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION

If the 5-minute rule didn’t work for you, don’t fret. There are other ways to tackle procrastination.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Procrastination is the act of unnecessarily postponing decisions or actions.

• The 5-minute rule says to just do 5 minutes of the task you’ve been putting off, and if you want, you can stop after 5 minutes.

• Usually, people find starting the task the most challenging part and often will continue to do the task after 5 minutes and complete it.

Imagine How Great You’d Feel After the Task is Over: There have been studies which show that people are more likely to save for their future retirement if they’re shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. This is because it makes their future self feel more real, making the future benefits of saving also feel heavier. When we paint a vivid image of how satisfied we would be after doing

the task we’ve been putting off, it can be enough to give us just the push we need.

Pre-committing in Front of Other People: Telling someone that we’re going to get something done can amplify the appeal of actually taking action. This could be because our brain’s reward

system is so highly responsive to our social standing. Research has found that it matters greatly to us whether we’re respected by others or even by strangers. Most of us don’t want to look foolish or lazy to other people.

Confront the Downside of Inaction : While we

might weigh the pros and cons of doing something new, we far less often consider the pros and cons of not doing that task. Known as omission bias, this often leads us to ignore some obvious benefits of getting stuff done. For example, you’re repeatedly putting off studying for that test. You’re tempted by more exciting tasks, so you tell yourself you can do it tomorrow. But force yourself to think about the downside of putting it off, and you realize that tomorrow will be too late to cover the syllabus. If you get moving now, you have half a chance of covering all the portions, so this enables you to get going now.

Make the First Step: Sometimes we’re just daunted by the task we’re avoiding. The trick is to break down big tasks into baby steps that don’t feel as though they take as much effort. An even more foolproof way is to identify the very smallest first step, something that’s so easy that even your present-biased brain can see that the

benefits outweigh the costs of effort.

Treat Yourself to Taking the First Step: We can make the cost of effort feel even smaller if we link that small step to something we’re actually looking forward to doing. In other words, tie the task that we’re avoiding to something that we’re not avoiding.

Remove the hidden blockage in your Mind: Sometimes we find ourselves returning to a task repeatedly, still unwilling to take the first step. We can easily identify what is blocking our minds from starting that task. Ask yourself why it is so and try to overcome it.

The next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your inability to get important tasks done, be kind to yourself. Recognize that your brain needs help if it’s going to be less shortsighted. Try taking at least one step to make the benefits of action stay larger, and one to make the costs of action feel smaller. Your neverending to-do list will be grateful.

Heartbreaking BREAKUP

Rihanna, in the present day, is in a good place personally and professionally.

The pop titan just celebrated her 35th birthday on Tuesday, February 20, 2023. Earlier this month, she returned to the stage after a gap of 7 years, with a terrific comeback performance at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime show. Rihanna broke the in ternet with her Super Bowl gig, having dis played her baby bump and revealing her second pregnancy just 9 months after the birth of her first child with beau A$AP Rocky. However, there was a time, not too long ago, when the Umbrella singer was go ing through a major heartbreak after break ing up with her then-boyfriend of three years, Hassan Jameel. But what led to their split? Rihanna and Saudi billionaire busi nessman Hassan Jameel were together from 2017 to 2020. However, the duo parted ways in 2020. As per PEOPLE magazine, Rihanna and Hassan Jameel split because they were not a ‘good match’ in the long term.

Wedding version of Ranjha

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani are the latest Bollywood couples to get married. These two recently got hitched on Feb ruary 7 at Jaisalmer’s Sury agarh Palace. Their wedding pictures looked straight out of a fairytale. Well, the Shershaah couple released their wedding vid eo recently and indeed it was one of the best videos we have seen in a long time. In the video, we saw Kiara walking down the aisle to the popular song from Shershaah, Ranjha. But the lyrics of the song were rewritten for the couple to fit the situation. That song became so popular that on Tuesday it was officially released on YouTube. Sony Music India officially released the new version of Ranjha on their YouTube channel. This version is called the Sid x Kiara version. Be it the lyrics of the song or the beats, everything hits differently every time you hear the song.

CAKE DROPPED

Apost which Nick spoke about his Valentine’s Day plans with daughter Malti Marie, during an interview back-

He revealed buying a cake for her, which he accidentally dropped at the store.

Nick told Extra how he and Priyanka celebrated Valentine’s Day 2023, and that he went to buy a cake for their one-year-old daughter

Malti Marie Chopra

Jonas. He shared that he accidentally dropped the cake at the grocery store. “I went and bought a cake for my daughter. On the way out of the door of the grocery store, I dropped it. So, I had to go and get a different one. But the person (at the store) was so nice, he just gave me a new cake. (That is what) Valentine’s Day is all about – giving back,” said Nick.

SEXY WORKOUT

South and Bollywood beauty Tamannaah Bhatia has time and again proved that fitness has become a priority and she ensures to be regular at it. She is an avid fitness freak and makes sure to work out every day. Today, the actress shared a glimpse of an intense workout session and it serves major fitness goals.

Tamannaah Bhatia took to Instagram and shared a sneak peek vid-

SHOW ME THE THUMKA

eo as she began her morning intense workout session. The actress is shelling out major fitness inspo and is also reminding us to get out of bed and sweat it. The actress is seen performing cardio, pull-ups, and lifting weights in the intense workout session.

Rajasthan is very close to my heart: Mahendra Dhariwal

about his upcoming music albums with City First.

What are your upcoming projects?

also be aired including Sunny Leone’s film, Lucky on Zee 5.

spreading words and creat ing buzz about the movie.

PATHAK

SHUBHANSHI

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, ace producer-director Mahendra Dhariwal has been working for 30 years, but he has always been attached to Rajasthan on one pretext or the other. Dhariwal keeps looking for an excuse to visit Rajasthan.

The memories of Rajasthan are very close to his heart, Dhariwal who has given many superhit famous films in Bollywood, is currently in Rajasthan

attending Vaibhav Kochhar’s family function. During his visit, he shared his valuable experience as a producer and also discussed

I am visiting Rajasthan to shoot my two music albums. One of the albums star ace actor Pratik Sehajpal, who was also part of the biggest reality show Bigg Boss. We will shoot the video for a day in Jaipur and then we’ll travel to Kishangarh. My web series is going to be released soon. Next month I will launch my OTT platform, Tadka. Several other projects will

People keep boycotting movies without even watching them. What are your views regarding it?

Yes, I don’t know what has happened to our society, without even considering anyone’s efforts and creative vision, people have started boycotting everything, it has become a trend but if seen from the positive side then we can say that negative promotion is also a promotion, and somehow it has helped us in

These days Ott plat forms are becoming more famous and pro ducers are investing a lot of money in Ott shows, what do you think about the current Ott trend?

I must say Ott is a great platform it has many benefits, and is quite popular among youth, as it can easily be accessed through audio-visual devices with a good storyline series.

Priyanka Chopra

Rihana

Tamannaah Bhatia

Kiara Advani Shraddha Kapoor

Mahendra Dhariwal, Disha Gupta and Pratik Sehajpal

Her post...

Disha Gupta

WEDDING BELLS!

The grand sangeet ceremony of Prerna, daughter of Sangeeta and Mukesh Dutt Sharma with Udit, son of Kavita and Harish Sharma took place at Le Meredien Resort, Kukas on Tuesday. Jagdeesh Chandra reached to bless the newlyweds and wished them a happy married life ahead. Various dignitaries including Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti; RCA President Vaibhav Gehlot and Jaswant Vishnoi also reached to bless the couple.

—PHOTOS BY MUKESH KIRADOO

Albert Hall’s 137th Foundation Day

DURING THE DAY!

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met the children who won the ‘Rangrej’ season-9 painting competition organised by 94.3 My FM at Chief Minister’s residence on Tuesday. Congratulating the winning children, the CM Gehlot extended best wishes for their bright future. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also released the calendar which included the pictures made by the winning participants. During this, the station head of 94.3 My FM Priyank Buravad, RJ Karthik, RJ Chhavi and RJ Ishaan and several other representatives were present.

CITY FIRST

Ramniwas Bagh turned into mini Ra -

jasthan as decked up camels, horses, dancers, folk artistes came to -

gether for a procession that was a visual treat for the spectators, exhibiting the rich culture and heritage of Rajasthan. Dressed in their finest traditional attire, folk artistes presented a bouquet of their

CELEBRITY

dances and art forms and celebrated the 137th foundation day of Albert Hall foundation day with much fervour ad enthusiasm on Tuesday.

The Albert Hall, also known as Royal Albert

CRICKET LEAGUE FEVER!

Hall of Arts and Sciences is situated in the heart of the city, is not only a centre of learning but also a place for artists to develop their knowledge while preserving traditional Indian art. On the occa-

sion, musical evening programs were also organised here along with various cultural programs, in which local artisans and folk dancers enthralled the localties with their mesmerizing art forms. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Governor Kalraj Mishra released the brochure of the Khatu Vishal Pad Yatra organised by Shri Shyam Satsang Mandal Samiti trust Jaipur on Tuesday. Social workers Gokul Das Maheshwari, Pankaj Somani, Shyamdas Mantri, Girish Banwala, Banwari Goyal and Vinod Goyal were present during the occasion.

MELODIOUS MUSICAL EVENING

CITY FIRST

CITY FIRST

Film stars from across the country will come to play cricket at the SMS Stadium in Jaipur on February 25 and 26 in the Celebrity Cricket League. 4 matches will be played in Jaipur, in which eight teams of the league will play the match. Captains & Brand Ambassadors

are Mumbai HeroesRitesh Deshmukh (Captain), Sohail Khan, Sunil Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Bobby Deol, Jay Bhanushali, Shabbir Ahluwalia. The brand ambassador of Mumbai Heroes is Kriti Sanon.

Punjab The LionsSonu Sood (Captain). Brand Ambassador of Punjab The Lions are Daler Mehndi & Mika

Singh. Bhojpuri Dabangs: Manoj Tiwari (Captain), Ravi Kishan, Vikrant Singh. Bengal Tigers: Jishu Sengupta (Captain). Karnataka BulldozersPradeep (Captain), Telugu Warriors: Akhil Akkineni (Captain), C3 Kerala Strikers: Kunchacko Boban (Captain) and Chennai Rhinos: Arya (Captain).

Dr Sujit Dharmapatre, Director, of MIT School of Indian Civil Services said that preparation for competitive examinations and BA-MA unique program will be found under one roof. Because MIT Art, Design and Technology University has added the Undergraduate-Postgraduate (UG-PG) program in Administration from MIT School of Indian Civil Services in the year-2021, which will give knowledge to youngsters giving more convenience, which will be helpful in careers.

Amusical evening by the popular singer Hariharan was organised during Shaharnama - A two days boutique literature festival in Jaipur, is an initiative of Prabha Khaitan Foundation in association with Rajasthan Tourism, Shree Cement as part of their CSR initiative and Ehsaas women.

The program started with the festival Codirector Apra Kuchhal welcoming the guests. Hariharan started the program by singing Pdharo Mhare Des. It was followed by “Log kehte hain ajnabi tum and so on.

On the special occasion, Ehsaas Women Sunita Shekhawat, Reena Bhandari, Aakriti Periwal, Vinni Kakkar, Neelima

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Dalmia Aadhar and Apra Kuchhal presented him with a Blue Pottery plate. The audience was mesmerized by his performance. The literary session of Shaharnama on day 1 concluded with a brilliant monologue, Lucknowa Kissey, by one of the finest performers of recent times, Himanshu Bajpai. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Bheli Baat, a beautiful play composed in Rajasthani language and written, directed and acted by Anil Marwari and culture was presented at SSG Pareek Education Post Graduate College Park, Jaipur on Tuesday. The word ‘Bheli’ means to gather and ‘Baat’ means to tell a story or communicate. Bheli Baat drama also has Rajasthani language proverbs, tales, couplets and verses. In its texture, the play very interestingly brings alive the Rajasthani language and culture on the stage.

Master Vedant spread magic of his fingers on Tabla while playing Baat Dheer Dheer Ka Rela of Banaras on Tuesday. Vedant was accompanied by Sabir Khan, nephew of famous sarangi player Padmashree Moinuddin Khan, on sarangi and Ram Sharma, principal of Jaipur Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, on harmonium.

Vedant Sharma is currently taking Tabla lessons from Ustad Salamat Hussain Khan.

EXQUISITE SPLASH & SIP

CITY FIRST

Mohna and Co. recently organised the second edition of exquisite event Splash & Sip 2.0: A Sundowner Art Soiree in partnership with Nebulae Hilton, Jaipur on the theme, Painting something that reminds you of home’ on Sunday. The day-long event was fashioned to sip and snack on a variety of beverages and finger foods and paint under the supervision of a coach. “This year we organised it over a weekend in the relaxing month of February. With the motive of helping friends/ partners, spend a lovely evening with sunset, colours and some memorable moments together, reminiscing their fondest memories,” said Mohna.

Ritesh Deshmukh Mumbai Heroes Pradeep Karnataka Bulldozers

Sonu Sood Punjab De Sher Akhil Akkineni Telugu Warriors

Manoj Tiwari Bhojpuri Dabanggs Kunchacko Boban C3 Kerala Strikers

Jisshu Bengal Tigers Aarya Chennai Rhinos

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Anamika Sharma, Sangeeta Sharma, Mukesh Dutt Sharma, Jagdish Sharma, LP Pant and Durga Devi and others

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Mohan Sharma, Harish Sharma, Om Gaur, Manish Kumar and Jagdish Sharma and others Vaibhav Gehlot with newlyweds Prerna & Udit, Sangeeta Sharma, Sunil Sharma and others

Mesmerizing view of Albert Hall

Glimpse of magical dance performance

—PHOTOS BY SUNIL SHARMA

Rishee Miglani, Himanshi Goyal and Mohna Agarwal

Toshivijay and Neha Gupta

Manpreet Kaur

(L-R) Tarun Gupta, Shipra Gupta, Himanshi Goyal and Satish Tiwari