English dc 23 01 2018

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THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIA HYDERABAD

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I TUESDAY I 23 JANUARY 2018

US shutdown extended as crunch vote delayed

9 16

SUNSET TODAY 6.06 PM SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.50 AM MOONRISE TOMORROW 10.58 AM MOONSET TODAY 11.25 PM

COUNTER

POINT

New Delhi: In a bid to ward off shadyantrakari shaktiyaan (conspiring forces) who are trying to harm the nation’s interests and possibly to seek “divine intervention” for his party for the forthcoming electoral battles in key states, BJP MP Maheish Girri along with Shri Yogini Peetham, will organise an eight-day long ‘Rashtra Raksha Mahayagya’ from March 18. The event, at the Red Fort Maidan, will have 108 yagya kund.

■ Report on Page 8

Act East policy out on Jan. 26 New Delhi: With the leaders of all 10 Asean member countries designated as chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Monday that it would showcase the “taking shape” of India’s Act East policy. In an unprecedented move, leaders from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei have been invited for the R-Day parade.

■ Report on Page 8

INSIDE ■ CITY... PAGE 2 Posh Cyberabad has no public loos to pee ■ POLITICS... PAGE 6 MLAs face PR poll test

Vol. 81 No. 22 Established 1938 | 40

PAGES

| `4.00

LOYA CASE SERIOUS: SC ■ Takes over case, asks parties to catalogue all documents J. VENKATESAN | DC

■ Top court to examine all documents related to Loya’s death ‘objectively’ and with ‘utmost seriousness’.

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

DAVOS HERE I COME Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the officials on his arrival at Zurich International — PTI Airport to participate in the World Economic Forum, in Davos on Monday.

WEF finds India’s trust quotient on the decline Davos, Jan. 22: India is among the most trusted nations globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and media.

But, it recorded extreme trust loss compared to last year, a survey said on Monday.

Coming ahead of the World Economic Forum annual summit, the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer said, globally, people’s trust in these four areas remained largely unchanged from last year. Of the 28 countries surveyed, 20 lie in “distruster territory”, one more than in 2017.

China topped the Trust Index among both the informed public and the gen-

ADULTEROUS COPS CAUGHT IN THE ACT BJP MP yagna against evil

Chung sends Djokovic out of Australian Open

deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle

ASTROGUIDE Hemalamba: Uttarayana Thithi: Magha Shuddha Shashti till 4.34 pm Star: Uttarabhadra till 8.05 am Varjyam: 8.18 pm to 9.55 pm Durmuhurtam: 9.07 am to 9.51 am; 11.10 pm to 12.02 am Rahukalam: 3 pm to 4.30 pm HIJRI CALENDAR Jamadi-Ul-Awwal 26,1439 AH PRAYERS Fajar: 5.43 am Zohar: 12.38 pm Asar: 4.30 pm Maghrib: 6.12 pm Isha: 7.32 pm

SPORTS

■ CHINA TOPPED the Trust Index among both the informed public and the general population segments, with scores of 83 and 74 respectively. India stood third in both the categories. eral population segments, with scores of 83 and 74 respectively. India stood third in both the categories with scores of 77 in case of informed public and 68 in general population.

Indonesia stood second.

The findings are based

■ Page 13: US too saw a decline in trust

Jagan: Will tie up with BJP for SCS

PINTO DEEPAK | DC

KIRAN REDDY ALTHURU | DC

HYDERABAD JAN. 22

TIRUPATI, JAN. 22

An inspector of Kalwakuthy police in Nagarkurnool was slippered by the husband of a fellow officer who caught the two together in his house.

Inspector Y. Mallikarjuna Reddy, who is also married, was charged with adultery, trespassing and criminal intimidation.

The woman officer is additional SP of the ACB. Her husband had been away from for a fortnight, but returned on Sunday at about 11.30 pm, after being tipped off by the watchman. He found everything normal and went off but returned at 2.30 am to find his wife with Inspector Reddy.

YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday said the party was ready to go with the BJP in the 2019 elections if the Centre announced special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

He was speaking to a national news channel.

Mr Reddy was repeating a statement he had made earlier, but this comes in the run-up to the elections. Besides, Mr Reddy had a surprise meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi some months ago. When asked, a senior YSRC president told this newspaper: "We have good relations with BJP, but it doesn't mean that we will join hands with it. It could be any national party that would benefit Andhra Pradesh

■ Pg3: Cops to face action

on an online survey of more than 33,000 respondents in 28 countries. The fieldwork was conducted between October 28 and November 20, 2017.

“China's trust scores are nearly matched by India, the UAE, Indonesia and Singapore, while the Western democracies languish in distruster territory, challenging the traditional geopolitical vision of satisfaction with systems,” the report said. As per the survey, India was among the six countries with extreme trust losses which was topped by the US. — PTI

THE GREAT | DIVIDE ■ India’s

Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy by giving special category status.”

It was stated that the recent friction between TD and BJP leaders could lay the ground for a YSRC tie-up with the BJP. It was pointed out that AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu could only meet Mr Modi after a year. YSRC MP Vijaya Sai Reddy has also got appointments with the PM several times for one-on-one interactions.

■ Page 7: Naidu misleading people: Jagan

Observing that the death of CBI special judge B.H. Loya was a “serious issue”, the Supreme Court on Monday called for the entire records of the case and said it will examine the materials dispassionately and objectively before deciding whether to order a further probe into his mysterious death.

A three-member bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud orally observed: “If a judge in the district judiciary has died and there are several media reports urging us to look at it and intervene, it becomes serious enough for us to examine the issue dispassionately.

“But we can’t press our hands only on the basis of media reports. We will have to look at the matter with a sense of objectivity and we assure you about that.”

The bench also cautioned lawyers not to refer to the

■ Transfers to itself the petitions pending before the Bombay High Court.

LOYA CASE If need be, SC may order an inquiry into the the death of Judge Loya.

SC BENCH

■ Special CBI judge B.H. Loya who was hearing the sensitive Sohrabuddin fake encounter case allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014.

BJP chief Amit Shah who was also an accused in the case was later discharged.

name of BJP president Amit Shah and to cast aspersions on him as he was not before the court.

The bench, asking all the parties in the matter to submit the documents available with them in a sealed cover, also transferred to itself for hearing two writ petitions that are pending before the Bombay High Court. The

bench also restrained all High Courts, including the Bombay High Court, from entertaining any similar plea until it decides on the matter one way or the other.

The order came after senior advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Maharashtra government, submitted a confidential

CREAMY LAYER: SC SEEKS VIEW

Guj. serial blasts accused nabbed

DC CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

DC CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre on a writ petition seeking exclusion of “creamy layer” from among the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes from the purview of reservation as they are taking away the benefits due for the poor and downtrodden strata of SC/ST. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud issue notice on the petition filed by Rajasthan based Samta Andolan Samiti and nine members of this society who belong to the poor and downtrodden strata of the SC/ST. The petitioners said they are approaching this court for protection of their fundamental rights as the creamy layer in the SC/ST Communities are siphoning off of the reservation benefits given to them by the state government as well as the Central government.

Thus, the benefits of reservation policy are not percolating down to the people.

■ Page 8: SC told benefits of quota not reaching all

The 2008 Gujarat bombings mastermind Abdul Subhan Qureshi has been arrested by the Delhi police following an exchange of fire, days ahead of Republic Day, the police said on Monday.

Qureshi, co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and linked to the Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi), was arrested from Ghazipur in East Delhi on Saturday.

The Ahmedabad bombings were a series of as many as 21 bomb blasts that had hit the city on July 26, 2008, within a span of 70 minutes. As many as 56 people were killed and over 200 people were injured.

DCP Pramod Kushwaha (special cell), said Qureshi

■ NOT JUST in Ahmedabad bombings, Qureshi was also wanted by the National Investigation Agency other terror attacks — Delhi, Bengaluru, and 2006 Mumbai local train bombings. was living with forged documents in Nepal. He came back to India to revive the Indian Mujahideen.

“We have arrested India’s most wanted terrorist Abdul Subhan Qureshi, who is also the founder of Indian Mujahideen. He was again trying to revive Indian Mujahideen,” Mr Kushwaha said.

■ Page 8: Accused was planning revival of IM

PAK SAYS WON’T ALLOW UN TEAM DIRECT ACCESS TO HAFIZ Islamabad, Jan. 22: Pakistan will not allow the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions monitoring committee any direct access to Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed or his entities, a media report said on Monday.

Due to pressure from the US, the monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will visiting Islamabad this week for an assessment of Islamabad’s compliance with the world body’s sanctions regime.

— PTI ■ Full report on Page 8

poorest half of 67 crore saw their wealth rise by just 1 per cent

CHECK THIS OUT ■ It will take 941 years for a minimum wage worker in rural India to earn what the top paid executive at a leading Indian garment firm earns in a year

■ In the US, it takes over one working day for a CEO to earn what an ■ Survey respondents in the US, ordinary workUK and India favoured 60 per er makes in a cent pay cut for CEOs. year.

■ Billionaires’ `20.7 lakh crore can provide for 85 per cent of states' budget on health, education. poorest half of population saw no increase in their wealth.

The annual Oxfam survey is keenly watched and is discussed in detail at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting where rising income and gender inequality is among talk-

ing points. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the WEF meeting in Davos, Oxfam India urged the government to ensure that the country’s economy works for everyone.

— PTI ■ Another report on Page 13

India ranks behind Pak DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

Hours before PM Narendra Modi showcases India before the global investors’ community at Davos, Switzerland, the nation was ranked at 62nd place among the emerging economies on an Inclusive Development Index, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report said. India ranks much below China’s 26th position and even Pakistan’s 47th. India had been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies last year.

Norway remains the world’s most inclusive

■ In November last year, his sister raised suspicions over his death.

■ Loya issue was again raised by four senior-most SC judges on January13.

Page 8

PADMAAVAT CASE TODAY inquiry report to the Supreme Court. Mr Salve informed the bench that after the publication of various media reports, a discreet inquiry was instituted to examine the circumstances in which Judge Loya had died in December 2014.

■ Page 8: Attempt to conceal facts: Counsel

AAP TAKES BACK PLEA FROM COURT DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

The 20 disqualified AAP MLAs on Monday withdrew their application from the Delhi High Court challenging the EC’s recommendation in the office-of-profit case, saying they would file a fresh plea after examining the notification for their disqualification.

Justice Rekha Palli allowed the MLAs to withdraw their plea.

Advocate Amit Sharma, appearing for the EC, also said that in view of the government notification after the President’s assent, the applications have become infructuous.

The legislators had filed the applications in the main pending petition in which they had challenged the EC’s stand to examine a complaint against them for holding office-of-profit.

■ Page 8: Final hearing on AAP MLAs on March 20

CBI TO FILE FRESH PLEA IN 2G SCAM DC CORRESPONDENT

India’s richest 1% corner 73% of wealth Davos, Jan. 22: The richest one per cent in India cornered 73 per cent of the wealth generated in the country last year, a new survey showed on Monday, presenting a worrisome picture of rising income inequality.

Besides, 67 crore Indians comprising population’s poorest half saw their wealth rise by just one per cent, as per the survey released by the international rights group Oxfam hours before the start of the annual congregation of the rich and powerful from across the world in this resort town. The situation appears grim globally, where 82 per cent of the wealth generated last year worldwide went to the one per cent, while 370 crore people that account for the

■ Posts matter for further hearing on February 2.

SCALE OF 79 NATIONS ■ CHINA: 15th place ■ PAKISTAN: 52nd ■ INDIA: 60th place THE INDEX ■ Living standards ■ Environmental sustainability ■ Protection of future generations from further indebtedness advanced economy, while Lithuania again tops the list of emerging economies, the WEF said.

Mr Modi, who is the first

Indian Prime Minister in over 20 years to attend the WEF annual event, will meet over 120 CEOs of top multinational corporations at Davos. The PM will deliver the keynote speech at the WEF’s plenary session on Tuesday.

Of the three pillars that make up the index, India ranks 72nd for inclusion, 66th for growth and development and 44th for intergenerational equity. The neighbouring countries ranked above India include Sri Lanka (40), Bangladesh (34) and Nepal (22).

■ Page 13: India tagged ‘advancing’ among EMs

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

After receiving a formal approval from the Union law ministry, the CBI is now preparing to file an appeal in the 2G scam case wherein all the accused were acquitted by the trial court in the High Court.

A special CBI court, presided over by judge O.P. Saini, recently acquitted all 16 accused, including former communications minister A. Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G scam case.

The Union law ministry, sources said, also advised the Central probe agency to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad high court’s decision in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case. The High Court acquitted Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the double murder case.

Hemraj's wife had also moved the Supreme Court last month.

City

Uttam says he has information Modi has okayed delimitation of Assembly seats, local BJP leaders do not know about it DECCAN CHRONICLE

Nothing wrong if Pawan Kalyan decides to study issues facing AP — Ganta Srinivasa Rao AP minister

OTHER

STORIES

INFECTION RISKS FROM ANIMALS ON THE RISE DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Seventy-five per cent of the infectious diseases affecting humans have originated in animals. The cause of contracting these diseases is neglect of environment i.e. contamination, pollution and degradation of air, water and land.

These disruptions are leading to cross-species infections and disease transmission. The Indian Medical Association has appealed to the government to start a ‘one health programme’ that will enable study and proper understanding of disease outbreaks.

Dr K. K. Aggarwal, former president of IMA, said, “It is becoming very important to consult animal healthcare professionals, environmentalists and agriculture professionals and work collaboratively to develop solutions for these emerging problems. Crossinfections have been noticed over the last three decades.

And with withering forest cover, more and more animals are getting closer to human habitation on urban outskirts.

This is increasing the risk.”

The IMA insists that a ‘one health programme’ will get specialists of all fields under one umbrella and help deal with the issue.

Recent outbreaks of swine flu and glanders in animals have created an alarming situation, increasing the need to safeguard human health.

There is a demand to incorporate this concept in the forthcoming Budget so that there is better co-ordination among departments which will pave way for preventive care.

OGH DOCS, STAFF HOLD STIR, SEEK NEW PREMISES DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Doctors, paramedical staff and nurses of Osmania General Hospital protested outside the gates for one hour in the afternoon to remind Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to keep his promise of building new premises for the hospital.

The joint action committee has taken recourse to protests claiming that their efforts to communicate to the government on the issue via doctors’ association and the director of health and medical education had not yielded any results.

Joint action committee incharge Dr O. P. Naik said, “We will hold protest for one hour every day. If the government fails to address our issues, we will stop providing all elective services next week.”

The medical team at OGH is upset over a shortfall of nurses, 100 paramedical staff and 60 doctors at the hospital which has affected its functioning as also the quality of medical care to patients. A senior doctor said, “After the recent promotions, there is a major deficit of staff at the middle level which is affecting the medical care.”

According to sources, the medical team at OGH is sore that the hospital has not been given the due attention which has caused a major delay in setting up of a new hospital building. Hospital staff said drainage system in the old building was collapsing because of which drains were overflowing constantly. This had become a major sanitation issue affecting the patients and doctors. A senior doctor said, “The functioning of the hospital hasn’t changed even after the appointment of a new sanitation contractor. The number of people working at the hospital is much lower than what is shown on paper.”

■ THE MEDICAL TEAM at OGH is sore that the hospital has not been given the due attention which has caused a major delay in setting up of a new hospital building.

PAGE

2

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

NOT SO SWACHH

Posh Cyberabad has no public loos to pee ■ Cabbies, labourers relieve themselves at corners NAVEENA GHANATE | DC

■ ON THE STRETCH from Cyber Towers towards Biodiversity junction too there are no toilet facilities. According to the Swachh Bharat Mission, mandate for urban areas, there should be at least one public toilet within every one km of city space.

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Driving down to Cyberabad you will notice shiny buildings on swank thoroughfares.

And these buildings house scores of offices of large businesses that have all the amenities you can think of.

But that pampering ends the moment you step out of the gates. All is not well outside. The surroundings lack the most basic of amenities – toilets. There are just no public lavatories around the place.

So, what you get is cabbies and construction workers relieving themselves at the nearest corner they can find. Officegoers and the occasional visitor also go for a leak behind the wall for lack of a public lavatory. So much for the city’s Open Defecation Free (ODF) tag and Swachh Bharat Mission.

The area near Mind Space junction where construction for a flyover is going on is teeming with traffic, pedestrians and workers.

A male construction worker, said, “We live in sheds provided to us close to the construction site where there is no toilet facility. I do not know where the nearest facility is and have never been able to access one. Most of the time, I relieve myself in the bushes or in the open land.”

On the stretch from Cyber Towers towards Biodiversity junction too there are no toilet facilities. According to the Swachh Bharat Mission, mandate for urban areas, there should be at least one public toilet within every one km of city space.

In addition, any place that has more than 10 people carrying out construction activity should have toilets for the workers.

If at all, the GHMC often checks for things like building safety and fire safety norms but seldom does it enquire into amenities provided at construction sites.

On the other hand, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSIIC) allocates a separate plot of land for temporary shelters for industrial construction workers.

According to TSIIC zonal manager, “During the construction phase, we lease out a portion of the land to contractors for sheds for the workers.

It is the duty of the executing agency to provide

■ THE GHMC often checks for things like building safety and fire safety norms but seldom does it enquire into amenities provided at construction sites.

A man pees at the side of the road in the posh Cyberabad area.

Wanted: Zero discharge toilets in IT corridor DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

There are more bus stops in the Cyberabad area managed by Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited than toilets.

The civic wing of the TSIIC, Industrial Area Local Authority (IALA), has not installed even one toilet in the industrial corridor.

IALA currently maintains roads, street lights, storm water drains, greenery, central medians and bus stops. The corridor has about 15 bus stops, some of them even air-conditioned.

Several cab drivers do trips in the industrial corridor and not all of them work for companies. A cab driver, Manikanta Kumar, said, toilets to workers and creches for their children.”

According to experts on the issues, most of the agencies do not penalise the contractors for not providing toilet facilities for fear of delay in the progress of the project.

Former national president of Credai, C. Shekar Reddy, said, “Professional builders and developers do provide facilities to the construction workers.

They even provide creches for kids as the construction activity may go on for two-three years. However, it is often the contractors who provide small huts and shirk

Representative picture of green toilets.

“We work at odd-hours and remain outdoors often. There are times when we need to use lavatories but there are very few here. It would be really good if the authorities build toilets close to the IT companies.”

Several techies use TSIIC bus stops and need toilets too.

According to a zonal manager of TSIIC, “There isn’t proper sewerage network in this

area due to the rocky nature of the terrain. So the toilets will have to be such that there is zero discharge outside the place. We are open to building 10-15 toilets under the Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode. But we are looking at ‘green toilets’.”

The TSIIC exercises statutory powers and functions of local bodies in the industrial parks falling under municipalities, corporations and gram panchayats.

Any toilets built would be pay-and-use facilities. TSIIC has been following a similar approach with bus stops where land is allocated to the contractor who maintains them while the advertisement hoardings fetch revenue for the civic authority.

the rest of their responsibility.”

Since the construction activities are long-term, especially in Cyberabad area, Mr Reddy suggests having transit accommodation.

“A lot of these labourers are seasonal workers.

Since labour cess is charged and there is money available, having a transit accommodation as a permanent asset would benefit both the government and workers.”

When a permanent facility is built, then the contractor need not worry about housing. He can instead concentrate on providing transport

and toilet facilities to workers. However, lack of lavatories in Cyberabad area is one serious drawback of the otherwise well-developed area.

GHMC west zone commissioner Hari Chandana Dasari said, “We received complaints of open defecation near Meenakshi Towers where construction is happening, so we put up toilets there and also near Nallagandla. But since some of the owners did not consent to build toilets, we recently got restaurants, hotels, petrol pumps and shopping malls to agree to allow their toilets facilities for public use.”

Top: Couples with their children participate in Aksharabyasam on the occassion of Vasantha Panchami at Gnana Saraswathi temple at Musheerabad on Monday.

Right: School children attend a puja performed on the ocassion of Vasantha Panchami in Karimnagar on — DC Monday.

Soon Bill for Telugu must in all schools

SHORTAGE OF SAND MAY HALT 2BHK PROJECT

S.N.C.N. ACHARYULU I DC

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

More than a month after the announcement, the TS government is yet to issue orders making Telugu compulsory from Classes I to XII in all educational institutions. It is instead drafting a law for this purposes.

An official said that the government was working on a Bill to make Telugu compulsory instead of issuing an order which could be challenged in courts. An official of education department said that the Bill for this would be introduced in the ensuing Assembly Session.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced at the recent World Telugu Conference and earlier too that the government would make Telugu compulsory in all educational institutions from the next academic year.

The government earlier felt that issuing orders would be enough for implementing the programme. There are previous government orders making Telugu compulsory in educational institutions. A senior official said most educational institutions were not implementing the orders.

The official said that the state has Marathi, Tamil and Kannada schools, apart from those affiliated to the CBSE and ICSC. The government thought

■ ALL EDUCATIONAL institutions, including CBSE, ICSC, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada and Urdu medium schools, would have to teach Telugu and there would be no exemption. that unless it brought an Act, it would not be possible to implement this in all government and private educational institutions.

At present, the draft Bill was under scrutiny of the law department. Once the department cleared it, the government was expected to introduce the Bill in the Assembly. An official of education department looking after this issue said, “The state government wants to implement the making of Telugu language compulsory very strictly in all educational institutions. For this the government is bringing an Act.” He said all educational institutions, including CBSE, ICSC, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada and Urdu medium schools, would have to teach Telugu and there would be no exemption. The committee appointed by the state government on this issue suggested bringing the new Act and as issuing of a GO would not be enough.

If a GO was issued, some could go to court against that and get exemption, said an officer of law department.

NO | FOLLOW UP ■ Most cases referred to different agencies, where they languish in obscurity

Liquor scam buried under layers of apathy LONG ARM OF THE LAW

COREENA SUARES I DC HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The ‘Liquor Syndicate Scam’ is being buried slowly but surely. It’s been eight years since the swindle involving bureaucrats was exposed. The Special Investigating Team (SIT) filed its report in 2012. But prosecution hasn’t followed up this multi-crore fraud.

When the giant liquor scam that cost the exchequer `1,300 crore was unearthed in 2010, the then government appointed a SIT headed by the director general of police (Anti Corruption Bureau) to enquire into the matter. The SIT registered 48 cases against a whopping 1,119 officials and 174 non officials.

The SIT recommended prosecution of the 1,119 officials. However, the ACB was spurned several times by the revenue department, at Secretariat level.

Approval to prosecute just 20 persons was given to the ACB; the rest were referred to different agencies, where they languish in convenient obscurity. About 16 cases were diverted to

ACB’S REPORT OF DEPARTMENT WISE OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN LIQUOR SYNDICATE CASES FROM JANUARY 1, 2011 TO DECEMBER 31, 2012

869 Revenue (Prohibition & Excise ) 247 Home Department

CASES REGISTERED

48 Cases registered 174 Non- officials involved

1General Administration employment 1Labour training & factories 1,118

Total

the Commissioner of Inquiries (CoI), 20 to the Tribunal for Disciplinary Proceedings (TDP), and nine to departmental enquiry.

Here is the largely stagnant status of these cases, The revenue department said 16 cases had been referred to the CoI, but the CoI, in reply to an RTI query, revealed: “Out of 16 only one case reached CoI and is pending, and there

is no track of the remaining 15.”

Twenty cases were referred to the Tribunal for Disciplinary Proceedings (TDP). The post of Judicial officer (third member) in the TDP has been vacant since 2014 except for two months in 2016 and there is no supporting staff. Hundreds of cases are put in pending files. Of the 20 cases referred,

enquiry has been initiated in just two cases.

The nine cases referred for departmental enquiry seem to be largely an eye wash as this statement from the revenue department of the TS indicates: “The enquiry process is going on in nine cases which are pending at different stages and after receipt of the reports, further action will be taken.”

Move to water down Nayeem’s case DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

While investigations in the gangster Nayeem case are progressing, several moves are underway to water down the probe to prevent as the gangster’s connections with government officials from getting exposed, say activists.

The government had constituted an SIT to inquire into the crimes committed by the gangster who was killed in an encounter.

Forum For Good Governance secretary Padmanabha Reddy said, “Illegalities committed by Nayeem are not confined to Telangana. He was active in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Goa and Odisha. The inquiry is bringing to light irregularities committed by him in connivance with officials

■ THE PROBE IN the drug bust of July last year suffered a blow when the drug racket’s alleged kingpin Calvin Mascarenhas walked out after getting bail in January. in revenue and registrations departments. It looks like the government has given a go-slow signal in the case.”

Also, the probe in the drug bust of July last year suffered a blow when the drug racket’s alleged kingpin Calvin Mascarenhas walked out after getting bail in January as the prosecution failed to file a chargesheet in the case.

The racket also exposed the dark side of the Telugu film industry with 12 of its prominent personalities were grilled by the SIT for their alleged involvement in the racket.

DC CORRESPONDENT After the non-availability of steel, fine sand is putting spokes into the double bedroom project for the urban poor under the GHMC limit.

The 2BHK project requires 5 lakh cubic metres of fine sand and the civic house does not even possess 5 cubic metres at present, said a senior GHMC official.

The corporation has identified that it would fall short of fine sand to construct 1 lakh 2BHK houses within a week.

Due to its non-availability, plastering work on 176 2BHK units at Singam Cheruvu (Thanda), Uppal, is hit.

To stave off a crisis, the corporation has informed the government about the shortage.

A senior official said that even though the corporation can manage with rough sand it would not give strength to the construction.

He said that the 2BHK project might be halted if the situation continues as construction of 90,000 2BHK houses in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal and Sanga Reddy districts have already started.

Earlier this month, builders locked horns with the GHMC over escalation in steel prices. They demanded a hike in the unit cost of the 2BHK project and threatened to compromise on quality.

The steel prices were hovering around `30,000 per tonne in 2015 when the agreement for the 2BHK housing project was inked.

The prices rose to `47,000 per tonne in 2017 and are expected to reach `50,000 per tonne shortly. About the price escalation, the official said that it would be resolved through a series of meetings.

■ THE 2BHK PROJECT requires 5 lakh cubic metres of fine sand and the civic house does not even possess 5 cubic metres at present.

■ DUE TO THE NON-AVAILABILITY, plastering work on 176 2BHK units at Singam Cheruvu (Thanda), Uppal, is hit. To stave off a crisis, the corporation has informed the government about the shortage.

City

Congress’ Ponguleti asks KCR to lead all-party delegation to Modi to represent pending issues DECCAN CHRONICLE

There was no hidden agenda to Pawan Kalyan’s recent meeting with KCR — Karne Prabhakar TRS MLC

POWER | SHUTDOWN 10am to 5pm: Underground cable Lambadi basthi, Kanakadurga apartments, Sunday market, AP Dairy Area, Nagarjuna Nagar, Garonda Builder apartment, Mullapudi DTR, David memorial college, Shoutha Sriram, Ram takies, Iska Bavi, Shanthi Nagar, Lalapet Masji area, Chintal Sunday market, AP diary, Srinivas Apartment, Water tank area, Aryan Nagar, Shantinagar bus stop area, Vidya niketan,St Ann’s junior college, Bank of Baroda, Dwarka Apartment, Tarnaka, Vijaypuri, Chenna Reddy, Lalapet.

IN

BRIEF

CITY GIRL WINS U.S. INTERNSHIP DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

A MA student in Building Science Research at IIITHyderabad, Sneha Jain, has been awarded a prestigious internship to work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), USA for six months.

The Building Energy Efficiency Higher And Advanced Network (BHAVAN) internship is the result of collaborative efforts between the Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India and the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF).

Of the 12 students selected for the internship across India, Sneha is the only one from Hyderabad and her research focuses on strategies to minimize glare and overheating in buildings especially due to the emerging trend of glass facades.

CITY ZOO GETS LANGUR PAIR, MACAQUE DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Nehru Zoological Park released a pair of lion tailed macaque and a pair of hanuman langur in the newly constructed kraal on Monday.

The event was attended by Manoranjan Bhanja, PCCF Wildlife and other zoo officials.

The officials then took a tour of the zoo park following which a few suggestions were put forth to enrich animal enclosures, gardens and other features in the zoological park.

RAILWAY | MESS

Japan, Korea keen to fund Metro phase-2 ■ Further talks after government submits project report DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Investments from South Korea and Japan for the second phase of Hyderabad Metro Rail are expected only after the project report is submitted with all details, performance of the first phase and also government policy.

While the project received appreciation from investors and bankers of South Korea and Japan, the actual works would begin only much later. Hyderabad Metro Rail managing director N.V.S. Reddy said, “Our first round of deliberations and also the pitch note for the investments have shown encouraging results. We are optimistic that these countries are showing interest. But it would take time to materialise.”

Presently, only a preliminary feasibility report has have been prepared on Phase 2 as the government is keen that the Metro Rail project must connect the Shamshabad airport.

The TS government is looking for investors outside India to avail of the latest technology. There had also been talks for mono rail. Mr Reddy said, “Other means of public transport like mono rail are only going to complement Metro Rail. The only objective is to strengthen public transport and get private vehicles off the road.”

Work is on in full swing for the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Sation near the Metro station at Musi river in the city.

— DC

KANIZA GARARI | DC

Escalators at Metro Rail’s Prakashnagar and Begumpet stations stopped suddenly on Monday, leading to rumours that they had been switched off due to poor footfall. The staff was seen asking people to take the stairs or the lifts.

Asked about it, a senior L&T officer said maintenance work was being carried out on the escala-

tor but it proceeded slowly due to shortage of staff. “A few passengers must have faced inconvenience,” he said The number of commuters has fallen to between 50,000 and 80,000 per day, and joy-riders are not seen even on weekends.

Hyderabad Metro Rail managing director N.V.S. Reddy said, “We are happy with the numbers.

These are our real customers.”

He said the staff was

concentrating on connecting HiTec City by June. Besides, Phase I has to be completed by November.

A senior L&T senior officer said staff had been shifted to the stretches leading to HiTec City and LB Nagar.

Once this is complete, they will be shifted to the JBS and MGBS stretches where viaducts are being installed on the track, while electrification remains to be done.

GHMC to restore pots at HiTec City for IT meet

NEET 2018 TO BE HELD ON MAY 6: CBSE OFFICAL

DC CORRESPONDENT

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

DC CORRESPONDENT

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Animal-shaped plantholders and plants, removed after the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, would be restored in view of the World IT Conference (WCIT). Several hundreds of plants from vertical gardens and about 58 plant-holders had been stolen from Hitex, KondapurGachibowli Road.

A GHMC official said, "In Madhapur, only three plants were recovered from a person’s house and about 100 of small pots removed from the vertical garden were recovered from a slum in Izzatnagar."

Cases had been registered against thefts in Madhapur, Raidurgam and Gachibowli police stations, but no animalshaped plant-holders has been recovered yet.

■ Despite

The pot-holders, costing about `6,000 each, were reportedly stolen in Innovas as they were about 4-ft high and weighed about 10 kg each. While police from Madhapur and Gachibowli were investigating the issue, GHMC was working in co-ordination with the Cyberabad police to instal CCTV cameras before putting up the plants again.

While GHMC would be apparently paying for the CCTV cameras,

police officials would be monitoring them.

GHMC West Zone commissioner Harichandana Dasari said, "Once the CCTV cameras are in place, we will place the pots and fix them permanently to the ground. These will be put up before the IT conference commences."

The plant-holders were purchased using donations made by several private firms in Cyberabad as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The CBSE will conduct Neet 2018 on May 6 for admission in MBBS and BDS in all medical and dental colleges except Aiims and Jipmer, Puducherry.

The test will be conducted in English, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. The date has been communicated to all organisations conducting public examinations so that their dates do not clash wth Neet.

Mr Sanyam Bhardwaj, joint secretary, CBSE, communicated the date to all exam boards to avoid the clash with Neet. The notification which will be issued before January 30 will have more details. Last year over 11 lakh students appeared for NEET exam which was held on May 7.

high-tech facilities, trains and toilets still remain dirty

Untidy coaches leave passengers sore ANUSHA PUPPALA | DC HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Despite high-tech facilities like SMS to get train coach or toilets cleaned and coach-mitra services provided by Indian Railways, trains and toilets still remained untidy.

Passengers from Hyderabad were unhappy with the poor condition of toilets and lack of water in train washrooms. They said they were not even aware of whom to complain and about SMS alert for train clean-ups. This was owing to lack of awareness-creation by authorities concerned.

City passengers alleged that even second AC trains were stinking and unhygienic and there was water scarcity. Leftover food and empty disposable tea and coffee cups and snacks were all over the place in front of the wash basin and at the door of toilets and on the bridge between coaches.

Though it was common habit with passengers to leave the left overs under

Waste and leftovers spill out of overflowing bins near the washroom in the train. —DC the seats and near the bins, it was the responsibility cleaners to maintain the coaches, said passengers.

Mr Parit Jain of Kacheguda told this newspaper, “My wife was travelling from Secunderabad to Rajkot in Rajkot Express which had the worst clean-

ing service. At the time of boarding, the dustbin was almost full with the plastic water bottles, disposable plates and tea cups. We complained to the attendant many times but he didn't respond.”

The ticket examiner blamed the passengers and

continued with his work.

Fellow passengers requested the cleaning staff to clean the compartment but they did not respond, he said. The toilets were dirty and there was no water.

An annoyed passenger, Mr Hardi Tukaria, said, “When the condition of

second AC is so bad, we can imagine the conditions of the sleeper class passengers. Why do we have to pay such a huge amount to travel in second AC when we are getting such bad environment in the train?”

He said even if the passengers were careless, the staff should have cleaned the trains. “We had no idea of facilities like SMS services as there was no awareness created by the authorities. Otherwise we would have used the facility.”

A South Central Railway spokesperson said, “We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers and will that this sort of incident does not happen in the future.” He said the railways had a facility where a passenger can SMS his or her PNR number to 58888 based on which our system tracks the train and the complaint will be acknowledged and attended to immediately.

If a GO was issued, some could go to court against that and get exemption, said an officer of law department.

3

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

NET on July 8, scheme revised

10 FOREIGN, FIVE LOCAL STUDENTS CAUGHT CHEATING

DC CORRESPONDENT

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The UGC on Monday said the National Eligibility Test (NET) will be held on July 8.

The NET is a qualifying exam for teaching positions in higher educational institutions.

According to a short notification from CBSE, the exam will be conducted under a revised scheme this year.

There would be two papers for every subject as opposed to four earlier. Both the papers would carry 100 marks each.

The first would be common across streams with 50 questions that are compulsory. The second paper would be based on the subject selected by the candidate.

The notification said the first paper would test the reasoning ability, general awareness and teaching or research aptitude of the candi-

■ CBSE declared that there would be two papers for every subject as opposed to four earlier. Both the papers would carry 100 marks each. date.

Another change in the upcoming NET is that the age limit for Junior Research Fellowship has been raised to 30 from the present 28.

The detailed notification would be released by the first week of February and online applications would be available between March 6 and April 5. Universities in the state have already begun coaching for NET. MANUU would be conducting classes from March to May for Paper-I and for Paper II in Urdu, English, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, public administration and political science.

Escalators stop at 2 Metro stations, trigger rumours Cop to face action HYDERABAD, JULY 1

PAGE

for illicit relation DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

An inspector of Kalwakuthy police in Nagarkurnool was beaten with slippers by the husband of a fellow officer who caught the two together in his house.

The inspector rushed out of the flat but was caught by a family member of the woman officer and was badly beaten up with chappals!

Alerted to this drama by passersby, the KPHB cops rushed to the spot, but could not do much as it was a family dispute.

Based on husband's complaint with DCP Madhapur, a case was registered at the KPHB police station against the inspector.

The husband told the police that Mallikarjuna Reddy had trapped his wife and entered into an affair with her. He admitted to being suspicious of his wife and checked her Whatsapp conversations and chats. The couple

■ BASED on a complaint by the husband with DCP Madhapur, a case was registered at the KPHB police station against the inspector. had differences and had been staying apart often.

“A case is registered.

We are collecting all evidences and CC footage at the apartment.

A detailed report will be sent to SP, Nagarkurnool, for action.” said Mr Vishwaprasad, DCP Madhapur.

According to sources, while Mallikarjuna Reddy is likely to face suspension, the woman officer may be relieved from her posting and attached to the headquarters. “Though there may not be legal action, as she is considered a victim, there may be action on grounds of moral conduct,” the source said.

DC CORRESPONDENT Ten foreign and five local students were caught cheating in the semester exam on Monday at Arts College Osmania University. The 10 foreign students were from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

The students were caught cheating through chits and mobile phones. College principal D. Ravinder warned the students and said that if they were caught a second time, they would be debarred from writing all exams this semester.

Semester exams began for postgraduate students of Osmania University on Monday.

The 15 students were taking their examination in Master of Arts (MA) third semester in subjects like Urdu and linguistics.

Though cellphones are prohibited in the examination hall, they were found using them.

The principal said that 634 students appeared for the third semester exams from 22 different departments. Of them 15 were caught cheating by the special squad.

“We have warned the students for the first time but they will be barred if they repeat it. I have implemented strict monitoring with the help of my team and we caught the students cheating.

We have also alerted other students to avoid such malpractices in the university examinations,” Mr Ravinder said.

■ THE 15 STUDENTS were taking their examination in Master of Arts (MA) third semester in subjects like Urdu and linguistics.

■ COLLEGE PRINCIPAL warned the students that if they were caught a second time, they would be debarred from writing all exams this semester.

City

CPI’s Narayana not to attend Governor’s Republic Day ‘At Home’ due to his recent statements which are “not proper” DECCAN CHRONICLE

My politics will not have any connection with Chiranjeevi; I will not focus on films.

— Pawan Kalyan Jana Sena chief

IN

BRIEF

Fire accident at Khairatabad RTO Hyderabad: A minor fire which broke out at Khairatabad Regional Transport Office (RTO) has burnt down the old record files on Monday, said the fire officials. Short circuit in the old building at Hyderabad’s joint transport commissioner’s office is said to be the reason for the mishap, RTO authorities said. The mishap occurred around 3 pm was put out by the fire control team in an hour.

Anganwadi teacher dies in road mishap Warangal: An Anganwadi teacher, B. Tara, 30, died in a road accident on Monday at Gattamma temple near Mulugu in Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district when a lorry rammed into her twowheeler. According to Mulugu DSP Raghavender Reddy, the victim’s husband Ravi Kumar was taking her to an ICDS meeting at Mulugu from Bhagya thanda of Kodishalakunta when a truck hit them from behind. While her husband fell on the side of the road, Tara directly came under the wheels of the truck and succumbed to her injuries. Village sarpanch Bokka Sathi Reddy demanded stringent action against the driver and demanded an ex-gratia of `10 lakh to be given to Tara’s family. She is survived by two daughters and a son.

1 KILLED AS LORRY OVERTURNS DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

A labourer was killed and four others injured when the lorry they were travelling in over turned in Siddipet on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Trinath, 21, and the injured were Jama Bhai, Anji, Bheema and Mohan, police said. The men were travelling from Siddipet to the city when the driver Yedla Tirupathi Reddy lost control of the vehicle due to a punctured tyre.

The vehicle overturned killing Trinath on the spot and injuring the others, said a police official in Siddipet.

The body of the deceased was shifted for a post-mortem.

11 ATTACKED EX-NAVAL OFFICER, HELD DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD JAN. 22

Humayun Nagar police on Monday arrested 11 men involved in an attack on a retired Navy officer earlier this month.

The victim, identified as Ikram Ali Kaleem, 56, was attacked by assailants in his parking lot just as he was returning to his house at Elegance Apartments on January 10.

The main conspirator in the attack case was identified as Saud Amoodi, 38, who had land disputes and rivalry with Mr Kaleem.

“Saud Amoodi wanted to occupy a hotel built on contract land, including land belonging to Mr Kaleem which was adjacent to the hotel land.

He hatched a plan to eliminate Mr Kaleem with the help of his associate Hussain Mohammed Farooq and others. They even engaged one Aizaz Ahmed and his son Adnan Ahmed `50 lakh to carry out the murder,” said West Zone DCP A. Venkateswara Rao. As per plan, the gang approached victim’s house and attacked him with the intention to kill him.

Police collected material evidence including CCTV footage relating to the offence and formed eight special teams to apprehend the assailants.

Survey to keep vigil on criminals draws flak ■ Citizens call it breach of privacy by the police NAVEEN KUMAR | DC HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The ongoing Sakala Nerastula Samagra Survey has met with objections from unexpected quarters. The geo-tagging of residences under the criminals’ survey has the public bear the brunt. They allege breach of privacy by the police. The survey, started with much fanfare, has not touched politicians who are involved in various cases. So, it has failed to generate any political heat in the state.

The survey claimed its first victim in 23-yearold degree student Vemula Prashanth Goud from Nalgonda district who committed suicide on January 19. He was arrested nine years ago in a bike theft case and the court had acquitted

PREGNANT WOMAN DIES, KIN BLAME HOSPITAL DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD JAN. 22

FAILED SURVEY ■ THE SURVEY, started with much fanfare, has not touched politicians who are involved in various cases.

■ AS MANY offenders have done a vanishing act, the survey has no clear picture on the number of offenders surveyed so far.

him. The survey, started in January 18, instilled fear in him and he ended his life.

The police team, which called on offenders’ houses for geo-tagging, had to face opposition from house owners over loss of privacy. They said that the move will put their residences under continuous surveillance, said a resident of Kacheguda. This survey is not meant to harass anyone. It is just to keep a vigil on offenders, clarified K. Satyanarayana,

inspector from Kacheguda station. “It is a continuous process and will not be completed in a day or two. We are targeting repeated offenders to bring them under our radar,” added the official.

The team is also facing difficulties in tracing offenders at the address registered at the time of the arrest. Their current whereabouts are unknown. As per the norms, when a person is arrested, the police station under whose juris-

DC CORRESPONDENT

■ REVATHI CAME to SagarLal Hospital in Musheerabad for her delivery.

■ SHE DIED due to cardiac arrest, but her family blames the hospital of negligence.

Unidentified persons broke into the residence of Tollywood actress turned YSRC MLA Roja Selvamani and decamped with gold jewellery, silver ware and cash some days ago. The matter was reported to the police after the domestic help noticed the doors of the residence open and informed Ms Roja of it on Sunday.

Based on a complaint filed by Ms Roja’s husband, a case of theft was registered at Raidurgam police station. Police suspects the role of an insider in the theft.

Ms Roja, her husband and two kids live in the house in Panchavati Colony in Manikonda.

On January 11, she and her family left for Chennai on Sankranti vacation, leaving behind domestic help Ramalakshmi who lives in the servant quarter on the ground floor.

Police said Ramala-

DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD JAN. 22

Nine-month-old Sarvi station limits.

Sanvi, born in May 2017, had some health complications since birth for which she was undergoing treatment. About a month ago, the child was admitted to a private hospital after she fell very sick.

She remained in the hospi-

tal for about a month before discharge. Her health, however, continued to slide. Swathi jumped off the balcony of their apartment at Sai Pearl Residency with Sanvi in her arms at around 1.30 pm.

Passersby who noticed the two lying in a pool of blood immediately rushed them to hospital and alerted the police. Swathi and Sanvi were declared brought dead at the hospital. Their family members said the couple would remain very worried about Sanvi’s ill health. Police registered a case under Section 174 CrPC.

Murder accused, burglars arrested, goods seized DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Two burglars were arrested by the Rachakonda police on Monday and stolen goods worth `10.5 lakh were recovered from their possession.

Joint commissioner of police, Rachakonda, Tarun Joshi told mediapersons here that the suspects M. Amar Rajkumar Reddy, 21, and Karamtoth Santosh, 20, were friends and were committing offences since

DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

West Zone Task Force police on Monday nabbed three persons, including two women, and seized 21kg ganja from their possession at Mangalhat. The accused were identified as Mahipal

tolas of gold and a diamond were stolen from the residence. Raidurgam inspector M. Ram Babu said that the police had collected clues from the spot and started a hunt for the suspects.

According to sources, a theft occurred in the same residence a year ago also but was not reported to the police.

The owner recently noticed a few keys missing from the bunch and replaced the entire set.

The suspect had used the missing keys to open a locker kept in the almirah. Surprisingly, the suspect did not touch anything else apart from the locker.

2010.

They were involved in chain snatching, burglary and automobile theft in Meerpet, Vanasthalipuram and Hayathnagar police station limits. They were earlier arrested and lodged in prison.

After their release, the duo had committed nine offences. The duo was involved in three automobile thefts, six burglaries.

Police recovered 28 tolas of gold, 13 tolas of silver and electronic gadgets worth `10.50

lakh from their possession.

In another case, autorickshaw driver Bala Subramanyam, 30, hailing from Tamil Nadu was arrested for the death of a 65-yearold woman in March 2016.

Yadamma, who assisted him in the offence, was arrested in June 2016. Subramanyam was absconding since then. The duo had killed a woman and took her jewellery.

All the arrested were sent to remand.

OBITUARY

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Ps. 23:6

it at Mahipal’s house before selling it. About a week ago, Ravi bought 21kg ganja from Visakhapatnam and handed it over to Mahipal.

While Ravi escaped from the scene, the trio were nabbed selling the stash at Mangalhat on Monday, the police added.

BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCE

1st DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Late THIGULLA SADANAND S/o Late Thigulla Babaiah Expired on 23.01.2008

Losing Dad can be extremely difficult because we lost a source of strength, stability and consistency in our life.

Inserted by: Sons: T. Sunil Kumar, Advocate, T. Sudhir Kumar Daughters-in-Law, Daughters, Sons-in-Law, Grand Son and Grand Daughters (S/1718/D01174)

K. MURALIDHARAN PILLAI “Seventy years is the span of our days, or eighty if we are strong”.

Ps. 90:10 With loving wishes from: Wife, Sons & Daughters-in-Law

D.O.B.: 25.05.1959 D.O.D.: 23.01.2017 You are near, even if we don’t see you, You are with us, even if you are far away, “You are in our heart, in our thoughts, in our lifes always...”

Fondly remembered by Family Members

(S/1718/D01184)

(S/1718/D01183)

CLEMENT JAKKAMSETTI

10th DAY CEREMONY

OBITUARY

OM PRAKASH SAUDE

SABNAVIS VENKATA NARASIMHA MURTHY

DOB: 13.01.1951 DOD: 14.01.2018 You are always in our hearts and thoughts, you shall ever remain as our inspiration & motivator to us.

We really miss you daddy.

Inserted by: Wife, Sons-in-law & Daughters Son & Daughter-in-law & Grandchildren.

(S/1718/D01185)

21 DAY CEREMONY

1st DEATH ANNIVERSARY IN LOVING MEMORY OF

DHANALAKSHMI

(Ann Lilly Edward) DOB: 03.09.1931 DOD: 03.01.2018 Ceremony will be held on 23.01.2018.

Holy Mass at 6.15 a.m. at Holy Family Church. Prayer at 6.45 p.m. at H.No. 3-11-224, Trimulgherry Village, Opp. Foot-ball Ground.

Deeply mourned by: Sons, Daughters, Sons-in-Law, Daughters-in-Law, Grand and Great Grandchildren (S/1718/D01148)

6th VARDHANTHI

Dr. FLORA VIJAYA SOMASUNDARAM W/o Late S.A. Somasundaram Born: 08.11.1930 Called to Glory: 22.01.2018 Funeral on: 23.01.2018 For Details: 9848042737, 9848205677 Inserted by: Family

Singh, 33, Sheela Bai, 35, and Raj Kumari, 40, all residents of Mangalhat, said the police, adding that another suspect, Ravi, 25 is absconding.

According to the police, Ravi procures the contraband from Warangal and Visakhapatnam and stores

10th ANNIVERSARY

■ FOUR SILVER plates, 16 tolas of gold and a diamond were stolen from the residence.

Mother jumps off the building with ill child Despondent over her daughter’s ill health, a 30-year-old housewife jumped off the fifth floor of a building along with her sick child in Chandanagar on Monday. The deceased were identified as S. Swathi and ninemonth-old S. Sanvi.

Police said Swathi married Pradeep Kumar, working for a private firm, in 2011.

The couple and their two kids — five-yearold son and daughter Sanvi — lived at PJR enclave under Chandanagar police

3 HELD FOR GANJA TRADE, 21KG STASH SEIZED

■ POLICE SUSPECT the role of an insider in the theft.

kshmi also left the house on January 12 leaving the keys with the neighbours and returned on January 18.

Roja’s family was supposed to return on Monday.

She went upstairs to clean the house, but to her shock the main door was ajar.

She rushed in and checked the kitchen and found four silver plates missing. She then called Ms Roja on the phone who asked her to check the entire house. On checking, she found a wooden almirah open.

Later, the family members lodged a complaint with police on Monday.

They told police that four silver plates, 16

4

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

Burglars decamp with gold from MLA Roja’s house HYDERABAD JAN. 22

The alleged negligence of doctors at a private hospital in Musheerabad claimed the life of a pregnant woman on Monday. The deceased was identified as V. Revathi, 26, wife of B. Deepak. According to the police, Revathi came to SagarLal Hospital in Musheerabad for her delivery.

“She died due to cardiac arrest, but her family blames the hospital of negligence,” said the sub-inspector of Musheerabad, Mr Rama Rao. Based on a complaint filed by Revathi’s father, V. Nagesh, 60, case was lodged under Section 174 (suspicious death) of CrPC and an investigation was started.

diction his residence falls has to be informed.

Since this is not happening, the whereabouts are unknown,” said an official.

Meanwhile, petty offenders, thieves and rowdy-sheeters are playing truant and the survey team is finding it difficult to spot them.

Furthermore, the staff crunch adds to the woes.

Going by the current strength, the state police is not in a position to conduct a mega statewide data collection campaign effectively.

As many offenders have done a vanishing act, the survey has no clear picture on the number of offenders surveyed so far. “It will take at least four days more to get a clear picture on the number of offenders surveyed,” the official added.

PAGE

Sri C. JAGANNATH RAO Chairman of Nutan Vidya Samithi Born in 1929 Expired on 23.01.2012 (A/1718/D00071)

Late Shri DASARI KRISHNA RAO Retd. BSO (GE Golconda) DOB: 02.10.1949 DOD: 23.01.2017 We miss your presence around us.

You will always live in hearts & minds of the family you left behind.

Inserted by: Family Members (S/1718/D01178)

DOB: 30.08.1930 D.O.D.: 15.01.2018 10th Day: 24.01.2018 at Bansilalpet.

13th Day: At residence.

Inserted by: Mrs. S. Soudamini Murthy (Wife) S.K. Vallabh Krishna and Janhavi (Son and Daughter-in-Law) Mrs. K. Vijaya Lakshmi (Sister & Family) Dr. S. Murali (Brother & Family) Near and Dear Ph: 040-27740166, +91 9440162307 (S/1718/D01180)

City

Kalwakurthy MLA Vamsi Chand Reddy holds dharna at Nagarkurnool collectorate, seeks compensation for Dindi project oustees DECCAN CHRONICLE

BJP has no objection to Pawan Kalyan’s tour, people will decide the future of all parties — Dr K. Laxman TS BJP president

OTHER

STORIES

SEX RACKET BUSTED, 2 ARRESTED DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The sleuths of SOT Malkajgiri zone conducted a decoy operation and busted an online sex trafficking racket and apprehended two women for indulging in prostitution via online portals.

Officials seized `8000 cash, three mobile phones and other materials from their possession.

The arrested were identified as Secha Joiyce Goodlak, 25, and Mmanga Debora Jacksoni, 25, both natives of Tanzania.

“The two Tanzanian women had rented a house in Shaili garden in Yapral and were using an online website www.mingle2.com for sex trade,” said the SOT inspector of Malkajgiri, Naveen Kumar.

“They exchanged the mobile numbers through their website and then chatted with clients on WhatsApp. They also called customers to their place for illegal activities,” he added.

On receiving credible information, sleuths of SOT Rachakonda, along with local police, organised a decoy operation by chatting with the suspects on WhatsApp and apprehended the two women.

The women were handed over to Jawaharnagar police station.

PAGE

5

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

52 p.c. of social media Private landowners can users admit to bullying rent out space for parking DC CORRESPONDENT

■ 81% of active users are aged between 6 and 18 years NAVEEN KUMAR I DC

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

HYDERABAD JAN. 22

Even though cyber bullying is as prevalent in society as any other form of abuse, not much importance is given to educating people about prevention or about care for victims of cyber abuse.

It is only when dangerous online games like ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ become popular, that people are forced to acknowledge the threat that it poses to their children.

On December 31, T. Varun, a 19-year-old BTech student from BITS Pilani was suspected to be the first victim of the Blue Whale game in Telangana state.

“Varun was found dead at his residence in Gandipet with a plastic bag tied around his face,” said Jawaharnagar inspector G. Suresh. “We suspect that he could either be a victim of the deadly game, or of a love failure. We have sent his laptop for a check and will know the reason soon,” he added.

The victims are targeted via online games, a mobile application and, most commonly, by an anonymous friend on one’s social media account, said a working mother of two.

“They can reach us everywhere and the sad part is that one cannot trace them. However, we can surely prevent ourselves from being bullied. Many working parents provide expensive gadgets to their children in order to compensate for the time they have not been able to spend with them, which often

TELL-TALE SIGNS FOR PARENTS TO SPOT CYBER BULLYING OF THEIR CHILDREN. THE DATA IS PROVIDED BY A CYBERCRIME POLICE OFFICIAL ■ Always ensure that your child accesses the internet from a computer placed in the family space.

■ Maintain access to your children's accounts and ensure that there are no secrets.

■ Download parental control apps to monitor internet usage and track their activity.

■ Check their search history to understand what they are browsing to understand their state of mind.

■ Observe any change in your child's behaviour indicating sadness, avoiding communication, lack of interest in studies and falling grades or depression. Try to talk to them about issues they are facing personally.

■ Teach kids not to share their personal information on the Internet.

■ Help kids understand that strangers in real life are no different from strangers on the Internet. It easier to camouflage online identity.

■ Pay attention when children are playing online games, report suspicious activity immediately

■ Caution them against joining any groups that ask them to perform undesirable tasks.

■ Have regular conversations with kids about the risks they may be exposed to and how to deal with them. Create an environment where they talk to you if they see anything upsetting. backfires as children misuse them,” said Ms Usha Kumar, a working mother of two from Sainikpuri.

According to a survey conducted by Intel Security — ‘Teens, Tweens and Technology Study’ — 81 per cent of active social media users in India are aged between 6 and 18 years, and 22 per cent had reported being bullied.

Despite strict laws against cyber bullying,

52 per cent of social media users confirmed that they have bullied someone on social media.

A city psychologist said a trend had been observed of young children getting into mood altering phases after being subjected to cyberbullying.

They warn that many such cases go unreported. “Girls are more vulnerable to virtual bullying as sexual taunts can

get very humiliating, especially on an open forum,” said psychologist Diana Monteiro.

“Parents should make sure they know their children’s activities and should keep a watch on them. Also, they should not allow children to play violent games. As and when we receive a complaint, we do make an arrest after thorough investigation,” said additional DCP, cybercrimes, K.C.S. Raghuvir.

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

In an attempt to resolve parking problems in the city, the TS government has decided to convert open and vacant private lands for offstreet parking.

The GHMC will give licence to individual owners who can collect parking fee at the rates determined by corporation. As part of this initiative, the government has decided to invite proposals from owners of private plots of land for conversion to set up offstreet parking facilities.

Principal secretary Arvind Kumar of the municipal administration and urban development department, said about 700 new vehicles were being added in the city every day, increasing traffic and parking woes.

He said the limited park-

■ OWNERS intending to offer off-street parking facilities should apply for a licence.

■ GHMC would examine the feasibility of the location and issue permission for three months or a year. ing space available with the government and the fact that multi-level parking might take time was resulting in uncontrolled street parking, creating chaos and congestion and endangering the lives of motorists.

As urban land was scarce and expensive, there was the need to optimise parking places in urban areas and efforts should be to utilise the available open areas for parking.

On directions of minister

K.T. Rama Rao, Mr Kumar reviewed the parking policy with the officials.

According to the GO issued on July 7, 2017, development and use of private open plots for parking was allowed.

Mr Kumar said individual plot owners should obtain licence from the GHMC as it would be a revenue generating activity. The government had decided to invite proposals from owners of the private plots.

GHMC additional commissioner (estates and housing) G. Ramesh had been appointed designated officer for this.

On receiving requests, GHMC would examine the feasibility of the locations in terms of likely traffic and issue licences for useful sites on a three-month short-term and annual basis. Rates would be prescribed for a licence fee.

City

DGP Mahendar Reddy says Telangana police is aiming at making TS state without crime DECCAN CHRONICLE

How did government permit Pawan Kalyan yatra but not Kodandaram’s meetings?

ELECTION

IN

BRIEF

10 STATE OFFICIALS GET IAS TAG DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The Centre on Monday conferred IAS status on 10 civil service officers of the Telangana state government.

Notifying the conferment, the Centre said that the selection committee had observed that as per the eligibility list submitted by the state government no officers were eligible for consideration against the vacancies of 2014.

Conferred IAS officers for 2015 are Korra Lakshmi (archeological department), K. Dharma Reddy (Medchal).

For 2016, Chittem Lakshmi (on leave), T. Vinay Krishna Reddy (Khammam), Ch. Sivalingaiah (Nirmal), V. Venkateswarlu (Sangareddy), M. Hanumantha Rao, (Gajwel Development Authority), D. Amoy Kumar (Bhupalpally), K. Hymavathi (sub-collector), and M. Haritha (Warangal).

The Centre said the recommendations are subject to the outcome of writ petitions filed against the orders passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal Hyderabad bench in cases filed by Ms A. Vani Prasad, Ms V. Karuna and Ms M. Prashanti.

NITI AAYOG TO WATCH STATES’ SDG DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The Centre has decided to directly monitor the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the states. NITI Aayog has done a detailed mapping of the 17 SDG goals and Centrally sponsored schemes (CSS).

In a letter to TS Chief Secretary S.P. Singh, Mr Charanjit Singh Bhatia, SDGs incharge of NITI Aayog, said the Centre had decided to monitor the performance of states on each goal. The issue would be discussed in the upcoming meetings with states which will be chaired by NITI Aayog members. He sought state government’s inputs and suggestions by January 25.

NITI Aayog has been entrusted with the role to coordinate the SDG agenda for 2030. SDGs have been evolved through an inclusive process for achievement during the period from 2016 to 2030. The SDGs cover 17 goals covering issues of critical importance to the people including removal of poverty, providing clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, quality education, good health and zero hunger.

POLL PANEL RETAINS 2L VOTERS DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The recent revision of electoral rolls has retained the names of 2.07 lakh electors that were found to be deleted.

The GHMC had taken up the massive exercise of re-verifying the list of 7,73,425 lakh deleted voters. After verification, it was found that out of 7.73 lakh names, only 5.82 lakh were correctly deleted.

Also, the voter list of transgenders in the city has been increased by 50. Hyderabad district election officer has stated that voters who could not approach the Electoral Registration Officer earlier can submit their claims and objections online on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana state — ceotelangana@eci.gov.in They can also submit their claims and objections to the ERO for updating of electoral rolls.

The final rolls are available at the offices of all deputy commissioner offices in the GHMC.

6

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

TIME

HC gets furious over AP’s MLAs face PR poll test inaction to stall cockfights Party’s poor show in polls to hit MLAs’ reelection tickets ■

DC CORRESPONDENT

L. VENKAT RAM REDDY | DC Panchayat elections, which are likely to be held in February, will be the acid test for ministers and TRS legislators as TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has entrusted them with the responsibility of ensuring the party wins the elections.

Tickets for the 2019 parliamentary elections will depend on the performance in these elections.

There is speculation that the CM may go for a Cabinet reshuffle after the panchayat polls and non-performers in the

districts and villages to mobilise support for the TRS, even though the poll schedule is yet to be issued.

Though the five-year term of panchayats will end in August 2018, the CM disclosed his plans of advancing the polls to February in the recently held collectors’ conference at Pragathi Bhavan.

The CM directed collectors to submit proposals on setting up new panchayats, merger of nearby villages in municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats by this month-end.

Local leaders and activists from other parties are being taken into

■ WITH A MAJOR chunk of TRS voters being from rural areas, the party felt it is important to know the standing of the party.

■ THE PANCHAYAT Raj elections, TRS believes, will be a good indicator to access strengths and weaknesses. panchayat elections will be shown the door and good performers will be given Cabinet berths.

Ministers and MLAs have been camping in

the TRS fold to make the party stronger. Ministers and MLAs are promising more funds to panchayats if the TRS wins.

The panchayat polls are seen as a precursor to the Assembly and General elections to be held later.

With no major elections held in the state for the past two years, the party leadership wants to know where the party stands with voters so as to be prepared for the bigger challenges ahead.

With a major chunk of TRS voters being from rural areas, it is important to know the standing of the party here and the panchayat elections will be a good indicator.

Expressing anger at the failure of authorities in preventing cockfights in coastal districts, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed the AP Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to appear before it on January 29 to explain why they had not filed the action taken report sought by the court.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice M. Ganga Rao was dealing with a public interest litigation filed by Mr Kalidindi Ramchandra Raju of West Godavari district, on the inaction of the officials in curbing unauthorised gaming, illegal sale of liquor and prostitution during the Sankranti festival at VempaSrirampuram villages of the district.

The bench said that the authorities had made mockery of the court order which was granted in December 2016, directing that cockfights shall not be allowed anywhere of the state.

The court said the entire world had viewed on television the cockfights organised in the state that too in the presence of elected representatives. The bench said that it appeared that the authorities had not taken the court order seriously, which was most unfortunate.

Ms Vidyavathi and Ms

BJP DUBS PAWAN AS TRS’ B-TEAM DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The BJP has called Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena party the ‘B’ team of the ruling TRS. BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said on Monday that “it’s quite evident that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his government do not allow any leader or any party to reach out to the masses in this state. To have allowed Pawan Kalyan’s yatra speaks volumes of a possible deal between the two.”

Addressing media at the BJP headquarters on Monday, Mr Rao said that the people of Telangana “don’t suffer from memory loss” and understand that Pawan Kalyan was dead against the formation of a separate Telangana state and had even abused those who fought and died for separate statehood.

His “package politics” in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be rejected by the people.

Continuing his attack on the Jana Sena, Mr Rao said the party is “bereft of ideology, leaders, cadre and sincerity.”

He said Pawan Kalyan, “who kept promising the people of Andhra Pradesh that he will be a questioner, has clearly turned into a full time eulogiser of both the chief ministers.”

Jayanthi, counsels of the AP government, said they had received details from the Chief Secretary and the DGP and sought time to file comprehensive reports.

Reacting to this, the bench said, “On January 4, this court clearly directed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to file the action taken report on January 22. Without filing the reports, they have violated the order dated January 4.”

The bench told the AP counsels: “If you’re in a hapless position inform the court and the court will tackle the issue.”

Ms Jayanthi submitted that the government has moved the Supreme Court seeking to amend its order granted earlier with regard to cockfights and it had remanded the matter to the HC. When government counsels said the CS and DGP could not file the reports in view of the collectors conference on January 18 and 19, the bench said that they were not concerned with that conference. Expressing displeasure at the attitude of the authorities, the bench directed the CS and DGP to appear before it.

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan greets his fans in front of the Kondagattu Hanuman temple in Jagtial in erstwhile Karimnagar district on Monday.

— DC

LETTER ON STUDENTS’ SUICIDE TURNS A PIL

KCR is a hard working and smart CM: Pawan DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan said on Monday that his party is only interested in constructive politics and taking up people’s issues but not in playing destructive politics.

The actor-turned-politician showed maturity in not making any sensational remarks against anybody as many had expected, especially against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. On the contrary, he

showered praises on Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, saying that the latter was working hard and is a smart Chief Minister.

Pawan Kalyan called the TRS chief a leader, who had united political parties for achieving the statehood for Telangana.

Pawan Kalyan made these comments before embarking on his first tour of Telangana since floating the Jana Sena four years ago. He will be meeting his partymen and workers at various places during the tour.

He began his tour by

DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

worshipping at the Kondagattu shrine of Lord Hanuman near Jagtial in erstwhile Karimnagar district. He believes that Lord Hanuman saved him from being electrocuted when he was campaigning for the 2014 elections.

Defending his meeting with the CM, he said, “What is wrong in meeting him? I like Telangana.

I will forever work for getting its issues resolved... I cannot help those thinking I am going to split the Opposition vote and antiestablishment vote. I am for constructive politics.”

The Hyderabad HC has taken up as a public interest litigation, a letter seeking a direction to the TS and AP governments to take appropriate steps to prevent suicide of students in private colleges.

Mr Dasari Emmanuel, district co-convener of Lok Satta Agitation Society from Prakasam district, had written to the Chief Justice of the Hyderabad HC urging the court to intervene in the matter as several students had com-

BHATTI DEFENDS HIS COMMENTS AGAINST GUV

Congress plans bus yatra

DC CORRESPONDENT

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Defending his comments against Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan that he is acting like a TRS agent, PCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday said they need not learn lessons from irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on political decency and etiquette and reminded same Harish Rao has abused and attacked the

RURAL | MOVE

HC FINDS PROOF OF PREM SAGAR’S ROLE IN ADIVASI STIR

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

— Ponnam Prabhakar TS Congress ex-MP

PAGE

same Governor in Assembly during Telangana agitation by hurling papers and books at him.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr Vikramarka said when they have raised issues concerning Kaleswaram and Sitarama Lift Schemes, the irrigation minister seems to have skipped the core issues and only tried to defend Governor comments on fast pace progress of the Kaleswaram project.

■ MROs

DC CORRESPONDENT Expressing confidence that the Congress will almost sweep all Assembly seats on southern Telangana, TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress will bag at least 70 seats even if polls are held now.

Admitting TD leaders and workers from the Ibrahimpatnam constituency in Ranga Reddy district into the Congress on Monday, Mr

Reddy said the party will win all the 14 Assembly segments in Ranga Reddy district alone.

Speaking to the media at the party headquarters, Mr Reddy said the Congress workers have been geared up to face elections in December this year as indications eminating from Delhi say so.

He said the party’s senior leaders will embark on a bus yatra starting from February. “The yatra will continue up to the commencement of

can’t handle registrations, says staff

CM’s MRO plan hit staff’s wall DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The revenue department is opposing the state government’s plan to hand over property registrations to mandal revenue officers (MRO) from March this year.

Registrations are done by sub-registrars at present, and they come under the jurisdiction of the stamps and registration department.

At the collectors’ conference held last week at Pragati Bhavan, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the government plans to make MROs the issuing authority.

The revenue depart-

ment is averse to this proposal, saying that MROs are ill-equipped to handle the job and are already over-burdened with existing duties.

The revenue department argues that barring a few urban mandals, registrations in others are meagre and setting up registration infrastructure in all MRO offices would be a waste of money.

TS has 584 mandals at present, while the registrations department has only 141 sub-registrar offices in the state.

These 141 sub-registrar offices will continue to service their respective mandals, but the government will have to set up registration facilities in

the remaining 443 mandals. On an average, there are 2,500 to 4,000 property registrations per day in TS. Sixty per cent of these are in urban areas and 40 per cent in rural areas.

According to revenue department officials, the staff in MRO offices and the MROs themselves will have to be trained for the new job. There is an existing shortage of staff in MROs so additional staff will have to be recruited — at least six persons in each MRO office. This has huge financial implications in the form of salaries.

Besides, none of the MRO offices has technical support to make

online registrations. An amount of `15 lakh will be needed to put the system in place in each MRO office — a total of around `50 crore, with another `5 crore to be factored in every year for maintenance.

According to the revenue department staff, in 367 mandals, the average number of registrations is just three or less per day, and of these, 128 mandals see just one registration per day. To invest in so much on the infrastructure for so little gain is non-advisable.

MROs are required to go on field visits frequently and they will thus not be in the office for three days out of six.

Budget Session and will resume after the Session. The bus yatra will cover three Assembly segments in a day and will cover the entire state.”

He said the bus yatra will be culminated into a massive public meeting against the TRS government failures on June 2, the formation day of Telangana.

“AICC president Rahul Gandhi likely to participate in the public meeting,” the state Congress chief said.

mitted suicides in private colleges.

He wrote that most private colleges in the two states belonged to a Cabinet minister of AP. Though there was an announcement by the AP government that a committee had been constituted to look into the issue of suicides, there was no evidence to show that the committee had submitted a report.

He requested the court to direct both the governments register cases against the managements of the colleges where students have committed suicide.

DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The Hyderabad High Court on Monday opined that there was prima facie evidence against Congress leader and former MLC K. Prem Sagar Rao of alleged incitement of members of the Adivasi community against those of the Lambadas.

Justice T. Rajani while hearing the plea of former MLC seeking anticipatory bail studied the evidence and statements produced by the police and felt that prima facie Mr Rao had extended financial support to the Adivasis in their agitations to secure the deletion of the Lambadas community from the list of Scheduled Tribes.

The judge directed public prosecutor Pratap Reddy to furnish the statements and other records to the petitioner’s counsel.

Mr Vedula Venkat Ramana, senior counsel appearing for Mr Rao, submitted that the police had issued 25 FIRs against him on charges of inciting violence against Lambadas at various police stations.

Justice Rajani made the interim order following the plea filed by Mr Rao, who informed the court regarding the FIRs. The public prosecutor submitted that the former MLC was instrumental in the attacks on Lambadas and extended financial support to the Adivasis and police had collected evidence and statements of witnesses which proved that the former MLC had a role in the violence. The judge posted the case to January 25.

■ THE PUBLIC prosecutor submitted that the former MLC was instrumental in the attacks on Lambadas and extended financial support to the Adivasis and police had collected evidence and statements of witnesses.

City

Harish Rao says Gowravalli project to water 1.5 lakh acres will be completed in a year

— D. Purandeswarai AP BJP leader

IN

BRIEF

SCR announces special trains Hyderabad: The South Central Railway will run three special trains between Secunderabad-TirupatiSecunderabad and Kakinada Town to Secunderabad.

Secunderabad-TirupatiSecunderabad.

Train No. 02734: Secunderabad - Tirupati will depart from Secunderabad at 8:30 pm on January 25 and arrive in Tirupati at 8:50 am the next day. In the return direction, train No. 02733: Tirupati - Secunderabad will depart Tirupati at 5 pm on January 28 and arrive at Secunderabad at 4:25 am on the next day.

Kakinada Town Secunderabad Train No. 07002: Kakinada Town - Secunderabad will depart Kakinada Town at 6 pm on January 28 and arrive at Secunderabad at 4:10 am the next day.

ODIYA SCHOOL FOR MIGRANT’S CHILDREN

DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

In a first of its kind initiative for children of migrant labourers working in brick kilns, a special Odiya medium school was inaugurated in Peddakondur village of Chottupal mandal by the Rachakonda police on Saturday.

Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat and district collector Anita Ramchandran inaugurated the ‘Ituka Battila Valasa Karmikula Bala Balikala School’ which will accommodate 182 children from Classes I to V. School uniforms, books, pencils and steel plates were distributed to the children.

The school will have four teachers from Odisha appointed by the Peddakondur village brick kiln owners association.

Posters on child labour in Telugu, English, Hindi and Oriya languages were released on the occasion.

Ms Anita Ramchandran, collector of Yadadri-Bhongir district, said that the mid-day meal scheme, would be extended to the school and migrant workers would be given rice at `1 a kg under the government scheme. Mr Mahesh Bhagwat said that this was a first of a kind partnership project in the country for vulnerable children.

Under Operation Smile 3, the police rescued 804 children from forced labour in Rachakonda in 2017, while so far 120 children from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Orissa, AP, Telangana working in hazardous industries have been rescued in the Rachakonda commissionerate in 2018.

The Worksite School programme will be implemented in Rangareddy and Medchal districts too for vulnerable children and natives of Bolangir, Koraput, Naupada, Kalahandi districts in Odisha with the help of other stakeholders. “After five months of Worksite School, these children can continue their education on returning back to Odisha. This is done in partnership with the Odisha government,” commissioner Bhagwat said.

In 2017, the Rachakonda police rescued 350 Odiya child labourers from brick kilns in Peddakondur village of Chottupal and Chikatimamidi village of Bommalaramaram mandal.

■ THE ‘ITUKA BATTILA VALASA KARMIKULA Bala Balikala School’ which will accommodate 182 children from Classes I to V. School uniforms, books, pencils and steel plates were distributed to the children.

■ THE WORKSITE SCHOOL programme will be implemented in Rangareddy and Medchal districts for vulnerable children and natives of Bolangir, Koraput, Naupada, Kalahandi districts in Odisha with the help of other stakeholders.

GOOD

7

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

DECCAN CHRONICLE

Not proper for Jagan to make special status a condition as Centre is providing special package

PAGE

START

Excitement builds up as tiger pug marks seen ■ On first day of survey about 2,600 beats were covered INDULEKHA ARAKKAL | DC HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

The tiger census started on a good note with volunteers finding the pug mark of a big cat each in the Amrabad tiger reserve and the Allampalli forest area in Kadam mandal in Nirmal district on Monday.

The pug marks of the tiger in the Allampalli forest were found by a team that included forest minister Jogu Ramanna.

This is the first time a minister is participating in the tiger census.

The team walked six km from 6 am to 8 am in the Kolamguda and Rampur forest beats in the Allampalli forest range.

The minister closely observed the pug marks and movement of the cats.

Principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife, Manoranjan Bhanja, said the survey began at Kawal tiger reserve at 6 am. About 2,600 beats were covered on the first day.

The survey ended at about 1 pm. As it was the

ROARING AHEAD

13,000 sq. km: Area covered on first day of tiger census

20

Number of tigers forest officials expect to find in TS

AREAS COVERED ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Kawal tiger reserve Amrabad tiger reserve Pocharam Kinnerasani Pranahitha

S.N.C.N. ACHARYULU I DC The Union power ministry will introduce drastic changes to the power sector from the next financial year, changes that will for once favour consumers.

This includes reduction of cross subsidies, simplification of tariff categories and rationalisation of tariff. The ministry has warned state governments that if the tariff is too high, consumers will opt for open access or captive generation.

The ministry said that from March 2019 the tariff should be within 20 per cent of the cost of supply.

The tariff should be affordable and for this, the

NCC, police, Army and Air Force personnel rehearse ahead of the Republic day celebrations at Parade Ground on Monday. The Army displayed its weaponry too. — DC

Police says, peace will prevail at Medaram DC CORRESPONDENT WARANGAL, JAN. 22

first day, a few volunteers sought clarifications regarding identification marks.

Volunteers collected an extensive amount of information, recording every identification mark. Forest officials said they would need to go through it with a finetooth comb.

A group of 65 experts

from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Pune and other places have joined the census at the Amrabad and Kawal tiger reserves.

They were selected due to their extensive knowledge about tigers, an official said.

Volunteers found evidence of the presence predators like wolves, leopards, hyenas and

■ The ministry has warned state governments that if the tariff is too high, consumers will opt for open access or captive generation. cross subsidy should be restricted to 20 per cent.

Subsidy may be necessary for economically weaker sections, but it has to be managed through Direct Benefit Transfer as in the case of cooking gas.

Union minister R.K. Singh said at a conference of power ministers recently that states should bring the tariff categories down to five.

Mr Singh said that retail consumers should be able to choose their power sup-

sloth bear and, in the prey category, spotted deer and hare.

A report from Nizamabad said that the forest officials and volunteers had begun the census in Manchippa, B a d a p a h a d , Kammarpally, Sirnapally and other forest areas in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts.

KARNATAKA INTERESTED IN CGG MODEL

Power sector to simplify tariff, reduce subsidies HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

GLORIOUS MARCH

DC CORRESPONDENT

Tribals have demanded removal of the Lambada community members belonged from the Medaram temple trust board.

During the swearing-in ceremony of the members, the tribals held a protest and broke the windshields of vehicles of TRS leaders at Medaram. They threatened to lay siege to Medaram until their demands were met and said they would block ministers and TRS leaders visiting the jatra.

Police said they had spoken to the tribals and asked them not to disturb the fair.

Superintendent of

SELFIE CONTEST FOR MEDARAM DEVOTEES

police R. Bhaskaran said that they held talks with the tribal leaders and asked them to maintain peace during the jatra which was a very important fair for the tribals.

“We have spoken to the tribal leaders and explained to them not to disturb the fair of the tribal deities Sammakka and Saralamma who are revered by all tribals and others from across the state. We asked them to fight in a peaceful manner. They agreed to this.

If anyone tries to create trouble, we will take stringent action. We are doing our best to ensure law and order at Medaram during the jatara,” he added.

DC CORRESPONDENT WARANGAL, JAN. 22

In an effort to popularise tribal customs and practices, the Jayashankar Bhupalpalli district administration has thrown open a selfie competition for devotees visiting the Medaram jatra. Collector R.V. Karnan said that the best entries will get a Lizette package of `3 lakh and the pictures would be used for tribal welfare campaigns of the government.

The contest is open for all, and people can click selfies at interesting spots from January 30 to February 4. Selfie flexies have been posted at important road junctions of the six TS districts along with Mulugu and Eturnagaram towns.

The biennial Sammakka Sarlamma jatra provides a unique opportunity to document tribal lifestyles, customs and beauty of the dense forests, flora and fauna.

Tribals and non-tribals gather in huge numbers from all of Central Indian states in a thanksgiving gesture to the goddesses who protect trees and greenery.

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

plier. States have been told to separate the transmission and the distribution system.

This would improve efficiency of the service of the supplier and result in theft of electricity disappearing.

The target under UDAY scheme was to reduce transmission and commercial losses to 15 per cent and from January 2019 losses beyond 15 per cent may not be compensated by increase in tariff.

The policy is to be amended to this effect.

For 100 per cent metering of the energy supplied, the power ministry has directed all states to set up prepaid meters for small consumers and smart meters for large consumers.

A high-level delegation from Karnataka visited Centre for Good Governance (CGG), Hyderabad to explore the possibility of launching a similar initiative in the state.

The delegation met Mr Rajendra Nimje, Director General, CGG and discussed about setting up an organisational structure similar to the CGG at Bangalore.

The Karnataka delegation held a series of meetings and interactions on working in collaboration with the CGG, mutual synergies, best practices and guidelines in establishing good governance practices.

■ The contest is open for all, and people can click selfies at interesting spots from January 30 to February 4.

A battery of taps installed at the Jampanna Vagu at Medaram.

— DC

ANDHRA PRADESH

Naidu misleading DRI seizes `189cr imported 19 kg gold missing machinery of mining baron from Mumbai train people: Jagan DC CORRESPONDENT

DC CORRESPONDENT

VIJAYAWADA, JAN. 22

TIRUPATI, JAN. 22

YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday said the party was ready to go with the BJP in the 2019 elections if the Centre announced special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had recently spoken of moving the Supreme Court if the Centre did not respond to the state government’s requests on pending assurances made in the AP Reorganisation Act. “Mr Modi is having a positive attitude towards Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Mr Vijaya Sai Reddy is playing a crucial role in strengthening the party relations with national leaders,” said a top YSRC leader. In the interview, Mr Reddy said Mr Naidu

■ Jagan said cases against him were lodged as a revenge by the Congress and Telugu Desam. Until I was in the Congress, there were no cases against me. was misleading the people as well as Mr Modi.

He said the cases against him were lodged as a revenge by the Congress and Telugu Desam. “Until I was in the Congress, there were no cases against me,” he said.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday seized imported machinery worth `189 crore belonging to Brahmani Industries, promoted by controversial mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, at Kadapa on Monday.

The case under investigation with the DRI for evasion of customs duty on capital goods and machinery imported through the Chennai port in 2009, purportedly for setting up an integrated steel plant.

The goods were imported by availing of customs duty exemption under Exports Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG) as per provisions of foreign trade policy 2009-2014.

Under the policy, the importer was to instal the machinery in six months from the date of import

Gali Janardhan Reddy and fulfil the export obligation equal to eight times the duty saved. This was to be done by exporting goods using the imported material.

Accordingly, Bramhani Industries executed a bond. In lieu of a bank guarantee, the bond was backed by a corporate guarantee issued by Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt Ltd, Bellary, a promoter of Brahmani Industries.

DRI investigations revealed that Brahmani Indus-

tries allegedly violated the EPCG scheme conditions. A visit to the factory premises revealed that they had not even installed the machinery imported way back in 2009 and no exports had been made even after eight years.

DRI action was initiated

by Chennai Customs for enforcement of bond and corporate guarantee executed with them. The importer had not paid the customs duty involved on the imported goods till date amounting to `44 crore.

During investigation, the personnel concerned, including company chairman, admitted the violations, but failed to discharge duty liability.

“For the aforesaid violations, the imported capital goods are rendered liable for confiscation under Customs Act 1962. Hence, the officers visited the premises.”

DC CORRESPONDENT

ANANTAPUR, JAN. 22

Mystery shrouds the disappearance of 19 kg gold jewellery from a Mumbai train bound for Bengaluru while it was passing through AP. Sources said one Joy, who was travelling from Mumbai with the jewellery to Bengaluru in Kurla Express, lost the consignment in the train. He came to know about this at Dharamvaram railway station but travelled up to Bengaluru, where he lodged complaint with the railway police. The complaint was transferred to the Dharmavaram railway police in Anantapur district.

Sources said Joy was among the six directors of the jewellery showroom who boarded the Kurla Express on January 17 from Mumbai. He had

■ JOY WAS AMONG the six directors of the jewellery showroom who boarded the Kurla Express on January 17.

purchased a cool drinks bottle at Mumbai and entered into deep sleep after drinking it.

He woke up at Dharamvaram on January 18. It is being suspected that the cool drink was laced with drugs. Railway SP Subba Rao and his team rushed to Dharmavaram and called the trader for a probe into the incident.

Railway police authorities from AP were firm that there is no scope for a robbery within AP jurisdiction as the Kurla Express enters the state around 1 pm and exits by 5 pm. A team has been recruited to nab the culprits, the police said.

Girl hangs herself, fearing kin may complain about mobile use DC CORRESPONDENT VIJAYAWADA, JAN. 22

Likhita, a Class IX student of Head Kingston School, committed suicide on Monday. Her parents had gone to Chennai for work. Likhita was alone at home. Her moth-

er’s elder sister, who resides nearby, was taking care of her.

Likhita had not been going to school for the last three days. The relative had seen her talking on her mobile and had told her that she would inform her mother of her using

the mobile too much.

On Saturday night, around 10 pm, the relative called Likhita but did not get any response. On Sunday morning, Likhitha’s mother arrived and knocked on the door there was no response. They broke open the door and

■ LIKHITA HAD NOT been going to school for the last three days. found the girl hanging from the fan.

Inspector Two-Town

Durga Rao told DC that in the preliminary examinations, it seems that the girl got scared that her mother would be informed that she had not been going to school for three days and was talking over mobile phone. The police said that they were col-

lecting the call list, to identify whom she had talked to. We have also recovered a paper on which she wrote with sketch pen ‘I MISS YOU’.

“The relatives of the family said that the girl was not under any pressure regarding her stud-

ies and did not have any other issues.

The post-mortem was done and the report will come within two days.

After receiving the postmortem report and call details, further investigation will be done,” the inspector said.

Nation

The Manohar Lal Khattar-led government in Haryana says it will implement the apex court order staying the ban on Padmaavat FOREIGN AFFAIRS

On R-Day, India will look to ‘Act East’ ■ Defence minister says policy will be revealed in presence of 10 leaders of Asean bloc DC CORRESPONDENT

INDIA TOAST OF TOWN AT DAVOS

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

— Manish Sisodia Delhi Deputy CM

IN

BRIEF

UP farmer dies in loan recovery bid Lucknow: A Dalit farmer was allegedly crushed to death under his own tractor when the loan recovery agents tried to forcibly take away the tractor. The incident took place on Sunday in Sitapur and police said on Monday that a FIR had been lodged against five recovery agents of the finance company. The farmer, Gyan Chand, 45, of Bhauri village district, had taken a loan of `5 lakh from a finance firm in 2015. He had repaid `4 lakh last month.

Toddler dies of suffocation in fire Mumbai: A one-and-halfyear-old girl on Monday died of suffocation after a fire broke out at an unauthorised structure built on top of the water pump room of a building in suburban Bandra. Fire brigade officials said the fire started in a structure that was added to the pump room of Shoeb Manzil building and was being used as the residence of the building’s watchman. Electrical wires and household articles in the structure fuelled the fire.

TOLL 20 SO FAR IN LATEST J&K FLARE-UP DC CORRESPONDENT SRINAGAR, JAN. 22

With the leaders of all 10 Asean member countries designated as chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Monday that it would showcase the “taking shape” of India’s Act East policy.

“The Prime Minister’s intention that the Look East policy should now be an Act East policy is really taking shape... And by the very presence of 10 leaders from the Asean bloc during the Republic Day celebrations, India is definitely showcasing its Act East policy. And we are happy that the event is going to happen with all of them present,” Ms Sitharaman said during her visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment.

In an unprecedented move, all 10 leaders from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei have been invited as chief guests for the Republic Day parade.

Earlier, Ms Sitharaman presented the “Raksha Mantri Padak” and commendation cards to NCC cadets at an investiture ceremony held at the camp.

The Raksha Mantri Padak, instituted in 1989, is given to the most deserving cadet every year for bravery or exceptional service of the highest order. Cadet Priya of

DC CORRESPONDENT

PAK WON’T GIVE U.N. ACCESS TO SAEED: REPORT Islamabad, Jan. 22: Pakistan will not allow the UN Security Council’s sanctions monitoring committee any direct access to Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed or his entities, a media report said on Monday.

The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will visiting Islamabad this week for an assessment of Islamabad’s compliance with the world body’s sanctions regime.

The UN monitoring team’s visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

Citing senior officials at the foreign ministry, The Nation reported that the UNSC team's visit was not designed to “press Pakistan”. The UNSC team, one official said, will visit Pakistan to discuss “official information” on issues relating to the banned outfits and implementation of the UN sanctions.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday petitions filed by the States of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh seeking review of the order revoking ban and allowing the release of Hindi film Padmaavat on January 25 A three-judge bench comprising the Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud directed listing of the petitions on a mention made by counsel for urgent hearing.

Opposing the order allowing screening of the movie in theatres across the country, the two states claimed that section 6 of the Cinematograph Act empowers them to stop exhibition of any controversial movie on the grounds of possible violation of law and order. It was pointed out that the Central Board of Film Certification while granting the certificate did not go into the aspect of law and order as the board was not concerned about it. They said allowing the exhibition of the film would result in serious consequences in the two States and there would be loss of lives and property.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Viacom 18 the producers of the Deepika Padukonestarrer, opposed urgent hearing on any such interim applications.

The court, however, agreed to hear the applications on Tuesday.

LURING | STARS

MODI TO GO ON 3-NATION TOUR AFTER ASEAN

IT’S INDIA EVERYWHERE IN THIS SNOW- COVERED SWISS RESORT TOWN

DC CORRESPONDENT

■ WITH HUGE bill-

Nirmala Sitharaman Uttar Pradesh received the honour on Monday.

As many as 2,070 cadets, including 703 girls, from 29 states and seven Union Territories are participating in the Republic Day Camp. It will conclude with the “PM Rally” on January 28.

The defence minister said the NCC, since its inception, has helped in the nation-building process by inculcating among the youth discipline, confidence, camaraderie and a spirit of adventure.

“I am very impressed by the high standard of the parade displayed by cadets at the camp and other skills during the cultural programme...

NCC cadets have played their role in times of natural disasters, and in promoting government programmes like Swachh Bharat, and awareness programme for the girl child,” she said.

The minister also underlined the government’s vision is to expand the footprint of the corps in the country. At present, 13 lakh cadets are enrolled in the NCC.

boards atop buildings and even on buses, promoting India and Indian companies, the roads are full of lounges set up by the private and public sectors where Indian delicacies are flying off the counters.

■ CHAI AND pakodas are in high demand and so are vada pao and dosas.

■ ANDHRA PRADESH and Maharashtra governments have set up their own lounges along with Indian government’s lounge.

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

Poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi seen in Davos, Switzerland.

— Agencies

HIGH SECURITY ■ The event has also brought thou-

sands of security personnel from across Switzerland and some neighbouring countries as well to secure the summit being attended by over 70 heads of states.

DOYLE CONNECTION ■ Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of

the detective Sherlock Holmes, moved to Davos along with his ailing wife that helped her live longer.

Modi reaches Davos for WEF Davos, Jan. 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived here to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meet where he would share his vision for India’s future engagements with the international community.

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to attend the summit in two decades, would deliver the opening plenary address at the summit on

Tuesday. Apart from meeting Swiss President Alain Berset on Monday, he would also attend the welcome reception by India and later host a dinner for global CEOs. He is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

Earlier in a tweet, an external affairs ministry spokesperson said: “On his way to Davos, PM @narendramodi arrives

SC to review Padmaavat case today NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

As guns continue to road along the borders with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, one more person was killed and three others wounded on Monday, raising the death toll in days of active hostilities between the facing troops to 20.

Most of the deaths have taken place in mortar gun fire by the Pakistani Rangers and the Army along the International Border and the Line of Control in J&K’s Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts.

Among the slain were eight civilians, three Army jawans and two of their counterparts from the BSF. More than three dozen people, most of the civilians, have been injured, dozens of residential houses damaged and over 200 cattle perished in the Pakistani firing and shelling since Wednesday night, the officials said. Jammu's additional Deputy Commissioner, Arun Manhas, said that the damage to residential houses and other private properties in the border-belt in the days of mortar shelling from across the borders is “huge”.

8

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

DECCAN CHRONICLE

It will be wastage of money on the polls of 20 Assembly seats.

Is it not the dirty politics of BJP?

PAGE

ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL FACTS IN LOYA CASE, ALLEGES COUNSEL DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

Observing that the death of CBI special judge B.H. Loya was a “serious issue”, the Supreme Court on Monday called for the entire records of the case and said it will examine the materials dispassionately and objectively before deciding whether to order a further probe into his mysterious death.

The order came after senior advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Maharashtra government, submitted a confidential inquiry report.

He said going by the report, four judicial officers who accompanied Loya to the hospital after he complained of chest pain have denied

any foul play in their statements.

Both Mr Salve and Mr Rohatgi pointed out that the report was unequivocal and pleaded that the inquiry report, including the statements of judicial officers given as witness, should not be made public. Senior counsel Dushyant Dave, appearing for the Bombay High Court Advocates Association, said he was intervening in the matter. He alleged that the reports were contradictory and an attempt was being made to conceal the real facts and highlighted that Judge Loya was trying the politically sensitive Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter killing case when he was found dead under “mysterious circumstances”.

KARNI SENA OPEN TO WATCH MOVIE DC CORRESPONDENT with agency inputs LUCKNOW, JAN. 22

Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi gave a call for ‘Janata curfew’ and has appealed to the public not to watch Padmaavat, which is scheduled to release on January 25 in theatres.

However, he said they are ready to watch the period drama in a bid to end the deadlock. Me-

■ Maheish

anwhile, protests against the movie rocked Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

In Rajasthan, a youth in Bhilwara climbed a network tower to express opposition. Towns like Indore, Ujjain and Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh witnessed road blockades while in UP’s Gorakhpur, people waving saffron flags and burnt an effigy of the film’s director, Bhansali.

SC TOLD BENEFITS OF QUOTA NOT REACHING ALL DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre on a writ petition seeking exclusion of “creamy layer” from among the SC/STs from the purview of reservation as they are taking away the benefits due to the poor and downtrodden strata of SC/ST. They submitted that it is due to the fact that the uplifted/affluent and advanced sections of the SC/ST communities snatch away the maximum benefit and the 95% members of the SC/ST communities are in disadvantageous position and they are still without any benefit of reservation and the benefit of Government Schemes meant for backward SC and ST communities.

Thus, the benefits of reservation policy are not percolating down to the people, who are in actual need of the same and the practice of including the members of the creamy layers of the said Communities has resulted in abuse by the advanced and affluent members of the said communities.

Rights of unreserved communities are being given to Non-Backwards and more affluent persons, which is resulting into reverse discrimination.

in Zurich. First visit by Indian PM to #Davos in 20 years! PM would make a keynote speech at the Plenary of the #WorldEconomicForum, address International Business Council and interact with CEOs. #IndiaMeansBusiness.”

On Tuesday, Modi would interact with global business community members, besides delivering his keynote address.

— PTI

DAY OF HORROR ■ THE 2008 Ahmedabad bombings were a series of 21 bomb blasts on July 26 2008, that hit within a span of 70 minutes.

■ 56 people were killed and over 200 people were injured.

DC CORRESPONDENT

DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

The 2008 Gujarat bombings mastermind Abdul Subhan Qureshi has been arrested by the Delhi police following an exchange of fire days ahead of Republic Day, the police said on Monday.

In September 2008, the police had arrested Abu Basher, who was the key accused in the Ahmedabad blasts case. Basher had allegedly stayed in a house in New Delhi with Qureshi, alias Tauqeer.

According to the police, the special cell was working on leads gathered through the interrogation of the many arrested accused having links with IM and SIMI after the escape of Qureshi in the year 2008. It emerged that the accused was indoctrinating the unemployed youth to fill the space left void by the fall of the top leaders of Indian Mujahedeen. He was

to hold an 8-day ritual at Red Fort from March 18

In a bid to ward off “shadyantrakari shaktiyaan” (conspiring forces) who are trying to harm the nation’s interests and possibly to seek ‘divine intervention’ for his party for the forthcoming electoral battles in key states, BJP MP, Maheish Girri along with Shri Yogini Peetham, is all set to organise an eight-day long ‘Rashtra Raksha Mahayagya’ from March 18. The event, at the Red

Fort Maidan, will have 108 yagya kunds, prepared from the soil and water from India’s Line of Control areas, including Wagah, Poonch, Doklam and also Char Dhams (four holy sites of Hindus), and will have 1,111 Brahmins chanting 2.25 crore Vedic mantras “energising the entire nation with positive aura.”

Invitations for this “dharmic (religious)” event, where “worship of the Vedas and the nation will be done in the same breath,” will also be sent

■ THE EVENT will have 108 yagna kunds, prepared from the soil and water from LoC areas, including Wagah, Poonch, Doklam and also Char Dhams, and will have 1,111 Brahmins chanting 2.25 crore Vedic mantras. to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-

President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

“There are external and internal forces who are attempting to harm the country’s interests. We are organising the yagya (ceremonial fire) following our ancient traditions to thwart such attempts and to take a pledge to create a new India,” said Mr Girri adding that the main deity that will be invoked, among others, is considered as a “slayer of evil forces” in the Indian mythology. For the yagya,

■ THE BOMBS were planted in tiffin carriers on motorcycles in busy markets, bus stations and even hospitals where the injured were being treated.

Accused planning revival of IM unit

BJP MP’s bid for ‘divine intervention’ NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

Just days after the Asean Summit ends in the capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to embark on a threenation West Asian tour of the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Palestine in the second week of February.

Modi, who is currently in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), is also expected to showcase the strengths and opportunities of the Indian economy for global investors, in the UAE where, according to reports in the UAE media, he is expected to attend the World Government Summit in Dubai from February 11 to 13.

But it is Modi’s visit to Palestine, likely on February 10, that will perhaps be the most eagerlyawaited leg of his threenation visit as it will come soon after the visit to India of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

The forthcoming visit to Palestine is also the latest indicator of India’s desire to balance its ties with both Israel and Palestine.

It may be recalled that last January, India and the UAE on Wednesday signed 14 pacts in key areas like defence, security, trade and energy.

a Rath yatra will be flagged off to collect a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) from each and every household across the country. The venue or the temporary vedic village will have statues of Gods and Goddesses and scenes depicting events from various mythologies.

Mr Girri said the Mahayagya will be a “sanskritic mahotsav” celebrating Indian culture. The event will also see participants taking vows against casteism, communalism, corruption among others.

■ ABDUL SUBHAN Qureshi did his schooling from a Christian Missionary School, Byculla, Mumbai. In 1992, he got admission in Bhartiya Vidyapeeth, Navi Mumbai and in 1995, he completed diploma in Industrial Electronics. planning the revival of the weak and scattered network of Indian Mujahedeen.

Qureshi was arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police after a brief exchange of fire.

The Gujarat police had first announced Qureshi's name as a suspect in the blasts while probing an email that had taken the responsibility of the bombings. The email was sent to TV channels using an American Wi-Fi network.

TRUDEAU’S INDIA TRIP FROM FEB. 17 DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make an official visit to India from February 17 to 23, both the ministry of external affairs and the Canadian Embassy announced in separate statements.

During the week-long forthcoming visit, the Canadian PM will also visit Agra, Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Mumbai besides New Delhi where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“While in India, Prime Minister Trudeau will engage with youth, and visit several landmarks, including the Taj Mahal, Sri Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple), the Jama Masjid, and Swaminarayan Akshardham,” the Canadian Embassy said.

“Canada and India share a special bond, and are linked by tremendous people-topeople connections. The more than one million Canadians of Indian origin make the relationship between our two countries a truly special one. I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Modi, and further strengthening the Canada-India friendship,” Mr Trudeau was quoted by the Canadian Embassy as stating.

FINAL HEARING ON AAP MLAS ON MARCH 20 DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN. 21

The 20 disqualified AAP MLAs on Monday withdrew their application from the Delhi High Court challenging the Election Commission’s recommendation in the office-of-profit case, saying they would file a fresh plea after examining the notification for their disqualification.

When the court’s attention was drawn to the petition, the judge said, “In my opinion, the petition (main petition) also becomes infructuous.”

However, advocate Manish Vashisht, appearing for one of the AAP MLAs, said the main petition be kept pending as he wanted to examine the notification.

Taking note of the submission, the court fixed March 20 for hearing the main petition and said that in view of the change in circumstances, there was no need for the EC to file its response as directed earlier.

Taking the submissions on record, the court continued with its January 19 interim order.

In its opinion sent to the President, the EC had said that by being parliamentary secretaries, they held office-ofprofit and were liable to be disqualified as MLAs of the Delhi Assembly.

1 JAILED FOR PROJECTING LASER FROM APARTMENT DC CORRESPONDENT CHENNAI, JAN. 22

Nearly 15 months after a person was arrested on charge of projecting laser beam light from his apartment in Vepery, the II Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore at Allikulam has convicted him and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for a week. His act caused sent shock wave among the personnel at lighthouse.

According to prosecution on August 31, 2016 at above 9.15 pm, when

Rajakumar, SI, G-1 Vepery police station, was walking on E.V.K Sampath road, he found laser beam light projected by using a machine.

Staff at the lighthouse reportedly alerted the police. On investigation, the Vepery police found that Edwin had fixed Sabari laser beam light Vimala Cell at an apartment.

He was arrested and release on bail from the police station. The cops seized the machine that was emitting laser beam light.

World

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont arrives in Copenhagen, vows to lead despite Spain ‘threats’ DECCAN CHRONICLE

Washington has actively encouraged and continues to encourage separatist sentiments among Kurds — Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister

IN

BRIEF

7 siblings die in UAE house fire Dubai: Seven brothers and sisters aged between five and 13 died of smoke inhalation in a house fire in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, police said. Hundreds of fires are reported each year across the UAE, despite attempts by authorities to curb such incidents, but casualties are rarely reported.

Police in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said the mother awoke at dawn to the smell of a fire in her house.

China oil slick trebles in size

Beijing: The spill from a sunken Iranian tanker off China’s east coast has more than trebled in size, just over a week after the ship sank in a ball of flames. Authorities spotted three oil slicks with a total surface area of 332 square kms, compared to 101 square kms reported on Wednesday, the State Oceanic Administration said.

Thailand market bomb blast kills 3

Yala: A motorcycle bomb killed three civilians and wounded 22 others on Monday at a market in Thailand’s insurgency-hit south, officials said, the first such attack on a ‘soft target’ in the Muslim-majority region for months. A rebellion against Thai rule in the culturally distinct Thai “Deep South” bordering Malaysia has left nearly 7,000 dead — the majority civilians — since 2004.

Many people killed billionaire couple

Totonto: Private investigators believe a prominent billionaire couple found dead in their Toronto mansion last month were murdered by multiple people two days before their bodies were discovered, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported on Monday citing a source “with direct knowledge of the parallel probe” into the deaths of Honey and Barry Sherman.

Kabul hotel attack toll touches 22

Kabul: At least 22 people are now known to have died when Taliban militants slaughtered guests at a luxury Kabul hotel, Afghan officials said on Monday, as fears grew that the attackers may have had inside help. Authorities warned they were still investigating how militants breached security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, at the landmark Intercontinental Hotel late on Sunday. Guests cowered behind pillars and in rooms as gunmen sprayed bullets and set fire to parts of the six-storey building.

HARRY NOT TO INVITE OBAMA London, Jan. 23: The Daily Mail reports the 32-year-old royal won’t be asking the former Democrate US President to his upcoming nuptials following speculation an invite would be a ‘diplomatic timebomb’ if Obama was invited and Trump wasn’t. “President Trump will not be invited because the wedding will be for friends and family only,” a source told the publication.

“It won’t be a state occasion.

If Mr Obama was invited, the invitation could look like a snub to Mr Trump, and His Royal Highness would not wish to cause a diplomatic row,” the source added, months after Barak and his wife Michelle congratulated Harry and Meghan on their engagement.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie on Monday announced wedding plans with her longtime boyfriend Jack Brooksbank.

— Agencies

PAGE

9

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

Richest 1% made 82% of wealth created last yr Paris, Jan. 22: The world’s richest one per cent raked in 82 per cent of the wealth created last year while the poorest half of the population received none, Oxfam said on Monday, as the world’s elite prepared to mingle at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

A new report from the charity also found that the wealth of billionaires has grown six times faster than that of ordinary workers since 2010, with another billionaire minted every two days between March 2016 and March 2017.

Oxfam used its findings to paint a picture of a global economy in which the wealthy few amass evergreater fortunes while hundreds of millions of people are “struggling to survive on poverty pay”.

“The billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a failing economic system,” Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said in a statement.

Oxfam also emphasised the plight of women workers, who “consistently earn less than men” and often have the lowest paid,

■ A NEW report from the charity also found that the wealth of billionaires has grown six times faster than that of ordinary workers since 2010.

Militants of Oxfam France demonstrate on Monday on the Place de la Republique (Republic Square) in Paris for the launching of the campaign against inequality. — AFP least secure jobs. Nine out of 10 billionaires are men, it added.

The report, titled “Reward Work, not Wealth”, used data from

U.S. CRISIS CONTINUES

Shutdown extends as crunch vote delayed ■ Several federal workers will stay home without pay Washington, Jan. 22: US lawmakers failed to reach an agreement Monday on ending a government shutdown before the start of the working week as they postponed a crunch vote in the Senate despite marathon negotiations.

Although leaders of President Donald Trump’s Republican party and the Opposition Democrats said progress had been made in a weekend of talks, they pushed back a vote scheduled for 1 am on Monday for another 11 hours.

The delay means the shutdown — which cast a huge shadow over the first anniversary of Mr Trump’s inauguration as President on Sunday — will force hundreds of thousands of federal government workers to stay at home without pay when they would normally report for duty on Monday morning.

SENATORS TO VOTE FOR PULLING U.S. BACK FROM BRINK

Demonstrators chant in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals during a rally outside the Capitol, in Washington, on Monday.

— AFP After a special weekend session of Congress which had seen bitter recriminations traded by both parties, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell pledged to address Democrat concerns over key issues such as immigration reform in a speech to the chamber late on Sunday.

The top Democratic Senator, Chuck Schumer responded by saying he

was “happy to continue my discussion with the majority leader about reopening the government” but added that the parties were “yet to reach an agreement on a path forward.”

McConnell then called for Congress to reconvene for another vote on a stop-gap funding measure at noon, a proposal which was nodded through.

— AFP

Washington, Jan. 22: The top senator from US President Donald Trump’s party urged lawmakers to “step back from the brink” as they gathered on Monday for a vote to keep the government shutdown from stretching into the coming work week.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are set to stay home without pay as of early on Monday following the dramatic collapse on Saturday of talks to agree on an urgent funding measure.

The shutdown cast a huge shadow over the first anniversary of Trump’s inauguration as President.

— AFP

KID TRIES TO RUN, PAK CLERIC BEATS HIM TO DEATH Karachi, Jan. 22: A Pakistani cleric has been arrested for allegedly beating to death an eight-year-old student who tried to run away from a religious seminary here, police said.

Muhammad Hussain, who was caught by the cleric while trying to run away, had been given corporal punishment in the past as well after he managed to flee the seminary in Bin Qasim Town, a senior police officer said.

“His parents brought him back to the seminary and Qari Najmuddin took out his anger on the boy,” the officer said.

“He was beaten with a blunt object and stick and there were visible marks of torture on his body,” he said. The parents have refused to allow a post-mortem examination of the body.

The police said that they would register a case against Najmuddin.

Religious seminaries have mushroomed all over Pakistan and many parents, who are poor and can’t afford to educate their children in schools, opt to send them to these seminaries run by Islamic groups.

— PTI

Credit Suisse to compare the returns of top executives and shareholders to that of ordinary workers.

It found that chief executives of the top five global fashion brands made in just four days what garment workers in Bangladesh earn over a lifetime.

Jerusalem, Jan. 22: US Vice-President Mike Pence said on Monday he hoped for “the dawn of a new era” in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts as he began a visit to Jerusalem despite a Palestinian boycott of his trip.

The visit, initially scheduled for December before being postponed, is the final leg of a trip that has included talks in Egypt and Jordan as well as a stop at a US military facility near the Syrian border.

Controversy back home over a budget dispute that has led to a US government shutdown has trailed Mr Pence, and he sought to blame Democrats for the

FINAL LEG ■ THE VISIT, initially scheduled for December before being postponed, is the final leg of a trip that has included talks in Egypt and Jordan. impasse during a speech to troops at the military facility on Sunday.

Arab outrage over US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on December 6 had prompted the cancellation of several planned meet-

People walk on a street during a snowfall in Tokyo on Monday. Japan’s weather agency issued a heavy snow warning for Tokyo for the first time in four years. — AFP

Vietnam oil exec jailed for life Hanoi, Jan. 22: A Vietnamese former state oil executive who was allegedly kidnapped from Germany was on Monday jailed for life for embezzlement, in the highest-profile corruption trial to target the Communist country’s business and political elite.

The blockbuster trial involving 21 other officials, including an expolitburo member, has gripped a country where the affairs of the powerful

Trinh Xuan Thanh are normally kept secret.

But Vietnam’s conservative leadership is waging a massive anti-communist

sweep that mirrors China’s crackdown on graft.

Trinh Xuan Thanh, the former head of state-run Petro Vietnam Construction was sentenced to “14 years for mismanagement and life in prison for embezzlement”, according to state-run VNExpress news site.

The jury said “no-one at PVC dared use money with the wrong purposes” without Thanh’s direction, according to VNExpress.

— AFP

GLOBE TROT Washington: A terrible cough caused a woman’s rib to break, the Daily Mail reported.

An unnamed 66-yearold woman had suffered a bad dry cough for two weeks.

She was experiencing terrible pain in her ride side and even had a large bruise between her rib cage and hip, the report revealed.

 THE PEOPLE’S Liberation Army Navy’s South China Sea Fleet deployed the H-6G bomber in its recent combat manoeuvres.  DEVELOPED FOR 10 years in service, it is equipped with the Electronic Countermeasures pods underneath its wings.

predators multiply due to pollution

Campaign to save Reef from starfish

42 per cent of the damage has been attributed to pest. profound — a major study of the 2,300-km (1,400mile) long reef ’s health in

2012 showed coral cover has halved over the past 27 years, with 42 per cent of

the damage attributed to the pest.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australian dollar 60 million ($58 million) would go into the new drive, with just over half to be spent on incentives for farmers to prevent agricultural pollutants from running into the reef. Funds will also go towards increasing the number of patrol vessels and divers targeting the starfish, he said.

“It is a vibrant, resilient

■ ABBAS IS refusing to meet Mr Pence, making his visit a rare one by a highranking US official not to include talks with the Palestinians. ings ahead of Mr Pence tour.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas is refusing to meet Mr Pence, making his visit a rare one by a high-ranking US official not to include talks with the Palestinians.

— AFP

2-WEEKS TERRIBLE COUGH BREAKS WOMAN’S RIB The results from a CT scan showed this occurred because she had a fracture of her ninth rib, which broke into two parts.

This caused a hernia in her chest, a New England Journal of Medicine report stated.

Test conducted on her revealed she had whooping cough.

Antibiotics and surgery helped the woman make a recovery.

— Agencies

China has built a new type of electronic warfare aircraft which can cover bigger combat areas such as the South and East China seas and greatly enhance the Navy’s capabilities in modern warfare.

SEASON’S GESTURE

and business figures meeting at a luxury Swiss ski resort for the annual World Economic Forum, which this year says it will focus on how to create “a shared future in a fractured world”.

“It’s hard to find a political or business leader who doesn’t say they are worried about inequality,” said Byanyima.

“It’s even harder to find one who is doing something about it. Many are actively making things worse by slashing taxes and scrapping labour rights.”

— AFP

Pence in Jerusalem hopes for ‘new era’ despite snub

ADVANCE WARFARE IN CHINA

MILLION DOLLAR | IDEA ■ Naturally-occurring

Sydney, Jan. 22: A multimillion-dollar campaign to stop the predatory crownof-thorns starfish devouring the Great Barrier Reef was announced by the Australian government on Monday in a push to preserve the World Heritagelisted ecosystem.

The coral-eating starfish are naturally occurring but have proliferated due to pollution and agricultural run-off at the struggling reef.

Their impact has been

“The people who make our clothes, assemble our phones and grow our food are being exploited to ensure a steady supply of cheap goods, and swell the profits of corporations and billionaire investors,” said Byanyima.

To fight rising inequality, Oxfam called on governments to limit the returns of shareholders and top executives, close the gender pay gap, crackdown on tax avoidance and increase spending on healthcare and education.

The study was released on the eve of top political

ecosystem and one of the best-managed coral reef ecosystems in the world,” Turnbull said.

“While it is facing increasing threats, we intend to remain leaders in reef management,” he said, adding the fund would support the development of new technology to help protect the reef. The reef is also reeling from significant coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change.

— AFP

 IT WAS the first time the bomber played “a supporting role in the electronic warfare”.  IT CAN engage in combat missions using electronic jamming, suppression and anti-radiation.  THE MAIN role of the fighters is to obstruct the enemies’ electronic jamming devices.

Lenin Moreno

ECUADOR PREZ CALLS ASSANGE ‘A PROBLEM’ Quito, Jan. 22: The President of Ecuador Lenin Moreno on Monday described WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as an “inherited problem” that has created “more than a nuisance” for his government.

“We hope to have a positive result” on the issue, he said in an interview with television networks.

Earlier this month, Ecuador announced it had granted citizenship to Assange, in an unsuccessful attempt to provide him with diplomatic immunity and usher him out of its London embassy without the threat of arrest by Britain.

Moreno said his country was continuing to seek mediation involving “important people,” without specifying whom he meant.

Assange fled to the embassy in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden for alleged sex crimes, which he denies, and has remained in the building ever since.

Sweden later shelved its investigation, but Assange faces arrest by British authorities for fleeing justice in the Swedish case.

— AFP

ACTIVISTS PLAN ‘DO NOT LEAVE SHERINS ALONE’ LAW Houston, Jan. 22: The tragic death of threeyear-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews may lead to a new law in the US state of Texas which would make it a felony to leave a child alone at home, a media report quoted activists as saying.

Sherin was found dead in a culvert in Richardson city in suburban Dallas on October 22, over two weeks after she was reported missing by

her Indian-American foster father, Wesley Mathews.

The proposed ‘Sherin’s Law’ would make it a felony to leave a child at home alone.

Richardson Police has said that Wesley had told investigators that he, his wife Sini and their biological daughter went out for dinner on October 6, the night prior to Sherin’s disappearance, leaving the toddler alone at home. — PTI

cmyk

cmyk

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MIND POWER JANE AUSTEN INDIRA GANDHI There is no charm equal to You cannot shake hands tenderness of heart with a clenched fist DECCAN CHRONICLE

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TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

23 JANUARY 2018

Mess in Afghanistan: Taliban’s hold rising

Gokul Gopalakrishnan

T

he striking Taliban attack on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel, which ended after a 13-hour siege on Sunday morning and took the lives of 18 people with several score injured, takes us to the current political dilemmas faced by Afghanistan and its well-wishers, including India. The government of President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah, artificially put together by the US in 2014 when the presidential election did not yield a clear outcome, was of doubtful legitimacy in the eyes of the public. This feeling came to be strengthened when the government failed to obtain ratification for itself and the post specially created for Dr Abdullah from the Loya Jirga, the There have been traditional Afghan forum. Indeed, the government a series of got cold feet and did not even call a Loya Jirga withspectacular hits in the stipulated two years to make the necessary across the constitutional changes.

In a very fundamental sense, this has negatively country in the impacted the already plummeting American prespast 9-10 months, tige in Afghanistan. In light of this, various nodes mostly by the within Afghan society have sought to pre-position Taliban and most- themselves in the past year for a possible political ly in Kabul, the convulsion in the not too distant future. world’s most At the political level, former President Hamid politically Karzai — by far the country’s most influential contested city. political figure — has been in the forefront of these efforts. At the level of politics that explicitly uses violence to advance itself, it’s the Taliban which made a stunning recovery in Afghanistan, thanks to the abject failure of 15 years of gross American mishandling. There have been a series of spectacular hits across the country in the past 9-10 months, mostly by the Taliban and mostly in Kabul, the world’s most politically contested city where the US sits right at the centre of things, surveying the crumbling of its efforts. It’s estimated that today the Taliban either control or have a crucial say in large swathes of the country — from about a third to half the 34 provinces, varying estimates claim. This indicates the potentiality of the advance of the Pakistani agenda when it comes to creating watershed arrangements for Afghanistan’s future governance, and this advance is likely to occur not just through the Taliban but also the US, if the past is any guide. The United States cannot divorce itself from Pakistan in playing a part in Afghanistan, for reasons of logistics as well as politics. The Ashraf Ghani government may well be on its last legs. The Narendra Modi government has been in touch with the Trump administration on Afghanistan. In its own interest it could guide the United States to prioritise the principal Afghan concern of ending US bombardments within Afghanistan as the enemy sits elsewhere. That will offer India a positive foothold to negotiate the political twists and turns in the coming days.

CPM: Not the last word

T

he CPI(M) central committee’s rejecting a resolution on a political understanding with the Congress ahead of the 2019 general election is possibly not the last word on the subject. The alliance possibilities remain — even if those opposing any truck with the Congress were in a majority and were clearly backers of the former general secretary Prakash Karat. There will be greater clarity on this issue after the CPI(M) holds its party congress in the summer when the opinion base will be far bigger, with about 600 delegates taking a call. General secretary Sitaram Yechury, knowing the fate of the resolution he moved, may have offered to resign. He will now have to mobilise support in favour of what may be a better defined route for Communists to find their place in a coherent national alliance. The Communists are divided on 2019 alliance prospects now only because there are internal divisions. Kerala party members are traditionally opposed to the Congress due to local politics, while the scene may have been different nationally. Throwing of their weight behind Mr Karat, the sterner ideologue, was no surprise. Mr Yechury, who is seen as more accommodating of other viewpoints, is the national figure in charge of the CPI(M) now, and will have to work towards the larger objective of a 2019 alliance without which the party, in power in Tripura and Kerala, may become nationally insignificant, specially after the definitive loss of West Bengal. Regardless of its ideological stand, the CPI(M) should be part of the national scene to keep its identity relevant. The party’s internal personality clash shouldn’t come in the way.

DECCAN CHRONICLE A.T. JAYANTI Editor

O. THOMAS Printer & Publisher

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CPM needs big rethink, not just about Congress Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

T

he 57-31 CPI(M) central committee vote in Kolkata on Sunday against an alliance with the Congress goes beyond the personality clash between party general secretary Sitaram Yechury and former general secretary Prakash Karat, though it is that as well. It needs to be noted as well that the CPI(M), for all its antiquated Stalinist trappings, provides an arena for a clash of ideas and even personalities, which is fought openly and even fairly. Neither the right-wing BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah nor Rahul Gandhi’s left-central Congress, with his loyalist aides, allow for a free debate and vote within party forums. The two big national parties are actually more like Stalinists when it comes to inner-party deliberations. It is the writ of Modi-Shah in the BJP and that of Rahul Gandhi in the Congress than runs. So it is the CPI(M), a much smaller national party, which is keeping the flag of innerparty democracy, for all its fragility, flying high.

At a purely pragmatic level, the CPI(M) faces the dilemma that it has no option but to fight the Congress in the states where it has dominance — Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. The situation is quite clear in Kerala, where the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) confront each other. The BJP,

despite its desperate and valiant efforts, is not be able to find a foothold in the state. In West Bengal, the CPI(M)’s rival is Mamata Banerjee and her AllIndia Trinamul Congress (AITMC), and it is the Congress which is in a dilemma whether to go with Mamata Banerjee or with the Marxists. In Tripura, the Congress has so far been the main rival to the CPI(M), but it seems that the Congress is fading away and the BJP is emerging as the power to beckon with in this border state, and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar seems to have sensed this.

The Congress is then left with no political space in Tripura. The CPI(M) can well dispense with the Congress here. It is also difficult in a certain sense for the CPI(M) cadres to fight with the Congress in these three states, and then cooperate with it at the national level. So, perhaps the Prakash Karat camp has a point — that there has to be a clear break with the Congress for the CPI(M) to hold its own.

At the ideological level too, the CPI(M) with its antiquated anti-capitalist stance — many leaders in the CPI(M) and in the Communist Party of India (CPI) vehemently dislike the label of antimarket — is at loggerheads with the Congress on economic liberalisation. The Congress has been trying to ride the two horses of populist socialism and unbridled capitalism simultaneously. The BJP is practising its own brand of socialism along with its patronage of capitalists.

The Karat camp may be right to argue that there is not much of a difference between the economic policies of the Congress and the BJP, and therefore it is right and necessary for the CPI(M) to see the two of them as ideological enemies. What makes it difficult for the Marxists is the Congress’ unqualified professing of secularism despite its pragmatic use of soft Hindutva and the BJP’s largely intolerant Hindutva, taking on Taliban-like features.

The Karat faction would not want to give any grace marks to the Congress for its theoretical commitment to secularism, and it would want to fight the simple battle between good and evil and deem the Congress as part of the camp of evil.

There has been much talk about forming a broad national, popular front against the BJP’s unapologetic and undisguised Hindutva politics, which the CPI(M) has no hesitation in terming as fascist, a label that is not really quaint as it seemed in the 1950s and 1960s because the BJP has assumed a mammoth shape in the last quarter century and more. If secularism is the main plank, then the CPI(M) will have to join the parties that are opposed to the BJP. It is a different question whether the anti-BJP parties can defeat the BJP on the

At a purely pragmatic level, the CPI(M) faces the dilemma that it has no option but to fight the Congress in the states where it has dominance — Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura

issue of secularism alone. Rahul Gandhi’s Gujarat Assembly poll strategy showed that the BJP is vulnerable on non-secular issues like economic performance, and that the secular card is what boosts the BJP’s electoral prospects. The CPI(M)’s bid to fight the BJP on the issue of economic liberalisation will be counter-productive as well, as it has found much to its discomfiture even in Kerala and West Bengal.

What is proving to be difficult for the CPI(M) is the fact that it has not yet clarified to itself and to others its view of a post-Communist, postsocialist world. The Marxists in India have not come to terms with the market economy while the Chinese Communists have done a good job of it, describing the market economy as “socialism with Chinese characteristics”.

The CPI(M) has been hesitant, even timid, in facing up to the capitalist resurgence of the last 40 years, and with no prospect of socialist renaissance.

The party is fast getting calcified and fossilised at the thought level, and it is left to engage in political pragmatics and nothing more. At the deeper intellectual level, both Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat are on the same page of antiquated Marxism, whatever the variations and differences in their respective polemical interpretations.

Perhaps it is unfair to expect the two CPI(M) leaders who are engaged in holding the party together as best as they can to rethink Marxism.

They need intellectual help from outside, but India’s leftist intellectuals are in a stupor and therefore can be of very little help.

The writer is a Delhibased commentator and analyst

It’s better to re-use than to indulge in recycling I

just want to say one word to you, just one word. Are you listening? Plastics.”

That iconic punch line from The Graduate, when a businessman gives Dustin Hoffman career advice at a cocktail party, has been circling my head ever since China announced that, as of 2018, it will no longer act as the West’s giant blue wheelie bin.

Back in 1968, that businessman was righter than he could have known: “There’s a great future in plastics.” We’re in that future — with dire consequences for aquatic life.

Let’s review: What is recycling for? To reduce landfill, whose toxins can leach into groundwater. To diminish litter. To create a circular manufacturing system, rather than mining fresh raw materials.

Primarily, then, recycling is meant to decrease the amount of energy we expend on producing consumables. The

energy saved should translate into less pollution and moderated global warming.

A successful recycling system is economically self-sustaining. Ideally, the re-use of materials is incentivised not merely by punitive laws, but by profit.

By that standard, we flunk.

For I ask you: why should the UK plunge into such a crisis when suddenly unable to ship off tonnes of plastic waste to China, if Britain’s recycling is economically viable?

I’ve not spent hours on the phone with specialists to investigate the economic feasibility of recycling plastic in the UK. I simply submit that a priori, given the scale of the demand, enterprising start-ups should be springing up all over the country if it were remotely doable to make money at it.

My bet is that it isn’t doable, because energy in Britain is too expensive. And what is a

Lionel Shriver driving reason energy is so expensive? Because of successive governments’ renewable, low-carbon energy policies.

The irony is comical. We can’t recycle in-house because we are too obsessed with wind farms. Look. I like recycling.

Re-using finished materials not only seems to make industrial sense, but appeals on a moral and emotional level.

Many Brits of my age were raised with the same make-doand-mend sensibility inherit-

ed from thrifty post-war parents. Indeed, my own parents were early adopters, so that one of my chores in 1970s was to wash out containers for recycling every fortnight.

A keen memory from adolescence is literally gagging over mayonnaise jars smeared with spoiled, reconstituting muck. (You’ve got to wonder why my parents couldn’t simply rinse those stupid jars when the mayo scrapings were still fresh).

Yet the warm and fuzzy feeling I get from tossing another empty bottle of sparkling water into our recycling basket is constantly undermined by a little voice in my head whispering that this exercise is a farce. Sure, I love imagining that I’m not really pitching all this poisonous polyethylene terephthalate into the universe, but participating in a sound, sustainable circle of virtue. But I’m lying to mys-

elf, and so are a lot of people.

Plenty of UK councils send a massive whack of their recycling to landfill. Worse, from what I’ve read, whether recycling costs less or more energy than using raw materials is perched on a knife-edge.

As a rule, only paper reliably requires less energy to recycle than to produce from scratch, and only paper recycling is consistently profitable — though not by much. For others, it’s either a wash or a loss.

Even rinsing containers at home, especially with hot water, will generally tip this entire self-congratulatory exercise into the worse-thanpointless. Yet nothing makes the middle class angrier than telling householders that their faithful filling of blue wheelie bins is the sacrament of a false religion.

I still fancy recycling as an idea, but in practice we need a massive rethink. I feel like an

idiot tossing a wine bottle in our basket, when I know it will take ridiculous amounts of energy to melt its glass down. Why do we melt it down? Believe me, Shriver is bound to buy more wine. So why not sterilise it and fill it with more wine?

We don’t need to find another benighted country where we can mound our waste out of sight, the better to continue to kid ourselves. We need to design standardised containers that can be re-used, like milk bottles of yore. Now, that was real recycling: you drank the milk, returned the container, and bought more milk in the same container. This brand of thinking big needn’t be pie-in-the-sky. Why, even commercial pie in the sky could be baked in sturdy returnable aluminium pans, the better to bake more pie.

By arrangement with the Spectator

LETTERS AADHAAR PROBLEM I think Aadhaar will prove to be a great boon and not work against privacy unless it is used to operate one’s bank account. However, authentication of an Aadhaar card holder can and does fail. I am over 80, and my fingerprint authentication failed at the BSNL office while authenticating my cellphone number, and at my bank while giving my life certificate for pension.

UIDAI must find an answer to this.

S.R. Mohan Secunderabad It is heartening to note that the Supreme Court has agreed take up the petition seeking linking of Voter ID with the Aadhaar card. If the government is serious about a corruption-free country, it should immediately link the Aadhaar with Voter ID before the elections.

Dinanath Shenolikar Hyderabad

GOVERNOR’S STAND Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan crossed his limits in praising political leaders (Governor praises KCR on Kaleshwaram project, Jan. 21).

As a constitutional head, he should not lower the dignity of his office.

He should be restrained from making such loose comments.

Pratap Narayan. R. Hyderabad

ACT ON KARNI Karni Sena has refused an invitation to watch Padmaavat and has threatened the film0maker, the actors, theaters and even the lawyer who represented in the company. State governments should act according to the law and uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling.

P.J. David Hyderabad It is a poor nation that runs behind a period film rather being concerned with important issues. A film is a director’s perspective of a story. It is up to people to decide which content they want. Let film directors do their work.

Vardhan Chandra Hyderabad.

UNFAIR FARES The railways’ proposal to make passengers pay more during peak period and less in the lean season is unfair. The railways is an organisation which serves the poor and middle class and it should avoid the model being followed by airlines and private bus operators whose patrons are better-off Suresh Pataskar Adilabad

SORT IT OUT It is unfortunate that the teacher parent relationship is taking an ugly turn every now and then (Elly schools files case against kid's father. Jan. 22). The teachers and parents should take joint responsibility for bringing up the child. The periodicity of parent teacher meets be increased and the issues sorted out, instead of blaming each other G.V.N.Murthy Hyderabad

OVER TO PAK Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered an olive branch to Pakistan to fight unitedly against poverty, illiteracy and illness. I fully endorse his views, If Pakistan accepts his suggestion, it will be the achievement of the century.

S.V. Hussain Hyderabad

Every Monday the best letter of the week wins `300. Email your letters to info@deccanmail.com, editor@deccanmail.com, or fax them to 27805256. You can also send them to Editor, Deccan Chronicle, 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad-500 003.

Oped

Word SPY SALOPETTES AGASTOPIA High-waisted skiing pants Admiration of a particular with shoulder straps part of someone’s body DECCAN CHRONICLE

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TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

Behind China’s push: Land, water, fuel issues Abhijit Bhattacharyya

O

nce again, things are falling apart (or should one say “falling into place”?). On the expected lines, in a manner that has almost become the hallmark of China’s international behaviour. This includes needless defiance, avoidable stubbornness, unnecessary obstinacy and mimicking of the archaic 19th century gunboat diplomacy of the British and other Western imperial powers that ruined the economy of the Orient and other Third World countries which had mineral and mining wealth bestowed by nature.

What makes China, the inheritor of a glorious ancient civilisation, behave the way it consistently does these days? There are no straight answers available to the outside world — except perhaps to a few strate-

gic policy decisionmakers in the top echelons of the Chinese political hierarchy. From the overall behaviour pattern of contemporary Chinese in the global arena, one can suggest a few thoughts based on facts and figures derived from open source material.

First, it’s now clear China wants to play a dominant role as a prelude to becoming, as it hopes, the “sole superpower”, playing the primary role of friend, philosopher and guide to most nations, if not all.

Why? Because, it says, for far too long “China has been the (sole) sick man of the Far East” — suppressed by the West despite being the most populous nation with the fourth largest land mass (959,7000 sq km) after Russia, Canada and the United States. Further, the psyche of the Chinese leadership evolved and concretised after the Second World War. China saw a tiny nation, Japan, growing into a “super-

power” from 1895 and remaining so till 1945, with a huge swathe of land of conquered Asian nations (supplying raw material), develop an “invincible” navy, an aggressive leadership and overlording it (over China) for close to two decades.

Moreover, in the faraway Occident, emerged another Japan-like power in the 1930s — Germany. With little access to the sea, a few overseas colonies (compared to the British or French), following the 1919 Versailles Treaty, a shattered Germany rose from the ashes to become a “superpower” which could simultaneously take on the whole of Europe, so much so that even the mighty United States became wary of its prowess, preferring to remain in “splendid isolation” as long as possible. All these “superpowers” were, however, like pygmies before the Chinese as hardly any could boast of a 5,000-yearold civilisation of high quality philosophy, commerce, economics, administration and knowledge. Yet, while China remained down; Berlin and Tokyo rose again, thanks to the diligence of its people, coupled with foreign funds.

So what did China do? It undertook an arduous and long-term internal reconstruction (for nearly 30 years) before

THE NYT CROSSWORD ___

ACROSS 1 Completion of filming 5 “Se7en,” “Nine” or “10” 10 Phony talk 14 “My ___!”

15 Onetime reviewer of 5-Acrosses 16 Kind of argument 17: 18 Rushed 19 Set of 108 for Uno 20 Halftime show?

23 Bringer of light, in myth 24 Start of a well-known roll call: Abbr.

25 A little sharp 28 Unacce-ptable 30 Double feature?

34 What plays to both sides?

36 Booker or Tester: Abbr.

37 Toronto and Ottawa are in it, for short

38 Triple play?

42 Radioed info, for short 45 After-dinner option 46 Looked favorably (upon) 50 Fourth estate?

54 “Me too,” more formally 55 Things thsi cluee needs sevaral of 56 “Wow!” 58 Unhealthy-looking 59 Fifth act?

64 Smallpox victims of the 1500s 66 Sharp 67 Good word to know if you love Latin?

68 A new one is nearly invisible 69 The star Mars 70 ___ point 71 Words of generosity 72 Sometimes they're the pits 73 Work without

DOWN 1 Bleaches 2 Do another take 3 Virtuoso 4 D 5 Actress Streep 6 Former White House family 7 Start of a Julius Caesar quote 8 Locale of 10% of the world's oil reserves 9 Start of a Julius Caesar quote 10 Group with five #1 R&B hits in the 1990s 11 Declaration at the end of a chess game 12 Closet item, for short 13 Higher-priced burger meat 21 Original “Star Trek cast member 22 Bit of doctoral graduation regalia 26 “Silly me!”

27 Fashion inits.

29 Youngest player ever to win the Calder Memorial Trophy 31 Singer Chris 32 Many a fortysomething, for short

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi

Sima’a: Listen to language of love R

ecently, the annual ceremony of Urs was held at the Dargah of Delhi’s prominent Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (r.a).

A variety of cultural activities, including qawwali (popular Sufi music), sima’a (ceremony of whirling and listening to the Sufi recitals) and zikr (remembrance of God) were performed by the Sufi lovers and devotees amid a cyclone of rapture.

Across the world, Sufi lovers engage in sima’a listening to different kinds of musical melodies coming from the heart. But the sole purpose is not merely playing a particular trend of Sufi music or promoting it, but rather connecting people’s hearts to one another and thus attaining the divine pleasure with unity in multiplicity.

When our hearts connect with each other so closely, we attain Qalb-e-Hafiz (a heart that remembers) and thus we understand each other properly and amicably and, subsequently, acquire the hidden truths of the visible universe.

Just as the popular Turkish folk or Sufi music — Mevlevi Sima’a — was conceived and evolved

by Maulana Jalauddin Rumi, India’s traditional Chishti Sima’a was popularised by Ameer Khusrau Dehlvi, the closest disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia.

The writer is an alim (classical Islamic scholar) and a Delhi-based writer. He can be contacted at: grdehlavi@gmail.com

50

33 Extra conditions 35 Numerical prefix 39 “Wasn’t ___ most peculiar man?” (Simon & Garfunkel lyric) 40 Stage after pupa 41 They follow the nus 42 Broke fast?

43 High degree 44 “The Office,” originally 47 1971 doubleplatinum album for the Doors 48 Flow (from) 49 Patronizes, in a way 51 C2H6, familiarly 52 Suffix with journal 53 Extremely considerate 57 Precursor to Windows 60 Quick hits 61 4,046.86 square meters 62 Rock’s Mötley ___ 63 Nothin’ 64 Opening for a personal view 65 Prefix with G.M.O.

YEARS AGO IN

Anti-Hindi Crowds Clash With Police In B’lore, 200 hurt BANGALORE, JAN. 22.

About 200 persons, including 121 police personnel, were injured, some of them seriously, when police fired nearly a dozen rounds and burst 200 rounds of tear gas shells to disperse stone-pelting hostile crowds, mostly students in the precincts of Bangalore University .

The injured include two senior DCPs and a number of students. The police resorted to firing when the lathi-charge and the firing of tear-gas shells against a section of the unruly crowd proved futile.

While Vice-Chancellor V.K. Gokak raised strong objection to police entering the campus to chase away the crowd, DCP B.N. Garudachar said that his men did only their duty in tackling the situation when it got out of control. What appeared to be a peaceful ‘protest day’ by students against Hindi, turned into a hostile one when outsiders are alleged to have joined the student demonstrators. —UNI

The Chinese plan emanates from the basics — first, agriculture, arable land, food and water; second, seafood, fuel, gas from the ocean; third, indigenous industrial production; fourth consumer markets like India... opening up to the external world in the beginning of the 21st century. Unfortunately, the “benign China” of ancient tradition and civilisation turned into the “belittling China”, thereby implying that whoever came in the way of China’s plan of action, thoughts and belief on terrain, topography, geography, mountains, oceans, rivers, hills or the likes of any immovable asset which Beijing had once read in the book of history, mythology, epic or novel as belonging to Beijing, would be “belittled”. Seen in this background, the latest claim by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang that “Doklam construction is legitimate” simply falls in line. In one stroke, China has conceded that “Doklam construction” is taking place and that “it will

go on” uninterrupted, despite its proximity to India’s “Chicken’s Neck”, and its legitimate concerns. Why then do some Indians criticise Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat when he pointed this out in a matterof-fact way? Was the Army Chief wrong? One certainly doesn’t think so. Diplomats are a privileged lot; they speak from the “high table”, but the general has to report the “reality” from the “hot terrain”.

Therefore, there cannot be any disconnect between the “defence terrain” and “diplomatic-table” as the aims and objectives of both are the same.

But I think the real reason behind such behaviour by the Chinese is its basic potential (internal) nightmare — food and water. China’s population is 1.4 billion, and feeding this vast number first and foremost duty of the Chinese State, as no nation can aspire to be a superpower with imported foodstuff.

Hence, agricultural land and water (for both drinking and irrigation) are sine qua non.

Unfortunately, for China, here comes the real problem vis-a-vis India — sustained, impressive industrial and economic growth notwithstanding. While India has the fourth “most fertile land”, with 53.7 per cent of the total land area (after Bangladesh’s 61.11 per

cent, Moldova’s 56.22 per cent and Ukraine’s 56.01 per cent), China, despite being the largest agricultural output nation, has just 15 per cent land which is cultivable. Add to this the massive urbanisation, resulting in a substantial loss of agricultural land, posing a threat to its future food security.

To make matters worse, it now transpires that water too constitutes a serious internal problem which could disrupt China’s ambitious planning — both internal and external. In fact, earlier too, water was a major problem, something that led Mao Zedong to quip in 1952: “The country’s south has lots of water. The north has less, if it were possible, it could borrow a little.” Thus was opened on November 15, 2013 China’s “central water route” between Zhengzhou-Shijiazhuang and Beijing, followed by the “eastern water route” between Shanghai and Tianjin on December 12, 2014. As China is in the process of developing “western water route”, its focus is now focused on the Himalayas — the ultimate inexhaustible source of water from where originate the mega rivers of South Asia. From the Brahmaputra in the east to the Sindhu (Indus) in the west stands the water reservoir, an area where also falls the Sino-

Indian frontier — still a matter of dispute as control of its high watershed points are of supreme importance for food, agriculture and water for the two largest demographies of the world. China’s inflexible attitude and unbending posture on Arunachal Pradesh, Doklam, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Ladakh, Karakoram Pass, Pakistan-occupiedKashmir and the route along Sindhu (Indus) river ending at Gwadar (including the BRI, OBOR, CPEC) constitute the pre-emptive action of the possible internal imbroglio of Beijing, on its external affairs chessboard.

The Chinese plan emanates from the basics — first, agriculture, arable land, food and water; second, seafood, fuel, gas from the ocean; third, indigenous industrial production; fourth consumer markets like India; fifth, land connectivity of the vast Euro-Asia landmass to avoid the “turbulent” sea; and sixth, technology from West.

Doklam and the Sino-Indian frontier are irritants and eyesores to Chinese leaders. It’s a festering issue that can’t be wished away anytime soon.

The writer is an alumnus of the National Defence College.

The views expressed are personal.

WRAP-UP

Prime Minister Modi will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23. Besides pitching for investment opportunities in India, soft power like yoga, cuisine and culture will be showcased

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK VIRAT KOHLI BECAME THE FIRST VISITING CAPTAIN TO SCORE A CENTURY IN CENTURION DURING THE SECOND TEST. THE DELHI BATSMAN WENT PAST FORMER INDIA CAPTAIN MS DHONI’S HIGHEST SCORE AT THE GROUND.

J. JAYALALITHAA

Amrutha Sarathy, who claims to be the biological daughter of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, has got in touch with a city-based DNA expert through her lawyer to have her DNA testing done, once the court allows. In her petition, Ms Sarathy says she was brought up as the daughter of Jayalalithaa’s late sister Shylaja and after Jayalaithaa’s demise she came to know that she is Jayalalithaa’s biological daughter.

M.A. YUSUFF ALI

VIRAT KOHLI

Virat Kohli became the second Indian captain to score a Test century in South Africa on Day 3 of the second Test in Centurion on Monday., January 15. Ahead of this Test, Sachin Tendulkar was the only Indian captain to score a century in South Africa. Sachin scored 169 runs off 254 balls. Virat, has been celebrating his recent centuries quietly, let his emotions out when he reached the three-figure mark in the Test match.

KAMAL HAASAN Actor Kamal Haasan will begin his political avatar on February 21 from the house of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — in Rameswaram island to establish good political culture in Tamil Nadu.In his weekly column in Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, Kamal said the term ‘Dravidian’ should not be restricted to TN alone and wanted other southern states — AP, TS, Karnataka and Kerala — also to be included so that the “chorus” gets heard in Delhi.

GURBIR S GREWAL Prominent Sikh-American lawyer, Gurbir S Grewal has been nominated to serve as the next Attorney General of the US state of New Jersey.

He becomes the state’s 61st attorney general. Grewal has “experienced hate and intolerance first-hand.” He said he intends to focus on many of the same issues he tackled as Bergen County prosecutor:identifying and treating addiction, improving police-community relations, and promoting social and racial justice.

12

WHAT MADE NEWS & WHY

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

DECCAN CHRONICLE

OFFICE OF PROFIT

AAP in soup as 20 MLAs face axe ■ Both the Congress and BJP which suffered in the AAP surge said they are ready for elections

I

n a blow to Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission on January 19, asked the President to disqualify 20 AAP legislators who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries.

The petition was made to disqualify 21 MLAs, but one of them, resigned.

This move has set the stage for their ouster from the Assembly and for a mini-election that will see the AAP, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress vie for the 70-member-strong Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Both the Congress and the BJP, which performed badly in the AAP surge, said they were ready for the elections.

In further developments, the Delhi High

OTHERS EMBROILED IN THE OFFICE OF PROFIT ROW

When you take the path of honesty, you are bound to face hurdles. However, all the forces of universe come together to help you. God helps you. History is witness that in the end, truth prevails.

— ARVIND KEJRIWAL, Delhi CM Court on January 19 refused to pass any interim order of protection to AAP MLAs, whose names have been recommended for disqualification as legislators by the Election Commission for holding office of profit.

Justice Rekha Palli, however, asked the EC to inform it on January 22 whether the recommendation has been communicated to President Ram Nath Kovind, as the MLAs have sought that they be heard by the poll panel if

INSTANCES ■ 2006: Former Indian National Congress president and MP, Sonia Gandhi, resigned several posts under pressure from the opposition who asserted that the posts were ‘offices of profit’ and thus unlaw-ful.

no such communication has been made.

During the hearing, the court made it clear that it was not inclined to pass any interim order in view of the conduct of the MLAs in the proceedings before the poll panel.

In its defence, the AAP launched an unrestrained attack on chief election commissioner A.K. Joti, saying that he was “repaying the debt” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi before his retirement on January 22.

■ Jaya Bachchan was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha, while she was also chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Federation.

■ Two UP Legislative

Assembly members, Bajrang Bahadur Singh and Uma Shankar Singh, were disqualified in January 2015 for holding government contracts.

REPATRIATE DEAL: ROHINGYAS FEAR FOR LIFE

BUDDING FRIENDSHIP

PADMAAVAT RELEASE: SC WARNS STATES

M

yanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has welcomed an unprecedented army admission that security forces carried out extra-judicial killings of the Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi called it a “new step taken by the country.” The admission comes after months of staunch denials of abuse. In further developments Myanmar and Bangladesh have agreed to repatriate thousand of Rohingyas displaced even as their conditions for their homecoming remains uncertain. A statement by the Bangladeshi government said the agreement aims to return the Rohingyas “within two years from the commencement of repatriation.”

The agreement would repatriate about 1,500 Rohingyas per week and house them in temporary transit camps in Myanmar as their homes are rebuilt. However, without international monitoring, organisations worry they will be thrown back into the misery that they sought to escape.

— Agencies

I Richest Indian in the Middle East, M.A. Yusuff Ali, has acquired the iconic Scottish hotel The Caledonian in Edinburgh for $117 million.

The acquisition of the 241room property, operated by Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, is the second deal by Yusuff Ali after he paid $110 million to buy the Great Scotland Yard, former home of the Metropolitan Police of London.

PAGE

n a big boost to freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat across India by overturning the decision of the four states to ban the film.

The court said that “creative freedom, freedom of speech and expression can’t be guillotined and artistic freedom has to be protected,” and asked the states to grant protection to theatres for release of the film and to provide security to the artistes as well.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, was hearing a petition filed against the ban

by Viacom 18 and other producers of the movie, said that if states continue with the ban, they would be liable for the contempt of court. The court also restrained other states from banning the film.

Even though the Censor Board had, on December 30 last year, given a go-ahead to Padmaavat after much drama and convening a special panel of experts who ordered several cuts and a change of title, Rajasthan and Gujarat decided to ban the film, while MP and Haryana did not issue any formal order but said they would not allow the exhibition of the film.

Refusing to the accept the arguments of additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta on behalf of the four states, that law and order must be kept in mind, the bench said freedom of speech and expression, as a medium of expression on celluloid, cannot be curtailed. in

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad .

— PTI, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Moshe Holtzberg and his grandparents after unveiling the living memorial in commemoration of the victims of the 26/11 attacks, at the Chabad House in Mumbai on Thursday.

Moshe’s father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed along with six others at Chabad House in the terror attack. Moshe was saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel.

— PTI

Aadhaar is a switch to kill society B

y enacting the Aadhaar law, the state has been handed over a switch by which it can cause civil death of its citizens and it is dangerous to democracy, argued senior counsel Shaym Divan in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Making his arguments before a five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.K. Sikri, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, counsel said “The state is empowered with a ‘switch’ by which it can cause the civil death of an individ-

WHY IT IS A MESS ■ DESIGN of Aadhaar is unconstitutional.

■ CREATES AN ELECTRONIC TRAIL of a person which will be available with the government.

■ MAKES LIMITED state into a dominant one.

■ BIOMETRICS AT this scale has not worked anywhere in the world.

■ IF COMPROMISED cannot do anything.

ual. Where every basic facility is linked to Aadhaar and one cannot live in society without an Aadhaar number, the switching off of Aadhaar completely destroys the individual.”

He argued that no demo-

cratic society has adopted a programme that is similar in its command and sweep. If the Aadhaar Act and programme is allowed to operate unimpeded, it will hollow out the Constitution, particularly the gr-

eat rights and liberties it assures. A people’s Constitution will transform into a state Constitution, he said.

When Justice Chandrachud asked counsel “can’t the state compel citizens to have Aadhaar in public interest?” Mr Divan said, “Then it becomes a pervasive society. We are governed by the rule of law. You can’t carve out an exception. If you compel then it becomes a surveillance society, it destroys the character and identity of citizens.” He said compelling citizens to furnish the biometric information has huge ramifications.

Will America be great again?

P

resident Donald trump’s presidential campaign was surrounded around the tagline- “Make America Great Again.” A year into his presidency, no such facts are there to prove his statements.

From immigration

orders being struck down by the Supreme Court to allegation of Russian intervention in the elections, it has been a downhill ride for the President.

Surrounded in controversies, the American president has not been able to live upto his statement of making America great again.

— Agencies

Immigration could harm the US in future

Fake awards

U

S President Donald Trump escalated his attack on the media by announcing the ‘Fake News Awards.’ The New York Times topped the list for their story on the day of Mr Trump’s landslide victory that the economy would never recover. Mr Trump coined the term ‘Fake News’ during his presidential campaign. ABC News’ story that Mr Trump directed ex national security adviser Michael Flynn to connect with Russia during the election was second. A story

by CNN, that Trump and his son, had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks took third spot.

Drop in global confidence of US leadership

Medical reports

n January 16, Trump said that that the current US immigration system weakens national O ccording to an opinion rump’s medsecurity, as his administration sought the backing survey held across 134 co- Tical report A of the Supreme Court to lift protections shielding untries, global confidence in has led to questi-

7,00,000 ‘Dreamer’ immigrants from deportation.

The Trump administration has no qualms admitting skilled immigrants who can speak English, thus starting off a merit-based system of immigration. If such a policy is developed and implemented, it could benefit individual Indians, a majority who meet the criterion. Critics of the Trump government’s approach said the new immigration report appeared to be aimed at keeping Muslims out of the US.

US leadership has fallen to a new low. The Gallup poll puts global approval of US leadership at just 30%, slightly behind China 31% and three points ahead of Russia. The rating is down 20 points from the 48% rating in the last year of President Barack Obama’s administration.

ons about its accuracy. The 15-minute exam that Jackson administered is called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and is used to test for early signs of Alzheimer’s.

WHAT IS THE OFFICE OF PROFIT? ■ In Article 102 is a term used in a (1)(A) of the number of national Indian Constitution constitutions to which bars a memrefer to executive ber of the Indian appointments.

Parliament from holding an office ■ A number of that would give its countries forbid occupant the members of the opportunity to Legislature from gain a financial accepting an office advantage or of profit under the benefit. executive as a means to secure ■ It refers to a the independence post under Ceof the Legislature ntral/state governand preserve the ment which yields separation of salaries, perks and powers. other benefits.

■ An office of profit

Haj subsidy: End of appeasement politics HAJ SOPS W OVER YEARS

hen minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announced that the Haj subsidy will be stopped, the announcement came a day after the government allowed Muslim women above the age of 45 to go on Haj without a male guardian, in a group of at least four.

The scrapping of the Haj subsidy is also in line with a 2012 Supreme Court order, where the court directed the Centre to gradually reduce the amount of subsidies given to Haj pilgrims within the next 10 years (2022), and money be used for the upliftment of the community.

Following the order, the subsidy has been gradually reduced every year since 2012. The BJP government, led by then former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee limited the Haj subsidy to the poor pilgrims. But, the Congress after it returned to power in 2004, lifted the subsidy making it available to all pilgrims.

Muslims hailed the scrapping of the Haj subsidy, saying it is un-islamic.

But, it has also raised the question, if the Haj susbsidy was an excuse to keep Air India financially aflot. Air India is the only option for Haj pilgrims performing the annual pilgrimage, through various Haj committees.

The All-India Majlis-eIttehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Muslims do not need the government subsidy to go for Haj. The subsidy amount of `450 crore is actually being utilised by the airlines, Air India and other carriers.”

Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Amount in cr `837 `608.03 `577.07 `529.51 `405 `250

The Haj subsidy programme has its origins in the British era. It was first adopted by former Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi to encourage Haj pilgrims to travel by air, instead of journeying by sea. In those days, there was a difference of `10,000 to `12,000 between the prices of the ticket of a ship and a plane. Hence, a provision for the same amount of compensation for pilgrims, was made, in order to encourage them.

In 1995, the option of journeying by ship was dropped and pilgrims began to take flights to the holy shrines.

Scrapping of the Haj subsidy has raised the issue of government spends on Hindu pilgrimages like the Kumbh Melas. It has also brought to light discrimination against minorities and religious matters. In Mr Owaisi’s words, “Removing Haj subsidy won’t be unpopular move at all.”

THE CENTRE GOVERNMENT ALSO SUBSIDISES HINDU PILGRIMAGES ■ The four

Kumbh melas, held in Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain.

CENTRE’S AID ■ 2014: `1,150

crore allotted for the Kumbh mela.

STATES

■ 2017: `100 crore to Madhya Pradesh government for Simhastha maha kumbh

■ Madhya Pradesh: `3,400 crore for Simhast-

ha maha kumbh in 2017.

■ Uttar Pradesh: `800 crore for pilgrimage to Kashi, Ayodhya and other places under rejuvenation and spirituality programme.

■ `1.5 lakh subsidy given to pilgrims for Mansarovar Yatra.

■ Karnataka: `20,000 to each person undertaking pilgrimage to Char Dham.

■ Rajasthan: `38.91 crore for Devasthan department in 2017-18.

■ `26 crore for temple renovation and training priests.

■ Gujarat: Money given to Hindu priests.

■ Haryana: `1 crore to Dera Sacha Sauda.

■ State governments give subsidies to temples, spiritual gurus, rituals, yagnas, and welfare funds.

286.43

Sensex 35,798

71.50

Nifty

10,966

Gold

`15

`30,040

Business

`0.03

Silver

Dollar

`38,885

`63.87 DECCAN CHRONICLE

CURRENCY

1 EURO `78.27 $1.22

1£

`88.79 $1.39

INDICATORS

FII NET BUY:

$451.81mn (Jan. 22) FOREIGN RESERVES:

$413.82bn (Jan. 12)

INFLATION:

5.21% in Dec. 2017

BRIEFS

ONGC shares soar over 3% New Delhi: Shares of stateowned ONGC on Monday surged over 3 per cent, buoyed by the company’s acquisition of the government’s entire 51.11 per cent stake in oil refiner HPCL. On January 20, ONGC announced the acquisition of government’s entire 51.11 per cent stake in oil refiner HPCL for `36,915 crore, paying a premium of over 10 per cent.

Shares of ONGC closed the day 3.28 per cent higher at `199.95 on the BSE. During the day, it rose 6.40 per cent to `206. On the NSE, the shares surged 3.74 per cent to end at `200.95. — PTI

Wipro’s stocks fell over 2% New Delhi: Shares of Wipro on Monday slipped over 2 per cent after the India’s third largest IT firm posted an 8.4 per cent fall in its consolidated net profit for the December quarter. On the BSE, the company’s stock settled for the day at `320.80, down 2.33 per cent from the previous close.

During the session, shares fell as much as 3.27 per cent to touch an intra-day low of `317.70 apiece. The stock closed the day at `322.20 a unit, down 2.05 per cent on the NSE. It missed its revenue forecast in the quarter.

FICCI appoints Dilip Chenoy as DG New Delhi: Ficci on Monday said it has appointed Dilip Chenoy as its director-general. “Mr Chenoy had been the managing director and CEO of the NSDC, DG of SIAM and deputy DG of CII,” Ficci said. He had resigned from NSDC in late 2015 amid reports that the government was unhappy with the functioning of the skills development body. Former skill development and entrepreneurship minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy had earlier expressed displeasure at the way NSDC was being run in the past and lashed out at its failure to achieve the industry’s needs. — PTI

CRISIL: COTTON PRICES TO DIP TO `110/KG Mumbai: The domestic cotton prices expected to decline to `105-110 per kg in cotton season 2017-18, from `117 per kg in last season, due to 11 per cent increase expected in cotton production, a report said. “The 11 per cent jump expected in cotton production at 375 lakh bales may bring down cotton prices to `105-110 per kg in CS18, from `117 per kg in CS17. The acreage has also risen as farmers have switched back to cotton following the price surge witnessed in the last season,” Crisil said.

According to estimates, the planted area under cotton has risen by 19 per cent to 123 lakh hectares compared with 103 lakh hectares in CS17. It is also 7 per cent higher than the 5-year average of 115 lakh hectares.

However, overall yield is expected to fall 7 per cent to 520 kg per hectare due to erratic monsoon rains and anticipated pest-related losses, Crisil said. — PTI

13

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

NEW WISHLIST

India tagged ‘advancing’ Raise tax limit to boost among emerging nations

consumption: SBI arm

■ SBI expects Budget to be based upon inclusiveness RUN UP TO

BUDGET 2018-19

BIZ

PAGE

DC CORRESPONDENT with agency inputs MUMBAI, JAN. 22

The State Bank of India’s (SBI) economic research wing has called for increasing the various income-tax exemptions limits in the forthcoming Budget to spur consumption and boost growth.

In its Budget wish list, SBI said that the tax exemption limit enjoyed by salaried class should be increased to `3 lakh from `2.5 lakh. It has also proposed increasing the amount of deductions allowed under Section 80CC by `50,000 to `2 lakh besides continuing with the additional deduction of `50,000 permitted under Section 80CCD for the National Pension Scheme (NPS).

“The government have periodically increased the income tax slabs from `22,000 in 1990-91 to `2.5 lakh in 2014-15. Due to the 7th pay commission, the personal disposable income has increased, so we believe there is a need to raise the exemption limit to `3 lakh. Due to such increase in limit, around 75 lakh taxpayers will be exempted from income tax,” said SBI’s chief economic advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh and author of the report.

It has also requested the government to consider increasing the exemption limit of interest payments for housing loan to `2.5 lakh from the current limit of `2 lakh that would benefit around 75 lakh home loan buyers across the country.

Additionally, SBI also wants the government to incentivise savings through bank deposits by bringing down the lock in

POOREST HALF SEES WEALTH RISE 1% IN 2017 Davos, Jan. 22: The richest one per cent in India cornered 73 per cent of the wealth generated in the country last year, a new survey showed today, presenting a worrisome picture of rising income inequality.

Besides, 67 crore Indians comprising population’s poorest half saw their wealth rise by just one per cent, as per the survey released by Oxfam hours before the start of the annual congregation of the rich and powerful from across the world.

The annual survey is keenly watched and is discussed in detail at the WEF meeting where rising income and gender inequality is among the key talking points.

Last year’s survey had showed that India’s richest lot held a whopping 58 per cent of the country’s total wealth – higher than the global figure of about 50 per cent.

This year’s survey also showed that the wealth of India’s richest one per cent rose by over `20.9 lakh crore during 2017 – an amount equivalent to total budget of the government in FY18, the report said.

The report reveals how the economy enables wealthy to accumulate vast wealth even as hundreds of millions of people struggle to survive on poverty pay. “The year saw an unprecedented increase in the number of billionaires, at a rate of one in every two days. Billionaires’ wealth has risen by an average of 13 per cent a year since 2010 — six times faster than the wages of ordinary workers, which have risen by a yearly average of just two per cent,” it said.

SBI ALSO wants the government to incentivise savings through bank deposits by bringing down the lock in period for tax savings term deposits to 3 years from the current 5 years.

IT HAS also requested the government to conDue to the 7th pay commission, the sider increasing the personal disposable income has exemption limit of interincreased, so we believe there is a est payments for hous- need to raise the exemption limit to `3 lakh. ing loan to `2.5 lakh Due to such increase in limit, around 75 lakh from the current limit of taxpayers will be exempted from income tax `2 lakh — SOUMYA KANTI GHOSH, CEA, SBI

Healthcare requires priority status, says Apollo Hospitals New Delhi, Jan. 22: Giving national priority status to healthcare and adoption of universal health insurance are some of the important steps required to boost healthcare delivery, Apollo Hospitals said on Monday.

The Budget must acknowledge that quality of healthcare delivery is non-negotiable, it said.

“By according national priority status for

healthcare, the government can signal its intent to put in place an enabling environment that will attract capital both financial and intellectual, and stimulate the creation of highquality capacity,” Apollo Hospitals MD Suneeta Reddy said.

Several approaches in combination can be used for this – in PPP models, or purely by incentivising the private sector

with carefully structured tax benefits, she said.

Joining other industry players, Ms Reddy said: “The payer problem demands urgent attention – we urge the government to adopt universal health insurance at viable rates for all players, and to incentivise the consumers through higher tax deductions for healthcare expenditure and insurance payments”.

— PTI

period for tax savings term deposits to 3 years from the current 5 years.

“The overall impact of such concessions will result in revenue foregone of around `28,500 crore.

We however believe, the Budget will ultimately be a balance between pragmatism and fiscal consolidation,” SBI said in its report.

The report also said that State Bank of India’s expectations regarding the forthcoming Budget are based upon principle of inclusive growth and

meeting the medium and long term objectives set by the government.

“As per our reading of the things, Budget should give priority to agriculture, MSME, infrastructure and affordable housing,” it said.

Agriculture reforms should aim at re-examination of legally created structures whose provisions are restrictive and create barriers to free trade, it said.

The Centre in conjunction with states should emulate the price sup-

port schemes like in MP and Haryana say ‘Bhavantar Krishi Yojana’ for major crops (including vegetables).

“This scheme will help farmers in situations (when wholesale price of the crop is less than the MSP) and the cost of which is only 10 per cent of farm loan waiver programme as per our estimates. Provision of A2 milk in Mid-day meals for children will create adequate additional income for 16 million farmer per year," the report said.

LIKELY CLASH AT DAVOS AHEAD OF THE SUMMIT, EMINENT BANKER UDAY KOTAK REMINDED THAT NARENDRA MODI’S MAKE IN INDIA AND US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MAKE IN AMERICA WILL CLASH AGAINST EACH OTHER.  MR KOTAK advised the Indian contingent to send a strong welcoming message to investors for building a new India

 HE ALSO advised India to shed the image of a salesman and to take role similar to that of a statesman

DC CORRESPONDENT with agency inputs NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi showcases India before the global investors’ community at Davos, Switzerland, the nation was ranked at 62nd place among the emerging economies on an Inclusive Development Index, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report said. India ranks much below China’s 26th position and even Pakistan’s 47th.

India had been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies last year.

Norway remains the world’s most inclusive advanced economy, while Lithuania again tops the list of emerging economies, the World Economic Forum said while releasing the annual index.

Mr Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister in over 20 years to attend the WEF annual event, will meet over 120 CEOs of top multinational corporations at Davos. The PM will deliver the keynote speech at the WEF’s plenary session on Tuesday.

Of the three pillars that make up the index, India ranks 72nd for inclusion, 66th for growth and development and 44th for intergenerational equity. The neighbouring countries

EXCESSIVE RELIANCE by economists and policymakers on the GDP as the primary metric of national economic performance is part of the problem, the WEF said.

THE WEF said that nations are struggling to protect future generations, as it cautioned leaders against expecting higher growth to be a panacea for social frustrations, including those of youngsters who have shaken the politics of many countries.

ranked above India include Sri Lanka (40), Bangladesh (34) and Nepal (22).

The countries ranked better than India also include Mali, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ghana, Ukraine, Serbia, Philippines, Indonesia, Iran, Macedonia, Mexico, Thailand and Malaysia.

Although China ranks first among emerging economies in GDP per capita growth (6.8 per cent) and labour productivity growth (6.7 per cent) since 2012, its overall score is brought down by lacklustre performance on inclusion, the WEF said. The index takes into account the “living standards, environmental sustainability and protection of future generations from further indebtedness”, the WEF said.

It urged the leaders to urgently move to a new

DP World, NIIF to invest $3bn DC CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, JAN. 22

UAE-based marine and inland terminals operator DP World on Monday joined hands with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to create a platform for investing up to $3 billion in ports and logistics The platform will invest in opportunities in the ports sector, and beyond sea ports into areas such as river ports and transportation, freight corridors, port-led special economic zones, inland container terminals, and logistics infrastructure including cold storage “NIIF, set-up to function as a platform in India for attracting foreign investments, has made good progress. We are pleased to learn of NIIF’s first investment to create an investment platform in the ports and logistics sector. Following its first close in October 2017 on the fund-raising side, and now with its first investment, NIIF is making visible progress,” said economic affairs secretary Subhash Chandra Garg.

The partnership between DP World and NIIF follows the MoU signed in

This is NIIF's first investment and is a good example of how NIIF can work with international capital and expertise to invest at scale to build critical infrastructure in India — SUJOY BOSE, CEO, NIIF May 2017 and the visit to India of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and DP World group chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, in February 2016.

In 2015, the Cabinet had approved setting up a sort of sovereign fund NIIF for the development of infrastructure projects, including the stalled ones.

model of inclusive growth and development, saying reliance on GDP as a measure of economic achievement is fuelling short-termism and inequality.

The index, which measures progress of 103 economies on three individual pillars has been divided into two parts.

The first part covers 29 advanced economies and the second 74 emerging economies.

The index has also classified the countries into five sub-categories in terms of the five-year trend of their overall Inclusive Development Growth score — receding, slowly receding, stable, slowly advancing and advancing. Despite its low overall score, India is among the 10 emerging economies with “advancing” trend.

U.S. RECORDS 37-POINTS TRUST EROSION Davos, Jan 22: India is among the most trusted nations globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and media. But, it recorded extreme trust loss compared to last year, a survey said on Monday.

“The collapse of trust in the US is driven by a staggering lack of faith in government,” the survey said, adding that business and media institutions also experienced declines.

The US saw a 37-point aggregate drop in trust across all institutions, followed by Italy (down 21), Brazil (-17), South Africa (-17), India (-13) and Columbia (-13).

The survey further noted that for the first time media is the least trusted institution globally. In 22 of the 28 countries surveyed it is now distrusted. “The demise of confidence in the Fourth Estate is driven primarily by a significant drop in trust in platforms, notably search engines and social media,” it added.

The survey further noted that companies headquartered in Canada, Switzerland, Sweden and Australia are most trusted. — PTI

F&O settlement, Q3 nos to guide markets C. Kutumba Rao Market Khabar

S

hrugging away the rising crude prices, the markets fuelled by better than expected Q3 numbers, announcement of a reduction in extra borrowing, fresh cut in GST rates, rumour of allowing 100 per cent FDI in the banking sector, favorable global cues hit new highs.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed 919 points and 213 points higher at 35,512 and 10,895 respectively.

Bank Nifty vaulted by 1,160 points to 26,910.

Underperforming the benchmark indices, both the BSE mid- and smallcap indices closed lower by 2.1 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively.

Cut in GST rates on 29 goods and 54 services ahead of the Budget kept the sentiment positive.

With market players anticipating a sea change in the earnings trend starting from Q3 results,

stocks specific action may continue ahead of Budget.

Economic data like WPI, IIP and PMI are also suggesting improvement in pricing and volume growth.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering the opening speech at the World Economic Forum Summit in Davos, observers expect heightened interest on India from foreign portfolio investors.

Near term trend will be dictated by F&O settlement, investment pattern of FIIs, international crude oil prices and global cues. Track developments of US shutdown. Prolonged imbroglio may cast shadow on global markets.

For the week ahead, chartists predict trading range of 35,500-36,000 and 10,750-11,025 for the indices.

Key supports for the indices are at 35,250 & 35,000 and 10,825 & 10,750.

STOCK SCAN ■ Chemicals manufacturer Mangalam Organics is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of Camphor, Sodium Acetate and by-products, Terpene Chemicals, Synthetic Resins and Phenol formaldehyde resins. It offers camphor tablets under the brand name mangalam. After the fire in the synthetic resin segment during June 2015, production was stopped, however it has been able to selectively restart the production of few high margin synthetic resins in the last two years.

The Company exports its products to Europe, the US, Africa and the Middle East. The company’s manufacturing units are located at Kumbhivali village, Taluka Kahalapur, Khopoli, district Raigad, Maharashtra.

Buy on declines for target price of `325.

■ HealthCare Global Enterprises is engaged in managing cancer hos-

pitals, cancer centers and medical diagnostic services, including scientific testing and consultancy services in the pharma and medical sector. Headquartered in Bangalore, it is the largest provider of cancer care in India and has pioneered the introduction and adoption of several technologies in the country. It is involved retail sale of pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic goods and toilet articles. Buy for medium term target of `450.

■ Wonderla Holidays belonging to V Guard group is engaged in the business of amusement parks and resorts. The company’s segments include Amusement park, Resort and Others.

The Company operates approximately three amusement parks in Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad under the brand name Wonderla.

It has acquired land in Chennai. Buy for medium term target of `625.

FUTURES & OPTIONS Ahead of the settlement week, derivative segment witnessed brisk trading and Nifty Futures managed to close at record highs for the fifth consecutive week.

Sentiment indicators like implied volatility, open interest, put/call ratio and VIX suggest only gains and consolidation from current levels. In the options segment highest open interest for Nifty in the current series is placed at 11,000 call option and 10,500 put option.

Bank Nifty has the highest open interest placed at 27,000 call option and 26,500 put option. Decisive move above 10,800 level could open up the next upside target of around 11,000/11,150 levels for Nifty, which could be achieved in the next 1-2 weeks.

Banks were the flavor of the week. Led by ICICI Bank, private banks like Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and Kotak Bank logged

good gains. PSUs were laggards but are expected to move up in the next leg of rally of bank stocks. Buy SBI, BoB and PNB. Results from HUL reflect the health of FMCG sector. Buy on declines HUL, Godrej Consumer, Dabur and Marico.

True to predictions, tech stocks are back in demand. Use corrections to buy Infosys and TCS. Below par results from Wipro were a dampener.

Q3 earnings of auto firms are expected to be strong due to low base.

Buy Maruti Suzuki and Hero Motocorp.

RIL’s results were better than expectations. Market players expect positive response on Monday.

Target of `1,150 is not ruled out.

Other stocks looking good are Coal India, Container Corp, Canara Bank, DHFL, ICICI Prudential, Jubilant Food, Kotak Mahindra Bank and NIIT Tech.

(C. Kutumba Rao is an avid follower of stock markets.

This newspaper is not liable for decisions made on the basis of this column. Views expressed in the article are personal views of the writer.)

Games SACH A GESTURE!

French league football team Toulouse have sacked their coach Pascal Dupraz

DECCAN CHRONICLE

We needed that. In any case, it’s what we were missing in the sense that scoring seven goals at home this season, it’s hugely staisfying, and a relief.

— Zinedine Zidane Real Madrid coach on his side’s 7-1 win

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Kepa renews his deal with Bilbao Madrid: Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on Monday signed a new longterm contract to keep him at San Mames and end the speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid.

The Basque club announced in a statement that Kepa had agreed a new seven-year deal to run until June 2025.

The 23-year-old Spain international’s contract includes an 80 million-euro ($98 million) buyout clause, hiked up enormously from the previous 20 million euros.

His existing deal had been due to expire at the end of the current campaign and it was thought that Real might move to sign him this month.

It had even been announced a fortnight ago that Kepa had passed a medical at the Santiago Bernabeu. — AFP

Mbappe injury not serious: PSG Paris: Paris Saint-Germain said initial tests carried out on Kylian Mbappe were “reassuring” after their young star was stretchered off in the first half of Sunday’s 1-2 defeat at Lyon.

“The check-up at the end of the match was reassuring and allowed Kylian Mbappe to return to Paris,” the club said in a statement.

“Further tests will be carried out at the start of the week,” the statement read further.

Mbappe, who turned 19 last month, had to be carried off the field at the Groupama Stadium late in the first half after being flattened by a fullblooded challenge from Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

He had already been in the wars, needing treatment for a bloody head wound suffered in a clash with Houssem Aouar.

— AFP

■ Sachin Tendulkar peps up women cricketers Mumbai, Jan. 22: Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Monday gave a pep talk to members of the Indian women’s cricket team, who will travel to South Africa for a gruelling ODI and T20 series.

It is learnt that Tendulkar spoke to the members of the team captained by Mithali Raj, for over an hour, at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra Kurla complex here.

The Indian’s women team will tour South Africa for a three-match ODI series, which starts at Kimberly on February 5, followed by a five-match T20 series, which begins on February 13 at Potchefstroom.

The players were quite inquisitive and asked Tendulkar on how he prepared before a Test match.

It was also understood that that the legendary batsman told the players to go with a positive frame of mind and advised them not to worry about the conditions there.

Tendulkar has also told the members not to burden themselves and advised them to avoid making minor mistakes.

— PTI

● Tendulkar spoke to the team ahead of their tour of South Africa for a three-match ODI and five-game T20 series. Sachin told the players to go with a positive frame of mind and advised them not to worry about the conditions there.

Former Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar takes a selfie with members of the Indian women’s cricket team at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai on Monday ahead of the side’s departure to South Africa for a series.

— PTI

Harmanpreet signs a big bat deal New Delhi, Jan. 22: Harmanpreet Kaur, who guided India to the final of the ICC World Cup 2017, became the first woman cricketer from the country to sign a bat endorsement deal with CEAT on Monday.

Harmanpreet, who signed a two-year deal with CEAT, joins the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishan Kishan. She will now be seen playing with a bat prominently displaying CEAT insignia in all formats of the game.

“I am delighted to be

● Kaur became the first Indian woman to sign a bat endorsement deal and joined the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane to be associated with the brand. associated with CEAT that is already represented by icons of Indian cricket.

Taking the momentum of 2017 forward I look forward to putting in consistent performances for the team this year,” Harmanpreet said in a release.

The Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain has been a consistent performer across multiple

formats of the game. In the 2017 World Cup semifinal against Australia, she scored a career-best 171, which is the highest individual score by an Indian in World Cup history.

Vice President Marketing, CEAT Limited, Nitish Bajaj said: “The Indian Women’s cricket team has been performing bril-

ROBINHO SET TO JOIN A TURKISH SIDE Istanbul: Brazil forward Robinho is set to join Turkish Super Lig side Sivasspor, the club said on Monday, despite his sentencing in absentia to nine years in prison in Italy for gang rape.

Sivasspor, based in the city of Sivas in central Anatolia, said that an agreement with the former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester City player had been reached “in principle” and the signing would take place after final discussions.

The Fanatik sports daily quoted club manager Samet Aybaba as saying that a one-and-a-halfyear deal had been agreed and the final details were being thrashed out.

Robinho, 33, has won 100 caps for Brazil and played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

He had spent the last two seasons at Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro.

But he was found guilty in absentia by an Italian court in November of raping a 22-yearold Albanian woman in January 2013, when the Brazilian was playing for Milan in Italy. — AFP

Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin (right) and former member of Parliament V. Hanumantha Rao (left) wait at Hyderabad Cricket Association ombdusman & ethics officer Justice (Retd) L. Narsimha Reddy’s office at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, on Monday.

HCA in suspended animation DC CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD, JAN. 22

Hyderabad Cricket Association ombudsman & ethics officer Justice (Retd) L. Narsimha Reddy has set January 27 and 31 as dates to hear cases pertaining to suspended secretary T. Sheshnarayan and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin.

On Monday, HCA offices at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal resembled a mini court with the aggrieved parties being accompanied by a battery of advo-

● No meeting of the Apex Council is to be convened nor any policy decision taken till matter pertaining to the secretary’s suspension is disposed of. cates, numbering more than a cricket team — 13.

Shesh is contesting his suspension by the HCA Apex Council saying they did not have the grounds.

It is learnt that no meeting of the Apex Council should be convened nor any policy decision taken till the matter is disposed of. That would mean the HCA is in suspended animation.

Separately dealing with

a batch of complaints alleging discrepancies in the Association filed by Azharuddin, former Test cricketer as well as HCA president, former secretary John Manoj and other members, Justice Reddy decided to hear them collectively on the last day of the month.

Enquiry on representation (contentious) cards issued to members to attend the acrimonious

Special General Meeting held on January 7 will also be taken up at the hearing.

Whether due process was followed before the cards were signed and why some were not initially allowed into the SGM despite holding these cards will be deliberated, it is learnt.

A bitter battle has broken out in the HCA between the ruling and opposition camps with Shesh’s suspension adding a new twist to the tangle that has triggered fresh alignments in the rough game.

Messi, Suarez boost Barca

SEVEN STAR REAL MADRID ARE IN SPANISH TOP FOUR

just before the end, reaching his 100th goal in 114 matches with Barcelona.

Messi, who has scored seven goals in his last six games, leads the league with 19 goals, four more than Suarez. The Uruguay striker has scored at least a goal in seven consecutive league games.

Barcelona was coming off a 0-1 defeat at Espanyol in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, a result that ended the team’s 29-match unbeaten streak. It remains without a loss in the league.

— AP

Madrid, Jan. 22: Real Madrid moved back into the top four of La Liga by thumping lowly Deportivo La Coruna 7-1 on Sunday, with Cristiano Ronaldo ending a miserable run of league form with a late double.

Ronaldo had only scored four league goals before Sunday’s clash with third-from-bottom Deportivo, but the Portuguese added Real’s fifth and sixth with a smart volley and a diving header as they moved back above Villarreal and into the Champions League places.

Gareth Bale and Nacho also bagged braces each side of half-time and Luka Modric curled home a 68th-minute beauty as Real came back from a shock early deficit, a 23rd-minute tap-in from Adrian, to romp to an emphatic victory.

— AFP

Seville (Spain), Jan. 22: Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona won 5-0 at Real Betis with five second-half goals to increase its Spanish league lead.

Ivan Rakitic also scored for the Catalan club, which moved 11 points ahead of Atletico Madrid at the start of La Liga’s second half.

After 20 rounds, Barcelona has a 14-point lead over thirdplaced Valencia, and is 19 points in front of rival Real Madrid, which has a game in hand.

TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

After an even first half at Benito Villamarin Stadium, Barcelona gained control of the match when Rakitic opened the scoring after a breakaway early in the second half. Messi scored his first goal five minutes later and Suarez quickly added to the lead.

Messi’s second goal in the 80th was one to admire, with the Argentine entering the area and going past two defenders before calmly finding the net.

Suarez closed the scoring

liantly over the years and we at CEAT strongly believe in supporting the sport.”

“We are proud to sign Harmanpreet Kaur as our first women cricketer on board, who has been an inspiration to budding cricketers on and off the field,” Bajaj added.

Harmanpreet also became the first Indian cricketer to be signed by an overseas franchise in a T20 tournament, having played for Sydney Thunders in the 2016-17 Women’s Big Bash League.

— PTI

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Cricket

Angelo Mathews, who is suffering from hamstring injury, is doubtful for the Tests against Bangladesh DECCAN CHRONICLE

I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the ruling with the soft signal.

— Steve Smith Australia captain calls for an end to the practice of on-field umpires offering a “soft signal” to the third umpire on disputed catches, arguing that technology should be arbiter in such cases

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Warner to lead in T20, Smith rested

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TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

COACH FEELS THE HEAT DEFIANT SHASTRI DEFENDS DECISION TO LEAVE OUT RAHANE

Melbourne: David Warner will lead Australia in next month’s Twenty20 international tri-series against New Zealand and England as regular captain Steve Smith is given a break ahead of the crucial Test tour to South Africa. Opening batsman Warner, the Test vice-captain, steps up to lead Australia in the T20 games which come a few weeks before the fourTest series in South Africa.

“The South African series is a very important one and we have made no secret of our desire to improve our record away from home,” chief selector Trevor Hohns said.

— AFP Squad: David Warner (capt), Aaron Finch, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

Johannesburg, Jan. 22: India coach Ravi Shastri on Monday defended the team management’s decision to leave out Ajinkya Rahane from the first two Tests in South Africa, saying Rohit Sharma was the best option going by form.

One of the most successful Indian batsmen overseas in recent years, vice-captain Rahane was not picked for the Tests in Cape Town and Centurion, with the Indian team management preferring to go with limited-overs specialist Sharma on “current form”.

But Sharma’s failure to live up to the expectations and the Indian batting’s inability to stand up to the South African pace attack in the preceding matches attracted widespread criticism, forcing the management to rethink about Rahane.

“If Ajinkya (Rahane) had

Philander wants to make it 3-0 for SA Johannesburg: South African pacer Vernon Philander has shot off a warning to India, saying the hosts would not lower their guard in the third Test starting here on Wednesday as they eye a series whitewash.

South Africa have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead against India in the three-Test series and Philander said they would settle for nothing less than a 3-0 result.

“It is just another game of cricket for us, but we do want to win each and every single game we play. So, it doesn’t matter that the Test series has already been won, we want to win all three matches,” said Philander.

“The emphasis is on preparation, and doing it well today and tomorrow. We want to win this Test as well,” he added. — PTI

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played the first Test and not job to do, so they are entitled to done well, you would have asked what they say,” Shastri signed me the same question about off.

Shastri’s dig at experts came why Rohit hasn’t played. Rohit played, he didn’t do well, so you following former India opener are asking me why Ajinkya did- Virender Sehwag’s criticism of n’t play,” a defiant Shastri said skipper Virat Kohli’s selection when queried about the selec- policy. tion policy.

‘Could have come “The same would have hap- earlier to SA’ pened with the fast bowlers. So you have choices. The team Their weaknesses thoroughly exposed in unfamiliar condimanagement has discussed tions, Shastri said what is the best option. team should have They stick by it and landed in South they go by it,” Africa earlier Shastri said.

If Rahane had to acclimatise “Overseas, played the first Test and called you go on curfor more rent form, you and not done well, you preparatogo on condiwould have asked me the ry time tions. You see ahead of which player same question about why f u t u r e can adapt to Rohit hasn’t played. overseas certain conditours. tions quicker —Ravi Shastri, India “Back than the coach home, we are other,” he familiar with added. conditions.

Rahane’s return Ideally we shouldn’t to the playing XI for have to fight back (at the inconsequential third Test starting here on home), but we fought back and Wednesday. The India coach we did well. Here, conditions said on overseas tours, a team is are different. In hindsight I forced to select their playing XI would say another ten days of keeping conditions in mind. practice here would have made “Chopping and changing a difference,” Shastri said after overseas is easier. In India, a practice session.

“But that’s no excuse. The you don’t need to chop and change because you pitch we play on is the same for know what the condi- both sides and I would rather tions are and for focus on the 20 wickets we have which bowler to play, taken (in both Tests). That has as opposed to what given us a chance in both Tests to win games. If our top kind of track you will get,” Shastri order can fire, this (third Test) will also be a good match,” he said.

Shastri also added. The coach was further refused to the questioned why Test specialists criticism back weren’t sent in advance. He was home. “Experts also asked if an early departure are meant to do a to acclimatise for the tours of job. They can say England and Australia later in what they want. the year would be taken into It doesn’t affect consideration.

“There was a thought (to send us. They have a

Ajinkya Rahane is set to be included for the final Test.

Test specialists) early, but then you are disjointed. Those thoughts can be put in hindsight. But I would say the best thing would be reaching there (for future tours) two weeks earlier,” said Shastri.

“Unfortunately the schedule (this time) was such that you had matches (against Sri Lanka). But I am sure henceforth in the future when itineraries are made that will be taken into account. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

You get there a couple of weeks earlier and prepare,” he added.

‘Team morale is high’ Shastri highlighted that the morale in the dressing room is high, because the team is creating chances to win Tests in overseas conditions.

He said they are looking forward to the third Test in Johannesburg and pulling one back in the series. “Like South Africa, even we played with six batsmen, five plus one allrounder. It means that responsibility on both sides on the top order is that much more...it won’t be easy because South Africa have a very good attack as well. You have to have guts out there. There are no short cuts or half measures. You have

to grind it out there,” he said.

“They have had chances in both Tests but they didn’t make the most of it. So when you believe you have a chance to win then you look forward to a Test match. When you don’t believe you can win you don’t look forward to a test match, as simple as that,” he added.

The Indian team held a full practice session this morning.

The management was a bit circumspect about the practice pitches and Shastri even called up the Wanderers’ head curator.

The groundsmen then rolled the practice pitches before the batsmen took strike.

“The practice pitches were damp. I think they were watered last night, so the bounce was a little spongy and two-paced. So by rolling, we wanted the practice wickets to be a little harder,” explained Shastri.

‘Schoolboy errors’ Shasrti said the team will have to rectify the “schoolboy errors” that led to three run-outs in the lost second Test.

“It hurts a lot. As it is the conditions are very tough, and on top of that, if someone gets run out then you feel bad and there is no doubt of that,” Shastri said.

— PTI

IPL to begin on April 7 in Mumbai Munro takes New Zealand New Delhi, Jan. 22: The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be held from April 7 to May 27 with the tournament opener and final to be played in Mumbai, the IPL Governing Council (GC) announced on Monday.

The opening ceremony will take place in Mumbai on April 6. Accepting broadcasters’ request, the IPL GC has also allowed a shift in timings of the matches. The 8pm game

will now begin at 7pm while the 4pm start has now been pushed to 5.30pm. “The broadcaster has requested for change in timings. By and large the GC has accepted it. It gets too late in the night if the game starts at 8pm,” said IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla after the GC meeting here.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, also a GC member, could not attend the meeting.

“As far as the double

headers on weekends are concerned. The 4pm game will now be played at 5.30pm. There will be an overlap but the broadcaster says it has enough channels to show the games simultaneously,” Shukla said further.

At the meeting, it was also decided that Kings XI Punjab will play four of their home games in Mohali and three in Indore.

The home matches of Rajasthan Royals, who are

returning to IPL after serving a two-year ban, will be finalised after the Rajasthan High Court’s hearing on January 24.

“The matter is in court. I think on 24th (Wednesday), the court may dispose off the matter. We are waiting for that. Preference will given to Jaipur if the stadium is ready and court clears RCA’s status. If that doesn’t happen, the alternate venue will be Pune,” said Shukla — PTI

home in opening Twenty20 Wellington, Jan. 22: Colin Munro ensured New Zealand continued a stellar home summer when they thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets with 25 balls to spare in the opening T20 here.

Munro was left unbeaten on 49 when a wide by Hasan Ali in the 16th over gave New Zealand victory as they chased down

Pakistan’s 105 in the clash of the world's top two ranked Twenty20 sides.

It extended New Zealand’s winning streak to 13 across all three formats in the past two months including five one-dayers against Pakistan and a series of Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s against the West Indies. For Tim

Southee, the stand-in captain after a late decision to rest Kane Williamson who has a minor injury, everything went according to plan.

— AFP ■ Brief scores: Pakistan 105 in 19.4 overs (Babar Azam 41, Rance 3/26, Southee 3/13) lost to New Zealand 106/3 in 15.5 overs (C. Munro 49 n.o).

Games

Former England captain and Blackpool legend Jimmy Armfield, 82, dies after long battle with cancer DECCAN CHRONICLE

My biggest match, as well, pretty neat. I definitely had a real pinch-me moment.

Wow, this is hopefully real. If I wake up now, I'm going to be real upset!

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Siddharth winner at Sweden badminton New Delhi: Young shuttler Siddharth Pratap Singh secured his maiden international title, bagging the Swedish Open Junior International Series with a straight-game victory over Denmark’s Mads Christophersen in the final at Uppsala, Sweden.

Playing his first final, Siddharth defeated Christophersen 21-15, 21-11 in 33 minutes to claim the singles title on Sunday night.

The 19-year-old from Raipur survived a scare in the opening match against Denmark’s Patrick Bjerregaard, beating the Danish player 21-23, 2321, 21-15.

He then defeated Sergey Sirant 21-15, 21-9 in the second round, before disposing of Felix Burestedt and Hermansah in straight games. Siddharth will next play in the Iceland International at Reykjavik to be held from January 25.

— PTI Regd. No. H/SD/509/2018-20 Printed and Published by O. Thomas on behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited printed at Deccan Chronicle Press situated at Plot No. 9 Alwal Village, Vallabh Nagar Taluk, Malkajgiri Mandal, Ranga Reddy Dist. Telangana.

RNI Registration No. 3081/1957.

Editor: A.T. Jayanti

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts during his Australian Open fourth round match against South Korea’s Chung Hyeon in Melbourne on Monday.

— AP

Melbourne, Jan. 22: Wounded 12-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic was sent tumbling out of the Australian Open

by Korean giant-killer Chung Hyeon on Monday, but ice-cool Roger Federer roared into the quarter-finals.

The Serb, who was returning from six months out with a right elbow injury, was clearly in pain as his hopes of a seventh Melbourne Park title were extinguished on Rod Laver Arena 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).

He was keen not to take away from the glasses-wearing Chung’s huge achievement after the 21-year-old followed up his win over fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the last round.

“Congratulations. Amazing,” said Djokovic, who also had an apparent hip or groin problem, screeching at times when stretching for the ball.

“He was the better player on court today and he deserved to win.”

Djokovic said the injuries started troubling him at the end of the first set and a decision on where he goes from here would be made after talking with his medical team.

Chung’s reward is a last-eight clash with unheralded American Tennys Sandgren, who upset Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (7/9).

The Korean, ranked 58, described Djokovic as “my idol”.

“I can’t believe this, dream’s come true tonight.”

Sandgren was also in a daze, becoming just the second man in the last 20 years since Frenchman Nicolas Escude to make the quarter-finals on his Australian Open debut.

For a composed Federer, it was business as normal.

The Swiss defending champion

Chung Hyeon

LIVE on

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TUESDAY | 23 JANUARY 2018 | HYDERABAD

Chung sends idol Djokovic packing

— Tennys Sandgren of USA after defeating Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the Australian Open fourth round

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Australian Open on Sony Ten 2, Sony Six

5.30 AM ONWARDS swatted aside one-time training partner Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 76 (7/3), 6-2 to make the last eight for an incredible 14th time.

He will now play fellow veteran Tomas Berdych, a semi-finalist in 2014 and 2015, who demolished Italy’s Fabio Fognini 6-1, 64, 6-4.

Meanwhile, World number one Simona Halep eased into the last eight 6-3, 6-2 over unseeded Naomi Osaka of Japan. — AFP

RESULTS ■ Men’s singles 4th round: Tomas Berdych (CZE x19) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x25) 6-1, 64, 6-4, Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 64, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x5) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, Chung Hyeon (KOR) bt Novak Djokovic (SRB x14) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).

■ Women’s singles 4th round: Madison Keys (USA x17) by Caroline Garcia (FRA x8) 6-3, 6-2, Angelique Kerber (GER x21) bt Hsieh Su-wei (TPE) 46, 7-5, 6-2, Simona Halep (ROM x1) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN) 6-3, 6-2.

Sindhu eyes strong beginning Jakarta, Jan. 22: Ace shuttlers P.V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will look for a positive start to the new season at the $350,000 Indonesia Masters World Tour Super 500 tournament from Tuesday.

Sindhu and Srikanth were sensational last season clinching multiple titles and they begin their quest for another successful season against Indonesia’s Hanna Ramadini and Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli respectively, in the main draw.

Sindhu won three titles and took three silver medals last season, while Srikanth exceeded all expectations with four titles and a runners-up finish and the duo will hope to continue their good run in the new season.

Coming back from an ankle injury, London Games bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, who had a moderate last season, has a tough task at hand against world no. 8 Chen Yufei, seeded seventh, in the opening round.

H.S. Prannoy, who achieved a career-best ranking of world no. 10 last year, begins the season against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, while a fit-again Sameer Verma meets Kazumasa Sakai of Japan in the opening round.

— PTI

Kidambi Srikanth