Sisodia, Jain resign from Delhi Cabinet

Portfolios to be given to Gahlot, Anand

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s trusted lieutenants Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both behind bars on corruption charges, resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday.

Kejriwal has accepted the resignations of the two leaders, who played a pivotal role in implementing his governance agenda of good education and health facilities in the national capital, according to officials.

The opposition BJP had been demanding the resignation of Jain after his arrest in May last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

Sisodia too faced the heat after his name cropped up in the excise policy scam in August 2022. He was arrested by the CBI on Sunday evening in connection with the alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22.

Official sources said Sisodia’s portfolios would be allotted to Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot and Social Welfare Minister Raj Kumar Anand. Sisodia, who was the deputy chief minister, was holding the charge of 18 out of 33 departments of the Delhi government, including health, finance, education and home.

Even after his arrest, Jain continued to be a minister in the government but without any portfolio. His portfolios, including health, home and urban development, had been handed over to Sisodia.

Sisodia’s workload had almost doubled after Jain’s arrest, and he was handling most of the crucial departments of the city government. Both have led what the AAP describes as the “successful transformation” of Delhi’s education and health services, contributing to the party’s popularity and continued electoral success.

The BJP had stepped up its attack on the AAP following Sisodia’s arrest and had been demanding his sacking, along with that of Jain, from the Delhi Cabinet.

“BJP’s struggle has borne fruits. We had been demanding that Manish

Sisodia and Satyendar Jain would have to r esign and also go to jail. And out of embarrassment, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had to accept their resignations. This is a victory of BJP workers, a victory of truth,” Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva said. “Liquor scam has happened with your complicity and right under your nose. You are responsible for it. Our struggle, demanding Kejriwal’s resignation, will continue,” he added.

SC refuses to entertain Sisodia’s bail plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, seeking bail and quashing of the FIR in the excise policy case, saying it would set a “wrong precedent” and efficacious alternative remedies are available to him.

“Since the petitioner (Sisodia) has efficacious alternate remedies available under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, we are not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, at this stage. The petition is accordingly disposed of,” a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said.

The bench observed that just because the incident has happened in Delhi, Sisodia cannot come to the apex court directly as he has his remedies before the trial court concerned as well as the Delhi High Court. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, questioned the need of arresting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader saying policy decisions were taken at different rung and moreover, no money was recovered.

He said that the Lieutenant Governor was also part of the policy decision in the excise policy.

As the apex court observed that it would not entertain the plea at this stage, Singhvi withdrew it.

Killers of Kashmiri Pandit gunned down in Pulwama

SRINAGAR, FEB 28

(PTI): Two terrorists believed to be behind the recent killing of a Kashmiri Pandit were gunned down early Tuesday in an encounter with security forces inside a mosque in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. An Army jawan was also killed.

Security forces cordoned off an area in Padgampora village following a tip-off that at least two armed terrorists were hiding inside the mosque, officials said. The incident, which comes after Sunday’s killing of a Kashmiri Pandit, took place around 1.15 am.

“Security forces ex - ercised extreme restraint given the fact that the two local militants were holed up inside a mosque. We were determined to ensure there was no damage to the mosque,” a senior police officer said.

Tharoor takes dig at PM’s ‘na khaunga na khane dunga’ slogan

During the encounter, a soldier working with 55 Rashtriya Rifles received a bullet in his thigh, puncturing a main artery. There was heavy loss of blood and the soldier could not survive, the officer said.

Recapping what had happened, he said one of the terrorists, identified as Aqib Mustaq Bhat, was killed in the mosque premises. The other, identified as Ajaz Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Trall near Pulwama, jumped out, possibly from a window, and took refuge in a house close to the mosque. His location was tracked through technical surveillance and security forces trapped him inside the house before shooting him dead, the officer said.

On Sunday, Sanjay Sharma, a bank guard, was shot dead by terrorists barely 100 metres from his home in Achan in Pulwama.

VP Dhankar hits out at BBC documentary, George Soros

CHENNAI, FEB 28 (PTI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar hit out at the “narrative set afloat” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hungarian-American businessman critic George Soros, on Tuesday saying those who play politics the other way around need to be combated, neutralised and must face rational questioning. Dhankar said India has a robust legal system where things are realised for the high and mighty, including the Prime Minister.

“For two decades, the issue was deliberated in judicial quarters, thoroughly investigated at all levels. The highest court of the land, the highest court of the largest democracies pronounced on all fronts in 2022 finally, and we have a narrative being set afloat by a documentary, some people say this is expression,” the VP said in an apparent reference to the BBC documentary on Narendra Modi. “So in the name of expression can you run down the Supreme Court, can you run down two decades of thorough investigation? This is playing politics the other way around. When people choose to play politics the other way around, the young minds here and outside are intellectually equipped to challenge them,” he said while addressing the students after inaugurating the Centre for Innovation at IIT Madras here. BBC documentary pertains to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the chief minister of that state. Without mentioning names, he said “there is one gentleman somewhere using some money power, he has some backers, he has some beneficiaries, he has some fiscal parasites and they talk about our country’s democracy.”

Major policy change for new railway officers

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI): In a major policy change, young officers of the Indian Railways will now have to spend first 10 years of their service in the field before being eligible to be posted at the headquarters, the Railway Board has said.

Currently, even new officers could be posted at the headquarters.

Sources said the decision has been taken to ensure that officers have enough experience at the field-level before making their way to cushy posts in the HQ.

“In order to ensure adequate exposure of field working to Direct Recruit

Group ‘A Railway officers, it has been decided that for the initial 10 years of their service, directly recruited Group ‘A’ Railway Officers shall normally be posted in field and shall not be posted in the headquarters,” the order issued by the Railway Board said.

Notably, addressing a meeting after a derailment in Andhra Pradesh recently, Railway Board Chairman A K Lahoti had asked general managers and divisional railway managers from across India to go to the accident sites themselves and seek solutions.

“Field postings are strenuous and demand - ing and is more productive for railways. It also readies young officers for challenges that they might encounter and help in their decisionmaking,” the officials said explaining the idea behind the decision.

Another officer said it has been felt that decision makers in the national transporter have increasingly become detached from realities on the ground.

“Initial postings on the field will make them equipped with ground realities. Also, they will learn how to live in rural areas where often even the basic amenities are missing,’ he said.

Men in ‘luxury car’ caught stealing flowerpots set up for G20 meet

GURUGRA M, FEB 28

BENGALURU, FEB 28

(PTI): The flight acceptance hot test of the CE-20 cryogenic engine that will power the cryogenic upper stage of the launch vehicle for the Chandrayaan-3 mission was successfully conducted, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The hot test was carried out for a planned duration of 25 seconds at the High Altitude Test Facility of the ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu on February 24, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said.

“All the propulsion parameters during the test were found satisfactory and closely matched with predictions,” an ISRO statement said on Monday.

The cryogenic engine will be further integrated with the propellant tanks, stage structures and associated fluid lines to realise the fully-integrated flight cryogenic stage, ISRO said.

Earlier this year, Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully underwent EMI/EMC test at U R Rao Satellite

NEW

DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI):

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday shared a list of leaders against whom graft probes were allegedly stopped after they switched sides to the BJP and took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘na khaunga na khane dunga’ slogan, saying that probably “he was only talking about beef”.

Tharoor’s swipe came a day after Delhi Dy CM

Manish Sisodia was sent to five-day custody of the CBI by a special court here in a excise policy scam case after being arrested on Sunday.

Centre here.

EMI-EMC (Electro - Magnetic Interference/ Electro - Magnetic Compatibility) test is conducted for satellite missions to ensure the functionality of the satellite subsystems in the space environment and their compatibility with the expected electromagnetic levels, it was noted. “This test is a major milestone in the realisation of the satellites,” ISRO had said.

Chandrayaan-3 interplanetary mission has three major modules: the propulsion module, lander module, and a rover. The mission’s complexity calls for establishing radio-frequency (RF) communication links between the modules.

During the Chandrayaan-3 lander EMI/EC test, launcher compatibility, antenna polarisation of all RF systems, standalone auto compatibility tests for orbital and powered descent mission phases, and lander and rover compatibility tests for post landing mission phase were ensured, according to ISRO.

Taking to Twitter, he shared a list, widely circulated on social media, of eight leaders -- Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa, Suvendu Adhikari, Bhavna Gawli, Yashwant Jadhav, Yamini Jadhav, Pratap Sarnaik and Narayan Rane -- who either joined the BJP or its allies.

The screenshot of the list shared by Tharoor claimed that graft probes against these leaders were stalled after they switched sides in support of the BJP.

(IANS): A video went viral on Tuesday in which two men allegedly stole flowerpots set up for the G20 meeting near Shankar Chowk on Delhi-Jaipur Expressway in Gurugram. The Gurugram Police are now registering an FIR related to the matter.

“We have received a complaint from Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) following which we are filing an FIR in the matter. The car bearing number ‘HR20AV0006’ was reg is - tered in Hisar and the owner is a lady identified as Beena. We will soon send her a letter to join the investiga-

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND DIRECTORATE OF TREASURIES & ACCOUNTS

NAGALAND :: KOHIMA

NO.DTA/ESTT-149/2022/ Dated Kohima, the February, 2023

Notification

This is a reminder to all the HODs and DDOs to submit the GPF details for Grade-IV & Work-Charged Employees as notified vide Circular No. DTA/ESTT-149/2022 dated 15.12.2022 on or before the 3rd of March 2023. The aforementioned Circular and also information sought, listed departmentally, may also be downloaded from http://treasuries.nagaland.gov.in under the Grade IV GPF Menu

Sd/- (R.N.YANTHAN)

Principal Director

DC-212/23

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NAGALAND : KOHIMA

NOTICE FOR PUBLIC HEARING

Dated Kohima, the 28th Feb., ‘23

No. NERC/PWR/TARIFF/T-4/2023-24: As conferred under Section 62 of the Electricity

2023 In the office of the Nagaland Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), AG Colony, Kohima, Nagaland.

AM onwards -For all categories of electricity consumer i.e. Domestic, Commercial, Industrial, Bulk & Agricultural.

AYEMI Deputy Director, Nagaland Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Kohima.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the GMDA said they will deploy security guards and alerted the police so that such incidents could be avoided in the future.

The incident forced the district administration to act against the involved persons.

In the viral video which surfaced on Twitter, the two men can be seen standing alongside their KIA car, which has a VIP number plate, in Gurugram’s Shankar Chowk, picking flowerpots one after the other and storing them in the trunk. The video had received over 5 lakh views and over 3600 ‘likes’ on Twitter. DC Gurugram responded to the viral post on Twitter and asked the city police to look into the matter.

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A disruptive syndrome

If anything, the voices for Clean Election orchestrated under the platform of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council(NBCC) from 2012 which continues to be re-emphasized during every election, is still an unaccomplished task. The incomplete task to effect Clean Election was amplified even during the recently concluded election in Nagaland where polling was held on February 27. It was in 2012 that the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) made an attempt to encourage clean election in the state. The NBCC’s clean election campaign began with the release of its book on the subject. Since 90s, this newspaper has been commenting on the conduct of elections in Nagaland and drawing comparisons with elections in Mizoram. It may be recalled that in Nagaland, particularly since the early 80s, elections graduated into totally undemocratic methods and continue to worsen over the decades.

From ‘youth camps’ and open public feasts for party workers and public in the 70s’ to buying of votes and booth capturing in the 80s , electioneering became more aggressive. By late 80s to early 90s, gun power became the addition to the lethal arsenal in elections to not merely intimidate voters but also to arm twist village and town councils to support only a particular candidate. After the 90s, money became the deciding factor to buy not only votes but sustain an army of youth gangs and all various anti-social elements. Where there is muscle power, guns follow to ensure to not only to intimidate rival candidates and spread fear among voters but also to capture booths. In the recently held elections, money was without a doubt, one of the most used factor to buy votes. A candidate contesting for a small constituency of hardly 15,000 voters may spend up to Rs.15 to 20 crore in cash. In larger constituencies, a candidate could spend even anything from Rs.30 to 50 crore. Elections in Nagaland are not only among the most expensive in India but also most vicious. The consequences of such dubious elections are reflected at all levels of society such as- rampant corruption, injustice, violence and threats and blatant anti-social behaviour. Another issue that has also added a dimension over the call for Clean Election is the inability to enforce rule of law during election. Despite the deployment of 50 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces(CPF) in addition to 11 District Police, 8 NAP and 7 IRB(NAP) battalions for election duties, there were instances of violence in several parts of the state. In some of these, opposition parties have alleged that some of the officers were hand-in-glove with facilitating attacks on rivals. This is indeed a very serious issue which the ECI has to address and mete out stringent punishment against the erring officers. Hope was raised when the PHQ, during electioneering made it clear it will not shield any policeman indulging in electoral malpractices while exposing names of some involved. It is hoped the PHQ will do what it promised to do so that elections in Nagaland are free and fair so as to put the state back on track for a civilized society. Postpoll and later post-result violence is not unlikely and this has thrown up a serious challenge on law enforcement agencies to effect rule of law.