OUTSTATION Friday, March 12, 2021

RNI No. 30540/77CB/005/2021-23 Regd No.TN/WR/CB/005/WPP/2018-20 Founder Editor : A.E. Solomon Appadurai . Editor: M.N.Sudhan Appadurai . Vol.43 - No. 256 . Pages 6 . Rs. 5.00

tn election commission warns118 Constituencies have high cash distribution

cOIMbATOre Thursday, March 11, 2021

The Election Commission of India has said that it received the information only after the Election Commission conducted an inquiry into the 2017 RK Nagar elections and the 2019 Vellore parliamentary constituency elections. In the case of Pondicherry, a total of 30 constituencies have been identified of this sort The Election Commission has announced that these constituencies will be closely monitored and all measures will be taken to prevent money laundering.36

.

20.

Very warm with

variable cloudiness

Clear

2 Page 3 5

National Johnny apple seed day - March 11

Political party flag making in full swing

Erode women's kabaddi team bagschampionshipPage Page

In every thing give thanks- 1 Thessalonians 5.18

Mamata stable; doctors to conduct more testsKOlKATA, MAr 11 (PTI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital here following the alleged attack on her in Nandigram is "stable" now, and doctors are planning to conduct a series of medical tests, including a CT scan, to assess the degree of her injury, sources at the facility said on Thursday.Preliminary medical tests conducted on Banerjee late on Wednesday night detected severe bone injuries in her left ankle and foot, and injuries in her right shoulder, forearm and neck, they said.

"A temporary plaster was done on her left ankle and she will undergo several blood tests this morning. Her ECG report was fine."Banerjee is stable now. She will be under observation for the next 48 hours. A CT scan may be

conducted during the day. We will again examine

her and decide on our next course of treatment. Her fever subsided," a doctor of the SSKM Hospital told PTI.

The state government constituted a nine-member team to treat Banerjee, and doctors conducted an x-ray on the chief minister as soon as she was taken to the hospital from Nandigram on Wednesday evening.Banerjee sustained injuries

on her left leg and waist as she fell on the ground after she was allegedly pushed by unknown miscreants while campaigning for assembly elections in Nandigram.

She is undergoing treatment at the 12.5 special cabin of Woodburn Block of the SSKM Hospital.

The TMC supremo had on Wednesday filed her nomination to contest the ensuing assembly elections from Nandigram seat.

ED attaches assets of Jamtara-based cyber criminalsNew DelhI, MAr 11 (PTI)

The ED has attached assets worth about Rs 66 lakh of alleged cyber criminals based in Jharkhand's Jamtara district, the central probe agency said on Thursday.It said the assets, provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), include three immovable residential properties situated at Mirga village in the district, four vehicles as well as bank deposits of accused Pradeep Kumar Mandal, Pintu Mandal, Ankush Kumar Mandal, Santosh Mandal and Ganesh Mandal.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) slapped criminal charges under the PMLA against the accused after taking cognisance of a Jharkhand police FIR and chargesheet that charged them with illegal withdrawal and transfer of money from ATMs and bank accounts of gullible people in the guise of being bank officials.

The ED said its investigation found that the accused "in connivance with other persons acquired funds in their bank accounts and family members' bank accounts by cheating bank customers, some other individuals and invested the same in the construction of houses and purchase of vehicles".The agency had filed a chargesheet in the case before a special PMLA court in Ranchi in May, 2019 and "charges against all the accused persons have been framed and the trial is underway".

Akhilesh Yadav targets Adityanath

lUcKNOw, MAr 11 (PTI)

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of taking credit for works done in the SP regime.

A day after Adityanath visited Bundelkhand region and took a selfie at the Lahchura dam, Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi, "Thankfully the picture is his own, though the work is of someone

else!".Yadav also tagged a

photograph of the CM on which it was written, "Taking a selfie in front of the Lahchura dam built in the SP regime...thank you for shining light on the work done during our time".

Adityanath had on Wednesday accused previous state governments of looting the wealth of the Bundelkhand region, and said it will become a paradise under the BJP dispensation.

road accident in Agra leaves nine deadNOIDA (UP), MAr 11 (PTI)

Nine people died in Uttar Pradesh's Agra district on Thursday morning after an SUV collided with a tractor-trolley, police said.

Three others injured in the crash are hospitalised, Agra Senior Superintendent of Police Babloo Kumar said.The incident took place on the Agra-Kanpur highway in the Etmadaula police station area around 5 am,

he said. The speeding SUV crossed over to the

other side of the road where it hit the tractor-trolley.

There were 12 people who got injured and were taken to a hospital, where nine of them succumbed to the injuries, Kumar said.The victims belong to Jharkhand, he added.Further details were awaited.

2 militants killed in J-K's Anantnag district

SrINAgAr, MAr 11: Two militants were killed

in an overnight encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said on Thursday.The militants opened fire on security forces when they were conducting a

search and cordon operation on Wednesday in Kandipora in the district's Bijbehara area, a police official said.

Two militants have been killed so far and they are yet to be identified. The operation is still in progress, he said.

Man gets 10 years in jail for abducting, raping teenagerbAllIA (UP), MAr 11 (PTI)

A court in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district has sentenced a man to 10 years of imprisonment for abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl in 2016.Additional Sessions Judge Omkar Shukla also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the convict, Rajesh Kumar alias Jarsi.

The girl was abducted and raped on Feb 9, 2016 in a village in Rasda area, Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada said. An FIR in this connection was registered at Rasda police station on the basis of the complaint of the girl's uncle.

Man gets 10 years in jail for raping teenagerbAllIA (UP), MAr 11 (PTI)

A court in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district has sentenced a man to 10 years of imprisonment for abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl in 2016. Additional Sessions Judge Omkar Shukla also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the convict, Rajesh Kumar alias Jarsi.

Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami got vaccinated at Chennai Omandurar Govt Hospital today.

DMK to release the list of candidates todaycheNNAI, MAr 11:

The election manifesto of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)is likely to be released tomorrow as the list of candidates is to be released today.

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held on April 6. In this election, the DMK has formed the mega alliance. These include the Congress, MDMK, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), Indian Union Muslim League, KDMK, Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi, Thamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi and Adi Thamizhar Peravai. The Congress party has been allotted 25 seats along with the Kanyakumari parliamentary constituency. The second round of talks was held yesterday at Anna Arivalayam to discuss which constituencies the Congress will contest. The Congress party gave a list of 50 constituencies and negotiated to allocate 25 of

them. There was a problem allocating 5 seats including Tambaram, Tenkasi, Alangulam, Velachery and Sriperumbudur which were demanded by Congress.

However, the DMK insisted the Congress to ask for other constituencies instead of the Tenkasi and Alangulam constituencies. But the Congress party insisted that the Tenkasi constituency must be allotted for them. Last time in Tenkasi, the Congress lost by a margin of 500 votes, so this time they insisted on allocating the Tenkasi constituency. Thus the talks between the DMK and the Congress lasted till last night. There was no agreement reached between

the two parties. Due to this, the talks resumed for the third time today (Thursday) morning.The allocation of seats to the DMK alliance parties has been completed and the details of the constituencies in which the coalition parties will contest will be announced today. DMK is contesting from 187 constituencies on its party symbol Udayasooriyan(rising sun) in this election out of which DMK candidates are directly contesting in 173 constituencies.

The list of candidates for 173 constituencies has been prepared by the DMK President MK Stalin. The list is being prepared in such a way to give an opportunity to the experienced, youth and women in the party. Stalin is expected to release the list of candidates this evening. The election manifesto was due out today. But as the list of candidates is to be released today, it seems that the election manifesto will be released tomorrow (Friday).

cheNNAI, MAr 11:The Election

Commission of India has on Thursday informed that there is a prevalence of heightened money transactions in 118 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. One or two officers in each constituency have been appointed to oversee all 118 constituencies. A study on cash transactions was conducted in RK Nagar, Chennai and Vellore, and the constituencies with frequent money transactions were found out. It was also revealed that money distribution is high in all the 30 constituencies of Puducherry.

Assembly elections are scheduled for April 6 in Tamil Nadu. Elections are to be

held in Kerala, Pondicherry, West Bengal and Assam.

In the case of Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission

has predicted that 118 out of 234 constituencies have

recorded a high level of cash distribution.The Election Commission has identified 272 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Pondicherry as

the ones with heavy cash distributions.

It has also been announced that 1 or more officers have been appointed to monitor these constituencies. In the

case of Tamil Nadu, more than 118 Election Expenditure Supervisors have been appointed to monitor the situation.

The Election Commission of India has said that it received the information only after the Election Commission conducted an inquiry into the 2017 RK Nagar elections and the 2019 Vellore parliamentary constituency elections.

In the case of Pondicherry, a total of 30 constituencies have been identified of this sort

The Election Commission has announced that these constituencies will be closely monitored and all measures will be taken to prevent money laundering.

Goa: Charas worth Rs 15,000 seized, man heldPANAjI, MAr 11 (PTI)

Goa Police on Wednesday arrested a 42-year-old Mumbai resident at Arambol beach in the state for possessing charas worth Rs 15,000, an official said.Talking to reporters, Pernem police inspector Jivba Dalvi said the accused was identified as Ali Shah Shaikh (42), who hails from Ekta Nagar in Mumbai.

Couple found dead in suspected suicide at UP homebAllIA (UP), MAr 11 (PTI)

A married couple were found dead at their home here, in a suspected case of suicide, police said on Thursday.

The bodies of Manoj Kumar Gupta (26) and his wife Khushbu (21) were found at their home in Rampur Udaibhan Nai Basti locality on Wednesday morning, Station House Officer (SHO) Bal Mukund Mishra said.

While Gupta was found hanging from a ceiling fan, Khushbu was lying dead on the floor, Mishra said.Prima facie, Khushbu consumed a poisonous substance, the SHO said.According to their family, the two had got married last year and were not happy together.

2

Owned, Edited, Printed and Published by M.N.SUDHAN APPADURAI at Publicity Print House, 125-126, Eighth Street, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore-12, Ph: 0422-2496405, 4372720 web:www.afternoonnews.in Email:afternooncbe@gmail.com

ThUrSDAY 11 MArch 2021 cOIMbATOre

NATIONAL JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY – MARCH 11March 11th – On National

Johnny Appleseed Day, we remember a man

who made apple (and pear) trees bloom across the nation. The day celebrates a kindly legend who lived by sage teachings and labored to bring the shade of fruit trees across much of the United States.

He was born John Chapman on September 26, 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts, to Nathaniel and Elizabeth Simons Chapman. Not much is known about his early life other than his mother died when he was two. His father packed up Johnny and his sister (an infant brother had died the previous year) and moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. His father served as a Minuteman and fought at Bunker Hill.

Then in 1797, Chapman shows up in northwestern Pennsylvania, propagating his apple seeds. He worked his way steadily into the frontier of West

Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. Eventually, Chapman became known as Johnny Appleseed and worked his way as far west as Illinois and Iowa and as far north as Michigan and Wisconsin.

In his wake, he left orchards and the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish spiritual leader. Appleseed would buy his books with whatever payment he might receive for his endeavors. In turn, Johnny would give the books away as he traveled and planted.

Mostly, though, he planted his seeds and seedlings for free along with his wisdom, his broad-brimmed pasteboard hat keeping the sun from his eyes as he went. Often shoeless, he traveled mostly by foot and sometimes by horseback or canoe. His appearance was nearly as noteworthy as his accomplishments, but so was his kindness. Farmers and frontier folk always found a place at

the table if Johnny Appleseed came visiting. There are many stories told that the man would travel many miles to nurse an ailing orchard when word would reach him of its poor condition. Bringing the trees back to health would be his chief endeavor while dispersing wisdom, care, and kindness as he did.

Across the Midwest, landmarks pepper the countryside honoring the man that brought fruit to the frontier. Warren County, Pennsylvania, lays claim to Johnny Appleseed’s first tree nursery. Mansfield, Ohio, honors the man with a monument in South Park. The last known Chapman tree still lives! In rural Ashland County, Ohio, the tree struggles to survive, but half of it still manages to bloom in the spring.

In his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, there is an entire park named after the man who nurtured the land and made apple

trees bloom across a young nation.Two dates celebrate Johnny

Appleseed Day, either March 11th or September 26th. The September date is Appleseed’s acknowledged birth date. However, many people across the country prefer the March date due to the planting season. While some vagueness surrounds Appleseed’s death and burial, he became ill in early March and passed soon after. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Johnny Appleseed Park, a grave marks the spot where the legendary sower of apple seeds rests. There are so many ways to celebrate the day! You can begin by reading any one of the many books written about Johnny Appleseed. Some of them are mere folklore but others delve into the man himself. Other ways to celebrate the day include: Visiting some of the landmarks where Johnny Appleseed once lived and worked.

Plant a fruit tree. Visit your

local orchard to learn more about the trees that live and thrive in your area. Sometimes you will need two in order for them to bear fruit, so be sure you ask.

Eat your favorite tree fruit. It doesn’t have to be an apple. Johnny Appleseed planted several varieties of fruit trees. While you can find apples in March, they aren’t in season.

Tree fruits that are in season

include avocados, kumquats, lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins, and pomelos. Only a few of these grow in the United States. Do you know which ones?

While our research did not uncover the founder of this day, we did crisscross a lot of applesauce, cider, and pies.

There’s a story from the early days of America, discussing this near-mythical figure that traveled

the wilds of America spreading apple seeds everywhere he went. He was known and lauded for his kind, generous ways, and the importance he placed on the apples. To this day he is depicted in stories and song as the man who made apples an American institution and is one of the most beloved characters in its mythology and history. To understand the importance of Johnny Appleseed Day, we first need to discuss who Johnny Appleseed was. The name sounds like something from a nursery rhyme or a children’s television show. However, Johnny Appleseed was an American pioneer nurseryman who ensured that large parts of the United States were introduced to apple trees. His generous and kind ways resulted in him being an American legend while he was still alive.

He became a symbol of the importance of apples, as well as being a key leader in conservation.

Panel of experts being sent to helpOdisha govt manage forest fireNew DelhI, MArch 11 (PTI)

In the wake of a forest fire raging in Odisha's Simlipal National Park for over a week, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said a committee of experts is being sent to help the state government manage such incidents in the region.

Announcing it on Twitter, Javadekar also said he met Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and other parliamentarians from Odisha regarding the forest fire.A massive fire has ripped through vast tracts of Simlipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district and other wildlife habitats nearby, raising concern among wildlife and environmental activists over its possible impact.

The Odisha government on Tuesday claimed that no life was lost in the forest blaze and that 95 per cent of the fire points have been extinguished or at least attended to."Today, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and other MPs from Odisha met me regarding forest fire in Simlipal National Park and nearby. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is sending a committee of experts to Odisha to give technical advise and help out the state forest department in

effective management of forest fire incidents in the region," Javadekar tweeted on Wednesday.He said the experts will coordinate with teams deployed on the ground and help in dousing the blaze effectively. "The experts will work in coordination with the deployed team for an early and effective dousing of fire. Will be reviewing the situation with my team at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on a daily basis, he said in another tweet.

Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral V.S. Shekhawat commissioning the INS Karanj at the Naval Dockyard Mumbai on March 10, 2021. Chief of Naval Staff,

Admiral Karambir Singh and other dignitaries are also seen.

Assam assembly polls: 281 candidates file nomination for first phasegUwAhATI, MArch 11 (PTI)

Altogether 281 candidates have filed their nominations for 47 assembly seats in Assam going to polls in the first phase on March 27, a release issued by the CEO's office said on Wednesday.

The last date of submission of nominations for the first phase was Tuesday.Among prominent candidates who filed nominations were Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal from Majuli, sitting BJP MLAs Angoorlata Deka from Batadroba, Ashok Singhal from Dhekiajuli, Mrinal Saikia from Khumtai and Padma Hazarika from Sootea, besides former ministers Ajanta Neog from Golaghat and Bismita Gogoi from Khumtai, the state's chief electoral officer (CEO) said in the release. Other candidates who filed their nominations include Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami from Jorhat on BJP ticket,

AGP ministers Atul Bora from Bokakhat and Keshab Mahanta from Kaliabor, BJP ministers Ranjit Dutta from Behali, Naba Kumar Doley from Jonai and Sanjoy Kishan from Tinsukia, and Nazir Hussain of the saffron party from Rupohihat.Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora filed his nomination from Gohpur, Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia from Nazira and AICC secretary

Bhupen Borah from Bihpuria.Among others who filed their nominations were former ministers Bharat Narah from Naoboicha, Pranatee Phukan from Naharkatiya and Rakibul Hussain from Samaguri, besides sitting MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi from Mariani, Rana Goswami from Jorhat, Roselina Tirkey from Sarupathar.Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi filed his nominations from both Duliajan and Naharkatiya constituencies while the party's general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan

filed his nomination from Sadiya.Jailed Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi will also contest in the first phase from Mariani and Sibsagar seats as an Independent candidate, as the party is yet to be recognised by the Election Commission.Former AGP minister Brindaban Goswami has filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from Tezpur. Scrutiny will be held on March 10 and the last date of withdrawal is March 12.Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora filed his nomination

from Gohpur, Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata

Saikia from Nazira and AICC secretary Bhupen Borah from Bihpuria.

President, Ram Nath Kovind at the 16th Annual Convocation of the Thiruvalluvar University, in Vellore, Tamil Nadu on March 10, 2021. The Governor of Tamil Nadu,

Banwarilal Purohit is also seen.

UP minister's employee robbedMAThUrA, MArch 11 (PTI)

An employee of a gas agency, owned by a Uttar Pradesh minister, was robbed by four armed men here, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in the Roti Godam area at Sadar Bazar, they said.

Adding that the robbers threw chilli powder in Rishikesh's eyes and snatched a bag containing Rs 62,000 from him.

Punjab Assembly passes resolution to condemn eD raid on Khaira

chANDIgArh, MArch 11 (PTI)

The Punjab Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the ED raid on rebel AAP member Sukhpal Singh Khaira.The resolution was brought by Parliamentary Affairs minister Brham Mohindra in the Budget session here. Mohindra said the resolution was brought with the permission of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh."This house expresses concern on the current role of the central agencies such as CBI, ED which have been set up to ensure transparency in public life. "Unfortunately, there have been apparent instances

wherein these agencies have been used to harass innocent people including farmers, artists and politically elected representatives and even some government officials," said Mohindra. "During the ongoing session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, a member of this House has been compelled to remain absent from participating in the proceedings of the House and discharge his constitutional obligations as an elected representative of his constituency due to an unwarranted and unconstitutional interference by the ED which has been noticed and condemned by the August house unanimously," he said.

court stays operation of search warrant against advocate Mehmood PrachaNew DelhI, MArch 11 (PTI)

A Delhi court on Wednesday stayed the operation of search warrants issued against advocate Mehmood Pracha, who is representing some of the accused in the cases related to the riots that took place in the national capital last year.

Pracha's office was raided by the Delhi Police on Tuesday in connection with an FIR alleging that the advocate tutored a witness to initiate a false riots case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma, who passed the directions on an application filed by Pracha, said till the pendency of this application, the search warrants issued against the applicant is stayed.

The court reserved its order for March 12 on the advocate's plea which has also sought a direction to the police to retrieve only the relevant information from his hard disk in the presence of a Magistrate.

Pracha said that a soft copy of the materials was as good as a hard copy under the Information Technology Act."They want to threaten my clients. That's their purpose. In the main Delhi riots cases, they say soft copy is equal to hard copy and we would not give hard copy of charge sheet. Here they don't

want soft copy, he said.During the course of

arguments, the advocate also argued that it was clear from the video of the riots in question that his complaint was not false."Larger issues are involved. Entire judicial system is involved. I'm willing to sacrifice myself to save the Constitution. Please protect my clients, Constitution and Evidence Act, he added.Delhi police opposed Pracha's plea, saying that seizing the original hard disk was essential as it ought to be sent to a forensic science laboratory for examination and that a mirror hard disk can be put back into his computer.The application said that the purpose of obtaining a search warrant was to yet again threaten, intimidate and frighten him. Pracha's office was earlier raided by the Delhi Police on December 24, 2020. The Police had claimed that it was searching for "incriminating documents" and meta data of the outbox of the official email id of his firm.

j-K wine traders raise concerns over draft excise policy

jAMMU, MArch 11 (PTI)

A day after Jammu and Kashmir administration released the draft excise policy for 2021-22, Jammu Wine Traders Association (JWTA) on Wednesday raised concerns over the proposal to allot liquor vends through the e-auction process.

The association said the traders may lose their livelihood if not being able to compete in the e-auction process.

The policy, which was for the first time placed in the public domain before its issuance, envisages allotment of liquor shops to the residents of the Union Territory through e-auction.

Any person who is eligible for grant of license as per the provisions of the excise act and rules will be eligible for participation in the e-auction process.

"We reject this policy which is meant for rich persons alone. None of us can afford to compete in the e-auction as we are small traders who earn their livelihood from this business for decades," JWTA president Charanjeet Singh told reporters here. Demanding continuation of the existing policy, he said 30,000 families are directly or indirectly involved in

earning their livelihood from this business and most of the present licensees are widows, senior citizens and unemployed youth who have no other source of income.

As per the draft policy, the allotment of liquor vends through e-auction would be in a completely open and transparent manner in the same area where liquor shops already exist.

"The vends shall be allotted for a period of one year as per the provisions of the J&K Excise Act and Rules. The total number of shops to be allotted would be the same as existing at present and there would be no increase in the number of vends to be auctioned," it said, adding only a single outlet will be allotted to one person. "The rich people can bid a huge amount of money, which is required to run this business as per new draft policy, thus snatching livelihood from small

traders and creating a liquor mafia," Singh said. Seeking the intervention of Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in addressing their concerns, the JWTA president said the government can issue new licenses in unserved and underserved areas while safeguarding their interests.

He said the liquor traders are working as revenue collecting agents of the government and fully abide by the rules and regulations.

"We started contributing Rs 2,500 monthly towards Social Responsibility Corpus fund after submitting a proposal to the then J&K government in 2015-16 and recommended the transfer of an amount of Rs three crore to J&K relief fund from it in March last year after realising the gravity of coronavirus pandemic," he said, adding they have also donated 13 ambulances and relief items over the years.

UP khap panchayat bans jeans for women, shorts for menMUzAFFArNAgAr, MArch 11 (PTI)

A khap panchayat in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district has barred women from wearing jeans and men from wearing shorts, saying they are part of western culture and that people should wear traditional Indian clothes.

The Rajput community panchayat also warned that those found violating the diktat will be punished and face boycott.

The panchayat was convened on March 2 in Pipalshah village under Charthawal police station.

Announcing the panchayat's decision, community leader and Kisan Sangh chief Thakur Puran Singh said it was decided to bar women from wearing jeans and men from wearing shorts.

He said these clothes are part of the western culture.

"We should wear our traditional clothes such as sarees, 'ghagra' and 'salwar-kameez'," he said.

Those found violating the order will be punished and boycotted from the community, Singh said.

The khap panchayat also protested the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to grant reservation to Scheduled Castes (SC) and backward classes in the upcoming panchayat polls.

Singh said the panchayat expressed concern over the decision and condemned it.

The state government issued its reservation policy for panchayat polls last month. According to the policy, seats will be reserved for SCs, backward classes and women in the elections.

Smart classesin high school located in remote areaKOrAPUT, MArch 11 (PTI)

Students of a high school in a remote area of Odisha's Koraput district are experiencing an all new method of teaching as the administration has converted their traditional classroom into smart classes, an official said.

With high-speed internet, interactive screen, web cameras, digital podium, 3-D animation, graphs, interactive topographical sheets, animated videos and virtual laboratories for science, the smart classes not only keep the students of Kumuli high school under Borigumma block at par with private schools but also enables teachers to track the learning level of students and the learning process more accessible.

"It's an attempt to bridge the digital divide and to provide students with a better classroom experience.Undoubtedly, the smart classes will enhance the student- teacher interaction and will give students a better understanding of concepts," Koraput Collector Abdaal Muhammed Akhtar said.

Shutdown against forest fire in Similipal National ParkbArIPADA (ODIShA), MArch 11 (PTI)

A shutdown called by a local outfit agsinst Odisha government's alleged failure to control the forest fire at Simlipal National Park evoked partial response in tribal Mayurbhanj district on

Wednesday. The forest fire at the national park, a major biosphere in Asia, had broken out two weeks ago and is yet to be fully doused.

A major portion of the national park, which spreads over 2,750 sq km in Mayurbhanj district, has been

affected by the fire. But the government has claimed that there was no great loss either to wildlife or people, the protestors said.

The nine-hour shutdown by Bhanja Sena was openly supported by the CPI, Kaptipada Bikas Manch

and Jago Mayurbhanj organisations. The Congress and BJP also expressed solidarity with it.

General people also extended support to the shutdown, which was observed from 6 am to 3pm. As a result government

offices, courts, banks, post offices, colleges, shops and business establishments, petrol pumps remained closed at the district headquarters town of Baripada and three other sub-divisional headquarters at Udala, Karanjia and Rairangpur.

3ThUrSDAY 11 MArch 2021 cOIMbATOre

80 persons fined for not wearing face maskserODe, MArch 11

Collector Kathiravan ordered the public to wear face masks when leaving their homes as corona spreading was on the rise in neighbouring Kerala and Maharashtra recently. He also warned that a fine of Rs 200 would be slapped for not wearing masks.

Accordingly, 80 persons who did not wear face shields were fined Rs. 200 per head in the Erode corporation area on the first of his instruction on Wednesday. Authorities also conducted a surprise inspection in business houses to enforce the social distancing norms. Four of the shops were found to have allowed people without following corona safety norms. Subsequently, each shop was fined Rs 500 each. The sops were told to ask its customers to wear masks. Corporation Commissioner Dr Ilangovan said those who do not wear face masks should not be allowed inside the shop.

human chain rally held to create awareness on glaucomaerODe, MArch 11

The Erode Eye Foundation Eye Hospital and Sri Vasavi College, Erode, today jointly held a human chain rally at Erode in connection with the world glaucoma week celebration to create awareness among public on the eye disease.

It was inaugurated by Dr. Murugan, President, Erode Medical Center. Eye Foundation Eye Hospital Senior Dr. Mohammad Faisal and Specialist Dr. Vijayakumar. More than 200 students of Sri Vasavi College were present. According to Dr. Mohammed Faisal, the number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2013 was 64.3 million and 80 million by 2020. By 2040, it is likely to rise to 111.8 million. More than 90 percent of the affected are unaware of the disease. Early detection and treatment can prevent vision loss. Most people over the age of 40 are affected by this disease. Thus, it is necessary for people over 40 years of age to get an eye examination once a year. Erode Eye Foundation Eye Hospital will provide free eye examination and counseling throughout March for the benefit of the public, he said.

Voter Awareness Programme held at collectorateerODe MArch 11

District Election Officer and District Collector C. Kathiravan inaugurated the Rangoli Kolam, Gummi Song and Voter PledgeProgrammes at the collectorate to create awareness among voters on the coming assembly poll. It was organized by Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission, Mahalir Thittam, and Differently Abled Welfare Department. Special arrangements are being made by the EC to ensure 100 per cent turnout in every election. Accordingly, various election awareness programs are being conducted in the Erode district to create awareness among the voters to urge them to cast their votes 100 per cent. Today, women SHGs raised slogans like 'Let's Vote, Let's Vote', It is our duty to vote, vote not for sale, corona awreness etc. They drew kolams with the themes of '100 Percent Vote', 'Voter Assistance No. 1950', 'Election Day', etc. Collector said that Erode district would work in better way to achieve 100 percent turnout in the polls. Subsequently, the Voter Awareness Pledge was administered to the members of SHGs and government officials. An folk art show was held with the participation of transgenders on the subject. On the first floor of the collectorate, the collector inaugurated media centre, arranged by the Department of I&PR Department, which could help the media persons to send election-related events to their firms. DRO Murugesan attended the even.

Uber’s engineering team leads tech for prescription delivery in the US cheNNAI MArch 11

The Hyderabad-based Uber Eats Engineering team led the integration of prescription delivery company NimbleRx’s backend onto the Eats platform to help launch one of the company’s latest products, delivery of prescription medicines, in parts of the US late last year.

The team completed the integration process in just three weeks, thereby allowing customers to order their prescription medication from neighborhood pharmacies or transfer their existing prescription right from their Uber Eats app.

The partnership leverages Uber Eats’ delivery expertise and ensures medicines reach residents in a timely manner, all at the tap of a button.

With COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of rollout across the US, delivery of medicines continue to be a crucial service, helping people stay protected indoors. The team that worked on this integration comprises a total of 5 engineers, including Android and iOS engineers, a web engineer, a backend engineer, and an engineering manager said Jaiteerth Patwari, Site Lead, Eats Engineering.

5 AIADMK MlAs denied seats in erode erODe MAr 11:

Thoppu ND Venkatachalam, Perundurai MLA, who contested and won the constituency in 2011 and 2016 election and who was the Minister of Environment from 2011 to 2016, was not given the opportunity to contest again. The seat was given to his rival in the party Jayakumar, a supporter of environment minister and party suburban district secretary KC Karupanan. Venkatachalam went to TTV group and got organising secretary post after the party split. But, within a few days, he switched loyalty to EPS, OPS group. However, he didn't have cordial relationship with Karupanan and Education minister KA Sengottaiyan of the District. Due to various allegations,

Anthiyur MLA EMR Raja, Bavanisagar MLA Eswaran and Modakurichi

MLA VP Sivasubramani, who won the seat in 2016 poll, were denied seats. The Modakurichi seat was allotted to BJP. Similarly, Erode East MLA KS Thennarasu, who won the seat in 2016 and 2001, denied seat due to various charges against him. The seat is expected to be given to alliance party of AIADMK as no candidate was announced for it so far. Palladam MLA was not given a chance in Tiruppur district. It has been announced that AIADMK will contest in 7 out of 8 constituencies in Tiruppur district. Palladam constituency MLA A. Natarajan has been denied the opportunity to contest again. In the Nilgiris district, the AIADMK had won only from the Coonoor constituency in 2016 poll. Shanthi Ramu, the MLA of the constituency, was not given a chance to contest this time.

ec urged to ban announcement on freebieserODe, MAr 11:

TN Toddy Movement president lawyer C Nallasamy appealed to the EC to ban announcements on freebies, made by political parties, at the time of election.

He said that once the DMK chief MK Stalin announced to offer Rs 1000 to all family heads-women-after coming to power, the CM Edapadi K Palanisamy vied with him by announcing Rs 1500 per head and 6 LPG refills free of cost to each family. Meanwhile, MNM chief Kamal Hassan, who is also in the CM candidate race, ridiculed them by stating that he alone announced distribution of money to the homemakers. All kind of announcements related to freebies at the time of election is an insult to the self-esteem of the people. So, they should be banned.

The state was already suffering with over Rs 5.5 lakh crore debt and nearly one fourth of the state revenue go for remitting interest alone for such loan. So, how can the parties mobilize fund for

giving new kind of freebies, he asked. They would slap more tax on the people or hike the tax on liquor, petrol and diesel to mobilize fund for giving new freebies or obtain more loan to meet the expenditure, which could further endanger the state’s economy, he feared.

BAN ON CONTESTS IN 2 SEGMENTS: He said that after his movement fielded over 1000 candidates in the Modakurichi segment in 1996 poll, the EC brought some changes in the election process, which reduced its overall expenditure by Rs 300 crore in subsequent elections.

But, even now, some leaders contest in 2 segments and resign from one segment after winning both. So, the EC has to conduct by election again in that segment by spending huge money. Instead, the leaders who resign from the segment should be asked to bear the cost of holding byelection. It would help check contesting in 2 segments by some leaders and wastage of taxpayers money, he felt.

women’s day celebration

erODe, MAr 11: Erode Arcees Hospital

head Dr C Rajalakshmi attended as chief guest in the international women’s day celebration of the Dr RANM Arts and Science College, Erode and spoke on the need to use education as a tool to come up in life. She lauded women that they achieved many things invarious sectors

and advised the ways for self-protection. The college trust president V Rajamanikkam, secretary KK Balusamy, treasurer Dr A Vijayakumar, vice presidents KP Mani, BP Manikkam, principal Dr A Palaniappan, Commerce HoD Dr S Subasheela, women club coordinators M Dhanapriya and S Lawis spoke on the occasion.

Sakthi Masala donates computers to DDwO

erODe, MArch 11: Sakthi Masala firm donated computers

to the district differently abled welfare office (DDWO) at Erode following the officef aced problems due to inadequate computers

to attend the needs of the diffables. The computers were handed over to District Collector C. Kathiravan by the firm’s MD PC Duraisamy and director Shanthi Thuraisamy. DDW Officer S. Srinivasan was present.

Political party flag making work in full swing

erODe MAr 11: Political parties flag

making work is in full swing in Erode ahead of the elections. The general election for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held on April 6. Political parties are going door-to-door to collect votes for their party candidates ahead of the election. Meetings of leaders and party candidates are also to be held. Political

parties have approached party flag makers in Erode to get flags. Thus the work of making party flags in Erode has intensified. Flags of all parties are made. These flags are made of fabrics that the party asks for. The producers are ready to send flags not only to Erode district but also to other districts.As one manufacturer puts it, party flag making has intensified since the

election announcement. All parties are asking

us for flags. To a large extent ADMK, DMK flags are booked. We are also producing a considerable amount of flags for the parties in their alliance. Each election has a measure of how much is being sold.

We are keeping the flags ready. Sales will start after the announcement of candidates.

excavation work resumed at Kodumanal erODe MAr 11:

Archaeological Survey of Tamil Nadu resumed excavation work at Kodumanal near Chennimalai in Erode district.There is evidence that those who lived there about 2,300 years ago excelled in business and industry. Although excavations have been carried out here for many years, the University of Tanjore and the University of Pondicherry have been conducting excavations since 1981. Thereafter, on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Survey, a team led by its Project Director J. Ranjith carried out the 8th excavation work, beginning in May 2020, for 6 months. At that time, copper and silver coins,

tools, Brahmi characters and artefacts were found in the area where the workshops were located.

Tombstones, numerous earthenware pots, and human bones have also been found.

In this context, excavations are being carried out again in Kodumanal under the direction of J. Ranjith, Project Director, Archaeological Survey of Tamil Nadu. Excavations last year uncovered a canal that was designed to drain water from factories. It was thought that the canal may have gone as far as the Noyal River. However, no further study was conducted at that time as the period for research work was over. At present, excavations of 10 m long and 10 m wide pits have been uncovered at 2 sites at depths of 30 cm with finding of various types of stone dating back to 2300 years, its raw materials, glass pieces, conical bracelets, earthenware, and signs of

drainage. Also, a spoon-shaped object about 12 cm in length has been found.

Archaeologists are still struggling to gather enough evidence before reaching the final conclusions about the location of the site.

Studies so far have found workshops and cemeteries on privately owned land.

The current excavation is taking place in the northern part of the Noyal River, which is owned by the Public Works Department.

An ongoing study suggests that more antiquities are likely to be available.

The excavation is expected to last until September.

Man killed, buried by wife in hyderabadhYDerAbAD, MArch 11 (PTI)

A 32-year-old woman was on Wednesday taken into custody for allegedly killing her husband and burying his body in the compound wall area of their house here, police said. The man's brother later filed a complaint with police, sources said.

During the course of investigation, police nabbed the woman on suspicion and during interrogation she confessed, police said.

Excavations last year uncovered a canal that was designed to drain

water from factories. It was thought that the

canal may have gone as far as the Noyal River. However, no further

study was conducted at that time as the period for research work was

over.

Mohanlal receives cOVID-19 vaccine, thanks govt and medical staffKOchI, MArch 11 (PTI)

South superstar Mohanlal on Wednesday said he has received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. The "Drishyam 2" actor took to Instagram to share pictures of him receiving the first jab of the vaccine at Amrita Hospital here. In one of the photos, he is seen flashing the victory sign. Mohanlal, best known for films like "Nadodikkattu", "No 20 Madras Mail", "Odiyan" and "Lucifer", thanked the government and healthcare staff for their support. vaccine, after veterans like Hema Malini,

Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah, Jeetendra, Kamal Haasan, Anupam Kher, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, and comedian Johnny Lever. On March 1, the government launched the nationwide drive of getting everyone above 60 years of age -- and those aged between 45-59 with co-morbidities -- get vaccinated. The 60-year-old actor is the latest Indian celebrity to have received the COVID-19 vaccine, after veterans like Hema Malini, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah, Jeetendra, Kamal Haasan, Anupam Kher, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, and comedian Johnny Lever.

Dhinakaran led AMMK releases first list of 15 candidatescheNNAI, MArch 11 (PTI)

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, led by TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday released its first list of 15 candidates for the April 6 Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Former state Ministers, P Palaniappan, G Senthamizhan, and C Shanmugavelu would contest from Pappireddipatti, Saidapet and Madathukulam respectively, AMMK general secretary Dhinakaran said in a party release.

S Anbazhagan, and K Sugumar, both former MPs, have been fielded from

Rasipuram and Pollachi segments respectively.

Several former MLAs have also been named in the first list of the AMMK. Dhinakaran, nephew of late chief minister Jayalalithaa's close aide V K Sasikala, has decided to contest the elections despite his aunt announcing her decision to stay away from politics and urging her supporters to ensure the victory of the ruling AIADMK and defeat DMK in the polls. The AMMK has entered into a tie-up with Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, alloting it three seats.

Study reveals majority women do not know about cervical cancererODe, MArch 11

An UGC sponsored research study on cervical cancer, conducted by the Kongu Arts and Science College Bio-Chemistry Department HoD Dr AK Vidya, suggested to the Centre and State government to arrange compulsory medical check up for all women in the nation at least once in 2 years to detect cervical cancer as many of them did not know about the seriousness of the disease..

Talking to Afternoon, she said that the UGC offered Rs 3.22 lakh for the study which covered various aspects of the disease for more than 1 year and the study was sent to the UGC. Shockingly, the study revealed that majority women, even educated, did not know about the seriousness of the disease. Around 95 percent of the disease is caused by the Human papillomaviruses (HPVs 16 and 18) and it could spread from men’s body to women and genetic problem. Personal unhygienic condition, early marriage, multiple deliveries, tobacco products usage etc are other reasons. As per the 2008 report, over 1.75 lakh women in

the nation suffered with the disease every year and 73000 died every year. The number would be more now due to rise in population. Of the total number of cases, 27 percent were cervical cancer. In fact, cervical cancer cases are much high all over the nation than any other cancer.

Though a vaccine is available and could be applied from 13 to 20 years of age (before marriage), many are not aware of it. Many could not know that they are afflicted with the disease because there would be no symptom of it. So, only at the 3rd stage, when the survival rate is much low, many know about the problem. But, if one undergoes pap smear test once in 2 years, after marriage, she could know the problem at the initial stage itself and start getting

treatment. The tests are done free of cost in the PHCs itself, but many due to social stigma, shyness, hesitation, averts such test. So, the WHO and gynecologists suggested that the tests could be done without informing the women coming for various other diseases for treatment. If the test indicates cancer, then, treatment can be started.

One can undergo HPV test, the next stage of testing, after the age of 30-40 which could reveal the disease in clear cut way and help one to get due remedy. Then, the test could be conducted through colposcopy which could confirm the disease if the person is afflicted with it. In the I and II phase, the cancer could be treated as it could not spread to other parts of body. But, in III phase, it could spread to other organs also. So, it is difficult to get cured. At the initial stage itself, the women should understand the problem by undergoing pap smear test which is a simple and cost effective process. Hence, the Government should create more awareness on the issue among the women all over the nation to save many lives, she concluded.

women with outstanding social contributions honoured at women’s Day programe in Avinashilingam Institute.

cOIMbATOre MArch 11

R.Pappammal, the 105 years old organic farmer who was awarded Padma –Shri recently and three other women who have done commendable social contributions were honoured at the International Women’s Day function organized jointly by Women’s Studies Centre and Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore.

Dr.Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi is the chief guest of the function talked on women empowerment and the theme of the International Women’s Day is “choose the challenge”, so women should talk up the challenge and

prove herself as equal to men. Dr.Archana Thakur, Joint Secretary, University Grants Commission, New Delhi was the guest of honour of this programme.

Dr.Prof.S.P.Thyagarajan, Chancellor, expressed the importance of women. Women played an important role in the family and in the society.

Dr.PremavathyVijayan, Vice Chancellor spoke on women and her role and expressed her wishes and congratulate the women achievers and the students, alumni. Dr.S.Kowsalya, Registrar felicitated all the achievers and students. Dr.N.Vasugi, Dean, School of Home Science, Dr.M.Kasthuri, Director, Women’s Studies Centre and all departmental heads took part in the celebration.

Others who were honoured with awards in the function were, Mrs.VijayaKumar is the members of SHG, improve the livelihood of the SHG members through Income generating activities, Dr.Alli Rani is the Director of SardharVallabhai Patel International school of Textiles and Management is a excellent administrator, Ms.NandhiniRawal Singh who is working in the field of development of innovations and administrators of disability developmentprogrammes for last 30 year. Alumini members Mrs.Saishree.R, Director of Programme Management, New Jersey, USA and Dr.VijiDraviam, Queens University, U.K. and Ms.V.S.Ishwaryaa, III year Computer Science shared their experiences.

Situation peaceful in Telangana's bhainsa town, 22 arrestedhYDerAbAD, MArch 11 (PTI)

The situation in Bhainsa town of Nirmal district which witnessed communal violence on March 7 night with members of two communities clashing, remained peaceful on Wednesday, police said.

A total of 22 people from both communities, who were allegedly involved in the violence were arrested, a senior police official told PTI.

In addition to this, 28 people suspected to be involved in stone pelting and arson were taken into custody

and were being interrogated. Prohibitory order under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code,

which was promulgated in order to prevent gathering of people and to prevent violence, continued in the town and internet services also remained suspended.

4 ThUrSDAY 11 MArch 2021 cOIMbATOre

women's cricket: confident India look to carry on momentum in 3rd ODI against South AfricalUcKNOw, MArch 11 (PTI)

Their confidence high after a comprehensive series-levelling win, the Indian women's cricket team would look to gain the upper-hand when it takes on South Africa in the third ODI of the ongoing five-match series here on Friday.After losing the series-opener by eight wickets, Indian women crushed South Africa by nine wickets to draw parity.And come Friday, the Mithali Raj-led side would look to carry on the momentum with yet another clinical display. The Indian bowlers led the way in the second match after an ordinary outing in the opener to bowl out South Africa women for a below-par 157. Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami used her vast experience to great effect and picked up four African wickets. "It was pretty challenging because I was

coming back after a year, and playing a competitive side like South Africa. I was just trying to hit the ball on the right areas," Goswami had said of her performance. She was ably supported by left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (3/37) and Mansi Joshi (2/23) as India bowled out South Africa in 41 overs.

Then Smriti Mandhana (80 off 64 balls) and Punam Raut (62 off 89) shared an unbeaten 138-run partnership for the second wicket as

Indian women comfortably chased down the target in 28.4 overs. The rustiness that was apparent in the series-opener was shaken off in the second outing by the hosts, who seem to have got back their rhythm given the near-perfect performance to outwit the visitors.

Goswami's form will be crucial to India's chances. For South Africa, batting efforts skipper Sane Luus (36) and Lara Goodall (49) were a positive.

Their 60-run third wicket stand saved the visiting scorecard from being a complete disaster. However, the Indian troika of Jemimah Rodrigues, Mandhana and Raut would be a tough challenge for the the touring bowlers. Mandhana was at her attacking best as she hit 10 boundaries and three sixes during her whirlwind knock, while Raut struck eight fours.

But the Indians can't afford to take South Africa women lightly as they are expected to bounce back hard after the demoralising defeat.Teams (from): India women: Mithali Raj (captain), Smriti Mandhana,

Jemimah Rodrigues, Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Sushma Verma (wicket-keeper), Swetha Verma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Mansi Joshi, Poonam Yadav, C Prathyusha, Monica Patel.South Africa women: Sune Luus (captain), Ayabonga Khaka, Shabnim Ismail, Laura Wolvaardt, Trisha Chetty, Sinalo Jafta. Tasmin Britz, Marizanne Kapp, Nondumiso Shangase, Lizelle Lee, Anneke Bosch, Faye Tunnicliffe, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Mignon du Preez, Nadine de Klerk, Lara Goodall, Tumi Sekhukhune.

"It was pretty challenging because I was coming back after a year, and playing a competitive side like South Africa. I was just trying to hit the ball on the

right areas," Goswami had said of her performance.

'gift of life': gavaskar recalls how Sobers helped him "keep place in side"NAVI MUMbAI, MArch 11 (PTI)

As Indian cricket celebrates 50 years of his iconic Test debut, Sunil Gavaskar on Wednesday said he wouldn't have lasted this long had it not been for a couple of "lives" given by none other than the great Sir Garfield Sobers.

Gavaskar was speaking at a 'Gift of Life' ceremony after 'Rotary Club of Bombay Airport', led by Nitin Mehta, facilitated congenital heart surgeries of around 150 children at the 'Shri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital'. "In my first Test match that I was playing, I was batting on 12 and a drive outside the off-stump and the catch went to the greatest cricketer...Garfield Sobers, it went

straight to him and it poked out of his hands, I was on only 12, so I got a gift of cricketing life there," the 71-year-old said here.

"That allowed me to score a half-century and keep my place in the team for the next Test," he recalled.

The legendary batsman made his Test debut on March 6, 1971 against the West Indies, a series which India won. He then went on to become the first batsman

to score 10,000 Test runs. "In the next Test also, when I was batting on 6, I slashed at the ball outside the off-stump, again it went to Sir Garfield Sobers, this time of course the ball went a lot quicker, he probably didn't see it in the background.

"The ball sometimes gets lost in the background and it hit him in the chest and by the time he would recover, the ball again dropped to the ground and I got my first Test century. "It helped me to keep my career going for 16-17 years for the Indian team. But for those two lives, I wouldn't be here," he said and also explained how cricket is a team game," recalled the 'Little Master', who has amassed 10,122 runs from 125 Tests.

Thomas bach re-elected as IOc president until 2025geNeVA, MArch 11

Thomas Bach was re-elected as president of the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday for a final four-year term with his immediate focus on this year's delayed Tokyo Games.

The German lawyer was unopposed and won the vote 93-1, with four members abstaining, following an opening eight-year mandate dominated by the Russian doping scandal and the first Olympics to be postponed in peacetime. "Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for this overwhelming vote of confidence and trust," Bach said during an online meeting of IOC members. Bach said Tokyo was "the best prepared Olympic city ever" and reiterated the games would open on July 23 despite restrictions imposed during the COVID-19

pandemic. "The question is not whether, the question is how these Olympic Games will take place," he said.

Because of the pandemic, Bach spoke to a wall of screens connecting members online instead of at a meeting scheduled for June in Athens.

Uncertainty in the past year extended a theme of Bach's presidency turmoil for games organizers and financial stability for the IOC

in Switzerland. Bach first presided over the 2014 Sochi Games, which were tainted by Russia's state-backed doping program.

It was an "unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games," Bach said Wednesday. Russian teams and athletes have been barred from competing under their nation's name or flag in Tokyo as the latest punishment in fallout from the scandal.

racing Team India secures provisional le Mans 24 hours entryNew DelhI, MArch 11 (PTI)

Racing Team India, led by Narain Karthikeyan, is set to become the first all-Indian-driver team to race in the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans after being granted a provisional entry for the 2021 edition.The driver line up comprising Narain Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini and Naveen Rao will compete in the LMP2-AM category of the iconic race. The trio competed in the recent Asian Le Mans Series in the UAE but did not find much success."This is a proud moment not just for our team, but for our nation as a whole," Karthikeyan, who is India's first Formula One driver, said.The 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 89th running of the race at the Circuit de la Sarthe, has been postponed to August 21

and 22 from the usual date in June amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Racing at Le Mans with an Indian team is a dream I have nurtured since 2009 when I first visited the Circuit de la Sarthe."I would like to thank all of our sponsors and partners, and especially the ACO and the Asian Le Mans Series team, without whose support this wouldn't have been possible."The #74 car will be prepared and run by Eurasia Motorsport. The team finished fifth in its debut at the Asian Le Mans Series last month.

Southampton to host wTc final between India and New zealand, limited fans a possibility: IccDUbAI, MArch 11 (PTI)

The International Cricket Council on Wednesday formally announced that Southampton will host the inaugural World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand in June and a limited number of fans could be allowed if the easing of lockdown in the UK continues.

The game will be played inside a bio-secure bubble at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton from June 18-22.

The venue was confirmed to PTI on Monday by BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. "Should the UK government's phased easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures proceed as planned, it is anticipated that a limited number of fans will be allowed into the Hampshire

Bowl to watch the final," the ICC statement read. Initially, the final was supposed to be held at the Lord's but the ICC Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to change the venue to ensure that the fixture could be staged safely with the potential impact of COVID-19 minimised for all involved.

"In selecting the Hampshire Bowl, the ICC drew on ECB's experience of delivering a full summer of bio-safe international cricket

in 2020," the ICC said. "The venue provides

world-class playing and training facilities, giving both teams the best possible environment in which to prepare." New Zealand were the first team to qualify for the final and they were joined by India following their 3-1 series win over England which concluded on Saturday.

"I am sure the finale of the ICC World Test Championship will be a wonderful occasion."

A year on, whO still struggling to manage pandemic responsegeNeVA, MArch 11

When the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic one year ago Thursday, it did so only after weeks of resisting the term and maintaining that the highly infectious virus could still be stopped.

A year later, the U.N. agency is still struggling to keep on top of the evolving science of COVID-19, to persuade countries to abandon their nationalistic tendencies and help get vaccines where they're needed most.

The agency made some costly missteps along the way: It advised people against wearing masks for months and asserted that COVID-19 wasn't widely spread in the air. It also declined to publicly call out countries particularly China for mistakes that senior WHO officials grumbled about privately.

That created some tricky politics that challenged WHO's credibility and wedged it between two world powers, setting off vociferous Trump administration criticism that the agency is only now emerging from.

President Joe Biden's support for WHO may provide some much-needed

breathing space, but the organisation still faces a monumental task ahead as it tries to project some moral authority amid a universal scramble for vaccines that is leaving billions of people unprotected.

WHO has been a bit behind, being cautious rather than precautionary, said Gian Luca Burci, a former WHO legal counsel now at Geneva's Graduate Institute.

At times of panic, of a crisis and so on, maybe being more out on a limb taking a risk would have been better. WHO waved its first big warning flag on January 30, 2020, by calling the outbreak an international health emergency. But many countries ignored or overlooked the warning.

Only when WHO

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared a pandemic six weeks later, on March 11, 2020, did most governments take action, experts said. By then, it was too late, and the virus had reached every continent except Antarctica. A year later, WHO still appears hamstrung. A WHO-led team that traveled to China in January to investigate the origins of COVID-19 was criticised for failing to dismiss China's fringe theory that the virus might be spread via tainted frozen seafood.That came after WHO repeatedly lauded China last year for its speedy, transparent response even though recordings of private meetings obtained by reports showed that top officials were frustrated at the country's lack of cooperation. Everybody

has been wondering why WHO was so praising of China back in January" 2020, Burci said, adding that the praise has come back to haunt WHO big-time.

Some experts say WHO's blunders came at a high price, and it remains too reliant on iron-clad science instead of taking calculated risks to keep people safer whether on strategies like mask-wearing or whether COVID-19 is often spread through the air. Without a doubt, WHO's failure to endorse masks earlier cost lives, said Dr. Trish Greenhalgh, a professor of primary care health sciences at Oxford University who sits on several WHO expert committees.

Not until June did WHO advise people to regularly wear masks, long after other health agencies and numerous countries did so.

Greenhalgh said she was less interested in asking WHO to atone for past errors than revising its policies going forward. In October, she wrote to the head of a key WHO committee on infection control, raising concerns about the lack of expertise among some members. She never received a response.

UK variant of coronavirus linked to significantly higher death rate, says studylONDON, MArch 11 (PTI)

The highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus which swept across the UK last year before spreading worldwide, could be 30 to 100 per cent deadlier than previous versions of the virus, according to a new study.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday, noted that this variant, B.1.1.7, is linked to a significantly higher mortality rate amongst adults diagnosed in the community compared to previously circulating strains. In the study, epidemiologists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol in the UK, compared death rates among people infected with the new variant and those infected with other strains. They found that the new variant led to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients compared to 141 amongst the same number of closely matched patients who had the previous strains. "In

the community, death from COVID-19 is still a rare event, but the B.1.1.7 variant raises the risk. Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken seriously," said Robert Challen, lead author of the study from the University of Exeter. Since this variant was first detected in the UK in September 2020, it has been proven to be significantly quicker and easier to spread, with more people, who would have previously been considered low risk, hospitalised because

of it. Assessing data from over 54,609 matched pairs of patients of all age-groups and demographics, and differing only in strain detected, the researchers found that there were 227 deaths attributed to the new strain, compared to 141 attributable to earlier strains. "We focussed our analysis on cases that occurred between November 2020 and January 2021, when both the old variants and the new variant were present in the UK," said Leon Danon, senior author of the study from the University of Bristol.

china for decades waged campaign to destroy Tibet's proud culture, history: PelosiwAShINgTON, MArch 11 (PTI)

China for decades has waged a campaign to destroy Tibet's proud culture and history, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has alleged, asserting that the US will continue to stand with the Tibetan people and honour those who sacrificed all for their rights and freedom. Speaking on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary

of Tibetan Uprising Day on Wednesday against the Chinese occupation of the remote Himalayan region, Pelosi said, Sixty-two years ago, brave Tibetans rose up against the Chinese invasion to protect their way of life and culture. Today, we continue to stand with the Tibetan people and honour those who sacrificed all for their rights and freedom.

Tibetan men, women and children want simply to

practice their faith, speak their language and celebrate their culture free from violence and intimidation. Yet, Beijing for decades has waged a campaign to destroy Tibet's proud culture and history, which remains a clarion call for action to freedom-loving people worldwide, the top Democrat said.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader has been demanding meaningful autonomy for Tibetans.

japan marks 10th disaster anniversary while still recoveringTOKYO, MArch 11

Japan is marking the 10th anniversary on Thursday of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit the northeastern region, where many survivors' lives are still on hold. People, some carrying bouquets, walked to the coast or graves to pray for relatives and friends washed away by the tsunami. Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were among those observing a moment of silence at 2:46 pm the minute the shaking started and were to speak at the memorial service later. The magnitude 9.0 quake that struck on March 11, 2011, was one of the biggest temblors on record and set off a massive tsunami that swept far inland, destroying towns and causing meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. More than 18,000 people died, mostly in the tsunami, and nearly half a million people were displaced. In Otsuchi town in the Iwate prefecture, where the tsunami destroyed its town hall, killing about 40 employees.

resolutions introduced in US Senate to condemn china's actions in South china Sea, trade practiceswAShINgTON, MArch 11 (PTI)

Influential US Senators have introduced a slew of resolutions in the Senate, condemning China's rising actions to militarise the South China Sea and also to tackle Beijing's economic practices that distort global markets and hurt the American businesses.

Introduced by Senators Rick Scott, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis and Roger Wicker on Wednesday, the first resolution applauded the American Navy and Coast Guard for their efforts to ensure freedom of navigation operations and send a clear

message that the US will not tolerate Communist China's extension of power in waters beyond its legitimate territorial sea boundaries.

The Communist Party of China, led by Chinese President Xi Jinping, continues to militarise the South China Sea and is eager to expand its territorial claims in the region, Scott said during the introduction of the resolution.

This aggressive and unlawful action cannot be tolerated. I'm proud to lead my colleagues today in a resolution to applaud the hardworking men and

women of the US Navy and Coast Guard for working to defend our freedoms, and to send a clear message to General Secretary Xi that his aggression cannot continue, he said.

Sullivan alleged that in recent years, China has ramped up its aggressive actions against neighbouring peaceful nations both to expand its influence and subvert the rule of law in the South China Sea.

The alarming, belligerent behaviour of Xi Jinping cannot continue. This resolution commends the courageous Coast Guard

and Navy service members who continue to promote international order in the region and sends a strong message to the Chinese Communist Party that hostility toward our allies will not be tolerated, he said.

According to Tillis, the brave men and women of US Armed Forces deployed in the Indo-Pacific play a critical role in protecting access to vital commercial corridors like the South China Sea.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up

and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region.

Both maritime areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade.

China's claims to sovereignty over the South China Sea are unfounded and threaten the international order. The US must hold Beijing accountable for its unauthorised expansions, and I applaud the US Navy and Coast Guard for working to maintain the balance of power in the Pacific region, Wicker said.

5

5ThUrSDAY 11 MArch 2021 cOIMbATOre

Vellore District Collector Shanmugasundaram is seen overseeing the process of randomization of electronic voting machines in the presence of various poltical parties at the Collectorate yesterday. Senior government officials also participated.

Maha: Case against trader for duping farmers of over Rs 2 crlATUr, MAr 11 (PTI)

Police have registered a case against a trader here in Maharashtra for allegedly duping farmers of over Rs 2 crore on the pretext of buying their produce at a higher price, an official said.

A 50-year-old farmer from Devlali village in neighbouring Osmanabad district in his police complaint said he sold 133 quintal of soybean worth Rs 5.40 lakh to the trader in 2018-19.

The trader issued a cheque to him but it was dishonoured by bank, the police official said on Wednesday. The farmer then demanded cash payment from the trader, but he did not respond.

The cultivator later got to know that the trader had allegedly not made payments to 43 farmers for their produce worth a total of Rs 2.17 crore, the official said.

Based on his complaint, the Shivaji Nagar police here registered a case against the trader on Wednesday under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust), the official said.

20 years rI in murder caseerODe MAr 11:

The Erode Women's Court judge Malathi on Wednesday sentenced a worker Ammasi 65, to 20 years imprisonment for hacking an aged lady Meenakshi 75 wife of Chinnadurai of Odathurai, near Kavinthapadi, to death over a herding problem.

She owned a farm in the village and Ammasi used to graze cattle there leading to quarrel between them.

When he came to Meenakshi's garden on 25-4-2017, for grazing sheep, she protested, leading to the crime. Kavinthapadi police have registered a murder case.

Asus launches TUF Dash F15 series lap topcheNNAI, MAr 11

Taiwanese tech company, ASUS India has announced the expansion of its TUF laptop portfolio in India with the launch of new TUF Dash F15, a super slim 15-inch device that represents portability and thin and light design.

Engineered to empower users with the ability to game, work, and stay productive anywhere, the new Asus laptop comes with the latest11th Gen Intel® Core™i7-11370H processor and GeForce RTX™ 3070/ 3060 GPU, for an unbeatable performance.

The laptop was unveiled globally during a virtual conference at CES 2021 and is finally set to make a mark

in India.Its powerful core

experience is equipped with high-end features not typically seen at accessible price points, such as a tournament-level gaming panel with up to a 240Hz refresh rate, a versatile Thunderbolt™ 4 port, and Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation technology.

With an expansive battery that nets up to 16.6 hours of video playback and Type-C charging that extends battery life from a variety of adapters and power packs, gamers can be productive longer on the go said Arnold Su, Business Head, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India.

IcIcI bank reduces home loan interest rate to 6.70%cOIMbATOre MArch 11

ICICI Bank has announced that it has reduced home loan interest rate to 6.70%. The revised interest rate-- the lowest in 10 years by the Bank is effected from March 5, 2021. Customers can avail of this interest rate for home loans uptoRs 75 lakh.

For loans above Rs 75 lakh, interest rates are pegged at 6.75% onwards. These revised rates will be available till March 31, 2021. Home buyers, including those who are not customers of the Bank, can apply for home loan digitally, in a hassle-free manner through the Bank’s website and mobile banking platform, ‘iMobile Pay’.

They can also experience a convenient digitised experience at their nearest ICICI Bank branch. They can also receive instant sanction of their loan digitally.Mr. Ravi Narayanan, Head- Secured Assets, ICICI Bank said, “We see resurgence in demand from consumers, who want to buy homes for their own consumption, in the past few months.

We believe that this is an opportune time for an individual to buy his/her dream home, considering the prevailing low interest rates. We believe that with our completely digitised home loan process including instant sanction for customers of any bank, everybody will find it immensely convenient to avail a home loan with us.”

A novel banner lures voterserODe, MAr 11:

An awareness banner in the form of an invitation placed in front of the Erode Taluk Office lured voters much.

Legislative Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 6. The Election Commission holds various awareness campaigns to ensure 100 per cent voter turnout in all constituencies. Awareness boards have been set up in many places, including government offices urging all voters to cast their ballots by April 6. There are awareness slogans such as "It is our duty to vote, the people must vote to rule".

The banner in the form of an invitation asks voters to cast votes on April 6 from

7 am to 6 pm. The invitation contained

awareness slogans on corona prevention measure and asked voters to wear face mask and maintain social justice.

Latur: Peon hangs self in officelATUr, MAr 11 (PTI)

A 46-year-old peon allegedly hanged himself to death at his office located in the district administrative building of Latur Zilla Parishad on Wednesday, police said. The incident occurred in the morning, police said.

The deceased was identified as Suryakant Shankar Shreemangale, a resident of Patel Nagar in Latur city, an official said.

"He had been working as a peon in the district statistics office for the last several years. He arrived at the office around 9.30 am and hanged himself from the ceiling fan with a rope," he said.

The motive behind the suicide is yet to be ascertained and a probe is on.

Officials injured while chasing truck carrying illegally mined sandjAlNA (MAhA), MAr 11 (PTI)

Two officials of the revenue department were injured while chasing a truck carrying illegally mined sand in Maharashtra's Jalna district on Wednesday morning, police said.

The incident took place in Moti Bagh area. Ganesh Kakde, resident of Jalna town, was arrested. As per the complaint filed by circle officer Vishwas Bhore, officials spotted a truck laden with sand at Ambad square and asked the truck driver to stop.

But the truck did not stop. As the revenue officials chased it in their car, it suddenly slowed down, resulting in a collision.

Kakde allegedly arrived on the scene in an SUV and threatened the officials that they got away this time but next time they will not be spared.A case was registered against him under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) and he was arrested, police said, adding further probe is on.

Notorious kidnapper wanted in wb held in MP's SingrauliSINgrAUlI (MP), MAr 11 (PTI)

A kingpin of a kidnapping gang from Bihar, wanted in West Bengal's Bardhaman district in connection with the abduction of two persons and extortion of Rs 2.60 crore from them, was arrested here, a police official said on Wednesday.

He was nabbed at Waidhan in the district, where he was living with a false identity for a long time and turned into a hotelier."The abductor, identified as Chandan Sonar alias Chandan Kumar alias Chandra Mohan, is the

kingpin of Chandan Sonar kidnappers gang of Bihar.He was caught by the local cops along with West Bengal's sleuths in a secret operation here on Wednesday," Kotwali police station in-charge Arun Pandey told reporters.Sonar was wanted by the West Bengal police in connection with the kidnapping of Tejpal Singh and his driver in 2019.

A case was registered against him in the Salanpur police station in Bardhman district.

According to police, he extorted Rs 2.60 crore for releasing the duo and was wanted by the crime branch

since then."On a tip-off from the

Kolkata Crime Branch, a three- member team from West Bengal along with 15 policemen went to arrest the accused from his residence in Ganiyari area in the early morning operation, Pandey said.

During his questioning, the accused revealed that he was originally a resident of Hajipur in Bihar and entered the world of crime at an early age in 2002-03, Singrauli SP Virendra Singh said. The West Bengal police took him to their state for further investigation.

Students of JKK Muniraja College of Agriculture Science campaign against smoking at Gobi in order to observe `smoking abolition day' on Wednesday. They distributed handbills to public and the campaign was inaugurated by local police officials. They said that smoking would not only affect the heart but also all organs of the body.

It would create cancer, heart attack, neurological problem, Alzheimer's disease etc. They suggested acupuncture, yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy, etc would stop the bad habit.

Fire at dumping ground in UlhasnagarThANe, MAr 11 (PTI)

A major fire broke out at a dumping ground in Ulhasnagar town on Tuesday, officials said.

The fire broke out at 5.30 pm and efforts were on to douse it, he said.

Nobody was injured, he added.

erode women's kabaddi team bags championship

erODe, MArch 11: Erode district women’s

team won I prize in the 47th TN State Junior Women Kabaddi Championship (U-19) held at the Queen Mary’s College, Chennai, from Feb

23 to 25. The victorious team has 7 students of Gobi PKR College for Women, 2 from Gobi Saratha College and 3 from Anthiyur St Ignatius School. Teams from 38 districts took part in the event.

The best players of the teams would attend National Kabaddi championship event to be held at Telangana, as TN Team. The PKR College correspondent PN Venkatachalam, chief

executive officer Jagatha Lakshmanan, principal Dr Mythili, physical education director Sangeethamuthu and coach SP Palanisamy felicitated the winners of the team in the college.

Erode district women’s team won I prize in the 47th

TN State Junior Women Kabaddi

Championship (U-19) held at the

Queen Mary’s College, Chennai, from Feb 23 to 25.

Man kills wife, commits suicidePAlghAr (MAhA), MAr 11 (PTI)

A man killed his wife and ended his own life by jumping in front of a train in Boisar area of Palghar district, police said on Wednesday.

Mahendra Yadav, resident of Trivedi Nagar of Boisar, quarreled frequently with his wife, an official said.

The husband and wife fought on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and Yadav is suspected to have stabbed her to death with a knife, he said.

elderly man held for unnatural sex with stray dogMUMbAI, MAr 11 (PTI)

A 67-year-old hawker was arrested for allegedly having unnatural sex with a stray dog in suburban Andheri here, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in Juhu Gulli locality in Andheri (W) recently, they said.

"The accused Ahmed Shahi, who resides alone, used to commit such crimes. In the past, the local residents had warned him against doing so," a senior official of D N Nagar police station said.

One of the local residents spotted him indulging in the crime and informed an NGO about it.

Salem Collector Raman inspecting the polling booth set up at Veerapandi assembly segment, Neikarapatti Government Higher Secondary School in

connection with the forth coming assembly election 2021 and also the basic amenties provided at the centre for the benefit of voters as per Election Commision

of India guidelines. Other senior officials are also seen.

Farmer arrested for cultivation of ganjaTIrUPPUr, MAr 11:

Police arrested a farmer who was cultivating cannabis(ganja) in a maize farm near Palladam and seized 4 kg of cannabis.

Kamanayakan Palayam police received a tip-off that cannabis was being produced on agricultural lands in the Kattur area next to Palladam in Tirupur district. Following this, the police conducted a raid in the area

A farmer named

Govindaraj tried to escape as soon as the police saw him. The police chased and caught him.

On interrogation, it was revealed that he had grown cannabis on his maize farm. Following this, the police destroyed the cannabis plants cultivated on the maize farm.

They also seized 4 kg of ganja which was kept for sale. Police have registered a case and arrested Govindaraj and are investigating.

Videographers in Pollachi demand election recording work to be given to themPOllAchI, MAr 11:

Videographers have submitted a petition to the Electoral Officer in Pollachi with a demand to provide them with election video recording work. In the run-up to the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, videographers have been appointed to videotape various election campaigns, including flying squads’ activities to prevent money laundering.

In this context, the Videographers Association in Pollachi on Tuesday met

with the Electoral Officer Vaithiyanathan and filed a petition claiming that their livelihoods would be affected as the work is currently being outsourced to corporates.There are more than 400 videographers in and around Pollachi and Anaimalai.

Having already lost their livelihoods due to the corona curfew, they have now demanded that this election cinematography work be outsourced to local videographers.

Indian girl geeta reunites with real mother, confirms Pak trust owner who gave her shelterKArAchI, MAr 11 (PTI)

A deaf and dumb Indian girl, who was rescued by a social welfare organisation in Pakistan after she mistakenly ended up in this country before being sent back to India in 2015, has finally been reunited with her real mother in Maharashtra, according to a Pakistani media report on Wednesday.

Bilquees Edhi the wife of late Abdul Sattar Edhi, who now runs the world famous Edhi Welfare Trust and who developed a close bond with Geeta said the Indian girl had

finally been reunited with her real mother in Maharashtra state, Dawn newspaper reported.She has been in touch with me and this weekend she finally told me the good news about meeting her real mother, Bilquees said.

Her real name is Radha Waghmare and she found her mother in Naigaon village in the state of Maharashtra, she also confirmed to PTI here.Geeta captured the attention of the media and governments in both countries in 2015 but

according to Bilquees they had found Geeta when she was around 11-12 years old at a railway station and gave her shelter at their centre in Karachi.

Somehow she strayed into Pakistan and was shelterless when we found her in Karachi, she said.

She stayed at the Edhi centre for years and I took care of her and we named her Fatima later when I realised she was a Hindu we named her Geeta and even though she couldn't speak or hear but we communicated properly through sign language,

Bilquees said.In 2015 after Geeta's

story broke out, the late Indian external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj made arrangements for her to be flown back home.Bilquees said that it had taken nearly four and half years for Geeta to find her real parents and this was cnfirmed through DNA tests.

Geeta has also recognised her mother and she lives with her family in Naigaon village now.Her biological father died a few years back so her mother, Meena remarried, she said.

gujarat's vulture population dips by 179 in two yearsgANDhINAgAr, MAr 11 (PTI)

Despite conservation efforts, the population of vultures in Gujarat has dropped by 179 within a span of two years between 2016 and 2018, the state Legislative Assembly was told on Wednesday.

As per the census conducted in 2016, as many as 999 vultures were spotted in different parts of Gujarat, state Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava said in his written reply in the Assembly.

However, when the census was conducted again in 2018, the number had dropped to 820, indicating a decrease of 179, Vasava said.

The biggest drop was

recorded in Amreli district. As against 90 vultures registered in the 2016 census, only 27 were found in the 2018 census in that district.

In Dang district, only eight vultures were spotted in 2018 as against 43 in 2016, said the reply.

However, vulture population also saw a rise in some of the districts, including Anand, Banaskantha and Bhavnagar.

eDITOrIAl

6 ThUrSDAY 11 MArch 2021 cOIMbATOre

The cultural performance staged by the students of CSI Bishop Appasamy B.Ed College in Coimbatore during the Women’s Day celebration.

Professors and students of CSI Bishop Appasamy B.Ed College, Coimbatore during the Women’s Day celebrations.

Day after lodging complaint about minor daughter’s rape, UP man dies in ‘accident’lUcKNOw,MArch. 11

The father of a minor girl, who was allegedly gangraped by four men in UP’s Kanpur district, was killed after he was hit by an unidentified truck on Wednesday.

Expressing doubts about the accident, which came a day after they lodged a complaint about the rape, the girl’s family said the rape accused could be behind it.

They pointed out that the father of one of the accused is a police official.

The prime accused in the rape case, Golu Yadav, son of a police sub-inspector posted in Kannauj, was arrested earlier and efforts were underway to nab his brother Saurabh and friend Deepu, Kanpur Deputy IG Preetinder Singh said.

While the medical examination of the rape survivor was going on at the community health centre (CHC) in Ghatampur, her father went out for a cup of tea and was hit by a truck, Singh said.

The minor's father was

taken to the Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Brajesh Srivastava said an FIR was registered on charges of murder against Devendra Yadav, the father of the accused.

“The accident took place when the medical examination of the victim was underway and the father stepped out for a cup of tea. After some time, we got to know that he was hit by a truck. He was immediately taken to a Kanpur hospital, but was declared brought dead. We have filed an accident case and are probing,” said Kanpur DIG Preetinder Singh.

The truck driver and one of the rape accused have been arrested, he added.

The family members of the deceased alleged in the FIR that Devendra Yadav hatched a conspiracy to kill him and make it look like a road accident. Five police teams, including surveillance personnel, have been formed to nab Saurabh and Deepu.

The probe has been handed over to Ghatampur Station House Officer Dhanesh Kumar, who has been asked to investigate the charges and work out the case at the earliest, the police said.

The action against the SI would be decided only after the probe confirms his involvement in the alleged murder, they said.

According to the police, the 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by Golu Yadav and Deepu in Sajeti area here on Monday.

The Class 8 student had gone out to collect fodder for cattle on Monday when she was abducted by the duo and taken to a secluded place where she was allegedly raped. Saurabh had allegedly threatened the minor of dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident, the police said.

After the accident, locals blocked the Kanpur-Sagar highway for five hours demanding a swift action. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced Rs 5 lakh to the girl’s family.

cOIMbATOre, MArch 11

Members of the Coimbatore Airport Employees association staged a hunger strike on Wednesday seeking interest on accumulated corpus under super annuation benefit scheme. Convener of airport Authorities Employee Union(AAEU) R Govindaraju said AAI formulated the Employees defined Contribution pension(EDCP) scheme, and orders were issued to implement it with effect from January 1, 2007. The interest on corpus due from 2007 to 2019 has not been credited, he alleged.

Airport employees stage hunger stir

SAleM, MArch. 11Besides Chief Minister

Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK fielded two of nine sitting MLAs again in Salem. Notable among those not given a chance is senior AIADMK leader and former minister S Semmalai, who won from Mettur in 2016. Incumbents G Venkatachalam for Salem North, who currently holds office in Salem west, and K Chitra for Yercaud, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribe will seek people’s mandate again.

The remaining six seats have been given for the following candidates: Gangavalli (SC): A Nallathambi (Govindampalayam Panchayat President), Attur (SC): A P Jayasankaran (Attur AIADMK MGR Youth Wing Secretary), Omalur: R Mani (10th ward member of Salem Panchayat Union), Sankagiri: S Sundararajan (AIADMK Sankagiri West Union Secretary), Salem South: E Balasubramanian (AIADMK Salem Urban District Jayalalithaa Peravai Joint Secretary).AIADMK won in ten of the 11 constituencies in Salem in 2016. This time, Mettur and Salem West have been allocated to ally PMK.

Semmalai falls out of favour, 2 sitting MlA’s given tickets in Salem

cOIMbATOre, MArch. 11

The launch of ‘Hope After Fire ‘, Phase 3 was held at Ganga Hospital today. Hope After Fire is a joint initiative of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Metropolis and Ganga Hospital, to provide totally free reconstructive surgery for the correction of deformities due to burns. While popular Cine actor Mr. Karthik Sivakumar was the Chief Guest, Rotary Governor Elect Mr. Rajasekaran and Mr. Sathish Kumar, MD of Milky Mist were the guests of honour on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, after launching the Phase 3 of the project, Mr. Karthik Sivakumar mentioned that awareness about the project needs to increase. Lauding the efforts of the Doctors

at Ganga Hospital and the Rotary Club, he said that successfully doing the project for the past ten years is no mean achievement.

He hoped that the project would benefit many more people in the next ten years. He also handed over a cheque for the project on the occasion.

Dr. Raja Sabapathy, Project Director at Ganga Hospital stated that by this project the entire treatment process from assessment, surgery to physiotherapy and rehabilitation is taken care of by the project.

Started in the year 2012, in the 9 years 955 surgeries have been performed on 574 patients with a project value of Rs. 5.66 crore, making a difference in the lives of the families. Three beneficiaries,

namely Mrs. Kavitha from Mettupalayam, Sheela from Karamadai and Thara, (the mother of Baby Kanishka, a child fire accident victim), shared their experiences on the occasion. There were felicitations by Rtn.Dr.R.V.Ramani and Rtn. N.Sundaravadivelu on the occasion. A presentation by Rtn. Dr.S. Raja Sabapathy

on the topic ‘Journey till now and the way forward’ and a report by Rtn. Ramesh Veeraraghavan, ‘Honouring benefactors for their support’ were some other highlights of the event.

Earlier President Rtn. N.Janakiram Raju gave the welcome address. The vote of thanks was proposed by Rtn. Shanthi Suresh.

‘Hope After Fire’ – Phase 3 launched at city hospital

Speaking on the occasion, after launching the Phase 3 of the project, Mr. Karthik Sivakumar mentioned that awareness about the project needs to increase. Lauding the efforts of the Doctors at Ganga Hospital and the Rotary Club, he said that successfully doing the project for the past ten years is no mean achievement. He hoped that the project would benefit many more people in the next ten years. He also handed over a cheque for the project on the occasion.

The number of people infected by the coronavirus in Tamil Nadu has increased to 8,25,967. The number of deaths so far is 12,504 while the

number of recoveries is 8,36,473. As of now, 3,990 people are under COVID 19 treatment. The number of cases in Chennai is 2,36,072. Due to the spread of the virus, the lockdown in the state has been extended till March 31 with certain relaxations. It cannot be denied that the relaxations brought forth by the government are taken for granted by the public. The governments have made it mandatory for us to use masks and follow social distancing. But thinking that the spread of the virus has gone down, people have gradually reduced the usage of masks and social distancing. Earlier the government and the health department have made it compulsory that a fine will be imposed for those who do not wear masks. But recently nobody is being penalised for not wearing masks. Therefore the people became careless. This carelessness is likely to invoke the danger of a second wave of the COVID spread. It might also perhaps lead to a state where it might turn into a familial spread. Especially in metro cities like Chennai, it has now become a familial spread. To avoid the further expansion of the COVID spread, strict restrictions have to be imposed on the relaxed lockdown. Despite vaccination, to control the spread of the coronavirus, people have to be insisted to keep their surroundings clean, wear masks and follow social distancing. There is no harm even if a fine is levied for those who do not follow the rules. Only then the people could be brought under control and the corona could be eradicated.

The public has to be brought under control

On behalf of Canara Bank's Coimbatore Regional Office (1), Rs 50,000 worth essentials were given to the Corporation Orphanage Home from the Corporate

Social Responsibility fund. They were presented by the Deputy General Manager of the Bank, K A Sindhu. Standing next to her are Assistant General Manager H G

Ramesh, Divisional Manager R Venkatachalam and officers.

chITrAKOOT (UP), MAr 11 (PTI)

A 42-year-old man was stabbed to death in the Manikpur area of Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district and two of his friends have been detained for questioning, police said on Thursday. Raju's body was found at the Nihi road crossing on Wednesday, Manikpur Station House Officer (SHO) Subhash Chandra Chaurasia said. There were stab wounds on the body, he said, adding that Raju was a resident Musiwan village of Banda district. Two of his friends have been detained for interrogation, the SHO said.

42-year-old man stabbed to death in UP's chitrakoot districtcOIMbATOre,

MArch. 11As part of the pandemic

control measures, it is now made mandatory for the public to wear a face mask. The Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner has advised at the review meeting that dengue mosquito breeding grounds should be identified and sprayed with repellents. A review meeting on solid waste management was on Wednesday held at the Corporation Gallery, RS Puram, Coimbatore(West Zone). The meeting was chaired by the Commissioner of the Corporation P Kumaravel Pandian. He said, “In all the 5 zones of Coimbatore Corporation, the cleaning staff should go door to door and collect the garbage separately and

segregate the biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage separately and give it to the cleaning staff and the lorry staff. In addition, bulk waste generators should separate the garbage and deliver it to the truck crew. In addition, Zonal Health Inspectors and Sanitary Supervisors must inspect the ward areas daily to ensure that garbage does not spill into the sewers and if there are any obstructions

in the sewers, it should be repaired immediately. Mosquito repellents should be sprayed by cleaners on waterlogged areas”. He also said that the places where dengue mosquitoes breed should be identified and sprayed with repellents.

“ Defective vehicles on the roadside should be disposed off immediately by their owners. The public should not dump garbage on the roadsides but only in the garbage bins and keep the roads clean. Furthermore, wearing a public mask is now mandatory as part of corona prevention activities. Therefore, the public, cleaners and all officers must wear mask, wash hands frequently and adhere to the social distancing. The public should take preventive measures and cooperate with the corporation to prevent corona infection completely” he added. The meeting was attended by Municipal Engineer A Lakshmanan, All Zonal Assistant Commissioners, All Zonal Health Officers and Health Inspectors.

wearing masks is compulsory: corporation commissioner

In all the 5 zones of Coimbatore

Corporation, the cleaning staff should go door to door and collect the garbage separately

and segregate the biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage separately and give it to

the cleaning staff and the lorry staff.

cOIMbATOre, MArch. 11

One escaped while another was arrested on Wednesday when tried to exchange counterfeit currencies in a shop near Gandhipuram bus stand. Two men from Kerala were strolling at Gandhipuram bus stand in Coimbatore. They gave Rs 500 to a fruitseller and asked for fruits. The shopkeeper found that it was a fake currency. Immediately he informed the Kattur police in Coimbatore. As the police approached, one of the two escaped and the other person was caught. On interrogation, it was revealed that he was Mohammed Junaid from Malapuram in Kerala and the escaped one was his friend Fazil. Later Mohammed Junaid was arrested and is being investigated by the police in a secret place. This incident has created a fuss in that locality.

Man held while trying to exchange counterfeit currency

cOIMbATOre, MArch. 11 A resident from Pollachi had

filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court against the shops in the Roundana area in Mahalingapuram, Pollachi claiming that they did not provide proper

parking facilities. Following that the court had issued notice to those shopping complexes to create parking lots for the vehicles but it was in vain. Hence it was ordered to seal off those shops on the basis of contempt of court. As per the orders of the Municipal Commissioner,

the town planning officers along with police security on Wednesday sealed off four shops in the Mahalingapuram Roundana area. The officials also said that severe action would be taken against other complexes which do not have parking facilities.

Shopping complexes without parking facilities sealed

cOIMbATOre, MArch 11

Bharathiar University on Wednesday announced that examinations that were scheduled for distance education programmes for may and December 2020 will be staring from March 24. In a press release, Controller of examination(in-charge) said that the exams will be held online for first-year PG/MBA/MCA/B.Ed and 1st and 2nd year UG courses. He added that the candidates who had already applied can visit the university website to learn about the modalities, and the time-table.

bU distance education exam from March 24

cOIMbATOre, MArch. 11

As the construction works for a boathouse in Valparai are on the verge of completion, the Municipal Commissioner Paunraj said that a trial run has been conducted. The people of Valparai in the Coimbatore district have been requesting the establishment of a boathouse.

Accordingly, the Minister for Municipal Administration,

boating trial run in Valparai

cheNNAI, MArch. 11 The ruling AIADMK on Wednesday

released a second list of 171 candidates, of which 73 are sitting MLAs, including 27 ministers. Around 40 MLAs have been denied tickets this time, including three ministers S Valarmathi, G Baskaran, and Nilofer Kafeel.

It is likely that a few among them will get a chance when candidates are announced for the balance nine seats pending to be filled. Sourcess said the party is overall happy with the choices as many district secretaries and office-bearers have been given chance. With this, so far, the party has fielded 177 candidates and allocated 48 seats to allies – PMK, BJP and four smaller parties. The AIADMIK has to allocate seats to the TMC and one or two smaller allies within the nine seats left. In Kolathur, from where DMK chief MK Stalin is Likely to contest, AIADMK has fielded its organizing secretary, Adhi Rajaram. Former Mayor, Saidai S Duraisamy, will contest from his stronghold of Saidapet. Ministers K Pandiarajan and PA Benjamin have been renominated in their sitting constituencies, Avadi and Maduravoyal. JCD Prabhakar, member of the AIADMK’s steering committee will be contesting from Villivakkam

while former Minister S Gokula Indira has been nominated for Anna Nagar. Former DGP R Natraj has been renominated in Mylapore. Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji has been nominated for Rajapalayam though his sitting constituency is Sivakasi. AIADMK’s deputy coordinators KP Munusamy and R Vaithilingam, who unsuccessfully contested 2016 polls, have been given party tickets. One of the senior most leaders of the AIADMK, S Semmalai, sitting MLA from Mettur constituency, has been denied a party ticket this time. Among the AIADMK candidates, there are three doctors, 26 advocates and six engineering graduates. PMK, as expected, bagged most constituencies in the northern and western belts, where it has a stronge base. In Chennai, PMK got the high-profile Chepauk-Triplicane Constituency, from where DMK youth wing secretary, Udhayanidhi Stalin, is likely to contest.

EVERY AIADMK ALLY GETS SHARE OF CAKE

IN THE southern belt, PMK has been given one seat – Athur. Soon after, the party announced its candidates for all 20 constituencies. PMK president GK Mani will be contesting from Pennagaram constituency while advocate K Balu

will be contesting from Jeyankondam. BJP’s share of 20 are spread out across the State. Coimbatore South has been given to the saffron party, after which AIADMK cadres erupted in protest. Vanathi Srinivasan, chair-person of the BJP national women’s wing is likely to contest from this seat, while the party president L Murugan and senior leader H Raja may contest from Dharapuram (SC) and Karaikudi. Of the 9 remaining seats, the AIADMK may take a few more seats and as such, the ruling party will be contesting in around 180 seats in this election. The number of parties which would contest in Two Leaves symbol may touch 185. Last time, all the 234 candidates in the AIADMK led alliance contested in Two Leaves symbol. Meanwhile, the AIADMK has allocated one constituency each to the following parties and the candidates will be contesting in AIADMK symbol. The parties and their constituencies are: Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam led by Sridhar Vandaiyar (Kumbakonam), Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi led by NR Dhanabalan (Perambur), Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by P John Pandiyan (Egmore- SC) and Puratchi Bharatham Katchi led by Poovai M Jeganmoorthy (Keezhvaithinan Kuppam-SC).

ADMK’s candidate list: 73 sitting MlAs get ticket

I, Vidhya Prabha S, D/o. Shanmugasundaram, Born on: 13.05.1987, (Place Birth: Coimbatore), residing at New No. 45, Old No. 7A, Alamelumanga Puram, Ganapathy, Coimbatore North, Coimbatore-641006, shall hence forth be known as VIDYA PRABHA S

NAME CHANGE

Vidhya Prabha S

ɤa ãugh r, Vidhya Prabha S, j/bg. r©KfRªju«, ãwªj

njâ: 13.05.1987, (ãw¥ãl«:

nfha«ò¤ö®), òâa v©.45,

giHa v©. 7V, mHnkYk§fh

òu«, fzgâ, nfha«ò¤ö®

tl¡F, nfha«ò¤ö®-641006,

v‹w Éyhr¤âš tá¤J

tU« eh‹ ïÅnk‰

bfh©L ɤa ãugh r

(VIDYA PRABHA S) vd

miH¡f¥gLntdhfî«.

bga® kh‰w«

ɤa ãugh r

5x4

Rural Development, and Implementation of Special Programme S P Velumani initiated the construction of a boathouse in Valparai.