HYDERABAD, TUESDAY JANUARY 12, 2021; PAGES 12 `3

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RNI No. TELENG/2018/76469

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MONEY 8GOLD GAINS RS 389,

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Current Weather ConditionsUpdated January 11, 2021 5:00 PM

ALMANAC

TODAY

Month & Paksham:

Margashirsha & Krishna Paksha

Panchangam

Tithi : Chaturdashi: 12:22 pm

Nakshatram: Mula: 07:37 am, Purva Ashadha: 06:21 am (Next Day)

Time to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)

Rahukalam: 03:10 pm – 04:33 pm

Yamagandam: 09:38 am – 11:01 am

Varjyam: 04:43 pm – 06:14 pm

Gulika: 12:24 pm - 01:47 pm

Good Time: (to start any important work)

Amritakalam: 01:48 am – 03:19 am

Abhijit Muhurtham: 12:02 pm – 12:46 pm

FFoorreeccaasstt:: SunnyTemp: 31/17Humidity: 53%Sunrise: 06:49 amSunset: 05:59 pm

Country staring at food

crisis because of BJP:

Mamata

5

Jagan’s failure tostop attacks on

temples ungodly

2

OXFORD VACCINE COSTS RS 200 A VIAL,GOVT TO PLACE ORDER

DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE HOUSERESOLUTION TO IMPEACH DONALDTRUMP

UNION MINISTER SHRIPAD NAIK INJUREDIN ACCIDENT; WIFE, CLOSE AIDE DEAD

WHATSAPP PVT GROUPS ACCESSIBLEAGAIN TO ANYONE SEARCHING ON GOOGLE

The Oxford vaccine is likely to be priced atrs 200 a vial and the government mayplace an order today, sources from Adar

Poonawalla's Serum Institute of India (SII) saidtoday. "The purchase order for Covishieldvaccines is expected today with roll out eithertoday or tomorrow," sources said."A few milliondoses of Covishield will be supplied everyweek. 11 million doses may be supplied in theinitial lot," sources said.The vaccine rollout isexpected on January 16, the government saidon the weekend.The Oxford-AstraZenecavaccine against the coronavirus, "Covishield", was cleared for emergencyuse along with Bharat Biotech's indigenous "Covaxin" earlier this month.

Democrats began the process ofimpeaching President Donald Trump fora second time on Monday if Vice

President Mike Pence and the cabinet do notremove him from office.Democratsintroduced a resolution calling on Pence toinvoke the 25th Amendment of theConstitution and remove Trump from theWhite House.Republicans blocked animmediate vote on the resolution andDemocrats followed up by introducing anarticle of impeachment of Trump for"incitement of insurrection" over his role inWednesday's storming of the US Capitol.

Union Minister Shripad Naik was injured in acar accident while his wife and close aide diedafter a tragic accident in Karnataka today. His

wife and his personal secretary, Deepak, who werecritical after the crash, died in the hospital, policeconfirmed. Naik, who is the Union Minister of statefor AYUSH and defence is out of danger and isbeing treated at a hospital. The accident occurredin Ankola in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka.The minister was travelling from Yellapur toGokarna in the state when the accident occured.Dramatic visuals from the accident site shows thewhite Toyota car the minister was travelling in in a mangled state amongbushes and trees. The car was badly damaged, photos show.

WhatsApp groups are showing upon Google search yet again. Asa result, anyone could discover

and join a private WhatsApp group bysimply searching on Google. This wasfirst discovered in 2019, and was appar-ently fixed last year after becoming pub-lic. Another old issue, which alsoappeared to have been fixed but seems tobe cropping up again, is user profilesshowing up through search results.People's phone numbers and profile pic-tures could be surfaced through a simple a Google search,because of the issue.

DURGA PRASAD SUNKU n HYDERABAD

Tower dump analysis played acrucial role in nailing theaccused in the Bowenpally kid-nap case. Although the accusedtook all care like using fake reg-istration numbers and new SIMcards to evade the police, a fewmistakes made in the heat of themoment landed the police infront of the residence of BhumaAkhila Priya, who the policeclaimed was the main conspir-

ator. Hyderabad police arrestedthree more accused on Monday.The arrested accused were iden-tified as Boya Sampath Kumar,the Personal Assistant of BhumaAkhila Priya, NagaradoddiMallikarjuna Reddy, PersonalAssistant of Bhargava Ram andDorllu Balachennaiah.

According to the police, onemistake made by Guntur Srinu,of making a call to BhumaAkhila Priya’s original numberusing the temporary numberand then using the same num-

ber to call DCP North ZoneKalmeshwar Shingenavar,proved to be the undoing of theentire plot and help the policeland at her doorsteps at LodhaApartment, Kukatpally and sub-sequently her arrest.

On January 6, the lead the policegot was through the call received byDCP North Zone KalmeshwarShingenavar from Sunil, one of thevictims, who informed the officerthat he was safe and would returnto residence in an hour.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Stating that arrangementsshould be made to treat peo-ple who may develop sideeffects, Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao onMonday instructed officials tomake preparations for Covidvaccination from January 16.

KCR reviewed the vaccina-tion programme withMinisters and Collectors andlater participated in a video-conference with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi.

“The government of India

has identified Serum Institute’sCovishield and Bharat Biotech’sCovaxin as the effective vac-cines. We have decided toadminister these vaccines inTelangana. Initially, ASHAworkers, Anganwadi staff,medical and health employeeswill be given the vaccine,” TheChief Minister said.

He said that later, frontlinewarriors during the Coronapandemic like the police andsecurity personnel, sanitaryworkers and others will get it.Still later, the vaccine would beadministered to those above 50

years and people with co-morbidities. “Gram Sarpanches andPanchayat Secretaries shouldtake the responsibility to getpeople on priority basis to thevaccination centres. SHOs andsub-inspectors should take theresponsibility of getting thevaccine for the police and othersecurity personnel,” KCR said.He said that the governmenthas already made all arrange-ments necessary to ensure thatthe vaccine reaches all thePHCs in the State.

Covid vaccination at 1,213centres from Jan 16: KCR

PNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao hasaffixed his signature on thefile related to awarding pro-motions to governmentemployees after amendingthe minimum experience cri-terion.

Accordingly, the govern-ment has reduced the mini-mum service criterion forpromotions from three yearsto two years.

KCR had earlier askedChief Secretary SomeshKumar to complete the pro-motion process at districtlevel by the month-end andalso the formalities related toappointments to be made oncompassionate grounds.

With the Chief Ministersigning the relevant file onMonday, eligible employeescan expect promotions by themonth-end.

CM signs file onpromotions togovt employees

Mobile tower data helps nail Bowenpally kidnap accused Court rejects bail, sends Akhila to 2-day police custody

PNS n HYDERABAD

In a shock to formertourism minister ofAndhra Pradesh andTelugu Desam Partyleader Bhuma AkhilaPriya, a Secunderabadcourt on Mondayrejected her bail petitionand instead sent her to policecustody for two days in the

sensational Bowenpally kidnapcase.Akhila Priya, who was

arrested on January 6 fromher Kukatpally residence inHyderabad in connectionwith the kidnap of threepersons in the multi-crore Hafeezpet land

dispute, had beenlanguishing in

Chanchalguda women’s prisonin judicial custody.

Her lawyers informed the courtthat she is pregnant and alsosuffers from epilepsy; and thather health condition is not good.Hence, she deserved bail, theypleaded. The court, whichexamined the medical reportsubmitted by the GandhiHospital authorities, rejected theplea as the report suggested thatshe was quite healthy.

PNS n HYDERABAD

In scenes reminiscent of thespine chilling murder atAttapur some months ago,three men chased their victimand murdered him in fullpublic glare late on Sunday onthe main road underRajendranagar police stationlimits. According to the police,

dispute over financial mattersled to the gory murder.

The police identified themain accused as SheikhRasheed, running an eatery atMM Pahadi, Rajendranagarand his two accomplicesMohammed Azmath and SyedImran, both cooks working inthe eatery.

Moneylender chased,murdered on busy road

PNS n HYDERABAD

Retired IAS officer PV Rameshhas been appointed as the man-aging director of OlectraGreentech Limited. Establishedin 2000, Olectra GreentechLimited - part of MEIL Group,pioneered the introduction ofelectric buses in India in2015.It’s the third largest electricvehicles manufacturing compa-ny in the world and also thelargest manufacturer in India ofsilicone rubber/composite insu-lators for power transmissionand distribution networks.

RameshappointedOlectra MD

PNS n NEW DELHI

We don't want anybody's bloodon our hands," said theSupreme Court on Mondaywhile expressing apprehen-sion that the ongoing farmers'protest against the new farmlaws might lead to violence andloss of lives and property if itcontinues for long.

The apex court, whichobserved that the Centre has

made these laws withoutenough consultation , said themost serious concern is aboutany sort of violence and pos-sible loss of lives.

Responsibility is on all of us.Any stray incident can sparkviolence, said a bench headedby Chief Justice S A Bobde.

Each one of us will beresponsible if something goes

wrong. We don't want any-body's blood on our hands,"said the bench, also compris-ing Justices A S Bopanna andV Ramasubramanian. Thebench said it is not going toprotect any law breakers andwant to prevent any loss of livesand property.

FARMERS PROTEST

Schools,colleges toreopen in TSfrom Feb 1PNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao direct-ed the officials to makenecessary arrangements forconducting classes forClasses 9th and above in allthe government and pri-vate schools commencingfrom February 1.Junior col-leges, degree colleges, PGcolleges, professional col-legesand universities willalso be opened fromFebruary 1.

The CM held a high-levelmeeting with the Ministersand the District Collectors atPragathi Bhavan on Mondayto discuss and take a deci-sion on reopening of educa-tional institutions in thestate that remain closedsince March 2020 due tocorona lockdown.

Make Dharaniuser-friendly : KCRPNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao onMondauy instructedofficials concerned tosolve all revenuedepartment relatedissues immediatelyand ensure that themuch-touted Dharaniportal is user-friendlyand serves the purposeit has been set up for,efficiently.

KCR instructedofficials to make allthe necessarychanges and additions to theportal within a week.

Addressing a meeting withMinisters, Collectors,Government Advisers,Secretaries and Heads of theDepartments at PragathiBhavan, KCR said that beforethe formation of Telangana

State, maintenance of revenuerecords was chaotic to say theleast and often led to clashes

and litigations. Hesaid that successive

governments hadmade attemptsto put an end tothe frequent lit-igation arisingout of improperrecords and toclearly state as to

who is theowner of everybit of land.

The com-p r e h e n s i v e

purification of land records,issue of new passbooks, thenew Revenue Act and otherreforms introduced by theTRS Government broughtclarity on the ownershiprights, the Chief Ministerpointed out.

SUMIT ONKA n VISAKHAPATNAM

Speculation that the StateGovernment will begin func-tioning from Executive CapitalVizag was on everybody’s lipson Monday after glitches werenoticed in the booking for thebeach-facing picturesqueHaritha Resorts atRushikonda.

Many, including tour oper-ators, expect that the AP

Government may take overthe resort to use as temporaryaccommodation for officialstill a permanent facility comesup. What added fuel to spec-ulation is the recent indica-tion from key YSRCP leaderand Minister BotsaSatyanarayana, that theExecutive Capital may startfunctioning from Vizag fromthis Telugu New Year (Ugadi).

Glitches in resorts bookingfuels AP capital shifting talk

TS orders 1.1crvaccine doses

Suprabatha sevas to resumeat Tirumala from Jan 15

SNV SUDHIRn VIJAYAWADA

In a major relief to the YSJaganmohan Reddy govern-ment that has been at logger-heads with State ElectionCommissioner NimmagaddaRamesh Kumar, a vacationbench of the AP High Courton Monday suspended theschedule issued by the SEC toconduct Gram Panchayat pollsin the first week of February.

The single judge bench of theHigh Court of Justice M GangaRao observed that SEC did notundertake an objective decisionin the subject matter and thepolling would hamper theCovid vaccination programme.

Sources close to the SEC saidhe had approached the HighCourt’s division bench seekingrelief from the single judgebench order. The SEC’s petitionis expected to come up forhearing on Tuesday morning.

Notably, a few governmentemployees organisations too

impleaded in the petition filedby the state government againstthe schedule issued by the SEC.

The Court was of the viewthat the elections would ham-per the vaccination pro-gramme and in the interests ofpublic health, the impugnedorders were suspended.

“The SEC has not objective-ly considered the view of thegovernment and hasapproached the subject matterin its own domain. Its decision-making process is in violationof Article 14 and 21 of theConstitution. High Court sus-

pends the election notificationissued by ElectionCommission. There is no objec-tive consultation or decision bythe SEC as per the orders of theSupreme Court. Hence electionnotification suspended. TheSEC failed to consider theinputs of the state government.The SEC took its own inputsinto consideration. This courthas come to the conclusion thatthe election process will certain-ly hamper the vaccinationprocess,” said the court.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

With the holy Dhanurmasaconcluding on January 14, thesacred daily Suprabatha Sevawill resume at Srivari Templefrom January 15 onwards.

The Sri Goda TiruppavaiPasura Parayanam replacedSuprabhata Seva in Tirumalatemple from December 17onwards with the advent ofDhanurmasam on December16 after 6 am.

On January 15, the TTD willalso be organising the GodaParinayotsavam at Srivari tem-ple in the morning and later inthe evening Paruveta Utsavamat Parveta Mandapam.

Meanwhile, as part of itspropagation of SanatanaHindu Dharma after organis-ing Lakshmi Deepotsavam inKurnool during last week, theTTD is all set to observeKamadhenu Puja in a big way

at Narasaraopet in Gunturdistrict on the day of Kanumaon January 15.

TTD Additional EO AVDharma Reddy held a reviewmeeting on the arrangements forthe event along with JEO PBasanth Kumar at the Padmavatiguest house on Monday.

Later, he told the mediathat the puja will be supervisedby Sri Venkateswara VedicUniversity V-C Acharya

Sannidhanam SudarshanaSharma. All departments weredirected to make arrangementsfor the event and this will beas part of propagation ofSanatana Hindu Dharma. TheGopuja programme will con-tinue in both the Telugu stateson January 15.He also direct-ed the SVBC to prepare a doc-umentary on the significanceof Gopuja.

‘We don't want anybody's blood on our hands’PNS n NEW DELHI

The government on Mondayplaced a purchase order withSerum Institute of India for 1.1crore doses of Oxford Covidvaccine, Covishield, and com-mitted to buy 4.5 crore moreby April, together amountingto Rs 1,100 crore, sources said.

AP HC suspends local pollnotification, SEC files appeal

GLOBAL SHARES FALL

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(IN HYDERABAD)

HYDERABAD | TUESDAY | JANUARY 12, 2021 hyderabad 02

As Leader of theOpposition three yearsago, YS Jaganmohan

Reddy had assailed theChandrababu Naidu govern-ment on the floor of theAssembly, stating that theGod will punish those whoalienate temple lands for theirselfish needs.

Now, under Jagan’s watch,encroachment of endow-ments lands and attacks onHindu temples haveincreased sharply.

Land sharks have eyedTTD lands and that ofSimhachalam temple whileJagan is accused of divertingthe endowments departmentfunds to his schemes.

Jagan is also accused ofrecruiting volunteers toencourage conversions toChristianity. Moreover, hekept the police departmentunder his thumb to create anatmosphere of fear in thestate by getting arrestedthose who question on social

media his anti-Hindu pos-ture.

After Jagan came topower, hundreds of inci-dents of vandalising temples,including torching of char-iot at Anatarvedi, theft oflion images from the Durgatemple in Vijayawada,beheading of LordKodandarama idol atRamatheertham, destroyinghands of LordSubrahmanyeshwara Swamyin Rajahmundry, damagingthe Lord Anjaneya Swamiidol in Kurnool, torching thechariot of Lord AnjaneyaSwamy in Bitragunta, dam-aging the hoods of LordAdiseshu in Mantralayam,took place.

Going by his recent state-ment, Jagan seems to havemore information aboutthese incidents . Hedescribed the incidents asattempts to malign his imagesoon after he implementedhis welfare programmes.As

expected, he said that Godwould not spare those whoattacked Hindu shrines andthat his government wouldnot take a lenient view.

The question is why Jaganhas been forgiving thosewho attacked Hindu tem-ples? Why has his govern-ment failed to bring to bookeven one culprit? Moreover,why anti-Hindu forces arelet loose after he came topower? What is the source oftheir confidence to launchattacks on Hindu temples?Why they are not afraid ofthe law enforcing agencies?

The fact that some per-

sons belonging to a particu-lar community, includingthe DGP, have been postedin crucial positions, havecreated doubts among thepeople.

The statements by the CB-CID and the law and orderpolice that an electric sawused to sever the head ofLord Kodandarama idol inRamatheertham was thesame one used to desecratethe temple in Rajahmundryare ridiculous.

While 43 persons werearrested for breaking thewindow panes of a church atAntarvedi, the police chose

not to arrest anyone for theattacks on Hindu templeseven after several months.

The police, who are in noposition to take actionagainst the culprits dese-crating a Hindu temple inPulivendula, showed enthu-siasm in arrest ing twoyouths for a post onFacebook that the BJP flagwould f ly high inPunganuru.

The two examples areenough to under-stand whoseinterests thestate govern-ment and thepolice are pro-tecting.

It is atrocious tonote that ever since Jaganwas voted to power, the stategovernment has been divert-ing endowments departmentfunds to schemes like AmmaVodi, Jagananna Asara,Vahana Mitra, YSR NetannaNestam and so on.

The endowments com-missioner has gone onrecord stating that the rev-enue of the department hascome down because ofCovid-19 and the depart-ment is in no position to paysalaries to its staff.

How can the endowmentsdepartment then arrangefunds for schemes meantfor other castes and otherprofessions?

It has been clearly estab-lished that the funds

released by theCentre are beingdiver ted to onescheme or the other

by the state govern-ment, a perfect example of

‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.At least one lakh acres of

temple lands are underencroachment. What doesthe Jagan government planto do to retrieve these lands?Does it want to regularisethe encroachments? TheJagan Government whicheyed on Rs 10 lakh-crorelands of Simhachalam tem-ple cannot be expected toconduct itself transparentlyon temple land encroach-ments issue. It’s commonknowledge that the Jagan,soon after coming to power,wanted to auction TTDlands. Similar attempts weremade by Naidu.

The TDP chief dismissedIYR Krishna Rao as chair-

man of the BrahminCorporation for trying to setright the injustice done topriests.No other ruler hasthe record of casting devel-opment and financial recon-struction to the winds tofocus solely to keep votebank intact.

While many CMs havefixed their own labels toCentral schemes and divert-ed central funds, no otherleader has hoodwinked peo-ple with unviable schemesand dividing them intogroups and on religiouslines.

There is no other leaderwho encouraged factionismin the state by encouragingMLAs and party activists toperpetrate irregularities andthreaten their rivals.

Across the country, sever-al anarchic forces conduct-ed themselves that there isnone to question them tillthe advent of BJP on thepolitical scene.

The day is not far awaywhen the people will give afitting reply to the Jagangovernment for playinghavoc with the sentiments ofHindus.

Y SATYA KUMAR

BJP National Secretary

TRULY

SPEAKING

Jagan is also accused of recruitingvolunteers to encourage conversions toChristianity. Moreover, he kept the policedepartment under his thumb to create anatmosphere of fear in the state by gettingarrested those who question on social mediahis anti-Hindu posture

Jagan’s failure to stop attacks on temples ungodly

Continued from Page 1

“Arrangements are made toadminister Covid vaccine at1,213 centres across the state,”the Chief Minister said,adding that 866 cold chainpoints have been created totransport the vaccine.“Volunteers are ready at all thestages. A committee under theChief Secretary will monitorthe vaccination programme.Task Force Committee isformed from district to man-dal level,” he said.

“Ministers, MLAs, MPs,MLCs, ZPTCs and MPPshould take part. A doctor anda room will be made availablefor those who may suffer sideeffects after the vaccination atthe vaccination centre. Anambulance will also be kept asstand by. A state-wide callcentre will also be put inplace,” KCR said.

Covidvaccination at...

Continued from Page 1

The government arguedbefore the court that the actionof the SEC was influenced bya premeditated, swayed bymaterial extraneous to recordand malafide.

The SEC treated the con-cerns of the government asadversarial in litigation but notas a participant in the processof fixing the election schedule,said the Advocate-GeneralSriram Subrahmanyam.

“The mischief of the SEC isreflected in the fact that whilepostponing the elections inMarch 2020 for MPTCS andZPTCs, it said that it wouldresume from where it isstopped. But now it has start-ed the process of GramPanchayats without resumingthe process relating to MPTCand ZPTCs,” the A-G pointedout.

He said that reference by theSEC to the political func-tionaries press disclosureabout the possible dates of

local body elections showsthat it was swayed by extrane-ous considerations. “The factthat it refers to a politicalparty’s view as a view of theGovernment by default whichshows the absurdity in thedecision-making process ofthe SEC,” argued the A-G.

The A-G further said thatthe duty to be fair, reasonableand non arbitrary equallyapplies to the SEC. “Can it besaid that he advanced theschedule because it is support-ed by other political partieswho want the elections to beconducted in his tenure.Contrary to his repeated affir-mations, the commission hasdisplayed clear malice towardsthe State machinery in makingintimidator remarks and intaunting and heckling the gov-ernment stand which is other-wise bonafide and legitimate,”he added. The SEC chose towrite a judgement as if it wasdealing with litigation andnot as a co- participant in theentire process.

AP HC suspends localpoll notification...

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

TTD executive officer KSJawahar Reddy on Mondaydirected officials to pay atten-tion on producing and mar-keting the products from thecow dung and cow urine col-lected from Cows at SVVGoshala.

Speaking at a review meet-ing at the Padmavati guesthouse with off icials ofGoshala and Ayurvedic phar-macy, the TTD EO said theconcerned should take cuefrom Gopalbhai Sutaria ofBansigiri Goshala, Gujaraton promoting cow popula-tion and other cow products.

He urged officials to organ-ise studies through agricul-tural university scientists onthe use of Gokrupamrutam(cow manure- dung)

The EO also instructedthe officials of SV Goshalaand Ayurveda pharmacy tostudy feasibility of manufac-turing products like soaps,incense sticks, and cleaningdetergents from panchagavya– cow products.

Jawahar Reddy said a teamof TTD officials would soonvisit the Bansigiri Goshalaand that representatives ofthe same institution will beinvited to train TTD officialsin manufacturing and mar-keting those products here.

Thereafter GopalbhaiSutaria gave a presentation onproduction, utilities and mar-keting of the Panchagavyaproducts l ike capsules,syrups, powder, soaps, hairoil, massage oils, facialcreams and other medicinalproducts.

Focus on Panchagavya

products: TTD EO

Make Dharaniuser-friendly...

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Chief Minister KChandrashekhar Rao onMonday said that the villagesin Telangana State are becom-ing role models to others in thecountry. Every village in TShave tractors, dump yards,plant nurseries, village natur-al forests, safe and pure drink-ing water to every householdthrough pipes under MissionBhagiratha programme.

The Chief Minister held ameeting with the Ministersand district Collectors atPragathi Bhavan on Monday.Government advisors, secre-taries of the departments andheads of the departments alsoparticipated in the meeting.

"Such programme arenowhere in any other state orin the country. This is a feath-er on Telangana State's cap,"the CM said.

There are 12,755 plant nurs-eries all over the state. Theplanting and protection oftrees have been done withutmost responsibility. Of thesaplings planted 91 per centsurvived in the rural areas. Inorder to have one public gar-den in every village naturalforest programme waslaunched as part of Palle

Pragathi. The Chief Minister said that

the government took specialinterest and is constructingone Rythu Vedika at everycluster. Of the 2,601 farmersdaises being constructed,Vedikas are completed at 2,580places.

"A majority of people live inthe villages in Telangana State.Officials and public represen-tatives should realise that theyshould work with village as theaction ground and not to beunrealistic. One should aim todevelop the village in a big way.Additional Collector and DPOshould examine the PallePragathi programme whenev-er they visit the village withoutfail. Ministers and MLAsshould monitor the PallePragathi works whenever theyvisit the villages. Solve if thereare any problems. MandalPanchayat Officers should reg-

ularly visit the villages. Sinceevery village has a plant nurs-ery, replace the dying plants.Every household should get sixplants," the Chief Ministerinstructed.

The CM appreciated andcongratulated Panchayat RajMinister Dayakar Rao for tak-ing a special interest and mon-itoring the programme.

‘Urban scenario is chang-ing due to Pattana Pragathiprogramme'

The urban landscape ischanging for the better due tothe Pattana Pragathi pro-gramme, the Chief Minister KChandrashekar Rao said dur-ing review meeting with theMinisters and districtCollectors at Pragathi Bhavanon Monday.

He said in all the municipal-ities the measures to increaseclean and green cover and tobetter the infrastructure facil-

ities have been yielding goodresults. For the developmentprogramme in the urban areas,the government every year isreleasing Rs 148 crore.

The Chief Minister saidadditional funds are given tothe GHMC and otherCorporations.

"It is not good for the peo-ple living in urban areas to livein a polluted and unhealthyenvironment. The governmenthas launched special schemesto increase green cover andcleanliness. Efforts are on tolift garbage from every house-hold and transport it to thedumping yard. The govern-ment has decided to allocatefunds for the construction ofintegrated markets in the stateBudget this year. People whocome to urban areas especial-ly women are facing problemsdue to lack of toilets,” theChief Minister said.

Villages in TS role model forrest of the country, says CM

Continued from Page 1

He expressed satisfactionthat the Dharani Portallaunched to make sale andpurchase, and also mainte-nance of records in a trans-parent manner, was 100 per-cent successful.

“However, to bring moreflexibility in the sale andpurchase of agriculturallands, modification should bedone to the Dharani Portalwithin a week,” KCR instruct-ed officials.

He asked the districtCollectors to personally takethe initiative and resolve allissues pertaining to theRevenue Department. TheChief Minister also askedofficials to invite fresh appli-cations for the pending muta-tions and said that theseshould be completed withina week. “Make the Dharaniportal more user-friendly.For this immediately make allnecessary modifications.Create a facility on DharaniPortal for NRIs to registerbased on their Passport num-ber. Modify Dharani in sucha way that companies andsocieties should also be ableto get passbooks for the landsthey purchase,” KCR ordered.

He pointed out that earli-er, details of those who didnot give their Aadhaar detailswere not uploaded inDharani.

Continued from Page 1

The victim was identifiedas one Mohammed Khaleel.

Giving details to the media,Shamshabad DeputyCommissioner of police NPrakash Reddy said thatKhaleel was a real estate busi-nessman who also lentmoney on interest.

Rasheed had approachedKhaleel for a loan to renovatehis eatery. After the renova-tion work was completed,the nation went into lock-down due to Covid. Rasheedincurred losses and facedfinancial ruin. “Later,Rasheed hatched a plan toeliminate Khaleel and ropedin his hotel employees for thejob. Accordingly, they werewaiting for an opportunity toeliminate Khaleel. OnSunday, the victim visitedthe hotel seeking repaymentof the loan,” the DCP said.

When Khaleel reached thespot, they attacked him withknives, sticks and boulders atPillar No 248, in front of HFConvention, causing hisdeath on the spot.

Continued from Page 1

“Reopen Classes from 9thstandard upwards in all theprivate and government edu-cational institutions fromFebruary 1. Classes shouldbe held for the students of10th, Intermediate, Degree,and other professional cours-es," KCR asked officials.

"Meanwhile, keep readyhostels, residential schools,and all educational institu-tions and ensure that the toi-lets are clean.Since the edu-cational institutions areclosed for many days, cleanthe entire premises; ensurethat the food grains, essen-tial commodities are notrotten,” the Chief Ministersaid.

Continued from Page 1

Dispatch of the vaccine islikely to start by early Tuesdaymorning, they said.

According to the orderplaced, each dose of the vac-cine has been priced at Rs 200and with GST of Rs 10, itwould cost Rs 210. The HLLLifecare Limited, a publicsector undertaking, issuedthe supply order on behalf ofthe Union Health Ministry.

The first order of 1.1 croredoses will be worth Rs 231crore, while the total amount,including the commitmentfor 4.5 crore doses, with thetotal estimated to reach Rs1,176 crore at current rates,sources said. "It is furtherinformed that there is a com-mitment to purchase further450 lakh doses from SerumInstitute of India Pvt Limited,a manufacturer (through sub-sidiary Serum Institute ofLife Sciences Pvt Limited) atRs 200 per dose plus GST ifapplicable by April 2021,"the letter of comfort signed byPrakash Kumar Singh,Additional Director,Government and RegulatoryAffairs at SII and R S Manku,Vice President (GovtBusiness) stated.

Continued from Page 1

A 1985 batch IAS officer,Dr Ramesh returned to APcadre from the Central dep-utation in June 2019 and got the crucial position inthe Chief Minister's Office(CMO) where he wasappointed Special ChiefSecretar y by AndhraPradesh Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy.

Dr R amesh handledmedical and health andeducation departments inthe Chief Minister 's Office (CMO) and retiredfrom services in August2019.

Schools,colleges...

Moneylenderchased...

Ramesh... ‘We don't wantanybody's bloodon our hands’Continued from Page 1

The top court, which washearing a batch of petitionschallenging the new farmlaws as well as the ones rais-ing issues related to the ongo-ing agitation at Delhi borders,expressed its displeasure thatthe Centre has not been ableto solve the problem.

We are extremely disap-pointed with the negotiationprocess, the bench said,adding, You have made a lawwithout enough consultationresulting in a strike. So youhave to resolve the strike.

During the hearing con-ducted through video-confer-encing, the top court ques-tioned the Centre over theconsultative process adoptedfor these laws.

We don't know what con-sultative process you have fol-lowed before these laws.Many states are up in rebel-lion, the bench said.

Observing that there isnot a single petition beforethe apex court which saysthat these farm laws are ben-eficial, the bench told theCentre, It will not help you tosay that this was started bylast government. We are dis-cussing constitutionality.

The apex court, whilepulling up the Centre for itshandling of farmers protestagainst the farm laws, said itwill constitute a committeeheaded by a former ChiefJustice of India to resolve theimpasse.

Continued from Page 1

Through the phone numberthe police traced the personwho bought the SIM and wereshocked to find NagaradoddiMallikarjuna Reddy, PersonalAssistant of Bhargava Ramwho had submitted his digitalthumb impressions and digi-tal photo identity card at thetime of procuring the SIM.

Subsequently the policearrested Mallikarjuna Reddy,who during interrogation, dis-

closed that he was the one whobrought that number and alsobought five other SIM cardsalong with Madala Srinu toavoid getting caught by thepolice.

Of the six SIM cards, one –7095637583 – was used byAkhila Priya. Two other num-bers – 7032966415 and7036597560 –were used byGuntur Srinu and the remain-ing were used by their accom-plices.

Another accused – BoyaSampath – disclosed that he,along with DorlluBalachennaiah, conducted thereccee of the targets’ resi-dence in Bowenpally andanalysed any potential risks.He informed the same toAkila Priya, Bhargav Ram andGuntur Srinu, the police said.

“Tower analysis of themobile locations revealed thatthey all started at the residenceof Akhila Priya in Kukatpally,establishing her link as themain conspirator of the crime.Akhila Priya along withBhargav Ram and GunturSrinu planned the kidnap andexecuted it in order to grabland and extort money fromthe victims,” said HyderabadPolice Commissioner AnjaniKumar told the media at thepress conference.

Mobile tower...

Continued from Page 1

The court also agreed withthe arguments of the policethat Akhila Priya had astrong political backgroundand she could influence thewitnesses if she was grantedbail. However, the courtgranted only two days policecustody of the accused,instead of seven days assought by the police.

The police initially namedAkhila Priya as the AccusedNo. 2 (A-2) in the abductioncase, later changed the FIRand named her as the primeaccused (A-1).

Her political rival andanother TDP leader AVSubba Reddy, who was madeA-1 initially, was let off by thepolice after questioning.

He is now made A-2.Akhila Priya’s husband

Bhargav Ram, who is A-3, isstill absconding.

Continued from Page 1

“Vizag will be legally theexecutive capital of AndhraPradesh with effect from April13. We are gearing up to func-tion from Vizag from that date.We are hopeful of overcomingall legal hurdles by then,” theMinister said.

Speaking to The Pioneer, APTourism DevelopmentCorporation MD PravinKumar said the resort willremain open for public inFebruary. He confirmed thatrenovation works will be takenup. The purpose for the reno-vation, however, not clear.

“Room is not available.Would you like to get notifica-tion when a room is available?”was the message the portal wasshowing when one tried to

book rooms in the HarithaBeach Resorts at Rushikondafor February on Monday.However, by the evening, theportal showed rooms wereavailable. It is learnt that the sixhills abutting the picturesqueBay of Bengal on the Rushik-onda - Bhimili Road was on topof the choices of the govern-ment for temporary accommo-dation of staff and offices.

The AP State Legislaturepassed two Bills – APDecentralisation and InclusiveDevelopment of All RegionsBill, 2020 - aimed at creatingthe three capital cities for thestate - and the AP CapitalRegion Development Authority(Repeal) Bill, 2020, seeking toabolish APCRDA formed inDecember 2014 to developAmaravati as the state capital.

Glitches in resorts...

Govt placespurchase...

Court rejectsbail, sends...

HYDERABAD | TUESDAY | JANUARY 12, 2021hyderabad 03

Heartfulness Educational Trust(Heartfulness Institute) willorganise a National Education

Conclave (NEC) 2021 here onJanuary 12 and 13 with the themere-imagining university educationwith a ‘heart-centered’ approach. The university connect initiative ofHeartfulness Education Trust (HET), aimed at promoting integrative,holistic and 'heart-centered' education across universities in India,shall also be formally unveiled and launched as `Heartful Campus'during this conclave along with the announcement of the `HeartfulCampus Awards-2o21', a release here said on Monday. Thisconclave is an attempt to re-kindle a nation-wide dialogue on theidea of integrating University Education with a 'heart-centered' and'holistic' approach to inspire a future generation of Indian citizenswho are confident, healthy, holistically developed & imbued with animpeccable sense of personal character and values.

Heartfulness Institute to hold NEC ‘21 in Hyd on Jan 12, 13

CITY LIGHTS

Telangana InformationTechnology Association (TITA)global president Sandeep Kumar

Makthala received unanimoussupport from the members of theAssociation Governing Council.When the opinion of techies wassought ahead of the election for theGoverning Council, and the constitution of various committees, thetechies expressed their complete support to Sundeep Makthala. TheAssociation received nominations from 22 countries for theappointments in the Global Committee and other committees of theAssociation. The term for a Global Committee ended on December31, 2020. Over 1,000 applications from 22 countries were received.The huge response is a sign of faith that techies have in TITA, opineexperts. Though Sundeep Makthala was elected as the Global Chiefof the Association for the 2018-2022 term, he sought the opinion ofthe GC over the leadership issue and sought their opinion.

TITA GC unanimously support Sundeep M as its global chief

Yuvotsav 2021, 21st NationalConference of StudentCompany Secretaries organised

by the Hyderabad Chapter of TheInstitute of Companies Secretariesof India (ICSI) to be held here in thecity at Hotel Abode, Lakdikapul, onthe eve of 158th Birth Anniversaryof Swami Vivekananda on Tuesday. The theme of the same is“Charge….Be the change. Believe…be the best”. It is. It is astatutory professional body under an act of Parliament of India, i.e.the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 in India founded with theobjective of promoting, regulating and developing the profession ofcompany secretaries in India. Governor of Telangana Dr TamilisaiSoundararajan and Minister of State for Home Affairs G KishanReddy will be the chief guests. Followed by inauguration there willbe an MoU ceremony between MANUU and ICSI for AcademicCollaboration. It is a hybrid event both physical and virtual.

Governor and Minister Kishan Reddy to grace Yuvotsav 2021

Senior agricultural scientist at theHyderabad-based Indian Institute ofMillets Research (IIMR) of Indian

Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), DrA V Umakanth has been awarded theannual Seed Scientist Award by SeedsmenAssociation here on Monday. The honourrecognises Dr Umakanth’s pioneeringcontributions in the area of sorghum cropbreeding. Dr Umakanth has made significant contributions ingenetic enhancement of different types of grain, dual-purpose,forage and brown midrib sorghums benefiting the farmingcommunity immensely and in particular the seed industry.

IIMR scientist Umakanth getsannual seed scientist award

PNS n HYDERABAD

Roosters from Telangana areturning out to be hot favouritesfor cockfights in AndhraPradesh, especially in Godavaridistricts.

Organisers from AP havebeen making a beeline inHyderabad's Old City and erst-while Khammam district forroosters bred and trained inTelangana.

Cockfights are not part ofTelangana culture, butSankranthi festivities areincomplete in AP withoutthem, especially in the twin dis-tricts of Godavari, and Krishnaand Guntur districts.

With the season set to start,these birds were set for theirAndhra Pradesh journey in thefirst week of January. Afterbifurcation of the state, it wasfelt by many that the twoTelugu States should cooperatebecause of the linguistic andcultural bonds.

Crores of rupees changehands through betting, androosters undergo a special reg-imen of food, training andfighting. With increasing policevigil in AP over the last twoyears, breeders have movedtheir training grounds toTelangana where cockfightsdo not attract much attention.

Businessmen and farmers,natives of Andhra Pradesh butsettled in erstwhile Khammam

district and Hyderabad, are hir-ing rooster trainers for thelast two years. The birds aresaid to grow better inTelangana than in Godavaridistricts owing to thefavourable climate

The training regimen ofbirds deployed in cockfights forSankranti festival comprisesfeeding them with dry fruitsand various cereals, goat milk,morning walk, running andswimming exercises. The train-ing begins four months prior tothe cockfights and gets inten-

sified one month before theactual event.

The birds, which are beingreared in the Old City ofHyderabad enjoy gooddemand from buyers. Eachbird costs at least Rs 50,000 toRs 75,000. Sometimes, theirprices go beyond Rs 1 lakh too.The training programme toprepare the birds for the cock-fights will be conducted with amissionary zeal.

The lifestyle of the gamebirds, compared to other roost-ers, would be very special.

Right from their selection,feeding and training would beconducted in a distinct way.For a period of four months,every week the cocks wouldreceive specialised training forit to become strong. Themenu for the game birds com-prises both vegetarian, non-vegetarian food, besides the dryfruits.

The following are the speciesof the game birds: Dega,Kokkirayi, Nallakaaki, Abraas,Tellaparla, Pachcha Kaaki,Nemali Kaaki, Setwar, Kaaki

Dega and Aseel. The real training for the

game birds unfolds one monthprior to the cockfights. Theirtraining schedule begins withmouth wash to remove anyobstacles in the throat of thecocks. To enable the cocks'muscles to become stronger,the trainer would make themwalk. Later, they will be madeto run.

Afterwards, the cocks wouldbe bathed with hot water andspecial shampoo. After twohours, their training beginsagain. A mock cockfight will bearranged with the help ofanother cock. Later, they wouldbe given a special massageusing egg, badam and lemonoil. The cocks would receivespecial meals daily. The month-ly budget on the food for thegame birds would rangebetween Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000.

The cocks would be fedwith dry dates and goat milk inthe morning. In intervals ofthree hours, the birds would befed with cashew nuts, badam,pistachio nuts. They wouldalso be fed with a mixture ofrice, finger millets, urad dal,Bengal gram in the morning,while the birds would getminced mutton and maize andeggs in the evening for snacks.

Besides the morning walk-ing and running, the birdswould be made to swim intanks.

‘Fighter' roosters reared in state popular for cockfights in Andhra DURGA PRASAD SUNKUn HYDERABAD

The abduction of three broth-ers from Bowenpally was anorganised crime. It was metic-ulously planned and executedby former Andhra PradeshMinister Bhuma Akhila Priyaand her associates, said theHyderabad City Police.

However, the abductors andthe master minds behind thescene couldn't evade the cops,who are armed with the state-of-art-technology and sharpinvestigative minds.

Explaining the series ofevents on that day, City's NorthZone DCP Kalmeshwar said,"At around 1 PM on January 5,all the accused met at LodhaBellezza Apartment in Kukat-pally and went to MGM Scho-ol at Yousufguda, which wasowned by Bhargav Ram.”

There, the accused replacedthe original vehicle registrationnumber with fake numberplates to all the vehicles usedfor crime. Further, as per theirplan, the accused under theguise of taxmen went to thevictim's residence and abduct-ed the three brothers and trav-elled to Narsingi via Raniganjand Mehdipatnam areas.

After reaching Moinabad,they kept victims in a house.Meanwhile, they were inform-ed about the involvement ofpolice in the scene. The pan-icked abductors made a phonecall to the original number ofAkhila Priya for her instruc-tion. After a few hours, using

the same number the abduc-tors called the DCP and forcedthe victim to inform the policeofficials that they are safe andwill return home in an hour,said Hyderabad Police Com-missioner Anjani Kumar. Theprobe revealed Akhila Priya

was travelling from Vijayawadato Hyderabad. The location ofher original mobile numberand temporary number con-firmed her presence and linkedher to crime. During her jour-ney she was continuously incontact with accused persons.

Use of technology very crucial in cracking Bowenpally kidnap case

PNS n HYDERABAD

Hyderabad Police Commissi-oner Anjani Kumar termsthe allegations of absence ofwomen police officers whilearresting former AndhraPradesh Minister BhumaAkhila Priya by her family arebaseless and false.

"We have followed thestandard operating procedureand the former Minister hasundergone medical exami-nation twice and doctors saidthat there are no healthissues," said Anjani Kumar.

Briefing the media regard-ing the allegation made by thefamily of Akhila Priya, AnjaniKumar said, "They are base-less and factually incorrect.During the time of arrest,there are two women policepersonnel present at her res-idence."

Commenting further onher medical condition, AnjaniKumar said that her medical

test has been conducted atGandhi Hospital under theguidance of senior doctorsand the doctors thereinformed that she doesn'thave any health issues.

Further, the magistrate alsodirected the jail authorities tosubmit a report on her med-ical test. Upon which, she vis-ited Osmania GeneralHospital and underwent var-ious medical tests and herreports were normal.

Allegation of Akhila'skin baseless: Hyd CP

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana added 224 freshCoronavirus cases on Sundaypushing the Covid caseload to2,90,008 so far.

The state recorded oneCovid death afresh to take thetotal death toll to 1,566 so fartranslating a case fatality rateof 0.54 per cent as against thecountrywide mortality rate of1.4 per cent, according to astate health department bul-letin on Monday.

In all, 461 people haverecovered from Coronavirusbetween Saturday and Sundaytaking the cumulative numberof recoveries in the state tilldate to 2,83,924 constituting arecovery rate of 97.90 per centas against the national averageof 96.4 per cent.

Currently, the active cases inthe state stand at 4,518 includ-ing 2,439 individuals in homeor institutional isolation, thebulletin said.

As of Sunday, 24,785 swabsamples have been tested todetect the contagious virus in

the state and of which thereports of 450 swab sampleswere awaited.

More than 72.78 lakh Covidtests have been carried out inthe state so far since the out-break of the Coronavirus pan-demic. The Greater Hydera-bad Municipal Corporation(GHMC) remained the major

contributor of Coronaviruspositive cases by reporting 56fresh cases in the last 24 hoursfollowed by Ranga Reddy dis-trict (26), Medchal Malkajigiriand Karimnagar districts 13each.

The remaining Covid caseswere reported by other dis-tricts, the bulletin added.

TS records 224 new virus cases

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Rajendranagar police onMonday cracked the murdermystery of an auto driver,who was murdered, stuffed insuitcase and abandoned onPVNR Expressway. The policearrested two juveniles in con-nection with the case.

The victim identified asSyed Ilyas alias Riyaz, an autodriver by profession was alsoan accused in a murder case.

Riyaz used to quarrel withone of the accused for moneyand used to misbehave withthe sister of another accused.

Another accused Sohail,who is absconding, along withjuveniles' hatched a plan toeliminate Riyaz.

“As per their plan, they blu-dgeoned Riyaz with a boulder,causing severe injury which

led to his instant death. Aftercommitting the offence allthe accused packed the bodyin a suitcase and abandoned itnear Pillar No 222 at Raje-ndranagar on Sunday" saidShamshabad DCP N PrakashReddy. Meanwhile, the fami-ly members of Riyaz lodged amissing complaint withChandrayangutta police.

The police nabbed the juve-niles as suspects. While inter-rogation, they have confessedto the crime in collusion withthe other accused. Accord-ingly, they have shown thescene of offence at ShaheenNagar where they dumpedmaterials and also the auto.The police officials seized theauto which was used in trans-porting the dead body. All thearrested accused persons weresent to judicial remand.

Auto driver’s murdercase cracked, 2 held

PNS n HYDERABAD

Perhaps in a first-of-its-kind,Cyberabad Police arrested twoaccused for manufacturingduplicate helmets and supply-ing low quality helmets.

It may be remembered thatthe Cyberabad Traffic Policewarned that they will book'Not wearing helmet' casesagainst motorists, who arewearing low-quality and skullcap helmets.

The arrested accused wereidentified as Dheeraj Kumarand Anil Kumar, hailing fromGhaziabad. A special team ofCyberabad was formed toidentify and conduct raids onthe godowns manufacturingand storing low quality andfake helmets in Cyberabad.Economic offence wing ofCyberabad identified suchmanufacturing Companies atGhaziabad of UP and arrest-

ed them and registered 10criminal cases against themand brought them to the city.

Investigation revealed thatthe manufacturing cost ofthese low-quality helmetsranging from Rs 100 to Rs 200and are being sold at Rs 500and above. Further, these lowquality helmets do not give anykind of protection to themotorist during accidents asthey break at minor impactalso. Most of these low quali-ty helmets bear a fake ISI marktoo. Cyberabad Traffic Policeadvised the public, particularlymotorists, to use proper andstandard helmets always.

In view of rise in the fatal-ities on motorcyclists, copsconducted an analysis andcame to the conclusion thatnot wearing helmets or wear-ing low quality helmets con-stitute the majority of thedeaths in road accidents.

Cops bust fake helmetmanufacturing racket

PNS n HYDERABAD

US-based 'Fortune 500' lifeinsurer Massachusetts MutualLife Insurance Companyannounces launch of itsMassMutual Global CapabilityCenter (GCC) in Hyderabadas it entered India.MassMutual India's new officehas been opened in the city'sFinancial District, boasting asuperior infrastructure andamenities. It aims to attractglobal talent in technology,engineering, and research anddevelopment, adding to con-tinued hiring in these areas bythe company in the US.

Interacting with IT MinisterKT Rama Rao over a videoconference on Monday, thecompany representatives made

an announcement in thisregard. The company plans toinvest Rs 1,000 crore in itsHyderabad-based GCC.

MassMutual, a 170-year oldtop Fortune 500 organisationand a world leader in theInsurance and the Financeindustry, has been engaged inmultiple meetings with theState government since its lead-ership team first visitedHyderabad in October 2019.The company evaluated sever-al global cities before narrow-ing it down to Hyderabad.

The company choseHyderabad following a marketanalysis indicating a strongtalent pool, favorable infra-structure and easily accessibleenablement services. Speakingon the occasion, Minister KT

Rama Rao said Hyderabad haswitnessed several marqueeinvestments in recent times,notwithstanding the prevalentpandemic.

"MassMutual choosingHyderabad to establish its firstGlobal Capability Center out-side USA, is a testimony to theinvestor friendly policies andthe value proposition offeredby Hyderabad city andTelangana State," he said. Heappreciated the efforts ofMassMutual India head RaviTangirala in establishing aworld-class organisation inHyderabad, India in a recordtime.

MassMutual to set up Rs 1,000 cr global facility in Hyd

PNS n HYDERABAD

A lorry driver who got into afinancial crisis on account ofCovid ended his life by jump-ing into river Manjira atSangareddy on Monday. Thevictim was identified as DRamesh, 42, a native ofPasalwadi village.

According to a complaintlodged by his wife Swapna,Ramesh used to work as alorry driver. Since he did notget enough work since thelockdown was imposed inMarch last year, Swapna saidthey were facing seriousfinancial problems.

On Monday morning,Ramesh left his house at 7.30am. Ramesh, who sustainedserious injuries after fallingon the check dam, was founddead. Police registered a caseand the body was shifted toGovernment Hospital atSangareddy.

PNS n HYDERABAD

A 30-year-old man died afterhe fell from a multi-storiedbuilding at Amberpet.

The police are investigatingif he accidentally slipped andfell or committed suicide.

The victim was identifiedas Balaji, a native of Maha-bubnagar who worked asthe watchman in the apart-ment and stayed in a roomin the basement along withhis family.

Watchmanfalls to deathfrom building

Driver jumps into river over financial crisis

The festival of kites, which is round the corner, ranks high in popularity with people from allwalks of life and every age-group participating in the kite festival. A significant aspect of the

festival is that it has been providing livelihood to many families, particularly those residing inthe vicinity of Gulzar Houz, a stones-throw away from Charminar. It is the biggest market for

kites and manjas in the twin cities and attracts buyers from every nook and corner. — SSV CChary

SANKRANTI

IN THE AIR

HYDERABAD | TUESDAY | JANUARY 12, 2021 hyderabad 04

CAPSULE

CCTV CAMERASCCTV CAMERAS

INSTINSTALLEDALLED

IN WILDLIFEIN WILDLIFE

SANCTUARSANCTUARYYPNS n MULUGU

CCTV cameras have beeninstalled in the Tadvai wildlifesanctuary in Eturngaram tocapture the movement o wildanimals. The forest departmentofficials found pug marks ofleopards in Mulugu, Khammam,Karimnagar, Mahabubabad andBhadradri Kothagudem districtlimits and alerted the people inthose areas. DFO PradeepKumar Shetty convened ameeting at the Eturnagaramforest range office on Mondayand reviewed the forestdevelopment works progress.

SANGAREDDY DIST

COLLECTOR

GETS PAT FROM CMPNS n SANGAREDDY

Chief Minister K ChandrasekharRao lauded Sangareddy DistrictCollector MantripragadaHanmantha Rao for fulfilling thegovernment's objective ofconstructing Vaikuntha Dhamasin all the villages. VaikunthaDhamas have been set up andmade available in all 647villages in the district. The ChiefMinister has asked otherdistrict Collectors to take a cuefrom Sangareddy districtCollector and strive toconstruct Vaikuntha Dhamas inall the village in their respectivedistricts.

CM alerts officials on bird fluPNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao asked theofficials to be alert as the birdflu is spreading in the countryat various places. The bird fluis spreading due to the migra-tory birds. Though there is nobird flu in the State, the ChiefMinister had instructed ChiefSecretary Somesh Kumar toconvene a meeting on Tuesdayon the precautionary mea-sures to be taken with minis-ters, officials and experts con-cerned.

He said that the HarithaHaram programme is beingsuccessfully implemented allover the State and it was receiv-ing appreciation from all sec-tions of society. The ForestSurvey of India report statedthat there was a 3.67 per centincrease in greenery in the

State for the past three yearsdue to Haritha Haram.

The Chief Minister said thetop priority should be accord-ed for the revival of forestbesides increasing the socialforestry.

He said the timber smug-gling should be totally eradicat-ed and PD Act should be usedagainst the smugglers.

He said urban forest blocksare being developed at 90places and wanted forest areasnear the urban areas should bedeveloped as Urban Parks. Hecongratulated Minister forForests Indrakaran Reddy,PCCF Shobha, PrincipalSecretary (Forests) SanthaKumari and other forest offi-cials for successfully conduct-

ing the Haritha Haram.He declared that the

Kamareddy district stood firstby planting 127 per cent treesand congratulated CollectorSharath. He also congratulat-ed Yadadri KothagudemDistrict Collector MV Reddyfor becoming number one inthe State by planting 1.06 croresaplings.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Pradesh CongressCommittee (TPCC) Presidentand Nalgonda MP Capt NUttam Kumar Reddy onMonday announced that theCongress would intensify theagitation till the BJP govern-ment at the Centre and TRSgovernment in Telangana pur-chase every grain produced byfarmers at the MinimumSupport Price (MSP).

He announced that formerCLP leader K Jana Reddywould be the Congress candi-date for Nagarjunasagar by-elections. He expressed con-fidence that Jana Reddy wouldwin the by-elections with athumping majority. Heappealed to the cadre ofSuryapet district to campaignfor the Congress party in theby-election. He also expressedconfidence in Congress win-ning the Khammam andWarangal MunicipalCorporations elections.

Addressing a massive rallyin Suryapet district headquar-ters on Monday, UttamKumar Reddy slammed theBJP and TRS governments fortheir anti-farmer policies.

"While Prime MinisterNarendra Modi governmentbrought three new laws todeprive the farmers of MSPfor agriculture produce, ChiefMinister K ChandrasekharRao decided to shut down IKPand PACS centres in

Telangana to leave farmerswith no option but to sell theirproduce at throwaway pricesto a few corporate sectors.These new laws and deci-sions of the BJP and TRS gov-ernment would smother theagriculture and related sectorswhile benefiting a few corpo-rates like Adanis andAmbanis. This will also leadto huge inflation and impactthe common man soon,” hesaid.

He said that the Congresswas staging a dharna at thedistrict headquarters acrossthe country to support the agi-tation of farmers, whichentered 47th day on Monday.He said that the Modi govern-ment has turned so unsympa-thetic that it was just draggingthe talks on one pretext or theother. He said nearly 70 farm-

ers died due to extremeweather conditions in Delhi.He pointed out that even theSupreme Court has expresseddispleasure over the way theCentre was handling the farm-ers' stir. He said that the BJPgovernment should repeal thecontroversial farm laws imme-diately and accept all thedemands of agitating farmers.

He demanded that KCRfulfil the promise of waivingoff crop loans up to Rs 1 lakhon an immediate basis, whichhe had promised in the 2018Assembly elections. He saidthat the TRS government hascheated the farmers in a sim-ilar fashion after winning the2014 elections. It split theloan waiver into four instal-ments and did not help thefarmers in any way in comingout of the debt trap.

TPCC chief vows to intensifyagitation against TRS-BJP govts

Bandi Sanjay calls uponcadre to strengthen partyPNS n KARIMNAGAR

BJP state unit president and MPBandi Sanjay Kumar calledupon the party leaders andworkers to further strengthenbooths in all the villages acrossthe State. Bandi Sanjay Kumar,who was the chief guest at ameeting here on Monday, said,"We are moving ahead with aconcrete plan to strengthen theparty across the State."

He suggested to the partyleaders and activists to workhard to further strengthenbooths in the villages and moveforward with a clear plan in thatdirection. He exhorted the partyleaders and workers to strive toresolve grievances of the peopleas they were fed up with theanti-people policies of the TRSgovernment.

He said that the days of TRSrule in Telangana are numberedand the BJP flag would fly inTelangana in the coming days.There are many disciplinedparty workers in the BJP, whoare working as soldiers for theparty. He said he was proud tobe the State president and urgedthe BJP leaders and activists tofight for the welfare of peoplewith a fighting spirit.

He suggested that in thecoming days, booth committeesand BJP affiliated committeesshould be made full-fledged andthe party should be furtherstrengthened. He said the fall ofthe TRS had begun and manyother party leaders and activistswere trying to join the BJP.

State leaders KomalaAnjaneyulu, KoratalaSivaramaiah, district leaders

Kallem Vasudeva Reddy,Thallapalli Srinivas Goud,Kanna Krishna, GurralaVenkate Reddy, Sai Mallesam,Jay Swamy, Bonthala KalyanChandra, Sammi Reddy,Sankati Srinivas Reddy, ManjulaVani, R Prasad, Somidi Venu,corporators Kolagani GaniSrinivas, Ravi, PeddapelliJitender, Anoop and otherswere present.

Bandi Sanjay suggested that in thecoming days, booth committees andBJP affiliated committees should bemade full-fledged and the party shouldbe further strengthened

Tap hidden talent in sports: SunitaPNS n NARSAPUR

Students are now addicted tocomputer games and forgettingsports, which are useful forphysical endurance, opinedState Women's CommissionChairperson Sunita LakshmaReddy.

She suggested that the youthshould work hard to makeeveryone interested in thesport. She further stated thatsuch competitions would go along way in tapping hiddensporting talent in youth inrural areas.

It was commendable to setup an indoor stadium inDaulatabad and conduct atournament. She clarified thatin addition to working to com-plete the unfinished indoor sta-dium at Narsapur, theDaulatabad Zilla Parishad

would do its part to set up avolleyball ground on the highschool premises.

Sunita Lakshma Reddy wasthe chief guest at the closing

ceremony of the shuttle bad-minton competition organ-ised by the Badminton Club atDaultabad in the Sanga-reddydistrict. Hanumandlu and

Durgaprasad bagged first place,Dinesh and Rakesh finishedsecond and Konyala Srinivascame third. She presentedmementos and cash prizes tothe winners. Sarpanch KonyalaVenkatesam was present on theoccasion.

State Women'sPanel’s chairpersonSunita LakshmaReddy suggested that the youthshould work hard to make everyoneinterested in the sport

State Women's Commission chairperson Sunita Laxma Reddy presents amemento to shuttle badminton winners in Narsapur on Monday

Cong takes out rallyagainst farm lawsPNS n MEDAK

The district Congress tookout a rally here on Mondaydemanding the withdrawal offarm laws as they would leavethe farmers in the lurch.

Speaking on the occasion,AICC secretary Bose Raj lam-basted the Central govern-ment for keeping mum onfarm laws though farmersacross the country have beenstaging protests demandingtheir withdrawal. Later, apetition was handed over tothe RDO. He warned of inten-sifying the agitation againstfarm laws. Chief MinisterKCR, who opposed the farmlaws, now supporting theCentral government and farmlaws, he alleged.

He cried foul that a falsepropaganda was being spreadby the Centre that new farmlaws are not against farmers,but the latter would bedeceived by contract farming.

State Kisan Cell presidentAvinash Reddy, PCC general

secretary Shravan KumarReddy, TPCC organising sec-retary Madam Balakrishna,TPCC secretary SuprabhataRao, Medak Parliament in-charge Gali Anil Kumar,Medak constituency in-charge Upender Reddy,Dubbaka constituency in-charge Cheruku SrinivasReddy, DCC presidentTirupati Reddy, districtspokesperson MamillaAnjaneyulu, Youth Congresspresident Mahender Reddy,Bharat Goud and others tookpart in the rally.

Congress party leaders and activiststake out a rally demanding thewithdrawal of farm laws in Medak on Monday

CM destroying edu system, alleges SravanPNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Minister K ChandrasekharRao deliberately destroying theeducation system in the State bynot appointing the regular Vice-Chancellors to the universities,alleged AICC NationalSpokesperson Sravan Dasoju.

The senior Congress leaderquestioned the sincerity of KCR,who kept mum on the issue. Heslammed the Chief Minister fornot filling faculty and non-teach-ing posts, which are lying vacantin colleges and universities, withan intention to destroy the edu-cation institutions while promot-ing private colleges and universi-ties.

He sought the intervention ofGovernor Tamilisai Soundarrajanin this regard and asked the ChiefMinister to act immediately. "It isunfortunate that universities, thetemples of the modern economy,have been functioning withoutVCs after the formation ofTelangana.”

The AICC leader on Mondayparticipated in a round-table on‘Delay in Appointment of Vice-Chancellors’ organised by theOU Teaching Association

(OUTA) at Osmania University.Delivering his speech, Sravan

said that the universities are themodern temples, which not onlyproduce graduates but also thetransformers of society.

Historically universities haveplayed a pivotal role in question-ing the ruling class and their anti-people policies. "Fearing that itmight have to be faced by KCR,he is deliberately killing the edu-cation system in general andhigher education in particular inTelangana by not appointing VCs,not recruiting faculty, not grant-ing funds as per the budgetaryallocations. Because of the lop-

sided approach of KCR, the uni-versities are losing recognition,grants-in-aid from the UGC,lacking research, missing direc-tion thereby making them standstill in operations. No single uni-versity, except in Telangana, in thecountry is without a regular VC.”

Sravan stated that KCR hadpromised in 2014 elections tooffer KG to PG education free inTelangana. However, after assum-ing power, he closed over 5,000schools. Moreover, KCR didn’teven fill a single post despite10,000 jobs lying vacant at vari-ous junior, degree colleges andalso at the universities, includingthe Osmania University, KakatiyaUniversity and JNTU.

There are 848 vacancies atOsmania University, 295 atKakatiya University, 232 at JNTU,

Telangana University (75),Mahatma Gandhi University(115), Shathavahana University(100), Palamuru University (130),Open University (58), Potti SreeRamulu Telugu University (97),Government Degree colleges(2,800), aided degree colleges(1,500), Government JuniorColleges (5,154).

“KCR read over 70,000 booksbut is not keen on achieving100% literacy in the State. Hespends crores of rupees on half-f inished projects l ikeKaleshwaram to receive kick-backs, but declines to spend tostrengthen the education, orhealthcare, the true pillars ofdevelopment”, he said.

The AICC leader also remind-ed that KCR used to tell in thepast that he would makeTelangana get rid of corporate col-leges, however, there is no suchactivity happening. Moreover,one more corporate college hascome in to invade the State.

He assured the OUTA toextend their full support andcooperation in their efforts to pre-sent their case before theGovernor on the appointment ofVCs and other teaching staff.

Sravan sought theintervention ofGovernor TamilisaiSoundarrajan onappointment ofVice-chancellors

Telangana traitors enjoyingpower, says Swamy GoudPNS n KARIMNAGAR

Former Telangana Legislat iveCouncil chairman and BJP leader KSwamy Goud cried foul over thesorry state of affairs in the State andalleged that only Telangana traitorsare enjoying power while those whoespoused for the cause of separateTelangana were sidelined.

The people are seeking a changeand that was started with the Dubakbypoll and GHMC polls proved thatthe BJP is an alternative for the TRS

in the State. Speaking to reportershere on Monday, he took potshotsat Chief Minister K ChandrasekharRao for giving the Cabinet berthsto those, who worked against themovement.

When the government has amajority what is the need for theChief Minister to have a tacitunderstanding with the MIM, hequestioned? He said the people ofTelangana need to know about thefriendship between the TRS and theMIM.

Vijayashanthi exhorts cadreto resolve people's problemsPNS n PATANCHERU

Former Medak MP and senior BJPleader Vijayashanthi alleged that ChiefMinister K Chandrasekhar Rao andhis family members have been enjoy-ing the power after the formation ofa separate State for Telangana insteadof striving for the all-round develop-ment of the State and welfare of thepeople.

She was speaking at a meetingorganised by the BJP workers in Kollurof Tellapur municipal area ofPatancheru constituency in Sangareddydistrict on Monday in which TRS andCongress workers joined the BJP.

She called upon BJP activists to bevigilant and fight to resolve the prob-lems of the people. She said that peo-ple were fed up with the KCR regime

and were ready to vote for the BJP inthe next general elections. She exhort-ed the workers to be ready to defeat theTRS. A large number of party leadersand activists were present at the meet-ing.

Former Medak MP and senior BJP leaderVijayashanthi speaking at a meeting inPatancheru on Monday

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and Nalgonda MPCapt N Uttam Kumar Reddy addresses a massive rally in Suryapet on Monday

BJP state unit president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar at a party meeting inKarimnagar on Monday

PNS n HYDERABAD

A designated EnforcementDirectorate court on Mondayruled that the cases registeredagainst AP CM YSJaganmohan Reddy in the quidpro quo investment case regis-tered under the Prevention ofMoney Laundering Act can betried independent of the CBIcases as the charges framed inthe ED cases and CBI caseswere totally different.

Court to hear EDcases againstJagan first

HYDERABAD | TUESDAY | JANUARY 12, 2021 nation 05

Former Rajasthan deputychief minister Sachin Piloton Monday reiterated the

demand for withdrawal of newfarm laws enacted by theCentre, claiming that the lawswere a "threat" to the future offarmers. The Congress leadermade the remarks whileinteracting with farmers in hisconstituency Tonk. "This is a matter related to the future of farmers.All farmer unions and opposition parties are united and demandingwithdrawal of the laws. It is not clear what the government'scompulsions to bring these laws were. The laws should bewithdrawn," he told reporters. "We are making the farmers aware ofthe disadvantages of the laws. The farmers are agitating peacefullyand the government should accept their demands," Pilot said.

INDIA CORNER

Pilot reiterates demand for repeal of farm laws

Security forces on Mondayarrested two overgroundworkers of Jaish-e-

Mohammad (JeM) fromPulwama district of Jammuand Kashmir, police said."Police along with Army andCRPF arrested two terroristassociates of proscribed outfitJaish-e-Mohammad fromAwantipora area who are involved in providing shelter, support andlogistics," a police official said. He said the arrested persons werealso transporting arms and ammunition of the militants inAwantipora and Tral areas of the district and passing sensitiveinformation to the JeM terrorists.

Two Jaish overground workersheld in J-K's Pulwama: Police

Markets and other commercialestablishments in most parts ofBhandara remained closed on

Monday in response to a bandh calledthe BJP to express anguish over thedeath of 10 infants in a fire at thedistrict hospital. BJP workers took outa bike rally in the Maharashtra district,appealing to people to keep their establishments closed and supportthe bandh. BJP MP from Bhandara, Sunil Mendhe, on Sunday saidhis party wanted either a judicial inquiry or a probe by a retiredjudge into the Saturday's incident in which 10 infants were killed ina blaze at the district hospital. Referring to Maharashtra ChiefMinister Uddhav Thackeray's visit to the hospital earlier on Sunday,the MP had said they expected that he would immediately suspendthe civil surgeon, doctors and other staff and order a detailedinquiry, but nothing happened.

Hospital fire: Markets, shops shutin Bhandara over bandh call

Prime Minister NarendraModi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each

from the PM's National ReliefFund for the next of kin ofthose who died in the tragichospital fire at Bhandara inMaharashtra and Rs 50,000each for those seriously injured. In a tweet, the PMO said, "PM hasapproved an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PM's National ReliefFund for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to thetragic hospital fire in Bhandara, Maharashtra. Rs. 50,000 would begiven to those seriously injured."

PM announces Rs 2L ex-gratiaeach for kin of hosp fire victims

PNS n AHMEDABAD

Bird flu cases have been con-firmed in Gujarat's Surat andVadodara districts as somesamples of dead crows fromthere have tested positive forthe avian influenza, officialssaid on Monday.

Samples of four crows colected from two places atBardoli taluka in Surat onJanuary 6 were sent to aBhopal- based laboratory,Nilam Dave, deputy directorof animal husbandry depart-ment, Surat, said.

"They have tested positivefor the bird flu," the officialsaid. Besides, three out of fivecrow samples collected fromVasantpura village in Savlitaluka of Vadodara, where 25crows died on January 6,have also tested positive,Vadodara animal husbandrydepartment's deputy directorPrakash Darji said.

On Sunday, 57 pigeonswere found dead in Kia vil-lage of Vadodara's Karjantaluka and their samples havebeen sent for confirmation tothe Bhopal-based lab, headded. As a precautionarymeasure, surveys were under-taken in these two districts,especially within a 10-kmradius of the spot where thebirds were found dead, offi-cials said.

Gujarat reported its firstcase of avian influenza onJanuary 8 when two lapwingsamples from Junagadh dis-trict tested positive for thebird flu virus.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Samples of ducks fromSanjay Lake area are theonly ones in Delhi that havetested positive for bird flu sofar, Deputy Chief MinisterManish Sisodia said onMonday, asking people notto panic as there is no causefor concern. Delhi onMonday confirmed bird flucases after eight samplessent to a Bhopal-basedlaboratory tested positive foravian influenza. All eightsamples -- four from a parkin Mayur Vihar Phase 3,three from Sanjay Lake andone from Dwarka -- havebeen found positive for avianinfluenza, Dr Rakesh Singhfrom the animal husbandryunit of the DevelopmentDepartment said. "Onlysamples of duck from SanjayLake have tested positive forbird flu. There is no causefor concern. Reports of othersamples are awaited,"Sisodia said at a pressbriefing. The Delhi gover-nment has also decided toban sale of processed and packaged chickenbrought from outside thecity as a precautionarymeasure, he said.

PNS n MUMBAI

Avian influenza has beenconfirmed as the cause of deathof different birds in Parbhani,Mumbai, Thane, Beed andDapoli in Maharashtra, as pertest reports of a Bhopal-basedlab, a senior state governmentofficial said on Monday.

However, it is "absolutelysafe" to consume eggs orchicken as the virus cannotwithstand cooking temperatures,and people need not worry asinfection to humans due to birdflu is "rarest of rare", state

animal husbandry departmentsecretary Anoop Kumar said.The official also said they wouldbe increasing bio-safety measu-res in poultry farms so thatthere is no interface with wildbirds. In the morning, ParbhaniCollector Deepak Muglikar toldPTI that bird flu has beenconfirmed as the cause of deathof around 900 hens at a poultryfarm in Murumba village and thedistrict administration hasdecided to cull nearly 8,000birds in the village.

Kumar said the animalhusbandry department has

already started implementing itsaction plan and the culling ofbirds will begin from Tuesday.

He said 8,000 to 10,000 birdswithin one-km radius of theinfected zone in Parbhani maybe culled.

According to the Bhopal-based ICAR-National Institute ofHigh Security Animal Diseases(NIHSAD), two crows fromMumbai died due to bird flu.

Three pond egrets and aparrot from Thane were infectedby the H5N1 avian influenzavirus, the institute's test reportsaid.

Only samplesof ducks fromSanjay Laketested positive

Bird flu cases confirmed in Parbhani, Mumbai

Bird flu detected in crowsamples in Surat, Vadodara

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court onMonday sought response ofthe AAP government on a pleato declare all child marriagesperformed in the nationalcapital as void ab initio (to betreated as invalid from the out-set).

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singhissued notice to the Delhigovernment and sought itsstand on the petition by awoman who has also sought tonullify her marriage which wasallegedly performed when shewas a minor.

The court also issued noticeto her father, brother and theman she was married to seek-ing their response to the pleabefore February 12, the nextdate of hearing.

The woman, representedby advocate Tanveer AhmedMir, has challenged a provi-sion of the Prohibition ofChild Marriage Act whichmakes a wedding of minorsvoidable only at the option of

either of the parties who wasa child at the time of the event.

The petitioner has sought adeclaration from the courtthat every child marriage per-formed in the state should bevoid ab-initio.

Mir, during the hearing,told the bench that his clientwas staying at an undisclosedlocation as she apprehendedthat her family would force herto agree to the child marriagewhich was performed in April2010 when she was a minor.

The petitioner, also repre-sented by advocates GurpreetSingh, Mohit D Ram, BakulJain and Jatin Sethi, furtherclaims that the person towhom she was married whenshe was a minor was the sonof her maternal aunt. Thewoman, who claims to beborn on December 10, 1993,has contended that when hermarriage was performed inApril 2010 she had no optionbut to give her consent as atthat time she was awaiting herclass 10 results and could notgo against her parents wish.

Plea to declare allchild marriages inDelhi as void

PNS n JAMMU

Alleging that some gov-ernment departments weredenying promotion to dis-placed Kashmiri migrantemployees in the valley, theAll Party MigrantCoordination Committee(APMCC) on Mondaythreatened launch an agita-tion if the UT administra-tion failed to end the“harassment”.

APMCC ChairmanVinod Pandita said sometop bureaucrats in theunion territory were “mis-leading” LieutenantGovernor Manoj Sinha onthe matters of Kashmirimigrant employees,appointed under the primeminister's special employ-ment package, in order todeprive them of their rights.

APMCC strongly con-demns the harassing tacticsof the Jammu and Kashmiradministration against themigrant employees inKashmir valley with regardto their regular promotionsas well as time bound pro-motions, Pandita said.

"Some departments aredenying promotion benefitsto migrant employees onfrivolous pleas that theywere not permanentemployees of the depart-ments and their postswould remain supernumer-ary," Pandita told reportershere.

"They should stopharassing these employeesor face an agitation," hesaid.

Govt departments deny promotion to displacedKashmir migrants

PNS n SUDHI

A 45-year-old woman hasbeen grievously injured afterfour men allegedly raped herand inserted an iron rod intoher private parts in MadhyaPradesh's Sidhi district, policesaid on Monday.

The incident took place onSaturday night following

which the woman has beenundergoing treatment in ahospital in neighbouring Rewadistrict, Amiliya police sta-tion in-charge Deepak Baghelsaid.

The four accused have beendetained, he said.

State Home MinisterNarottam Mishra toldreporters in Bhopal onMonday that no culprit will bespared.

A speedy trial will be con-ducted into the case and theaccused will be punished, hesaid.

According to the police offi-cial, the woman's husbanddied about four years back andshe was living with her twochildren and 40-year-old sister

in a shanty on a hillock nearHardi village, about 60 km

from the district headquarters.She ran a shop from her

shanty to earn her livelihood,the official said.

Around 10 pm on Saturday,four men approached her andasked for water.

When the woman told themthat she did not have water, theaccused broke into the home.They then allegedly raped herand inserted an iron rod intoher private parts, the officialsaid quoting the victim's com-plaint.

The woman subsequentlyfainted due to excessive bleed-ing, he said, adding that hertwo sons, aged 16 and 18,were not at home at the timeof the incident.

Her sister could not callanyone for help at that time astheir house is located in a des-olate place, the police officialsaid. Later, the woman's sistercalled an auto-rickshaw fromHardi village and took her toAmiliya police station, fromwhere she was taken to Sidhidistrict hospital, he said.

PNS n AHMEDABAD

The percentage of women con-suming alcohol has doubled inthe last four years in Gujarat,a 'dry state' since its inceptionin 1960, according to therecently released NationalFamily Health Survey (NFHS-5) report for 2019-20.

A total of 33,343 women and5,351 men from Gujarat werecovered under the NFHS-5.

Of the women surveyed,nearly 200, which is 0.6 per-cent, claimed they consumedliquor, a rise from the 68women who had said so in theNFHS-4 survey for the year2015-16.

For NHFS-4, the samplesize in Gujarat was 22,932women and 5,574 men.

However, the comparison

of the two surveys also showsthat liquor consumptionamong men has halved duringthe same period.

In the 2015-16 survey, 618men (11.1 per cent of 5,574)

had claimed they consumedliquor, and this has come downto 310 men, or 5.8 per cent ofthe 5,351 surveyed, in the lat-est report.

Sociologist Gaurang Jani on

Monday attributed the rise inthe percentage of womendrinkers to "party culture" andgreater acceptability of liquorconsumption in society.

"The middle class and uppermiddle class have embracedthe party culture in recenttimes. As a result, women infamilies have also started con-suming liquor. Earlier, menused to go out to drink. Now,a new culture of consumingliquor in family parties hasemerged," said Jani. "People arethrowing family parties to cel-ebrate even small events.Moreover, kitty parties havealso contributed to higherliquor consumption amongwomen, NRIs are also bringingliquor with them and enjoyingit during house parties herewith relatives," he claimed.

Women alcohol drinkers in ‘dry' Guj on the rise

PNS n RANAGHAT (WB)

The country is staring at afood crisis because of the"adamant" approach of theBJP to the continued agitationby farmers for withdrawal ofthe three new farm laws, WestBengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee said on Monday.

She also called the BJP a"junk" party for inducting"rotten" leaders from otherpolitical outfits.

"The country is staring at afood crisis. If the BJP contin-ues to remain adamant on thefarm laws, there will be afood shortage in our country.

The farmers are assets ofour country and we should not

do anything that goes againsttheir interest," she said.

The TMC supremo alsodemanded immediate repealof the three farm laws, asbeing demanded by farmersagitating at Delhi's borders.

She also unleashed a sting-ing attack on the BJP over theparty inducting a raft of lead-ers from other political parties.

Country staring at food crisisbecause of BJP: Mamata

PNS n MUMBAI

The Bombay High Court onMonday extended tillJanuary 13 a civil court ordergranting interim protectionto actor Sonu Sood fromcoercive action by the BMCagainst the alleged illegalstructural changes made byhim in a residential buildingin suburban Juhu withoutpermission.

Sood last week approachedthe HC, challenging a notice

issued against him by theBrihanmumbai MunicipalCorporation in October lastyear and an order passed by acivil court in December dis-missing his suit against theBMC's action. The civil court,while dismissing the suit, had

granted three weeks time toSood to file an appeal andstayed its order, thus grantingrelief to the actor.

On Monday, BMC's counselAnik Sakhare sought time to

respond to the actor's peti-tion. Sood's advocate AmoghSingh then sought interimprotection and a direction tothe civic body to not take anycoercive action.

Justice Prithviraj Chavan,while adjourning the petition

till January 13, said, "The orderpassed by the lower court shallcontinue till then."

Sood's advocate Singh toldthe HC that the actor has notcarried out any illegal or unau-thorised construction in thesix-storey Shakti Sagar build-ing. "The petitioner (Sood)has not made any changes inthe building that warrant per-mission from the BMC. Onlythose changes that are allowedunder the MaharashtraRegional and Town Planning(MRTP) Act have been done,"Singh said.

BMC's counsel Sakhare,however, argued that the peti-tioner was illegally conv