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- 1. UNION HOME MINISTRY MAY CONSIDER SECURITY UPGRADE FOR RAJ THACKERAY Renni Abraham Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray wants a security up- grade, preferably to the ‘Z’ category , after receiv- ing a threat letter over his call to lower the dec- ibel levels of the azan called out from mosque rooftops using loud- speakers in the state. MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar met Ma- harashtra home minis- ter Dilip Walse Patil on Wednesday and placed a request for enhanced se- curity for his party boss in the wake of the re- ceipt of an anonymous letter (in Hindi with sparsely used Urdu words) that threatened to eliminate Thackeray and Nandgaonkar over the MNS demand for regulating the decibel levels of loudspeakers announcing morning prayers at mosques across Maharashtra. According to a senior BJP leader, his party (read: Union Home Min- istry) would take a call on Raj Thackeray’s se- curity cover if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government ignored the MNS Chief’s request formally . “The same was done in the case of BJP leader Kirit Sommaiya and Union Minister Narayan Rane, both of whom were accorded ‘Z’ category security by the Union Home Ministry, following their run-in with the Maharashtra government and Chief Minister Uddhav Thack- eray , in particular.” The leader pointed out that the MNS chief had also been warned against visiting Ayod- hya on June 05, as per his schedule, to seek blessings at the Lord Rama temple by BJP MP Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has demanded an apology from the MNS Chief for past violence perpetrated against North Indians in Mum- bai by the party from Maharashtra. While the MNS chief is yet to officially re- spond to the BJP MP over his demanded apology, erstwhile Ma- harashtra Chief Minis- ter of the BJP (now Leader of Opposition in the state legislative as- sembly) Devendra Fad- navis and his BJP coun- terpart in the state leg- islative council Pravin Darekar have backed the MNS chief ’s Ayod- hya visit while urging their party colleague from UP to refrain from disrupting Raj Thack- eray’s visit. MNS chief got a threatening anonymous letter, even as BJP MP also threatened a UP blockade Raj Thackeray Ministers, MPs and MLAs get no response to letters, recommendations and requests made to CMO or bureaucracy Renni Abraham Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeraywasemphat- icwhilerecentlyaward- ing the Rajeev Gandhi awardsforgoodgovern- ance about the need to eliminate red tape in the administration. Now consider this: Maharashtra’s former additional chief secre- tary (Home), Chitkala Zutshi, who retired in 2009hasbeenwaitingto be reimbursed for over a year now after her husband Raj Kumar (also a retired IAS of- ficer) was admitted to a Nagpur hospital facili- ty after contracting COVID-19 in 2021. Zutshi told First In- dia, “The fact is both my husband (in 2006) and I (in 2009) enrolled under the Union gov- ernment-run Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and paid Rs18,000 each. While the scheme enti- tles beneficiaries to cashless medical treat- ment at empanelled hospitals in India, we were compelled to pay Rs2.6 lakh at a Nagpur facility for my hus- band’s treatment and are still awaiting the reimbursement of the same for more than a year now. Red tape ap- pears to be entrenched into our bureaucracy .” Zutshi (then ACS fi- nance), incidentally wasawardedtheRajeev Gandhi award in 2007 after her efforts to curb fiscal extravagance re- sulted in two straight years when salary ex- penditure in Maha- rashtra was brought down by fresh appoint- ments in revenue de- partments like sales tax and a few thousand re- trenchments in the ir- rigation department posts. Ironically, the Rs5 lakh cash compo- nent of the award was never shared with the state finance depart- ment as she had in- structed. While Zutshi’s expe- rience pertains to the Uniongovernment,sev- eral Congress, NCP and even some Shiv Sena ministers, MPs and MLAs, allege that their experience (read: cor- respondence to the CMO) over the past few months have met with a similar fate--no re- sponse. A very senior Con- gress leader who has served as minister in New Delhi as well as MaharashtratellsIndia First, “It appears that the CMO is being run by a motley crew of bu- reaucrats who have been calling the shots ever since the Chief Minister had taken ill and required surgical intervention for a spi- nal condition. Have Chief Ministerial du- ties been outsourced to select IAS officers?” Enquiries with the CMO despatch section located on the ground floor of the state secre- tariat indicate that cor- respondences made to the CMO for the last seven months have failed to elicit any re- sponse from the CMO, neither in the form of remarks or any indica- tion regarding the out- come of the sought as- sistance. It must be pointed out here that immediately after re- covering Turn to P2 Even ministerial recommendations for personnel preferences and even allotment of staff quarters for their staffers have met with a rebuff from the general administration department that even issued a notice advising against any such recommendations. NOT RED TAPE, IT’S DEAD TAPE STALKING STATE SECRETARIAT! MUMBAI l FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 7 OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, LUCKNOW, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Confirming its first COVID-19 case on Thursday, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Kim Jong-un ordered a nationwide lockdown calling it the “gravest national emergency.” The samples collected from people suffering from fever in Pyongyang tested positive for Omicron variant. N KOREA CONFIRMS FIRST COVID-19 CASE EVER, IMPOSES LOCKDOWN The Union Ministry of Law and Justice Thursday announced Rajiv Kumar, the current Election Commissioner, will take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) from May 15. Kumar will take charge from CEC Sushil Chandra, who is due to retire. IAS RAJEEV KUMAR IS NEW CEC, WILL JOIN ON MAY 15 HELICOPTER CRASH AT RAIPUR’s AIRPORT, TWO PILOTS DEAD TATA SONS APPOINT CAMPBELL WILSON AS CEO, MD OF AIR INDIA Two pilots were killed after a helicopter crashed at an air- port in Raipur. Captain Gopal Krishna Panda and Captain AP Shrivastava were killed in the accident, police said. Campbell Wilson, the former CEO of low-cost airline Scoot, has been named the new CEO and MD of Air India. Wilson, 50, has an experience of 26 years in the aviation sector. AAH Taj! ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT JUNKS ‘TAJ MAHAL ACTIVIST’s’ PLEA TO OPEN ITS 22 SEALED ROOMS Prayagraj: The Alla- habad High Court today rejected the petition seeking an inquiry into the “history” of Taj Ma- hal. Reprimanding the petitioner, a bench of Justices DK Upadhyay and Subhash Vidyarthi dismissed the petition which asked for opening of the doors of its 22 rooms to see “the truth, whatever it is.” The plea was filed by Dr Rajneesh Singh, me- dia in-charge of the BJP’s Ayodhya unit. Go and research. Do MA, PhD. Don’t make mockery of PIL system, says HC as it snubs petitioner, who happens to be media in-charge of the BJP’s Ayodhya unit The issues lie outside court and should be done by various methodology and should be left with the historians, the court added 1 2 WHAT DID THE PLEA CONTEND? ‘CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW’ T he plea contended that the Taj Mahal was a Shiva Temple, known as Tejo Mahalaya. It also asked for the government to constitute a fact-finding committee to publish the “real history” of the Mughal- era monument and submission of a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The petition cited claims that the idols of the Hindu deities are locked up behind closed doors. The petitioner argued that there was a truth that the citizens of the country needed to know about the Taj Mahal. “I have also filed many RTIs. I got to know about many rooms have been locked for security reasons.” I welcome you to debate the issue with us in the drawing room and not in a court of law. Tomorrow you’ll come and ask us to go to chambers of Hon’ble judges? —The Bench said Varanasi court refuses to stay Gyanvapi Mosque survey, seeks report by next Tuesday Court refuses to remove survey commissioner, adds two more advocates to the survey commission Varanasi: A district court in Varanasi on Thursday rejected the plea to change the court- appointed advocate commissioner for con- ducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shring- ar Gauri complex and appointed two addition- aladvocatecommission- ers to assist him. Abhay Nath Yadav, representing the Gyan- vapi mosque manage- ment committee, said the court has also di- rected for completion of the survey by May 17 and submission of its report. The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, delivered the verdict af- ter hearing the argu- ments of both the sides. NAWAZ-SHEHBAZ HUDDLE IN LONDON London: The first session of the crucial Pakistan Muslim League (N) 6-hour-long huddle in London decided that there will be no early elections in Islamabad. Nawaz Sharif advised PM Shehbaz Sharif to provide economic relief to citizens and take long-term decisions. JUDGE SAYS FAMILY FEARS FOR HIS LIFE The judge of the Varanasi court said that his family was intensely worried about his safety because “an ordinary civil matter has been converted into an extraordinary issue”. June 10: Polls to 57 Rajya Sabha seats ...including four in Rajasthan The Election Com- mission on Thursday an- nounced June 10 as date of polling for 57 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 seats - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhat- tisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odi- sha, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana. Some of the prominent names set to retire are Un- ion ministers Mukhtar Ab- bas Naqvi, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, as well as senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibbal and P Chidambaram. Overall, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maha- rashtra have the most number of vacant seats - 11, 6 and 6, respectively. Bihar has 5, with 4 open seats in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. There will be 3 vacant seats in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, 2 in Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Haryana and Jharkhand, and one in Uttarakhand.
- 2. NEWS MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 02 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia First India Bureau Mumbai: Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday announced that the process of set- ting up a single plan- ning authority for Mumbai is underway . Speaking at an inter- national conference ‘Climate Crisis 2.0: Mo- bilizing Finance for Coastal Cities,’ the state cabinet minister said, “A single planning agency for the city will provide ease of admin- istration for the state government and ease of living for citizens.” “In a city like Mum- bai, 16 agencies should come together with a single authority . Imple- menting agencies can be different, but if there is a single planning au- thority, there will be less trouble,” said Thackeray, who was a chief guest at the con- ference. At present, there are 16 different agencies in the city that handle 42 utilities, making things difficult, he said. He further said that instead of appointing a CEO for the city, the government is thinking of giving more power to mayors for effective im- plementation of the plan. Thackeray also took to his Twitter handle to share more about the conference itself. “Honoured to deliver my inaugural address at the ‘Climate Crisis 2.0’ conference in Mum- bai, where we dis- cussed: Maharashtra’s goals as India’s leader in ‘Race to Zero’; Col- lective responsibility as government, ULBs, and industry leader- ship toward climate re- silience; need for the creation of a National Council of Climate Ac- tion to mitigate climate change on a sub-nation- al level and streamlin- ing green financing and green energies in line with long-term sustainable develop- ment,” he tweeted. ‘Process to set up one planning authority underway’ UNDER ONE UMBRELLA Thackeray at the ‘Climate Crisis 2.0: Mobilizing Finance for Coastal Cities’ held in Mumbai on Thursday. MAHA ENVIRONMENT MINISTER AADITYA THACKERAY ANNOUNCED GOVT MAY GRANT MORE POWER TO MAYORS First India Bureau Mumbai: Police on Wednesday registered a case against an uni- dentified person for clicking photographs of Amravati MP Navneet Rana when she was undergoing MRI scan at a private hospital here. Security officials of the Lilavati hospi- tal in suburban Ban- dra had filed a com- plaint in this regard, police said. As per the com- plaint, an unidenti- fied person clicked photographs of Rana by entering the MRI section where elec- tronic devices like mobile phones are strictly banned, said a police official. A First Informa- tion Report (FIR) was registered under sec- tion 448 (trespass) of the Indian Penal Code, he added. Rana was hospital- ized after she and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana got bail after be- ing arrested follow- ing their announce- ment that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence. After the release, Navneet Rana was ad- mitted to Lilavati hospital on May 5 and underwent an MRI scan on May 6. Her photos while under- going the scan circu- lated on social media. Local Shiv Sena leaders had objected to the clicking of pho- tographs inside an MRI room. A Sena delegation had also visited the Bandra Po- lice Station to seek a probe in the matter. The Brihanmum- bai Municipal Corpo- ration had also issued a notice to the hospi- tal over the incident. First India Bureau Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA from Mumbai, Ramesh Latke (52), died on Wednesday night of a cardiac ar- rest while on a family vacation to Dubai, par- ty leader Sanjay Raut said on Thursday . The mortal remains of Latke, who repre- sented Andheri East as- sembly constituency in the city , will be brought back here on Friday morning or on Saturday , Raut said. In a statement, Chief MinisterUddhavThack- eray described Latke as a fighter and a diligent public representative, whose motto was to work for the welfare of the people. Raut said Latke was a staunchShivSainikwho rose through the ranks, from a ‘shakha pra- mukh’ (branch head) to a councillor, to an MLA. Expressingshockover the demise, Raut said he and his MLA brother Sunil Raut had a work- related discussion with Latke around 6 pm on Wednesday and in a few hours he received the news of his demise. “He was fit. He was at the forefront in all the Sena agitations. His body is expected to be brought to Mumbai to- morrow (Friday even- ing) or the next day (Sat- urday),” Raut added. Latke was a two-time Sena legislator from Andheri East assembly segment. Prior to his be- coming an MLA, Latke was also a councillor in the Brihanmumbai Mu- nicipal Corporation (BMC)forseveralterms. Cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray took to Twitter to express his disbelief at Latke’s pass- ing. “Andheri MLA Ramesh Latke who is no longer with us, can’t be- lieve it. A heartfelt trib- ute to this Shiv Sainik,” he tweeted in Marathi. Expressing grief over Latke’s death, party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi remem- bered him for his work during the pandemic and his connect with the people from his con- stituency . BJP MLA Nitesh Rane and NCP leader Supriya Sule also paid tribute to Latke. First India Bureau New Delhi: National Human Rights Com- mission, in an office order released on Thursday , appointed its officers for 15 zones covering vari- ous states. DG (Rtd) Pravin Dixit has been ap- pointed as Special Rapporteur of the Na- tional Human Rights Commission for Ma- harashtra and Goa. In addition, others who have been ap- pointed as Special Rapporteur in- clude Mahesh Sin- gla for Punjab, Haryana, Chan- digarh and Delhi, Dr Ashok Kuamr Verma for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Leh Ladakh and Utta- rakhand.RajanDwive- di will take charge of Uttar Pradesh, Madan Lala Meena for Ra- jasthan, and Dr KC Sharma for Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. Umesh Kumar Shar- ma has been put in charge of Madhya Pradesh and Chattis- garh, Dr Rjinder Ku- mar Malik for Bihar and Jharkhand, Nir- mal Kaur for West Bengal, a n d Suchi- tra Sin- ha, for Odisha, whileHariSenaVerma has been appointed for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry ,Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. M Madan Gopal for Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, Ashit Mo- han Prasad for Karna- taka, Umesh Kumar for Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim, and Akhil Kumar Shukla for Nagaland, Ma- nipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Special Rapporteur is a title given to an in- dividual who is work- ing on behalf of NHRC withinthescopeof laid down guidelines on ei- ther a region specific mandate or on themat- ic issues pertaining to the human rights. “Rapporteur” is a French-derived word foraninvestigator,who report to an organized body or to an institu- tion,inthiscaseNHRC. First India Bureau Mumbai: Maharash- tra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday termed state Congress Presi- dent Nana Patole’s recent “backstab- bing” remark direct- ed at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as “ridiculous”. Hitting back at Pa- tole, senior NCP leader Pawar wondered wheth- er the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), too, should accuse the former of backstabbing it as he had quit the saffron party to join the Con- gress in 2018. Addressing the media in Mumbai, Pawar said, “Whilespeaking,leaders should ensure that their statements are not mis- construed.” Pawaralsosaidthatin thegivensituationinthe state,theShivSena,NCP and Congress can cross themagicfigureof 145in the 288-seat Maharash- tra Assembly only if they are together. Rumblings in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) camp came to the fore on Wednesday with Patole accusing allyw NCP of being a “back- stabber”, a day after the Sharad Pawar-led party joined hands with rival BJP in Gondia Zilla Par- ishad (ZP) elections, keeping Congress away from power. “Nana’s statement is ridiculous. You all know he joined the Congress after quitting the BJP. So, should the BJP al- legethathebackstabbed it to join the Congress?” asked Pawar. He said there could be differences among lead- erws of the two parties at district-levels, and added that such issues won’t arise if there is co- ordination among the MVA constituents. “To give some exam- ples, we all know the Congress had tied up with BJP at some talu- ka and district levels (in the past). I do not want to give much impor- tance to it. But respon- sible leaders should while speaking take care that their com- ments are not miscon- strued,” Pawar added. RIDICULOUS: Ajit Pawar on Patole’s ‘backstabber’ jab Urges leaders to vet their statements, ensure they are not misconstrued Navneet Rana addresses a press conference on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI FIR filed over pix of MP Rana in MRI ward Unidentified person accused of entering MRI section, where electronic devices are banned, to click photos of Rana From Page1 from his surgery CM Ud- dhav Thackeray had un- dertaken a blitzkrieg of clearing files with 500 plusfilesclearedinquick time over a couple of months back. Even VIP correspond- encefromallianceminis- ters like Jayant Patil of the NCP , Sena MLAs Sunil Prabhu and Ravin- dra Waikar, Minister of state for health, Ye- dravkarbesidesscoresof common citizens have remained unanswered. Even ministerial recom- mendations for person- nel preferences and even allotment of staff quar- ters for their staffers have met with a rebuff from the general admin- istration department (GAD) that even issued a notice advising against any such recommenda- tions. It has been several months since any visitor totheCMOhasmanaged an audience with the head of Maharashtra’s political dispensation. A couple of days back the state government issued instructions to permit entry of common citi- zens into Mantralaya from May 18. Things are finallylikelytostartmov- ingfasterinthestatesec- retariat, it is expected. NOT RED TAPE, ITS DEAD TAPE... ShivSenaMLAfromMumbai RameshLatkediesat52inDubai Pravin Dixit named NHRC’s Special Rapporteur for Maharashtra, Goa Saddened and shocked to hear about the passing of Shri Ramesh Latke ji. His constant energy, his dedicated work during (the pandemic) & his connect with the constituency was immense. He will be missed & he has gone too soon. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. —Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena spokesperson Ramesh Latke suffered a cardiac arrest while on a vacation with his family Atulchandra Kulkarni, a 1990-batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, has been appointed as Additional Director General (ADG) of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on deputa- tion. The order was issued by the Union Min- istry of Home Affairs on Thursday. The post of Inspector General of Police of the NIA has been upgraded temporarily to the rank of ADG, and Kulkarni has been appointed for a period of one year or until further orders, it added. Kulkarnii’s currently ADG Prisons, Pune. ATULCHANDRA KULKARNI APPOINTED ADG, NIA DG (Rtd) Pravin Dixit Ramesh Latke Maha Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Pawar also said that the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena have the rights to expand their respective bases. “But at this juncture, considering the pre- vailing situation, the magic number of 145 can be crossed only if the three parties remain together,” added the NCP leader. Pawar said the Congress, too, had in the past inducted NCP office-bearers to its fold. “We don’t have to feel bad if our worker joins our ally rather than any opposition party to increase the latter's strength. The point is, the alli- ance should remain intact,” he added. EXIST IN HARMONY Nana’s statement is ridiculous. You all know he joined the Congress af- ter quitting the BJP. So, should the BJP allege that he backstabbed it to join the Congress?. —Ajit PAwar, Deputy CM
- 3. MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 03 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Managing trustee of pvt hospital among 15 booked for malpractice First India Bureau Pune: Police have reg- istered a case against 15 persons in connec- tion with an alleged malpractice during a kidney transplant pro- cedure in March this year, an official said on Thursday . Themanagingtrustee of the Ruby Hall Clinic, a leading private hospi- tal in the city , and some of its employees are among those named in the case. The offence was registered at Kore- gaon Park police station late on Wednesday even- ingbasedonacomplaint lodged by the state’s health department. “We have registered the case against 15 per- sons, including the Ruby Hall Clinic’s man- aging trustee Purvez Grant and the staffers of the hospital. They also include the woman who donated her kid- ney, the recipient, and his wife,” he said. The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sec- tions 420 (cheating), 465, 468, 471 (all pertaining to forgery), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and sections of the Transplantation of Hu- man Organs and Tis- sues Act, 1994, he said. A woman from Kol- hapur, who was alleged- ly promised `15 lakh, had fraudulently posed as the wife of a man who needed a transplant and donated her kidney to a young woman patient. In turn, the young wom- an’s mother donated her kidney to the man. Such a swap involv- ing two patients and their relatives is car- ried out when the pa- tients cannot receive a kidney from their own kin because of a blood group mismatch. On March 29, four days after undergoing the transplant surgery at the Ruby Hall Clinic, thewomanhadrevealed her real identity after she had a dispute over money. The hospital had then alerted the po- lice, which in turn re- ported the incident to the health department. The department had later suspended the hospital’s registration for organ transplanta- tion, however, the Bom- bay High Court had stayed that order. The functioning of the regional organ transplant authorisa- tion committee was also temporarily sus- pended. Woman ‘donated’ kidney to stranger on promise of `15 lakh, spilled beans after dispute over money WHAT HAPPENED Six, including 2 bros, booked for duping man of `1.28 crore Thane (PTI): Police have registered a case against six persons, including two broth- ers, for allegedly cheating a 71-year-old man in Thane city to the tune of `1.28 crore on the pretext of in- volving him into their business, an official said on Thursday . In his complaint, the septuagenarian man al- leged that he was wooed into joining their work of changing the tyres of cars owned of a promi- nent company and was promised lucrative re- turns, following which he paid money in sev- eral tranches over the past few years, he said. “As per the com- plaint, the victim kept paying money to the ac- cused since 2013 and when he neither got any returns nor the invest- ed money, he finally ap- proached the police, fol- lowing which the FIR was registered,” the of- ficial of Vartaknagar police station said. The accused were identified as Satish Hariya, Viral Hariya, Manohar, Chandan Mourya, one account- ant and another official of the company, police said, adding that they were booked under var- ious sections of the In- dian Penal Code (IPC), including 420 (cheat- ing), 465, 468, 471 (all pertaining to forgery) and 506 (criminal in- timidation). As per the com- plaint, the vic- tim kept pay- ing money to the accused since 2013 and when he neither got any returns nor the invested money, he finally approached the police, following which the FIR was regis- tered. —Official of Vartaknagar police station Greater flamingos flock to MMR in record nos First India Bureau Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has recorded the highest number of greater flamingos in 2021-22, according to a survey mounted by the state government. This is the highest number since 2018, when the Bombay Nat- ural History Society (BNHS) annual fla- mingo monitoring ex- ercise began. Between the period of December 2021 and March 2022, the Thane CreekFlamingoSanctu- ary (TCFS) witnessed 54,000 greater flamin- gos. In pre-pandemic 2019, over 25,000 greater flamingos were record- ed at TCFS. Rahul Khot, Deputy Director, BNHS, said, “The first time that a large number of greater flamingos was ob- served, around 8,000 of them in the Sewai re- gion, was in 1994 by a Mumbai Port Trust of- ficial. There has been no dedicated study since.” At present, I cannot ascertain a reason be- hind the rise in the number, but some of the hypotheses are: Loss of their historic feeding grounds, increase in their population, or finding the Thane creek richer and resourceful. In Sewri and Nhava, 17,000 and 227 greater flamingos were record- ed respectively . Juvenile (5%) and sub-adult (21%) numbers were lower than those of adults across the three regions, he added. The population of the lesser flamingos has witnessed a marginal increase across all three locations – 65,000 at TCFS, 25,000 at Sewri, and 9000 at Nhava from December2021toMarch 2022. “In the last couple of years, we observed a smaller number of greater flamingos. One of the reasons might be our inability to con- duct surveys from March to May due to the pandemic restrictions,” said Khot. Between Dec 2021 and Mar 2022, the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) witnessed 54,000 greater flamingos In 2019, over 25,000 greater flamingos were recorded at TCFS. —FILE PHOTO READ crucial crucial DACOITY ATTEMPT FOILED IN THANE; FOUR HELD DACOITY ATTEMPT FOILED IN THANE; FOUR HELD Maharashtra Maharashtra COUPLE ATTEMPTS SUICIDE OUTSIDE MANTRALAYA BUILDING, DETAINED TWO GROUPS CLASH OVER NAMING OF NEWLY CONSTRUCTED VILLAGE GATE FOUR KILLED, ONE INJURED IN ACCIDENT AS CAR FALLS INTO GORGE IN BEED THREE SUFFER BURN INJURIES IN THANE LAUNDRY SHOP BLAZE Mumbai: A couple from Nanded area attempted to immolate themselves outside the state secretariat Mantralaya in South Mumbai on Thursday, a police official said. Alert policemen detained Raju Hulgude and his wife who poured kerosene on themselves outside the Mantralaya building in the afternoon. Hulgude, a contractor from Nanded, had allegedly not received payment from the public works depart- ment for road construction work carried out by him, despite repeated requests. The couple was taken to Marine Drive Police Station and are being counselled, the official said. Jalna: Several people were injured in stone-pelting and a youngster was injured in police firing during a fight between two groups in Jalna district on Thursday, a police official said. The incident occurred in Bhokardan tehsil’s Chandai Eko village. A disagreement over the name of a freshly built gate in the village resulted in a fight between two factions. Several people, including police officers, were injured as a result of stone-pelting. Many vehicles were also set ablaze by the mob. To disperse the crowd, police fired six rounds into the air and launched teargas shells. Beed: At least four people were killed and one got injured after a car fell into a 60-feet deep gorge in Ashti tehsil of Beed district. The accident took place on Wednesday around 8.30 pm near Mhasoba Wadi Phata. The deceased were identified as Satish Panjumal Tekwani (58), his brothers - Shankar (46) and Sunil (48) - and their nephew Lakhan Mahesh Tekwani (20), an official of Ashti police station said on Thursday, adding that one of their relatives suffered injuries in the incident. “All of them were residents of Beed city. They were going to Ahmednagar district from Beed city in a car, when it plunged into a 60-feet deep gorge,” he said. Thane: Three members of a family suffered burn injuries in a fire that erupted at their laundry shop here on Thursday. The blaze broke out at the shop situated in Agasan area of Diva around 2.40 pm, said Chief of Regional Disaster Management Cell Avinash Sawant. One person was cooking when the flames from the stove flared up and spread to a fuel can kept in the room and the shop, he said. The injured were initially admitted to a hospital in Thane but later shifted to Sion Hospital in Mumbai, the official said. Thane: The police foiled a dacoity attempt and arrested four persons here, an official said on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, officials of the crime branch unit V laid a trap and nabbed the accused near a liquor bar on Wednesday, and seized three country-made revolvers, eight bullets and a motorcycle from them. A preliminary probe revealed that the accused were planning dacoities at farmhouses in Thane and Karjat. Cases under relevant sections of the IPC and Arms Act were registered against Pappu Ramlakhan Singh (51), Datta Vishnu Patil (30), Surajkumar Sadanand Yadav (19) and Kundankumar Ramesh Singh (42), the official said. Parents booked for confining child at home with 22 dogs 65 goats die of suffocation at mutton shop First India Bureau Thane: At least 65 goats died of suffoca- tion in a room of a mutton shop in Bhi- wandi of Thane dis- trict, an official said on Thursday . The incident took placeatamuttonshopin the town’s Gundavali area on Wednesday , the official said. The shop owner had purchased 70 goats for `6 lakh and kept them in a room on Tuesday night. People in the locality heard cries of the ani- mals early next morn- ing, following which the room was opened and 65 animals were found dead, it was stated. Officials of the ani- mal husbandry depart- ment took samples of twoof thedeadgoatsand sent them for post-mor- tem, which revealed that they had suffocated to death, he said, adding that some samples have been sent for further analysis to Pune. Meanwhile, Thane districtanimalhusband- ry officer Dr GG Chan- dore said that the goats were kept in a dingy room, which had no proper ventilation with only a shutter. Animals were kept in a dingy room, which had no proper ventilation with only a shutter Man from AP assaulted for molesting woman in Nagpur Nagpur: A teacher, hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, was beaten up by the husband and brother of a woman for allegedly molesting her in a shop in Nagpur’s Pachpaoli area, police said on Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, the accused, 30, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, went to the shop run by the 35-year-old woman. On finding her alone, the accused took a picture of her on his phone and molested her. When the victim’s husband and brother arrived at the shop and learned about the incident, they caught hold of the man and bashed him up. The accused has been charged with molestation. Ruby Hall Clinic, a leading private hospital in Pune. —FILE PHOTO First India Bureau Pune: Police have filed a case against a couple for allegedly keeping their 11-year- old son confined to a flat with more than 22 stray dogs, police said on Wednesday. The boy was rescued from the house with the help of an NGO and a case was registered against his parents un- der the Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection Of Children) Act, 2000, said a police official. No arrest has been made in the case. The district coordi- nator of Childline, an NGO, approached po- lice after an anony- mous person informed that an 11-year-old boy had been forced to live with 20 to 22 dogs inside a flat in Kondhwa area. “When the complain- ant (Childline official) looked into the house through a window on May 5, she saw a boy sit- ting with the dogs, with a foul stench emanating from the house. She spoke to his parents and found that he did not go to school. The complainant tried to counsel the family not to keep the boy with dogs and asked them to enrol him in school,” said the police official. “We also found four dog carcasses there. Even animal excreta were not removed from the apartment,” the of- ficial cited the social worker as saying. When she visited the house again on May 9, she found that the par- ents had gone out and the boy was locked in- side. “The boy was res- cued with the help of the Child Welfare Com- mittee on the same day and a complaint was registered with the po- lice,” said the officer. The boy’s manner- isms “resembled (that of) canines,” said the official. He has been admitted to a shelter home for the children. The investiga- tion is ongoing, the po- lice official said. Child, whose mannerisms ‘resembled that of canines’, has been moved to a shelter home
- 4. PERSPECTIVE MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 04 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia l Vol 1 l Issue No. 7 l RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701. Published at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of Manglorean Garden Home, CHS Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part) Ville Parle East, Mumbai 400057. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act SPIRITUAL SPEAK Taste and see how good the Lord is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy! —Bible Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani At QS I-GAUGE Academic Excellence Conclave, felicitated institutions from across India for setting high benchmarks in academia. Congratulated institutions which received ‘Institution of Happiness’ awards for making happiness quotient an integral part of students’ lives on campus. Dr. S. Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar Glad to engage with senior IFS officers undergoing MEA’s Mid Career Training Programme-III. The lively discussion reflected our understanding of a changing world. Confident that they would represent India’s interests abroad effectively in the decade ahead. TOP TWEETS n a landmark judgment to protect free- dom of speech the Supreme Court denied unlimited time to the government to review the obnoxious Sec- tion 124A of the Indian Pe- nal Code, which was being grossly misused by states to suppress dissent and criticism, and stayed its operation.ItaskedtheCen- tral government and those in the states to refrain from registering fresh cases till the law is reviewed as per Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s submission that the Centre has prepared a draft for the reconsidera- tion of law. On that ground the Centre wanted the case to be deferred which the Supreme Court rightly did not agree to. For all those who could not voice their opinions for fear of being jailed for months, the verdict comes as a major relief. However, how draconian or soft it will be in its new avatar after the review can’t be predicted but the govern- ment would want to retain some such weapon in its armoury to keep dissent- ers in check. During arguments on Monday the Centre re- quested for time to re-ex- amine IPC Section 124A but the bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana, Jus- tices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli wanted to know if the government will put the law in abeyance while it is under review. The sedition law was struck down by the Pun- jab and Allahabad High Courts in the fifties for be- ing against freedom of speech, but in 1962 the Su- preme Court upheld its validity in the Kedar Nath Singh versus State of Bi- har. It has taken 60 years for the apex court to grant citizens the much-needed freedom. SC’S HISTORIC STEP AGAINST SEC 124A In a landmark judgment to protect freedom of speech SC denied unlimited time to the government to review the obnoxious Section 124A of the IPC, which was being grossly misused by states to suppress dissent and criticism, and stayed its operation I ISRAEL - PALESTINE CONFLICT LATEST STATUS AND INDIA’S POSITION India has backed the Palestinian right to self- determination and recognised PLO ruled independent state of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem. India has voted for Palestine to be full member of UNESCO and to “non-member” observer state at the UN without voting rights ackground. The Israelite Monarchy is believed to have existed as early as 11th Century BC and de- spite first great Diaspora the Jews remained origi- nal inhabitants of the Pal- estinian region till driven out by Romans in 66 A.D. from their homeland. The conflict arose when the Jews returned to their homeland in Palestine which was under Muslim Rule since 6th Century. Britain’s support for the creation of Jewish state of Israel (Balfour Declara- tion, 1917) escalated the conflict. Establishment of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948, provoked an eight-month war with the Arab states. There have been series wars and conflicts involv- ing Israel, Arab nations, Palestine, Hamas and Hezbollah. The prominent ones are the Six-Day War 1967,YomKippurWar1973, intermittent attacks on each other by Israel and Palestinian militants, 1978 - 2000 and Israel Leba- non war 2006. The region has witnessed two intifa- das or Palestinian upris- ings against Israeli rule, from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. The first one end- ed in 1993 with Self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The second intifada ended when Is- raeli Defence Forces (IDF) vacated occupation of Gaza in September 2005. Peace Initiatives. United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, passed on November 22, 1967, called for the ex- change of land for peace. Since then, many attempts to establish peace in the region have been made es- pecially by US namely, Camp David Accord 1978, Oslo Accords 1993&1995, Peace summit between Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak in 2000, US initia- tive of Jun 2009 & 2010, Revival of peace talks in 2013 and Donald Trump peace plan of 2020. But the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians over land, refugees and holy sites remain unresolved mainly due to lack of trust between both the sides, failure to present mutual- ly acceptable peace plans on security, settlement, control over Jerusalem and involvement of mili- tant outfits like Hamas and Hezbollah. Current Status. The region has witnessed fresh violence in May 2021. Hamas fired over 2,000 rockets at Israel and Israeli military airstrikes razed buildings in the Gaza Strip. The month of Ramadan has been marked by violence in the West Bank, East Jerusa- lem and terror attacks in Israel, killing and injur- ing many civilians. In- flammatory rhetoric and violent clashes between Palestinians and IDF have taken place at the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. Causes of Conflict. The major issues that need to be resolved be- fore a lasting peace can be reached are:- z Disputed Borders, Division of the land and Strong emotions relating to the conflict on both sides. z Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Rights of return of Palestinian refugees. z Status of Jerusalem. The three largest Abrahamic Religions - Judaism (Tem- ple Mount), Christianity (Church of Holy Sepul- chre), and Islam (Al- Aqsa Mosque) hold Jerusalem as an important setting for their religious and histori- cal narratives., z Security concerns over terrorism, safe borders, incitements, violence and Water shar- ing issues. INDIA’S POSITION AND WAY AHEAD India and Israel marked 30 years of full diplomatic relations in 2022 and both countries have moved closer since then and have developed strategic part- nership in areas such as defence, security, agricul- ture, water management and innovation. Today the Indo Israeli trade (exclud- ing Defence) stands at 6.5 bn USD with balance of trade in favour of India. India has backed the Palestinian right to self- determination and recog- nised PLO ruled inde- pendent state of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem. India has vot- ed for Palestine to be full member of UNESCO and to “non-member” observ- er state at the UN without voting rights. India has extended monetary assis- tance and implemented construction projects in Palestine and has a mar- ginal trade to the tune of 30 million USD. India has so far adopted a balanced posture while dealing with both sides. During the visit of Pales- tinian President to India in 2017 the customary line in support of East Jerusa- lem as the capital of Pal- estine was dropped and Ramallah was excluded from Indian PM’s itiner- ary during his visit of Is- rael. Subsequently Indian PM separately visited Ra- mallah in February 2018, and called for an inde- pendent Palestinian state. Way Ahead. India’s re- lationship with Israel has to be on its own merits, in- dependent and separate from India’s relationship with the Palestine. Indian support to commence ne- gotiations by both sides to resolve all conflict issues and achieve a two-state so- lution to the problem re- mains critical. If India joins Arab-Israeli scientif- ic and technological initia- tives, where Israel is seen not necessarily as an ene- my , but, rather, a potential partner in achieving pro- gress in the Middle East, then India will be able to protect and secure its growing stakes and vital interests in the region. As India is emerging global player in politics and eco- nomics, de-hyphenating Israel and Palestine be- comesanessentialingredi- ent of our foreign policy . THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL B COL RAJESH BHUKAR, The author is a retired Army officer
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- 6. MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 05 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia New Delhi (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday, refused to grant any interim re- lief in a matter pertain- ing to the Life Insur- ance Corporation of India (LIC) initial pub- lic offering (IPO) issue and issued notice to the Centre on petitions challenging the consti- tutional validity of pro- visions of certain sec- tions of Finance Act, 2021 and certain provi- sion of LIC Act 1956. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasim- ha asked the Centre to file a reply on various petitions. But the bench said, “We are of the view that no case of in- terim relief has been made out. No interim relief granted.” The Court also tagged the matter with proceed- ings before the Consti- tution Bench as the pe- titions also raised is- sues regarding the en- actment of law as a money bill. One of the petition- ers has challenged the order of the Madras HC while other one has challenged Bombay HC order. PIL in Madras HC C was filed by L Ponnam- mal, a LIC policyholder, challenging passing of Finance Act, 2021 as a money bill as he stated that the amendment does not fall in the cat- egory of Money Bill. Supreme Court refuses interim relief, issues notice LIC IPO SHARE ALLOTMENT A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant & PS Narasimha asked the Central government to file a reply on various petitions New Delhi (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investiga- tion (CBI) has named 10 NGOs, including Omidyar, a US-based organization, as accused in the case of allegedly conspiring to illegally facilitate the registration and renewal of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licences. FCRA is a mandatory requirement to receive foreign funds. The FCRA unit is part of the Foreigners Division of the MHA and it offers services such as renewal of regis- tration, filing annual returns and even fresh registra- tion. To maintain transparency, most of the services are online.Omidyar was placed on a watch list by the MHA last year and all of its foreign donations were Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has suspended state mining secretary Pooja Singhal after she was arrested Wednesday by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case and sent to remand for five days. The state’s de- partment of personnel, administrative reforms and ‘rajbhasha’ (official language) has issued a notice citing Singhal’s arrest under section 19 of the PMLA Act as the reason for her suspen- sion.This comes after chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday said his government would take all ‘possible legal actions’ against Singhal following her ar- rest.Singhal was arrest- ed by the central agency in connection with the alleged embezzlement of (MGNREGA) funds from Khunti district. New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) The SC directed the authorities to exam- ine future applications for a grant of visa to be filed by those foreigners, who were blacklisted from travelling to India for 10 years for alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities, on a case-to-case basis in ac- cordance with law. The apex court was hearing pleas, including those challenging the orders blacklisting several citizens of 35 countries from travelling to India for 10 years for alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar noted that SG Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, has in “all fairness” submitted that separate blacklisting order hasn’t been served on petition- ers or similarly placed persons. New Delhi (PTI): After hearing a bail plea of Jitendra Tyagi alias Wasim Rizvi, an ac- cused in a case related to alleged hate speech made at the Dharam Sansad held at Harid- war in Uttarakhand in December 2021, the Su- preme Court, on Thurs- day, admonished him to be sensitised before asking others to sensi- tise. “Before they ask to sensitise others, they’ve to sensitise themselves first. They’re not sensi- tised. This is something which is spoiling the whole atmosphere” a bench of the apex court observed referring to the controversial Harid- war Dharam Sansad. Jitendra Tyagi alias Wasim Rizvi, former Shia Waqf Board chief, is under detention ever since he was arrested in connection with the in- vestigation into the hate speeches at the Hardiwar Dharam San- sad held in December last year. The bench, headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi, comprising Justice Vikram Nath issued a notice on the SLP filed by Tyagi challenging the March 8 order of the U’khand HC which de- nied him bail. It direct- ed State of Uttara- khand to file a response on the matter. “File the counter. We are not con- cerned about what hap- pened, we’ve to take to- tality of matter, punish- ment, period of custody , etc. what further do you want. Tell us that”, the bench told lawyer rep- resenting state govt.” CBI NAMES 10 NGOS INCLUDING OMIDYAR IN FCRA BRIBE CASE JHARKHAND GOVT SUSPENDS IAS POOJA SINGHAL FUTURE VISAS OF BLACK LISTERS BE REVIEWED, SAYS SC SC notice to U’khand govt on Tyagi’s bail in hate speech case IN THE COURTYARD The petitions also raised issues regarding the enactment of law as a money bill. New Delhi (ANI): Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi on Thursday stressed on 100 per cent coverage of the welfare schemes and said that saturation is his dream. The Prime Minister added that saturation leaves no space for ap- peasement politics. “My dream is satura- tion. We should move towards 100 per cent coverage. Government machinery should get used to this and a belief should be generated among the citizens,” he said while addressing ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ vir- tually . “The country has made this resolve to cover 100 per cent of the beneficiaries. When there is 100 per cent cov- erage of schemes, the appeasement politics come to an end. There remains no space for it,” PM Modi added. The PM also high- lighted the motive of his government as it moves to complete eight years at the Centre, and said that his tenure has been dedicated to ser- vice, good governance and welfare of the poor. The Prime Minister re- called his life in Gujarat spent with the people of the state and said that it is due to his experience here that he is working for the country as a member of the family . “The eight years of my government at the Centre have been dedi- cated to service, good governance & poor’s welfare. Whatever I am able to do today, I have learnt it all near you. It is through that experi- ence that I am working for the citizens as a fam- ily. It is government’s effort that the deserv- ing beneficiary shouldn’t be left behind from government schemes,” he said. “Saturation means that the benefit reaches the last person in society,” the PM said ‘APPEASEMENT POLITICS ENDS WITH 100% COVERAGE OF GOVT SCHEMES’ EMOTIONAL PM PROMISES HELP TO GIRLS New Delhi (ANI): PM Modi got emo- tional while interact- ing with daughter of a beneficiary of govt schemes who was visually challenged. He asked him if he imparts education to his daughters, to which the latter said that one of the three daughters wanted to become a doctor. PM asked the rea- son for the daugh- ter to choose medi- cine as a career, to which she said, “I want to become a doctor because of the problem that my father is suffer- ing from”. Getting emotional, the PM maintained a few moments of silence “Your compassion is your strength,” he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Utkarsh Samaroh through a video conference in Gujarats Bharuch district, in New Delhi. —PHOTO BY PTI PM TO PAY 5TH VISIT TO NEPAL ON MAY 16 New Delhi (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Lumbini next week on Monday at the invi- tation of Nepali coun- terpart Sher Bahadur Deuba, according to the Ministry of External Af- fairs on Thursday. This will be Prime Minister’s fifth visit to Nepal since 2014. According to a ministry statement, PM Modi will visit the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers at Lumbini. He will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organized by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Government of Nepal. Separately, during his visit on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, PM Modi will participate in the “Shilanyas” ceremony for the construction of a centre for Buddhist culture and heritage, in a plot belonging to the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi within the Lumbini Monastic Zone. Chinaatdoor:IndianArmytobuy 12 more weapon-locating radars New Delhi: The Army is looking to acquire 12 made-in-India weapon locating radars, which would add significantly to its defences along the China front. The system, called the Swathi, enables sol- diers to automatically detect the location from where enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets are being fired upto a distance of 50 kilometres. The sys- tem is capable of simul- taneously detecting multiple projectiles which have been fired towards friendly posi- tions. Knowing the lo- cation of enemy weap- ons such as artillery guns enables the Army to launch a counter- strike to take them out. The Swathi radars, which have been devel- oped by the DRDO and built by Bharat Elec- tronics Limited, will likely cost the ex-cheq- uer Rs 1, 000 crore if the acquisition is cleared by a high-level Defence Ministry meet- ing. The newly devel- oped Swathi system was given for trials in the Army in 2018. ED siezes over `133cr worth funds of former Odisha MLA MEA, Saudi counterpart discuss devp New Delhi (ANI): EAM S Jaishankar held talks with his Saudi counter- part Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and re- viewed bilateral coop- eration between the two countries. “A good discussion with FM @ FaisalbinFarhan of SaudiArabia.Reviewed our bilateral coopera- tion and the Strategic Partnership Council’s progress. Also spoke about the Ukraine con- flict and its political, energy and economic fallout,” S Jaishankar said in a tweet. Bhubaneswar (ANI): The Enforcement Di- rectorate (ED) carried out search operations at various offices and residential premises of former MLA of Cham- pua Constituency Ji- tendra Nath Patnaik & related entities at Joda in Keonjhar district and Bhubaneswar un- der PMLA Act, 2002 and seized Rs 70 lakh cash and Rs 133.17 cr fixed deposits in an il- legal mining case. Pat- naik has allegedly de- rived undue pecuniary advantage by way of il- legal mining without necessary statutory ap- provals. “A seizure of cash amounting to Rs 70L & 124 Nos of fixed deposits amounting to Rs 133.17 cr have been made during search op- erations along with a seizure of various in- criminating documents & digital evidences,” the ED said. Colombo (PTI): Sri Lankan Parliament will debate a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on May 17, the Speaker’s Office confirmed on Thursday, amid the ongoing political turmoil triggered by the worst economic crisis plaguing the debt-ridden country. The decision was taken during the party leaders’ meeting on Thursday. The motion would be taken up for debate after obtaining special approval from Parliament, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.Speak- ing at a press conference after the party leaders met at the Parliament complex, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that the proposal submitted by the leaders will be prepared and handed over to the President Rajapaksa. New Delhi (ANI): In his first visit outside Delhi after taking over as Army Chief, General Manoj Pande on Thursday started his three- day tour of the Ladakh sector where he would review the overall security situation along the borders with China and Pakistan. The Army Chief arrived in Ladakh on Thursday and would be briefed on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China by North- ern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and ‘Fire and Fury’ Corps Commander Lt Gen A Sengupta. On the first day of his visit, the Gen Pande reviewed the equipment used by the Army in the Ladakh sector including unmanned aerial vehicles along with other ‘Made-in- India’ defence equipment, Army officials said. SRI LANKA PARL TO DISCUSS NO-TRUST MOTION AGAINST PREZ RAJAPAKSA ON MAY 17 ARMY CHIEF GEN PANDE VISITS LADAKH TO REVIEW OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS CRUCIAL READ FAKE CH RAID: 4 CBI OFFICERS ARRESTED, DISMISSED KASHMIRI PANDIT SHOT IN OFFICE New Delhi: The CBI has dis- missed its four sub-inspectors allegedly involved in a fake raid on a company in Chandigarh to extort money after arrest- ing them in a corruption case, officials said.As part of its zero- tolerance policy towards corrup- tion, CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal swung into action after the episode was brought to his notice and issued directions to dismiss the ac- cused officers- Sumit Gupta, Pradeep Rana, Ankur Kumar, Akash Ahlawat from service, they said. Srinagar, (PTI) A Kashmiri Pan- dit government employee, Rahul Bhat was shot dead by sus- pected militants at his office in Chadoora area of Budgam district of J&K. The gunmen en- tered the Tehsil office and shot at Rahul Bhat, a clerk, the of- ficials said. They said Bhat, who was residing in a migrant colony at Sheikhpura, was shifted to a hospital here but succumbed to his injuries.Cops are searching for assailants. LEGAL PURVIEW
- 7. MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 06 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia New Delhi (PTI): A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has developed efficient remote powering and communication tech- nology for futuristic IoT-based applications such as battery-free wireless cameras, wire- less monitors, sensors and skin-attachable sensing platforms. The findings of this study were published in the Wireless Networks, a prominent journal. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a collec- tion of objects that can exchangedatawitheach other through the Inter- net. IoT devices range from ordinary house- hold appliances in a “smart” home to sophis- ticated industrial and scientific tools. These smart things are equipped with sensors, chips, and software that must be powered and stay in communication with other devices at all times. According to the team, simplistic power sources like batteries may be unsuitable for such applications be- cause of the constancy of power required, and because some of these “things” may be embed- ded or hidden, which makes changing batter- ies difficult. “We have developed a cooperative model, in which, back- scatter communication and radiofrequency en- ergy harvesting devices acttogethertooptimally allocate the resources such as time and anten- na weights,” said Shi- vam Gujral, PhD schol- ar, School of Computing and Electrical Engineer- ing, IIT Mandi. “In backscatter com- munication, as before, power is transmitted via radio waves, but with or without the need for a dedicated transmitter. Instead, RF signals available in the vicinity, such as WiFi, cell phone signals, etc, are harnessed through reflection and backscat- ter to power the IoT ob- jects,” Gujral said. IIT-Mandi team develops wireless powering tech for IoT apps POWER OF COMMUNICATION THE INTERNET OF THINGS IS A COLLECTION OF OBJECTS THAT CAN EXCHANGE DATA WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH THE INTERNET A view of IIT Mandi campus. —FILE PHOTO New Delhi (PTI): The SC on Thursday told the ED that they can go to Kolkata and conduct the investigation in a m o n e y - l a u n d e r i n g probe, linked to an al- leged coal scam in West Bengal, in which the agency had issued summons to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Ba- nerjee. As the ED referred to how CBI officials were ‘gheraoed’ in Kolkata earlier and said that Ab- hishek Banerjee is po- litically “influential”, the apex court observed it may say the Kolkata Police shall extend all cooperation and the state would be bound by that, the moment the agency would make a requisition 72 hours in advance. A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit was hearing an appeal of Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Baner- jee against a Delhi HC order dismissing their petition seeking quash- ing of summons issued to them in the money- laundering probe linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal. Sr advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for pe- titioners, said they are not preventing probe ED can visit Kolkata conduct probe. “Sup- posing in case we say whatever documents, records you need, every page shall be made available and you can come down to Kolkata,” the bench, told ASG S V Raju who was repre- senting the ED. Can go to Kolkata conduct probe, says SC PLEA BY TMC MP ABHISHEK BANERJEE, WIFE Birla:Actionplanneeded toaddressNEchallenges Centre has taken steps for region’s all round development, he said Itanagar: LS Speaker Om Birla while address- ing the inaugural cere- mony of two-day con- ference of Common- wealth Parliamentary Association, India Re- gion Zone 3, at State As- sembly, emphasised on the need to prepare an action plan for diversed northeastern states to address their challeng- es and achieve sustain- able development. The multiplicity of topographical features, tribal communities, are significant chal- lenges which, however, is offset by ‘multifari- ous strengths’ of NE, he pointed out. “Diligence, hardworking ethos, people’s talent can be harnessed to overcome challenges,” Birla said. Om Birla Inaugurated state of the art museum of Arunachal Pradesh State Legislative Assembly in Itanagar on Thursday. The northeast has been affect- ed by extrem- ism terrorism for a long time. The more we nurture democratic ethos, involve people in democratic process, make action plans for development. —Om Birla, LS Speaker COVID-19: India records 2,827 fresh cases in the last 24 hrs New Delhi: India on Thursday recorded a minor dip in daily Cov- id-19 cases as compared to a day before. A total of 2,827 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours - 70 fewer than Wednesday - tak- ing the total tally of cases to 43,113,413. The country reported a total of 24 deaths in last 24 hours, taking total fa- talities to 5,24,181, ac- cording to the union health ministry . India’s active case- load currently stands at 19,067 - it is 0.04% of the total cases.The daily positivity rate in India stands at 0.60%, while the weekly positivity rate stands at 0.72%, as per the health ministry . India’s cumulative Cov- id-19 vaccine coverage has reached around 190.83 cr people. Over 3.10 cr first doses 1.10 cr second doses have been administered for those aged 12 to 14 yrs. New Delhi: Seeking to give a thrust to medical tourism, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thurs- day suggested establish- ing facilitation centres at Indian embassies across the world for people wanting to travel to India for treatment. Addressing a round- table conference with senior IFS officers on Building Brand India, he also said that a ‘One Step’ portal will be set up for the convenience and to provide credible information for those from abroad who want to avail treatment in India. “Today, people from different countries of the world are coming to India for treatment in large numbers. With an aim to further boost medical tour- ism, the Government of India has launched ‘Heal in India’ pro- gram under the lead- ership of the PM. ‘One-Step’ portal will be set up for convenience: Health Minister Telangana needs ‘double engine govt’: Sawant Hyderabad (PTI): Not- ing that Goa has achieved rapid progress under BJP rule with the help of NDA govern- ment at the Centre, state CM Pramod Sawant said Telangana should also achieve similar development with a “double engine government” in place. He said “Goa takes up development in every way, as a double engine government, with the help of Central govern- ment. You will come to know if you visit Goa and see as to what are the benefits of double engine,” Sawant said. Kendrapada, Odisha: Odisha has escaped being hit by Cyclone ‘Asani’, but the high tide under its influence and the resulting erosion has washed away thousands of eggs of Olive Ridley turtles from the mass nesting site at the mouth of Rushikulya river off Ganjam coast. The erosion in land mass at river mouth due to Cyclone Asani near Podampeta in southern Odisha’s Ganjam district was more than in other beaches in river mouth, said Amlan Nayak, the DFO, Berhampur on Thursdsay. Due to the erosion around 15 to 20% of record 5.5L eggs laid by sea turtles in 5 km-long nesting site from March 28 to April 4 might have been damaged, he said. New Delhi (PTI): Gold in the national capital on Thursday jumped Rs 241 to Rs 50,797 per 10 grams, supported by a sharp fall in rupee, according to HDFC Securities. The precious metal had ended at Rs 50,556 per 10 grams in the previous trade. In contrast, silver declined by Rs 729 to Rs 60,158 per kg from Rs 60,887 per kg in the previous trade. Snapping its two- day winning streak, the rupee slumped by 15 paise to end at 77.40 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday. In the international market, gold was trading marginally lower at USD 1,851 per ounce while silver was flat at USD 21.30 per ounce. THOUSANDS OF OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES’ EGGS WASHED AWAY DUE TO ASANI’S IMPACT GOLD JUMPS RS 241; SILVER DECLINES BY RS 729, SAY STOCK MARKET EXPERTS CRUCIAL READ Shimla (PTI): Former Union minister Pandit Sukh Ram was cremated on Thursday with full state honours in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi as hundreds of people joined CM Jai Ram Thakur and other state ministers to pay their last respects. Before the cremation at Hanuman Ghat, his mortal remains were kept for Seti Manch for Antim Darshan. His son and BJP MLA Anil Sharma lit the unreal pyre. UNION MINISTER SUKH RAM CREMATED WITH FULL STATE HONOURS Dubai (AP): Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, reported on Thursday it handled over 13.6 million passengers in first 3 months of 2022 more than double last year’s number in a clear sign that a long- awaited travel revival has reached global aviation hub. This quarter’s passenger count represents airport’s busiest since the virus struck in 2020 compares to just 5.7 million passengers logged last year. TRAVEL IS BACK: DUBAI AIRPORT LOGS BUSIEST QUARTER IN YEARS Sanskrit scholar Bhagirath Prasad Tripathi dies at 86 Varanasi: Sanskrit scholar Bhagirath Pras- ad Tripathi, better known as Vagish Shas- tri, has died in Varanasi after a prolonged ill- ness, his family said on Thursday. He was 86-years-old. PM Narendra Modi, expressing his condo- lence tweeted, “Prof Bhagirath Prasad Trip- athi ‘Vagish Shastri’ made priceless contri- butions in making San- skrit more popular among youth using modern scientific meth- ods. He was extremely knowledgeable Pained by his demise. Condo- lences to his family and friends. Om shanti.” Abhishek Banerjee AAP MLA detained as bulldozers roll in Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar New Delhi (PTI ): Con- tinuing its controver- sial anti-encroachment drive within the nation- wide capital, the BJP- governed civic phy- sique in the present day rolled into Madanpur Khadar in South East Delhi and demolished a number of buildings it deemed as unlawful de- velopment. As the stir escalated, there was stone pelting the po- lice resorted to lathi- charge to disperse an indignant crowd. More than 10 folks, two girls the native MLA, Ama- natullah Khan, have been detained by police. At least 168 terrorists active in JK, 75 killed this year:Army Jammu (PTI): At least 168 terrorists are oper- ating in Jammu and Kashmir while 75 have been killed in encoun- ters with security forc- es this year, officials said. Among those neu- tralised include 21 for- eign mercenaries, they pointed out. In past 11 months, 11 terrorists were encountered 12 infiltration bids were foiled in vicinity of the LoC alone, they said. Will call me once he is free: Cong’s Patel on RaGa’s snub New Delhi: Rubbish- ing speculations of him joining the BJP, Guja- rat Congress working president Hardik Patel said rumours are part of politics. On Rahul Gandhi not meeting him personally during his Gujarat visit, a de- fensive Patel said there was no time as he had to wrap up a lot of meetings with commu- nity leaders in 5-6 hours. Mansukh Mandviya Pramod Sawant Cases drop everywhere, except Africa Geneva (AP): The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in Americas and Africa, the WHO said in its latest assessment of pandemic. In its weekly pandemic report released late Wednesday, the U.N. health agency said about 3.5 million new cases and more than 25,000 deaths were reported globally, which respectively rep- resent decreases of 12% 25%. The downward trend in reported infec- tions began in March. SC notice to U’khand on plea by Wasim Rizvi New Delhi (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Uttarakhand gov- ernment on a plea of Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi, formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, against the HC order rejecting his bail in con- nection with the inves- tigation into the hate speeches at the Hardi- war Dharam Sansad held in December last year. A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath sought the State’s response on the bail plea of Jitendra Tyagi while observing that they are “spoiling the whole atmosphere”. “Before they ask to sen- sitise others they have to sensitise themselves first. They are not sen- sitised. This is some- thing which is spoiling the whole atmosphere,” the bench said while re- ferring to the contro- versial Haridwar Dha- ram Sansad event. Tya- gi, who was once the chief of UP Shia Waqf Board before accepting Hindusim, has chal- lenged the March 8 or- der of the Uttarakhand High Court which de- nied him bail.
- 8. BIZ BUZZ MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 07 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Retailinflationsoarsto8-yrhighof7.79% New Delhi (PTI): Re- tail inflation soared to an eight-year high of 7.79% in April on an- nual basis mainly due to stubbornly high food prices, remaining above the RBI’s upper tolerance level for the fourth month in a row. Inflation based on the Consumer Price In- dex (CPI) was 6.95% in March this year and 4.23% in April 2021. Inflation in the food basket rose to 8.38% in April from 7.68% in the preceding month and 1.96% in the year-ago month. The Reserve Bank of India has been man- dated by the govern- ment to ensure that in- flation remains at 4% with a margin of 2% on either side. The retail inflation has remained above 6% since January 2022. After the off-cycle Monetary Policy Com- mittee (MPC) meeting of RBI last week, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had said the ad- verse effects of the un- precedented high glob- al food prices due to the ongoing geopolitical situation are reflecting in the domestic market as well, and going for- ward inflationary pres- sures are likely to con- tinue. Meanwhile, sources said the cen- tral bank is likely to raise inflation projec- tions in the MPC meet- ing next month and would also consider a rate hike to tame infla- tion which is above its comfort level. Earlier, the MPC raised the key policy rate (repo) by 40 basis points with an aim to tame the rising inflation. It was the first rate hike after Au- gust 2018. The retail inflation has remained above 6% since January 2022. CPI INFLATION New Delhi (PTI): Prices of home appli- ances and consumer electronics, includ- ing TV , washing ma- chines, and refriger- ators, are expected to go up by 3 to 5% from May end or the first week of June as man- ufacturers pass on the impact of rising input costs to buyers. Moreover, the de- preciating Indian ru- pee against the US dollar has put fur- ther woes on manu- facturers as import- ed components have become costlier, with the industry largely being dependent on imports for key com- ponents. Adding to the challenges, there has been shortage of parts triggered by piling up of contain- ers at Shanghai port due to strict lock- down in the city fol- lowing the surge in COVID-19 cases. Consumer durables to see 3-5% price hikes SENSEX SINKS FOR 5TH DAY Mumbai (PTI): The Sensex nosedived over 1,150 points while the Nifty crashed below the 16,000-level on Thurs- day, extending their los- ing streak to the fifth straight session, as world markets were un- nerved by elevated US inflation which trig- gered concerns of ac- celerated rate hikes. The forex market too bore the brunt of heightened risk aver- sion, with the rupee plunging to a fresh life- time low of 77.63 per US dollar intra-day amid foreign capital out- flows. The 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 1,158.08 points or 2.14% to finish at an over two-month low of 52,930.31. Similarly, the broader NSE Nif- ty tanked 359.10 points or 2.22% to 15,808. Barring Wipro, all Sensex constituents finished in the red. IndusInd Bank lost 5.82%, followed by Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, HDFC, Titan and LT. In value terms, HDFC twins and Reliance In- dustries were the top drags on the benchmark. ` FALLS 15 PAISE TO CLOSE 77.40 AGAINST $ Mumbai (PTI): Snapping its two-day winning streak, the rupee slumped by 15 paise to end at 77.40 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, following risk- off sentiments amid increasing concerns over inflation globally. At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened steeply lower at 77.52 against the greenback and moved in a range of 77.36 to 77.63 in the day trade. The rupee finally ended at 77.40, down by 15 paise over its previous close. PNB SHARES TUMBLE NEARLY 14% AFTER Q4 EARNINGS New Delhi (PTI): Shares of Punjab Na- tional Bank (PNB) on Thursday tumbled nearly 14% after the company reported over 60% decline in standalone net profit for the quarter ended March 2022. The stock tanked 13.60% to end at `28.60 apiece on the BSE. During the day, it tumbled 13.89% to its 52-week low of `28.50. On the NSE, it plummet- ed 12.53% to settle at Rs 28.95 apiece. In volume terms, 171.82 lakh shares were traded on the BSE and over 20.34 crore shares on the NSE during the day. Labour force increases 8.8 million in April New Delhi (Agen- cies): The labour force in India in- creased by 8.8 mil- lion from 428.4 mil- lion in March 2022 to 437.2 million in April 2022, one of the larg- est monthly increas- es, with working age people who were out of the labour force joining back the la- bour market in April 2022. The 8.8 million in- crease in the labour force in April comes after a 12 million fall in labour market during the preceding three months when labour moved out of the labour markets during January- March. However, employ- ment expanded by 7 million in April 2022. Mumbai (PTI): The median salary incre- ment this year is likely to be around 8.13% as the country recovered from the after effects of pandemic-related dis- ruptions, a report said. According to the ‘Jobs and Salary Prim- er Report for FY2022 by TeamLease’, unlike the last two years, this year most of the job roles from across sectors have been considered for a salary hike, how- ever, the increments will be moderate. Of the 17 sectors re- viewed in this report, 14 have indicated a single digit hike and the me- dian salary increment will be around 8.13%. Another interesting aspect that the report has found is that there is a growing interest from India Inc towards Hot and Upcoming jobs, she pointed out. “While in 2020-21 only five out of the 17 sectors had created Hot Job roles, however, in FY22 close to nine sec- tors had created cutting edge or new-age roles,” she added. The report further revealed that while con- servatism is the under- lying theme, employers are not shying away from rewarding skills, especially niche skills. Employers continue to place a premium on super-specialised job roles and the demand for this job category continues to rise, it said, adding that the growth rates in the cat- egory have inched up between 11% and 12% this year. The top pay- masters include e-com- merce and tech start- ups, healthcare and al- lied industries, IT and knowledge services. Annual salary hikes to be around 8.13% Of the 17 sectors reviewed, 14 have indicated a single digit hike and the median salary increment will be around 8.13%. Factory output grew 1.9 per cent in March New Delhi (PTI): In- dia’s industrial produc- tion rose 1.9% in March 2022, according to offi- cial data released on Thursday . As per the Index of Industrial Produc- tion (IIP) data released by the National Statisti- cal Office (NSO), the manufacturing sector’s output grew 0.9% in March 2022. Mining output climbed 4%, and power generation in- creased 6.1%. The IIP had grown by 24.2% in March 2021. During 2021-22, the IIP grew 11.3% as against an 8.4% contraction in 2020-21. Industrial pro- duction has been hit due to the coronavirus pandemic since March 2020, when it had con- tracted 18.7%. NTPC TO RAISE `5,000 CRORE VIA TERM-LOAN New Delhi (PTI): State-owned power giant NTPC has in- vited bids for raising term-loan of up to `5,000 crore, which would be utilised for capital expenditure for ongoing or new electricity generation capacity addition projects. “Proceeds of the loan shall be utilised towards capital expenditure for ongoing/new capacity addition programme,” as per the request for proposal (RFP) doc- ument released. TaMo Q4: LOSS NARROWS TO `992 CRORE New Delhi (PTI): Homegrown auto major Tata Motors on Thursday reported narrowing of con- solidated net loss at `992.05 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 2022. The company had posted a consolidated net loss of `7,585.34 crore in the same period last fiscal. Its total consolidat- ed revenue from operations stood at `78,439.06 crore in the fourth quarter as against `88,627.90 crore in 2021 period. SpiceJet, Axis Bank launch co-branded credit card New Delhi (PTI): SpiceJet and Axis Bank on Thursday launched a co-brand- ed credit card that will come in two variants, the airline said in a statement. The card is designed to enable customers use the rewards earned on their daily spends for booking flights and add-ons, thus encouraging both travel and digi- tal payments embed- ded with benefits of the SpiceJet frequent flyer programme, SpiceClub, it said. New Delhi (Agencies): American automaker Ford on Thursday said that it has withdrawn plans to manufacture electric vehicles in In- dia. The company has also communicated to the government that it no longer intends to in- vest in the country un- der the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. “After careful review, we have decided to no longer pursue EV man- ufacturing for exports from any of the Indian plants. We remain grateful to the govern- ment for approving our proposal under the Pro- duction-Linked Incen- tives and for being sup- portive while we contin- ued our exploration. Ford’s application was selected under In- dia’s PLI scheme. NO TAX REASSESSMENT NOTICE TILL FY15: CBDT New Delhi (PTI): The Income Tax Depart- ment has asked field of- fices to not issue reas- sessment notices for 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years to small taxpayers where- in the income escaping from tax is less than Rs 50 lakh. Issuing an instruc- tion on implementation of the apex court judge- ment regarding notices sent beyond the three- year reassessment pe- riod, the department said that for FY16 and FY17 where the time- line for issue of such notices falls within the 3 years, tax officers will issue show-cause notic- es and provide informa- tion to taxpayers for initiating reassessment proceedings within 30 days. CBDT asked tax offic- ers to give taxpayers two weeks’ time to re- spond to such notices, which can be further extended at taxpayer’s request in genuine cas- es. The Supreme Court had earlier this month ruled in favour of the I-T Department and up- held all reassessment notices issued on/after April 1, 2021-- reopening assessments going back to up to 6 years. FORD OPTS OUT OF PLI SCHEME Indiamayconsider PTA with Oman New Delhi (PTI): India may consider negotiating a pref- erential trade agreement (PTA) with Oman to fur- ther boost econom- ic ties between the countries, Com- merce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday . India is also un- der active discus- sions with Gulf Co- operation Council (GCC) for a compre- hensive trade agree- ment, the minister said. GCC is a union of six countries in the Gulf region, name- ly Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. “We may consid- er doing a preferen- tial trade agree- ment with Oman to begin with because we are looking for a c o m p r e h e n s ive agreement between the GCC region and India, (which is) un- der active discus- sion,” Goyal said. In a PTA, trading partners reduce im- port duties on cer- tain identified prod- ucts to boost trade. WHAT’S IN PTA Piyush Goyal and Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef.
- 9. MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 08 2NDFRONT www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia The person with whom you can share your wildest dreams, treasure that person always. —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India DY Patil stadium wicket like Perth: Mitchell Marsh Mumbai (ANI): The wicket at Dr DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai reminds him of the Perth Stadium, Delhi Capitals batter Mitch- ell Marsh said, after his match-winning knock of 89 runs. A 144-run stand be- tween Marsh (89) and David Warner (52*) helped DC beat Ra- jasthan Royals by eight wickets at DY Pa- til Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. “It was a tough game. Physically it’s tough when you bowl a bit and bat a bit. Slower balls and cutters, they were tough to score. 160 was par. But it’s about one good partnership. The first four-five overs of powerplay were about as tough a bat- ting as I’ve had in T20 cricket. It was swing- ing, a bit of seam there, and there was bounce. Reminds me of Perth Stadium this wicket,” said Marsh in a post- match presentation. “Felt like the last cou- pleof gamesI’vegotback to hitting the ball like I wanted to. I honestly thought I smashed it first, wasn’t worried one bit. Which is probably a goodthingbecauseItend to look guilty when I think I’m out,” he added. Chasing 161, DC start- ed off horribly as they lost the wicket of their openingbatter,KSBharat for a duck. Later, Marsh and Warner’s 144-run partnership turned the tide in their side's favour. For RR, Ravichan- dran Ashwin and Devdutt Padikkal starred with the bat and scored 50 and 48 runs, respectivelytotaketheir side to a total of 160/6, in the first innings. 144-run stand between Mitchell Marsh (89) and David Warner (52*) helped DC beat RR by 8 wickets PARTNERSHIP THAT TURNED THE TIDE Delhi Capitals Mitchell Marsh celebrates his half-ton against RR in Mumbai on Wednesday. — PHOTO BY ANI BJP eyes voters from north India to win BMC elections First India Mumabi Mumbai: In a bid to unseat its former ally Shiv Sena, in the up- coming Brihanmum- bai Municipal Corpo- ration (BMC) elec- tions, the BJP is leav- ing no stones un- turned to get voters from north India in the city into their fold. From a mega rally on May 15 in suburban Goregaon, to events targeting these voters, BJP’s campaign is worked out to specifical- ly reach out to this cru- cial chunk. Former Ma- harashtra minis- ter Kripashankar Singh, who was also with the Congress ear- lier, has been given the charge of the party’s North Indian cell ahead of BMC polls. “In the 2017 BMC polls, the BJP came neck and neck with Shiv Sena after con- testing the polls sepa- rately. However, the party decided not to hurt Sena further and let it control the BMC for five more years. This time, we are un- der no such obliga- tion,” a senior BJP leader said. “In Mumbai, there are over 40 lakh voters who hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The number is slightly less than one third share of the voters in Mumbai. They have an influential presence in some 40 wards out of the total 227 in BMC. They also have a deci- sive presence in anoth- er 50 wards,” he said. Another BJP leader said, “You will see some events organised by the BJP targeting these vot- ers. We have prepared some profiles of voters- from which region they have come here. Based on it, our campaign and reach-out strategy is be- ing worked out.” In Mumbai, there are over 40 lakh voters who hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The number is slightly less than one third share of the voters in Mumbai. They have an influen- tial presence in some 40 wards out of the total 227 in BMC. They also have a decisive presence in another 50 wards. — A senior BJP leader Former Maharashtra minister Kripashankar Singh, who was also with the Congress earlier, has been given the charge of the party’s North Indian cell ahead of BMC polls. INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY Nurses of Global Hospital play bucket drums during a music therapy session, on the occasion of International Nurses Day in Mumbai on Thursday. —PHOTO BY PTI Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati to contest polls from RS Pune (PTI): Samb- hajiraje Chhatrapati, a former Rajya Sabha member, on Thurs- day announced that he would contest the next election to Par- liament’s Upper House independently. He also announced the setting up of a new outfit, ‘Swaraj’, at a press conference here. “Going by the work I have done for society during my six years’ ten- ureasPresident-appoint- ed Rajya Sabha MP , I am entitled to become a Ra- jyaSabhamemberagain, and I am sure I will get support,” he said. “Therefore I have de- cided to contest the up- coming RS election in- dependently,” said Sambhajiraje, who is a descendant of Chhatra- pati Shivaji Maharaj. Announces the setting up of an organisation called ‘Swarajya’ No threat of COVID-19 4th wave: Tope Mumbai (PTI): De- spite an upward trend in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, no scenario of a fourth wave of the pandemic is currently emerging in the state and the new infections are largely restricted to two to four districts, Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said. Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Tope said during a meeting organized by the Union health ministry in Gu- jarat last week, he in- teracted with his coun- terparts from Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, which have also reported a rise in new coronavirus cases in the last few weeks. He said the health ministers of Punjab, DelhiandUttarPradesh told him that the cases are rising, but there was no reason to worry as hospitalizations were extremely low. The rate of rise in number of cases is low. If there are 125-150 cas- es (daily) in Maharash- tra, and that too in cer- tain pockets like Mum- bai, Thane, Pune, Na- shik then you can see there is cluster concen- tration in these two to four districts. That does not mean there is a pan- icky situation and that the fourth wave is im- minent... that is not the case, Tope said. But we are keeping a tab on the daily cases. ACB hunts for bizman wanted for taking money in name of ED officials First India Mumabi Mumbai: The Maha- rashtra Anti Corrup- tion Bureau (ACB) has issued a lookout circular against businessman Jiten- dra Navlani, who has been accused of ac- cepting more than Rs58.96 crore from private firms in the name of Enforce- ment Directorate (ED) officials. Shiv Sena MP San- jay Raut, who in March accused of Nav- lani of extorting crores of rupees from builders and business- men at the behest of ED officials, sought to know if the accused has fled the country. If that is the same, then “some powerful peo- ple” have helped him escape, he said. Jitendra Navlani is accused of accepting over `58.96 crore from various private companies In Mumbai, there are over 40 lakh voters who hail from UP and Bihar. The number is slightly less than one third share of voters in Mumbai Renni Abraham Mumbai: Sacked Ut- tar Pradesh Director General (DG) of po- lice (since July 2021) Mukul Goel was re- moved from his post on Wednesday estab- lishing Chief Minis- ter Yogi Adityanath’s complete supremacy in the state and, his clear efforts to plug intelligence loop- holes that were re- cently exposed in the largest state of India. TheGyanvapimosque flare-up since May 07, with large crowds as- sembling to prevent the survey from being car- ried out, was the prover- bial last straw on the camel’s back, that prompted Chief Minis- ter Adityanath to crack the whip and eject Goel from his perch. A senior BJP leader terms the move a sig- nificant development and says, “You must re- member that the fracas that ensued at the Gyan- vapi mosque was a con- sequence of a major police intelligence fail- ure or, even worse fail- ure by the DGP to act on intel inputs through timely intervention to prevent the flare-up.” What is even more significant about Goel’s removal is the fact that he was recommended to the post by none other than Union Home Min- ister Amit Shah around a year back. Before he became DGP, Goel served as Additional Di- rector General of the Border Security Force. However, the Union HM had been upset with Goel’sperformanceover the last few months. CM Yogi, however, had red-flagged Goel’s close association with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav especially , in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elec- tions. Goel was found to have been regularly meeting up with the SP leader and even be- lieved that there was an imminent change in government in UP with Akhilesh set to take over, post-elections and, so was an almost daily visitor to the opposition party leader’s office. He had also served as Additional Director General (Law and Or- der) when the infamous Muzaffarnagar riots had broken out in 2013 under the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav. In poetic justice, a Varanasi court on Wednesday directed the completion of the proposed survey at the Gyanvapi mosque and submission of the re- port by May 17, 2022, while also warning the district administration against any further de- laying tactics under some pretext or the other. This observation comes in the wake of the demand by the peti- tioner Anjuman Inteja- mia Masajid (AIM) for changing the advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra which was also rejected by the court. The sur- vey includes the videography and inspection of the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal and the adjacent G y a n v a p i mosque prem- ises. He was Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s close confidant even in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections UP DGP Mukul Goel sacked over intel failure on Gyanvapi Mosque
- 10. MUMBAI, FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09 ajasthan State Handloom Cor- poration, under the leadership of CMD IAS Neha Giri, con- ducted the Ra- jasthan Handloom Show 2022 on the eve of Ra- jasthan Di- was, which is observed on March 30 every year. The ‘ T i m e Travel’ con- cept of the fashion show was to promote sustainable fashion as well as the craftsmen, weavers, and manufacturers be- hind textile crafts. The fashion show’s design development partner is Aachho, one of India’s premier ethnic wear fashion firms situated in Jaipur. The complete collec- tion was developed uti- lising indigenous natu- ral materials and tradi- tional dyeing and print- ing processes. The as- semblage was wonder- fully created by Rim- jhim Hada, Founder and Creative Head of Aachho, with an em- phasis on integrating ethnic fashion tradi- tions with modern sen- sibilities. White prints contrast with the brightly blue coloured attire. The colour white is said to be neat, easy, and absolute. It fills in firm opposition to the colour black, and its aims are straightfor- ward. As white light in- cludes all the shades of the spectrum, it’s a comprehensive, unbi- ased colour, choosing no particular hue and denying to take sides. The colour white is il- luminating, easing our minds to concentrate and assisting in coor- dination. The colour white is also straightforward, brings in trans- parency, and marks cer- tain boundaries. Also, too much white colour can be difficult, and sometimes even mis- leading. Floral themes and prints on chanderi, Bagru Print and cotton grabbed the show, with matching bags, accesso- ries, and shoes fash- ioned from the same fabric and oxidised sil- ver jewellery. The fashion show, which took place at Hawa Mahal, with mod- els from Style Skool as well as supermodels Candice Pinto and Deepti Gujral as show- stoppers. Sizzlin Scizzors, the official make-up hair partner followed the show theme, giving all the models a striking look Diggi Palace set an example for amazing hospitality for guests. The show was directed by the renowned TV stylist and fashion Cho- reographer, Abhiman- yu Singh Tomar and the entire event was man- aged by Abhishek Singh from Vanamo Enter- tainment. Official fash- ion photographer Yash Jangid captured magi- cal moments thru his lens. The collection will be available on aachho. com starting June 1. GILDED GLAMOUR GILDED GLAMOUR WHITE ATTIRE WHITE ATTIRE THE COLOUR WHITE IN ITSELF LOOKS SO PEACEFUL. IT IS A SYMBOL OF OFFERING, HUMANE, APPRECIATION, ISOLATION, AND ENDURANCE IF NOT STRAIGHT THEN DIFFUSELY. CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU SOME MORE GLIMPSES FROM THE EXOTIC FASHION SHOW HELD AT HAWA MAHAL RECENTLY! MITALI DUSAD cityfirst@firstindia.co.in R
- 11. 10 ETC MUMBAI | FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia F A C E O F T H E D A Y ADITI HUNDIA, Model ARIES MAR 21 - APR 20 It’s a very good day to take calculated risks in financial matters. Those suffering from chronic ailments may find remarkable improvement in their health with home remedies. Today you will enjoy the trust of senior management. Try remaining calm and positive. LIBRA SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22 Your sole dependency on friends may fail to bring any respite from loneliness today. The sound financial health of businessmen would enable them to give monetary benefits to employees. Some of you are going to experience emotional fulfilment on the romantic front. TAURUS APR 21 - MAY 20 You will remain much in demand on the social front. You will succeed in resolving disputes with family members, and normalizing ties. You need to stand by a romantic partner during testing times to make the relationship stronger. Seek the opinion of an expert before anything. SCORPIO OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22 Avoid raising controversial issues at home to maintain harmony. Successful implementation of new ideas and projects would add to your prestige on the professional front. It is a wonderful day to build new connections. Your relationship requires you to be tactful. GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 21 Paying special attention to planning your career would give you immense joy. You are likely to get clearance or approval for your construction plans. You find things moving in the way you want them. Gifting something to your beloved is likely to make the day memorable. SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 22 Investment in antiques and jewellery would bring handsome financial gains. On the professional front, recognition for good work would motivate you to work harder. Those awaiting an affirmation on the romantic front are likely to get lucky today, as their partner responds positively. CANCER JUNE 22 - JULY 23 Continue to put in efforts at work and you will see promising opportunities coming your way. A matrimonial match for siblings will bring happiness to the entire family. You will get a good price for your property. You are likely to receive invaluable guidance from a spiritual leader. CAPRICORN DEC 23 - JAN 20 You may get a chance to pursue an old hobby. Health tips from an expert will enable you to get closer to your fitness goals. Your generous behaviour would enable you to enjoy some lovely moments with your family. Love comes your way as friendship turns into romance. LEO JULY 24 - AUGUST 23 You succeed in completing an important project well before the deadline. Disagreements on the family front are foreseen. Be careful about the legal apprehensions in the property you are planning to buy. Your intuition will save you from a tricky spot today. AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 19 Chances of being misled by competitors in business are high, so remain alert. Seek the opinion of your family before finalizing a property deal. An impromptu invitation to a function from an unexpected friend is likely to be received. Your bold initiatives on the romantic front bring back passion. VIRGO AUG 24 - SEP 23 Some of you are going to experience emotional fulfilment on the romantic front. Yoga would help in raising energy levels and improving your metabolism. Emphasize domestic affairs to enhance domestic tranquillity and harmony. Associating yourself with a social group today. PISCES FEB20 - MARCH 20 Better to consult an expert in financial matters before investing. Harsh words may create a rift in your romantic relationship; be careful. The family will be supportive of my career aspirations. A promising day overall as you stay in limelight without any effort. Health will be satisfactory. YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva married woman once said, “There arenotmanythings in life which can be equal to the happi- ness of a successful marriage. And there are not many things worsethananunhappymar- riage.”Thismakesmarriage sound like a gamble. A cou- ple can either win a lifetime of happiness or experience much pain. Why do so many mar- riages fail to bring happi- ness? It is usually because the wedded pair banks too much on romantic love, an emotion that is derived more from one’s imagina- tion and less from reality . Romantic love causes the couple to think that all their problems will be solved by being happily married. But marriage multiplies these problems which then results in frus- tration. This love tempts them to distort the facts, where the woman may hide her flaws through makeup and the man may be in debt and might not let her know about it or he may claim to be earning more than he is. Infatuation is temporary but true affection is not short-sighted.Ittakesalong- rangeviewof matters.There isasayingthat‘loveisblind.’ But a person with true love has eyes to see qualities, pos- sibilities and faults. Such a person can spare himself from disillusionment and disappointment. In some ways, marriage is like travelling through an area one has never vis- ited before. If we set out with only a vague idea of how to reach our destina- tion, we are surely taking a risk. This risk can be re- duced if one consults some- one who has made this journey before. Often persons have useless thoughts and considerations when choosing a partner than they do when bet- ting on a horse, a counsellor said. Honeymoons reveal that two persons just do not always want the same thing at the same time. They must try to complement and not compete with each other. Does marriage give a li- cence for thoughtless speech? Even if a partner is right and has the best of in- tentions, a harsh remark still hurts. The other part- ner could become sullen, clam up and refuse to talk or can retaliate with similar harshness. Both partners must consider how costly their w o r d s can be in terms of the oth- er’s self-esteem. Is either partner indiffer- ent, insensitive or blind to the other’s needs, prob- lems, feelings and wishes? Being suspicious, over-pos- sessive, rude, vulgar or dis- respectful brings about a gradual alienation and se- rious psychosomatic ef- fects in married life. Many marriages gener- ate discontent due to un- reasonable expectations. Some are dissatisfied because they imagine that other couples are happier than them. The reality is, that there are un- der the surface problems in eve- ryone’s life. Difficulties, cracks and rifts in a rela- tionship develop over a pe- riod of time, due to a series of small irritations and disagreements. A marriage cannot be made happy within a week or a month. The process can be com- pared to repairing the walls of a house that is falling apart. Kindness can be ap- plied just as a mason ap- plies cement brick by brick. One can cement the fam- ily bonds and promote the well-being of the other partner by not demanding that everything be done his or her way. Spontaneously doing little things to make the other person feel appre- ciated and needed – the very things that were quickly done during court- ship can lift the spirits. A couple married for 70 years said, “the secret of happiness is trust, trying not to argue and a common goal of helping others.” These ideas can sound old fashioned, but they work. One can feel that what works for another person may not work for us be- cause people have different problems and personalities. Nobody is perfect, hence living with each other’s weaknesses and having a giving attitude are the foun- dation of a marriage. A woman, who struggled for many years says, “I’ve learned that it takes three ‘Cs’ to make a good mar- riage – consideration, coop- eration and communica- tion. We failed to cultivate them. We were busy mak- ing a ‘good life’ and we be- gan falling apart.” A man after getting di- vorced said, “I realized that there’s more to life than dancing and having fun at the disco. I asked myself, do I hope to meet someone with whom to share my life in a bar?” Kindness gives special meaning to mar- riage. There is a tendency to think of oneself first. Showing unselfish love b r i n g s many re- wards. MARITAL MARITAL BLUES BLUES IS HAPPINESS IS HAPPINESS ELUSIVE? ELUSIVE? A REKHA KUMAR Personal development skills facilitator than they do when bet-