FM's statement adds fuel to fire against VSP privatisation

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Union Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman’s statement inParliament on Tuesday that theCentral Government plans 100percent disinvestment of the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant hasadded fuel to the already ragingprotests against privatisation ofthe plant.

As one, Vizag steel plant work-ers, traders and leaders of some po-litical parties blocked the NationalHighway at Kurmannapalem junc-tion from Wednesday morning tillafternoon, bringing traffic to agrinding halt.

Under the banner of the VisakhaUkku Parirakshana PorataCommittee, the protest that hadstarted on Tuesday, became evenmore vociferous, and noticeable.With traffic coming to a standstill,movement of polling staff to thebooths for Wednesday’s electionwas disrupted.

The agitating workers raisedslogans against the Central and thegovernments and also burnt copiesof Nirmala Sitharaman's statementin Parliament at Kurmannapalemjunction.

Vizag police diverted trafficcoming from Scindia and oldGajuwaka via Lankelapalem andNAD Junction.

VIJAYAWADA, WEDNESDAY MARCH 10, 2021; PAGES 12 `3

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"DELHI WILL BID FOR THE 2048 OLYMPICS":ARVIND KEJRIWAL

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the nationalcapital will bid to be the host of the Olympics in 2048 addingthat a vision has been provided for the same in the Delhi

Budget presented on Tuesday. "A vision has been provided in theBudget (Delhi Budget) that 2048 Olympic gamesshould be held in Delhi. Delhi will bid for the2048 Olympics. We will take up whateverinfrastructure and other necessities that areneeded to be created for it," he said."Delhi's Finance Minister Manish Sisodiahas made a great budget. The budget wasprepared keeping in mind people of allsections of the society," Kejriwal said.

OPRAH WINFREY'S MEGHAN-HARRYINTERVIEW NETTED HER $7 MILLION

When Oprah Winfrey's interview with Harry and Meghan, theDuke and Duchess of Sussex, aired on CBS Sunday night,it wasn't just a victory for those who like sharp inside-the-

palace intrigue. It was also a win for a cuttingly modern type ofmedia business. Since the ocean of contentbegan swelling several years ago, top-endcreators have cannily surfed the wave. Theyhave signed major deals, sometimescommitting fully to one company, such asNetflix. But the shrewdest and most clout-laden among them have made big dealsthat nonetheless leave them room to workwith other platforms.

LOCKDOWN IN MAHARASHTRA'S THANE TOSTART LATER THIS WEEK AMID COVID SURGE

Alockdown between March 13 and 31 was declared onMonday in 11 hotspots in Thane city by the civicadministration, officials said. The order, issued by

Thane Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma, said thedecision was taken due to rise in Covidcases in these areas in the past few days.It said all restrictions that were in placeduring the nationwide lockdowndeclared earlier would be in forceduring this time as well. As onMonday morning, the caseload ofThane district was 2,69,845, including6,302 deaths.

DISEASE THAT WIPED OUT MILLIONSOF PIGS IS CREEPING BACK IN ASIA

African swine fever is re-emerging in Asia, threatening toupend efforts to replenish national herds after the viruskilled tens of millions of pigs in the region and created a

huge shortage of meat protein. Fresh outbreaks have beenreported in China and Vietnam this year, andthe disease has even landed onMalaysia's shores. While new cases arescattered and isolated, they've putgovernments on notice that the virusis alive and well and there could bedire consequences if it's not keptunder control. African swine fever isdeadly for pigs but not known to harmhumans.

VVIIJJAAYYAAWWAADDAAWWEEAATTHHEERR

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated march 9, 2021 5:00 PM

FFoorreeccaasstt:: Partly cloudyTTeemmpp:: 37/18HHuummiiddiittyy:: 52%SSuunnrriissee:: 06:29 amSSuunnsseett:: 06:24 pm

AALLMMAANNAACC

TTOODDAAYY

Month & Paksham:

Magha & Shukla Paksha

Panchangam

Tithi : Dwadashi: 02:39 pm

Nakshatram: Shravana: 09:02 pm

Time to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)

Rahukalam: 12:26 pm – 01:55 pm

Yamagandam: 08:00 am – 09:28 am

Varjyam: 01:09 am – 02:48 am

Gulika: 10:57 am - 12:26 pm

Good Time: (to start any important work)

Amritakalam: 10:29 am – 12:07 pm

Abhijit Muhurtham: NIL

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

More than 10,000 companies haveclosed down voluntarily in Indiabetween April 2020 and February2021, a period when the Covid-19pandemic and ensuing lockdownssubstantially disrupted economicactivities.

As many as 10,113 companieswere crossed-out under Section 248(2) of the Companies Act, 2013, tillFebruary, according to the latestdata available with the Ministry ofCorporate Affairs (MoCA).

“A total of 10,113 companies dur-ing the year 2020-21 (from themonth of April 2020 to February

2021) have been struck off underSection 248 (2) of the Act. MCAhas not run any drive to strike offcompanies suo motu during 2020-21," Union Minister of State forCorporate Affairs Anurag Thakur

told the Lok Sabha in a writtenreply on Monday, in response to aquery on state-wise data around re-gistered companies that have goneout of business during FY 2020-21.

Overall, 2,394 companies were

struck off in Delhi, followed close-ly by Uttar Pradesh at 1,936. As ma-ny as 1,322 companies were shutdown in Tamil Nadu and 1,279 inMaharashtra.

Karnataka saw shutting down of836 companies, while it was 501 inChandigarh, 479 in Rajasthan, 404in Telangana, 307 in Kerala, 137 inJharkhand, 111 in Madhya Pradesh,and 104 in Bihar, the data showed.

As many as 88 companies hadshut shop in Meghalaya, 78 inOdisha, 47 in Chhattisgarh, 36 inGoa, 31 in Pondicherry, 17 inGujarat, 4 in West Bengal, and 2 inAndaman and Nicobar, accordingto the data.

SNV SUDHIRn VIJAYAWADA

With the State Election Comm-ission making all necessaryarrangements, the stage is set forcrucial polls to urban local bodiesacross Andhra Pradesh onWednesday.

While every election is impor-tant for any political party worthits salt, these elections are more sofor the two main political playersin the State – the TDP and the rul-ing party.

The YSRCP has got a headstart, having already bagged two ofthe 12 municipal corporationsand 12 of the 75 municipalitiesunopposed.

Polls to Vijayawada and Vizagmunicipal corporations are keen-ly watched and considered highstakes in the wake of the state gov-ernment’s three-capitals plan.These polls that are being held onparty symbols unlike the recentlyconcluded gram panchayat elec-tions, will separate the wheat fromthe chaff, and not give any scopeto parties to make tall claims.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Tuesdaydirected the State Government tocomplete the departmental inquiryagainst former CID additional DGAB Venkateswara Rao by April 8and wind up the probe into allega-tions under the PC Act before April30 and also submit a comprehensiveprobe report before the next date ofhearing on May 3.

Challenging his suspension andits extension for over one year, ABVenkateswara Rao had filed a freshpetition in the Supreme Court. In hispetition, the senior IPS officer hadcontended that his suspensionshould not be extended over oneyear as there were no corruptioncharges against him.

While senior advocate ChanderUday Singh represented theGovernment of AP in the apexcourt, Adinarayana Rao represent-ed AB Venkateswara Rao.

Hearing the case, Justice AMKhanwilkar questioned counsel forthe government whether placing theformer DG under suspension wasthe only solution. He should havebeen posted in another depart-ment, the SC opined.

The SC asked the state govern-ment what is the purpose of placingthe IPS official under suspension ona single allegation. JusticeKhanwilkar opined that the govern-ment should have taken action

against the official after establishingcharges against him.

Counsel for the governmentsought six months from the court tocomplete the probe into the chargesagainst the official. To this, the judgequestioned the government: “Whyshould not the Government conductthe probe on a daily basis? Moreover,how long would the StateGovernment continue like this bynot completing the departmentalprobe against the senior officer?”

Adinarayana Rao told the courtthat the government did not do any-thing after having suspended theformer A DG. He told the court thathis client was prepared to face theprobe against him. Counsel said thatthe government is intentionallyextending the suspension.

Quoting media reports,Adinarayana Rao said that he gotinformation that the governmentappointed an investigation officeronly on Monday.

FM’s statement adds fuel tofire against VSP privatisation

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Reiterating that the StateGovernment will stand byVizag Steel Plant (VSP), theYSRCP on Tuesday said thatthe Opposition and a sectionof media were deliberatelytrying to spread falsehoodsand mislead the people.

Speaking to the media here,Government Advisor (PublicAffairs) Sajjala RamakrishnaReddy reminded that ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy has written to thePrime Minister seeking anappointment at the earliest todiscuss the options to stall theprivatisation move.

“The Opposition has beenpoliticising the statement ofFinance Minister NirmalaSitharaman only to tarnishthe image of the StateGovernment, even as theChief Minister is firm on hisstand and has sought anappointment with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi,”Sajjala said.

Govt stands by theVSP: Sajjala

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

A day after Union FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharamantold Parliament that the Centreplanned to divest its entire stakein the Visakhapatnam SteelPlant, Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy on Tuesdayshot off another letter to PrimeMinister Narendra Modi.

Sitharaman’s statement led togroans of dismay and protests, tovarying degrees, erupted acrossthe State.

In his letter dispatched onTuesday, the Chief Ministersought Modi’s appointment toput forth before him the optionsthat will help revive VSP insteadof privatising the steel plant.

He also mentioned that hewould lead an all-party delega-tion from Andhra Pradesh,besides representatives of varioustrade unions to the meeting sothat they can directly put acrosstheir concerns.

Jagan moots all-partydelegation to meet PM

Over 10,000 firms shut ops after Covid struck

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The Andhra Pradesh HighCourt on Tuesday made itclear that elections would beheld for the Eluru MunicipalCorporation on March 10, asper schedule while the resultswould be held back till fur-ther orders. A division benchof the High Court quashedthe orders passed by a singlejudge on the Eluru electionsand issued orders to thiseffect on Tuesday.

Several entities, includingthe state government, hadfiled petitions in the HighCourt against the single judgeorders to withhold the ULBpolls in Eluru. They petition-ers argued that cancellation ofthe election at the last minutewas inappropriate.

Jagan’s ‘welfare rule’ ontest today in civic polls

HC orders polls forEluru civic body,results later

SC tells AP to wind up probesagainst ABV, seeks report

{

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

In a significant development, theMinistry of Environment, Forestand Climate Change has accordedenvironmental clearances to theproposed integrated steel plant atKadapa.

The State Government hasreceived environmental clearancesless than four months after puttingforth the proposal on December20, 2020 and sent amendments onJanuary 29, 2021.

The State Government attacheda copy of the EnvironmentalImpact Assessment to these pro-posals, and the EAC meetings onthose proposals were held inDecember and February. Finally,the board gave a comprehensivereview of the proposals andapproved them.

The State government has madeproposals to set up AP High GradeSteels Ltd. at Sunnapurallapalle and

Peddananduluru villages, Kadapadistrict, aimed at producing threemillion metric tonnes per year,including 84.7 MW of electricitygeneration in the first phase. Undergreen belt development on 34 percent, which is 484.4 hectares wasallocated and 12,10,000 seedlingswill be planted in five years.

Incidentally, the Governmenthad on March 3, issued ordersalienating 3,148.68 acres inPeddandluru and SunnapuRallapalli villages of Jammalama-dugu mandal for establishment ofan integrated steel plant.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Jana Sena Political AffairsCommittee chairman NadendlaManohar on Tuesday sought safe-ty and security of his party cadre,“in light of violence, threats andintimidation faced by them at thehands of YSRCP cadre and lead-ers during the recently conclud-ed local body elections”.

In a letter to the DGP, Manohar,on behalf of his party, requested DGPGautam Sawang to ensure safety ofJana Sena cadre and leaders.

He said that during and aftergram panchayat elections, as wellas in the ongoing urban localbody elections, supporters, cadreand leaders of the YSRCP, withthe active support of local MLAswere threatening Jana Sena sup-porters, cadre with dire conse-quences, and also indulging inphysical attacks.

YSRCP men out ofcontrol, save JS cadre,Manohar tells DGP

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Chief Minister YS JaganmohanReddy on Tuesday directed offi-cials to prepare an action plan toensure that adequate funds arereleased on time for supplying freeelectricity to farmers, subsidypower to aqua farmers and freeelectricity up to 200 units formembers of the SC and ST com-munities.

Chairing a review meeting at hiscamp office, the Chief Minister

instructed officials to completeconstruction of the thermal unitsin Krishnapatnam and Vijayawada.He said these units would be a bur-den if their construction was notcompleted at the earliest whilebeing quite beneficial if they arecompleted soon. Jagan directed theofficials to ensure that there is nopower shortage in coming three tofour months. He asked the officialsto make preparations for genera-tion of power to meet the require-ment.

Expedite Krishnapatnam,Vja thermal unit works: CM

Published From HYDERABAD DELHI LUCKNOWBHOPAL RAIPUR CHANDIGARH

BHUBANESWAR RANCHIDEHRADUN VIJAYAWADA

Protests break out against Centre’s decision; NH blocked for over 16 hours

AP govt receivedenvironmentalclearances less thanfour months aftersending the proposalon December 20, 2020

Kadapa Steel plant getsenvironment clearance

2 2 2 2 2

2

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PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Home-grown company, DixonTechnologies, has evincedinterest in starting a manufac-turing unit at KopparthyElectronics ManufacturingCluster planned in Kadapa. Adelegation of DixonTechnologies (India) Limitedmet Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy at hiscamp office here on Tuesday.

During the interaction, theChief Minister said that it’s agood development that DixonTechnologies has come for-ward to invest in KopparthiElectronic ManufacturingCluster and assured that thegovernment would extend itscomplete support to the com-panies ready to invest in AP.

The chairman and CEO ofthe company Sunil Vachaniand Pankaj Sharma informedthe Chief Minister that theywould provide employment to

two to three thousand people.They said they would manu-facture mobiles, variables, lap-tops, tablets, security equip-ment and cameras in theKopparthi unit.

They said plans are ready toexpand their unit in Tirupatiand create another 1,000 jobs.They said they will partnerwith Bosch, the well-knownappliance manufacturer, to setup a washing machine manu-

facturing unit in the HomeAppliances division.

The State government lastyear accorded approval forsetting up an ElectronicManufacturing Cluster, YSREMC, at Kopparthy in Kadapadistrict. It also approved a spe-cial package (incentives) toattract electronic industriesinto the cluster.

The government has decid-ed to apply to the Government

of India for approvals underthe EMC-2.0 scheme of theMinistry of Electronics andInformation Technology(MeitY) and sanctioned Rs380.50 crore out of the projectcost of Rs 730.50 crore as theState share.

The remaining cost of theproject Rs 350 crore will beprovided by the Governmentof India as a grant under theEMC-2.0 scheme.

To attract investments fromdomestic and major globalelectronics manufacturersalong with their supply chainto set up units in ElectronicSystem Design andManufacturing (ESDM) sectorin the country, under DigitalIndia and Make in India initia-tives, the Government of Indianotified Modified ElectronicsManufacturing Clusters (EMC2.0) Scheme on April 1, 2020,by providing 50 per cent of theproject cost.

With an unprece-dented numberof results in the

recently-concluded grampanchayat elections inAndhra Pradesh being‘unanimous’, the ques-tion that pops into one’smind is what purpose suchoutcomes serve, in the contextof democracy itself.

The fact also begets the ques-tion whether ‘unanimous’ elec-tions result in development?

Ideally, if a candidate is elect-ed unopposed due to lack ofpolitical opponents, it shouldmean that the candidate is sopopular that he or she has thebacking of every stakeholder. Itcould also mean that there is noopponent willing to match hisor her money power or musclepower.

In either case, instances ofunanimous elections, if gen-uine, would be few and farbetween, and certainly not tothe extent witnessed in AP in

the recently-conclud-ed polls.

If one factors in thecomplaints of ‘forcedwithdrawal’ of nomina-

tion papers, asallegedly resorted to by the

ruling YSR Congress Partyas part of its show of strength,the murmurs of dismay anddiscontent should be takenseriously in the interest ofdemocracy, or else the outcomemay have a long-lasting impacton electoral politics in thefuture.

It is important that theGovernment takes note of whatmessage such unanimous elec-tions send to the general pub-lic, particularly to the rest of thecountry. It also has to consid-er whether such results reallyboost the image of the rulingparty?

Candidates backed by theTDP from across the Statecomplained of being forced towithdraw their nominations, so

much so that even Leader of theOpposition N ChandrababuNaidu spoke about it publicly.

It may be mentioned here ofthe 89 gram panchayats inKuppam Assembly constituen-cy represented by Naidu, 74were won by candidates backedby YSRCP.

For the first time in threedecades, Naidu had to tastedefeat in his home turf; thedevelopment threatening thevery existence of his influence.It forced Naidu to spend three

days in the segment, a far cryfrom earlier when he did noteven visit the constituency tofile his own nomination papers.

It was clear that the YSRCPtreated Kuppam as a matter ofprestige and went all out tohumiliate Naidu, thereby weak-ening him ahead of the nextAssembly elections.

Any unanimous electionmust be acceptable to all stake-holders, but here, TDP backedcandidates alleged fraud, claim-ing that they were ‘duped’ by

election authorities whodeclared their withdrawal,without their consent. Somealso alleged that their signatureswere forged on withdrawalforms!

Extremely serious allega-tions indeed that must beprobed thoroughly by author-ities concerned.

In fact, the number of “unan-

imous” results have continuedin the ensuing ULB polls, withsome surprising outcomes —all the 31 municipal wards ofPunganur town in Chittoordistrict have been declaredunanimously elected. What isalso significant is that this hap-pened in the home district ofNaidu.

Punganur is represented byPeddireddi RamachandraReddy, a senior minister in theYS Jaganmohan ReddyCabinet. Peddireddi has been astaunch opponent of Naidu inthe district since three decadesand is considered No 2 in theJaganmohan Reddy Cabinet.

The Punganur results begetthe questions — why werecandidates of the principalopposition party, the TDP, notin the fray? What was the rea-son for them to withdraw theirnominations? Was there anyinstance of forced withdrawal?How can an arch rival of apolitical party withdraw his or

her nomination without con-sulting his own party leaders?Do the unanimous elections ofPunganur reflect true democ-ratic spirit?

If indeed Peddireddi’s influ-ence pervades all of Punganurto this extent, then one cansafely assume that he will beelected to the Assembly in2024 unopposed since no onewould contest against him.

The fact is that AP is notunfamiliar with leaders forcingtheir rivals to stay away fromelectoral fray.

Tadipatri municipality offaction-ridden Anantapur dis-trict witnessed such situationsa quarter of a century ago.

JC Prabhakar Reddy hadopted out of the municipalpolls “influenced by formerminister Paritala Ravindra. JCDiwakar Reddy, ParitalaRavindra’s rival in factionalpolitics and brother ofPrabhakar Reddy, considered tobe an expert in handling faction

politics, couldn't do a thingabout it.

The JC brothers had to swal-low this political humiliation atthe hands of a highly influen-tial political rival in the mid-1990s.

Coming back to the point,ultimately, unanimous elec-tions to local bodies may turnout to be disastrous for futurepolitical activities.

As people resort to unlawfulactivities to make easy money,‘political professionals’ too mayfollow suit to get the desiredresults, brushing aside the criesof anguish and objections oftheir rivals.

Also, unanimous electionswould demoralise the elec-torate, and ultimately threatenthe very concept of democra-cy that this country has helddear since Independence.

Unanimous elections, if gen-uinely amicable, are welcome insome cases, but if forced, mustbe opposed tooth and nail.

M D RATNA KUMAR

Senior Journalist

As people resort to unlawful activities

to make easy money, ‘political

professionals’ too may follow suit to get

the desired results, brushing aside the

cries of anguish and objections of their

rivals. Unanimous elections would

demoralise the electorate, and threaten

the very concept of democracy

PIN

POINT

Dixon expresses interest tostart unit in Kadapa EMC PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The upward spiral ofCoronavirus cases contin-ued as Andhra Pradeshadded 118 anew in 24 hoursending 9 am on Tuesday,pushing the gross up to 8.90lakh.

The latest bulletin said 89patients had recovered fromthe infection while none diedin the state in a day.

The active cases went up to1,038 after 8,82,670 totalrecoveries and 7,176 deathsso far. After 1.43 crore tests,the overall infection positiv-ity rate stood at 1.23 per cent.

Chittoor district reported38 more coronavirus cases,Krishna 21, Visakhapatnam15, Guntur 12 and EastGodavari 11. The remainingeight districts added less thanfive each.

Concept of ‘unanimous elections’ threatens democracy

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Governor BiswabhusanHarichandan, along withFirst Lady SupravaHarichandan will cast theirfirst vote in Andhra Pradeshwhen they exercise theirfranchise for the VijayawadaMunicipal Corporation elec-tions on Wednesday.

This will be the first elec-tion in AP for Harichandanafter he assumed charge asthe Governor of the State.

The Governor and hiswife will visit the polling sta-tion located in CVR GMCHigh School opposite CityCivil Courts complex, nearRaj Bhavan at 11 am to casttheir vote.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The Andhra Pradesh gov-ernment has decided to holdthe Budget session of theState Legislature from March19. It may be mentioned herethat on InternationalWomen’s Day, Chief MinisterYS Jaganmohan Reddy hadsaid that a ‘gender budget’will be introduced for thefirst time.

The Legislature sessionsare expected to continueuntil the end of this month.

Apart from issues likeSpecial Category Status, theCentral Government’s deci-sion to privatise the VisakhaSteel Plan is expected to fig-ure prominently during thesessions.

AP's Covid tallycontinues to rise,118 cases added

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

A day before the elections tourban local body in Vizag onWednesday, candidates con-testing from major politicalparties were seen distributingRs 1,000 for each vote inslums in the city.

Though the money distri-bution was going on in fullpublic glare, the surveillanceteam and cops were hardlyseen taking any action.

"In our area, the major twoparties are distributingmoney. Depending on theirclout, they are offeringbetween Rs 1,000 to Rs2,000," said a voter request-ing anonymity.

It may be noted thataround one third of the pop-ulation of the Vizag cityresides in the slums.

All set for polling

Meanwhile, all thearrangements have beenmade for the smooth con-duct of the GVMC electionsin Vizag. The civic body hasprinted about 19.3 lakh bal-lot papers which representsa 10 per cent extra slip thanthat of the electorate of near-ly 17.26 lakh.

The officials have alreadynotified 1,712 polling sta-tions for all the 98 wards inthe GVMC limits with eachhaving a maximum numberof 1,200 voters. About10,000 polling personnelwill be deployed for thepolls. As per the norms, thepolling teams would beformed on a random basisby using technology.

A presiding officer, one

assistant presiding officerand three other polling per-sonnel would dischargeduties at each polling station,totalling to 8,560 personnel.Besides, 8,560 personnel,additional manpower wouldbe in reserve to meet anycontingency.

Some more personnelwould be involved in mate-rial procurement and distri-bution and other works. Thepolling personnel would haveno idea of which stationthey are going to till March9 (March 10 is the pollingday). The State ElectionCommission has appointed600 micro-observers to mon-itor the election proceed-ings in the city. The GVMCconducted a training pro-gramme for these observerson Saturday.

In Vizag, cash distributed in fullpublic glare to woo slum voters

Governor,wife to casttheir firstvote in AP

Budget sessionfrom March 19

Continued from Page 1

About 80 vehicles carryingpolling staff, including presid-ing officers and APOs, andelection material to Gajuwakapolling stations were held updue to the road blockade forsome time. They were laterdiverted to alternative routes.

Meanwhile, commuters hada harrowing experience asthey were stranded for morethan 16 hours in the trafficjam which ran several km ineither direction of the NationalHighway due to the roadblockade.

The protesters warned thatthey would intensify their agi-tation if the Centre did notrethink its decision to priva-tise the plant.

Trade union leaders urgedthe Chief Minister to pass aresolution against privatisationof VSP and lead an all-partydelegation to the Centre. MPsshould resign from their posts,the protesters demanded.

A tense situation prevailedat the steel plant itself, asthousands of workers andtrade union representatives

picketed the administrativeoffice building of VSP here onthe morning of March 9. CISFpersonnel and police arrivedin large numbers to preventthe situation from getting outof control.

The agitating workersstopped the car of the Directorof Finance and blockadedhim. CISF personnel escortedhim away from the crowd.

Employees, displaced per-sons, their family membersand trade union representa-tives, who have been part inthe relay hunger strikes andprotests for the past few weeks,also intensified their stir.

FM’s statement adds fuel to fire against...

Jagan moots all-party delegation to meet ...Continued from Page 1

Tuesday’s letter is the sec-ond from Jagan in the monthsince the Centre announcedits intention to privatise VSP.In his letter written lastmonth, the Chief Ministersuggested turnaround mea-sures like allotting captiveiron ore mines to bring downthe input costs, swapping

high cost debt with low costdebt, converting debt intoequity through equity conver-sion and monetisation ofvacant land.

In his latest letter too,Jagan replicated the sameturn around measures.

“I can emphatically saythat the plant will againbecome a profitable venture

given some support from theGovernment of India insteadof taking the disinvestmentroute by implementing someturnaround measures,” Jagansaid in the letter.

He reminded that VSP hadshown good performancebetween 2002 and 2015, earn-ing profits with positive Networth.

Continued from Page 1He said that the Chief

Minister was very clear thatVizag Steel should not beprivatised under any cir-cumstances and thusappealed to the PrimeMinister for an appoint-ment to meet directly alongwith an all-party delegation.Sajjala said that this all-party delegation wouldinclude trade unions, andexplain all the options to putthe steel plant on track. He

said emotion and senti-ments are attached to VSP.

Referring to the com-ments of Nirmala Sitharam-an, he said the Minister hasmade it clear that the stategovernment doesn't haveequity in RINL and is onlyconsulted on specific mat-ters as and when needed.

He lashed out at a sectionof the media, accusing it ofdistorting facts and spread-ing false propaganda againstVSP.

Govt stands by the VSP: SajjalaJagan’s ‘welfare rule’ on testtoday in civic pollsContinued from Page 1

Since these polls are beingheld two years after YSJaganmohan Reddy came topower, they are also seen as areferendum to his governance.YSRCP has been exuding con-fidence of bagging all theurban local bodies, continuingits victory march, while theTDP, that is facing an existen-tial crisis, has put all efforts tooutsmart the ruling party inthis do-or-die battle.

Interestingly, while TDPsupremo N ChandrababuNaidu and his son NaraLokesh have toured importanttowns and cities over the lastfew days for campaigning,Jagan has not campaigned atall for either the gram pan-chayat polls or the urban localbodies.

Unusual for Naidu, theTDP supremo addressed more

than 10 press conferencesduring the gram panchayatpolls. He also toured impor-tant cities and towns acrossthe state especially Vizag,Vijayawada and Guntur andaddressed many road showstrying to ignite passions ofself-respect among the voters.Lokesh too toured manyplaces.

In marked contrast, Jaganshowed that he believes thathis work will speak for him-self. He didn’t even issue avideo appeal seeking votes,leave alone campaigning onthe ground. He also did nothold even a single press con-ference.

It is learnt that the YSRCPchief only monitored the elec-tion management with thehelp of a group of his trustedaides from his Tadepalli resi-dence.

HC orders pollsfor Eluru civicbody, results laterContinued from Page 1

After considering thesearguments, the HighCourt gave the green sig-nal for the conduct of theelections. The next hear-ing was adjourned toMay 23.

Earlier on Monday, thesingle judge court hadissued interim ordersdirecting the elections to beheld after correcting themistakes, if any, in thevoter list.

Continued from Page 1

He cited the incident thattook place in Matsyapuri vil-lage of Bhimavaram in WestGodavari district where can-didate Shanti Priya from aScheduled Caste backgroundand supported by Jana Šena,was elected as sarpanch. Afterelections, the local YSRCPsupporters, with support of theBhimavaram MLA, reachedthe sarpanch's house, ran-sacked it, attacked and abusedher and her supporters,Manohar alleged.

“In Dammalapadu village,Muppala Mandal, SattenapalliGuntur district a day beforepanchayat elections onFebruary 20, YSRCP support-ers were caught distributing

cash in 7th ward. When JanaSena supporters objected, theYSRCP pelted stones at themand attacked them indiscrim-inately, resulting in severeinjuries,” Manohar wrote.

He said that inBendamurlanka village ofAmalapuram constituency inEast Godavari district, YSRCPmen assaulted JSP cadre.

“In Lankala Gannavaramvillage of P GannavaramConstituency, they dug up aroad meant for farmers inretaliation. YSRCP supportersare creating panic in the mindsof Jana Sena supporters andothers publicly without fear ofthe police and law. The lawand order situation in thestate has deteriorated,” wroteManohar.

KCR assures 29% fitment,retirement age hike to 61 yrs

‘Gross interference’:India summons UK envoy PNS n NEW DELHI

India called in the BritishHigh Commissioner today toexpress its disapproval of thediscussions on farmers'protest and press freedom inthe British Parliament, call-ing it "gross interference"

and "votebank politics". This is the first time the

government of anothernation has officially con-ducted internal discussionson the farmers’ protestsagainst the three laws, whichhave been continuing formore than 100 days.

ML MELLY MAITREYI

n HYDERABAD

Holi has come early for StateGovernment employees inTelangana, if leaders of variousemployees associations are tobe believed.

These leaders had met ChiefMinister K. ChandrasekharRao who reportedly assuredhim that he was amenable totheir demands of 29 percentfitment under PRC andenhancement of retirementage from 58 years to 61 yearsfrom March itself.

The Chief Minister’s assur-ances come amidst reportsthat the employees were get-ting increasingly fidgety overthe Government putting off adecision on their demands. Asexpected, the news brought a

sea change in the mood of thegovernment employees.

The jubilant leaders ofTNGOs, TGOs, PRTU andJAC of employees associa-tions said that the PRC arrearswill be paid with effect fromJuly 1, 2018 while the salarywith 29 percent fitment will bepaid from April 1 this year. Aformal announcement has notbeen made by the governmentin view of the Election Codebeing in force, the employees’leaders claimed.

Almost all pendingdemands of the employees,including repatriation of about750 Telangana employees,including 250 NGOs workingin Andhra Pradesh, have beenconceded. These employeeswould be adjusted in variousdepartments and if required.

YSRCP men out of control, save JScadre, Manohar writes to DGP

94 base campsset up to curbillegal activitiesin national parks

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

A Telugu inscription issued bythe Vijayanagara EmperorDeva Raya II was discovered atMotupalli, an ancient porttown in Chinaganjam mandal,Prakasam district. Deva RayaII (1424 to 1446 AD) ruled theVijayanagara Empire fromHampi.

According to Dr E SivanagiReddy, noted archaeologistand CEO of The CulturalCentre of Vijayawada andAmaravati, said that the dam-aged inscription engraved on ablack granite stone in Teluguscript and language registers

donation of some gold coins(Kasulu) for lighting a perpet-ual lamp of a local temple byDeva Raya Odeya identifiedwith Deva Raya - II of the

Sangama Dynasty. Dr Reddy said that the dona-

tion must have been given toPrasanna Kesava temple whichis now known as

Kodandarama Swamy templeof Motupalli.

He also revealed that threeinscriptions were found insidethe Veerabhadra temple locateda little away from the spot wherethe Inscription was discovered.All the three inscriptions recordthe assurance of life and goodsof the sea traders issued by theKakatiya (Ganapathi Deva),Reddy (Anapotha Reddy) andVijayanagara (Deva Raya).

Addanki-based historian DrJyothi Chandramouli andMotupalli Heritage SocietySecretary R Dasaratha RamiReddy participated in theexploration.

vijayawada 03VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Industries minister MekapatiGoutham Reddy said thatAndhra Pradesh governmentwas keen to partner withAustralia for mutual benefit. Ina meeting with Australian del-egation comprising high com-missioner of Australia BarryO'Farrell and Consul Generalof Australia to South IndiaSarah Kirlew, the industriesminister on Tuesday said thatAndhra Pradesh has significantpresence in five key areas andthe government was happy topartner with Australia formutual benefit.

"The Government ofAndhra Pradesh firmly standsto provide pro-active adminis-tration, skilled and abundantmanpower and supportivepolicies to enable taking the AP- Australia partnership to thenext level," he said.

Goutham Reddy added thatAustralia was an importantpartner for India, especiallyAndhra Pradesh. Situated onthe east coast, Andhra Pradeshis ideally poised to act as gate-way to India for Australiantrade and commerce.

"It is clear that over the next20 years, a growing India willneed many of Australia's goodsand services - in education,agriculture, energy, resources,tourism, healthcare, financialservices, infrastructure, sci-

ence and innovation, sportsand other areas as well," headded.

He also said that labourmarket in Australia was facingshortage in workforce for jobssuch as carpenters, electri-cians, plumbers and builders.Demand for labour workforcein Australia is rising due toreplacement demand caused byan ageing population.

"There is a requirement ofhealthcare workforce inAustralia namely, nurses andstaff for aged and disabledcare, child care, etc. Healthcareworkforce transferred fromIndia to Australia would

require training for 6 to 8months to meet Australianservice standards. We areestablishing 30 skill develop-ment centres and two skilluniversities. We are establish-ing a high-end skills universi-ty focusing on AI/ML, AR/VR,IoT and Robtics inVisakhapatnam," the indus-tries minister said.

He further said that thenew AP IndustrialDevelopment Policy 2020-23has identified 10 focus sectorsof interest Food Processing,Automobiles & Components,Electronics, Pharma &Biotech, Petrochemicals,

Textiles, Aerospace & Defence,Leather & Footwear, Toys &Furniture, Machinery,Precision equipment & miner-al based industries.

"De-risking the investmentsis the cornerstone of the pol-icy, where we are implement-ing Industrial Zoning toensure a planned industrialdevelopment and minimisethe impact on the environ-ment. The focus of the policyis on asset creation - providingready-built pre-cleared facili-ties and skill developmentcentres which can serve as abase for the growth of thestate," he added.

AP govt, Australia to joinhands for mutual benefit

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Visakhapatnam North MLA GantaSrinivasa Rao on Tuesday urged all theMLAs and MPs to tender their resigna-tions cutting across party lines andintensify agitation against the Union gov-ernment's move to privatiseVisakhapatnam Steel Plant.

This will grab the attention of theentire nation to the ongoing protestsagainst VSP privatisation and mountpressure on the Central Government torevive the plant, said Ganta who has ten-dered his resignation as MLA to theSpeaker in protest against VSP privati-sation.

Addressing media persons inVisakhapatnam, Srinivasa Rao assuredthat Telugu Desam Party would not fieldcandidates in the constituencies wherethe YSRCP leaders resign.

The MLA further said the rulingparty should chalk out a constructivestrategy to intensify the agitation andassured that TDP and other political par-ties would extend support to it.

"If we cannot protect the steel plant,history will not excuse us. It is theresponsibility of all of us to save the plantfrom privatisation," Srinivasa Rao said.

He said it was unfortunate that theChief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddydid not raise the VSP privatisation issuewhen he got an opportunity to meetPrime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MLA suggested that Rajya Sabhamember and prominent leader of YSRCPV Vijayasai Reddy should organise apadayatra in New Delhi and rope in otherleaders to stop the privatisation of thesteel plant.

Recalling that Jana Sena leader PawanKalyan met top BJP leaders in New Delhi,he said that it would make a difference ifhe participated in Joint Action Committeeagitation at the Steel Plant's main gate andsend a strong message to the BJP-led NDAgovernment at the Centre.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy discussing with Australian High Commissioner Barry O' Farrell and Consul General ofAustralia to South India Sarah Kirlew on Tuesday.

Ganta asks all MLAs, MPs to resign for VSP

PNS n BENGALURU

ISRO has completed develop-ment of a Synthetic ApertureRadar (SAR) capable of produc-ing extremely high-resolutionimages for a joint earth obser-vation satellite mission with theUS space agency NASA.

NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) isa joint collaboration for a dual-frequency L and S-band SAR forearth observation.

"NISAR will be the first satel-lite mission to use two differentradar frequencies (L-band andS-band) to measure changes inour planet's surface less than acentimetre across", according toNASA (National Aeronauticsand Space Administration).

NASA and Bengaluru-head-quartered ISRO (Indian SpaceResearch Organisation) signeda partnership on September 30,2014, to collaborate on andlaunch NISAR.

The mission is targeted tolaunch in early 2022 fromISRO's Sriharikota spaceport inAndhra Pradesh's Nellore dis-trict, about 100 kms north ofChennai.

NASA is providing the mis-sion's L-band SAR, a high-ratecommunication subsystem forscience data, GPS receivers, asolid-state recorder and payloaddata subsystem.

ISRO is providing the space-craft bus, the S-band radar, thelaunch vehicle and associatedlaunch services for the mission,whose goal is to make globalmeasurements of the causesand consequences of land sur-face changes using advancedradar imaging.

The S-band SAR payload ofNISAR satellite mission wasflagged off by the Secretary inthe Department of Space andISRO Chairman K Sivan onMarch 4 through virtual mode.

The payload has been shippedfrom ISRO's Ahmedabad-basedSpace Applications Centre(SAC) to NASA's Jet PropulsionLaboratory (JPL) at Pasadena inthe US for integration with thelatter's L-band SAR payload, anISRO statement said.

"NISAR would provide ameans of disentangling highlyspatial and temporally complexprocesses ranging from ecosys-tem disturbances to ice sheetcollapses and natural hazards

including earthquakes,tsunamis, volcanoes and land-slides", ISRO said.

NASA added that the missionwill measure Earth's changingecosystems, dynamic surfacesand ice masses, providing infor-mation about biomass, naturalhazards, sea level rise andgroundwater, and will support ahost of other applications.

"NISAR will observe Earth'sland and ice-covered surfacesglobally with 12-day regularity

on ascending and descendingpasses, sampling Earth on aver-age every six days for a baselinethree-year mission", NASA saidon the mission's website.

"This allows the mission toobserve a wide range of Earthprocesses, from the flow rates ofglaciers and ice sheets to thedynamics of earthquakes andvolcanoes".

NISAR uses a sophisticatedinformation-processing tech-nique known as SAR to produceextremely high-resolutionimages.

Radar penetrates clouds anddarkness, enabling NISAR tocollect data day and night in anyweather.

The instrument's imagingswath the width of the strip ofdata collected along the lengthof the orbit track is greater than150 miles (240 kilometres),which allows it to image theentire Earth in 12 days, it was

stated.Over the course of multiple

orbits, the radar images willallow users to track changes incroplands and hazard sites, aswell as to monitor ongoingcrises such as volcanic eruptions.

The images will be detailedenough to show local changesand broad enough to measureregional trends.

As the mission continues foryears, the data will allow for bet-ter understanding of the causesand consequences of land sur-face changes, increasing ourability to manage resources andprepare for and cope with glob-al change, according to NASA.

"NASA requires a minimumof three years of global scienceoperations with the L-bandradar, and ISRO requires fiveyears of operations with the S-band radar over specified targetareas in India and the SouthernOcean", it said.

ISRO, NASA develop radar for earth observation satellite

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Panchayat Raj MinisterPeddiready RamachandraReddy and Rajya SabhaMP Vijayasai Reddyridiculed the proposalsuggested by TDP thatresignation of the publicrepresentatives will stopthe privatisation of theRINL-VisakhapatnamSteel Plant.

Ramachandra Reddysaid: "It is a joint fight byall the parties. We will takethe protest to Delhi andtake all who want to comethere. The TDP leaders aregiving this suggestion outof frustration."

Addressing a joint pressconference in Vizag onTuesday, ParliamentaryParty leader V VijayasaiReddy said that ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy had suggested alter-natives to save VSP andbring a turnaround. He hasalso written a letter seekingan early appointment ofPrime Minister NarendraModi for the same.

VSP is an emotional andsentimental issue and theentire State has been oppos-ing the move, he said. It isa matter of concern for thepeople of AP, employees ofRINL and other stake-

holders as 32 lives werelaid down to get VSP.

Apart from adopting aresolution in the StateAssembly, we will contin-ue fight till the Centrereverses its decision, hesaid. He also echoed thatthe resignation will nothelp in any way.

Going into the details,he stated that the plantperformed well between2002 and 2015, earningprofits, but suddenly cameto a downfall due to theeconomic crisis from 2015onwards resulting in apile of debts and losses.

Recalling the sugges-tions made by the ChiefMinister, he said that theplant is depending onNMDC mines.

Due to the lack of cap-tive mines, RINL is facingan additional financialburden of Rs 3,470 croreamd allotting captivemines would reduce inputcosts, he said.

Similarly, he stated thatall those short and longterm loans could be con-verted into equity takingoff repayment pressuresand interest burden.

Tourism MinisterMuttamsetti Srinivasslammed the oppositionTDP leaders for distortingthe facts and blaming thegovernment for VSP pri-vatisation, though it hasno role in it.

Recalling Union Fina-nce Minister NirmalaSitaraman's statement thatthe steel plant is owned byCentre and the state gov-ernment is not involved init, he said that the TDPleaders were putting up alame drama to confusepeople.

Chandrababu Naidudoesn't have the guts toquestion the Union Gove-rnment or write a letter tothem and BJP partnerPawan Kalyan who con-tested from Gajuwaka alsodoesn't dare to urge onreconsidering the disinve-stment proposal, he said.

Resignations en masse won’thelp save VSP, says YSRCP

TDP leaders areblaming the stategovernment, thoughthe FM has clearlysaid that State hasno role to play in theaffairs of VSP at itowned by theCentre, saysVijayasai

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

As many as eleven students ofClass I and II of RCM Schoolfell unconscious before havinglunch during lunch break hereat Gudivada on Tuesday. Thesick students have been admit-ted to Gudivada GovernmentHospital for treatment.

As per latest reports, fourstudents have recovered, whilethe remaining seven studentswere still undergoing treatment

in the hospital.Deputy Chief Minister and

Health Minister Alla KaliKrishna Srinivas (Nani)inquired about the incident. Hecalled up District Medical andHealth Officer Dr Suhasiniand instructed her to providebetter treatment to the sick stu-dents.

The minister instructed theDM&HO to send a detailedreport on the illness of the stu-dents. Students are advised to

report immediately if theydevelop any abnormal symp-toms.

The Minister advised theschool management to takeproper care of the students inproviding good facilities tothe students with the onset ofthe summer season.

Gudivada MLA and CivilSupplies Minster Kodali SriVenkateswara Rao (Nani) vis-ited the hospital to take stockof the situation.

11 students fall ill before lunch in Gudivada

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Expressing concern over themove to privatise Vizag SteelPlant, TDP MLC Nara Lokeshon Tuesday said that theCentral Government wasgoing ahead with the decisionas YSRCP ministers, MPs andMLAs remained silent overCentre's move.

Accusing the Chief MinisterYS Jaganmohan Reddy ofplanning to buy the primeproperty of the Steel Plant atvery low price, Lokesh saidthat CM was doing grossinjustice to the Andhra peopleand all the ruling party lead-ers remained silent.

In a statement here, Lokeshsaid that the Centre hadalready clarified that therewas prior approval of CMJaganmohan Reddy for theprivatisation of VSP.

"CM Jaganmohan Reddyshould stop enacting dramasince the people would not

believe in his letter written tothe Prime Minister expressingopposition to VSP privatisation.The whole process of privatis-ing the Steel Plant was beinginformed to the State govern-ment at every stage," he said.

Earlier, Lokesh slammedJaganmohan Reddy govern-ment for failing to do justiceto Amalapuram girl ByrisettiRenuka though she boldlycame forward and filed a com-plaint against the culprits inthe police station.

The TDP MLC asked howinnocent women could be safewhen the Ministers themselveswere shamelessly making allout efforts to save the perpe-trators of crimes and atrocitiesagainst women and girls.

Lokesh demanded that thegovernment and the officialsconcerned take stringent actionagainst the culprits in Renuka'scase. A case should be filed andsevere punishment should beawarded to the culprits.

Lokesh slams YSRCPover move to sell VSP

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Andhra Pradesh Governor andPresident of AP State Branchof Indian Red Cross SocietyBiswabhusan Harichandan onTuesday released the poster forCentenary Cycle Rally sched-uled to be held from March 16to March 25 from Srikakulamto Vijayawada to commemo-rate 100 years of humanitari-an services of Red Cross inIndia.

Speaking on the occasion,the Governor praised the self-less services rendered by IRCSvolunteers during Covid-19lockdown period.

He said the Centenary Cycle

Rally would not only createawareness among youth, butalso motivates them to join theRed Cross movement in largenumber and participate in itsvoluntary activities such asblood donation, tree planta-tion, etc,.

The Governor advised theIRCS officials to take care ofhealth and safety of the cyclistsparticipating in the rally and totake all precautionary mea-sures following Covid-19guidelines during the rally.

Dr A Sridhar Reddy,Chairman of AP State Branchof Red Cross, informed theGovernor that the Red CrossCentenary Cycle Rally was the

first-of-its-kind in the countryand would be taken up in tworoutes - Srikakulam-Vijayawada andAnantapuramu-Vijayawada.Nearly 200 cyclists are expect-ed to participate in the rally.

AK Parida, GeneralSecretary, Red Cross, said thatthe Centenary Cycle Rallywould highlight three themes- Plant a tree - Save Earth,Donate blood - Save a Life andClean Environment forHealthy life.

Mukesh Kumar Meena,Secretary to Governor andvice-president of AP StateBranch IRCS, also participat-ed in the programme.

Governor releases Red CrossCentenary Cycle Rally poster 15th century inscription discovered at Motupalli

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Minister of State forEnvironment, Forest andClimate Change (MoEFCC)Babul Supriyo on Tuesdaysaid that the AP governmenthas set up 94 base camps anddeployed eight strike forces inprotected areas.

Replying to a questionraised by MP ParimalNathwani in Rajya Sabha,the Minister said that thestate government had takenseveral steps to curb mining,human encroachment, hunt-ing, poaching and other ille-gal activities in national parksand sanctuaries in the state.

According to the state-ment of the minister, timelypayment of ex-gratia wasmade in case of death orinjury caused due to wild ani-mals. Awareness camps werebeing held in villages adjoin-ing protected areas, he added.

He said that the activitieswere carried out inside nation-al parks and sanctuaries as perapproved management plansto protect biodiversity.

Of the 16 national parks inAP, the Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Sanctuary, which isspread in over 1,402 sq km,is the largest park in thestate followed by Sri PenusilaNarasimha Sanctuary spreadacross 1,031 sq km andPapikonda National Parkwhich is spread in 1,013 sqkm, he said in the statement.

MP Nathwani sought detailsof national parks and sanctu-aries in India, especially AP, aswell as the steps taken by thegovernment to curb mining,human encroachment, hunt-ing, poaching and other illegalactivities in protected areas.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Praising the role of teachers,CID Additional SP KGVSaritha said: "The role ofteachers in shaping the futurecitizens is unforgettable andeveryone should not forget theschool and teachers who haveimparted education to them."

CID Additional SP KGVSaritha and SP GR Radhika onTuesday felicitated the teach-ers of Siddhartha MahilaKalashala on the occasion ofIWD at a programme organ-ised by Champions Group.

Speaking on the occasion,SP Radhika said that the roleof teachers in society waspriceless and their contributionto student development wasunforgettable. No matter whatposition we reach in life, oneshould not forget the teacherswho taught us, the schoolwhere we learned and the par-ents who gave birth, she said.

College director Dr TVijayalakshmi, Social activistDr Soumya Ramesh, SSubhakar, Ch Bharati, Collegeprincipal Dr Sudha Rani andothers were present.

SMK teachers felicitated

VIJAYAWADA: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the petitionseeking cancellation of municipal elections in Andhra Pradesh. The peti-tion was filed by few persons from Kadapa seeking cancellation of pre-vious notification and ordering a fresh notification. Dealing with thepetition, Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushanopined that it was inappropriate to obstruct the election process.Thebench further said that conducting election was the duty of the StateElection Commission. The petitioners had earlier approached the APHigh Court and the petition was rejected. The election authorities havemade all arrangements for conducting elections to 12 municipal corpo-rations and 71 municipalities in the state on Wednesday.

SC dismisses petition seekingcancellation of ULB polls

VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021 telangana 04

PNS n HYDERABAD

TPCC President N UttamKumar Reddy on Tuesdayannounced that he would raisethe issue of advocates’ murderin the ongoing session ofParliament.

Addressing a dharna ofadvocates at Dharna Chowk inIndira Park, Uttam KumarReddy condemned ChiefMinister K ChandrasekharRao for not responding to thedemand for probe throughthe Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI) into thebrutal murder of advocatesVaman Rao and his wifeNagamani in Peddapalli onFebruary 17. He said KCR hasturned so insensitive that hedid not condemn the murderof advocates. Since the accusedin the murder case are report-edly close to the ChiefMinister, the local police werenot investigating reasonably.

He reiterated the allega-tions that the murders was theresult of a conspiracy hatchedby the TRS-backed sand mafiaand these murders were direct-ly linked to the custodial deathof Seelam Rangaiah, a Dalit, inManthani police station ofRamagundam PoliceCommissionerate.

He said Vaman Rao andNagamani were eliminated tohush up many other illegalactivities being carried outwith the backing of rulingparty leaders. He said that theKCR government has handedover the control of the entireTelangana to the 'sand, land,mine and wines' mafia.

The TPCC chief said thatthe Congress has already metGovernor Tamilisai

Soundarajan seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into themurders. He said he wouldraise the issue in the ongoingsession of Parliament.Furthermore, he assured theadvocates that he would takeup their demands for imple-mentation of the AdvocatesProtection Act, Review ofCrPC 41, payment of stipendto junior advocates. He said asthe President of TPCC andMember of Parliament, hewould fight for the advocates'cause both inside and outsideParliament at the national

level.He appealed to the advo-

cates to vote in favour ofCongress candidates G ChinnaReddy (Hyderabad-Rangareddy- Mahbubnagar)and Sabavath Ramulu Naik(Warangal -Khammam-Nalgonda) in the MLC elec-tions for Graduates constituen-cies. He said all advocatesmust defeat the TRS and BJPin the MLC elections to teacha fitting lesson to both the rul-ing parties.

He slammed BJP for nottaking up the issue of advo-

cates’ murder at the nationallevel although Union Ministerof State for Home AffairsKishan Reddy belongs toTelangana. He said ifTelangana BJP leaders weregenuinely against the TRS,then they should convincetheir government at the Centreto order a CBI probe into thedouble murder. He said boththe BJP and TRS leaders werelevelling allegations againsteach other to divert people'sattention from real issues andhide their failures.

He said that the Congresswould intensify the agitation ifthe TRS government inTelangana and BJP govern-ment at the Centre refuse toorder a CBI investigation intothe case and ensure the protec-tion of other advocates.Congress MLC candidate GChinna Reddy, TPCC LegalCell chairman DamodarReddy and other leaders werealso present.

Uttam to raise advocates’ murder in LS

PNS n KARIMNAGAR

A new trend is sweeping acrossthe State with the youth, Swaeronetwork members and others,taking up a month-long ‘Bheemdeeksha’ from March 15 toApril 14 to commemorate thebirth anniversary of Father ofIndian Constitution Dr BRAmbedkar.

This is a unique ‘deeksha’wherein the Dalit youth andSwaero network, the alumni ofthe Telangana Social WelfareResidential EducationalInstitutions Society (TSWREIS),and others participate in themonth-long deeksha’ of observ-ing discipline and leading thepath shown by Gautam Buddha.

The month long ‘deeksha’begins from March 15, which isthe birth anniversary of KanshiRam, founder of BSP and socialreformer, and concludes onApril 14, on the birth anniver-sary of Dr BR Ambedkar.

As a prelude to the deeksha,Dalit organisations and othershave started releasing posters

educating the people about theimportance of ‘Bheem deeksha’.

The people observing ‘Bheemdeeksha’ would accord priorityfor reading books and history ofeminent social reformers suchas Gautama Buddha, Chatrapati

Shivaji Maharaj, Santhu Ravidas,Jyothibha Phule, SavithribhaiPhule, Samrat Ashok, PeriyarRamaswamy, Komaram Bheem,BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ramand others.

The Swaeroes, who observe

deeksha, would follow strictrules like avoiding non-vegetar-ian food, quit smoking, chewingtobacco and consumption ofliquor. Some of the Swaeroeswould follow deeksha, alongwith their family members, too.

Bheem Army state chief sec-retary Vasala Srinivas Swaerosaid that the ‘Bheem deeksha’would be formally launched bySwaero founder and TSWREISsecretary and additional DGPRS Praveen Kumar at ‘DhuliKatta’, the ancient and promi-nent Buddhist site in Eligaidmandal of Peddapalli district onMarch 15.

‘Bheem deeksha’ to be observed from Mar 15

A poster on 'Bheem deeskha' being released at a programme in Karimnagar

This is a unique ‘deeksha’ wherein theDalit youth and Swaero network, thealumni of the Telangana Social WelfareResidential Educational InstitutionsSociety and others participate in thedeeksha’ of observing discipline andleading the path shown by the Buddha

Battlelines drawn forGraduate MLC polls

TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy addressing a dharna of advocates at Dharna Chowk in Indira Park on Tuesday

Uttam Kumar Reddy condemned ChiefMinister KCR for not responding to thedemand for a probe through Central Bureauof Investigation (CBI) into the brutal murderof advocates Vaman Rao and his wifeNagamani in Peddapalli on February 17

PNS n HYDERABAD

The situation in Bhainsatown rocked by communalviolence was peaceful onTuesday while prohibitoryorders and suspension ofinternet services continued tobe in force, according topolice.

There was no problem inthe supply of essentials,including water and milk,and suspension of the inter-net could be lifted on Tuesdaynight, a policeman said.Prohibitory orders wereenforced under Section 144of CrPC after the Sundaynight violence were also like-ly to be reviewed on Tuesday,he said.

In all, 40 had been takeninto custody for questioningand more suspects would begrilled in connection with theincident that left nine people,including three police per-sonnel and two journalists,injured. Two houses and sev-eral vehicles were set ablazeby miscreants during the vio-lence that broke out after analtercation between youths ofdifferent communities over amotorcycle accident.

Union Home MinisterAmit Shah on Monday spoketo Union Minister of State forHome Affairs G KishanReddy and enquired aboutthe incident and the prevail-ing situation in Bhainsa,which had witnessed com-munal clashes in January andMay 2020 that left severalpeople, including police per-sonnel injured.

Situation in Bhainsapeaceful

PNS n HYDERABAD

The campaigning for the March14 poll to the two Graduates'constituencies almost resemblesthat of an Assembly electionwith the three major parties --ruling TRS, opposition BJPand Congress -- making adetermined bid to win.

Having suffered unexpectedlosses in the bypoll to DubbakAssembly constituency and theGHMC polls, the TRS is keenon securing the two seatsKhammam- Nalgonda-Warangal and Hyderabad-Rangareddy-MahabubnagarGraduates' constituencies.

In a surprise move, the partyhas fielded former PrimeMinister

PV Narasimha Rao's daugh-ter S Vani Devi, an education-ist, from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagarseat, to take on sitting MLC andBJP candidate N RamachanderRao. TRS Working Presidentand Minister for MunicipalAdministration and IT KTRama Rao and other ministershave addressed various meet-ings to drum up support forVani Devi's candidature.

The TRS leaders seek votes,alleging that the NDA govern-ment has not implemented theassurances given to Telanganaat the time of bifurcation ofundivided Andhra Pradesh in2014 even as they highlight thecredentials of Vani Devi, whowas a lecturer and founded aca-

demic institutions.BJP's Ramachander Rao, a

senior lawyer, is also leaving nostone unturned for his victory.Union of Minister of State forHome G Kishan Reddy and BJPOBC Morcha's national presi-dent K Laxman have cam-paigned in favour of their partycandidate.

As part of his efforts to takeon Vani Devi, RamachanderRao on Monday met her unclePV Manohar Rao, the youngerbrother of late Narasimha Rao,and took his blessings.Congress has fielded formerminister G Chinna Reddy andhas argued that TRS has noright to seek votes in the nameof Narasimha Rao as the formerPM was a Congressman all hislife. TPCC president and MP NUttam Kumar Reddy alleged onMonday that TRS leaders were

intimidating people to vote fortheir party candidate. Thevoters were being pressurised totake an oath that they wouldvote for TRS in the polls, healleged.

The PCC president claimedthat Congress has videos ofsuch illegal oath-taking eventsand these were being submittedto the Election Commissionseeking action. TDP'sTelangana unit president LRamana and former MLC ProfK Nageshwar, a prominent ana-lyst, are also in the fray from theHyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar seat.

In the Khammam-Nalgonda-Warangal seat, sittingMLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy isthe TRS nominee, while hisCongress rival is Ramulu Naik.The BJP has fielded its leader GPremender Reddy.

PNS n JAGTIAL

The ancient and historic SriAnjaneya Swamy temple atKondagattu in Jagtial districtwould be developed on thelines of Yadadri Sri LaxmiNarasimha Swamy temple, dis-closed Minister forEndowments A IndrakiranReddy.

The Minister, along withNizamabad MLC Kavitha,MLA M Sanjay Kumar and oth-ers participated in the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesdayfor the construction of‘Ramakoti stupam’ at theKondagattu shrine.

He said that they wouldcomplete the construction ofstupam by Hanuman Jayanthi.He said that they had alsodecided to chant HanumanChalisa across the State fromMarch 17 to promoteKondagattu Hanuman temple.

Earlier, the Minister, theMLC and legislators offeredprayers to Lord Hanuman at theshrine. MLC KalwakuntlaKavitha said that they haddecided to take up massRamakoti chantings fromMarch 17 in the State.

She said that they would tele-cast the Ramakoti chanting inthe electronic media also for thebenefit of devotees. She alsoreiterated that the governmentwas committed to the develop-

ment of the ancient Kondagattutemple. Collector A Ravi, ZillaParishad chairperson DavaVasantha and others were alsopresent.

PNS n RAJANNA SIRCILLA

Minister for EndowmentsAllola Indrakaran Reddydirected the officials concernedto be prepared for a three-dayMaha Shivaratri fete, which isslated from Wednesday at theSri Rajarajeshwara Swamyshrine, popularly known asDakshina Kashi, inVemulawada.

The Minister reviewed thearrangements for the MahaShivaratri celebrations withDistrict Collector KrishnaBhaskar, SP Rahul Hegde andofficials of government depart-ments at a guest house inVemulawada temple onTuesday.

He issued instructions anddirections on the steps to betaken by the officers of thedepartments concerned andthe precautions to be taken.Speaking on the occasion, hesaid that like every year, thisyear, too, the Maha Shivaratriwill be conducted in the glo-rious manner.

He directed officials of thedepartments to strive for thesuccess of the festivities keep-ing in view the past experi-ences. Devotees were asked tofollow the Covid rules.

He clarified that taking aholy dip in Dharmagundam ofthe temple was not allowed thisyear due to Covid. Culturalprogrammes will be organisedin a grand style. For the con-venience of devotees, tempo-rary showers have been set upfor bathing without any hassle.Devotees are urged to take noteof this. Authorities are advisedto engage at the field level andtake appropriate steps withoutcausing any inconvenience todevotees.

He directed the authoritiesto make arrangements in thatdirection as more than onelakh devotees are likely tocome every day for the threedays during the fete. Drinkingwater should be provided.

Medical camps were set up andordered to see that devoteesdid not get into any trouble.Fire personnel were advised tobe available to prevent fire inthe vicinity of the temple.

He directed the municipalauthorities to pay special atten-tion to the cleanliness of thetemple premises. The ministersaid he wanted to see no inter-ruption in the power supply forthree days.

He said helicopter serviceswould be available this time aswell as last year. Police andmunicipal officials have beendirected to take appropriateaction without raising roomrents in lodges in the town.

He said medical campsshould be made available forthe convenience of devotees.Ambulances were also orderedto be made available and med-ical personnel were to bedeployed in three shifts. Hesaid security should be main-tained at the field level toavoid traffic disruption. Therescue team will also be avail-able, the minister said.

PNS n KARIMNAGAR

The woman is the epitome oflove, compassion, emotionalstrength and courage. Give awoman your hand, she willhold it through all the goodand bad days of your life.

Proving it true, a 31-year-oldwoman married a 48-year-oldman, who has been sufferingfrom muscle degenerative anda life-threatening disease onInternational Women’s Day onMonday with the approval ofher parents.

She was identified as Padma,daughter of KancharlaSantamma and Gattaiah--whohas been nursing the patientSrinivas -- for the past threeyears.

Srinivas is dependent onothers whether to sit, or liedown or eat food. He evenapplied for mercy killing in2012 unable to withstand thechronic disease with which heis suffering since he was 18.

He lives in the tin-roofedhouse, inherited from hisfather. His only source of

income is the pension beingpaid by the TRS government tothe physically challenged.

Srinivas lives at HousingBoard Colony. His father was

Katla Sankaraiah and motherAnasuya. When he was 18years old, he first suffered theloss of sense of touch near hisankle. The disease soon spread

to the legs, hands and wholebody. Doctors upon examininghim diagnosed as he is suffer-ing from degeneration of mus-cles. He was dependent on hisparents for all his needs. Hisfather died three years agowhile his mother appointedPadma, who lives very close toher house, to look after him ona monthly salary basis. Duringthe course of nursing him overthe past three years, they fell inlove. She decided to marry himand convinced her parents.The couple exchanged gar-

lands in the presence of fami-ly members.

Commenting on the mar-riage, Srinivas said that hefeels now more confident inleading life. He said that he didnot know how long he is goingto survive like this. But, as longas he lives he is confident ofleading a happy life with hisbetter half Padma. Sheresponds to his needs round-the-clock. Srinivas, who is onthe verge of death, says that heis going to enjoy a very goodcompanionship with her.

n The ruling TRS, opposition parties BJP and Congress go

all out in the poll campaign to win the two MLC seats

n Having suffered unexpected losses in the bypoll to Dubbak Assembly constituency and theGHMC polls, the TRS is keen on securing the two seatsKhammam- Nalgonda-Warangal and Hyd-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar Graduates' constituencies

MLC Kalwakuntla Kavitha takes part ingroundbreaking ceremony for theconstruction of a stupam at AnjaneyaSwamy temple in Kondagattu ofJagtial district on Tuesday

Kondagattu to bedeveloped on parwith Yadadri

Woman enters into wedlock with a man who is on verge of death

Minister for Endowments A Indrakiran Reddy, MLC Kalwakuntla Kavitha andothers release a poster on Hanuman Chalisa recitation

Srinivas said that he feels now moreconfident of leading life. He said thathe did not know how long he is goingto survive like this. But, as long as helives he is confident of leading ahappy life with his better half, Padma

Maha Shivaratrifete at Vemulawadafrom today

Minister forEndowments AllolaIndrakaran Reddyreviewed thearrangements for theMaha Shivaratri fetewith District CollectorKrishna Bhaskar andSP Rahul Hegde

PNS n PATANCHERU

The Telangana StateResidential EducationalInstitutions’ secretary, RSPraveen Kumar, inauguratedfive Knowledge Centres atRudraram, Isnapur, Muttangi,Pocharam and Inol villagesunder Pathancheru mandaland also

the TSB Sports Academy atBachchugudem village onTuesday. Addressing a gath-ering on the connection, hesaid that the SWAERO move-ment will help students toacquire knowledge and pre-vent them from gettingspoiled.

Objective of the SWAEROmovement is that the stu-dents pursuing higher educa-tion with their origin fromthe poor families should goon to occupy top positions,he said laying emphasis onreading books at the

Knowledge Centres. He hint-ed at SWAERO establishingmany more KnowledgeCentres in the State soon.Furthermore, people ofKarnataka at some placeshave set up their Knowledge

Centres taking a cue fromTelangana, he said feelinghappy about it . TheKnowledge Centres set up bySWAERO would be extendedto other States, too, besidesthe Telugu States.

Knowledge Centres inaugurated

PNS n HYDERABAD

Nizamabad MP Arvindalleged that a series ofattacks are taking place inBhainsa according to apre-meditated plan anddemanded a probe into theBhainsa clashes by a sittingjudge.

Addressing the mediahere on Tuesday, he calledupon Hindus in the Stateto unite at this juncture.He alleged that the riotersof Bhainsa have the sup-port of the Nirmal DistrictCollector.

He said that he wouldwrite a letter to the CentralIntelligence agencies onthe Bhainsa violence.

Arvind forprobe intoBhainsaviolence

Telangana State Residential Educational Institutions’ secretary RS Praveen Kumarstrikes a pose with girls, who staged a ballet, after inaugurating the SportsAcademy at Bachchugudem village on Tuesday

VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021 nation 05

ABJP MLA in Meghalayahas sought the UNESCOheritage tag for

Khongthong, known as thecountry's only 'whistlingvillage' where residents oftencommunicate with each otherby whistling. LawmakerSanbor Shullai has recentlymet Professor J S Rajput, India's representative to the UNESCOExecutive Board and put forward his demand to accord intangiblecultural heritage tag to the remote village in East Khasi Hillsdistrict. Apart from their formal names, residents of thevillage also have 'whistling names' which are used forcommunicating with each other. "Professor Rajput has assured meof taking up the matter through the Union Ministry of CulturalAffairs," the legislator told PTI on Tuesday. Shullai also met RajyaSabha MP Rakesh Sinha, who had adopted the village and ensuredthe implementation of government schemes including road andhealth services to the people. The MP assured all possible help forthe village and promised that there will be sustainable livelihooddevelopment for sustainable self-employment without affectingKhongthong's cultural heritage, the BJP legislator added.

The Delhi government on Tuesdayallocated Rs 1,550 crore in budgetfor the development of unauthorised

colonies in the city. Presenting thebudget for the financial year 2021-22,Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia,who also holds the portfolio of finance,said so far, construction work has beencompleted or is in progress in 1,345 outof 1,797 unauthorised colonies of Delhi.For the development of unauthorised colonies, Rs 1,550 crore hasbeen allocated, he said. Sisodia lauded the efforts of Delhi UrbanShelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and said all the slums ofNDMC, SDMC and EDMC have been declared 'Open DefecationFree'. It has provided 674 Jan Suvidha Complexes with 21,586western seats. The deputy chief minister said in 619 slums,10,16,531 metre of concrete pavements and 250 kilometre of drainshave been constructed.

INDIA CORNER

Attacking Rahul Gandhi over hiscomments on creating aseparate fisheries ministry,

Union Minister Giriraj Singh onTuesday said the Congress leadershould be "sent to school" so thathe knows what ministries anddepartments exist under the centralgovernment. Hitting out at theOpposition, especially the Congress, Singh said from 1947-2014, Singhsaid "those who ruled for generation after generation", gave only Rs3,682 crore through central allocation for fisheries, whereas theNarendra Modi government has invested Rs 32,000 crore since 2014. "Ihave been hurt because of Rahul Gandhi's comments. On February 2,he had an unstarred question but after going to Puducherry and Kochi,(whether) he did not remember, I can not say... He said there is nofisheries department and 'if I come to power, I will have a separateministry for fisheries'... I am raising a Constitutional issue," said Singhwho is the minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.

BJP MLA seeks UNESCO heritage tag

for Meghalaya's ‘whistling village'

Rahul should be sent back to school, says Giriraj Singh

The Centre Tuesdayrejected reports aboutimpending shortage of

COVID-19 vaccine doses inRajasthan saying itregularly monitors theavailability of vaccinesupply in all states andunion territories, andprovides doses accordingto their requirement andconsumption pattern. Rajasthan has been supplied 37.61 lakh doses and has consumedonly 24.28 lakh doses till Monday night, the union health ministryclarified. "There have been some news reports suggestingimpending shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses in Rajasthan. "Thefactual position is that there is no shortage of COVID-19 vaccinewith the state at present. Rajasthan has been supplied 37.61 lakhdoses and has consumed only 24.28 lakh doses till yesterdaynight," the ministry said. The central government is regularlymonitoring availability of vaccine supply in all states and unionterritories, and providing the doses as per their requirement andconsumption pattern, it added.

‘No shortage of COVID-19vaccine in Rajasthan’

Delhi govt allocates Rs 1,550 crore for development of illegal colonies

PNS n GUWAHATI

Assam broke all previousrecords in seizures of cash,liquor, drugs and other goodsin the run-up to the Assemblypolls with various agenciesalready confiscating over Rs18 crore worth of items andarresting around 110 peoplein the last 11 days, officialssaid on Tuesday.

The highest amount ofseizures worth over Rs 5.72crore took place during the 24hours, starting 9 am onSunday, an official told PTI.

After the polls were noti-fied on February 26, all con-stituencies in Assam formeda minimum of three StaticSurveillance Teams (SST) andFlying Squads (FS) each, withsome even having six suchteams each, he added.

"We have a minimum of

756 teams working acrossthe state. The seizures by allstate and central agenciesalong with SST and FShave crossed all fig-ures of last elec-tions,"the offi-cial said.

Since theM o d e lCode ofC o n d u c tcame intoforce, theagencies haveseized an overall Rs18.31 crore worth of items tillMonday, according to thedaily seizure report of theElection Department, Assam.

It includes Rs 4.27 crore incash, liquor (3.58 lakh litres)worth Rs 5.52 crore, Rs 4crore worth drugs and othernarcotics substances, Rs 1crore worth precious metals

such asgold and silver, and

Rs 3.52 crore of otheritems like differentfreebies.

The various teamsand agencies have

arrested 100 per-sons forinvolvement inillegal liquorand eight per-sons for nar-

cot ics-re latedcrimes since the

Model Code ofConduct came into force.

The highest 26 personswere arrested from theCachar district, followed by16 in Goalpara and 13 inSivasagar during the last 11days, another report by theElection Department said.

On Monday night, Rs19.55 lakh cash was recov-

ered from three persons inthe Barpeta constituency byan SST. As they failed to pro-duce any valid document forthe cash, the currencies wereseized and deposited at theTreasury Office.

Following such hugeseizures across the state, areview meeting was held onMonday in presence of SpecialCentral Observers of theElection Commission withvarious regulatory agencies.The meeting was attended bythe Special General ObserverSudarsanam Srinivasan,Special Police Observer AshokKumar and SpecialExpenditure Observer NeenaNigam along with AdditionalChief Electoral Officer VinodSeshan, EC Director GeneralDharmendra Sharma and ECExpenditure Director PankajSrivastava.

Assam breaks all previous records in poll seizures

PNS n THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The opposition Congress inKerala on Tuesday urgedUnion Home Minister AmitShah to reveal the details ofthe alleged mysterious deathin connection with the goldsmuggling case and claimedthat the CPI(M)-BJP nexuswas the reason for him to hidethe truth.

KPCC chief MullappallyRamachandran said Shahshould have the guts to dis-close the details if any suchdeath had occurred undermysterious circumstances asotherwise it would amount tohoodwinking the people ofthe state.

Covering up the detailsknown to Shah, exposes thesaffron party's "secret ties"with the Marxist party, hesaid.

Echoing similar sentiments,Leader of Opposition in theAssembly, RameshChennithala said the war of

words between Shah andChief Minister PinarayiVijayan over theincident wasjust a "drama" and urged thelatter to tell if such a deathhad indeed taken place.

Former chief ministerOommen Chandy was of theiew that it was notmutualquestions by the leaders ofthe two parties which peoplewanted, but answers.

The Congress leadersmade the scathing attackagainst the BJP and the

CPI(M) while holding a jointpress meet in New Delhi.

While addressing a massrally of party workers atShangumugham here onSunday, Shah had mentionedabout a "mysterious deathrelated to the gold smugglingcase".

Slamming the KeralaCM, he also asked Vijayan toanswer certain queries posedby him related to the matter.

In a tit-for-tat, Vijayan onMonday described Shah asan "embodiment of commu-nalism" and said it was theBJP leader who was jailed forthe crimes of alleged "kid-napping and fake encoun-ters".

"Both the BJP and CPI(M)are trying to create a smoke-screen among people. Thespeeches of Shah and Vijayan were part of a pre-planned script. Both the par-t ies are aiming for aCongress-mukth Kerala,"Ramachandran said.

Amit Shah urged to revealdetails of 'mysterious death'

PNS n NEW DELHI

Uttarakhand Chief MinisterTrivendra Singh Rawat resignedTuesday as the state's ruling BJPopted for course-correction ayear before polls, amid growingresentment in the ranks. His exitwas certain after his trip yester-day to Delhi, where he had metwith the BJP leadership.

Rawat, 60, handed in his res-ignation to Governor BabyRani Maurya just days short ofcompleting four years in power,becoming the latest inUttarakhand's legacy of ChiefMinisters exiting before term. Afirst-timer, he was chosen byPrime Minister Narendra Modiafter the BJP swept theUttarakhand election in 2017,winning 57 seats in the 69-member assembly. TheCongress won just 11 seats.

"I have been working in pol-itics for while now and my partygave me an opportunity towork as the Chief Minister forfour years. Now that party hastaken a collective decision toentrust the responsibility ofstate chief ministership to someother leader,” Rawat said.

UttarkhandCM quits

PNS n NEW DELHI

A total of 42 terrorist organ-isations like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed have beenbanned by the governmentfor their involvement in var-ious acts of terrorism, whichis largely been sponsoredfrom across the border, LokSabha was informed onTuesday.

Union Minister of State forHome G Kishan Reddy alsosaid that 635 terrorists werekilled by security forces inJammu and Kashmir between2018 and 2020, while 115civilians lost their lives to ter-ror violence in the UnionTerritory during the period.

Three civilians were alsokilled in the hinterland due tothe terrorist violence in lastthree years, he said.

42 terroroutfits bannedin India

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court Tuesdaysaid it would hear after fourweeks a plea which hassought resumption of physi-cal hearing of cases alongsidethe ongoing video-confer-encing mode in all courts andtribunals across the country.

A bench comprising ChiefJustice S A Bobde and justicesA S B opanna and VRamasubramanian said thatit would keep the matterpending as e-committee ofthe apex court is “decidingsomething”.

“We will keep this pending.Our e-committee is decidingsomething. We will circulateit to you as well,” the benchtold advocate M L Sharma,who has filed the petition.

At the outset, Sharma saidthat “so many tussles aregoing on” on the issue ofresumption of physical hear-ing,

“We are not worried aboutthe tussles”, the bench said.

During the hearing con-ducted through video-confer-encing, Sharma said, “Weare at the mercy of registry(of the apex court). We haveto run behind them”.

The top court has beenhearing cases through video-conferencing since Marchlast year due to the pandem-

ic and several bar bodies andlawyers have been demand-ing that physical hearingsshould resume immediately.

The top court would com-mence hybrid physical hear-ing from March 15 and it hadrecently issued the standardoperating procedure (SOP)for the purpose.

The Supreme Court BarAssociation (SCBA) hadMonday moved the apexcourt seeking the quashing ofthe SOP, saying it has beenframed without consultingthe Bar, an equal stakehold-er in justice delivery system.

Besides seeking quashingof the SOP, the plea, filed bySCBA and its TreasurerMeenesh Kumar Dubey, hassought a direction to theapex court's Registry not toissue “any circular withoutconsulting the Bar”.

"On an experimental basis,and as a pilot scheme, thefinal hearings/regular mattersl is ted on Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursdaysmay be heard in the hybridmode, as may be decided bythe bench, considering thenumber of parties in a mat-ter as well as the limitedcapacity of the courtrooms;all other matters, includingthose listed on Mondays andFridays, shall continue to beheard through video/tele-

conferencing mode," said theSOP issued by the apex court.

In his plea, Sharma hassought a hybrid mode ofhearing, in which the litigantsand the lawyers would be freeto choose the mode of hear-ing.

"Be further pleased to issueproper writ direction to thestate to provide/arrange videosystems for judicial proceed-ings all over India in theinterest of justice," Sharmahas said in his plea.

The plea has said thatpaperless e-filing of judicialrecords and hearing throughvideo-conferencing wouldsave lives as papers have beenfound to be carriers of theCOVID-19 virus.

"Several registrars andstaffers of this court andjudges suf fered f romCOVID-19 due to handlingof paper books. Several liti-gants have been facing threatsof getting the infection whilevisiting court premises...,"the plea has said .

SC to hear plea seeking hybrid form of court hearingsPNS n CHENNAI

The ruling AIADMK's allyDMDK on Tuesday walkedout of the alliance protestingnon-allocation of specificconstituencies and the num-ber of seats it sought for theApril 6 assembly elections inTamil Nadu.

After three-rounds of pro-tracted negotiations with theAIADMK that failed to fruc-tify, the DMDK led by actor-turned politician Vijayakanthsaid it was moving out of thealliance, that also has thePMK and BJP as partners.

In a statement,Vijayakanth said the decisionto snap ties with theAIADMK was taken follow-ing a unanimous viewreached at a consultativemeeting with party's districtsecretaries here.

The DMDK had contestedthe 2019 Lok Sabha electionsas part of the AIADMK-BJPalliance.

DMDK walks out ofAIADMK-led front

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Rajya Sabha wasadjourned for the day onTuesday amid a continueduproar by the opposition, ledby the Congress, over ademand for a discussion onthe rising fuel prices.

The House could nottransact any substantial busi-ness as it first witnessed anadjournment at around11.20 till noon and anotherone till 2 pm.

When the Upper House ofParliament reassembledagain at 2 pm, the oppositioncontinued to demand a dis-cussion on the rising fuelprices even as DeputyChairman Harivanshappealed to the protestingmembers, including thosein the Well, to return to theirseats.

Leader of OppositionMallikarjun Khargedemanded a debate on theissue.

PNS n LUCKNOW

The Uttar Pradesh Police'sSpecial Task Force (STF) onTuesday arrested a man whoallegedly impersonated a cap-tain of the Indian Army andduped several people on thepretext of providing themjobs in the force.

The accused, AnandKumar alias Rajvir SinghRaghuvanshi, was found in

possession of Army uniform,stamps and his photograph inthe uniform, police said.

Besides, police alsorecovered fromKumar a newspa-per cutting, whichcarried a reportabout a man havingthe same name ashim getting selected asa deputy SP, according to anstatement. The accused

would use the paper cuttingto boast of his selection as

DSP."Kumar was arrested

from Varanasi Cantarea. He posed as anArmy captain andduped people bypromising them jobs

in the Army," the STFstatement issued here

said.The accused, a third year

student of LLB, had unsuc-cessfully tried to get a job inthe Army in 2008. He latermade a plan to dupe peopleon the pretext of providingthem jobs in the Army.

He allegedly took Rs 14lakh from seven peopleincluding Amarnath Yadav ofBithari village of Varanasi,and Rs 10 lakh fromSudhakar Verma, Rajnish andDivya, the STF said.

PNS n CHANDIGARH

Some Punjab MLAs on Tuesdayraised in the Assembly the issueof raids conducted by the ED onlegislator Sukhpal Singh Khairaand described the move as "polit-ical intimidation". TheEnforcement Directorate (ED)

raided the premises of rebelAAP MLA from Punjab SukhpalSingh Khaira, his family mem-bers in Delhi and some jailedconvicts on Tuesday in a money-laundering case linked to the2015 Fazilka narcotics traffick-ing case and a fake passport rack-et, officials said. In the ongoing

budget session of the PunjabAssembly here, rebel SAD MLAParminder Singh Dhindsa tookup the issue of the raid onKhaira and alleged that it was acase of "political intimidation" ashe raised the issue of the deathof farmer Navreet Singh duringthe Republic Day tractor parade.

PNS n FATEHPUR (UP)

A girl was allegedly raped in the city areahere, police said on Tuesday.The accused is absconding.An FIR was registered by thegirl against the accused onMonday alleging that she wasraped by him on Sunday,SHO of City police stationSatyendra Singh said. He saidthe girl has been sent for amedical examination and alsoto ascertain her age.

Rapist at largeMan who duped job seekers arrested

ED raid on MLA echoes in Punjab Assembly

PNS n NEW DELHI

A court extended protectionfrom arrest till March 15 toNikita Jacob and ShantanuMuluk, both accused along withyoung climate change activistDisha Ravi in a case of sharing

a "toolkit" on social media relat-ed to the farmers' protest.Additional Sessions JudgeDharmender Rana granted therelief after the counsel appearingfrom both the accused said theyneeded time to go through thereply filed by the Delhi police.

Toolkit case: Court extendsprotection from arrest to Nikita

RS adjournedamid uproar

PNS n NEW DELHI

Delhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal Tuesday termed"excellent" the Budget pre-sented by his government,saying these were difficulttimes as the sources of incomehave shrunk and expenditurerisen during the COVID-19pandemic.

He also said thatemphasis on“Deshbhakti” (patri-otism) was thedefining feature ofthe budget.

"It was an excel-lent budget, pre-sented by (DeputyChief Minister andFinance Minister)Manish Sisodia amid difficulttimes. I am happy that thebudget estimate of Rs 69,000crore is around 6 percentmore than previous year's (Rs65,000 crore)," Kejriwal told a

press conference. Around 55 percent of the

amount proposed in the bud-get is meant for schemes andprogrammes, which shows anefficient financial manage-ment, he said.

The chief minister saidDelhi has always got a "sur-plus" budget since the AAPcame to power.

This budget laysfoundations of

meeting theaspirations ofpeople as thecountry cele-brates 75thIndependence

Day, he said.Presenting the

budget, Sisodia saidit was based on "deshb-

hakti" as it pays tributes tofreedom fighters and hopes towork towards building thecapital and the country asenvisioned by them.

‘Excellent budgetamid difficult times’

Rs 18 crore worth items caught so far

GOLD SMUGGLING CASE

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court hastaken strong note of an “alarm-ing situation” of passengersnot properly wearing masks inflights and issued guidelines toall domestic airlines andDGCA for strict compliance,including penal action foroffenders and periodical checksof the aircraft.

Justice C Hari Shankar, whowitnessed passengers not wear-ing masks properly duringtransportation from airport tothe flight and their stubbornreluctance to wear mask prop-erly, took suo motu cogni-sance of the situation andissued guidelines for immedi-ate compliance.

The high court, in its orderpassed on Monday, said it wasconstrained to pass the orderbecause of an alarming situa-tion which was witnessed by

the judge himself during theAir India flight from Kolkata toNew Delhi on March 5.

It was noticed that, thoughall the passengers had wornmasks, many had worn it belowtheir chin and were exhibitinga stubborn reluctance to weartheir masks properly.

“This behaviour was seennot only in the bus transport-ing the passengers from the air-port to the flight but also with-in the flight itself. It was onlyon repeated entreaties made(by me) to the offending pas-sengers that they condescend-ed to wear their masks proper-

ly. On the cabin crew beingquestioned in this regard, theystated that they had directed allthe passengers to wear masks,but were helpless in case theydid not comply,” the judgesaid.

The court said a situationwhen the country is seeing aresurgence of COVID-2019cases, after they had shownsigns of ebbing, is completelyunconscionable.

“Passengers in a flight are ina closed air-conditioned envi-ronment, and, even if one of thepassengers suffers fromCOVID-19, the effect on otherpassengers could be cata-clysmic. It is a matter of com-mon knowledge that beingwithin arm's length distance ofa COVID-19 carrier, even if heis asymptomatic and is mere-ly speaking, is more than suf-ficient to transmit the virus,” itsaid.

HC: Passengers not wearingmasks properly in flights

No one knows the num-bers involved but approxi-mately 2,000-3,000 troops (abrigade) from each side havepulled back, not pulled out.Both sides have 50,000-70,000soldiers posted on the frontlines. The additional deploy-ments and capital costs aswell as maintenance and logis-tics put together for one yearare estimated to be nearly`30,000 crore (`21,000 crore incapital expenditure alone).Then there is the cost of re-posturing troops fromPakistan to China’s front whichis work in progress. This levelof additional expenditure hasnever been incurred on theLine of Actual Control (LAC)and the revenue cost will fur-ther undercut modernisation.China’s defence budget hascrossed $200 b, roughly fourtimes India’s. Its internal secu-rity bill is even higher as it isthe main driver of internalcohesion. The India-Chinacapability gap can be measuredfrom the investment differen-tial and willingness on the partof China to use the power quo-tient for coercion on the LAC.

Indian Generals’ promi-nent reference to Chinese dis-engagement from the lakes as“loss of faith” was seen asinsulting (and beginning of

practical difficulties). The PLA’swithdrawal from the Fingersarea was traded for vacation ofthe strategic Chushul heightsthey had occupied for the firsttime since 1962. Yielding thekey bargaining chip for animmediate political imperative— provincial elections — mayprove costly. But this give-and-take was necessary forthe Narendra ModiGovernment to depict the dis-engagement as victory againstChina. The Government hasutilised the military’s strategicprowess — Uri (2016), Doklam(2017), Balakot (2019) andnow Ladakh (2021) — as polit-ical success stories againstChina and Pakistan.

The backchannel talkswith Pakistan’s NSA MoefYusuf, which India has denied,took place after the Galwanclash because the two-front sit-uation began to hot up. It wasa wise move, coming as it didafter Indian security plannersdecided to switch four divi-sions facing Pakistan towardsthe North. The ceasefire couldlead to a new India-Pakistannormal. Suddenly, pieces of thetwo-front puzzle are seen com-ing together despite theabsence of a national securitystrategy. That says something.

New Delhi is on the thresh-

old of major defence reforms:‘The India Way without anIntegrated Review’ or ‘StrategicDefence and Security Review’.Military commanders in chargeof these reforms must not triv-ialise the process by allowingsymbolism and politicisation tocreep in to please the politicalelite. Last week the tri-servicecommanders were lined up inGujarat for their review meet-ing in front of the towering stat-ue of “Iron Man Sardar Patel”,when that photo-op shouldhave been with the images ofmilitary icons like Field MarshalSam Manekshaw and Air ChiefMarshal Arjan Singh, becausethe PMO wanted it. Regrettably,military ethos and traditions arealien to most Indian politiciansand civil servants.

But the partial disengage-ment deal, achieved by theForeign Ministers under con-ditions of power asymmetry,reflects India’s willingness toaccept that the “price of apragmatic settlement (withChina) will be less than thecost of a difficult relationship”.

(The writer, a retired MajorGeneral, was Commander,IPKF South, Sri Lanka, andfounder member of the DefencePlanning Staff, currently theIntegrated Defence Staff. Theviews expressed are personal.)

The country’s first forest healing centre was inaugurated recently at Kalika in Ranikhet,Uttarakhand. The forest healing centre, spread over 13 acres, has been developedby the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department after a comprehensive

study on the healing properties of forests and their revitalising impact on the overall healthand well-being of people. Though it’s a step in the right direction, it is a sad reflection on

humanity when we have to be taught how to com-mune with nature for our well-being. That we haveforgotten how to feel the soil under our feet, smell theearth after the first rain, idly gaze at a spider spinningits web or at a star-filled sky or watch the canopy oftrees swaying above us in awe, reveals that we livea poor life indeed, bereft of nature’s bounty. Given ourtenuous link with Mother Nature and obsession witha fast-paced materialistic life, this loss of touch withour inner self and realisation about what really mat-ters, was bound to happen. It is no wonder then thateven as we touch new heights in medical science,an increasing amount of people are falling prey tolifestyle diseases, stress and mental health issues.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), close to one billion people areliving with a mental disorder and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. Closerhome, the WHO estimates that about 7.5 per cent of Indians suffer from some form ofmental disorder, with 56 million suffering from depression and another 38 million fromanxiety disorders. And now, COVID-19 has had further impact on mental health. However,every dark cloud has a silver lining and the pandemic, despite its crippling socio-eco-nomic impact, has taught us that we need to respect nature, live in harmony with it andthat our mental and emotional well-being is as important as physical health. Consequently,we are going back to the basics with India’s first forest healing centre that draws inspi-ration from the Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indiantraditions. It will involve activities like tree-hugging, meditation and sky gazing. Trainedguides will help people engage in activities that help them experience nature with all theirsenses and relax as the therapy reduces cortisol, a stress hormone. Research showsthat forest bathing has a positive impact on blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Thatall this communing with nature will generate employment in Uttarakhand is a bonus.

It is the fear of punishment and not respect for the law that makes most of us abide bythe rules. Further, the “Chalta hai” (it’s okay) mindset towards a problem only aggra-vates the situation. Even the COVID-19 pandemic that halted the world in its tracks and

took a toll on millions — physically, mentally, emotionally, financially and socially — hasfailed to dull our insouciance. However, when our ignorance and lackadaisical approachare no longer safe for society at large, the Government is left with no option but to inter-vene. The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has led to partial lockdown and restrictionsin several States. We deserve these curbs which seem to be the best possible responseto the fresh outbreak in the current situation. Umpteen requests made by the Prime Minister,

health experts and celebrities to maintain “Do gaj kidoori” (a distance of two yards) and “mask hai zaroori”(wearing a face mask is must) have literally fallen ondeaf ears as many citizens can be seen socialisingin close proximity while travelling in Metros, local trains,buses, e-rickshaws and other public transport. Manyothers wear their face masks loosely, only coveringtheir mouth but not the nose. Yet others don’t evencover their mouth and let the mask hang over theirchin, pulling it up on seeing a policeman or civil vol-unteer to avoid paying the fine. We must keep in mindthat wearing masks improperly defeats the very pur-pose of wearing them at all.

When the Mumbai locals were thrown open to all categories of commuters, peoplethronged the platforms and social distancing went for a toss. Similarly, the situation inDelhi is no better as despite restrictions and limited seating arrangements in Metro trains,there are violations galore. Seeing people jostle with one another on the stations, oneis reminded of the pre-COVID days. One may argue that it’s the job of the authorities tocontrol the crowds or restrict entry; however, they alone are not to be blamed. It is ourdespicable mindset of “Kuchh nahi hota” (nothing will happen) and “Sab chalta hai”(everything is okay) that should be held accountable for making us all vulnerable to thevirus. With its indigenous vaccines, India certainly enjoys an edge in the war againstCOVID, and by undertaking the world’s largest vaccination drive we have proved ourcapabilities, but the jabs are no panacea. Besides, with the virus mutating into new per-ilous strains, it is certainly not a one-shot solution. The world has already learnt lessonsfrom how the outbreak’s second wave has wreaked havoc. With our burgeoning pop-ulation, we are certainly not ready for any such unfortunate situation. The Centre hasalready rushed high-level public health teams to Maharashtra and Punjab, among theworst hit in the second wave, to assist in COVID-19 control and containment measures.Lockdown has been re-imposed in 16 hot spots in Thane district and the MaharashtraGovernment is mulling the possibility of night curfew or partial lockdown in Mumbai.The Government will do whatever it takes to fight the contagion but we must stick bythe mantra “Davaai bhi, kadaai bhi” (Yes to medicine and yes to caution).

Staying alive

P A P E R W I T H P A S S I O N

www.dailypioneer.comfacebook.com/dailypioneer | @TheDailyPioneer | instagram.com/dailypioneer/

VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021

06

Back to natureIndia's first forest healing centre aims at letting people experience nature with all their senses

China managed to get the strategic Chushul heights vacated on the

cheap but India is portraying the partial disengagement as victory

PICTALK

An artist gives finishing touches to a mural on the theme of saving the environment, at Sewree in Mumbai PTI

THE PLA’SWITHDRAWAL

FROM THE FINGERSAREA WAS TRADED

FOR VACATION OFTHE STRATEGIC

CHUSHUL HEIGHTSTHAT INDIANS HADOCCUPIED FOR THE

FIRST TIME SINCE1962. YIELDING

THE BARGAININGCHIP FOR AN

IMMEDIATEPOLITICAL

IMPERATIVE MAYPROVE COSTLY

ASHOK K MEHTA

After the spurt in COVID cases, several States aremulling partial lockdown. But is our laxity pardonable?

Pact price less thancost of strained ties

With five State elec-tions planned overthe next fewmonths by accident

or design, India might have hit astrategic sweet spot: Defusing itstwo-front standoff against Chinaand Pakistan. With a partial andselective disengagement securedon China’s terms, India is por-traying this as victory in syncwith its policy of “resoluteresponse” to force the Chinesewithdrawal from heights astridethe Pangong Tso, leaving otherPeople’s Liberation Army (PLA)intrusions from Depsang toDemchok intact. Last ThursdayMEA spokesperson AnuragShrivastava, sounding abundantcaution, said it was India’s expec-tation that China will work withit to complete disengagement inthe remaining areas which willlead to de-escalation in EastLadakh. That alone will lead topeace and provide conditions forprogress in bilateral relations. LastSunday, Chinese ForeignMinister Wang Yi was singing anold tune on the rights and wrongsof the standoff, blaming Indiaand reiterating that neither coun-try was a threat to the other.

After the standoff, Chinahas adopted a substantially dif-ferent position by not placing theborder dispute as central to bilat-eral relations. On February 25,Wang informed Foreign MinisterS Jaishankar of “some waveringand back-pedalling” affecting“practical cooperation betweenthe countries”. This is reasonenough to delay future meetingsto defuse other friction points. Itis fair to assume that for China,the disengagement process isover with Beijing managing to getthe strategic Chushul heightsvacated on the cheap. The refer-ence to “difficulty in practicalcooperation” will make futuremilitary and civilian dialogue onrestoration of status quo anteApril 2020 highly unlikely — cer-tainly not before July 1, theChinese Communist Party’s cen-tenary conclave. India’s readinessto make concessions to Chinacomes straight out of Jaishankar’sbook ‘The India Way: StrategiesFor An Uncertain World’.

SOUNDBITEDON’T CROWD THE VACCINATION CENTRES

Sir — The second phase of the vaccinationdrive may have commenced with greateuphoria, but much confusion prevails. Inmany instances, healthcare workers couldnot register on the portal and were seenrushing to the centres for on-the-spot reg-istration. Even the elderly are flocking thecentres which seem to be always crowdedwith at least 100-200 people at a time.

The elderly, especially those who havecomorbidities are vulnerable and such a sit-uation is not safe. Adequate seating arrange-ments ensuring social distancing should beensured by the authorities at the vaccina-tion centres. The solution also lies in rop-ing in more private hospitals. Senior citi-zens must be intimated at least two daysbefore they receive their vaccination.Moreover, healthcare workers must beallotted specific areas and time slots in hos-pitals or primary healthcare facilities to helpease the rush. This will avoid crowding atthe centre.

Vaccination camps can be conducted atindustries, big apartment complexes andshopping malls; vaccination can be done onSundays too, which will benefit office-goers.Since the Government has fixed an afford-able price of `250 for the vaccine, privatehospitals can handle the situation comfort-ably. However, the number of cases isincreasing and that is a cause of concern. Wemust follow all the protocols and wearmasks, maintain social distancing andsanitise our hands regularly. We cannot takeany risk at this stage when the number ofdaily cases in some States is on the rise again.

CK Subramaniam | Chennai

PUT AN END TO SOPs

Sir —The AIADMK in Tamil Nadu onMonday assured an assistance of ̀ 1,500 permonth to women family heads. Theannouncement bettered the DMK’s pollpromise of ̀ 1,000 made a day ago, with theruling party claiming it had been in thepipeline.

The State is already reeling under hugedebt, amounting lakhs of crores. From wherewill the money be generated? There are over

2.1 crore ration card holders in the State.One family will get around `25,000 perannum. The total cost to be incurred onsuch schemes is huge. This will set a badprecedent and politicians will try to win elec-tions by announcing freebies and sops.

It will make the people of the State lazy.With mounting debts, the State will see nodevelopment activity and its economy willfurther spiral downwards . Wasting taxpay-ers money in return for votes amounts tobribing the voters and is a crime. It is noth-ing but robbing Peter to pay Paul. The free-bie culture is increasing these days and vot-ers fail to understand that they compromisethe long-term interest of the people of thecountry for getting gifts or cash. The apexcourt should take cognisance and end sucha culture once and for all. As a taxpayer, Iam against freebies from the State exchequer.

Sravana Ramachandran | Chennai

WORKING WOMEN-FRIENDLY STEPS NEEDED

Sir — On the special occasion of

International Women’s Day, KarnatakaChief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappahas announced a proposal to grant six-month childcare leave to female StateGovernment employees. This is a goodmove and comes as a relief to many work-ing women. It is seen that politicians areoften unconcerned about the plight of work-ing women and don’t care to make policiesfavouring the fair sex.

Not only the Government but also pri-vate entities should take measures to makeworking conditions easy and friendly forwomen. They should be granted adequateleaves and must be provided with essentialand basic facilities, like breastfeeding roomsand creches, at their workplace. Women aresecond to none and have proved it beyonddoubt. Other State Governments should alsotake such measures to empower women.

Anshita Rochwani | Ujjain

Send yyour ffeedback tto:[email protected]

It is heartening to know that students in north-ern Wisconsin school district, who are with-out reliable internet connectivity, will soon be

able to connect to a strong network via a drone-powered cellular signal.

The startup is a State-funded pilot pro-gramme. The drones will be fitted with cellphonetowers that would let students throughout thedistrict get online — even in areas where cell-

phone service and broadband access are poor. India can also use drones to provide inter-

net facilities in remote areas, including villageslocated in hills and forest areas. Especially, thestudents in hill areas and those who live insidea forest have no access to the internet. Even ifthe internet is available, it's too slow which makesit practically impossible to use it effectively.

Fast internet connectivity is an essential pre-requisite for imparting digital education. Further,it will boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi's‘Digital India’ programme and will empower thestudents. The Government should launch suchinitiatives with the help of private players andencourage startups in this field. Entrepreneursshould be roped in under the ‘Startup India’ pro-gramme. It should be launched first on a pilotbasis in States like Uttarakhand, HimachalPradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and later extend-ed to other States.

M Pradyu | Kannur

Drones for internet connectionIndian forces aredesigned to fight a2.5 front war. This isnow obsolete. Wemust prepare for aborderless war.

Congress leader

— Rahul Gandhi

We do accept thatthere will be anincreased risk ofCOVID transmissionand it's inevitable.However, the greater

risk is keeping children out ofschool longer.

UK Prime Minister— Boris Johnson

The double-meaningdialogues in Bhojpuricinema would now bea thing of the past.The artistes from thefilm industrythemselves have become aware of this trend.

Actor— Dinesh Lal Yadav

Being a leader of theO p p o s i t i o n ,Siddarmaiah speaksbut, unfortunately, hiswords and actions aregoing to drown hisparty. He will remain forever in the Opposition.

Karnataka CM — BS Yediyurappa

We’ve played somegreat cricket. Losing toIndia at home wasreally disappointing,but we got docked twopoints for a slow over

rate, and that cost us.

Australia head coach — Justin Langer

LETTERS TO TTHE EDITOR

Stop the back door bailout of banks

HE (SCINDIA) WOULD HAVE BECOME THE CHIEF

MINISTER HAD HE STAYED WITH THE CONGRESS BUT

HE HAS BECOME A BACKBENCHER IN THE BJP.

—CONGRESS LEADER

RAHUL GANDHI

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT SITUATION HAD

RAHUL GANDHI BEEN CONCERNED THE SAME WAY AS

HE IS NOW, WHEN I WAS IN THE CONGRESS.

—BJP LEADER

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA

In the Union Budget for 2021-22, FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposedsetting up of a bad bank. Crafted as an asset

reconstruction company (ARC), it will bundle upall the non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks,buy these at a negotiated (albeit discounted) priceand sell them to investors such as private equi-ty funds, alternative investment funds (AIFs) andso on, by putting a turnaround plan in place. Anasset management company (AMC) will work ona detailed turnaround-cum-execution plan.

The banks plan to transfer nearly `2,00,000crore of bad loans to the ARC. Every loan (albeitbad) account involving `500 crore plus will beconsidered for transfer. In return, the ARC willprovide 15 per cent upfront cash to banks andissue security receipts for the remaining 85 percent, to be guaranteed by the Government. TheARC will require a capital infusion of at least`10,000 crore. A majority share holding in theentity will be held by public sector banks(PSBs); though some private banks will also beinvolved.

According to the 22nd Financial StabilityReport (FSR) released by the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) on January 21, the gross NPA(GNPA) ratio of all scheduled commercialbanks (SCBs) is projected to increase from 7.5per cent in September 2020 to 13.5 per cent bythis September. Even as the Coronavirus pandem-ic gripped the economy from the beginning ofMarch 2020, its impact on the bad loan scenariodid not reflect till September 2020 in view of theRBI’s decision to grant moratorium on loanrepayments (March 1-August 31, 2020) andexclude the moratorium period for the purposeof declaring an account as an NPA.

Meanwhile, the Government had made anamendment to the Insolvency and BankruptcyCode (IBC) to ensure that proceedings againstbad loan accounts by the National Company LawTribunal (NCLT) are not initiated until March24 this year. Once this embargo is removed (fornow, the powers that be are in a wait-and-watchmode but they will have to decide sooner thanlater), there will be a spike in NPAs as then thebanks will be forced to reflect the real position.This is what worries the Finance Minister.

Having already infused close to `3,00,000crore of capital in PSBs during the last four finan-cial years, and given its precarious budgetaryresources, the Government is in no mood topump another `2,00,000 crore or so needed toprevent erosion in their capital. At the same time,it wants to unshackle the banks from the burdenof bad loans so that they are in a position toincrease credit availability required for achiev-ing 11 per cent plus growth during 2021-22 andput the economy on a sustained growth path ofseven-eight per cent till 2025-26.

To wriggle out of this dilemma, Sitharamanhas resurrected the idea of a ‘bad bank’ that wasmooted in 2018 by a committee under the for-mer Chairman, Punjab National Bank (PNB),Sunil Mehta, to be named ‘Sashakt India AssetManagement’ for fast-track resolution of large badloans. In May 2020, this was reiterated by theIndian Banks Association (IBA) with a stipula-tion that the Union Government should anchorthe bad bank with majority equity holding.

Accepting this proposal wouldhave meant that eventually, theresponsibility for handholdingwould have come on the latter.Therefore, the Finance Ministryrejected that suggestion outright.

Under its new incarnation, thebad bank will be majority ownedby PSBs which tantamounts toownership and control vestingwith the Government itself —though indirectly. But the morecrucial point is that the securityreceipts issued by the bad bank tocover 85 per cent of the transfervalue of the loan will be promisedsovereign guarantee. As a result,while on one hand, the banks’ bal-ance sheet will be fully shieldedagainst any default in redemptionon maturity (they need not makeany additional provision whichotherwise would have beenrequired as per the RBI’s circulardated September 1, 2016), on theother hand even the bad bank neednot worry too much about recov-ering it.

If it is unable to recover, thenalso the guarantor (theGovernment of India) will pay up.In short, the bad bank has beencrafted in a manner such that it willbe a win-win for all stakeholderslike the banks, the bad bank,defaulting borrowers and so on,except the taxpayer whose moneythe Union Government will even-tually be using for bailing out thebanks.

If, that is the real intent, whynot give the capital directly fromthe Budget instead of following a

circuitous route, making thingsnon-transparent, setting up newinstitutions and adding to admin-istrative and overhead costs?

It is ironical that each timebanks are faced with erosion intheir capital due to delinquentborrowers, the Government takesrecourse to cosmetic solutions thatare often laced with fancy nomen-clature to make them look credi-ble. This approach should be aban-doned. Instead, it should adopt andbuild on sustainable solutions tothe problem of increasing NPAs.

In this regard, the IBC frame-work offers the best bet. This,together with the amendedBanking Regulation Act (this givesthe RBI the necessary powers toforce the banks to act), provides afoundational basis for successfulresolution of NPAs.

As per the RBI’s circular datedFebruary 12, 2018, for accountswith aggregate exposure greaterthat `2,000 crore, as soon as therewas a default in the account withany lender, all lenders — singly orjointly — shall initiate steps to curethe default by preparing a resolu-tion plan. The resolution planapproved by all lenders had to bereadied within six months from thedefault date. If the deadline wasmissed, proceedings under theIBC would be initiated by referringthe case to the NCLT which wouldget six months to complete the res-olution process.

The banks got six months tocome up with a resolution plan; ifthey didn’t, the NCLT would have

to do it within six months.Therefore, at the outer limit, it wasone year to get the resolutionkicking (wherever delays hap-pened, those were due to the casesbeing taken to courts — either bythe promoter or competing suitor).

The best part was that the tri-bunal was to facilitate selling of thedefaulter’s firm as a “going concern”to fetch maximum realisation. Theresults are there for all to see. Underthis arrangement, the lenders wereable to recover about `3,00,000crore which resulted in lowering ofthe GNPA ratio from a high of 11.2per cent as on March 31, 2018 to8.5 per cent as of March 31, 2020.

However, as per the directionsof the Supreme Court, the RBIcame out with a revised circulardated June 7, 2019, which giveslenders 30 days to enter into aninter-lender agreement to decideon a resolution plan. After this, theyget 180 days to come up with plan;if they don’t, they are only requiredto make an additional provision of20 per cent.

If they don’t finalise it within365 days, they have to make anadditional 15 per cent provision. Inshort, unlike the February 12,2018 guidelines, banks are notobliged to refer the case to theNCLT in a time-bound manner.This has literally rendered resolu-tion under the IBC process dys-functional.

There is an urgent need to revi-talise the process and make itrobust instead of looking for short-term solutions.

Why not give the capital directly from the Budget instead of following a circuitousroute, setting up new institutions and adding to administrative and overhead costs?

GWYNNE DYER

IN THIS REGARD, THE IBC

FRAMEWORKOFFERS

THE BEST BET. THIS,

TOGETHER WITH THEAMENDEDBANKING

REGULATION ACT (THIS GIVES THE

RBI THENECESSARY

POWERS TO FORCE

THE BANKS TO ACT),

PROVIDES AFOUNDATIONAL

BASIS FORSUCCESSFULRESOLUTION

OF NPAs

If I were a world dictator, I would immediately place Brazil under totalquarantine: Nobody gets in, nobody comes out. And I would keepit isolated until they arrest and jail President Jair Bolsonaro, impose

a strict countrywide lockdown for at least two months and vaccinateeverybody in the country (all 2,13,584,556 of them). And then we’llsee. They’d have to lock Bolsonaro up first because he flatly refusesto do any kind of lockdown. He also regards vaccines as sissy andwill not support a national programme to vaccinate the population. SomeState Governors are trying to buy vaccines for their own local popu-lations, but he publicly berates them as cowards for worrying about“a little flu.” Bolsonaro is Donald Trump on stilts and is largely respon-sible for Brazil’s sky-high COVID-19 death rate: More than a quarter-million dead. The US still holds the lead with half a million deaths —1,600 per million compared to Brazil’s 1,250 per million — but theUS’ COVID death rate is falling fast since President Biden took over,whereas Brazil’s is still rocketing up. Because Brazil’s infection rate isso high, it is an ideal pressure-cooker for new and sometimes moredangerous versions of the Coronavirus. It already has two named vari-ants of concern. The more recent and more worrisome one, P.1, prob-ably emerged in Manaus, and is now rampant across the BrazilianAmazon. P.1 is also starting to move out into the rest of the world. Sixcases got off the same plane from Brazil in London recently, causinga nationwide scare until they were all tracked down.

What makes it so frightening is that it spreads twice as fast asearlier COVID versions and it seems able to reinfect people who havealready had the virus. If it can do that, it can probably also get aroundthe immunity conferred by existing vaccines. There is no evidence ofcommunity spread of P.1 in other countries yet but it is only a matterof time unless people stop travelling to and from Brazil. And what doesJair Bolsonaro say? As Brazil recorded its highest-ever COVID deathtoll last Thursday, he said: “Stop whining. How long are you going tokeep crying about it? How much longer will you stay at home and closeeverything? No one can stand it anymore. We regret the deaths, butwe need a solution.” And his “solution” is to man up, accept half amillion or even a million deaths, and to impose that solution on every-body else in the world too, because he’s certainly not going to shutforeign travel down. Bolsonaro cannot be reasoned with and Brazilianscannot really be expected to remove him. Like the sane American major-ity under Trump, they’d rather endure the madman’s blunders and crimesuntil the end of his term than use force against him and wreck theConstitution. But if P.1 spreads, that could mean that everybody elsein the world gets lockdowns until the end of the year at least.

Nobody is going to invade Brazil to remove Bolsonaro, althoughhe does pose a big, very real threat. But what everybody else can dois quarantine Brazil. No national or international law stops other coun-tries from banning flights coming out of Brazil from landing on theirterritory. So do it. Now. No exceptions. Happily, there are very few heav-ily travelled road routes out of Brazil and the country’s neighbours haveevery incentive to shut them down. Maritime trade could continue, solong as every ship leaving Brazil spends at least two weeks at sea beforecalling at another port. Even air cargo could be allowed, so long as nopassengers are allowed and air crew are strictly quarantined. Nobodywants to punish Brazilians, who are suffering under Bolsonaro already.We just don’t want him to kill our parents too. How long should thequarantine last? At least until we understand the real threat from P.1and other emergent Brazilian variants, have developed vaccines againstthem, and have had time to inoculate our own populations elsewhere.

(Gwynne Dyer's new book is 'Growing Pains: The Future ofDemocracy and Work.' The views expressed are personal.)

The Indo-Gangetic Plain(IGP) is a 2.5-million sqkm fertile plain that is

the backbone of Indian agri-culture. It has greatly con-tributed to the country’s foodsecurity and the green revolu-tion. However, the pressure ofthe increasing population anduneven natural phenomenonlike unseasonal hailstorms,failing rains, cyclones,droughts and so on, haveadversely affected yield. Theseconditions have long requireda sustainable solution so thatthe Indian agriculture sectorcan fight climate change on theone hand and maintain arespectable agricultural yield tomeet the burgeoning demandof food grains on the other.

In these trying conditions,a study has established that theuse of field-specific fertiliser inthe IGP can not only increasegrain yield and increase farmincome but also significantly

reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions and farming costswhen compared with tradi-tional farmer fertilisation prac-tices (FFP). The study, execut-ed by an international team ofscientists led by theInternational Maize andWheat Improvement Centre,compared 1,594 farms acrossHaryana, Punjab and Biharand published the findings inthe ‘Nature Scientific Report2021’. The management ofnutrient input and balancedfertiliser use has emerged asthe key mitigation option inagriculture that can pave theway for enhanced producethat does not come at the costof the environment.

The study was conductedon two farms, wherein the fer-tiliser input was decided by thedigital nutrient tool —Nutrient Expert (NE) — inone farm while the FFP wasthe determinant in the other.

The application rates of nitro-gen, phosphorous and potashwere studied in each compar-ison trial in the rice and wheatfields under the NE and FFP.The NE is not a new conceptand was developed in 2013 bythe International PlantNutrition Institute and theInternational Institute ofTropical Agriculture and pro-vided nutrient recommenda-tions for individual farmerfields in the absence of any soilhealth data.

Its usage has reduced farmnitrogen input by 15-35 percent and also increased grainyield by four to eight per cent,besides reducing global warm-ing. The study further estab-lished that more than 80 percent of the participating farm-ers reported a rise in crop yieldand farm income and a per-ceptible fall in agriculturalexpenses.

The study reported an

actual increase in rice andwheat production by 13.92million tonnes and 1.44 mil-lion tonnes respectively withless fertiliser use.

It also revealed a criticalaspect pertaining to the quan-tum of nitrogen used in ricecrops. As per the study, nitro-gen input can be controlledconsiderably as compared tothe traditional farming prac-tices. Besides this, the study has

also helped underline the factthat the excess and improperuse of nutrients in crop pro-duction has many adverseimplications on the environ-ment, food security as well ason the farmers’ livelihood.The findings confirmed that ameasured and balanced nutri-ent use is critical in safeguard-ing the environment. In thebackdrop of this pathbreakingreport, the Government canmake a huge and considerabledifference in the lives andfinancial well-being of thegrowers.

The digital tool can beused to rapidly map variousgeographical locations andaccordingly evolve templatesthat determine the optimumbalance of nutrients and fer-tilisers keeping the soil type,water availability and weatherin mind. These templates canhelp drastically improve farmyields and reduce expenses by

the farmers, especially thosewho are dependent on theMinimum Support Priceguaranteed by theGovernment. This initiativecan be scaled up by enlistingthe active participation of thegrowers and sensitising thecommunity and creatingawareness for the well-being ofthe environment.

The polluted soils andgroundwater table of farm-lands of Punjab are a testamentof the dangers of indiscrimi-nate use of fertilisers toincrease the yield. In the longrun, the farmers have suf-fered as the chemical-lacedlands have caused dreadeddiseases such as cancer.

Advanced technology-based tools can change thenarrative for farmers and pro-tect them, the environmentand the consumers of thefarm produce from an over-dose of chemical fertilisers.

Technology-based tools can change the narrative for farmers and protect the environment and consumers from an overdose of chemical fertilisers

VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021

07

www.dailypioneer.com facebook.com/dailypioneer | @TheDailyPioneer | instagram.com/dailypioneer/

FIRSTCOLUMN

QUARANTINE BRAZIL, NOW!

There is no evidence of community spread of P.1 inother countries yet, but it is only a matter of time

UTTAM GUPTA

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

The writer is a New Delhi-based policy

analyst. The viewsexpressed are personal.

A digital push to farming for the environment’s sake

KOTA SRIRAJ

The writer is an environmental journalist. The views

expressed are personal.

UNEASY RESTS THE HEAD...

The Sussexes have vividlydramatised the realchallenge of staying out ofpolitics for the monarchy.What the Sussexes show isthat being relatable andrelevant as royals wasimpossible because itwould come into conflictwith the monarchy’s veryreal powers. Whether ahereditary head of state isrequired today ought to beconsidered in a programmeof reform that the Britishstate clearly — andurgently — needs.

(The Guardianeditorial)

FOREIGNEYE

PNS n NEW DELHI

Private companies have devel-oped 38 farm markets in fourstates with a total investment ofover Rs 300 crore in the lastthree years, AgricultureMinister Narendra SinghTomar said in the Lok Sabha onTuesday and added that thenew farm laws aim at boostinginvestment in agri-infrastruc-ture.

As per the 2006 NationalCommission on Farmers'Report, the minister said thereshould be one market to serve80 square kilometre (sq km),whereas presently one regulat-ed market serves 473 sq km.

In order to realize a greaternumber of markets in thecountry and to induce compet-itiveness and efficiency in themarketing ecosystem, there isa felt need for investment infarm marketing.

"Farm laws aim at promot-ing agriculture marketinginfrastructure and supplychains for efficiently connect-ing farm gates to markets for

the benefit of farmers byencouraging investments,"Tomar said in his written replyto the Lower House.

As per the information avail-able from state governments, atotal number of 38 privateagriculture markets have beendeveloped during the last threeyears including current yearinvolving total investment of Rs

301.19 crore, he said.Out of which, 18 markets

have been developed inMaharashtra with an invest-ment of Rs 88.62 crore, sixmarkets in Gujarat at Rs 151.6crore and 12 markets inRajasthan at Rs 49.75 crore andtwo markets in Karnataka at Rs11.22 crore, he added.

Tomar replied in affirmative

when asked if new farm lawswill have huge scope for privatesector investment in agri-mar-kets and improve efficiency ofsuch markets in the country.

The three laws -- TheFarmers' Produce Trade andCommerce (Promotion andFacilitation) Act, The Farmers(Empowerment andProtection) Agreement on

Price Assurance and FarmServices Act and The EssentialCommodities (Amendment)Act -- are intended to improvethe efficiency of agri-marketsin the country.

The minister said that thesefarm Acts facilitate direct buy-ing from farmers in trade areasby traders, processors,exporters, Farmer ProducerOrganizations (FPOs) and agrico-operative societies so as tofacilitate farmers with betterprice realization to enhancetheir income, he said.

Further, the minister said thefarm laws will "accelerate moreinvestment in marketing andvalue addition infrastructureincluding that in storage facil-ities near to farm gate creatingmore employment opportuni-ties for rural youth."

Farm laws provide addi-tional marketing opportunitiesto farmers for selling theirproduce outside the APMC(agriculture produce marketingcommittee) market yards suchas at farm-gates, cold stor-ages, warehouse, silos, etc.

VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021 Money 08

MONEY MATTERS

ESR, a leading AsiaPacific-focused logistics

real estate platform, onTuesday said it will developindustrial and logistic facilityat Chakan near Pune with aninvestment of Rs 330 crore.This park is ESR's secondThe total investment for this

park, spread over 38 acres, is Rs 330 crore. This facility will serve asthe hub for light manufacturing and logistics operations in thewestern region of the country, the company said in a statement. Ofthe 38 acres, 26 acres is already leased and will be delivered by May2021, it added.The facility will be surrounded by some of the largestauto manufacturing industries of the country. Chakan is known asthe 'industrial hub of India' and is one of the most prominentindustrial clusters for engineering, automobile, electronics, FMCGand logistics corporations.

ESR to invest Rs 330 cr todevelop 38-acre logistics park

Edelweiss WealthManagement (EWM) on

Tuesday launched the thirdseries of EdelweissCrossover OpportunitiesFund (Crossover III) with atargeted corpus of Rs5,000 crore or aroundUSD 700 million. As aCategory II alternativeinvestment fund (AIF), it

will focus on late-stage private equity (PE) and pre-initial publicoffering (IPO) investments. Crossover III will see the largestfund raise in the series, having raised Rs 2,200 crore throughthe earlier series, the company said. EWM's managing directorand CEO Nitin Jain said private equity is now a well-establishedasset class in India and is making a significant contribution tothe development of the country' emerging corporate sector,while generating strong returns for its investors.

EWM launches fund to bet on late-stage investments

The rupee strengthened by32 paise to end at 72.93

(provisional) against the USdollar on Tuesday, supportedby positive domestic equitiesand weakening of theAmerican currency in theoverseas market. At the inter-

bank forex market, the local unit opened at 73.16 against the green-back and witnessed an intra-day high of 72.91 and a low of 73.25. Itfinally ended at 72.93 against the American currency, registering arise of 32 paise over its previous closing. On Monday, the rupee hadsettled at 73.25 against the American currency.The dollar index,which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six cur-rencies, fell 0.37 per cent to 91.96. "Rupee traded strongly above73.00 as dollar index retraced some of its rally witnessed in the lastfew days. The dollar index which is traded around USD 92.4 retracedback to USD 91.90 giving the Indian rupee positive momentum,along with stable financial market participation," said Jateen Trivedi.

Rupee surges 32 paise toclose at 72.93 against USD

Paras Defence and SpaceTechnologies has filed pre-

liminary papers with marketregulator Securities andExchange Board of India (Sebi)to float an initial public offer(IPO).The offering comprises

fresh issuance of shares worth Rs 120 crore and an offer of sale ofup to 17,24,490 equity stocks by promoters and existing sharehold-ers, the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) filed with Sebishowed.The company is considering a pre-IPO placement of equityshares worth Rs 35 crore. Proceeds of the fresh issue would beused to fund capital expenditure requirements, to support incremen-tal working capital needs and repayment or prepayment of loansavailed by the company. The company is engaged in designing,developing, manufacturing and testing of a wide range of defenceand space engineering products and solutions.

Paras Defence and SpaceTechnologies files IPO papers

Govt says private companiesdeveloped 38 farm markets PNS n NEW DELHI

Automobile dealers' bodyFADA on Tuesday said passen-ger vehicle (PV) retail sales inFebruary witnessed an increaseof 10.59 per cent to 2,54,058units on account of low base oflast year.

According to the Federationof Automobile DealersAssociations (FADA), whichcollected vehicle registrationdata from 1,274 out of the1,481 regional transport offices(RTOs), PV sales stood at2,29,734 units in February2020.

Two-wheeler sales howeverdeclined 16.08 per cent to10,91,288 units last month, ascompared to 13,00,364 units inFebruary 2020.

Commercial vehicle salesalso slipped 29.53 per cent to59,020 units, as against 83,751units a year ago.

Similarly, three-wheelersales fell 49.65 per cent to33,319 units last month, from66,177 units in the year-agoperiod.

Tractor sales, however, grewby 18.89 per cent to 61,351units last month, against51,602 units in the same

month last year.Total sales across categories

declined 13.43 per cent to14,99,036 units, last monthcompared to 17,31,628 units inthe year-ago period.

Commenting on the salesdata, FADA President VinkeshGulati said the passenger vehi-cle sales witnessed double-digit growth last month on thelow base of last year.

Sales had dropped inFebruary last year as the tran-sition process from BS-IV toBS-VI emission norms hadbegun during the period.

"Besides the global semicon-ductor outrage kept the wait-ing period of passenger vehi-

cles as high as eight months.FADA survey showed that 50per cent dealers lost over 20per cent sales due to non-avail-ability of vehicles," Gulati said.

Two-wheelers continued tosee sluggish demand as thenew wave of COVID-19 in cer-tain states kept customersaway, he added.

Besides, high fuel priceshave also led to sluggish salesin the segment, Gulati said.

Commenting on commer-cial vehicle registrations henoted that offtakes continue tobe impacted due to financingissues and negligible sales ofpassenger buses due to closureof educational institutes.

PV retail sales rise over 10% inFeb on low base effect: FADA

PNS n NEW DELHI

Investment in prop-tech com-panies rose marginally torecord USD 551 million lastyear amid surge in adoption ofvirtual platforms for real estatemarketing during the COVID-19 pandemic, according toHousing.com.

In its report titled‘PropTech: The Future of RealEstate in India', realty portalHousing.com said USD 2.4billion has been invested so farin India's prop-tech industryacross 225 deals.

Housing.com is part ofSingapore-based ElaraTechnologies that also ownsMakaan.com and PropTiger.

"Investments in the prop-tech segment grew marginal-ly up to USD 551 million in2020 from USD 549 million in

2019," the report said. This has been the peak

investments since tech-basedstart-up companies in Indiabegan entering the real estatesegment in India, starting2000s.

“During the lockdown andthe subsequent phased open-ing of the economy, most buy-ers concluded their propertypurchases using virtual medi-ums," said Dhruv Agarwala,Group CEO, Housing.com,Makaan.com andPropTiger.com.

Investments in the prop-tech segment since 2010 madethis possible, he said.

"If these platforms wereonly popular to find andfinalise properties in the pre-pandemic era, the pandemichas changed much of that,"Agarwala said.

PNS n UNITED NATIONS

India has been at the forefrontin fighting the coronaviruspandemic and "really standsout” in terms of its vaccine pol-icy, IMF's Chief EconomistGita Gopinath has said, as shepraised the country for playinga very important role duringthe crisis by manufacturingand shipping the COVID-19vaccines to several nations.

The top Indian-Americaneconomist made the commentsin an interactive session duringthe inaugural Dr Hansa MehtaLecture on the occasion ofInternational Women's Dayon Monday.

“I also want to mention thatIndia really stands out in termsof its vaccine policy. If you lookat where exactly is one manu-facturing hub for vaccines in

the world - that will be India,”Gopinath said.

Gopinath lauded the SerumInstitute of India, saying itproduces the most number ofvaccines in the world in a reg-ular year and has been manu-facturing the COVID-19 vac-cine doses that are delivered toCOVAX and then distributedto countries around the world.

“India has been at the fore-front in fighting this pandem-ic,” she said, noting that Indiahas been providing vaccinesthrough grants to several of itsneighbours, includingBangladesh, Nepal andMyanmar, and through com-mercial arrangements as well.

The country has been play-ing a very important role inhelping the world in the glob-al health crisis through itsvaccination policies, she said.

Gopinath was responding toa question on India, which isa vaccine hub of the world, andthe role it can play in contribut-ing to global economic recov-ery.

She pointed out that Indiamakes up about 7 per cent ofworld GDP based on purchas-ing power parity terms.

“So, when you're that large,

what happens in India hasimplications for many othercountries in the world, espe-cially countries in the region,”she said.

Noting that India was “hitvery hard” by this pandemic,Gopinath said the country,which typically grows at over6 per cent, recorded a growthof negative 8 per cent in 2020.

“So, it was very hard hit butyou do see the recovery com-ing back as the country hasreopened, activities return-ing," she said.

The International MonetaryFund (IMF) has projected animpressive 11.5 per centgrowth rate for India in 2021,making the country the onlymajor economy of the world toregister a double-digit growththis year amidst the coron-avirus pandemic.

‘India at forefront in fighting Covid’

Investment in prop-techfirms up at USD 551 mn

PNS n NEW DELHI

Corporate India is indicatinga rebound in its recruitmentplans for the coming threemonths, and the sectors thatare expected to drive the sec-ond-quarter job marketinclude public administrationand education followed by theservices sector, a survey said onTuesday.

According to theManpowerGroup EmploymentOutlook Survey byManpowerGroup India, hiringis rebounding in Q2 2021 witha net employment outlook of9 per cent.

"India remains resilient inthe job market recovery postthe pandemic. The new bud-get announced also seems toprovide the right impetus toopportunities in job creationespecially in the public infra-structure, healthcare andBFSI," said Sandeep Gulati,Group Managing Director ofManpowerGroup India.

Gulati, however, noted that“in all probability, the impactof the government spendingon employment will be seen inQ3 and Q4, 2021 when therubber meets the road."

The strongest hiring pace isrecorded in the large-sizedorganisations followed bymedium-sized ones with a

seasonally adjusted outlook of10 per cent, which is animprovement of 3 percentagepoints as compared to the lastquarter, the survey of 2,375employers across Indiashowed.

Sector-wise, workforcegains are expected in all sevenindustry sectors during theApril to June period. The sec-tors which will lead the jobmarket are likely to be publicadministration and educationfollowed by the services sector,the survey said.

The weakest labour marketis expected in the wholesaleand retail trade sector wherethe outlook is 2 per cent.

Gulati further said the cor-porate world has witnessed arapid change in the job ecosys-tem with a mix of permanent

workforce and gig workers aswell as a hybrid workingmodel. "Too many movingparts in the quest to find arobust and scalable work set-up in the new normal," he said.

Going ahead, digital trans-formation will continue to bethe key driver for the job mar-ket with a preference for thosewho can collaborate remotelyand effectively. "Professionalshaving an upskilling mindsetwill stand a better chance overthe others," Gulati said.

ManpowerGroup furtherextended its survey to includethe impact of COVID-19, asper which nearly 27 per cent ofemployers reported that theymay return to pre-COVIDhiring within June 2021, while56 per cent stated they willresume by the end of 2021.

India Inc anticipates rise inpayrolls in Apr-Jun quarter

PNS n NEW DELHI

India has exported 87,000tonnes of onion in theJanuary-February periodafter the ban was lifted inview of good kharif cropestimates, AgricultureMinister Narendra SinghTomar on Tuesday said inParliament.

The government liftedthe ban on export witheffect from January 1 inview of good prospects ofkharif and late kharif pro-duction estimates, he saidin a written reply to theLok Sabha. "After recentlifting of the ban, theexport of onion in themonths of January andFebruary 2021 has been56,000 tonnes and 31,000tonnes respectively, asagainst monthly averageexport of 2.18 lakh tonnesprior to imposition of banin September, 2020,"Tomar said.

The All India averageretail prices of onion inDecember 2020 was Rs44.33 per kg, whereas dur-ing January and February2021 the prices have beenRs 38.59 per kg and Rs44.08 per kg, respectively,he added.

The minister said thegovernment has approvedcreation of 2 lakh tonne ofonion buffer during 2021-22 under the PSF, whichwould be built by procur-ing the Rabi crop arrivingfrom March this year. Tocheck onion prices lastyear, Tomar said the gov-ernment had releasedonion from the bufferstock of 1 lakh tonne cre-ated from Rabi-2020onion in a calibrated man-ner to moderate prices ofonion since September2020.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Chief Economic Adviser K VSubramanian on Tuesdayexhorted financial institutionsto avoid crony lending andfocus on high quality loans forcreation of assets that willhelp the country become aUSD 5 trillion economy.

Observing that Indian bank-ing sector since the early 1990sfaced the problem of poorquality lending especially onlarge loans, he said, loans werenot given to most creditworthy

borrowers but to crony capital-ists, leading to high distress.

"When the financial sectordecides to actually lend to aparticular borrower who ismore connected even thoughthat borrower may not be themost creditworthy, it means

that capital is not being provid-ed. There is an opportunitycost as the capital does not goto a more creditworthy bor-rower," he said at an eventorganised by FICCI.

It is the duty of the financialsector to ensure that optimalcapital allocation happens inthe economy, he added. It is tobe noted that the bad loanproblem in the banking sectoris largely because of high expo-sure of banks towards infra-structure which was facingproblems on several counts.

‘Stay away from crony lending,focus on high quality loans’

PNS n NEW DELHI

Equity mutual funds witnessedan outflow of Rs 10,468 crorein February, making it theeighth consecutive monthlywithdrawal, with flexi cap cat-egory accounting for most ofthe outflow.

However, investors put in Rs1,735 crore from debt mutualfunds last month after pullingout Rs 33,409 crore in January,data from the Association ofMutual Funds in India showedon Tuesday .

Overall, the mutual fundindustry witnessed a net out-flow of Rs 1,843 crore acrossall segments during the peri-od under review, compared toRs 35,586 crore in January.

Despite the outflow, assetunder management (AUM)of the mutual fund industryrose to Rs 31.64 lakh crore inFebruary-end from Rs 30.5lakh crore in January-end.

As per the data, outflowfrom equity and equity-linkedopen ended schemes was at Rs10,468 crore in February com-pared to Rs 9,253 crore inJanuary.

PNS n MUMBAI

Asset ReconstructionCompany of India (Arcil) onTuesday announced theappointment of PallavMohapatra, former chief ofCentral Bank of India, as thecompany's chief executiveofficer and managing director.

He succeeds VinayakBahuguna, whose five-yearterm ended in June 2020.

Mohapatra will be respon-sible for leading the strategicdirection and growth journeyof the organisation, Arcil said

in a release.A former deputy managing

director (stressed assets man-agement group) of State Bankof India, Mohapatra retired asCentral Bank's ManagingDirector and Chief ExecutiveOfficer last month.

At SBI, he handled variousassignments including asvice-president (credit andforex) of SBI (California),Los Angeles, USA; managingdirector of SBI CustodialServices; and chief executiveoff icer of SBI Cards &Payment Services.

Arcil appoints PallavMohapatra as CEO

India exports 87Ktonnes of onion inJanuary-February

Equity MFs see outflowfor 8th straight month

9

Vijayawada Wednesday March 10 2021what’s brewing?

eople no longerlisten to filmsongs, feels Shaan,who has doneplayback duty inBollywood for

over a couple of decades.“People have stopped lis-

tening to film songs thesedays. Film songs are notenjoying the popularity theyused to in earlier times.When we used to sing play-back regularly, people wouldlisten to film songs and dis-cuss them. These days,maybe one song from a bigfilm, that too which has beenheavily publicised — onlythat people listen to,” saidShaan.

Is this why he is not muchinto playback music thesedays? “As I said people don’tlisten. In the past one year,I’ve recorded four songs thatnobody knows about. Alsonew singers are coming up.When I was new, seniorsmade way for me. Similarlynow, I’ll have to make way forthe new generation. You can’tbe there forever. But I’ve sungfor a long time and I’m grate-ful for that,” replied Shaan.

Netizens often complainthat good original songs areno longer made inBollywood. Shaan takes apragmatic view on the sub-ject.

“It’s easy to say that weliked the music then but wedon’t like the music now. ButI cannot give you the samemusic now because you willsay that I would listen to thatonly. The point is, what is itthat you don’t like or enjoy intoday’s music? The lyrics, thebeat or the tune? As long as asong has good lyrics, melody,rhythm and tune, you aregoing to like it,” explainedShaan.

Any suggestions foryoungsters trying their luckin Bollywood playbacksinging? “Forget playback

singing.

Playback is not the way it used to be. Songs come in thebackground these days justlike in international films.You’ll have a better chance ofgetting a hit in a non-filmoriginal song that you aresinging. The golden phase ofplayback is gone. If you wantto be a singer, you shouldhave something that is yourUSP. Also it is important tounderstand the pulse of theyoung generation, what kindof music they enjoy,” suggest-ed Shaan.

Shaan is currently associat-ed with Zee TV’s latest musicreality show Indian Pro MusicLeague. Talking about thesame, he shared, “IPML is amusic show with a gameshow format. It’s a competi-tive and entertaining showwhich celebrates music.Every team will try to bringsomething new to the table. Ihope people will enjoy thewhole new musical approachwhich this show will bringout.”

SHAAN: PEOPLE HAVE STOPPED

LISTENING TO FILM SONGS

ctor Ranbir Kapoorhas tested positivefor Covid-19. He ison medication andliving in quarantineat home. Ranbir’s

mother Neetu Kapoor tookto Instagram on Tuesday toshare her son’s healthupdate.

Sharing a photo of Ranbir,Neetu wrote, “Thank you foryour concern and your goodwishes. Ranbir has testedpositive for Covid-19. He ison medication and recover-ing well. He is in self quar-antine at home and follow-ing all precautions.”

Commenting on Neetu’s

post, fans and followersshared their wishes forRanbir’s speedy recovery.

Ranbir’s sister RiddhimaKapoor Sahni also took toher Instagram story to sharea selfie with her ailingbrother.

Neetu Kapoor had con-tracted the coronavirus inDecember last year whileshooting for the upcomingfilm Jug Jugg Jeeyo inChandigarh.

On the work front, Ranbirhas lately been busy shoot-ing for Ayan Mukerji’saction fantasy filmBrahmastra alongsiderumoured girlfriend Alia

Bhatt. The film also starsAmitabh Bachchan,Nagarjuna Akkineni and Mouni Roy. However, it is being specu-lated that shoot will be tem-porarily stalled with the leadactor contracting Covid-19.

Ranbir’s next releaseis Sham-shera onJune 25. TheKaran Malhotrafilm is anaction dramaco-starringSanjay Dutt andVaani Kapoor,and is producedby Yash RajFilms.

ollywood actorAyushmannKhurrana has apenchant at dis-covering clutter-breaking films

and roles. For this, he hasto look out for new story-tellers.

“I have always looked tocollaborate with new sto-rytellers because they arelooking to bring a freshvoice and a different visionto our cinema,”Ayushmann said.

He added, “Young, first-time filmmakers are look-ing to make a mark in theindustry and they arealways coming up withhigh-risk content deci-sions, which appeals to mea lot because I have alwaysgravitated towards beingsuper risky with my filmand character choices.”

Ayushmann has workedwith debutant directorslike Sharat Kataria, HiteshKewalya, Raaj Shaandilyaa,RS Prasanna, Akshay Roy,and Vibhu Puri, and alsocollaborated with youngdirectors like NupurAsthana, Ashwini IyerTiwari, AmitSharma andAmarKaushik.

“I havealwaysstronglyfelt that weneed to bebold inour app-roachbecausetheaudi-ence isexp-

osed to brilliant contentfrom across the world, andthey only want to watchnew stuff. I laud thesefilmmakers for expressingtheir views and opinionsfreely. They want toexplode in the world ofentertainment and as anartiste, who is constantlylooking for clutter-break-ing and disruptive content,such people are always onmy radar,” he said.

The actor is always look-ing to discover new andbrilliant filmmakers.

“I want to creatively col-laborate with as many ofthem as possible becausetheyare

massive risk-takers, theyare visionaries who wantto change the way people are consuming content. Ihave always believed thatwithout risks, nothing newor exciting can come out,”he said.

“Our industry needsmore disruption and thesefilmmakers are bringingthis out brilliantly. Theirtalent is exceptional andI’m always awed by them,”the actor said.

“I have been fortunatethat these filmmakers wereexcited to collaborate withme, too. Without them Iwould have never hadDum Laga Ke Haisha,Bareilly Ki Barfi, ShubhMangal Saavdhan, DreamGirl, Badhaai Ho, Bala,Shubh Mangal ZyadaSaavdhan, or Meri PyariBindu,” he said.

In 2021, Ayushmanncollaborates with first-timefilmmaker AnubhutiKashyap in Doctor G.

“I’m collaborating withfirst-time director,Anubhuti Kashyap forDoctor G, and I can’t waitto start working with her.

She is a restless sto-ryteller who has

an extraordi-nary vision.With thisfilm and Ithink we willbe able topresentsomethingunique,engaging andimmenselyentertaining,”he summedup.

Ayushmann: Want to work with as many newfilmmakers as possible

B P

A

Ranbir has tested Covidpositive: Neetu Kapoor

Rules

ARCHIE

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

REALITY CHECK SPEED BUMP CROSSWORD

GINGER MEGGS

NANCY

l Each row and column cancontain each number (1 to 9)exactly once.

l The sum of all numbers inany row or column mustequal 45.

Yesterday’s solution

CALVIN AND HOBBES

FUN

hy is everyone goingto the sand-fringedisland that isMaldives for avacay? Well-knownfor its crystalline

waters with swaying palm treesand the limitless blue shadeseverywhere, Maldives is likethe new go-to-spot for a holi-day! Especially with all thecelebrities and influencer cou-ples posting photographs andvideos of their private pool vil-las and romantic candle-lit din-ners on the sand beaches, whowouldn’t want to go on an opu-lent trip like this? But, whatabout a common man? Is itaffordable enough for a mid-dle-class working person?

Choosing an ideal beach-get-away like this is the ultimatedream of many! And, to helpmake these dreams come true,the GMR HyderabadInternational Airport Limitedrecently launched GoAir’smaiden direct flight servicefrom Hyderabad to Malé inMaldives! Thanks to the chang-ing tourism laws, travelers cannow experience the serenityand gracious hospitality ofMaldives. Isn’t it going to be areally peaceful feeling of beingon the beach, wiggling toes inthe feathery sand with a wait-ress getting you an appetisingbeverage to drink before you goswimming through thesparkling waters — that’s a per-fect watch.

Pradeep Panicker, CEO,GMR Hyderabad InternationalAirport Ltd said, “This newflight service connectingHyderabad and Malé has beena much-awaited one. Adventureenthusiasts, nature lovers andholiday goers would love this

direct two-and-a-half-hourflight from GMR HyderabadInternational Airport. We arehopeful that GoAir flight ser-vice to this pristine land will bewell-received.” So it’s quite pos-sible even for a middle-classperson to go to Maldives on abudget!

Here’s the famous travel and

lifestyle blogger Shagun Seganaka ‘eattripclick’ from our veryown city who was one of thefirst ones to jump hop on thatflight. Sharing his experience oftaking that direct flight andhow one can travel indepen-dently to this fascinating place,he says, “It’s not that we didn’thave options to go to Maldives

earlier from Hyderabad but itwas vis-à-vis Mumbai or Kochiwhich is a six-hour flight, thatcan get painfully long at times.And now, due to unprecedent-ed pandemic, switching termi-nals for a traveler can seemapprehensive, especially in met-ropolitan cities. So this one’scome like a new ray of hope formany of us Hyderabadis wholove to travel. When you reachthe Male airport, you arerequired to submit a Covidnegative test report within aspan of 72 hours and with thetourism sector making it soeasier for the explorers to havehassle-free visa conditions,Maldives should definitely beon your list!”

Shagun, who’s currently voy-aging in Dharamshala afterexploring approximately 165countries on the globe, hementions something called‘revenge-travel’ Intrigued toknow more about this new-fan-gled terminology that’s goingon around in the trekkingindustry, we ask him if it’s thekind of travel everyone’s wanti-ng to take just because they’reso fed up of the Coronavirusrestrictions. Yes, it may soundviolent but it’s that’s simple!“Maldives is truly a luxury, buta luxury that a middle-classman can also pay for, if yourightly know how to plan anapposite budget travel! The onegood thing that has eventuallyhappened due to Covid is thatthe prices there in the islandshave also flashed down.Moreover, due to the burningtrend of revenge travel, it hasturned out to be a blessing indisguise for travelers! Hardly,the year of 2020 gave a citizenan opportunity to spend their

hard-earned money, so why nottake a trip from all the savings!Visiting Maldives is the mostsuitable place to go in the cur-rent times because social-dis-tancing well-maintained thereby default, thanks to the well-placed and spacious villas.”

With guest-houses springingup on the local islands, thetravel blogger feels travellingon a budget is far better thanstaying in a magnificent privatevilla that is mostly for couples.What’s so captivating about abudget travel? He says it’s thenumerous activities that comealong, allowing an individualeverything and not just bebored of seeing the multipleshades of aqua continuously fora week. “I suggest my fellowtravelers to book a resort thatoffers you ample activities tokeep you engaged. I had afloating breakfast in the pool,astounding barbeque nightaccompanied with appeasingmusic to vibe to, the option toride around on the bicycle,painting classes, silent-disconights and most importantly,the connectivity to the airportdue to the posh private jets, noteveryone can afford. KandimaMaldives is the place to go — ahub for the youth offering youin-house school for bothscuba-diving, snorkeling andwhale watching. Isolate yourselffor a while and get a chance toexperience the local life of anisland on a budget-travel,” headds.

Keeping the spirit of travel-ling high, take off to Maldivessoon, with your loved ones orfor a solo-trip with the directflight from Hyderabad and getaccustomed to the new way oftravelling to the Male airport.

Who hasn't made plans to go ona trip post the lockdown beinglifted, if not actually take a trip?And who wouldn't want a trip tothe Maldives? If only it werebudget-friendly. Helping youmake easier plans is travelblogger Shagun Segan aka‘eattripclick', who talks to ThePinoeer's SHIKHA DUGGALabout a not-so-costly trip to thecountry of sparkling waters.

ore and more peo-ple, and women too,embracing entrepre-neurship is a wel-come change. AndHyderabad has been

abounding in new and smallbusinesses, especially since thepandemic. A recent three-dayBusiness Women Expo with thetheme ‘Bounce Back’ at Hitexwas a testament to that.

The expo had the contempo-rary theme to help womencomeback to their business asthey were the ones who suf-fered a lot during the Covid. Arecord number of more than150 exhibitors participated inthe expo which experiencedancouraging footfall.

Some of the exhibitors at theexpo include inz wood studio,Foy Naturals, Learning SpaceFoundation, Dhaarana FashionStudio, 101 Flying Secrets, andDesi Cakes.

The noticeable feature of thisexpo has to be that the majorityof the exhibitors were firsttimers, which may be an indi-cation that women entrepre-neurs, who were hard hit dur-ing the pandemic were deter-mined to bounce back, so theyhave been exploring variousoptions, and exhibitions is oneof them.

Another important feature ofthe expo was the felicitation oftwo women entrepreneurs.COWE recognised and felici-

tated two first time womenentrepreneurs BishakhaMahanta from West Bengal andMamta Tanwar from MadhyaPradesh. These two womenrewrote history. They trained institching under USHA SilaiSchool and went online for thefirst time during the pandemicto beat Covid and market theirproducts through COWE’sVirtuemart. They sold diffeentkinds of fashion wear forwomen and turned out to bethe most successful in theirefforts and today stand as rolemodels for others.

Usha Silai began its journey

to empower rural women tobecome entrepreneurs and givesewing lessons in their respec-tive communities. These twosuccessful women were identi-fied by the Small IndustriesDevelopment Bank of India(SIDBI), an organisation set upunder an Act of IndianParliament, acts as thePrincipal Financial Institutionfor Promotion, Financing andDevelopment of the Micro,Small and Medium Enterprise(MSME) sector. Besides recog-nising these two women,COWE also presented each ofthese two women entrepre-

neurs cash rewards of Rs10,000 for their success inDigital Marketing, for settingtrends and living as an examplefor others. The event, that wasjointly organised by Hitex andCOWE in support with theGovernment of Telagana,HYSEA, Social Cause, TiE, hasalso highlighted that womenentrepreneurs are improvingtheir digital skills to recoverfrom the COVID-19 crisis.Covid sure has been the turn-ing point for women entrepre-neurs in the city. They arelearning to start from thescratch.

illions of Indians areaffected by ChronicKidney Diseases(CKD). Various epi-demiological studiessuggest prevalence of

CKD to be around eight to 10 percent. Multiply this with our popu-lation and age is no bar! Thoughprevalent among the elderly,younger patients are also known tohave progressive loss of kidneyfunction. CKD is associated withan increased risk of cardiovasculardisease and end-stage renal disease(ESRD).

The various causes of CKD canrange from strong medication,Diabetes, obesity, agricultural foodchain pollution, water treatmentpollution, to dehydration and kid-ney impact among others.Diabetes Mellitusis the leadingcause of CKD. Of every 100 dia-betics, nearly 40 land up withCKD. Diabesityis a coinage toemphasise the havoc created bymarriage of diabetes with obesity.One plus one becomes eleven here.Of those with high uncontrolledblood pressure, one in five willhave CKD. Glomerulonephritis,which is inflammatory conditionof kidneys as well as chronicshrinking of kidneys called chronicinterstitial nephritis are again fac-tors that can cause CKD. Youngpeople working in farms have aspecial proclivity. Indiscriminateusage of agricultural pesticidesandfertilisers along with heat dehydra-tion can cause irreversible CKD,robbing the nation of its youngworking force.

Obstruction to urine flow due tokidney stones, enlarged prostateand gynaecological problems canalso be major causes. Congenitalcauses like polycystic kidneys,reflux of urine and many otherdiseases target children right fromthe mother’s womb or at birthcausing young people to get CKD.

Kidneys filter waste productsfrom the blood. All the nitroge-nous end products, sulfuric acid,phosphaturic acid and innumer-able organic wastes which areinimical to good health are excret-ed by our indefatigable friends.Milieu Intérieur, the internal envi-ronment of the body, a perquisiteto good health is the primeresponsibility of kidneys as theyregulate blood pressure, enablenew blood formation in bone mar-row by producing the hormoneerythropoietin, maintaining fluidand electrolyte balance and byforming active vitamin D, kidneyskeep our strong bones in goodhumour!

Recognising early kidney dam-age is imperative and there aremany early symptoms that can be agiveaway to kidney health.Paradoxically passing more urinespecially at night is a classic symp-tom. Frothing in the urine, highBP especially in young people,unexplained anemia, muscle achesand bone pains, swelling over feetor face (how so ever slight andtransient) and the inability to havea baby are all symptoms to watchout for.

Knowing how to prevent ormanage the wellness of our kid-neys is equally important. Oneshould keep in mind the seven sinsof this disease and keep the follow-ing in check — sugar, salt, stress,smoking, sedentary lifestyle, spiritsi.e., alcohol and sleep (the lack ofit). CKD is associated with anincreased risk of cardiovasculardiseases like heart attacks andheart failure. Many a times the“seed of disease is in kidneys andthe fruits of illness is borne by ourheart”. Invest a small sum ofmoney and a little time in yourhealth to reap bumper dividends ofgood health. Regular BP and bloodsugar monitoring at home shouldbe done religiously.

Periodic health checks detectasymptomatic early kidney diseasewhich are amenable to correction.

High risk patients above 50 yearsof age, people with Diabetes orhigh BP and patients having a fam-ily history of kidney diseases,stones and cystic diseases shouldall opt for periodic health checks.Every person should have a healthinsurance from first day of theirearnings, whether personal oremployer supported and peoplebelow poverty line should havecoverage by schemes likeAyushman Bharat, ESI etc.

Are kidney diseases on the rise?The answer is an unequivocal yes.Ironically early CKD (stage 1 to 4)has no symptoms. Typically, it isnot until stages 4-5 where there issevere reduction in Glomerular fil-tration and kidney functions thatwater, electrolyte and acids accu-mulate and cause flooding of lungsleading to cardio respiratory fail-ure.

Dialysis is a process by which aperson is hooked up to a dialysismachine which filters out all toxinsand acidic wastes from the bloodthus reestablishing milieu interior,albeit only for a few days. So, aperson will need a four-hour ses-sion of dialysis every two to threetimes a week.

If prepared in advance, dialysisis a seamless and painless proce-dure which can lend many years ofuseful life. Getting a small surgerycalled AV fistula done well in timecan enable a safe and a high-quali-ty dialysis. We have patients livingwell for more than 15 years ondialysis. In fact, dialysis is a lifesav-ing and life prolonging procedure.Bluntly put, it boils down to ‘eitherdialysis or death’.

Nearly every person has twohealthy kidneys. In the event ofsomeone landing in End-StageRenal Disease (ESRD), changingone kidney with a healthy kidneyfrom a relative will enable com-plete recuperation of the patient.The transplanted patient can lead anormal life with some regularmedications and checks. Thedonor also leads a full and fulfill-ing life capped with the ultimatealtruistic deed.

If suffering from CKD, do askyour healthcare specialist aboutthe other relevant advice for ESRDand how to manage medicationsand routine exercises to stayhealthy. A quick visit to the dieti-cian to get tips on managing goodnutrition, food suited for the body,and to prevent thirst will go a longway in living well with kidney dis-eases.

Given that kidney diseases arean epidemic,it is important tomaintain a positive attitude withself-help and from the family. Thetreatment of kidney disease is notjust medical, but it is about com-prehending your life on a dailybasis and understanding the choic-es you can make based on yourcondition and available therapeuticmodalities.

(The writer is Senior Director &HOD, Nephrology & RenalTransplantation, BLK SuperSpeciality Hospital.)

Keeping renalproblems at bay

M

M

W

World KidneyDay is on

March 11. Tomark the

occasion, DrSunil Prakash

explains chronickidney ailments

and how onecan prevent or

treat themAN ATTEMPT TO REVENGE TRAVEL!AN ATTEMPT TO REVENGE TRAVEL!

WOMEN AMID THE

COVID PANDEMIC:

DISTURBED, BUT

UNSTOPPABLE

WednesdayMarch 10, 2021

Follow us on

@TheDailyPioneer

facebook.com/dailypioneer

sport 11VIJAYAWADA | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 10, 2021

PTI n LUCKNOW

Veteran Jhulan Goswami’sfour-wicket haul was

beautifully complemented bySmriti Mandhana’s sparkling80 not out as Indian womenoutplayed South Africa by

nine wickets in the secondODI to level the five-matchseries 1-1 here on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old Goswamireturned with figures of 10-0-42-4 and she was ably support-ed by fellow seamer MansiJoshi (2/23) and left-arm spin-

ner Rajeshwari Gayakwad(3/37) as India dismissedSouth Africa for a paltry 157after opting to field.

Opener Mandhana (80 notout off 64 balls) and Raut (62not out, 89 balls) then sharedan unbeaten 138-run part-nership for the second wicketwith India overhauling thetarget in only 28.4 overs tobounce back from their eight-wicket loss in the first ODI.

Mandhana blasted 10fours and three sixes whileRaut dropped anchor at oneend but also hit eight bound-aries.

Mandhana made herintentions clear right fromthe start when she clubbed thefirst two balls of her inningsfor sixes off Shabnim Ismail(1/46) and also scored thewinning runs with successivefours in the 29th over.

Earlier, Lara Goodall wasthe most successfulbatswoman for South Africa asshe scored a 77-ball 49, whileskipper Sune Luus chipped inwith a 57-ball 36.

AFP n PARIS

Germany’s World Cup-win-ning head coach Joachim

Löw will step down after theEuropean championships thisJuly, the German FootballAssociation said on Tuesday.

Löw will leave with a yearleft on his contract havingsigned up until the 2022 WorldCup finals in Qatar.

In a statement, Löw said hewas “full of pride and enormousgratitude” after nearly 15 yearsas national coach and that hewas “motivated” for his swan-song at the rearrangedEuropean championships fromJune 11-July 11.

Fritz Keller, the president ofthe German football association(DFB), said Löw’s decision“gives us the necessary time toname his successor calmly”.

Liverpool managerJurgen Klopp and BayernMunich boss Hansi Flick,who was Löw’s assistantcoach when Germanywon the 2014 WorldCup, have been men-

tioned as early frontrunnersfor the job.

Löw has vowed to go out ona high at the European champi-onships but Germany face atough task as they are drawn inthe same group as world cham-pions France and holdersPortugal.

“I still feel the will, greatenergy and ambition,” Löwinsisted.

“I will do my best to makeour fans happy and be success-ful at this tournament.”

The 61-year-old nicknamedJogi has been in charge of

Germany since2006.

The 2014 tri-umph in Brazil,

where his sidebeat Lionel Messi’sArgentina in

the final thanks to MarioGoetze’s extra-time winner, wasthe highpoint of his reign.

But Löw has faced threeyears of criticism since holdersGermany crashed out of the2018 World Cup in Russia atthe group stage.

The calls for him to resigngrew louder since Germanywere hammered 6-0 by Spain inthe Nations League lastNovember.

Until the 2014 debacle, theGermans had reached at leastthe semi-finals of every tourna-ment under Löw.

“I have worked with thebest footballers in the countryand supported them in theirdevelopment,” Löw said onTuesday.

“I have had great triumphswith them and painful defeats,but above all many wonderfuland magical moments — notjust winning the 2014 WorldCup in Brazil.”

His record as coach is animpressive 120 wins in 189games with Germany as well as38 draws and 31 defeats.

AFP n PARIS

Ronald Koeman insistsBarcelona can pull off

another incredible comebackagainst Paris Saint-Germainon Wednesday, especially ifLionel Messi plays at his sen-sational best.

Barca were thrashed 4-1 inthe first leg of the ChampionsLeague last 16 last month butKoeman believes his team canrepeat the remontada of 2017,when they overturned a 4-0defeat by PSG with an astonish-ing 6-1 victory.

“There is always a chance,”said Koeman in a press confer-ence on Tuesday. “It dependshow we start the game, theenergy we put into making lifedifficult for them and howruthless we are.

“They were ruthless in thefirst leg but we always createchances, so if we can beabsolutely ruthless, nothing isimpossible.”

PSG will also be withoutNeymar again in Paris after theclub confirmed he is still suf-

fering from a thigh injury.“Neymar is one of the best

players in the world,” saidBarca midfielder Frenkie deJong. “If he isn’t in front of you,

it’s easier, of course.”Despite scoring a penalty

in the first game at Camp Nou,Messi was overshadowed by astatement performance from

PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, whoripped Barcelona apart with astunning hat-trick.

But Messi has been in goodform with seven goals in his lastseven games and Koemanbelieves his captain can pro-

duce something special to turnthe tie.

“If Leo can play one of hisbest matches, everything ispossible,” Koeman said. “He isthe kind of player than candecide any match, at any time.”

PTI n AHMEDABAD

Al l-rounder HardikPandya has startedbowling full tilt at the

nets with a slightly tweakedaction ahead of the five-matchT20 series against England,giving the Indian team anadditional bowling option inwhite-ball format that theyhave missed for some time.

Hardik uploaded a videoof his net session on his Twitterpage, which mainly was a col-lage of his booming hitsincluding his customised ver-sion of helicopter shot as headcoach Ravi Shastri, battingcoach Vikram Rathour andskipper Virat Kohli lookedintently.

However, it was the last 10seconds of footage that reallycaught the attention when hestrode into bowl.

Since suffering stress frac-tures in his back in 2019,Hardik has rarely bowled. Hewas forced to bowl during theAustralia ODIs at a time whenhis action was undergoing achange.

Former national selectorand Test batsman DevangGandhi has noted the changein his action.

“It seems that he hasreduced the length of his jumpand in turn the stride is short-er. If you have a big jump, auto-matically, your stride will belonger and there will be morepounding on landing,” Gandhisaid.

The economy of actionwill put lesser stress on his backas Pandya could be an impor-tant cog not only during theT20 World Cup in October butalso the seamer all-rounderthat India will desperately needin England where they arescheduled to play six Testmatches, beginning withWorld Test Championshipfinal in Southampton.

DHAWAN MAY MISS OUTVeteran opener Shikhar

Dhawan is unlikely to get anygame in the five-match T20series unless one among KLRahul and Rohit Sharma iseither injured or rested.

It has been learnt that as ofnow, Dhawan has no chance ofmaking it to the playing XI inthe T20 format although hewill remain the first choiceback-up opener.

Dhawan, who was sec-ond-highest scorer behind KLRahul in last year’s IPL, willfind it difficult to get a look in,in this shortest format withRohit, who was injured duringthe white ball leg, is back in thethick of things.

“KL and Rohit are youropening pair in T20s goinginto the World T20. Shikharwill be the reserve opener andwill have to wait for his turn.

May be during the ODIs, hecan be given a chance if theODIs are also treated as anextension of T20 preparation,”Gandhi, who till recently wasin selection panel commented.

PANT AT 4, SURYA AT 5Gandhi feels that Rishabh

Pant should bat at number 4which will give him a lot oftime to play his destructivegame and he would like to see

Suryakumar Yadav being triedout at number five in theline-up.

The toss-up for one spe-cialist middle-order slot isbetween Surya and ShreyasIyer and Gandhi’s vote is withthe Mumbai Indians man.

“Surya has had tremen-dous success for MumbaiIndians in the IPL batting atthat particular slot. If you arelooking at him going into theWorld T20, give him as manygames as possible in the leadup. He should also be kept inthe ODI squad.”

PTI n MUMBAI

Former batsman VVSLaxman believes Rishabh

Pant can be a match-winner forIndia in the T20 format andneeds to be given a longer ropekeeping the upcoming T20World Cup in mind.

The 23-year-old wicket-keeper batsman was recentlynamed in the limited oversquad for the upcoming fiveT20Is against England afterbeing dropped from the white-ball leg of the Australia tour.

“We have seen him playunder pressure for DelhiCapitals and win matches. Asa left-hand batsman, he givesthat option where the opposi-tion captain can feel the heatonce he gets going,” saidLaxman said on Star Sportsshow Game Plan.

“I think he is a great addi-tion and I hope they don’t judgehim by one or two inningsbecause if you’re keeping inmind the World Cup, it can bea long rope. Once he has thesecurity, we know that he canwin matches just by himself.”

Pant had cracked a breath-taking 101 off 118 balls to helpIndia score 365 in the fourthTest, besides scoring a 97 atSydney and an unbeaten 89 atBrisbane that led India to a his-toric series win against

Australia in January.Laxman, a veteran of 134

Tests, feels Pant can fulfil thefinisher’s role in the team alongwith Hardik Pandya andRavindra Jadeja.

“In this situation, it couldjust strengthen the finishers inthe Indian team because overthe last one and one and halfyears, we are overly dependenton Hardik Pandya, and(Ravindra) Jadeja when hecomes at number 7,” Laxmansaid.

“But if there is one batsmanin the Indian batting line-upwho from the first ball can playthose shots is Pandya. Pant withthe kind of form and maturi-ty; it’s not only about the formbut the maturity with whichhe’s batted in Test matches, Ithink he (Pant) will be a match-winner.”

PTI n NEW DELHI

Skipper Prithvi Shaw blazedhis way to an unbeaten 185

off just 123 balls as Mumbaistormed into the semi-finals ofthe Vijay Hazare Trophy witha crushing nine-wicket winover Saurashtra in the fourthquarter-final here on Tuesday.

Opting to bat, Saurashtrarode on Samarth Vyas’ unbeat-en 90 to post 284 for 5, but itwas overshadowed by Shaw’sblitzkrieg, as Mumbai chasedthe target in just 41.5 overs.

Shaw smashed his thirdhundred in the tournamentafter slamming 105 not outagainst Delhi and 227 not outagainst Puducherry in theleague stage.

Chasing 285, Shaw wenton the offensive from theword go as Mumbai scored 67for no loss after nine overs.

The diminutive right-han-der did not spare any of theopposition bowlers as he hit 21fours and seven sixes in hiswhirlwind innings.

With Shaw in full flow,Yashasvi Jaiswal (75 off 104balls) played the perfect sec-ond fiddle.

Shaw, who now holds therecord for the highest individ-ual score in the tournament,kept playing his shots andcompleted his 50 off 29 balls.

The youngster continuedthe onslaught and notched up

his hundred in 67 balls even asthe opening duo added 238 forthe first wicket and laid thefoundation for the win.

Jaiswal hit 10 fours and asix, but perished whenMumbai was on the cusp of awin.

Shaw, then in Aditya Tare’s(20 not out) company complet-ed the formalities with ease.

Earlier, Samarth Vyas,who came in at number six,and Chirag Jani (53 not out off38 balls), rallied the inningsand provided the much-need-ed momentum with their 129-run unbroken stand for sixthwicket.

Vyas hammered sevenboundaries and four maxi-mums, while Jani struck fivefours and one six, as the duotoyed with the Mumbai attack.Brief Scores: Saurashtra 284/5(Samarth Vyas 90 not out,Chirag Jani 53 not out; ShamsMulani 2/51; Tanush Kotian1/30) lost to Mumbai 285/1(Prithvi Shaw 185 not out,Yashasvi Jaiswal 75; JaydevUnadkat 1/52) by 9 wickets.

UP BEAT DELHIIn the other semifinal

match played at Feroz ShahKotla, a disciplined UttarPradesh put up a thoroughly

professional performance tooutwit Delhi by 46 runs.

UP will now meet Gujaratin the first semi-final whileheavyweights Mumbai will bepitted against Karnataka in theother last four clash.

Uttar Pradesh rode onkeeper-batsman UpendraYadav’s stroke-filled 112 off101 balls and skipper KaranSharma’s 83 off 100 deliveriesto post a competitive 280/7.

The UP bowlers then didwell enough to restrict Delhito 234 in 48.1 overs with noneof the middle-order batsmengetting a move on after a top-order collapse, having losthalf of the side within 20overs.

Shivam Mavi 1/31 in 8.2overs was brilliant until he hadto be taken off the attack forbowling a couple of beamers.

But it was the spinnersShivam Sharma (1/33 in 10overs) and off-spinner SameerChoudhary (0/25 in 6 overs)who put the brakes in the mid-dle overs when Lalit Yadav (61off 78 balls) and Anuj Rawat(47 off 64 balls) couldn’t breakthe shackles.Brief Scores: Uttar Pradesh280/7 (Upendra Yadav 112,Karan Sharma 83; PradeepSangwan 2/49, Simarjeet Singh2/51) beat Delhi 234 in 48.1overs (Lalit Yadav 61, AnujRawat 47, Akshdeep Nath2/29, Shivam Mavi 1/32).

AFP n TOKYO

Japan has decided to stage thissummer’s Tokyo Olympics

and Paralympics without over-seas spectators due to publicconcern about Covid-19, Kyodonews agency said on Tuesday,citing officials with knowledgeof the matter.

The Tokyo 2020 gamesorganising committee said inresponse that a decision wouldbe made by the end of March.

The Olympics, postponedby a year because of the pan-demic, are scheduled for July 23to August 8, and theParalympics from August 24 toSeptember 5.

Kyodo said the JapaneseGovernment had concludedthat welcoming fans fromabroad would not be possiblegiven public concern about

the coronavirus and the detec-tion of more contagious vari-ants in many countries, Kyodocited the officials as saying.

The opening ceremony ofthe torch relay would also beheld without any spectators,Kyodo said.

“The organising committeehas decided it is essential tohold the ceremony in thenortheastern prefecture ofFukushima behind closeddoors, only permitting partic-ipants and invitees to take partin the event, to avoid largecrowds forming amid the pan-demic,” Kyodo said, quoting theofficials.

Tokyo 2020 PresidentSeiko Hashimoto has said shewants a decision on whether tolet in overseas spectators beforethe start of the torch relay onMarch 25.

Leipzig: RB Leipzig coachJulian Nagelsmann insists hisside remain underdogs inWednesday’s ChampionsLeague, last 16 clash againstcrisis-hit Liverpool after theGermans lost 2-0 to the Redsin the first leg.

“We are heading into thegame with the necessaryhumility and respect,”Nagelsmann said on Tuesday.

He added that Liverpool’smiserable run of six defeatsfrom their last seven leaguegames had no bearing onLeipzig’s chances in theChampions League.

“We’re not interested inLiverpool’s league results,because we are losing this tieat the moment. We are thechallengers, not the favourites,”said the 33-year-old Leipzigcoach.

Nagelsmann added that hebacked Liverpool to bounceback under fellow Germanboss Jurgen Klopp.

“It’s a hard phase for them,but they are still a world-classteam with a world-class coach,”said Nagelsmann.

“Jurgen has already mas-tered a few crises in his career,”he added. AFP

‘Leipzig still underdogsagainst Liverpool’

‘Nothing is impossible' against PSG: KoemanLöw to step down after Euros

Hardik bowls with tweaked action

PTI n DUBAI

India’s teenaged batting sen-sation Shafali Verma moved

up a place to second whilevice-captain Smriti Mandhanaretained the seventh spot inthe latest ICC women’s T20Irankings, released on Tuesday.

With 744 rating points,Verma is behind leader BethMooney (748) of Australiawhile Mandhana has 693points.

Jemimah Rodrigues —with 643 points — remainedat the ninth spot to be the

third Indian batswoman in thetop 10.

All-rounder DeeptiSharma (6th), spinners RadhaYadav (8th) and PoonamYadav (9th) were in the top 10in the bowlers list.

England’s SophieEccleston (799) continued tolead the bowlers’ list and wasfollowed by Shabnim Ismail(764) of South Africa in thesecond spot.

Deepti was the loneIndian to figure in the all-rounders’ list. She is placedfourth with 302 points.

Shafali climbs to 2ndspot in T20 rankings

Pant can be a matchwinner in T20s: VVS

Shaw takes Mumbai in Hazare semis Japan to stage Tokyo Olympics‘without overseas spectators’

Ashwin wins ICCFebruary Playerof Month awardNew Delhi: India’s off-spinnerRavichandran Ashwin was onTuesday named the ICC men’sPlayer of the Month (February)for his stellar show againstEngland in a four-match Testseries.

In the three Tests he played,Ashwin scored a 106 in the sec-ond innings of India’s secondTest victory over England atChennai and took his 400th Testwicket in the third Test victoryat Ahmedabad.

Besides the century, Ashwinscalped a staggering 24 wicketsagainst England in February tohelp India pocket the four-match Test series 3-1 and helphis team secure its spot in theWTC final against New Zealandat the iconic Lord’s in June.

Scoring a total of 176 runsacross these games and taking 24wickets, Ashwin was the unan-imous choice to win in themen’s category for February andgarnered the most votes in thefan vote, the ICC said in a state-ment.

Tammy Beaumont fromEngland was adjudged women’sPlayer of the Month. PNS

Mumbai skipper Prithvi Shaw in action during 2021 Vijay Hazare BCCI/File PPhoto

Jhulan Goswami celebrates with her teammates after she takes wicket of South Africa batswoman BCCI Women/Twitter

Smriti, Jhulan help India level series

n a sad stateof affairs,miscreantsat a privatepub locatedat Jubilee

Hills, road number10, threw water andalcohol on popularsinger Sid Sriramwho was perform-ing at the venue.

Organisers of theevent are to blame,say many, for a hugecrowd was inviteddespite the venuebeing able to houseonly 500.

Sid being a popu-lar face, was able to

pull a huge crowd asthe ticket was faredat a reasonable 1500rupees.

The incident,though it occurredlast week, came tolight only recently.A bunch of inviteesgot pretty close tothe stage Sid wasperforming on andsplashed water andalcohol at theunsuspecting singer.A visibly shook Sid,stopped performing,expressed his dis-pleasure at the act,and left the stage.

A video of this

incident has beenmaking rounds onsocial media.

However, it is saidthat Sid chose not totake legal action,with Jubilee Hillspolice station too,confirming thatthey haven’treceived any com-plaint.

While the singerhas been unavail-able for comment, itlooks like the organ-isers of the eventand the singer havedecided to brushthe incident underthe carpet.

he teaser, songsand trailer of ver-satile actorSharwanand’supcoming filmSreekaram have

been making the right noiseon various social media plat-forms. Megastar Chiranjeevi,who graced a pre-release ofthe film that was held inKhammam, heaped praiseson the team behindSreekaram.

“Sharwanand is a child-hood friend of Ram Charan.I don’t know when exactlyhe chose to become an actor— when I was doing aThums Up ad many yearsago, we needed a youngpartner to act by my side, I

asked Sharwanand to actalongside me. That was per-haps his first onscreenappearance,” Chiranjeevirecalled, adding that Sharwaalso played a role in hisiconic Shankardada MBBSfilm.

The Acharya actor added,“I was able to see only a fewminutes of the film, wish Igot to see the entire film.Director Kishor B has deliv-ered a relevant message inthe right way through thefilm.”

The Sye Raa NarasimhaReddy actor noted thatSreekaram is based on ashort film that Kishor hadmade years ago about theagriculture sector and said,

“These days, I am reading alot of news reports ontechies quitting their lucra-tive IT jobs and migratingback to their villages to dofarming. This is out of theirlove for the ‘nela thalli’, andthat’s extremely impressive.”

Actor Sharwanandrecalled his association withChiranjeevi and said thatShankardada MBBS was thefilm that spun his first suc-

cess. “I am happyChiranejevi sir is here today.With him attending thisevent, Sreekaram has alreadybecome a hit. When I wasyoung, Chiranjeevi sir toldme that ‘God will rewritedestiny if one’s resolve isstrong.’ His words havealways been a source of greatstrength,” the ShatamanamBhavati actor shared. “RamCharan was the first one to

call me up soon after therelease of the film’s trailer.He promised all support andtold his father thatSreekaram deserves it,”Sharwa added. Produced by14 Reels Plus and directedby Kishor B, the film hasmusic by Mickey J Meyer.The film, starring PriyankaArul Mohan as the leadinglady, will hit the screens onMarch 11.

oing by the trailer, Gaali Sampathseems to be a promising, whole-some emotional entertainer lacedwith all commercial ingredients,highlighting the father-son bondbetween Rajendra Prasad and Sree

Vishnu.Directed by Aneesh Krishna, the film,

scheduled to release on March 11, is beingproduced by F2 fame Anil Ravipudi. He alsoprovided the screenplay for the film besidessupervising direction.

“You will walk out of the theatre bringingwith you some thrilling experiences. A slice-of-life film, you can thoroughly enjoy it onlyif you watch the film knowing what the storyis,” says Anil Ravipudi. Gaali Sampath is amovie that tells the story of a person whoaccidentally falls in a 30-feet abandoned welland how he is rescued from the claws ofdeath forms the crux of the story.

Speaking of how and why he came onboard Gaali Sampath, the entertaining direc-tor shares, “When I first heard the title, I wasunder an impression that the titular characterGaali Sampath is someone who is fit-for-nothing. I was awestruck and moved by thestory after the end of the session. Movies likeCast Away, Life of Pi, 127 Hours and the likes,were not explored on the Telugu screens.Gaali Sampath fits into this category.”

This film is unlike my other films. It’s anew genre overloaded with emotions,” addsSarileru director Anil who is in talks withsuperstar Mahesh Babu to collaborate onanother film.

Heaping praises for Rajendra Prasad’s pas-sion for arts, Anil Ravipudi says, “An artist ofhis age doesn’t need to take risks like shoot-ing in chilly cold winters in a place likeAraku. He would wrap himself in warm tow-els to cope with the chilly weather there. Butfor the passion he has for cinema, he washellbent on doing the sequences, in thecold. He delivered an impeccable perfor-mance, as a speech-impaired person whofeels a sense of hostility with nature. Howhe travels with nature is another beautiful ele-ment shown in the movie. Since the character

Gaali Sampath is of aspeech-impaired man,he often utters “Ufff..”.Rajendra Prasad garutook a lot of painswhile dubbing for therole.” The film was setin the backdrop of avillage giving the audi-ence a lively feel.

Anil, who mentoreddirector Anish Krishna in thefilm feels Anish is a sensiblefilmmaker who knows the mea-sure of a story that should run onscreen. With the amount of confi-dence Anil gained while workingfor Gaali Sampath, the ace direc-tor says he is now confidentabout pulling off off-beat films,unlike his famed comedy enter-tainers. “I always wanted to doa woman-oriented sportsdrama film. With the confi-dence I got after doing thisfilm, I’m going to startworking on such films andyou might soon see medoing one,” shares Anil,who is bindaas and con-fident about the successof his upcoming filmF3. He says F3 isgoing to be triplethe fun. Peoplewho loved F2will enjoy F3even more.”

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Vijayawada Wednesday March 10 2021 tollywood

Director Anil Ravipudi, known for his out-and-out comedy flicks like F2 and Sarileru

Neekevvaru, has mentored the film GaaliSampath in the screenplay and supervision

and says this film is unlike his previousworks. The film pushed him to try

different genres in cinema, writes K RAMYA SREE

KNOW THE STORY TOENJOY THE FILM: ANILON GAALI SAMPATH

CHIRU ALL PRAISE

FORSHARWA

Guests misbehave withSid Sriram at a pub,mid-performance

Weekend box office war: Sreekaramvs Jathi Ratnalu vs Gaali Sampath

his Shivaratri, threestraight and notedfilms are coming totheatres for audi-ence verdict.Sharwanand’s

wholesome family entertainerSreekaram, Naveen Polisetty,Priyadarshi and RahulRamakrishna-starrer JathiRatnalu and Sree Vishnu andRajendra Prasad’s hilariousdrama Gaali Sampath will begracing the theatres in a cou-ple of days on March 11.

Interestingly, all three filmsgot a clean U certificate. Oflate, most of the films get U/Aor A certificate. It’s a rare phe-

nomenon for a film receiving aclean U certificate. Not justone or two, all the three Telugufilms releasing this week areclean and healthy entertainerswhich can be watched withfamily and children.

Makers of all the three filmsare promoting their respectivefilms vigorously to take inShivaratri festival advantage.Moreover, it will be a longweekend and the film thatmakes enough noise will bethe prime choice for movielovers. Here’s hoping all thethree films will win the love ofthe audience and becomesuper hits at the box office!

e were the first totell you thatTollywood starNaga Chaitanyawould play anardent fan of super-

star Mahesh Babu in hisupcoming movie Thank You.The latest on that is hugecutouts of Mahesh Babu’s films— Okkadu and Pokiri — beingerected in theatres inRajahmundry. Some picturesand a video from the sets, thathave gone viral on varioussocial media platforms, con-firm the same.

Directed by Vikram Kumar,the movie was officiallyannounced in October lastyear. In November last year, aglimpse of Naga Chaitanyafrom the film sets was released

in which the actor was seenholding a hockey stick. Afterthe viral pic, it was confirmedthat he will play a role of hock-ey player in Thank You.

Bankrolled by Dil Raju,Thank You will will mark thesecond collaboration betweenChaitanya and Vikram Kumarafter Manam, which alsostarred Nagarjuna and lateNageswara Rao in key roles.The film has cinematographyby PC Sriram, music by SThaman, B V S Ravi is provid-ing the story and NaveenNooli is in charge of the edit.

Meanwhile, Naga Chaitanyais currently prepping up forthe release of his upcomingSekhar Kammula’s Love Storywhich will feature Sai Pallaviin the female lead.

Mahesh Babu’s cutoutserected for Chay’s next

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