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TIMES NEWS NETWORK New Delhi: In possibly the sharpest-ever cut in the country, oil companies have slashed aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by 12.5%. This four-year low in ATF prices, now Rs 52.4 a litre in Delhi, will help airlines as jet fuel accounts for 40-50% of an airline’s operating cost in the country, but is unlike- ly to bring cheer to flyers as airlines are unlikely to cut fares proportionately. The reason: cash-strapped SpiceJet has cancelled 115 flights a day as many of its Boeing 737s have been repos- sessed by leasers due to non- payment of rentals. Cashing in on the resultant seat crunch, other airlines have Jet fuel prices cut 12.5%, but slash in airfares unlikely Airlines Cash In On SpiceJet’s Fleet Reduction sent their fares zooming this peak travel season. Such is the situation, the aviation minis- try proposed a fare cap of Rs 20,000 on domestic sectors. “Fares here have never gone hand-in-hand with oil prices and overall costs. That is why most Indian car- riers are struggling to avoid a shutdown,” said an airline official. ‘Cut if prices stay low’, P 18 608 revellers held for driving drunk Delhi traffic police arrested 608 New Year revellers for drunk driving and have sought jail terms for them. In all, 986 motorists were arrested. P 2 Hurriyat-PDP meet over govt Hurriyat functionary Abdul Gani Bhat met PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Wednesday, the first time a top separatist discussed a PDP-BJP coalition in J&K. P9 Vadra’s co gets I-T notice over deals: Taxmen have served a notice to Skylight Hospitality, a firm associated with Robert Vadra, seeking details of its deals. P 13 26 ambulance births in city in 8 mths: At least 26 women had to deliver in am- bulances in Delhi during May- December 2014, unable to re- ach hospital in time. P 3 Imran says 2nd marriage reports ‘exaggerated’: Imran Khan has described as “greatly exaggerated” reports that he secretly married TV anchor Reham Khan. P 21 Oz to return Buddha statue: Australia will return to India an ancient Buddha statue which had landed up at an art gallery in Canberra after being stolen from India. P8 Mutton prices zoom up to `460/kg: New Year feasting and a crackdown on trucks carrying livestock into Delhi have resulted in mutton pric- es rising to Rs 460 a kg. P 4 WEATHER Max 21.6°C(+1)/Min 8.8°C(+2) Sunrise: Saturday — 7.14am Sunset: Friday — 5.37pm Partly cloudy sky. Max & min temper- atures on Friday will be 21°C & 9°C. NEWS DIGEST BENNETT, COLEMAN & CO. LTD. | ESTABLISHED 1838 | NEW DELHI | FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015 PAGES 38 | CAPITAL | PRICE `4.50; `7.00 WITH ET OR `8.50 WITH NAVBHARAT TIMES INCLUSIVE OF DELHI TIMES | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | EPAPER. TIMESOFINDIA.COM HOW DHONI LOST HIS RELEVANCE AS TEST CAPTAIN AFTER 2011 19 WE’RE REPLYING TO PAK BORDER FIRING WITH FULL MIGHT, SAYS PARRIKAR 12 READY FOR WHITE HOUSE RUN? EX-FLORIDA GUV JEB BUSH QUITS BOARDS 16 Mahendra.Singh @timesgroup.com New Delhi: The government on Thursday replaced the 65- year-old Planning Commis- sion — a relic of the Socialist era — with a Niti Aayog or Na- tional Institution for Trans- forming India, marking a ma- jor shift in policy making by involving states. To be headed by PM Naren- dra Modi, the new body will have a governing council com- prising CMs of all states and Lt Governors of Union Terri- tories and will work towards fostering “co-operative feder- alism” for providing a “na- tional agenda” to the Centre and states. The membership of states has rendered the Na- tional Development Council, a body of CMs that approves five-year Plans, defunct. The new body, which would remain at its predecessor’s ad- dress in Lutyens’ Delhi, will have a vice-chairperson and CEO to be appointed by the PM. Columbia University pro- fessor Arvind Panagariya was under consideration for vice- chairperson, sources said. Centre Embraces Consultative Policy-Making ➤PM to head Niti Aayog, appoint vice-chairman, CEO ➤7-8 full time members likely besides 2 part-time members from leading universities and research bodies. 4 Union ministers will be members ➤Will have governing council of CMs, heads of UTs. Regional council to tackle issues related to more than one state/region WHAT IS NEW? ➤Focus will be on cooperative federalism. In the Planning Commission states did not have representation but there was a National Development Council ➤Shift from top-down planning to consultative policy making ➤Panel will serve as govt think tank on key policy issues ➤Will maintain resource centre on good governance and best practices ➤Experts have been debating the future of the Planning Commission and feel it has long outlived its utility and its policies do not reflect the changing times NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL NOW DEFUNCT With Niti Aayog, states get a seat at Modi’s roundtable No one size fits all, P 8 T he prospect of an interna- tional airport near Grea- ter Noida has brightened with the Akhilesh Yadav gov- ernment including Jewar as a possible site along with Kush- inagar and Agra in its letter to the Centre, report Sidhartha and Surojit Gupta. Currently, rules do not al- low a second airport within a 150-km radius of an existing one, but the Centre is looking at skirting the bar with a spe- cial provision. “Earlier, the state govern- ment would refer to two sites, Agra and Kushinagar. They have included Jewar now,” a senior government source said. “We will examine the is- sues and see how we can take it forward.” P 4 Airport near Gr Noida? UP pitches Jewar Pradeep.Gupta@timesgroup.com Mumbai: Shekhar Sakte, a 17-year-old from the Mumbai suburb of Ambernath, was recently chosen to be part of the Indian kickboxing squad for the World Martial Art Games 2015 to be held in Bangkok in March. But the participation fee of Rs 56,000 stood in his way. A citizens group recently helped him out with Rs 35,000, but Sakte (in pic) — who had quit studies after Class XI because of financial difficulties — still found it difficult to raise the rest of the money. So he approached the local MLA, Shiv Sena’s Balaji Kinikar, about 10 days ago for help. A runner-up in the na- tional tournament last year, Sakte alleged on Thurs- day that Kinikar not only made him do the rounds of his office for several days but insult- ed him publicly on Wednesday. He was re- portedly told that he should not play the sport if he could not afford the cost. Kinikar termed the allegation false. Stop playing if you can’t afford cost, Maha MLA tells kickboxer Locals to fund, P 10 Raj.Shekhar@timesgroup.com New Delhi: Delhi Police is drawing up a plan to con- duct DNA tests on people begging on the streets with children to find out if these kids are their own or have been abducted and traf- ficked, sources said. The idea was sent to the prime minister’s office by a citizen, who suggested that women were often found begging with children who did not resemble them. The PMO passed on the email to city police commissioner B S Bassi. The police brass, howev- er, is weighing the move agai- nst the possible charge of su- ch tests being a violation of human rights, officers TOI spoke to said. Many officers believe it could have legal implications. The department, mean- while, has requested all DCPs to suggest ways to car- ry out such a drive. City beggars may be DNA tested to foil trafficking Email seeks step, P 3 Somreet Bhattacharya & Rumu Banerjee TNN New Delhi: In an early morning mishap that will impact services and the fleet strength of Delhi Transport Corporation, a freak fire gutted 17 low- floor AC buses tightly parked inside Ambedkar Nagar bus depot in southeast Delhi on Thursday. Officials believe the blaze began around 3am, ca- used by sparks from New Year fireworks. Fifteen fire tenders could bring the flames under control only by 5.30am. An acute parking space crunch has meant that DTC has been packing more buses into all depots, much beyond capacity. In this case, the buses were parked in rows behind each oth- er, making a quick getaway almost impossible. 17 low-floor DTC buses gutted in New Year blaze Tight Parking Upped Losses, Prevented Damage Control Rajesh Mehta Crucial minutes lost as buses take time, P 2 FULL COVERAGE: P 2 The fire spread quickly in the tightly packed Ambedkar Nagar bus depot on Thursday Fuel excise hiked to fund roads T he Centre on Thursday raised excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre each, but retail pump rates would not be hiked. The increase is expected to generate Rs 10,500 crore annually which would be used to fund the building of 15,000 km of roads. Meanwhile, a non-subsidized non-domestic LPG cylinder will now cost Rs 708.50 in Delhi. P7