PNS n HYDERABAD

In a massive relief to the stategovernment, a division benchof the Telangana High Courton Friday dismissed the PublicInterest Litigation (PIL) pleafiled by the vice president ofTelangana Jana Samithi (TJS)Prof PL Vishweshwar Rao chal-lenging the decision of the statecabinet to privatise permits of5,100 routes of TSRTC.

The bench made it clear thatthe state government has amplepower to take such decision ofgiving permissions to privatebus operators under Section102 of the Motor Vehicles Act-1988. The bench also said thatthe cabinet decision was takenwhen the entire public bustransport system had come toa grinding halt in the state andat a time when the people ofthe state were reeling underlack of the public transport dueto the indefinite strike by the

RTC employees.In his counter affidavit filed

before the High Court, theChief Secretary of the state DrSK Joshi stated that the cabinetdecision taken on November 2,2019 to give permits to 5,100private bus operators per semight not be open to judicialreview by the HC since theprocess was still pending with

the state government. He alsosaid that the further process asrequired to be undertaken bythe state government could notbe prohibited by the HighCourt. He urged the HC to dis-miss the petition filed in viewof larger public interest.

The matter will come up forhearing on Monday before thedivision bench of the HC.

Later, arguing the casebefore the HC, the advocate-general of the state BS Prasadsubmitted the cabinet decisionin question in a sealed cover tothe court. Surprised at this, theHigh Court asked the reasonfor the submission of the cer-tified copy of the cabinet in asealed cover in a secret form.It also asked the AG to revealthe contents of the cabinetdecision in open court.

Continued on Page 4

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HC clears TSRTC privatisationL VENKAT RAM REDDYn HYDERABAD

With the High Courtupholding the decision ofthe Telangana state govern-ment to privatise 50 percent of RTC bus routes onFriday, there is an air ofuncertainty over the futureof 48,000-strong employeeswho have been on strike tilldate after ignoring at leasttwo 'deadlines' that ChiefMinister K ChandrasekharRao had set to join dutybefore the eventual 'end' ofRTC.

The RTC EmployeesUnions' JAC latest offer tocall off the 47-day-old strikeif the government takes backthe staff and allows them toresume duties uncondition-ally has fallen flat. Thestate government has notresponded to it, thoughemployees are throngingvarious depots in their last-ditch attempts to keep theirjobs.

As things stand, the axemay fall at least on 50% ofthe jobs.

Over 48,000 RTC employ-ees launched the indefinitestrike on October 5, afterwhich just about 1,500employees had joined dutyin two spells in response tothe deadlines set by KCR. Ofcourse, these employees werepart of the corporation whenit was operating services in100 per cent of the routes.

TSRTC operates servicesin 10,200 routes.

Continued on Page 2

Axe hangs over 50% jobs in TSRTC

n Given privatisation of 50%routes, RTC staff requirementhalved

n Only about half of 48,000striking employees may getconditional job offers

n Uncertainty over the fateof remaining 50%employees

n VRS not even an optiondue to RTC's financialposition

NAVEENA GHANATE n HYDERABAD

It is now amply clear that inTelangana State Chief MinisterK Chandrasekhar Rao’s writruns. The TRS regime is goingunopposed and KCR's has beensitting pretty and striking gold.High Court's judgment onRTC strike and privatization ofRTC routes in favour of thegovernment and outcome ofrecent byelections inHuzurnagar stand as an exam-ple. It is not just public trans-portation which has beenthrown out of gear, but even theso-called opposition parties.While the Congress party did-n't even take the lead role, evenBJP and communist partiesfailed miserably. KCR's standthat the ‘strike is illegal’ hasbeen upheld by the HC. Letalone the demands of the strik-ing employees, now employeesare helpless and at the mercy ofKCR.

Touted as the main opposi-tion, Congress leaders, except

for Revanth Reddy and VHanumanth Rao, hardly any-one extended any support.Congress seems to have appar-ently realised that the workerswere on weaker turf andinstead of supporting them,they were battling amongthemselves. BJP was battlingover being legally correct orpolitically correct. Those whowanted to tame KCR faded intooblivion. Despite BJP MPbeing man-handled, Congressleader calling for PragatiBhavan siege, the oppositionparties clearly lack calibre.

BJP leader Dr. K Laxmansaid that the strike was the startof downfall of KCR and theCM is solely responsible forcurrent crisis in Telangana.Who is responsible forappalling consequences ofTSRTC strike? BJP shouldintrospect on who to blame forthe setback in the TSRTCstrike which has no legal stand-ing. Despite all the talk aroundBJP leading at the Centre, KCRtook shelter under the rules andproceedings followed byNarendra Modi government.

Continued on Page 4

NAVEEN KUMAR n HYDERABAD

An Assistant Sub-Inspectorfrom the city was driven toattempt suicide on Fridayreportedly because he waspeeved at having been trans-ferred for bringing to thenotice of his superior moneythat was wrongfully being col-lected from event organizers inthe name of certain police offi-cials.

Following the suicideattempt by the ASI Balapur,who tried to immolate himselfatop a water tank, the PoliceCommissioner of Rachakondaissued orders to attach theBalapur Inspector and a con-stable to the headquarters.

Sources said that InspectorV Saidulu had allegedly asked

the ASI, Y. Narasimha, to col-lect money from the localevent organizers. The twothen had a heated argumentover the same, following whichhe was reportedly transferredto the Manchal Police Station.

The ASI was recently trans-ferred to the Manchal PoliceStation and he reported forduty on Thursday.

Continued on Page 4

ASI attempts suicideCP attaches CI and constable to hqs

ASI Narasimha being taken to hospital after he set himself ablaze in an attempt tocommit suicide on Friday

JAC blowing hot and cold,says strike will continue ‘Save RTC' protest at depots todayPNS n HYDERABAD

TSRTC Employees Unions'JAC, which has been blowinghot and cold on prolonging the47-day-long strike, on Fridayexpressed its discontent overthe lack of response from thestate government to its condi-tional offer to withdraw the agi-tation, with JAC convenorAshwathama Reddy assertingonce again that the stir wouldcontinue.

The state government didnot respond specifically toJAC's proposal that the employ-ees unions would call off the

strike if the workers were takenback and allowed to resumetheir duties unconditionally.

Continued on Page 2

PNS n HYDERABAD

Providing much-awaited reliefto techies and other profes-sionals commuting to Raidurg,the crucial Metro station atMindspace will be opened onNovember 29.

HMRL announced that theHI-TEC City-Raidurg stretchof Metro Rail Corridor-3 isscheduled to be inaugurated byMinister for MA&UD, IT, I&CKT Ramarao and Minister forTransport P Ajay Kumar onNovember 29.

The opening of Raidurg sta-tion and the 1 km stretch up toHI-TEC City will completeCorridor 3 upto Nagole in allrespects.

NVS Reddy inspected thestretch on Friday, along withHMRL Chief ElectricalEngineer DVS Raju, ChiefSignalling & Telecom Engineer

SK Das, PD, L&TMRHL MPNaidu, COO AK Saini andsenior engineers. Satisfiedwith the preparedness, Reddystated that all the tests hadbeen completed on this oneand a half km stretch.

Commissioner of Metro RailSafety (CMRS) Janak KumarGarg is expected to inspect thesection on 26/27th November.The inauguration planned for29th is subject to safety clear-ance from CMRS.

PNS n MUMBAI

After separate meetings of theShiv Sena and the Congress,NCP and their smaller allies, aconsensus has apparentlyemerged on Sena PresidentUddhav Thackeray's name forthe post of Chief Minister,here on Friday.

The Sena legislators metthis morning and "unani-mously authorized" Thackerayto take any decision on the

question of CM."All the legislators have

unanimously given full powersto Uddhav Thackeray to takeany decision pertaining to thepost of CM and the other gov-ernment formation aspects,"Sena leader Sunil Prabhu toldmediapersons.

Similarly, after a meet-ing of the Congress-NCPwith allies, a similar state-ment was made bySamajwadi Party

President Abu Asim Azmi onthe same question.

"Most leaders felt thatUddhav Thackeray shouldbe the CM. However, wehave left that decision to himand his party," Azmi said

briefly to the media.The top leaders

of Sena, NCP andCongress arescheduled to havea meeting around4 pm whichwould be deci-

sive on

the question of governmentformation.

Sources in the threeparties indicate that ifall goes well, theycould stake theirclaim to form thegovernment beforeGovernor B.S.

Koshyari eventoday, though thefinal call will betaken at theevening meeting.

Sena MPSanjay Raut saidthe post of CMwill be decided

"very soon" and dis-missed speculation in a

section of media that he wasthe front-runner for the post.

Sena, Cong, NCP name Uddhav Thackeray as CM

All the legislators have unanimously given fullpowers to Uddhav Thackeray to take any

decision pertaining to the post of CM and the othergovernment formation aspects

— SUNIL PRABHUSena leader

KCR's stand that the‘strike is illegal’ hasbeen upheld by the HC.Let alone the demandsof the strikingemployees, nowemployees are helplessand at the mercy of KCR

CM KCR WRIT RUNS

Revocation of citizenship

TRS MLA getsfour-weekrelief in HC

Ramesh Chennamaneni

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Telangana High Courton Friday granted interimstay for four weeks on theUnion Home Ministry'sorder cancelling the citizen-ship of TRS MLA RameshChennamaneni. Rameshmoved the court onThursday, seeking to set asidethe order issued by an inquirypanel constituted by MHA.Justice Challa KondandaRam posted the case for fur-ther hearing to December 16.

The TRS MLA also prayedfor suspension of related pro-ceedings pending disposalof his plea.

Ramesh was re-elected tothe Telangana Assembly fromthe Vemulawada constituen-cy last year.

Continued on Page 4

PNS n NEW DELHI

After data from the US showedan uptick in rejections of H-1Bvisa applications, ExternalAffairs MinisterSubrahmanyam Jaishankarsaid in Parliament on Thursdaythat the government has raisedthe issue with the United Statestwice in the past year.

In a response to questions inthe Rajya Sabha, Jaishankarsaid that the Indian govern-ment has closely consulted allstakeholders and engaged withthe US administration andCongress on issues related tothe movement of Indian pro-fessionals, including those per-taining to the H-1B pro-gramme.

He noted that the issueswere raised with his US coun-terpart in New Delhi in June2019 and with US interlocutors

in Washington DC inSeptember/October 2019,where they "emphasised thatthis has been a mutually ben-eficial partnership, whichshould be nurtured," he said.

The minister added thatapplication process for the H-1B visa has become more com-plex for employers worldwide,including for Indian IT com-panies. This, he said, was due

to certain recent administrativechanges in the H-1B pro-gramme, which has increaseddocumentation requirementson the petitioners. This has alsoresulted in increased scrutiny.

According to a NationalFoundation for AmericanPolicy (NFAP) analysis of U.S.Citizenship and ImmigrationServices (USCIS) data, denialrates for H-1B petitions

increased from 6% in FY2015to 24% in the first three quar-ters (October to June) ofFY2019 for new H-1B petitionsfor initial employment.

As per the analysis, in thefirst three quarters of FY 2019,USCIS denied 24% of H-1Bpetitions for 'initial' employ-ment. This is four times thedenial rate of 6% in FY2015.For continuing employment,12% of H-1B petitions weredenied.

Denial rates for fresh H-1B petitionsincreased to 24% in 2019

The minister addedthat applicationprocess for the H-1Bvisa has become morecomplex foremployers worldwide,including for Indian ITcompanies

Man torcheswife, childrenand relativesPNS n SIDDIPET

In a horrific incident, a manset ablaze his estranged wife,two of his children, and threeothers related to him inKhammampally village late onThursday night.

The condition of three ofthe burn victims was stated tobe critical. Three others werestated to be in a stable condi-tion in hospitals, according toreports reaching here. Theperpetrator of the heinouscrime was on the run, policesaid. Marital discord is sus-pected to be the main reasonbehind the attack carried outby Chilumala Laxmirajyam ofManikonda village inGangadhara mandal.Following differences withhim, his wife Vimala andtheir two children had cometo their maternal home inKhammampally.

Continued on Page 3

Maha mayoral polls

Sena-Cong-NCP combineoutsmart BJPPNS n MUMBAI

The BJP was outsmarted onFriday by emerging politicalcombinations in Maharashtraand lost mayoral polls inLatur and Ulhasnagar despitehaving a majority in bothcivic bodies.

The Shiv Sena managed towin the posts of mayor anddeputy mayor in Mumbaiand neghbouring Thane.

The BJP, however, man-aged to keep its flock togeth-er and got the support of theMaharashtra NavnirmanSena to win the posts ofmayor and deputy mayor inNashik.

In Latur, the Congress'Vikrant Gojamgunde waselected mayor, in what isbeing seen as a setback forformer BJP ministerSambhaji Nilangekar.

VIJAYAWADA: The Centrereleased a new map ofAndhra Pradesh withAmaravati as its capital city.The Survey of India releasedthe political map followingthe demand of Guntur MPGalla Jayadev in Parliamenton Thursday. Jayadev hadsaid Andhra people werebeing humiliated without acapital. "It is an insult forPrime Minister NarendraModi who had laid the foun-dation-stone for Amaravati asAP capital in 2015," he added.

The Centre's fresh initia-tive has put to rest doubtsover the location of the cap-ital city. Political circles wererattled by the constitution ofthe expert committee on cap-ital by the JaganmohanReddy government. Politicalanalysts say now it is difficultto change the capital.

Amaravati isAP capital in new map

ANUPPUR (MP): A womanin Madhya Pradesh'sAnuppur district allegedlykilled her lawyer husband amonth ago, buried him in thehouse and then set up akitchen above to destroy allevidence of the crime, policesaid on Friday. AccusedPratima Banawal (32), a res-ident of Kotma, some 30kilometres from the districtheadquarters and over 500kilomtres from state capitalBhopal, to mislead the police,even filed a missing personcomplaint about her deceasedhusband Mohit (34), KotmaSub Divisional Officer ofPolice K N Prasad said.

Woman killshusband, burieshim, sets upkitchen above

Y Narasimha

BJP ENDS IN A BLANK

The CS Dr SK Joshistated that the cabinetdecision taken on Nov 2to give permits to 5,100pvt bus operators per semight not be open tojudicial review

Dismisses PIL opposing privatization of 5,100 routes

Mindspace Metro station toto be opened on Nov 29

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ZP chairperson dares Maoiststo prove corruption chargesPV KONDAL RAOn WARANGAL

The ZP Chairperson ofMulugu, Kusuma Jagadeesh'sstatement over corruptioncharges, levelled by the out-lawed CPI Maoist's, has put thelatter in a fix. The ZP chairper-son has denied any wrongdo-ing and dared the Maoists toprove the charges.

The statement, issued byJagadeesh, could be first-ofits-kind released by a politicalleader on naxalites after beingbranded anti-people by them.The statement, unlike in theprevious cases, has opposedthe naxalites stand. The ZPchairperson, KusumaJagadeesh in his statement hascategorically rebutted the alle-gations pertaining to the landgrabbing claims levelled bythe naxalite leader Sabitha ofthe Mahadevpur Committee.

The Maoists previously hadalso issued several statementson political leaders in thenorth Telangana districts andtheir statement was neveropposed by any of the personswho faced allegations. On the

contrary, the persons facingallegations have pleaded inno-cence and sought the nax-alites to give them a fresh leaseof life to rectify their deeds.

This time, the statement ofSabitha came after manymonths of lull from the nax-alites side and since the state-ment has thoroughly exposedthe ZP chairman and severalother local realtors, many feltthat the political leaders wouldagain plead innocence.

However , the ZP chairper-son came down heavily on thenaxalites and challenged the

extremists openly to prove theirallegations in the presence ofthe public. In certain issuesraised by the naxalites, the ZPchairperson accused the nax-alite leader of tarnishing hisimage and demanded the nax-alites to prove them or face thewrath. This sudden statementcan become a rude jolt to thepresence of the naxalites in theEturnagaram belt of theMulugu forest district andmany feel that there can besome political motivationsbehind the issuance of state-ment of the Maoists.

KusumaJagadeesh hascategoricallyrebutted theallegationspertaining to theland grabbingclaims levelled bynaxalite leaderSabitha

‘Avian botulism killed over 20k migratory birds’PNS n JAIPUR

The mass death of over 20,000migratory birds in Sambharlake of Rajasthan was causedby avian botulism, according tothe Indian Veterinary ResearchInstitute (IVRI). In its reportreleased on Thursday, it said,"Omnivore and insectivorespecies were most affected."

All age group birds wereaffected and were found paral-ysed over wings and legs,showing neck-drooping syn-drome. The report said that thebirds that reached the centre ofthe lake survived but those atthe edges died.

Owing to heavy rains onJuly 8, the lake became full upto the brim with more waterwhich reduced its salinity.However, when water evapo-rated and seeped into so fardry soil, prominently acrossthe edges of this 180 sq km lakebed, it increased the salinitythere. Hence, at shores,increase in salinity caused the

death of feed of these birdswhich consumed crustaceansand plankton and preferred tobe confined to the lake edges.However, Greater Flamingos,lesser flamingos and othermigratory birds, whichremained at central areas ofthis lake, were not impacted bythe demise of micro-organ-isms, so they survived.

The report from Bareillycame amid blame-game bypoliticians. While Rajasthan

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlotasked "why the State WetlandAuthority remained dormantfor years?", BJP state presidentSatish Poonia questioned theefforts of the state governmentwhich failed to check thedeaths of avian fauna. UnionMinister Prakash Javadekarwrote a letter asking officials tocome and inspect the incident.

Avian Botulism is a strain ofbotulism that affects birds,mostly waterfowl. This is a par-

alytic disease caused by theBotulinum neurotoxin (BoNt)of the bacterium Clostridiumbotulinum. It occurs all overthe world and this disease canaccount for over lakhs ofwaterbird deaths in a year. Thisis not contagious but spreadsto birds through their con-sumptions of maggots infect-ed with the toxin. Its presenceis extremely hard to detectbefore the outbreak.

Earlier in November, thou-sands of birds were seen float-ing dead in the lake and theircarcasses scattered on the edgeof the 12 km catchment area.The dead birds seen floating in

this largest inland salt lake in thecountry, include plovers, com-mon coot, black-winged stilt,northern shovelers, ruddy shel-duck, and pied avocet amongmany other migratory birds.

Harsh Vardhan, a renownedenvironmentalist, said that noforest department official hasever been appointed to lookafter the lake. The lake comesunder the Hindustan SaltLimited, a public limited enter-prise formed in the post-inde-pendence era to manufacturesalt. Its job is to manufacturesalt. So who should look afterthe lake; this has never beendecided, he said.

All age group birds were affected andwere found paralysed over wings andlegs, showing neck-drooping syndrome.The report said that the birds thatreached the centre of the lake survivedbut those at the edges died

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana State PlanningBoard Vice Chairman B VinodKumar inaugurated a advancedElectro CoagulationTechnology-based SewageTreatment Plant (E-STP) of 50KLD capacity at Dr MCR HRDInstitute, in presence of BPAcharya, IAS, Special ChiefSecretary & Director General,Dr MCR HRD Institute, onFriday.

This initiative is a significantstep towards makingthe insti-tute an ecologically responsi-ble and environment-friendlyinstitution. The E-STP processnot only provides treated waterof excellent quality suitable forreuse for gardening but also

consumes lesser power, gener-ates far lesser solids than con-ventional systems,occupieslesser area, andis extremelyeasy to operate and maintain.In addition, the E-STP process

provides for a number of otheradvantages, which includess-witch on switch off system, NoAeration / Blower needed,Instant Treatment of wastewater, etc. The E-STP was

executed by Telangana StatePolice Housing CorporationLtd and constructed by M/s.Green Ecowater Systems (ISO9001; 2015 Certif ied),Hyderabad.

Vinod Kumar inaugurates E-STP

ICOMOS MEETING

PNS n HYDERABAD

A delegation comprising BVPapa Rao, Architect GSVSurnarayana Murthy andKakatiya Heritage Trustee,M Pandu Ranga Rao welldefended the Indian propos-al of Ramppa Temple to beinscribed as World HeritageSite in front of about 30international heritage expertsof ICOMOS in a meeting inParis on Friday.

ASI officials Dr JanhwijSharma and Milan KumarChauley attended meetingthrough skype. TheGovernment of India nomi-nated RamappaTemple as it'scandidature in January 2019.In September 2019, UNESCOsent an ICOMOS expert DrVasu Poshyanandana to visitthe Ramappa Temple.

After this expert visit inSeptember, ICOMOS expertsdiscussed the proposal and

held detailed meeting withTelangana and ASI officialstoday.

Papa Rao, who led the del-egation, is satisfied that thediscussion and clarificationsgiven by the Indian experts.The delegation was also askedto submit some more informa-tion by February 2020.

There after ICOMOS willdo final evaluation of the pro-

posal and send their recom-mendation to UNESCO inApril/ May 2020. UNESCOwill then put the proposals forvoting of World HeritageCommittee consisting of 21member countries ofUNESCO in a meeting inJune/ July 2020 in China.Final decision will be taken inthis UNESCO meeting inChina.

HC's ruling puts RTCworkers in a fixPNS n MAHABUBNAGAR

With the High Court ruling infavour of the state govern-ment, the future of strikingRTC employees hangs in bal-ance. The RTC workers inMahabubnagar district are in afix over their fate in the com-ing days.

The RTC employees andworkers waited for three con-secutive days and made a bee-line at the depots to resumetheir duties. However, the gov-ernment's decision to wait tillthe High Court ruling hasprevented them from joiningthe duty.

Meanwhile, following theHigh Court verdict, the RTCJAC members inMahabubnagar district havedivided into two groups. Thestriking RTC employees areholding the JAC leadersresponsible for the crisis andblamed them for their opti-mistic attitude inregard with

government’s privatisationissue. The employees said thatif JAC has given nod to employ-ees to rejoin the duties on theadvice of the governmentrespecting the deadline of theChief Minister, the families ofemployees could have earnedsome support from the admin-istration. Meanwehile, the JACleaders in Mahabubnagar arekeen on continuing their strikeand planned to intensify thestir in the coming days.

However, the families of theemployees say that they are fac-ing a tough situation subse-quent to the decision of theJAC and government.

More than 48,000 employeeshave been on strike for over amonth, demanding betterwages, regulated working con-ditions and payment of dues,among other things. The strike,has resulted in chaos, throwingpublic transport in the state outof gear.

n Employees in Mahabubnagar firm on continuing strike

The families ofthe employeessaid that theyare facing atough situationsubsequent tothe decision ofthe JAC andgovernment

Former OU VCpasses away PNS n HYDERABAD

Prof V Ramakistayya, formervice-chancellor, OsmaniaUniversity, and former chair-man, APPSC, passed awayhere on Friday. Born inMunugodu village ofNalgonda in 1932, hewas a universitytopper and servedO s m a n i aUniversity inmany capacities.

P r o f .Ramakistayya had anillustrious career and till hislast breath, was serving thesociety through his efforts tospread the cause of selfless ser-vice, upright nature and com-mitment to government ser-vice. He is survived by foursons and a daughter.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister KChandrashekhar Rao hasexpressed his condolences over

the death of former MLA andsenior CPI leader GurramYadagiri Reddy. The CMrecalled that Yadagiri Reddywon on a CPI ticket fromRamannapet Assembly segmentin combined Nalgonda district

for three terms from 1985 to1994. KCR said Yadagiri

Reddy was known forhis simplicity and wascommitted to hisparty's ideology till theend. He conveyed his

condolences to mem-bers of the bereaved fam-

ily. The CM also expressedcondolences over the death ofProf V Ramakrishnaiah.

He said Ramakrishnaiah wasa towering personality aboutwhom Telangana would be proudof. He said Ramakrishnaiah wasinvolved in social work till his lastbreath, and conveyed his condo-lences to members of thebereaved family.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Agriculture MinisterSingireddy Niranjan Reddyasked farmers to rotate cropsand cultivate crops other thanpaddy. Speaking after declar-ing open the inter-collegiatesports at Konda LaxmanBapuji horticultural universi-ty here, he said that the farm-ers would not be able to getremunerative prices since theybanked on only one crop.

He said that the soil and cli-matic conditions in Telanganafavour growing horticulturalcrops. A horticultural collegeis going to be opened in Mulugsoon, he said. Cultivation ofagricultural crops commencedin central asia roughly about10,000 years ago, he said addingthat horticulturalcrops were alreadyprevalent then. Onaccount of thenegligence of thesuccessive rulerswho ruled the stateprior to TRS didnot give impor-tance to agri-cultural edu-

cation, he said adding thatengineering education hasbeen promoted reckless to addto the ranks of the unem-ployed. The TRS governmentsanctioned agricultural and

horticulturalpolytech-nics keep-ing inmind theinterests ofthe farm-ers, he

said.

Practice crop rotation,Minister tells farmers

Soil and climaticconditions in statefavour growing

horticultural crops. Ahorticultural college will alsobe opened in Mulugu soon

—NIRANJAN REDDYAgriculture Minister

India defends Ramappa proposal

Missing wrestlingofficial traced toVizianagaramPNS n HYDERABAD

The Government RailwayPolice (GRP) on Friday havetraced the location of AllManipur Traditional BeltWrestling Association officialH Ngaopunii Lanah, whowent missing from the East-Coast Express in which hewas travelling with his team-mates on November 19. Apolice official is on his way tothe spot.

"We traced have the locationof Lanah to Cheepurupalli inVizianagaram district onFriday. Except for a minorinjury, he is safe and we havesent a Sub-Inspector to thespot to assist Lanah," con-firmed GRP Nampally Sub-Inspector Dasya Naik.

He said they had startedsearching for Lanah afterreceiving a missing com-plaint and traced his locationin Cheepurupalli. The casewas also transferred toSamalkota railway stationdue to point of jurisdiction,he added.

Ministersoffer prayersin KomuravelliPNS n MEDAK

Finance Minister Harish Raoand Animal HusbandryMinister Talasani SrinivasYadav offered prayers to theKomuravelli Mallikarjuna-swami on the eve of accom-plishment of Kumbhabhi-sheka. The Ministers inaugurat-ed the nityannadana satra, andsix roomed choultry on thisoccasion. The Nityaannadaanasatra was built with a cost of Rs53 lakh and choutry with Rs 30lakh. Government WhipBodakunti Venkateshwarlu andMLA Muthithi ReddyYadagirireddi were also present.

UoH scholar wins awardPNS n HYDERABAD

Karra Vinod Kumarfrom University ofHyderabad (UoH)has won 'Best PosterPresentation Award'at the ICNIB 2019.

He won the award duringthe 5th InternationalConference on Nano-structur-

ing held by Ion Beams(ICNIB-2019) at Indira

Gandhi Centre forAtomic Research(IGCAR). He presenteda poster titled 'Ion Beam

irradiation inducedeffects on HfO2/GaAs

interfaces and consequenteffects on the electrical proper-ties of MOS devices'.

Axe hangs over 50%jobs in TSRTC Continued from Page 1

Now, with the state cabinetdeciding to private 50 per centof these routes, amounting to5,100, and with the High Courtupholding the decision, RTCcan cut half its services, there-by halving manpower require-ment as well.

That is, the corporation, in itsnew avatar, may require the ser-vices of at the most 24,000employees; and, that too, if it isopen to hire from among the48,000 striking employees,whom KCR once described as"self-dismissed".

The larger question havingfar-reaching consequences is:How can the government ter-minate the services of half thecorporation's employees?

Normally, the procedure fol-lowed, when the governmentwants to get rid of surplusstaff, is to offer VRS (voluntaryretirement scheme) for staff. Onthis front, TSRTC cannot doanything as it is already reelingunder huge debt burden ofover Rs 5,000 crore. VRSinvolves substantial one-timepayment to the retrenched staffand the corporation, as thegovernment pointed out in theHC, is not in a position to payeven salaries under the existingcircumstances. So, VRS islonger an option.

In reviews that KCR heldover the past two days the con-sensus seems to have been thatthe government can considertaking back half the staff shouldthey agree to certain 'condi-tions' stipulated by the govern-

ment to join duty. Central tothese conditions is an undertak-ing by the prospective employ-ees that henceforth they wouldnot resort to strikes and stayclear of trade unionism.

JAC blowinghot and cold,says strike...Continued from Page 1

"It is unfortunate as theChief Minister has not takenany decision on taking backthe employees on jobs," heobserved.

At a press conference here,the JCA convenor said thatthe strike would be held at alldepots on Saturday with thetagline being 'Save RTC'.He urged workers not to goto depots for beseechingRTC officials to take themback into jobs. The RTC JACwould meet again onSaturday to discuss thestrike, in which the futurecourse of action would bedetermined, he said. Heclaimed that RTC was suffer-ing not because of the work-ers but due to governmentpolicies.

Ashwathama claimed thatthe government did not careeven though RTC employeeshad taken a step back andannounced that they wouldend the strike.

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019 hyderabad 03

RIMEORNERC

Robbers strike atHayathnagar

An unidentified gang,reportedly bearing

resembling to the infamous'Chaddi Gang', robbedresidents of two houses inKuntloor village ofHayathnagar on the cityoutskirts in the early hours ofFriday. According to thepolice, around 2 am, a six-member group of men, a fewin their undergarments, brokeinto the houses by damagingthe doors. They threatenedthe occupants with sticksand took away cash andgold. The gang reportedlyforced them to even handover the jewelry they had onthemselves and valuables inthe house. Police areinvestigating and are yet toconfirm if the group is thenotorious 'chaddi gang'. "Twoof the gang members woreshorts. It could be anotherinterstate gang as well,"officials said, adding they werescanning footage fromsurveillance cameras in thesurroundings. A woman wasinjured in the incident and theburglars stole 20 tolas of goldand Rs 70,000 cash from theresidents before fleeing thescene. The Hayathnagarpolice have registered a caseand are investigating theincident.

Municipalaccountantin ACB net

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)officials on Friday conduct-

ed searches in the accountssection of Boduppal MunicipalCorporation office and took anaccountant into their custody.The accountant was identifiedas Rajender Reddy. ACB offi-cials caught him red handedwhile receiving a bribe from acontractor. The arrested wasremanded to judicial custodyby the ACB court. An investiga-tion is underway.

BIKE TAXIS ZOOMSANS HELMETSCONRAD DIAS n HYDERABAD

Despite showering our screenswith advertisements about thesafety of a passenger, themobility aggregators are onlykeeping the rule of handing outa helmet only on papers. TheTraffic officials of Hyderabadsaid that an awareness pro-gramme will be held with theservice providers, asking themto follow the rules.

Though there are severalbike taxi service providers inHyderabad, none of them pro-vide a helmet for the rider.Speaking to the Pioneer, AnilKumar, AdditionalCommissioner of HyderabadTraffic Police said that in thepast, various awareness pro-grammes had been held tomake the riders aware.

"We had an awareness pro-gramme with mobility aggre-gators few months ago regard-ing road safety and we hadclearly informed them to fol-low traffic rules and regula-tions. We always take strictactions against anyone tryingto break the rules. We are plan-ning to organise anotherawareness programme in thenear future."

Earlier this year on April 21,a person, riding pillion on anonline Bike Taxi died after thetwo-wheeler was hit by a truckin Punjagutta. According to thepolice, Avinash Ranbaore, asoftware professional, had hireda bike taxi from Cyber Towersto go to Secunderabad. Whilethe driver was able to escapewith injuries on his arms andlegs, Avinash died on the spotdue to severe head injuries.

When reached out to a pop-ular company, which providesbike tax, the spokespersonsaid that their company haszero tolerance against any such

cases and does not negotiatewith anyone who tries to breakthe law. "Safety of customers isour priority and it is by the lawthat the pillions must alsowear a helmet. If in any casethe rider does not providehelmet to the rider then thecustomer must complain aboutit to the company and we takestrict actions against them andthe rider is off-loaded. Thecompany has a zero toleranceagainst any such cases and hasno negotiations."

Dr Kamal J Soi, Member ofNational Road Safety Councilshared his expert opinion andgave a few suggestions thatshould be adopted by themobility aggregators. "The ser-vice providers should providebikes with built in GPS navi-gation system and it should be

placed in such a position thatit does not hinder the vision.The mobility aggregatorsshould provide helmet to thepillion riders as it is mandato-ry. Around 35 percent of roadaccidents in India are of two-wheelers. "

Dhanush R, a private employ-ee said that sometimes even thedriver is not wearing one."There were times he asked thedriver for a helmet, but was toldthat they didn't have an extraone because it was difficult tocarry one," he said.

Though Ola declined to offi-cially comment on the same,however, their rules for the biketaxi service comes with therequirement of mandatorysafety gear in the form of anISI-certified helmet and a firstaid box, both of which are sel-dom seen. And while Olaadvises users to cancel rides ifthere is no helmet provided,there is no such indication orinstruction on the app whilebooking a ride.

Uber too, has a policy inplace where every Moto driverneeds to carry an extra helmet.It also has a team to addresscomplaints if a helmet is notprovided. However, there is noindication of the above on theapp for a rider to see whilebooking a ride.

Techie createsruckus at

Banjara Hills

HYDERABAD :A software engi-neer, who was suffering frommental illness, created ruckusat Road No 3 in Banjara Hillsby throwing stones at com-muters on Friday. The techie

was identified as Raksha Raju,a resident of Trimulgherry.

The commuters and locals onthe stretch, who found Rajunaked, informed the cops whorushed to the spot and took him

away before anyone got serious-ly injured. Police had a toughtime to detain him. He dam-aged a window of a patrollingvan, while a constable sufferedinjuries in the process.

n Several mobility aggregators in city do notprovide a helmet for pillion riders

On April 21, aperson, ridingpillion on anonline bike taxidied after thetwo-wheelerwas hit by atruck inPunjagutta

Man arrested forcheating job aspirants PNS n HYDERABAD

A former employee of TSSPDCL(Telangana State Southern PowerDistribution Company Limited)was apprehended by the West ZoneTask Force team following an infor-mation given by Vigilance andAPTS Hyderabad Central Circle forcheating the innocent aspirants inthe pretext of providing jobs ofJunior Lineman in TSSPDCL. Theofficials seized six candidates IDapplication forms with candidatedetails and one mobile from hispossession.

The arrested was identified asGokul Shyam Sundhar, 67, a retiredADE/OP of TSSPDCL, said thepolice. "He worked as a dailywagerfor NMR (Nominal Muster Roll) inAPSEB at Chandrayangutta for a yearand in 1992, he bagged a job of sub-overseer. He also worked inCharminar, Chaderghat,Chanchalguda, Mehdipatnam, RangaReddy, Peddamanur andIbrahimpatnam as Sub-Engineer andworked at Ibrahimpatnam andBasheerabad as AE (Asst. Engineer).After formation of Telangana State, hetransferred to TLC (TransmissionLines Construction) and worked indifferent wings in TLC. He retired inthe year 2012," the police said.

As his pension was not sufficientto meet his expenses, he hatched aplan to cheat the innocent andunemployed youth in the guise ofproviding jobs in TSSPDCL and TSTransco as Junior lineman by col-lecting huge money from them. "Heused to introduce himself as Ex-Engineer of Transco and he is hav-ing good relations with the officialsof TSSPDCL and offering that hecan arrange job easily for theprospective candidates for Rs 3lakh each.

He planned to take Rs 50,000 inadvance, Rs 50,000 after receipt ofHall Ticket for the recruitment

exams and remaining Rs 2 Lakhsafter getting the job. In this man-ner he collected some candidatesID forms to cheat them in the guiseof providing jobs to them inTSSPDCL," the officials added.The accused, a long with seized property, was handed overto Saifabad police for furtheraction.

According to police,the accused, aformer employee ofTSSPDCL, hatcheda plan to cheat theunemployed youthin the guise ofproviding jobs inTSSPDCL and TS Transco asJunior lineman

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Telangana State Board ofIntermediate Education (TSBIE)has found two colleges guilty inHyderabad for collecting highfees and offering illegal courses.The investigation by DistrictIntermediate Education Officer's(DIEO) found Sri ChaitanyaJunior College in Saifabad andGowtham Junior College inChikkadpally guilty.

The DIEO has issued show-cause notices to both colleges onFebruary 2, 2019 in response to acomplaint filed by Forum AgainstCorruption Founder Vijay Gopalon December 18, 2018.

Vijay had filed the petition onbehalf of many parents/guardianswho alleged that the colleges havebeen collecting fees in excess ofwhat the Board of Intermediateprescribed. The petition also men-tions that the parents/guardianshave complained of the collegesoffering courses that are not pro-

vided by the Board.The management of Gowtham

Junior College has submittedtheir explanation stating thatthey are not collecting higherfees. They also claimed that theyare strictly complying withTSBIE norms. The DIEO hasreported that they found theexplanation incorrect. SriChaitanya Junior College man-agement has not submitted theirreply to the show-cause notices.DIEO has inspected both juniorcolleges on August 8, 2019, to

find out the truth. The officershave collected complaints ofsome students as evidence.

The DIEO also collected mate-rial evidence like admission formsof the hostel of Sri Chaitanyaalongside fee receipts. The officerhas also received a representationfrom students regarding collegetimings and college fees from boththe institutions.

Offficials of DistrictIntermediate Education Office(DIEO) have said that they havesent all the reports to NCPCR.

Applicants resumes available on Govt website! PNS n HYDERABAD

As the cyber crime police arerepeatedly warning the pub-lic to secure their data online,job profiles of over 1,000applicants could be seen onthe website of the TelanganaState Para Medical Board asauthorities seem unaware ofthe serious breach of privacyeven after 24 hours.

The resumes of 1,100 job

applicants was accidentallydiscovered on Wednesdaywhen Rishi Dwivedi, an eth-ical hacker and cybersecuri-ty researcher, ran a Googlesearch with the string "CV orresume or Curriculum vitaefile type:PDF or Doc".

This is a serious databreach in a governmentWebsite. Thousands of CVsand resumes that contain per-sonal information of appli-

cants can be found online bymaking a simple query searchon Google, said Dwivedi.Publishing personal dataonline amounts to the breachof privacy and is a seriousoffence under the IT Act."This can be very harmful forusers too, any scammer mayget these details to scam theusers," said the ethical hack-er.

Every time an applicant

uploads his/her CV, theresume count goes up, withthe Board officials yet toresolve the embarrassingerror. In an ideal scenario,only persons with adminrights can access resumesuploaded by candidates on anorganisation's website.However, this doesn't seem tobe the case with the Board. Atlast count, the website hadmade 1,101 resumes public.

Since both themanagements havebeen found guilty,they have notsanctioned newaffiliation to thesecolleges this year

IPE to organise nationalworkshop from Dec 2PNS n HYDERABAD

The Institute of PublicEnterprise (IPE) isorganising ICSSRsponsored two-daynational workshop on" C o m p e t i t i v eIntelligence throughI n f o r m a t i o nHarvesting" onDecember 2 and 3 onits Shamirpet cam-pus.

The workshop will

focus on the key issuesinvolved in theC o m p e t i t i v eIntelligence process,source identificationand retrieval mecha-nisms.

The workshopprovides theoreticalbases of competitiveanalysis; practicaltools and techniquesthat individuals/institutions can applyfor practical purpos-

es in management sit-uations.

The workshopaddresses librarians,information profes-sionals, and also thoseinvolved in handlingmanagement courses.For more details writeto Dr. G. VenkataNagaiah, WorkshopConvener atvenkatanagaiah@ipeindia.org or call on +(91) 98918 98378.

Man torches...Continued from Page 1

Their relatives were stated tohave arranged a meeting offamily elders to resolve the issue.Vimala and Laxmirajyam weremarried 12 years ago and havetwo children, Jaipal and Pavithra.

Going by the circumstancesunder which the victims werefound, it is suspected that, lateon Thursday night,Laxmirajyam used a bottle ofthinner (flammable liquid usedwith paint) and fire crackers totorch the family memberswhen they were asleep. His wifeVimala, daughter Pavithra,son Jaipal, brother-in-law Raju,his wife Rajeshwari and theirdaughter Sunita were sleepingin the room. All of them suf-fered third-degree burns.Vimala, Sunitha and Pavithra,found in a critical condition,were shifted to Gandhi Hospitalhere, while the other threewere shifted to a Governmenthospital in Siddipet.

TSBIE issues notices to twocolleges for charging extra fee

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019 hyderabad 04

PNS n HYDERABAD

The 11th edition of the plasticexhibition, 'Plastivision India-2020'will be held from 16-20 January2020 at the Bombay ExhibitionCentre, Mumbai. It will be organ-ised by the All India PlasticsManufactureres Association.

The exhibition, considered asone of the top 5 exhibitions in theworld is fully booked before 3months. More than 1,500exhibitors from different seg-ments of the industry havebooked their stalls in the sprawl-ing fairground occupying theentire premises consisting of1,00,000 sq.mtrs.

Recognised by UFI, an inter-national exhibition apex body,and approved by the Governmentof India, 'Plastivision India 2020'is also approved by the NSIC &MSME department to offerfinancial subsidy to small andmedium entrepreneurs. Morethan 25 countries have con-firmed their participation in thisfive-day exhibition, which willalso witness new technology andmachinery.

During this period, a number oftechnical conferences will be orga-nized, which will offer new trendsand technologies being used by

market leaders. Visitors andexhibitors will witness huge amountof products and services in 6 spe-cialised pavilions with focusedexhibitors in Agriculture, Solar,Automation, Die & Mold, Wastemanagement and 3D Printing.

Team Plastivision India hasrolled out a huge visitor promo-tion campaign all over India byorganising more than 50 roadshows to attract more than

2,50,000 business visitors; alreadyheld shows at Ludhiana,Chandigarh, Kolhapur, Goa,Kolkata, Madurai, Coimbatore,Guwahati, Bangalore, Vizag,Vijayawada and Tirupati.Elaborate arrangements havebeen made to accommodate largenumber of visitors offering all cat-egories of hotels, apartmentsranging from Rs 500/- to Rs6,000.

‘Plastivision India’ expo in Jan

PNS n HYDERABAD

Environmentalists and NGOsvented ire over felling of treesat Jubliee Hills Road Number45 on Friday. Residents claimthat at least 5 big trees havebeen felled and termed it as'another destruction in thename of development'.According to GHMC officialMusharraf Ali Faruqui, "Treesare being translocated orremoved to complete roadwidening and construct theramp portion of the flyover".

Kaajal Maheshwari of citi-zens of Hyderabad said that thecontractor at site was not show-ing the permissions or any doc-uments to validate this axing.She added, "when lives arelost, children are choking, thecity is no longer vibrant, asmog covers it 24/7. We willremember you & also ourselvesfor wearing blinkers inspite ofwarnings". P Uday of Vatafoundation pointed, "With TreeProtection Committee (TPC)approval we lose a few morefully grown trees on Rd No 45Jubilee Hills, all of which couldhave been translocated by us".A change.org petition wasraised by the foundation ask-ing them to dissolve TPC.

They allege that TPC hasbeen for namesake and is onlymaking it easy to rid of green-ery. It called to replace thecommittee with a stronger and

more sincere body to ensure allthe compensatory saplings arebeing planted and all the exist-ing Fully Grown Trees areprotected. The petition which

has been signed by 895 peo-ple reads, "Even though we dohave a Tree ProtectionCommittee (TPC) it is not per-forming its duty diligently andhas ended up only helping getrid of most our fully growntrees, for Metro Project, SRDP,HRDC etc. For example in aSRDP project where over 320+trees were effected the TPCrecommended felling 300+trees and Vata foundation hadto translocate all of the 300+trees that were marked forcutting by TPC".

n Call for dissolution of Tree Protection Committee

Environmentalists fumeat felling of trees

Following theincident,GHMC officialMusharraf Alisaid that treesare beingtranslocated orremoved tocomplete roadwidening andconstruct theramp portion ofthe flyover

Experts bat forrestoration offorest landscapePNS n HYDERABAD

A one-day conference on"Forest Landscape Restoration- Developing Strategies forGlobal & NationalCommitments" was organ-ised by Telangana State ForestDepartment on Friday atHotel Taj Krishna.

Forest Minister AIndrakaran Reddy inaugurat-ed the conference. TheConference deliberated upondifferent National commit-ments under Biodiversity,Carbon Sequestration,REDD+, Land DegradationNeutrality, EcosystemServices, Bonn Challenge,Water, Human Wellbeing andSustainable DevelopmentGoals. The latest methodolo-gies and use of technologies inassessment, planning, imple-mentation, monitoring & eval-uation will be discussed.Finally, the conference aims to

suggest how a comprehensiveapproach could emerge forpreparation of a roadmap forrestoration of entire forestlandscape in Telangana, dulycontributing to Global &National Commitments incollaboration with organiza-tions of National &International repute.

Notable visitors who attend-ed the conference include,Dr. Suresh Gairola, DirectorGeneral, Indian Council ofForests Research & Education,MoEF& GOI; Dr. SubashAshutosh, Director General,Forest Survey of India, MoEF,GoI;Sri Pankaj Asthana,Inspector General of Forests,NAEB, MoEFCC, GoI; Dr.Vivek Saxena, CountryRepresentative, IUCNIndia,Mr. Varghese Paul, SeniorForestry Advisor,USAIDIndia. Dr.PromodeKant, Director, Institute ofGreen Economy. CM KCR writ runs

Continued from Page 1

For instance, KCR had said that hewas merely following the rules as perthe Motor Vehicle Act prescribed bythe Centre for privatization of buses.Evidently every motive of BJP hasbackfired. Several have died or com-mitted suicide with state witnessing close to 30 deaths, butKCR has remained untamed. While employees are looking at KCR,what about the families of thedeceased?

TRS MLA gets four-week relief in HCContinued from Page 1

On Wednesday,Ministr y of HomeAffairs issued a freshorder cancelling theIndian citizenship ofMLA ChennamaneniRamesh for conceal-ing facts pertaining tohis visits to India dur-ing the 12-monthperiod immediatelypreceding his appli-cation seeking citi-zenship. In its order,the Ministry of Home

Affairs said the com-petent authority hadconsidered variousaspects such as hisMLA post and hisbackground.

"His misrepresenta-tion/concealment offact misled theGovernment of Indiain making its decisioninitially. Had herevealed the fact that hehad not resided inIndia for one yearbefore making theapplication, the com-

petent authority in thisministry would nothave granted citizen-ship to him," theMinistry of HomeAffairs order added.

Y Ramarao, advocatefor Ramesh, argued thatcitizenship deprivationcomes only when theperson's behaviour "isnot conducive to thepublic good". Reactingto the court's order,Ramesh said he washappy with the out-come.

HC clears RTCprivatisationContinued from Page 1

When the AG refusedto disclose the contentsof the cabinet decisionin the court hall, thebench called the AGand heard his explana-tion in person alongwith the TransportCommissioner of thestate. The AG then toldthe bench that theywould make public thecontents of the cabinetdecision only after theissuance of a GO on theissue and added thatthe courts should notinterfere in such issues.He urged the court todismiss the petition.

ASI attempts suicideContinued from Page 1

"He was transferred toManchal Police Station threedays back and reported to dutythere on Thursday. On Fridaymorning, he came to theBalapur Police Station andattempted suicide by climbingonto a water tanker outside thepolice station premises anddoused himself with petrolbefore setting himself ablaze,"said Balapur police officials.

His colleagues noticed itand rushed to his rescue.They put out the flames beforeit could engulf him. "He hassustained about 30-40 percentbody burns. We have admittedhim in the Apollo DRDOHospital at Kanchanbagh,where he is being treated in theIntensive Care Unit (ICU).The doctors are saying thatnothing can be spoken abouthis condition as of now," addedthe police official.

According to sources,Narsimha had been working atBalapur Police Station for acouple of years. A few days

ago, a patrolling teamdemanded money from theorganisers of an event at afunction hall and the staffreportedly told them that theywere collecting money on theinstructions of the Inspector.The following day, Narsimhainformed this to the Inspectorand it led to an argument.

The Inspector had thenallegedly threatenedNarsimha, stating that the lat-ter would soon be transferredfrom the station. The next dayhe was transferred to a near-by police station. Alegedlyupset at the turn of events, hetried to kill himself in front ofBalapur Police Station.

On Friday night, the PoliceCommissioner of Rachakonda,Mahesh Bhagwat, issued ordersto attach the police inspector ofBalapur, V. Saidulu, and con-stable, Dashrath, to headquar-ters. "I have issued orders toconduct an inquiry on the caseand also informed the DCPabout the attaching of theInspector and constable,” saidthe commissioner.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) Members of Parliamenthave urged the National SkillDevelopment Corporation(NSDC) to establish trainingunits in the state based on thepopulation ratio and to devisespecial curriculum to benefitthe youth in tribal areas.

The MPs met and interact-ed with representatives of theNSDC in Telangana Bhavan onFriday. The NSDC officialspresented the profile of thepopulation, labour force par-ticipation, various sectors hav-ing opportunities, projects inTelangana. The officials alsobriefed the MPs delegationdetauks of training provided,number of students enrolled,placements provided. The del-egation was told that so far16,006 candidates weretrained, 10,655 candidatesreceived certificates andamong them 3,829 candidateswere placed in short term

training of PMKVY. There are66 training partners in 20 sec-tors in the state.

The MPs have suggested toestablish trainings unitsaccording to the populationratio. They said that studentsneeded inputs on workplacereadiness based on the expec-tations of the prospectiveemployer. They wanted thetraining modules to focus onplacements in major sectors.

The Tribal areas in Telanganashould have exclusive trainingcourses to further hone theinherent skills of tribal stu-dents. The MPs said theywould be visiting the trainingcentres to motivate the stu-dents. The delegation of MPsincluded Nama NageshwarRao, Dr G Ranjith Reddy,Dayakar Pasunoori, B B Patil,P Ramulu, Banda Prakash andB Lingaiah Yadav.

TRS MPs ask NSDC toestablish training units

TRS MPs with representatives of the NSDC in Telangana Bhavan on Friday

SI suspendedfor demandingbribePNS n SIDDIPET

Commissioner of Police DJoel Davis suspended Sub-Inspector, Bhumpally PoliceStation, for accepting Rs25,000 bribe from theaccused in a case anddemanding another Rs25,000 from them.

A complainant fromJangampally vil lageapproached the BhumpallyPolice to lodge a com-plainant under SC&STAtrocity Act. Rajeshdemanded Rs 50,000 bribefrom the accused to helpthem evade action in thecase.

After accepting Rs 25,000,he continued to insist on therest of the amount to freethem from the case whichthe accused recorded andapproached theCommissioner. After a thor-ough inquiry, theCommissioner has placedRajesh under suspension.Further investigation is on.

Minister Indrakaran Reddy lights a lamp at the inauguration of the "ForestLandscape Restoration’’conference in Hyderabad on Friday

M Jayadev, Anil Reddy and others at an event on Friday

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019 nation 05SHORT READS

Raj: ACB arrestsjunior engineer fortaking bribeJAIPUR: The Anti-CorruptionBureau (ACB) has arrested ajunior engineer while acceptinga bribe of Rs 8,000 inRajasthan's Tonk district,officials said on Friday. Theaccused Akhilesh Chaturvediwas posted in Jaipur VidyutVitran Nigam Limited (JVVNL)in Diggi area. He haddemanded a bribe from thecomplainant to provideelectricity connection, an ACBspokesperson said.Chaturvedi was not providingthe connection despite thecompletion of all the formalitiesby the complainant, thespokesperson said. Theaccused was arrested red-handed on Friday whileaccepting the bribe and a casehas been registered againsthim under sections ofPrevention of Corruption Act,the spokesperson added.

We will take less timeto improve air quality:Javadekar

SP celebratesMulayam SinghYadav's 81st birthdayLUCKNOW: The SamajwadiParty celebrated the 81stbirthday of its founder MulayamSingh Yadav at the partyheadquarters here on Friday.Flanked by his son and partypresident Akhilesh Yadav aswell as senior leaders, MulayamSingh Yadav cut the birthdaycake amid loud cheers of partyworkers and leaders. On theoccasion, an 81-kg laddoo wasalso presented to him. UttarPradesh Chief Minister YogiAdityanath extended birthdaygreetings to Mulayam SinghYadav. "Wishing good health,long and active life whileextending best wishes to formerchief minister of Uttar PradeshMulayam Singh Yadav on hisbirthday," Adityanath said.

Delhi govt creating hypeon pollution for politicalreasons: CentreNEW DELHI: The Delhigovernment is "creating hype" onthe issue of rising air pollution inthe national capital due to"political reasons", Minister ofState for Agriculture KailashChoudhary told the Rajya Sabhaon Friday. Responding to queriesduring Question Hour, he said, "Itmay be the failure of the stategovernment. There are manyreasons for rise in pollution.However, the state governmentis creating hype for politicalreasons." He said there was noneed to blame farmers for therise in pollution as stubbleburning has contributed to only3 per cent to the overall airpollution in Delhi. On stringentmeasures taken against farmersto curb stubble burning, theminister said, "It is wrong tosend farmers to jail. However, itis a state subject." On theSupreme Court's directive, somestates are offering Rs100/quintal assistance tofarmers. Even the centralgovernment's agricultureresearch body ICAR hasdeveloped seven post harvestingmachines to reduce stubbleburning in Punjab, Haryana andUttar Pradesh, he added.

NEW DELHI: It took Beijingfifteen years to reduce airpollution but we will take lesstime to improve air quality inthe national capital,Environment Minister PrakashJavadekar said in Lok Sabha onFriday. Responding to adiscussion on "air pollution andclimate change", he said a massmovement is required for thepurpose. "It took Beijing 15years (to fight air pollution). Wewill take lesser time," he said,referring to air quality in Delhi.

PNS n GUWAHATI

RTI activist Akhil Gogoi-ledKrishak Mukti Sangram Samiti(KMSS) on Friday staged aprotest here against the pro-posed tabling of theCitizenship (Amendment) Bill,2019 during the Winter sessionof the Parliament.

The KMSS organised its'Raj Bhavan Chalo' agitation tosubmit a memorandum to thegovernor against the Bill forforwarding it to the President.

The Indigenous Forum,Assam led by ULFA (pro-talk)faction leaders Anup Chetiaand Mrinal Hazarika andhuman rights activist LachitBordoloi staged a separate sit-in against the Bill.

Speaking to reporters, Gogoisaid, "Under no circumstancecan the anti-indigenous peopleCAB be accepted by our stateas 1.9 crore HinduBangladeshis will come toAssam and threaten the exis-tence of the Assamese languagebesides taking up the jobs, ren-dering the local people unem-ployed."

Gogoi expressed fears thatdue to opposition of the stategovernments of Meghalaya,Mizoram, Nagaland andArunachal Pradesh to the Bill,it will be imposed on Assamand Tripura.

Sahitya Akademi awardeeDr Hiren Gohain, who waspart of the KMSS agitation,said, "An attempt is beingmade by the Centre to divideAssam on religious lines...tillour last drop of blood, we willoppose CAB which is againstthe interest of the indigenouspeople of the state."

Protests against the Billhave been raging in Assamover the past week, withactivists of the All AssamStudents' Union (AASU) alongwith 30 ethnic students' organ-isations organising rallies

across the state on Thursdayevening.

Speaking to reporters,AASU Chief Advisor SamujjalBhattacharya had asserted,"Assam is not a dustbin for ille-gal Bangladeshis. Under theAssam Accord, 1985, we havealready accepted theBangladeshis who came hereillegally till March, 1971. Now,attempts are being made tothrust more Bangladeshisupon us through the CAB."

Bhattacharya alleged thatthe BJP was trying to polarisethe society on religious lines.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The ministries of TribalAffairs and Home Affairs ledthe Central governmentdepartments in rejecting themost number of RTI applica-tions filed by the public toseek information from thegovernment, the CentralInformation Commission'sannual report tabled inParliament stated.

The report, tabled in bothhouses of Parliament thisweek, said 64,334 applica-tions, which comes to 4.70 percent of the 13.70 lakh appli-cations received during 2018-

19, were rejected. This is adecline from 5.13 per centapplications rejected last year.

The number of RTI appli-cations received by Centralgovernment ministries anddepartments increased by 1.36lakh, about 11 per cent high-er than 2017-18, it said.

"Highest percentage of RTI

applications rejected wasreported by Ministry of TribalAffairs (26.54%) and Ministryof Home Affairs (16.41%)," astatement from personnelministry quoting the reportsaid on Friday.

The first appeals beforeseniors against the decisionsof RTI processing officers

called Central PublicInformation Officers margin-ally declined from 9.72 percent last year to 9.29 per centin 2018-19.

The CIC disposed of 17,188Second Appeals andComplaints cases in 2018-19. A total of 22,736 caseswere registered during thesame period. At the end of theyear, the Commission had29,655 cases pending beforeit," it said.

The figures are based onannual returns submitted byall 2,145 registered publicauthorit ies with theCommission.

PNS n MUMBAI

NCP leader Jayant Patil onFriday said the smaller pre-poll allies of his party and theCongress have backed theidea of forming a governmentwith the Shiv Sena to keep theBJP away from power in thestate.

"Our pre-poll allies havesupported the idea of form-ing a government inMaharashtra to keep the BJPaway from power," Patil, whowas accompanied by seniorCongress leader PrithvirajChavan, told reporters afterthe meeting here.

The Sena, NCP andCongress are currently work-ing out modalities for forma-tion of a government in thestate, which has been underPresident's rule sinceNovember 12.

PNS n KOLKATA

At a time when students of theBanaras Hindu University inUttar Pradesh are up in armsover the religious identity ofone of its Sanskrit teachers, acollege, on the outskirts ofBengal capital, has appointeda Muslim man as an assistantprofessor to teach the subject.

Ramzan Ali, who joinedRamkrishna MissionVidyamandira in Belur fol-lowing nine years of experi-ence at a north Bengal college,said he was overwhelmed bythe warm welcome extended tohim by the students and facul-ty members.

"I was welcomed by princi-pal Swami ShastrajnandajiMaharaj, and everyone...Maharaj told me that my reli-gious identity was not impor-tant, what mattered was mygrasp over the language, myindepth knowledge and myability to share it with the stu-dents," Ali, who joined theBelur college on Tuesday, toldPTI.

Asked about the BanarasHindu University (BHU) agi-tation, he said, "I believe

Sanskrit embodies India'sinclusiveness, its rich culture.Don't forget Sanskrit is themother of all languages. Howcan anyone bar people fromother religions from learningand teaching Sanskrit?" A sec-tion of students at BHU hasbeen demonstrating againstthe appointment of FerozKhan as the assistant professorof the varsity's Sanskrit depart-ment.

Although the BHU author-ities backed him, Khan has notbeen able to take classes.

Ali, who is in his early 40s,asserted that he had neverfaced any discrimination as aSanskrit teacher.

"I never felt that I was out ofplace or unwanted while study-ing or teaching Sanskrit. Here,at the Belur college, the man-agement has arranged for myaccommodation and ensuredthat I do not face any inconve-nience," the assistant professormaintained.

A student of the Sanskritdepartment at RamkrishnaMission Vidyamandira saidhe was looking forward toattending Ali's classes.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Patidar community leaderHardik Patel on Fridayextended support to theprotest by the students ofJawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) against the hostel feehike.

In a message posted on hisTwitter handle, he said thestudents are not fighting abattle for themselves but forthe coming generations.

He said there is a "conspir-acy to end JNU" and allegedthat the youth are being mis-guided in the name of reli-gion and nationalism by thegovernment.

"The country's youth areengrossed in fake nationalismand religion instead of gain-ing education and are indif-ferent towards the move-ment in JNU. In fact, every-one should participate in thismovement," he said in themessage in Hindi.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court Fridayasked the Centre to respond toa plea challenging the consti-tutional validity of the amend-ments made in the law allow-ing private entities to use theAadhaar data provided volun-tarily by customers for IDauthentication.

A bench, comprising ChiefJustice S A Bobde and JusticeB R Gavai, took note of the pleafiled by S G Vombatkere, whoalleged that the 2019 amend-ments into the Aadhaar Actwas violative of the earlierapex court judgments.

Earlier, a 5-judgeConstitution bench, whileupholding the validity of

Aadhaar act, had made certainexceptions and said privateentities cannot be allowed touse the data even for voluntaryauthentication of customers'details.

Later, the Centre amendedthe law allowing voluntary useof Aadhaar as proof of identi-ty to open bank accounts andget mobile phone connection.

The apex court issued noticeon the fresh PIL and tagged itwith a separate pending casefor hearing.

The Aadhaar and OtherLaws (Amendment) Bill, 2019was passed in Rajya Sabha inJuly by a voice vote, althoughmany Opposition parties hadopposed it citing various rea-sons, including apprehensionsdata theft.

The amendment bill, whichalso provides for a stiff Rs 1crore penalty and a jail term forprivate entities for violatingprovisions on Aadhaar data,was earlier passed by LokSabha on July 4. It was intro-duced on June 24 to replace anordinance issued in March2019.

PNS n NEW DELHI

A PIL has been moved in theDelhi High Court seekingdirections to the ElectionCommission to inspect thepaper slips of the VVPAT elec-tronic voting machines(EVMs) of all constituencies inthe 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The petition, by a personclaiming to be a social work-er, has sought inspection of theVoter-verified paper audit trail(VVPAT) EVMs claiming thataccording to the data put up bythe EC on its website there was"discrepancy" in votes polledand votes counted in around

373 constituencies.Petitioner Hans Raj Jain has

contended that the EC had gotRs 3,173.47 crore releasedfrom the government to pur-chase 16,15,000 VVPAT EVMsfor bringing transparency inelection process.

The petition claims that thealleged "great discrepancy" in

number of votes polled andcounted at majority of theconstituencies "creates doubt"in the minds of voters, includ-ing the petitioner, that theEVMs were tampered with.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court Fridayagreed to hear in open courtthe review pleas of someMaradu flat owners in Kochiseeking appropriate relief fromthe builders.

A bench headed by JusticeArun Mishra said it would hearthe review petitions in an opencourt on the point of appropri-ate relief from the builders.

The counsel appearing forthe Kerala government submit-ted a status report and said thestate had partially compliedwith the earlier apex courtorder of demolition of theMaradu flats.

In compliance of the topcourt's earlier order, the stategovernment has paid 27.99crore as interim compensationto the Maradu flat owners andit will be paying 33.51 croremore to them, the counselsaid.

The court then asked thestate government to ensurefull compliance with its orders,including demolition of theMaradu flats.

It had on October 25 askedthe Kerala government to giveRs 25 lakh each as interim

compensation to the owners ofMaradu flats, being demol-ished on the court's orders forviolation of environmentnorms by builders, after it wasinformed that they have beengiven a lower amount.

It had directed the buildersof Maradu flats to deposit Rs20 crore within one monthwith the court-appointed com-mittee in the matter, and saidthe attached bank account of

the builders be detached fordepositing the amount.

The court also asked thecommittee to assess the docu-mentary proof of paymentsmade by flat owners to buildersafter some homebuyers toldthe bench that they had paidmore than Rs 25 lakh to thedevelopers.

The committee of a retiredhigh court judge will overseethe demolition and to assess

total compensation payable toaffected flat owners.

The court on September 30refused to entertain a plea offlat owners seeking stay on itsorder to demolish the fourapartment complexes inMaradu which were built inviolation of Coastal RegulationZone norms.

On September 27, it direct-ed demolition of the flats with-in 138 days, a timeline given bythe Kerala government, and hadasked the state to pay Rs 25 lakhinterim compensation to eachflat owner within four weeks.

It said the government mayconsider recovering the inter-im compensation amount,which will be paid to flat own-ers, from the builders and thepromoters.

It clarified that its primaryconcern was that no construc-tion should have been carriedout at the eco-fragile coastalzone and the question wasnot regarding any individual.

On May 8, the apex courthad directed that these build-ings be removed within amonth as they were construct-ed in a notified CRZ, whichwas part of the tidally-influ-enced water body in Kerala.

Belur college appoints Muslimteacher in Sanskrit department

PNS n NEW DELHI

A bill to ban production,import and sale of electroniccigarettes and similar productswas introduced in the LokSabha on Friday.

The Prohibition ofElectronic Cigarettes(Production, Manufacture,Import, Export, Transport,Sale, Distribution, Storage andAdvertisement) Bill, 2019,seeks to replace an ordinanceissued on September 18.

The bill was introduced byUnion Health Minister HarshVardhan.

The bill makes the manu-facturing, production, import,export, distribution, trans-port, sale, storage or advertise-ments of such alternativesmoking devices a cognizableoffence, attracting a jail termand a fine.

First-time violators will facea jail term of up to one yearand a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Forsubsequent offences, a jailterm of up to three years or afine of Rs 5 lakh, or both,according to the ordinance.

The storage of e-cigarettesshall also be punishable withimprisonment of up to sixmonths or a fine of up to Rs50,000, or both, it said.

The government had cited

health risk to people, especial-ly youth and issued an ordi-nance to ban such products.

The bill authorised officialsto conduct searches in premis-es, stating that where suchsearches were not permissible,authorities might attach prop-erties, stocks of e-cigarettes orrecords maintained by themanufacturer, producerexporter, transporter,importer, stockist againstwhom a complaint had beenmade.

‘Not privatising Railways; only outsourcing’PNS n NEW DELHI

The government is not privatis-ing the Indian Railways butonly outsourcing commercialand on-board services to pri-vate players in order to providebetter facilities to commuters,Railways Minister Piyush Goyalsaid in Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Responding to a series ofqueries during Question Hour,Railways Minister PiyushGoyal said such a step has beentaken as it is not possible forthe government to meet thefund requirement of Rs 50lakh crore estimated for thenext 12 years to operateRailways.

"Our intention is to give bet-ter services and benefits and

not to privatise the IndianRailways. The Indian Railwaysis and always continues to bethe property of India and peo-ple of India," Goyal assured in

the Upper House.As per the government's

estimate, the Indian Railwaysrequire about Rs 50 lakh crorein the next 12 years.

"Every day, members comewith a new demand for linesand better services. It is notgoing to be a possibility for theGovernment of India to pro-vide Rs 50 lakh crore for thenext 12 years. We all knowthat," he said, adding there arebudgetary constraints andother real issues.

Noting that thousands of

new trains and more invest-ment are required for provid-ing new facilities/rakes andmeet the passengers rush,Goyal said: "If there are privateplayers willing to invest andcome and run on the existingsystem, which continues to bealways owned by the IndianRailways the consumers andpassengers will benefit."

Maintaining that the govern-ment is corporatising railwaysnot privatising it, Minister ofState for Railways SureshAngadi said, "We are outsourc-ing only the commercial andon- board services to privateplayers. Ownership will bewith railways. We are givingonly licenses. They are bring-ing in new rates."

Hardik extendssupport to JNUstudents'protest

Hardik Patel

Jayant Patil

Akhil Gogoi-led KMSS stagesprotest against CAB in Assam

‘Allies supportidea offorming govtwith Sena’

Tribal & home ministries top RTI rejections

The court thenasked the stategovernment toensure fullcompliance withits orders,includingdemolition of theMaradu flats

Although the BHUauthorities backedhim, Khan has notbeen able to takeclasses

First-time violatorswill face a jailterm of up to oneyear and a fine ofRs 1 lakh. Forsubsequentoffences, a jailterm of up to threeyears

Piyush Goyal

PIL in HC for inspecting paper slips ofVVPAT EVMs used in 2019 LS polls

The petitionclaims that thealleged "greatdiscrepancy" innumber of votespolled and countedat majority of theconstituencies‘creates doubt’

As per thegovernment'sestimate, theIndian Railwaysrequire about Rs50 lakh crore inthe next 12 years

Gogoi expressed fears that due toopposition of the state governments ofMeghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland andArunachal Pradesh to the Bill, it will beimposed on Assam and Tripura

SC seeks Centre's reply on allowingprivate firms to use Aadhaar data

SC to hear review pleas ofMaradu flat owners for relief

Bill to ban e-cigarettesintroduced in LS

On November 20, Union HomeMinister Amit Shah stated inthe Rajya Sabha that after morethan 100 days, the situation inJammu & Kashmir was “nor-

mal” and that not a single bullet was fired,nor a death reported in Kashmir ever sincethe abrogation of Article 370. The normal-cy claim was, however, debunked by a totalshutdown the very next day. Shah mustknow that the absence of violence shouldnot be construed as peace. Lockdown in theregion has not been lifted: Political leadersand activists are still in detention and inter-net and cell phone services are totally or par-tially shut. It is, perhaps, too early to cele-brate the mirage of normalcy.

Now, rewind to last month. October 31will be remembered for more than one rea-son. It marked the deadline for converting theformer State of Jammu & Kashmir into twoUnion Territories — Jammu & Kashmir andLadakh — following the abrogation of Article370. It was also for the first time in the his-tory of India that a full-fledged State anywherein the country was reduced into two UnionTerritories, whose security would be managedcentrally. Two Lieutenant Governors weresworn in on the same day as Sardar Patel’s144th birth anniversary and Indira Gandhi’s35th death anniversary, the latter becomingcoincidental but meaningful.

October 31 was also the deadline setby Prime Minister Narendra Modi for theclosure of the Naga identity issue, follow-ing the Nagaland Framework Agreementof August 2017. Like in Jammu & Kashmir,undemocratic methods are allegedly underway here, too, to achieve a political solu-tion to India’s oldest and mother of allinsurgencies in Nagaland.

Ironically, the National Socialist Councilof Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN (I-M)’sdemand for a separate flag and Constitution— both done away with in Jammu &Kashmir — has created a flutter among theNortheastern States, who enjoy special sta-tus under Article 371 of the Constitution.The opening up of two fronts is never a wiseoption with adversaries like Pakistan andChina scouting for opportunities.

Still, the Government can rejoice forachieving its long-standing nationalisticagenda of terminating Jammu & Kashmir’sspecial status and integrating it with the Unionof India, though without pondering over thelong-term consequences, as premature selfcongratulations indicate. The aim of the polit-ical surgery is to end terrorism, corruptionand dynastic rule, which will put Jammu &Kashmir on the path of development — theseills, the Government feels, have been the resultof its special status. Lockdown in Jammu &Kashmir has crossed the 100-day markdespite the international community urgingus to restore human rights currently beingdenied to the people. The Supreme Court, too,had asked the Government to come up witha plan by November 10 to relax restrictions.

On November 14,Constitutional issues relating toArticle 370 and Jammu andKashmir Reorganisation Act,2019, came up for a secondhearing but was moved to a newdate, December 14. In the firsthearing on October 4, theConstitution bench had over-ruled a plea for an interim order,staying the implementation of theJammu and KashmirReorganisation Act, 2019, byOctober 31. It said that “we canalways turn the clock back.”

The independence of thejudiciary against a strong exec-utive and legislature is facedwith a test. Business and tradeare at a standstill. The presidentof the Kashmir Chamber ofCommerce and Industry,Sheikh Ashiq, pegged the loss tothe business sector at over`10,000 crore. But the overalldamage to Kashmir’s economycould be double this figure.

Delhi has been preparingyounger, new political actors,most of who have been vetted byShah to replace the old leader-ship. Prime Minister Modipraised the Block DevelopmentCouncil (BDC) elections as ademocratic exercise though itwas anything but that. Electionswere held before October 31under the Jammu and KashmirPanchayati Raj Act and not theIndian Panchayat Act, so thatpolls could be indirect and“managed.” Elected Panches and

Sarpanches selected one amongthem as the head of the blockcouncils. Many of the electedPanches were confined to hotelsin Srinagar, removed from theirregions. The elections were far-cical as 60 per cent of thePanches and Sarpanches’ seatswere vacant and winners wereelected unopposed.

All political leaders, exceptthe BJP, were in detention. Still,it was the Independents whowon the maximum seats. Theaim is to create a political classowing allegiance to New Delhi,preferably from Jammu. Withthe Legislative Council abol-ished, Legislative Assembly seatshave been increased effectivelyfrom 83 to 90, excluding 24 forPakistan-occupied Kashmir. It isstill not clear as to who will dothe delimitation: The ElectionCommission of India or adelimitation panel. Any tin-kering with the demographywill be outright dangerous.

The new LieutenantGovernor of Jammu andKashmir, GC Murmu, has saidthat elections will be held soon.Managing Srinagar by remotecontrol from New Delhi will notbe easy given the decades oftrauma generations of Kashmirishave suffered. A 11-memberteam, comprising mental healthspecialists, which visitedKashmir after scrapping of thespecial status, reported “markedincrease in psychological distress

in the region.” A report titled,Imprisoned Resistance: 5thAugust and its aftermath, wasreleased in New Delhi last week.No meaningful political out-reach will be feasible whenKashmiris are stripped off theiridentity. Their hearts and minds,won over the years by the Army,are now largely lost.

Three security issues willcontinue to cross-fertilise:Existing alienation, which hasturned into resentment; mount-ing radicalisation andIslamisation; and home-grownand cross-border terrorism dor-mant at present due to thelockdown. Kashmiris are lessangry about deprivation of thespecial status than their landbeing downgraded to a UnionTerritory. The insult to theiridentity is palpable and willremain even when statehood isrestored. The largely sponta-neous civil disobedience move-ment will breed more radi-calised youth, who will take tostreet violence and join theranks of insurgency. The con-tours of a new insurgency willlikely appear by next summer.Unlike in the past, Kashmiriswill more readily support insur-gents than the security forces.

In the short-term, once thepasses close and snow sets inthe hinterland by the end ofNovember, insurgents will beforced to take refuge in villagesand towns. The pause in secu-

rity forces’ operations due to thelockdown has undermined thecounter-insurgency and intelli-gence grids considerably.

Troop density in the Valleyis at the highest levels since“Operation Parakram” (2001-02) when nearly 2,000 terroristswere killed. Pakistan willremain constrained due to thefear of the Financial ActionTask Force (FATF), which willreview its actions in blockingterrorist financing in February2020. Pakistan has not launcheda single big attack afterPulwama, in fact, after Mumbai.But the 250-300 terrorists in theValley, radicalised youth andoverground workers will keepthe security forces busy forlong. Disaffected Kashmiris arehurt when Modi brags at homeand abroad about having abro-gated their special status whilechasing the mirage of turningKashmir into a land of milk andhoney. “We have tried otherways and failed… so let’s giveabrogation of Article 370 achance”, is the contention.

Emotional integration ofKashmir has been put off even asNorth-eastern States, enjoyingspecial status, are getting restive.Shah must get real.

(The writer, a retired MajorGeneral, was Commander IPKFSouth, Sri Lanka and foundermember of the Defence PlanningStaff, currently the IntegratedDefence Staff.)

The lights that shine across all major mon-uments of Kolkata had changed their huefrom blue, which is Bengal Chief Minister

Mamata Banerjee’s favourite colour, to pink.This to acknowledge India’s first day-night Testmatch and its uniquely coloured pink ball. Itwas appropriate that this new format was beingplayed in India’s greatest cricket ground,Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, and the crowdsincluded the likes of Banerjee and BangladeshiPrime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Unfortunately,for the latter, even though Indian cricketers were

polite with her while being introduced, they were nothing like that toBangladesh’s batsmen, bundling them out for just 106. Watching India bat underthe lights at the end of a Friday is a good way to begin the weekend, accordingto most Indian cricket fans and therein lies the greatest attraction of pink-ballcricket. The Test format might be the longest and most challenging of all andthe most adaptable of major sports but it is unwieldy both for fans at the stadi-um and even those watching on television. The shorter variants of the game,both one-day internationals and T20, are played in the evenings and afternoonsto attract more spectators into the stadium. Moving Tests towards the eveningshould help get both working-age people and students in droves.

However, what would really make the game interesting is a viable opponent.Taking nothing away from the stellar performances of India’s outstanding pacebattery away, Bangladesh has barely put up a fight. Our neighbour has improvedtremendously over the past few years but this is clearly a team in strife, thanksto corruption allegations that have cost them their best player, Shakib Al Hasan.Success on the field and a good game are what ensure the long-term viabilityof a sport or format. India was initially aghast at T20 cricket and commentatorscalled it a travesty. Then, it won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa ina thrilling contest with Pakistan. And well, we know the rest. Would better com-petition have made a major difference? One could argue that there are few goodteams in the sport right now. But at least India has made a start and the bestpart of pink-ball cricket may be when our boys tour — no more early morningstarts to watch when they travel to Australia and New Zealand and morning crick-et when India is in the Caribbean. As for us fans, there is a long way to go.

The opacities about funding throughelectoral bonds have been discussed forquite some time now, benefitting almost

all political parties in varying degrees, thoughthe latest expose, courtesy transparencyactivists accessing RTI documents, hasstirred up a big storm in the ongoingParliament session. That the bonds would fur-ther institutionalise the politico-corporatenexus has long been established though theOpposition, which has clearly received thethinnest slices of such donations, is now cry-

ing foul. What was under the table is just legitimate now, allowing any corpora-tion, trust, NGO or individual to donate unlimited amounts of money to our polit-ical parties. The lies have been piling up ever since the electoral bonds wereintroduced. For example, while it was claimed that the secret alphanumeric codewould insure the donor from being tracked or identified, documents have proventhat the State Bank of India (SBI) not only knows who bought how many bondsfor whom, it is even required to furnish the information to probe agencies whenthey need them. The blackout of information has only been in the public domain.Latest documents have proven a more insidious link and a cavalier dismissal ofobjections. The bond movements, it appears, were closely watched by the FinanceMinistry and the protests by SBI and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over grey areaswere turned down. The Election Commission was summarily dismissed as well.And while the ruling party indeed sought the Opposition’s views on the schemeand assured transparency to them, it had set up a clandestine architecture. Yetall internal communications on the subject were denied by several Ministers whengrilled in the Parliament. In short, the Government of the day successfully fire-walled any criticism and set up a system which implied crony capitalism. Donors,by virtue of the guarantee of anonymity, could route kickbacks to parties andthe latter would have to reward the largesse of the former with “friendly” poli-cy-making and trading off favours. The poll panel had earlier claimed that elec-toral bonds made its job of tracking donations from overseas and Governmentcompanies difficult. The Government had consistently defended itself saying sincethe bonds were purchased through banking channels, there was no question ofslush money being in circulation, and there was an in-built accountability. Butfact of the matter is that accountability is for a few privileged eyes only to decidewhether the funds are ethically intended or a backdoor form of wheeling-deal-ing. Remember, apart from a sealing on cash donations, there is no upper limitfor donations. The bonds may be issued by banks but they can never gauge thelarger understanding between donor and recipient that drives such transactions.

Real transparency demands that the haze of doubts be eliminated once andfor all. Else, the electoral bonds scheme will poison the electoral process ratherthan cleansing it. Both the donor and political recipient must be identified clear-ly. Some reformists have suggested State funding, at least at the candidate level,but that would involve an estimated outlay of `2,000 crore, something, expertssay, can be achieved by truncating the MPLADS (MP Local Area DevelopmentScheme) allocations from five to four years. Direct funding will undoubtedly encour-age entrants to participate in elections, clean up the system, reduce dependen-cy on parties to call the shots and dilute the bargaining strength of criminal can-didates with muscle and money power. More people in the fray will further moti-vate the bigger parties to democratise themselves. In the end, elections and theirmanagement are an expensive affair and streamlining campaign funding is a workin progress. The main purpose for which electoral bonds were introduced, theneed to remove ambiguous sources of money coming into the electoral processand stash cash, has still not been achieved, if seizures during the May Lok Sabhaelections are anything to go by. The Election Commission, too, has to set real-istic limits of electoral spending, the sum of `70 lakh per candidate too little tomake good. A workable budget per Lok Sabha constituency, coupled with fulldisclosure of corporate donations, should be the way forward. Former Chief ElectionCommissioner SY Quraishi had once suggested creating a National Electoral Fundto which all donors could contribute. The allocations to political parties wouldthen be in proportion to the votes they got. Not only would this protect the iden-tity of donors, it would also weed out black money from politics. But neither thecorporate nor the political class believes in such altruism or accountability. Soa sustained push by the citizenry may take long but is the only way to drive change.

Clean campaigns

Deeper malaise

Sir — Amid vigorous efforts totackle non-performing assets(NPAs), the revelation of ̀ 95,760crore being ripped off fromGovernment banks in April-September reflects deep systemicdisorder. The Insolvency andBankruptcy Code (IBC) wasrolled out to sort things out butnone factored in the time-frameof resolution, thus making theentire process ineffective. Thefocus of every segment of gover-nance is on being seen to be doingsomething rather than on when,how and in what time-frame.

R NarayananMumbai

Clear the air

Sir — The Supreme Court’s deci-sion on the ambit of the RTI Actwill serve as a precedent to usherin greater transparency, espe-cially on the part of organisationsthat have hitherto been reluctantto comply with the Act, such asthe Board of Control for Cricketin India and Mother Dairy. Thisjudgment contradicts the opinionof former Chief Justice of India

(CJI), KG Balakrishnan, who wasopposed to the Delhi HighCourt’s ruling, which has nowbeen upheld.

However, even now, impor-tant points like the criteria for thenomination of judges have beenexcluded from the purview of theRTI Act. Such an exclusion coulddefeat the entire purpose of theverdict. The names of donors,who purchase electoral bonds to

fund political parties, should alsobe made available to the publicupon enquiry. The BJP uses plen-ty of anti-corruption rhetoricbut information about its ownfunding sources remains con-cealed. As of now, the operationof Constitutional agencies stillremains mostly opaque, whereasit should be transparent.

Bidyut Kumar ChatterjeeFaridabad

Sad reality

Sir — The recent trend of the IFSlosing ground to the IAS as a careerchoice is alarming. IFS officersenjoy the privilege of globalappointments along with diplo-matic immunity — enjoyed onlyby a niche segment in bureaucrat-ic circles. With the growing impor-tance of geopolitics and trade

bodies likes the World TradeOrganisation (WTO), BRICS andRegional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RECP),an IFS officer’s career is much moreexciting now. The External AffairsMinistry has not expanded muchby establishing more embassies andconsulates and, hence, the numberof candidates designated for the IFShas hardly gone up.

Varun DambalBengaluru

Take lessons

Sir — This refers to the editorial,“Breathing new life” (November22). All the five public sectorundertakings (PSUs),which havebeen put on strategic sale by theGovernment, had been perform-ing quite well. Some were evenrole models for private firms.The Government should havetaken corrective steps when theystarted registering losses. Evennow, a comprehensive examina-tion must be done to find out thecauses for their debacle.

RatiVia email

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

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op nionHYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019

06

Forget the brag, get real

ASHOK K MEHTA

Like in J&K, where the Government’s decision to split the former State into two Union Territorieshas led to resentment, undemocratic methods are allegedly under way in Nagaland, too

This is now a fight for thedignity and self-respect ofMaharashtra. Now, even if we are offered the throne of (Lord) Indra, we are not interested.

Sena MP —Sanjay Raut

The truth is that no discus-sion about the Indian-Afghanrelationship would be com-plete without a mention ofBollywood and cricket.

Afghan Ambassador to the US—Roya Rahmani

India faces many regionaland geopolitical threats.Islamic insurgents are a constant threat, spreadingterror throughout J&K and elsewhere in India.

Congressman—Francis Rooney

S O U N D B I T E

L E T T E R S T O TT H E E D I T O R

All is not lost for the telecom industry

This refers to the editorial, “Turmoil in telecom”(November 21). The telecom industry is turning outto be another aviation business because of the kind

of returns it is giving. Vodafone-Idea’s spectrum duesto the Government reached `88,000 crore and those ofBharti Airtel stood at `45,000 crore. However, it’s notjust the Indian telecom that is witnessing a decline. Thistrend is to be seen worldwide as growth rates have takena setback in the face of declining average revenue.

The two-year moratorium given by the Governmentwill bring partial reprieve. Unless return on capitalemployed for global telecom services is raised, this indus-try cannot revive. Higher operating costs have squeezedmargins for telecos. And while Vodafone has threatenedto leave the Indian market, if indeed it were to shut shop,the biggest sufferers could be the consumers as thiswould lead to the duopoly of Reliance and Airtel. Therecould be a possibility that these two firms may take endusers for granted, knowing it well that competition is

all but over, with little incentive or pressure to reduceprices. It is, therefore, essential that the Governmentoffers them incentives to induct newer technologies soas to make the shift to 5G technology at the earliest, investmore in R&D and better customer experience.

Bal GovindNoida

Send yyour ffeedback tto:letterstopioneer@gmail.com

Kolkata turns pinkWe hope Pakistanis will askthe Chinese Government whyit is pursuing a developmentmodel in Pakistan that devi-ates from what brought it its own economic success.

Top American diplomat —Alice Wells

Electoral bonds are deeply flawed and more than debate, weneed to create a transparent module of political fund-raising

Pink-ball cricket is upon us. Is it going to just be agimmick or a reality of the modern game?

Too little and a little too late

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) — a joint ven-ture between UK-based Vodafone andKM Birla-owned Idea Cellular — and Bharti

Airtel have reported a staggering loss of `51,000crore and `23,000 crore respectively for the sec-ond quarter of the current financial year endingSeptember 30, 2019. This is primarily due to arecent order of the Supreme Court (SC) directingtelecom companies to give “unpaid” dues towardslicence fee and spectrum usage charges (SUC).

The order is the culmination of a long-drawncourt battle between the Department ofTelecommunication (DoT) and service providers.While the former insisted that for determining thelicence fee and SUC — which is charged as a per-centage of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) (at eightper cent and three-five per cent respectively), apartfrom telecom services revenue — AGR should alsoinclude revenue from non-telecom services viz.rent, profit on sale of fixed assets, dividend, inter-est and so on, the latter opposed it. The SC upheldthe DoT’s view.

As a result, service providers will now have topay excess of the amount calculated on the basisof total revenue i.e. from telecom services plus non-telecom activities over the amount already paidbased on revenue from telecom services only.Together with interest on excess amount, pluspenalty, interest on penalty, this would be ̀ 53,000crore for VIL and `36,000 crore for Airtel.

However, with a view to avert the crisis for thetelecoms, the Government has put a moratoriumon pending spectrum payments during 2020-21and 2021-22 (without altering the overall timelineof clearing all payments by 2030-31). But, consid-ering the magnitude of the unpaid dues (as per theSC’s order), this won't be of much help. Forinstance, in case of VIL, against total liability of `53,000 crore, the relief from suspension of spec-trum payments is only `24,000 crore. In the caseof Airtel, the quantum of relief works out to ̀ 11,000crore against a liability of `36,000 crore. TheGovernment has also alluded to exoneratingthem from payment of interest and penalty on duesas per the apex court’s order but that is no conso-lation as this would be available only when the SCallows it, which is unlikely.

So, the three big firms are staring at a bleakfuture. Vodafone has opined that “the future of theIndian JV is in doubt and we won’t be infusing anyfurther equity into the venture.” The Birla Grouptoo, has echoed similar views, hinting that the com-pany could be taken to insolvency. Bharti Airtel,too, is on the brink.

VIL has a customer base of 320 million where-as Bharti Airtel has 265 million. At 585 million,they account for nearly 50 per cent of the total sub-scribers in India. If, these two companies go intoliquidation, this could have catastrophic implica-tions, not just for banks who have an exposure ofover `200,000 crore to the duo, but also for sub-scribers, who would be left high and dry.

They are looking to the Government for reliefby way of reduction in licence fee and SUC, reduc-tion in Goods and Services Tax (GST) from theexisting 18 per cent to five per cent and so on. Evenas the Government considers this, it needs to ascer-tain as to how the sector landed in the currentmorass.

In September 2016, in a bizarre move rarelyseen before, greenfield 4G operator Reliance Jio

(RJio) entered the Indian telecom mar-ket with “free” and “unlimited” voice callsand low-cost data. After launching anintroductory offer for free — both dataand voice for six months, from April,2017, it charged data at a throwaway priceof `50 per GB, even as voice calls con-tinued to be free ad infinitum. For a con-glomerate (RJio) investing thousands ofcrores in laying infrastructure, an attemptto sell services virtually for free was abrazen case of “predatory” pricing withthe sole intent to snatch customersfrom incumbent players. The latter wereforced to reduce their tariff drastically tomatch the former. Post-revision, the tar-iff in India at less than $1 per GB is a frac-tion of what customers in other coun-tries pay ($30 in Japan; $18 in Korea; $15in UK, China and Germany and $10 inthe USA).

As a result, incumbent operators,who were making profits prior to RJio’sentry, are incurring losses. Several oper-ators downed shutters while others werebought over (e.g. Tata Teleservices wasacquired by Bharti Airtel). Today, thereare only three private operators viz. VIL,RJio and Airtel, down from a dozen ear-lier. When, predatory pricing happens,it is for the sector regulator, in thisinstance the Telecom RegulatoryAuthority of India (TRAI), to intervene.The TRAI should have nipped theproblem in the bud. But it saw nothingwrong and adding insult to injury, inFebruary 2018, it came out with freshamendments to the Telecom TariffOrder (TTO) to define predatory pric-ing in a manner so as to give legitima-cy to the actions of RJio.

As per the amended order, a tariff isconsidered predatory if in a relevant mar-ket (circle), an operator, who is a signif-icant market player (SMP), offers servicesat a price that is below its average vari-able cost (AVC) with a view to reducecompetition or eliminate competitors inthat relevant market. An operator will be

considered SMP if “it controls 30 per centof the market share or above,” which iscalculated on the basis of gross revenueand subscriber market share. Further,AVC is defined as the cost that is calcu-lated by identifying those expenses,which change with output, adding themand then dividing the result with totalnumber of units produced.

Simply put, the regulator prescribeda two-fold criterion for a firm to be apredator. First, it offers services at lessthan AVC. Second it has market shareover 30 per cent. During the relevantperiod, 2016-18, even as all firms wereselling below the AVC, incumbent oper-ators had market share more than 30 percent (natural as they have been aroundfor over two decades) whereas, RJio hadshare of less than 30 per cent. So, in theeyes of the regulator, the former werepredators even as the latter was not. Inother words, a company which startedit all (RJio) was termed innocent even asothers who suffered due to its onslaughtwere charged with indulging in preda-tory pricing and scuttling competition.

The amended order was “one-sided”and “discriminatory”, aimed at favouringRJio and unfairly targetting incumbentplayers. The order was challenged beforethe Telecom Disputes SettlementAppellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which setaside TRAI’s order and even observedthat it was “non-transparent.” However,by the time TDSAT pronounced its ver-dict on December 13, 2018, the damagewas already done.

Other actions of the TRAI, such asa steep cut in the Interconnect UsageCharge (IUC) (it is a charge the telecomservice provider of a caller pays to thetelco on whose network the call termi-nates) in September 2017 from theexisting 14 paisa per minute to six paisaper minute also impacted the incumbentoperators. This drastically reduced theirrevenue from IUC even as RJio wasincreasing its market share by leaps and

bounds (courtesy, free voice calls). TRAI has also prescribed adopting

the “Bill and Keep” (BAK) regime fromJanuary 1, 2020, thereby reducing theIUC to zero. This will give a further joltto the incumbent operators. The onlyreason (unsaid) behind the powers thatbe letting RJio continue with its bizarrepractice may have something to do withModi’s grandiose plans for pan-Indiabroadband connectivity. Low tariff (evenfree voice call) which RJio had promised,helped increase coverage, especially fora majority of the poor. But, what itignores is that public interest is not servedmerely by keeping price low/free.Providing services on a “sustainable”basis and maintaining “quality” is no lessimportant.

This won’t be possible if, serviceproviders are in dire financial straits. Tosome extent, incumbent operators arethemselves to blame. For instance, theyought to have factored in a negative out-come of court proceedings (these havegone on for over a decade) and madecontingency provisions in their books.They have also lagged behind in embrac-ing new technologies (they are stillglued to 2G/3G) even as RJio has latchedon to 4G. But, at the core of the crisis isthe freebies cult, which RJio has implant-ed and was glossed over by the powersthat be. There is urgent need to get ridof this cult.

The initiative has to come from ser-vice providers only. Even as VIL andAirtel have decided to raise tariff, RJio’sintent to follow suit is a good sign. TRAImust not abdicate its responsibility. Itshould promptly order a “floor price” andensure that no operator sets tariff belowit. It should watch out for an act of pre-dation and deal with it sternly.

However, there is no getting awayfrom the fact that the service providershave to set their house in order.

(The writer is a New Delhi-based pol-icy analyst.)

The Govt has put a moratorium on pending spectrum payments for telecoms without altering the overall

timeline of clearing all dues by 2030-31. But, given the huge amount to be paid, this won't be of much help

analysis 07F I R S T C O L U M N

Reap the AIbenefit

KUNAL GUPTA

Soon job seekers will be sifted by algorithms andexercises that test problem-solving skills, creativity

and how people respond to stress

UTTAM GUPTA

AT THE CORE OFTHE TELECOMCRISIS IS THE

FREEBIES CULT,WHICH RJIO HASIMPLANTED AND

WAS GLOSSED OVER BY THE

POWERS THAT BE. THERE IS URGENT

NEED TO GET RID OF IT. THE

INITIATIVE HAS TOCOME FROM

SERVICEPROVIDERS ONLY.EVEN AS VIL AND

AIRTEL HAVEDECIDED TO

RAISE TARIFF,RJIO'S INTENT TO

FOLLOW SUIT IS AGOOD SIGN. TRAI

MUST NOTABDICATE ITS

RESPONSIBILITY.IT SHOULDPROMPTLY

ORDER A ‘FLOORPRICE’ AND

ENSURE THAT NOOPERATOR SETSTARIFF BELOW IT

For years, the biggest challenge in the recruiting industry wasmanually testing applicants. Now, thankfully, Artificial Intelligence(AI) is a reality and its use for recruitment is rapidly evolving.

Soon, the days of reading endless resumes and covering letters,then holding interviews, will give way to AI-led candidate assess-ment. Job seekers will be sifted by algorithms and exercises thattest everything, from problem-solving skills and creativity, to howthey respond to stress. AI will enable Human Resource (HR) pro-fessionals to reach the right candidate in the least possible time,with low-cost inclusion.

According to a recent study, 52 per cent of talent acquisitionleaders say the hardest part of recruitment is identifying the rightcandidates from a large applicant pool. While, 56 per cent say theirhiring volume will increase this year, 66 per cent of recruiting teamswill either stay the same size or contract. This means that recruitersare being tasked to do more with lesser resources.

Business leaders looking to hire or HR managers should con-sider fast-rising employment solutions that provide AI-enhancedrecruitment. It is crucial for any company to not merely hire employ-ees but recruit the most qualified person.

In today’s business climate, firms with first-mover advantageusually lead the way and soon, talent acquisition in India will under-go a paradigm shift. So, to keep up with advancements in the indus-try, HR professionals should become part of the AI revolution asthe benefits of doing so are many. AI-enhanced HR solutions arebecoming the backbone of the industry, especially for companiesthat need to recruit thousands of employees in a short time.

A recruitment system based on AI is capable of screening can-didates in a more systematic way while looking out for a particu-lar skill set, without any human intervention. It has algorithmic powerto conclude the performance of job applicants.

It can even track online interviews on a real time basis and ifan applicant faces difficulties in a particular sphere, then the AI willask similar questions, repeatedly, to gauge how the candidate reactsto pressure. The only thing left for the recruiter is to provide the AIwith a database to work on and to check the final list of the can-didates before the recruitment system sends out emails for an inter-view. AI recruiting systems are designed to tremendously improvethe recruiter’s efficiency to ensure that companies don’t miss thebest candidates and they are the first ones to be selected for theinterview.

Today’s business leaders are always looking for people whoperfectly fit the skill set they are looking for and there is tremen-dous pressure on recruiters to match and hire the candidates whocan meet the management’s expectations. AI-optimised hiring helpsrecruiters match the right employees with the right company. Plus,the AI recruitment software delivers solutions at a low cost so thatit reduces a firm’s cost per hire. Companies have to invest in theAI system once unlike the recurring costs of recruitment agenciesthat charge firms per employee hired.

However, there are many challenges to leveraging AI’s full poten-tial. First is competence, as the AI ecosystem, like its most impor-tant subfield, machine learning (ML), is still very small. It’s difficultto find and hire good talent. The simple way to solve it is to hirean agency which has highly-skilled professionals familiar with AItechnologies that will give HR teams training on fixed intervals. Non-adoption is another major risk. Any challenge in the world and espe-cially in business, is an opportunity for AI. Adopting AI will requirepatience and a willingness to learn and will be complex and lengthy,so firms need to start now. Between the ongoing development ofAI to recruit applicants and the understandable lag in implementa-tion at this early stage, many of the features that it can bring to thehiring process are still to be completely implemented.

Like every new computing technology, AI still has a long wayto go and there are some serious concerns which need to beaddressed. As is obvious, AI has been invented to replace the humanworkforce and if it is adopted on a large scale, this will result inhuge unemployment. There is no doubt that adopting AI will enhancethe work culture and productivity, but it will also create economi-cal unbalance in most sectors.

The second big concern is privacy, as we have seen variousAI-infused web platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp lacking inthis sphere. So along with adopting AI, organisations should equal-ly give importance to the protection of the privacy of their staff andprospective employees.

To conclude, AI is a very new and unexplored segment and itwill require major infrastructure to educate people about it beforewe let it come into our lives in a major way.

(The writer is MD of a talent consulting firm.)

The recent Supreme Court (SC)verdict on Ayodhya has againestablished that law cannot be

detached from the interests of the peo-ple it serves. There is a raging debatewhether the judgment was based oncredible evidence or influenced by thefaith of the majority. Irrespective, theruling has been accepted by all fac-tions, not necessarily for its veracitybut for bringing to an end a painfulimpasse. What is undebatable is thatit has brought peace to the nation.

This ethos of acting in publicinterest must now be extended to endpain in other areas as well. Take thecase of Goa, the only State where min-ing rights were granted to citizens bythe Portuguese Government in perpe-tuity. These rights were later revokedby the Centre and now, lakhs of Goans

are staring at a major employment cri-sis. Over 300,000 people are dependenton mining in the State and they havebecome the face of massive livelihoodloss triggered by judicial intervention.Ever since the SC cancelled 88 min-ing leases in Goa on February 7, 2018,life has come to a grinding, tragic haltfor these workers and their families.

This is no longer just an econom-ic crisis — which is severely debilitat-ing in its own right — but a gravehumanitarian crisis as well.

Livelihoods disappearingovernight as a result of judicial inter-vention, because the Executive and thecorporate masters did not do their jobsproperly, is painful particularly at atime when the country is goingthrough the worst employment crisisin its history. According to theNational Sample Survey Office(NSSO), unemployment in 2017-2018 was at a four-decade high of 6.1per cent. New job seekers are not ableto find sustainable employment andAugust 2019 saw the highest rate ofunemployment in India at 8.4 per cent.

The most recent example of massjob losses as a result of the collapse of

a big organisation is Jet Airways. Dueto poor management of funds, thefounder himself led one of India’s bestairlines into bankruptcy and closure.However, employees of the airline wereaware of the unfolding situation andhad braced themselves for the layoffs.But in the case of Goa, the miners andother workers were unprepared.

This, when there was no financialcrisis in the mining sector. Rather itwas booming, with iron ore being anexportable produce of the State.

Goa could have generated threetimes more revenue from iron oremining but has not only lost thisopportunity but is dealing with theextensive collateral damage that hasfollowed the cancellation of the leas-es. The ban has taken a toll on theState’s revenue stream and its socialfabric has been ripped apart. Not justthe mining sector but all other stake-holders and the supportive infra-structure, comprising equipment sup-pliers, the logistics and ancillaryindustry and the transport sector, havefloundered.

Goa is the only State with aunique logistical arrangement for

movement of iron ore from the minesto the ports, unlike other States whichrely on Indian Railways for the same.Iron ore is carried by trucks and bargesfrom the mines to the ports.

The ban on mining has resultedin unemployment for workers hiredby 12,000 truck owners, 150 bargeowners and 150 ancillary units and hasspelled doom for them. Not only havethey suffered from livelihood loss,there is a larger crisis looming as thefamilies have near about exhaustedtheir meagre savings and have beensubsisting on loans and handouts fromwell-wishers.

Even banks and Non-BankingFinancial Companies (NBFCs) in theState have been drawn into the slide.When the going was good, these insti-tutions eagerly extended credit linesto the truckers and storage providers.Now, in the absence of a running busi-ness concern, the ability of people torepay has vanished and a huge Non-Performing Asset (NPA) crisis islooming in the State.

Added to this is the loan andmoney-recovery trauma being facedby those dependent on the mining sec-

tor and the burgeoning tragedy beginsto hit uncomfortably home.

In any economic ecosystem, onesegment aids and benefits from theother. The interdependency, which theGoan mining industry had so health-ily created with respect to the State’sother revenue driver, internal tourismand food industry, is also hit as peo-ple don’t have the money to spend any-more. As individual economies of fam-ilies waste away and die, the State issuffering from a socio-economic dis-aster. It is imperative that miningrestarts to provide livelihoods in themining sector and ancillary industriesto lakhs of people of the State.

There is enough research availableto indicate a direct link betweencrime and lack of livelihood. Studieshave established that India’s Maoistmovement is deeply rooted in the poorsocio-economic conditions prevalentin parts of the country with large trib-al populations. It has mostly affectedareas where there is a conflict betweenthe State and the populace on the eco-nomic derivation of forest produce andmining such as in Chhattisgarh andJharkhand, and agriculture in parts of

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Suchaggressive posturing by citizens hashuge direct and indirect costs. In Goathere were only two major sources oflivelihood — mining and tourism.Without these, Goa has nothing. Anysocial unrest and spikes in crime ratecan spell doom for Goa’s tourismeconomy too, which so far has beencharacterised by friendly service by theGoans, discipline, cleanliness and lawand order.

Laws are meant to create a con-ducive environment for the citizens ofthe State. Goa, however, has becomea case where the law and its interpre-tation has spelled doom for its resi-dents. This cannot become a precedentand must be addressed immediately.Situations like these need more com-plex solutions. It is simplistic topenalise lakhs of people for the actionsof a few with the stroke of a pen.Stakeholders must come together torescue these lives and livelihoodsbefore it is too late.

(The writer is president of a Delhi-based not-for-profit organisation ded-icated towards finding solutions to theproblems of the helpless.)

Is judicial action divorced from public interest? In Goa, livelihoods of 300,000 people associated with the mining industry disappeared overnight after judicial intervention. This is

painful, particularly when the country is going through the worst employment crisis and has no alternative

ABHAY RAJ MISHRA

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019

www.dailypioneer.com

MODI HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO FORGIVE PRAGYA FROMTHE HEART BUT SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY

ON IMPORTANT ISSUES SUCH AS INDIA’S DEFENCE.—CONGRESS SPOKESPERSON

RANDEEP SURJEWALA

THE CONGRESS SEEMS TO HAVE LOST ITS FAITH INDEMOCRACY AND FORGOTTEN THAT PRAGYA THAKURIS AN ELECTED MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT—BJP MP MEENAKSHI LEKHI

F O R E I G N E Y E

Sweden’s decision to dropan investigation into a rapeallegation against JulianAssange has illuminated thesituation of the WikiLeaksfounder and made it morepressing. He must bedefended against extraditionto America in a case thatdigs at the foundations offreedom and democracy andcould see him sentenced toa total of 175 years. It is amatter of Press freedom,and the public’s right toknow. It’s unclear if it wouldbe safe to extradite Assangeto the US. It is certain that itwould not be right.

(The Guardian editorial)

DON’T EXTRADITEASSANGE TO USA

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019 money 08

CAPSULE

Investments via P-notes rise in Octafter registering fallfor 4 monthsNEW DELHI: After declining forfour consecutive months,investments throughparticipatory notes (P-notes) inthe Indian capital marketmarginally rose to Rs 76,773crore at the end of October. P-notes are issued by registeredforeign portfolio investors (FPIs)to overseas investors who wishto be part of the Indian stockmarket without registeringthemselves directly after goingthrough a due diligence process.Before registering gain inOctober, investments through P-notes had been decliningcontinuously since June,according to the latest datafrom markets regulator Sebi.The total value of investmentsvia P-notes in the Indianmarkets (including equity, debt,and derivatives) rose to Rs76,773 cr till the end of Octoberfrom Rs 76,611 crore at Septend. At the end of August, theIndian capital market saw atotal inflow of Rs 79,088 crthrough P-notes, a drop fromRs 81,082 cr till July-end.

Alembic Pharma getsUSFDA nod for genericchronic iron overloadtreatment tabletsNEW DELHI: Drug firmAlembic Pharmaceuticals onFriday said it has receivedapprovals from the US healthregulator for its genericDeferasirox tablets used fortreatment of chronic ironoverload due to bloodtransfusions in patients overtwo years of age. Thecompany has received finalapprovals from the UnitedStates Food and DrugAdministration (USFDA) for itsDeferasirox tablets in thestrengths of 90 mg and 360mg and Deferasirox tablets fororal suspension in thestrengths of 125 mg, 250 mg,and 500 mg, AlembicPharmaceuticals said in aregulatory filing.The tabletsare generic versions ofNovartis PharmaceuticalsCorporation's Jadenu tabletsand Exjade tablets for oralsuspension in the samestrengths, it added.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Fitch Ratings on Friday said thetwo-year moratorium on pay-ment of spectrum dues for tele-com companies and hike intariffs are unlikely to be suffi-cient to offset the impact of theSupreme Court ruling on paststatutory dues on Bharti Airteland Vodafone-Idea.

The Supreme Court onOctober 24 ruled against thetelcos in a 14-year-old disputeon the definition of adjustedgross revenue (AGR) whichforms the basis for payment ofstatutory dues. The court ruledthat non-telecom revenuesshould be included in AGR forpayment of licence fee andspectrum usage charge.

"The decision by all threeprivate Indian telecommuni-cation companies to raise tar-iffs from December 2019 anda two-year moratorium onpayment of spectrum dues(announced by the govern-ment this week) are positive forthe industry," Fitch said.

"However, these are unlike-ly to be sufficient to offset theimpact of a recent SupremeCourt judgement for incum-bents Bharti Airtel and

Vodafone Idea Ltd."Reliance Jio (Jio), a sub-

sidiary of Reliance Industries,is not affected by the ruling andis likely to continue to gain rev-enue market share, which willsupport RIL's deleveraging

plans, Fitch said.Fitch said it has a negative

outlook on the sector for 2020,primarily due to heightenedfinancial risk associated withthe large unpaid AGR-relateddues.

On November 20, the gov-ernment announced plans tosuspend payment of deferredspectrum dues for two years,which will ease cash flow pres-sure on all three telcos.Vodafone Idea and Bharti willbenefit the most as their neg-ative free cash flow will reduceby USD 1.7 billion and USD850 million a year, respective-ly, for the financial year endingMarch 2021 (FY21) and FY22.

The incumbents are likely tofile a review petition in theSupreme Court and have alsoapproached the government toseek other forms of reliefincluding waiver or grant ofdeferred payment terms for theAGR dues and a reduction oflicence fees and spectrumusage charges.

"Despite the tariff hike, Fitchstill believes it will take nega-tive rating action on Bharti ifit pays the AGR dues withinthree months and funds thepayments entirely by debt," itsaid. "We will resolve theRating Watch Negative onBharti's ratings once we havegreater clarity on the timingand financial impact of the reg-ulatory dues and any remedi-al measures."

"The decision by all three private Indiantelecommunication companies to raisetariffs from December 2019 and a two-year moratorium on payment ofspectrum dues (announced by thegovernment this week) are positive forthe industry," Fitch said.

PNS n MUMBAI

After superseding the board ofthe crippled mortgage lenderDHFL, the Reserve Bank onFriday constituted a three-member panel to advise itsadministrator to help recovernearly Rs 84,000 crore that thetroubled company owes to thesystem.

The panel constitutes a vet-eran banker, the head of a lead-ing insurer and also represen-tation from a lobby groupingof asset managers.

The RBI had on Wednesdayused recent changes in the lawsto supersede the board ofDHFL, announced to resolvethe issue under the provisionsof the bankruptcy code andappointed RSubramaniakumar as theadministrator.

Subramaniakumar, the ex-MD of the state-run IndianOverseas Bank, will be helpedby the advisory committeeconsisting of IDFC First Banknon-executive chair-man Rajiv Lall,I C I C IP r u d e nt i a lL i f eI n s u r a n c echief execu-tive NSKannan andthe mutualfunds body Amfichief executive NSVenkatesh, an official state-ment from the central banksaid.

The panel will be assistingthe administrator in "dischargeof his duties", it added.

The Insolvency andBankruptcy (Insolvency andLiquidation Proceedings ofFinancial Service Providersand Application to

Adjudicating Authority)Rules, 2019 provide for

appointing such a panelto advise the adminis-trator "in the opera-tions of the financialservice provider dur-ing the corporate

insolvency resolutionprocess", it said.The city-headquartered

pureplay mortgage lender isthe first NBFC/HFC to go forbankruptcy resolution.

Last Friday, the governmenthad notified Section 227 of theIBC empowering RBI to referfinancial sector players likeNBFCs and HFCs, but exclud-ing banks, with assets worth ofat least Rs 500 crore to insol-vency courts.

As of July 2019, the home

financier owed Rs 83,873 croreto banks, the National HousingBoard, mutual funds and-bondholders, including retailbondholders. Of this, secureddebt is Rs 74,054 crore and Rs9,818 crore is unsecured.

Most banks have or aregoing to declare DHFL accountas NPA in the third quarter.

DHFL defaulted on its pay-ment obligations in respect ofbank borrowings and marketborrowings, which reveals seri-ous concerns about the con-duct of the affairs of the com-pany, the RBI said.

DHFL lenders were workingon a resolution plan to pick up51 percent in the company byconverting a part of their debtinto equity. But the plan wasyet to be formally cleared.

Xi says Beijing wants trade deal, can 'fight back'AP n BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinpingsaid Friday that Beijing wantsto work for a trade deal withthe United States but is notafraid to “fight back.”

Reinforcing the upbeat toneadopted by China in recentdays, Xi told a visiting U.S.business delegation that Chinaholds a 'positive attitude'toward the trade talks.

“As we always said we don'twant to start the trade war butwe are not afraid,” Xi said.“When necessary we will fightback but we have been work-ing actively to try not to havea trade war.”

“We want to work for aPhase 1 agreement on the basis

of mutual respect and equali-ty," Xi told the group.

The delegation fromBloomberg's New Economy

Forum, a conference held inBeijing this week, includedformer Secretary of StateHenry Kissinger, former

Treasury Secretary HankPaulson, former U.S. TradeRepresentative Mike Fromanand other dignitaries.

During the meeting atBeijing's ornate Great Hall ofthe People, Xi reiterated to thegroup China's stance that a dealrequires “mutual respect andequality.”

The Wall Street Journalreported Thursday that China'slead negotiator in the talks,Vice Premier Liu He, invited

his U.S. counterparts to Beijingfor more talks, suggestinghopes for progress.

The latest flareup in tradetensions came after PresidentDonald Trump imposed puni-tive tariffs last year on billionsof dollars' worth of Chineseexports to the US, seeking toramp up pressure for changesin Chinese trade and invest-ment policies.

China has retaliated with tar-iff hikes of its own. After grad-

ual escalations of sanctionsand halting progress in tradetalks this year, the two sides areworking toward what they saywill be a preliminary agree-ment to pave the way for tack-ling more complex issues.

However, the prospects evenfor such a “Phase 1” deal areuncertain. China has said itwants a promise from the U.S.side to gradually reduce the tar-iffs already in place. It's unclearif the U.S. side would be will-ing to do that.

Meanwhile, Trump agreed tohold off on raising tariffs fur-ther last month pending thenegotiations. But the U.S. sidestill is due to hike tariffs on$160 billion worth of importsfrom China next month.

As we always said we don't want to start the tradewar but we are not afraid, When necessary we willfight back but we have been working actively to try

not to have a trade warXI JINPING, Chinese President

Lupin launchesdevice to trackmetered-dosePNS n NEW DELHI

Drug maker Lupin on Fridaysaid it has launched a deviceto track usage pattern ofmetered-dose inhalers (MDI)by patients suffering fromchronic respiratory diseases.

The device -- Adhero --would help the patients tracktheir MDI usage and facilitateimproved adherence to ther-apy, Lupin Ltd said in a state-ment. The bluetooth-enableddevice is attached to the topof a MDI and with built-insensors helps track a patient'sdaily medication usage andconsumption pattern.

The inhalers are the pre-ferred treatment option formanaging chronic respirato-ry diseases such as Asthmaand Chronic ObstructivePulmonary Disease (COPD)in the country.

However, it is estimatedthat nearly 45 per centpatients do not adhere totherapy in terms of filling,refilling prescriptions ormaintaining prescribed med-ication schedule, whichadversely impacts clinicaloutcomes.

The Mumbai-based drugmaker said it has collaborat-ed with Aptar Pharma, aleading provider of drug-delivery devices, componentsand services in bringing thedevice to the market.

AFP n TOKYO

Former Nissan boss CarlosGhosn spoke to his wife for thefirst time in eight months onFriday, his spokesman said,after a Tokyo court lifted a banon contact between the pair.

Ghosn is on bail in Tokyo ashe awaits trial on four chargesof financial misconduct relat-ed to his time as chairman ofthe Japanese car giant he iswidely credited with savingfrom the brink of bankruptcy.

Ghosn spoke to his wifeCarole, now in New York, foran hour shortly after noon viavideoconference, thespokesman for the family toldAFP without clarifying detailsof their conversation.

The Tokyo District Courthad banned Ghosn from con-tacting his wife Carole despiteseveral petitions from thetycoon's legal team, who havedescribed the measure as

"cruel" and a "punishment".Ahead of their talks, a state-

ment from the family said thecall would be limited to onehour and lawyers will be pre-sent. "They will have to limitthemselves to discussion top-ics defined by the judge. Thecontent of the conversationwill then be transferred to thejudge and prosecutors," thestatement said.

The family reiterated theirplea for these "excessive, crueland inhumane bans" to be lift-ed so the couple's "fundamen-tal rights" can be respected.

Ahead of theirtalks, a statementfrom the familysaid the call wouldbe limited to onehour and lawyerswill be present

Bailed Ghosn speaksto wife after Japancourt permission

Shell toproduce Indchem fromplastic wastePNS n HOUSTON

Anglo Dutch energy giantRoyal Dutch Shell has start-ed making petrochemicalproducts from recycled plas-tic waste to help combat thegrowing fears of climatechange.

Shell on Thursdayannounced that it has suc-cessfully partnered withAtlanta-based Nexus Fuels tobreak down hard-to-recycleplastics into a liquid feed-stock, which can be used invarious industrial processes.

The technique, known aspyrolysis, is considered abreakthrough for hard-to-recycle plastics and advancesShell's ambition to use 1 mil-lion tonnes of plastic waste ayear in its chemicals plantsacross the world by 2025,according to a statement.

Already, a batch of feed-stock from Nexus Fuels hasbeen delivered to Shell'schemical plant in Norco,Louisiana.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Securities and ExchangeBoard of India (Sebi) is plan-ning to rope in an agency toprocess and maintain recordsof investor complaints receivedby the regulator.

The mandate for the agencyis to receive grievances frominvestors through physical orelectronic mode and categorisethem. Also, the agency will beresponsible for tracking com-plaints' status online and con-duct follow-ups, besides prepar-ing action taken reports (ATRs)and updating the status of griev-ances on Sebi's online platformfor complaints, SCORES.

Sebi Complaints RedressSystem (SCORES), which regis-ters and tracks investor complaintsagainst listed entities or interme-diaries, is a web-based and cen-tralised grievance system devel-oped by the markets watchdog.

In a notice, the regulator hasinvited applications "in pre-scribed format for pre-qualifi-cation of agencies for process-ing and maintenance of

records of investor complaintsreceived at Sebi".

The scope of the work alsoincludes despatching complaintsto intermediaries or companiesas well as mail acknowledgmentletters to investors.

Besides, the selected agencywill be responsible for properstorage facility of the com-plaints received and the ATRfor 2 years and any other workrelated to investor awarenessand education as well asinvestor grievance redressal.

Spelling out the eligibilitycriteria, Sebi said the agencyshould have an expertise in the

field of handling registrar andtransfer activities or deposito-ry services or have an experi-ence of handling investor mat-ters. The agency should haveprovided similar services topublic sector undertakings,public sector banks, financialinstitutions and listed compa-nies, among others.

The annual average turnoverof the contractor should be atleast Rs 50 lakh during the pre-vious three years and shouldnot have incurred any loss intwo consecutive years duringthe past five years endedMarch 2019.

The RBI had on Wednesday usedrecent changes in the laws tosupersede the board of DHFL,announced to resolve the issue underthe provisions of the bankruptcy codeand appointed R Subramaniakumar asthe administrator

Con electronics Indexpected to double toRs 1.48 L cr by FY25PNS n NEW DELHI

The appliances and consumerelectronics industry is project-ed to double to Rs 1.48 lakhcrore by 2024-25, according toa report. The market is expect-ed to see acceleration in growthon account of surging ruralconsumption, reducingreplacement cycles, increasingpenetration of retail, a widechoice of brands and productsat various price points, it added.

The industry had a totalmarket size of Rs 76,400 crore

in 2018-19, in which Rs 32,200crore was contributed fromdomestic manufacturing,according to the joint report byCEAMA and Frost & Sullivan.

The report is based on prod-uct categories, which include airconditioners, refrigerators,washing machines, television(TV) and audio. "The overallmarket size of the five categoriescovered in this project for theyear FY19 is 76,400 crore andthe market is estimated to growat a CAGR of 11.7 per cent tillFY25," the report said.

DPIIT received some complaints of e-commfirms offering deep discounts: Piyush GoyalPNS n NEW DELHI

The Department forPromotion of Industry andInternal Trade (DPIIT) hasreceived complaints that e-commerce companies areoffering deep discounts,indulging in predatory pricing,exercising control over inven-tory and influencing the pricesof goods sold on the platform,Parliament was informed onFriday.

In a written reply to theRajya Sabha, Commerce andIndustry Minister PiyushGoyal said that any violation offoreign direct investment(FDI) regulations is covered bythe penal provision of theForeign Exchange

Management Act (FEMA),1999.

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) administers the FEMAand Directorate ofEnforcement is the authorityfor the enforcement of the act.

"Some representations have

been received in this depart-ment, complaining that e-commerce companies areoffering deep discounts,indulging in predatory pricing,engaging in B2C business,exercising control over inven-tory and influencing the prices

of goods sold on the platform,"he said.

The onus of compliance ofthe provisions of FDI policy ison the investee entity.

The policy is made legallyenforceable through notifica-tions under FEMA, 1999, bythe RBI.

In a separate reply ononions, the minister informedthat the prohibition on exportof onions has been imposed inview of the prevailing adversedomestic availability and pricesituation.

"No report of adverse impacton onion growers in the coun-try, particularly inMaharashtra, has beenreceived in the ministry," hesaid.

Leather exporterspenetrate newmarkets to boostshipments: CLEPNS n NEW DELHI

Leather exporters from Indiahave penetrated new marketssuch as the US, Canada,Russia, Japan, Australia, andSouth Korea to tap increasingdemands in these countriesand boost the country's over-all exports, CLE said on Friday.

Council for Leather Exports(CLE) Chairman P R AqeelAhmed said that they haveorganised Reverse Buyer-SellerMeet here to showcase productsto global companies. "Besidesthe traditional market ofEurope, the industry has pen-etrated many potential marketslike USA, Canada, Russia, Japan,UAE, Korea, and Australia," hesaid in a statement.

The mandate forthe agency is toreceivegrievances frominvestorsthrough physicalor electronicmode andcategorise them

RBIadministers theFEMA andDirectorate ofEnforcement isthe authorityfor theenforcement ofthe act

Govt relief, tariff hikesmay not save telcos: Fitch

Sebi invites agencies to process,maintain investor complaints

RBI appoints advisorypanel on DHFL

arimnagar-basedDr HarikaNampalli, for thelast three years,has been organis-ing various social

activities like distributing ricefor free, assisting with voterenrollment, distributingplants and clothes for theneedy and also spreadingawareness about the dangers

of plastic. As a doctor, empa-thy comes naturally to her.

Harika completed herBachelors in Dental Surgeryfrom Kamineni Institute ofDental Sciences, Nalgonda in2017. After completing herBDS, she started working atthe dental department in thegovernment hospital inKarimnagar.

Speaking to The Pioneer,

Harika says, “When I wasstudying BDS, I used to visitnearby old age homes alongwith my friends. I wouldenquire about the needs ofthe people there and fulfiltheir small wishes like watch-ing movies, birthday celebra-tions and going on ridesaround the town. This hasgiven me utmost satisfactionand made me want to help

more people in my home-town like this in others issuesas well such as distribution ofplants and so on.”

Harika says that the gov-ernment hospitals are theonly places where the poorcan get proper treatment thatis also affordable. She saysthat, while treating thepatients, she also enquiresabout their family’s well-being and helps by givingthem rice and old clothes.She also has conducted manydrives to collect old clothesfrom people to donate to theneedy.

She says, “Often I approachto people and ask them todonate their old clothes forthe needy. Along with thisinitiative, I also ask themdonate rice for the under-privileged directly or organi-sations that work for socialcauses. A four-member fami-ly usually buys 24 kg of riceevery month. Even if theydonate a part of it then it willbe helpful for the needy.”

She said that due to num-ber of people she was able toapproach for charity, she hasmanaged to distribute morethan 2,500 kg of rice till dateto various orphanages.

Inspired by the TelanganaState government’s HarithaHaram programme, Harikahas also been distributingplants to the people. She says,“Haritha Haram is a greatinitiative by the Governmentof Telangana State. As a partof Haritha Haram, I regularlybring hundreds of plantsfrom government nurseriesnear Karimnagar and distrib-ute them to people living inthe colonies near my home.Now, I can see that my workhas made an effect as peoplehave started coming to myhouse by themselves to col-lect plants from me. I amvery happy for the interestpeople are showing in goinggreen.”

Recently, Harika partici-pated, in collaboration withan NGO, in an event titled

Mission 365 Days, where themembers explained the vari-ous traffic rules to theKarimnagar public by con-ducting rallies. The districttraffic officials appreciatedHarika for her efforts.

“I also participated in voterenrollment process in myhometown with the supportof an organisation to increasethe voters. We helped peopleenroll and let them know theimportance of voting bythrough discussions anddebates,” she shares.

Harika has also taken theinitiative of purchasing juteand cloth bags with her ownmoney and distributing thesame to people by visitingtheir homes. She educatespeople to carry their ownbags when they go shopping.

For her efforts, former MPVinod Kumar felicitated herwith the Best Youth ServiceAward in 2019. On a con-cluding note, Harika says thatshe needs to inspire morepeople with her activities.

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As a part of Haritha Haram, Iregularly bring hundreds of plantsfrom government nurseries nearKarimnagar and distribute them topeople living in the colonies near myhome. Now, I can see that my workhas made an effect as people havestarted coming to my house bythemselves to collect plants from me

HARIKA NAMPALLISOCIAL WORKER

K

SaturdayNovember 23, 2019

t is not easy to getfinancial supportto go abroad foreducation, letalone for projectsthat involve cap-

turing mountain peaks. But,Vikasa Tarangini, part of anorganisation dedicated tosocial service, announcedfinancial support of morethan Rs 7 lakh for moun-taineer Amgoth Tukaram.This money will help thetrekking enthusiast fromTelangana in his next expedi-tions to two mountains — MtKosciuszko in Australia and

Mt Aconcagua in SouthAmerica.

Spiritual guru ChinnaJeeyar Swamy, while givingthe cheque to Tukaram,appreciated his skills andachievements. “People shouldprovide financial support toyouths like Tukaram whenev-er they can can for the sakeof the community’s develop-ment,” he said.

Tukaram, overwhelmed bythe help, thanked Swamy ji.This generation can make theimpossible possible, he said.Tukaram will begin his jour-ney on January 7, next year.

Undauntedlyscaling newheights

STRIVING FOR ABETTER SOCIETY

Be it distribution of rice to the needy or plants forincreasing the green cover, Harika Nampalli hasdone them all. V SATEESH REDDY finds out

about the initiatives common people can take upfor the greater good of all

Lifting India’s spirits across the globeyderabad has beenevolving to find itsplace on the global mapby gaining worldwiderecognition in severalaspects, be it sports,

cuisine, movies or more. The cityhas earned itself yet another hon-our when one of the city residents,K. Satyanarayana Raju, representedIndia at the 53rd Mr Asia competi-tion held by ABPF (AsianBodybuilding and Physique SportsFederation) in Indonesia where hewon a bronze medal. In an exclu-sive with The Pioneer, Raju tells ushis tale of success, his journey, hispassion for the craft of body build-ing and much more.

K.S.N. Raju, by profession, is afreelance fitness trainer at theApollo Life Studio in Madhapur.He has trained many celebritiesincluding Boyapati Srinu, Ajay,Manchu Manoj, Manchu Vishnu,Sunil, Ravi Teja, Navdeep, RajTharun and several others in thefilm industry. When he started hiscareer about 15 years ago, he wouldparticipate in numerous body-building competitions in the stateand the country, winning suchtitles like Mr Telangana, Mr SouthIndia among many others.

In response to what it was thatkick-started his journey towardsbodybuilding, Raju said, “It maysound silly now but it all beganwith the Terminator I watchedwhen I was young. The moviemade me a big fan of ArnoldSchwarzenegger and I decided tofollow his path. Few years downthe lane I went ahead and startedmy own gym called the Body LineGym. Initially, it all began as a pas-sionate hobby, which soon turned afull-fledged career.”

“Right now I’m in my 50s andmy journey in bodybuilding startedapproximately 30 years ago. This

journey of mine began at a timewhen people were not even proper-ly aware of what bodybuilding was.In addition to the prevailing lack ofinformation regarding this profes-sion, it was also difficult to sourcethe right kind of food necessary forour diet. Back then, sourcing sup-plements for proteins and othernutrients was unheard of. To behonest, I don’t think even I pos-sessed a complete knowledge of thefield. Quality equipment wasunavailable. There were almost noreputed trainers, courses or institu-tions that taught bodybuilding.And in those times, a youngsterspending that sort of moneytowards such a field was consid-ered a taboo. It was only my pas-sion for bodybuilding that fuelledme to keep going and do whateverit takes to overcome the difficultiesI faced.”

Generally, most families arereluctant about such unconven-tional ventures. But Raju says he islucky when it comes to this. Hesays that his family has always been

supportive of his career. He espe-cially thanks his mother for beinghis pillar of support who helpedhim become the kind of person heis today.

Upon being asked about the nextmilestone he has to reach, hepromptly replied “I won a silvermedal in the Mr World event andbronze in Mr Asia competition. Mynext goal is undoubtedly to win thegold medal for India in the upcom-ing Mr World and Mr Asia events.But this dream of mine is currentlyon hold. I require financial supportto continue further. Hence am cur-rently on the lookout for sponsorswho can help me attain my goal.My ultimate goal, however, is togain recognition as a prominentbodybuilder across India.

“Hard work is the key to success.There are no shortcuts in the pathto build a lasting future. Both hardwork and constant dedication areextremely crucial if one considersmaking it big in any field at all,” headvises the youth keen on follow-ing their dreams.

Body building is the next form for afitness enthusiast. ANUSHKA PRADEEPtalks to a freelance fitness expert to find

out what it takes to take body buildingto an international platform

HI

10

Hyderabad Saturday November 23, 2019

l In a taleakin toRomeo andJuliet, thefriendshipbetween twochildren isthreatened bytheir parents'differences.Malu is from an upper-class family and her singlemother does not want her to play with Jorgito, asshe thinks his background coarse andcommonplace. The movie shall be screened atLamakaan on November 27, at 7 pm.

l One of themost prestigioustheatre festivals inthe subcontinenttoday Qadir AliBaig TheaterFestival bringstogether aneminentassembly oftheatre practitioners from across the countryand over seas. It is curated by Padma Shrirecipient Mohammed Ali Baig as a tribute to hisfather, Hindustani theatre legend Qadir Ali Baig.The event shall be held till November 24 acrossthe city.

CITY GUIDE

lIndia’s biggest MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) event isback in Hyderabad. Mercury presents to you theBrave 30, at GMC Balayogi Sports Complex. PopularMMA athletes from across the globe will fight it outon the arena on November 23.

ART AAND SSPORTS

MOVIES, PPLAYS AAND CCONCERTSJOD TODlJod Tod, a Hindiplay presented byKalayan Theatregroup fromBengaluru,is a funfilledcrackling comedyaboutquintessentialrelationships andits complications.This light hearted funfilled play will be held atLamakaan on November 30 at 7.30 pm.

LEGENDS LIVE IN CONCERTlOne of the most-awaited events isfinally happening, athree-hour musicalconcert with thevoices of legends— SP Balasubrahm-anyam, KJYesudas, and KSChitra. The power-trio shall perform live at LalBahadur Shastri Stadium on November 30 at 7pm. Organised by Eleven Point Two, the concertwill showcase soulful melodies by the trio, whohave come together for the first time.

BRAVE 30 - AN MMA EVENT

lGallery Space, Banjara Hills is presenting a groupart show Space Time Continuum by Sachin Jaltare,RameshGorjala,Anjaneyulu Gand BratinKhan fromNovember 23to December20 between10 am and 6 pm.

SPACE TIME

VIVA CUBA MOVIE SCREENING

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

ARIJIT - LIVE PERFORMANCE

l ‘My music, my country is bringing in Arijit Singhfor a live performance. It was initiated byHyderabad Talkies as a platform for gifted Indianartistes and to re-introduce the ethnicity of Indianmusic. The event will take place on November 23at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium.

QADIR ALI BAIG THEATER FESTIVAL

l Half a dozen bands fromGermany, France,Switzerland, Meghalaya,Mumbai and Hyderabadshall be seen performing atthe event. Goethe-ZentrumHyderabad, AllianceFrançaise and U.S.Consulate GeneralHyderabad are pleased topresent the 3rd InternationalHyderabad Jazz Festivalfrom November 22 toNovember 24 at PhoenixArena 6:30 pm onwards.

GET YOUR EVENT LISTED: To get your events listed, please send your detailsalong with a poster and contact number to pioneer.features@gmail.com

FUN TIME

Rules

ARCHIE

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

REALITY CHECK SPEED BUMP CROSSWORD

GINGER MEGGS

NANCY

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PARTY

what’s brewing?

l Vijaya Alluri

l Swathi and Chetana

l Shiva Balaji and Madhumithal Padmaja

lPa

vithr

a

lHa

ri Pr

iya

lSh

ikha

Photos bby SV Chary

FASHIONSOIREE Interior designer Vijaya Alluri

launched her studio, Tathasthurecently in the city. Political bigwigs,

cinema celebrities and fashionenthusiasts attended the launch inlarge numbers and had a gala time.

ith Naga Chaitanyaset to ring in his 33rdbirthday today, theproducers of his unti-

tled next with SekharKammula have unveiled hislook from the film. A lovestory, the actor will be seenas a youth fromTelangana whocomes toHyderabad topursue his

dreams, the makers haveannounced dropping a teaseron Friday. Sai Pallavi, whowill be playing a dancer, iscast opposite him in thefilm. The movie is a jointproduction venture between

Kammula, NarayanDas, Sunil

Narang andP. Ram

MohanRao.

aving green-lit aromantic dramasometime agothat would seehim teaming upwith Satyadev,

actor Rahul Vijay hasnow given his nod toanother film, The Pioneerhas exclusively learnt. Hewill be introducing a newdirector, Ravinder, with thefilm, a crime thriller whichdeals with a gold robbery.The director has been ascript doctor for Ohmkar’sRaju Gari Gadhi franchise.

“Rahul was floored bythe director’s narration. Hefelt the content would besomething different for theTelugu audience and decid-ed to take it to sets on apriority basis. He will beseen as a cabbie. The movie

has been titled Black andWhite and the title has a lotof significance to the actor’scharacterisation,” con-firmed a source close to thedevelopment.

The source further addedthat the film will be set inHyderabad. “Some portionswill be shot on highways onthe outskirts of the city. Itwill go to floors next monthand will be wrapped up byFebruary,” the sourceadded.

New producer Shiva iskeen on releasing it forsummer next year.Bhairava Geetha camera-man Jagadeesh Cheekatihas been signed on as thecinematographer, while themuch-in demand ManiSharma is the music com-poser,” the source stated.

Meanwhile, Rahul haswrapped up shooting forCollege Kumar, a Telugu-Tamil bilingual, recently.A remake of theKannada film with thesame name, the origi-nal film’s director,Santhu, has alsohelmed the remake ver-sions. Priya Vadlamaniof Hushaaru fame iscast opposite him.

— NG

Hyderabad Saturday November 23, 2019

RAHUL HASWRAPPED UPSHOOTING FORCOLLEGEKUMAR, ABILINGUAL

11

tollywood

eorge Reddy’, which is atake on the life of a stu-dent leader by the samename, has you in itsgrips right from the getgo. The plot begins with

Maya (Muskaan Khubchandani), aresearch scholar from the USA, try-ing to acquaint herself with the rev-olutionary leader by travelling tothe places he visited.

The movie steadily gathers paceand establishes the fact that Georgeis fighting for the rights ofOsmania University. Although oneinitially feels that George is a hooli-gan, director Jeevan Reddy, turnsthe tables around and has the audi-ence vouching for George.

We watch as George grows up inKerala under the care of his motherwho introduced him to BhagatSingh’s essay, Why am I an atheist?,sowing the seeds for his revolution-ary ideas.

The main crux of the movie ishow George, an avid reader and anintellectual in the film, helps hispeers with their education. George’sdedication for the betterment of thepeople is shown when George,despite bagging a lucrative post inthe Mumbai University, leaves it tostay and work for the welfare ofothers.

Having started out with students,his movement reached its crescen-do when universities pan-Indiacame out in support of George andhis ideals. Students from universi-ties such as Andhra University and

Madras University hold protestsat their universities. As the film

depicts, the protagonist alsotook his ideas to the nextlevel where he applied hisrevolutionary methods to

help the general public,and is also seen constantly

questioning the status quo. However, when it comes to

casting, the energy andmomentum in GeorgeReddy’s char-acter —

played bySandeep Madhav — isnot supported by otherelements of the movie.The screenplay and cine-matography are not wellpieced together with a fewscenes missing crucialconnections. For instance,a scene as powerful asGeorge shouting sloganssuch as ‘Raise your voice’against the backdrop ofthe scenic OU ArtsCollege, seemed lost intransition. Jeevan Reddy,couldn’t take the audience

up to the level of such intense sc-enes. However, the backgroundscore by Suresh Bobbili did helpbuild the suspense just when thepace of the film seemed to be lag-ging.

The art department, despitemanaging to capture the essence ofthe 70s with the wigs and the cos-tumes, got it wrong with the vehi-cles used in the film that seemedout of place in a student campus,

especially consideringthe time period.

Also, the por-trayal ofGeorge’s per-sonality isinconsistent.While in one

scene, heaccepts his sus-

pension from

the dean without protest, in anoth-er, he is seen walking into the pol-ice station and bailing out hisfriends unabashedly. Many suchscenes, that need an explanation orare avenues to gain a deeper insightinto George’s thought process, arebrushed away under the carpetwith the director hoping you don’tremember them.

Coming to the dialogue delivery,the role the hero of such a fierybiopic necessitates that his charac-ter has the prowess to captivate thestudents and audience alike.However, Sandeep’s opportunity tocapture the hearts of people, justlike how the real George Reddydid, was not fulfilled. The dialoguedelivery was not strong enough forsuch a character who was a rebel inevery sense of the word. Thisresults in the audiences forgettingthe scenes right after they exit thetheatre.

Special mention must be given tohis friends and other student lead-ers who stand by him at all timesand fight along with him, comewhat may. Ironically, their dialoguedelivery felt way stronger than theprotagonist himself. Actor Satyadevwas seen in the film just for theheck of it. He does not talk toGeorge face to face, does not fightthe elections against him and justpops up in between to deliver adialogue or two. All these disjoinedbits and pieces of the screenplayleave the audience confused as towhy some of these characters wereeven present in the film.

Kaushik, another student leader,who seemed to have a meaty role inthe beginning doesn’t get to registerhis presence in the second half. Thefemale protagonist, Maya, alsoseemed to play no significant rolein the film.

Emphasis could’ve been laid onwhat inspired a studious, intellectu-al, goal-oriented person like Georgeto choose student politics instead ofjust jumping to the action part ofthe film.

While the first half of the filmkeeps that suspense element with apinch of comedy, the second halffelt like an imposition for the audi-ence.

Poor screenplay,dry acting make GEORGE REDDYA DULL WATCH

It’s unusual for actors not to ride onthe coattails of their impressive debutto bag one movie after the other.But, NAGARAJ GOUD finds outhow Sushanth Reddy plays thewaiting game, eager to capturethe story he truly believes in

SUSHANTHREDDYkeen to makeevery movecount

nstead of hurry-ing up and sign-ing projects in ajiffy after hisimpressive debutwith Tharun

Bhascker’s buddy comedy EeNagaraniki Emaindhi lastyear, Sushanth Reddy haschosen to play the waitinggame till the right projectcomes his way. He says thathe knows exactly the kind offilm he wants to associatewith for his sophomore out-ing. “I want to work withpeople who share thoughtssimilar to mine and who arewilling to treat storiesgreater than anyone on thesets. I believe that a story isthe most indispensable ele-ment on the sets and I metlot of people who believethat. I want to be part of astory that was never toldbefore. Even if it was, Iwanted it to be narrated in adifferent way. Bombhaat is

one such story,” he says in aconversation with The Pioneer.

Smiling, he adds thatthere is no room for confu-sion to creep in. “If I wasconfused, I would’ve donetwo to three films at a timeand would’ve got more con-fused,” he adds.

Bombhaat marks thedirectorial debut ofRaghavendra Varma akaBujji, who assisted K.Raghavendra Rao in thepast. A Hyderabad-set affair,the film’s shooting waswrapped up recently. It alsofeatures Chandini Chowdaryand Simran. “I liked the atti-tude of Bujji garu and thefilm’s writer, Akshay Polla,towards cinema and whatthey were trying to tellthrough Bombhaat. The filmis a romantic love story witha sci-fi twist to it. It isloaded with commercialbells and whistles. They

were trying to revisit a genrethat hasn’t been attempted inTelugu in a long time. Ifound the content interest-ing and decided to come onboard,” he maintains.

While he is guarded aboutrevealing the plot, sayingthat the more he talks aboutit, the more chances of himgiving away the story, hementions that it’s a coming-of-age story for his charac-ter, Vicky, to a certain deg-ree. “Vicky confronts a situa-tion which is beyond hisabilities. How he overcomeshis fears and handles the sit-uation is the film’s gist,”shares the actor, who will beseen as a final year engineer-ing student in the film.

Prod him on the switchfrom a new-age realistic filmlike Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhito a commercial fare likeBombhaat and he states,“There are many forms ofstorytelling and I believe Ee

Nagaraniki Emaindhi wasone which kept thingsabsolutely real. Bombhaat isa commercial fare. I don’tbelieve in categorising films,at least when I’m acting. If Ilike the story, I take it up.The thought that it’s a com-mercial film never crossedmy mind. My focus is moreon delivering what the direc-tor wants.”

Sushanth adds that he isin touch with his friends —Vishwak Sen, AbhinavGomatam and Venkatesh —from Ee Nagaraniki Emaindiand is happy the way theircareers are progressing. “Afew weeks ago, we met forTharun Bhascker’s birthdayparty and even attended ashort film festival inBengaluru,” he points out. Isa sequel to Ee NagaranikiEmaindhi on the cards? “It’sdefinitely in the pipeline forsure. The gang will comeback,” the actor asserts.

Biopics are therage now. Butthat only opensup such films tomore scrutinythan others. KRAMYA SREEfinds out if themuchanticipatedGeorge Reddylives up to theexpectations

G

VERDICT:

While the movie fails onsome aspects, the overall expe-

rience ensures you are left inawe of the student leader andhis ideas and is worth watch-

ing at least once. However,there are quite a few unan-swered questions that popup at the end of this two-

and-a-half-hour drama.

Rating: 2.5

I

FIRST LOOK

he Pioneer lastweek reportedthat the popularcomedy show onETV, Jabardasth,has lost its judge

Naga Babu and star per-formers ChammakChandra, Rakesh,Ram Prasad to aanother entertain-ment channel.Speaking for thefirst time abouthis about hisdeparture fromthe show, NagaBabu pinned theblame on businessdifferences withshow runnersMallemalaEntertainments.Simultaneously, he hintedthat his remuneration wasnever the criteria for leavingthe show. While his speechlacked clarity, he did say

that he will reveal moredetails on his YouTubechannel in the days to come.

He

has beenon the show as a judge sinceearly 2013 and his last act

aired on Friday. “It has beena happy and an emotionaljourney. To judge a show forseven-and-half years is notsimple and I believe somejourneys have to end at

some point. The decisionto quit the show was

my own. I extend mythanks to ShyamPrasad Reddy andETV for giving mea chance to be onthe show. I wasgoing through afinancial crisiswhen it wasoffered to me. The

show helped me toimprove my situa-

tion.” Although he

refrained from divulgingdetails on his next move onthe small screen front, hewill be judging a Jabardasthkind of a show on ZeeTelugu shortly.

T H

W

Rahul to play Blackand White cabbie

Naga Babu: Some journeyshave to end at some point

PTI n KOLKATA

Bangladesh won the toss andIndia everything else against aball they are not acquainted

with on the first day of their maid-en Day/Night Test, the quality ofcontest spectacularly failing to matchthe manic pre-match hype.

First the Ishant Sharma-ledIndian pace unit terrorised the vis-itors, bundling them out for 106 injust under 31 overs even before twi-light set in.

With two of their batsmen con-cussed, the mentally-scarredBangladesh attack then found itselfat the receiving end of a masterclassfrom the Indian captain Virat Kohli,who remained unbeaten on 59 off 93balls, as India reached 174 for threeat stumps on the opening day.

The stodgy Cheteshwar Pujara,with two pink ball hundreds underhis belt in first-class cricket, scoreda chiselled 55 as India took a 68-runlead. It looks like the cricket lovingKolkata public will not have anopportunity to witness even threefull days’ action.

The city turned pink, the crowdresponded to the brainchild of itsfavourite son Sourav Ganguly, whoarranged a first-of-its-kind match inless than a month’s time.

However, the gulf in standardsalong with the singular lack ofintent from the visitors took somesheen away from the game.

Earlier, Ishant grabbed his firstfive-wicket haul on Indian soil aftera good 12 years, finishing with 5 for22 in 12 overs after a brave decisionby opposition captain MominulHaque to bat first on a seamer-friendly pitch.

Umesh Yadav hurried theBangladeshi batsmen for pace with3 for 29 in 7 overs while MohammedShami was deadly bowling the cut-ters wide off the crease with figuresof 2 for 36 in 10.3 overs.

He also bowled two sharpbouncers, leaving Liton Das (24) andNayeem Hasan (19) concussed.

Bangladesh lasted just 30.3 oversin their first innings with specialistspinners Ravindra Jadeja bowling asolitary over and RavichandranAshwin wasn’t even required to rollhis arms over.

Clearly the menacing Indianpace attack exposed Bangladeshi’slack of technical finesse as the ‘PinkBall Test’ was agreed upon three daysbefore their tour departure on theinitiative of newly-elected BCCIpresident Sourav Ganguly.

Bangladesh batsmen lookedunsettled by the capacity crowd,something they have never encoun-tered even in their home Tests andthe world-class bowling made it evenmore difficult.

Such was their plight that for thefirst time in the subcontinent, bats-men Nos 3, 4 and 5 (skipperMominul Haque, MohammadMithun, and senior-most playerMushfiqur Rahim) were all dis-missed for a duck.

Pushed into the unknown terri-tory without any practice backhome, Bangladesh opening duo ofShadman Islam and Imrul Kayessurvived some anxious moments inthe first six overs before IshantSharma trapped the latter.

Umesh then triggered the col-lapse in his second spell with twowickets in three balls, first beingskipper Mominul who was dis-missed by a beautiful diving one-handed catch by Rohit Sharma.

Next was Mohammed Mithun

beating him by pace as it sharply cutin with the batsmen playing on to hisstumps.

Despite the catching scepticismsurrounding the pink ball, Sahalooked a class act behind the stumpas usual as the ball was swinging alot after moving the batsman.

His low catch of Mahmadullah,outstretched and dragged acrossVirat Kohli at the first slip, was thehighlight of his keeping as he alsocompleted a milestone of 100 dis-missals in longest format.

While Bangladesh captainMominul had a point when hespoke about lack of preparation butwhen Kohli with barely one and ahalf net session hit those elegantboundaries under light, one knewwhy a solid basic technique madesuch a difference.

With a quick trigger, Kohliwould cover the line and negate theseam movement hitting those lan-guid cover drives with grace.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam,who was not supposed to play thisgame, came in as a concussion sub-stitute for Nayeem Hasan, was dri-ven down the ground as if it was netsession.

Pujara on the otherhand alsolooked solid after quick departurefrom Mayank Agarwal and RohitSharma, adding 94 runs for the thirdwicket with his captain.

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 23, 2019 sport 12

Ishant in Pink modeSenior pacer’s 2nd 5-wicket haul in India (first in 12 years) help all-round Indialord over Bangladesh, hype beats cricket hands down

Ishant Sharma celebrates after taking wicket of Bangladesh batsman during first day of first Day/Night Test between India and Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in Kolkata AP

IANS n KOLKATA

Bangladesh Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina and West

Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee rung the customaryEden bell in the presence ofBCCI President Sourav Ganguly,Bangladesh Cricket Board chiefNazmul Hasan Papon and battinglegend Sachin Tendulkar amongother dignitaries.

Hasina and Mamata met theteams before the national anthemwas played by the Army Band infront of a packed house. UnionHome Minister Amith Shah, whowas supposed to be in attendance,however could not make it.

The historic match was sup-posed to kickstart with Armyparatroopers flying into Eden tohand over a pink ball each to thetwo captains just before the toss.But due to security reasons, that

had to be cancelled at the lastmoment by the CricketAssociation of Bengal (CAB).

The other former cricketerspresent were S Ramesh, SabaKarim, Sunil Joshi, Ajit Agarkar,Venkatesh Prasad, Kapil Dev,Dilip Vengsarkar, MohammedAzharuddin, Kris Srikkanth,Farokh Engineer and ChanduBorde.

Athletes from other sportslike Abhinav Bindra, P.Gopichand, PV Sindhu, SaniaMirza and Mary Kom were alsothere.

Naimur Rahman,Mohammed Mahmudul Hasan,Maharab Hossain, MohammedHasibul Hussain, ShahriarHossain Biddut, Kazi HabibulBashar and Mohammed AkramKhan were the formerBangaldesh cricketers who werepresent.

Hasina, Mamata ring bell

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, center right, and Chief Minister of WestBengal Mamata Banerjee, center left, stand to ring the Eden Bell to start the 2nd Test PTI

Das, Nayeem concussedPTI n KOLKATA

Two Bangladesh batsmen —Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan

— were retired hurt from theongoing Day/Night Test, forcingthe visitors to bring in as concus-sion substitutes players who hadbeen dropped from the team.Both Das and Nayeem were hit byMohammed Shami snorters andwere replaced by Mehidy Hasanand Taijul Islam at the EdenGardens.

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Das was taken to a cityhospital for a scan before anoth-er Shami delivery hit Nayeem,who was interestingly attended toby Indian team physio Nitin Patel.

Bangladesh, thus, became thefirst team to make two concussionsubstitutes in a Test match.

Mehidy came in as concussionsubstitute after Das was hit.

However, Mehidy, an off-spinner, will not be allowed tobowl as per the concussion sub-stitute rule. Mehidy, though, didnot last long as he was dismissedby pacer Ishant Sharma for justeight runs.

Das was retired hurt afterbeing hit on his head at thestroke of lunch.

Trying to play a pull short offa Shami bouncer, the heavily-lac-quered pink ball blazed in and hithis helmet in the forehead regionin the third ball of the 20th over.He was batting on 16 then.

The physio rushed in, con-ducted a test and he continuedbatting, responding with a bound-ary in the next delivery.

Das hit another boundary inthe next over off Ishant and

added nine runs before com-plaining of discomfort. He wasnext seen walking off the fieldafter a long conversation with theumpire, forcing the end of the firstsession.

Das’ like-for-like substituteSaif Hassan is down with a (splitwebbing) injury, forcing the vis-itors to opt for Mehidy as concus-sion substitute.

According to the protocol, aproper medical report has to besubmitted to the match referee fora concussion substitute.

Nayeem Hasan stands as physiotherapists look into the helmet after he was injured AP

Legends relive glorious Eden moments

India's former cricket players Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman join in a talk show during break on 1st day PTI

PTI n KOLKATA

Virat Kohli on Fridaybecame the fastest to

5000 runs as captain, com-pleting the feat in 86 inningsduring day one.

As captain, Kohli wasalso the quickest to 4000Tests runs (65 innings). He isthe sixth captain to reach the5000-run mark.

Australian great RickyPonting had taken 97 inningsto complete 5000 runs ascaptain, ahead of West Indianlegend Clive Lloyd (106innings), South AfricanGraeme Smith (110),Australian Allan Border (116)and New Zealand's StephenFleming (130.)

Captain Kohli fastest to 5K

An illuminated building displays an image of BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, on the eve of the 1st pink-ball Test; B’desh PM Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meet players

Indian cricketer Mithali Raj rides in a cart during a grand parade of India’s former cricket captains; (right) Sourav Ganguly posts picture with Eden crowd during first day of Day/Night Test

India vs B’desh (2nd day)Live from 1:00pm IST

STAR SPORTS 1

Ganguly posts picture of ‘Sweets go pink in Kolkata’ via Twitter

PTI n KOLKATA

Indian cricket legends includingSachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble

on Friday revisited their glorious on-field moments at the Eden Gardens.

In a special programme duringthe lunch break on the opening day,Tendulkar, Kumble, Harbhajan Singhand VVS Laxman relived some of theiconic moments at the famous venuehere, including the 1993 Hero Cupfinal versus West Indies and the 2001Test versus Australia.

All of them thanked their captainand BCCI president Sourav Gangulyfor bringing them together. Ganguly,too, was supposed to be part of the40-minute discussion on Star Sportsbut could not make it as he wasunderstandably caught up withadministrative issues.

“We have not had a chance to sitlike this since our playing days. It isa special day and there could not have

been a better venue for this historicgame,” said Kumble, whose sensation-al spell of six for 12 helped India toa famous win over West Indies.

The Kolkata crowd is probablythe most passionate in the countryand they showed all their love forTendulkar by chanting ‘SachinSachin’, taking the master blaster backto his playing days.

While Laxman and Rahul Dravidproduced a match-winning 376-runstand after India followed on againstAustralia, Harabhajan and Tendulkarcame up with stellar bowling perfor-mances. Harbhajan even took a hat-trick in his match haul of 13 wickets.

“The game changed so quicklybecause of that hat-trick. The way wewon the game ushered in a newphase for the Indian team. Bhajji wassensational, got Ricky Ponting out somany times and Laxman and Dravidpartnership did wonders for the con-fidence of the dressing room,” said

Tendulkar.The electric atmosphere at the

Eden Gardens reminded Harbhajanof his playing days.

“The atmosphere here takes meback to 15 years ago. Test cricket wasdifferent back then. It is a special feel-ing and I feel so much love everytime I come here. Hats off to Gangulyfor doing this. Even if I play under100 captains, he will always be mycaptain,” said the champion off-spinner.

Tendulkar had heard goodthings about Harbhajan from thelocal officials during a game inMohali and, subsequently, asked forthe spinner to bowl to him in theIndia nets. Harbhajan, a teenagerthen, was in awe of Tendulkar.

“The first time I met Bhajji wasin Mohali. The people there weretalking about him, ‘he is a good spin-ner who bowls a good doosra’,” saidTendulkar.