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VIJAYAWADA, SATURDAY JANUARY 30, 2021; PAGES 12 `3

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RNI No. APENG/2018/764698

*Late City Vol. 3 Issue 79*Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable

Established 1864Published From

VIJAYAWADA DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL RAIPUR CHANDIGARH

BHUBANESWAR RANCHIDEHRADUN HYDERABAD

{

VIJAYAWADAWEATHER

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated January 29 , 2021 5:00 PM

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Govt ‘vigilant’, addition-

al forces deployed at

LAC: Prez Kovind

5

Why some people aremore susceptible to

COVID-19

2

Sales of affordable

homes improving:

Survey

8

SNV SUDHIRn VIJAYAWADA

With the controversy sur-rounding the censure of twotop officials of state PanchayatRaj department refusing todie down, State ElectionCommissioner NimmagaddaRamesh Kumar now wantsaction against the top and keyaides of Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy.

The SEC has been specif-ic about action against GADSecretary Praveen Prakash,Government Advisor SajjalaRamakrishna Reddy, RajyaSabha Member V VijayasaiReddy and senior CabinetMinister PeddireddyRamachandra Reddy.

Praveen Prakash is consid-ered a powerful officer in theCMO and Man Friday ofJaganmohan Reddy.

Sajjala RamakrishnaReddy, Vijayasai Reddy andRamachandra Reddy areimportant and top politicalaides of Jagan, right since theinception of the YSRCP morethan a decade ago.

Ramesh Kumar has writtento Chief Secretary AdityanathDas, directing him to trans-fer Praveen Prakash and alsobar him from communicat-ing with district collectors. Healso wrote to GovernorBiswabhusan Harichandan,requesting him to dismissSajjala Ramakrishna Reddy,and advise others to refrainfrom attacking him, as heholds a Constitutional post.

SEC writes to CS, Governor; seeksaction against Jagan's top aides

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Describing State ElectionCommissioner NimmagaddaRamesh Kumar as "a passingcloud", Government Advisor(Public Affairs) SajjalaRamakrishna Reddy on Fridaysaid that the YSRCP wouldcontinue to highlight hisbiased conduct and expose hisrancour against the StateGovernment.

Addressing a press confer-ence here, Sajjala said "RameshKumar is like a passing cloudwhose stint would end in twomonths but the Governmentwould be in place for a longertime."

"He has been going over-board in passing commentsagainst the Government andour leaders, ignoring theOpposition flaws. We willcontinue to expose his biasedfunctioning," the seniorYSRCP leader said.

Sajjala reminded that hehad served as the YSRCP gen-eral secretary and held highpositions in the party."Ramesh Kumar has no stand-ing to judge as to who shouldspeak what in our party at thesame totally ignoring (TDP

supremo) N ChandrababuNaidu releasing his party'smanifesto for the gram pan-chayat polls which are non-political and not held withparty symbols," he said.

Sajjala stated that not onlydoes the TDP manifesto con-tain impractical promises, butwas also released when thecode of conduct was in force.

"The SEC seems to be work-ing under the direction ofNaidu as a political activist.Ramesh Kumar has been step-ping out of his purview as aState Election Commissionerand has been acting impatient-ly, taking hasty decisions,"Sajjala said.

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Senior YSRCP leader andRajya Sabha Member VVijayasai Reddy on Fridaylaunched yet another no-holds-barred attack on StateElection CommissionerNimmagadda RameshKumar, accusing the latter ofbeing "caste maniac andpolitically-biased, while danc-ing to the tune of the TDP".

The latest tirade fromVijayasai Reddy was RameshKumar's letter to theGovernor and the ChiefSecretary, seeking actionagainst certain IAS officersand Ministers.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

State Election Commissioner(SEC) Nimmagadda RameshKumar has written toGovernor BiswabhusanHarichandan, requesting himto advise Rajya Sabha MemberV Vijayasai Reddy and seniorCabinet Ministers PeddireddyRamachandra Reddy andBotsa Satyanarayana to stopattacking him.

Ramesh Kumar also statedthat Sajjala RamakrishnaReddy be dismissed asGovernment Advisor since the

latter attacked him from thepremises of the party officedespite holding a Cabinet rankand drawing salary andallowances from the govern-ment.

"Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy,who is an advisor with the rankof a Cabinet Minister, attackedme from the premises of aparty office in what is purely apolitical attack.

He is a public servantdrawing salar y andallowances from the govern-ment and is bound by theconduct governing public

office," the SEC wrote to theGovernor.

He said that this was aclear case of malafide as wellas conflict of interest underthe Constitution.

"Being a public servanthe can't brazenly and bla-tantly hold party brief andindulge in political activityand in the process attack aconstitut ional authorityeven after a caveat in theform of the supreme court'sjudgment," Ramesh Kumarwrote.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The YSRCP Legal Cell onFriday lodged a complaintwith the State ElectionCommission against TDPchief N Chandrababu Naidufor releasing the party man-ifesto for panchayat polls.

In the complaint, YSRCPLegal Cell secretary Sairamstated that Naidu violatedthe model code of conduct byreleasing the manifesto asgram panchayat elections areheld on non-party basis. “IfState Election CommissionerNimmagadda RameshKumar fails to take actionagainst Naidu, then allega-tions that the SEC is support-ing the TDP supremo will beproven true,” the YSRCP said.

PNS n HYDERABAD

In a setback to TPCC workingpresident and Malkajgiri LokSabha member A RevanthReddy, an ACB court rejectedhis plea that the cash-for-votecase did not come under itspurview.

On Friday, the Special Courtfor ACB cases here dismissedthe petition filed by him in thisregard.

In his petition, Reddy said theACB was entitled to probe onlycases pertaining to State govern-ment employees. Since he wasnot a ‘government servant’, hiscase would not come under the

purview of the ACB court andonly the Election Commissioncould look into it, he argued.

After hearing the arguments,the court dismissed the petitionfiled by Revanth.

The court posted the case toFebruary 8 for framing of

charges by the ACB. It directedthat the accused should presentthemselves before the court onFebruary 8.

The ACB, which busted thescam in 2015, arrested Reddy,along with his aides, and fileda charge-sheet in the case.

Reddy, who was a MLA inTDP in 2015, was arrested forallegedly offering Rs. 50 lakh tothe nominated MLA ElvisStephenson for voting in sup-port of the TDP candidate VemNarender Reddy during theMLC elections.

The Income Tax Departmenthas also questioned Reddy inconnection with the scam.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Supreme Court on Fridayextended by six months theterm of the three-membercommission that was set up toprobe the alleged 'encounter'deaths of four persons accusedin the gang-rape and murder ofa veterinary doctor (namechanged as Disha) inHyderabad in November 2019.

It was December 2019 thatthe Supreme Court hadappointed the panel headed byJustice VS Sirpurkar and com-prising former Bombay HCJudge RP Soundarbaldota andformer CBI Director DrKaarthikeyan as members, toconduct the inquiry within

six months.The court order had come

on two public interest litigation(PIL) pleas filed by advocates

GS Mani and Mukesh KumarSharma.

Accused Mohammed Arif,C h i n t a k u n t a

Chennakeshavulu, Jolu Shiva,and Jollu Naveen were arrest-ed after the gang-rape andmurder of the veterinary doc-tor in November 2019.

According to the police, allthe four accused died duringan 'encounter' on December 6,2019 when they had tried toflee during their visit to thespot for reconstruction of thecrime and collection of freshevidence.

A bench headed by ChiefJustice SA Bobde and compris-ing Justices AS Bopanna and VRamasubramanian on Fridayextended the commission'sterm by another six months.

Minor blast at

Israeli Embassy

SEC like a passing cloud,biased against YSRCP: Sajjala

Nimmagadda RRamesh KKumar Praveen PPrakash

Vijayasai Reddyquestions SEC'smental stability invenomous attackSEC asks Guv to dismiss

Sajjala, save him from barbs

YSRCP demandsSEC act on Naidufor manifesto

DISHA CASE

Encounter probe panel term extended

PNS n HYDERABAD

BJP leader and MLA fromGoshamahal constituency T.Raja Singh was on Friday sen-tenced to one year's impris-onment by the SpecialSessions Court here in a casebooked against him in 2015.The court also imposed fineof Rs.5,000 on him.

However, the court latergranted him bail and sus-pended the sentence, givinghim one month to appealbefore the High Court.

It was in December 2015that the JAC of OsmaniaUniversity organized a 'BeefFestival' against which RajaSingh protested. He wastaken into preventive custodythen and shifted to the Bol-laram Police Station. A fewBJP activists reached thepolice station and tried tomeet him, but the policestopped the MLA from meet-ing them.

Singh then assaulted a copon duty and threatened him,following which a case wasbooked and a charge-sheetfiled against him in 2019.

COP ASSAULT CASE

Raja Singhgets 1-yr jailterm, grantedbail

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

GAD head and PrincipalSecretary Praveen Prakashon Friday denied any role instopping the district collec-tors from attending thevideoconference called bythe State ElectionCommissioner (SEC) onJanuary 23.

Responding to a letter writ-ten by the SEC to ChiefSecretary Adityanath Das,seeking his transfer, PraveenPrakash said that he onlymaintained status quo in theintervening period of thecase related to gram panchay-at polls when it was beingheard by the High Court’ssingle and division benchesand later the Supreme Court.

He added that as GAD

head, he had only communi-cated the status quo and thegovernment’s decision tomaintain it to the collectorsand other officers to avoidany confusion in the fieldabout the gram panchayatpolls.

Praveen Prakash added itwas communicated in writingto the Election Commissionand same was known to theofficers in the field. He alsosaid that it was the only rea-son for the AIS officers notattending the videoconfer-ence. The senior officer ques-tioned: “In what way was Iinvolved in stopping the offi-cers from participating inthe videoconference? Is itfair, Sir?”

Praveen Prakash refutes SECcharge, says ‘only did my duty’

Cash-for-vote case: ACBcourt rejects Revanth's plea

PNS n NEW DELHI

A minor IED blast took placeoutside the Israeli Embassy inthe heart of Lutyens' Delhi onFriday evening, police said onFriday. No one was injured.

Some cars were damagedin the blast, an official said,adding that three fire tenderswere rushed to the embassyon APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

"A very low intensityimprovised device went off...No injury to any person wasreported and nor was thereany damage to propertyexcept the glass panes ofthree vehicles parked nearby,"Delhi Police Additional PROAnil Mittal said.

He said initial impressionssuggest it could be a mischie-vous attempt to create a sen-sation.

The fire departmentreceived the call at 5.11 pm,as the Beating Retreat cere-mony was going on atRajpath a few kilometres .

Modi: Budgetpart of four-fivemini-budgets PNS n NEW DELHI

Prime Minister NarendraModi on Friday said FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharamanhad to give four-five mini-budgets in the form ofpackages in 2020 andexpressed confi-dence that theupcoming budgetwould also be seenas part of thatseries.

In his remarks tothe media before thecommencement ofParliament's BudgetSession, Modi said the firstsession of this decade com-mences on Friday and empha-sised that this decade is veryimportant for the bright futureof India.

Keeping in mind this

decade, there should be dis-cussions and presentation ofdifferent views this session, hesaid.

The Prime Ministerexpressed confidence that MPs

will not shy away fromcontributing to make

full use ofParliament for ful-filling people'saspirations.

"Probably forthe first time inIndia's history, the

finance ministerhad to give four-five

mini budgets in 2020in the form of different

packages," he said."Therefore, I am confident

that this budget will also beseen as part of the series of thefour-five mini budgets," Modisaid.

MUMBAI LOCAL TRAINS OPEN TO PUBLICFROM FEBRUARY 1, FIXED TIME SLOTS

FISCAL DEFICIT SOARS TO RS 11.6 LAKH CR AT DECEMBER END

ELON MUSK LOSES ROUND ONE VS INDIANAMERICAN STUDENT WHO SUED HIM

SOCIAL ACTIVIST ANNA HAZARECANCELS FAST, BACKS FARM REFORMS

Mumbai local train services - suspendedin March last year due to thecoronavirus pandemic and lockdown,

and re-started in phases since - will beopened to the general public in fixed timeslots from Monday, Maharashtra ChiefMinister Uddhav Thackeray's office said thismorning. The trains - an essential service forlakhs of commuters, particularly for thosefrom economically weaker sections - will beopened from the first service till 7 am, noonto 4 pm and 9 pm to the last service. Inbetween these timings, only those in essential services - such asfrontline workers and healthcare staff, single women travellers.

Union government's fiscal deficitsoared to Rs 11.58 lakh crore or145.5 per cent of the budget

estimate at the end of December 2020,mainly on account of lower revenuerealisation. Revenue realisation was hitby disruptions in normal businessactivities following the coronaviruspandemic and lockdowns. Accordingto the data released by the ControllerGeneral of Accounts (CGA), the fiscaldeficit at the end of December in theprevious financial year was 132.4 percent of the Budget Estimate (BE) of 2019-20.

Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Muskfailed to turn the tables on a critic of thecompany who sued him for defamation. A

California state judge rejected Musk'sargument that the suit filed by Randeep Hothiwas baseless and should be thrown out as anattempt to silence the billionaire's free speech.Hothi, a University of Michigan graduatestudent known as "@skabooshka" on Twitter,drew Musk's wrath two years ago after twoincidents, both of which Hothi claims wereharmless. In the first, in February 2019, Hothiwas confronted by a security guard when he showed up -- to doresearch, he says -- at the Tesla sales center in Fremont, California.

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare hascancelled his planned fast against thethree central agricultural laws. He

announced his decision today in thepresence of senior BJP leader and formerMaharashtra chief minister, DevendraFadnavis. "I have been doing andolan(agitation) on various issues for a long time.It is not a crime to protest peacefully...I havebeen raising the farmers' issue for threeyears... they die by suicide because theydon't get the right prices for their crops...thegovernment has decided to increase the MSP (Minimum SupportPrice) by 50 percent - I have got the letter," he told reporters.

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vijayawada 02VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021

EGG

RATES

` 49, 810 (10 gm)

` 10

GOLD

` 73, 400 (1kg)

` 7400

VIJAYAWADA 421

HYDERABAD 393

VISAKHAPATNAM 505

RREETTAAIILL PPRRIICCEE `̀44.. 2211

SILVER

VIJAYAWADA

BULLION RATES

`̀//110000

CHICKEN

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Dressed/With Skin `144

Without Skin `163

Broiler at Farm `99

`̀//KKGG

(IN HYDERABAD)

One of the most enduringmysteries is: why are

some young people moreseverely affected than othersby COVID-19? Do co-mor-bidities (e.g. hypertension,obesity, diabetes) alone pro-vide a complete explanation,or are there any other char-acteristics that predict greatersusceptibility to serious com-plications caused by thevirus? Some significant point-ers are available from themortality rates of African-Americans.

In the United States, themortality rate amongAfrican-American men hasbeen disproportionatelyhigh. One study using datathrough July 2020 found thatBlack people aged 35-44years were dying at ninetimes the rate of white peo-ple the same age. Some of thestock explanations include:their self-destructive behav-iors, their unhealthy diets,their genes, the neighbor-hoods they choose to live in,

the low-paying jobs they optfor, and “black-on-black”violence.

However, anecdotal evi-dence shows that it is not justliving in poverty that wearsdown Black men; it is thedaily struggle in life and theconstant “high-effort cop-ing” required over a lifetimethat leads to lasting corrosivestress. This is partly due towhat they are taught as kids- If a task has begun, neverleave it until it’s done.

Be the labor great or small,do it well or not at all.

The unmitigated stress sogenerated wastes bodiesbefore time, causes prema-ture aging and lower levels ofresistance to diseases. Let ussee how this stress plays outover time.

Whenever there is anexternal threat, the human

body takes measures to wardoff the threat. It does this byinducing stress. So, stress initself is not bad, it is simplya psychological reaction thatinduces neurological changesand pours chemicals intothe blood. This is aimed tobring the body into a fight-or-flight state in order tocounter the threat. In thisstate, the heart beats fasterand breathing quickens;blood vessels dilate, so thatmore oxygen reaches thebrain and muscles. Theimmune system’s inflamma-

tory response is activated topromote quick healing.When the threat recedes,chemical levels return tonormal, blood glucosereduces, and heart rate andblood pressure go back tobase levels. This is how thehuman body is configured tooperate.

A constant state of copingleads to a recurring state offight-or-flight. This meansthat the body is always try-ing hard to bring itself backto normal levels, or equilib-rium. When the fluctuation

from normal happens fre-quently, then slowly the nor-mal state itself is shifted tohigher (elevated) levels or the“normal is reset”.

In the new normal, bloodpressure remains high andinf lammation becomeschronic. The inner linings ofthe blood vessels start to

thicken and harden, whichforces the heart to workharder. In turn, this impairsgoverning regulatory mech-anisms (e.g. metabolism,immune response, or organfunction) and over a longertime span, the neurologicalsystem’s f ight-or-f l ightresponse is rewired.Ultimately the brain’s stressswitch breaks down.

Stress effects are also vis-ible at the cellular level. Eachcell contains DNA, which is,simply put, the source mate-rial of life. The DNA hastelomeres - repeatedsequences of DNA that pro-tect the ends of chromo-somes by forming a cap,much like the plastic tip ona shoelace. The shortening oftelomeres is a sign of prema-ture aging and research hasshown that in African-

American people, telomerestend to become shorter at afaster rate.

We notice from the abovediscussion how the biologi-cal and emotional assaultslead to wearing down of thehuman body much beforethe average time. At thispoint, it is not the virus thatkills, it is the years of work-ing non-stop and taking careof other people more thanoneself, that wears the bodydown and when the virusattacks, these young African-American people are unableto fight back. In the words ofsocial epidemiologistShawnita Sealy-Jeffersonfrom Ohio State University,the effect is same as revving“the engine of your car allday, every day. Sooner orlater, the car is going tobreak down”.

Thus, the bottom-line isthat high-effort copingbrings about stress-relatedneurological and chemicalresponses. Problems ariseonly when such responses arebrought into play withincreasing frequency and thestress switch goes haywire,ultimately becoming dys-functional. Under these con-ditions, the body is unable toreturn to its original normalstate. A new normal comesinto being, and one charac-teristic of this new normal isconsistently elevated levels ofcortisol and other stress hor-mones. This leads to thepremature wearing down ofthe body. Perhaps this canhelp further explain the dif-ference in severity of symp-toms and death rates betweendifferent people.

(Author has a PhD fromUSA and a DLitt from KanchiUniversity. The article is basedon his research and practiceand views are personal)

DR. SAMEER SHARMA

Why some people are more susceptible to COVID-19Some of the stock explanations include:their self-destructive behaviors, theirunhealthy diets, their genes, theneighborhoods they choose to live in, thelow-paying jobs they opt for, and “black-on-black” violence.

Irrigation projects works on target;deadlines will be met, Jagan told PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Directing officials to prepare anaction plan for Phase 2 prior-ity projects, with special focuson north Andhra projects,Chief Minister YS JaganmohanReddy on Friday said that irri-gation projects listed as prior-ity in phase 1 should be com-pleted as per predefined time-lines.

Chairing a review meetingheld on irrigation projects athis camp office here, the ChiefMinister said phase-1 priorityprojects including PolavaramNellore Barrage, SangamBarrage, Veligonda,Vamsadhara, Owk Tunnel andothers should be completed asper the deadline.

He directed the officials toprepare an action plan forphase 2 priority projectsincluding the projects related toSrikakulam, Vizianagaram andVisakhapatnam districts.

The officials informed theChief Minister that civil worksof Nellore barrage have beencompleted and the gates will befixed by March 31 and the pro-ject ready for inauguration byApril.

Major civil works of Sangambarrage too have been complet-

ed and the material related togates has reached the projectsite and work is going on atbrisk pace, they said. Clampingof the gates will start in twoweeks and the work will becompleted by the end of Marchand the project will be ready forinauguration in April, the ChiefMinister was informed.

They said it has becomedifficult to work on the Owktunnel due to the presence ofloose soil. The officialsinformed Jagan that 14,000cusecs of water has beenpumped out from the two tun-nels till now. They said prob-lems were created in excavationworks of another 134 metertunnel due to rains and loosesoil. The officials said they have

prepared an action plan toremove the soil and strength-en the tunnel by July.

The officials said works oftunnel 1 head regulator inVeligonda have been complet-ed and work on the tunnel 2head regulator will start fromApril 1 and will take three-and-a-half months to complete.

The excavation works oftunnel 1 are completed and lin-ing works are underway andthe works of tunnel 2 will becompleted by August.

They said Nallamala Sagarreservoir, which is a part ofVeligonda project, is ready forwater storage.

The Chief Minister directedthe officials to complete R&Rworks by October and expedite

the construction of canals,which are part of the Veligondaproject.

The officials said the spillwayroad for the Polavaram projectwill be completed by February10 and work on the spill chan-nel is on at brisk pace. Fittingof radial gates will be done byApril and construction of theapproach channel will be com-pleted by May, they said.

The Chief Minister instruct-ed the officials to appoint a spe-cial officer for getting approvalsof designs and ensure no delayin import of cylinders.

The officials said works ofreach 1 and reach 4 of theupper cofferdam will be com-pleted by end of March, that ofreach 2 by April, that of reach3 by end of May. They said theworks of cofferdam will becompleted by next rainy sea-son.

The Chief Minister askedthem to ensure no one is affect-ed due to cofferdam and expe-dite rehabilitation programsmeanwhile.

The officials said the remain-ing works of the Vamsadharaproject will be completed inthree packages by July and theworks related to Vamsadhara-

Nagavali link. The pending works of

Thotapalli barrage will be com-pleted by 2022 and the worksof Gajapathinagaram branchcanal to provide water to15,000 acres, will be complet-ed by June 2022.

They said legal problems ofTaraka Rama Tirtha Sagar pro-ject will be resolved soon andthe project will be completedby December 2022 and stepsare being taken to completeMahendra Tanaya project byJune 2022.

The Chief Minister alsoreviewed the Special PurposeVehicle (SPV) related toRayalaseema drought mitiga-tion project, Palnadu droughtmitigation project, KrishnaKolleru salinity mitigation pro-ject and AP State WaterSecurity Development project.

The officials briefed theChief Minister the steps takento pool funds for these projects.They said the works ofVarikapudisela lift irrigationscheme are underway.

Irrigation Minister P AnilKumar Yadav, IrrigationPrincipal Secretary J ShyamalaRao, ENC Narayana Reddyand other senior officials werepresent.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Disaster Management SpecialCommissioner and ex-officioAdditional Secretary to theGovernment, RevenueDepartment K Kannababuwas on Friday transferredand posted asSecretary, StateE l e c t i o nCommission.

Orders to thiseffect wereissued by ChiefS e c r e t a r yAdityanath Das.

As per theorders, Kannababuretains full addition-al charge for the postsofSpecial Commissioner,Disaster Management and ex-officio Additional Secretary tothe Government, Revenue

Department and also manag-ing director, AP State DisasterManagement Authority as wellas Fisheries Commissioner,until further orders.

It may be mentioned herethat State Election

C o m m i s s i o n e rNimmagadda

R a m e s hKumar sur-

renderedIAS offi-cer VaniM o h a nand uponh i s

request, thegovernment

sent a panel ofthree officers

namely Kannababu,MA&UD Secretary GSRKRVijay Kumar and SERP CEOP Raja Babu.

AP reports125 Covidcases, nodeathsPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Andhra Pradesh reported125 fresh Covid-19 cases,taking the tally to over 8.87lakh, while no deaths werereported for the second con-secutive day, in the 24 hoursending 9 am on Friday.

The state also reported175 more recoveries, ahealth department bulletinsaid.

With 42,809 tests, thetotal number of tests con-ducted stood at over 1.30crore so far in the state. Thetotal confirmed positiveCovid-19 cases were8,87,591, while the recover-ies stood at 8,79,131, it said

With no fresh fatalitiesreported, the toll remainedat 7,152. The state has 1,308active cases.

Kannababu posted aspoll panel Secretary

Continued from Page 1

Ramesh Kumar had written tothe Chief Secretary, seekingtransfer of Praveen Prakash,Principal Secretary in the ChiefMinister's Office, and to theGovernor, seeking actionagainst Ministers PeddireddyRamachandra Reddy andBotsa Satyanarayana.

"Ramesh Kumar has appar-ently gone mad. He hasbecome mentally-derangedperson as is evident from theway he is issuing orders againstthe Government and officers.He should be sent to a mentalhospital for treatment. He isunfit to hold thatConstitutional position,"Vijayasai Reddy said.

"He is not impartial. He has

been dancing to the tune ofTelugu Desam Party presidentN Chandrababu Naidu," theMP said.

"In fact, ChandrababuNaidu's soul has enteredNimmagadda's body as was the

case with Chandramukhi char-acter in a Rajinikanth film,"Vijayasai Reddy stated.

He continued: "The bodymay be that of Nimmagaddabut the soul inside belongs to

Chandrababu Naidu. And thatis why Nimmagadda is shout-ing Laka, Laka, Laka againstthe Government."

He wondered why no actionwas taken against Naidu whohad released his party's electionmanifesto despite knowing thatthe gram panchayat electionsare not fought on party lines.

"It is a blatant violation of theelection code.

Why is the SEC not takingaction against him?" VijayasaiReddy asked.

The senior YSRCP seniorleader questioned why RameshKumar did not conduct thelocal body elections in 2018."But when we started the elec-tion process, he stalled themunilaterally without assigningany reason," he alleged.

Vijayasai Reddy questions SEC's mental... SEC writes to CS, Governor...Continued from Page 1

The SEC also said that he hasno other alternative thanapproaching a Constitutionalcourt if the attacks on him donot stop.

In his letter to the ChiefSecretary, the SEC said thatinformation available and dis-creet enquiries revealed thatPraveen Prakash was primar-ily responsible for scuttling thevideoconference convened byhim on January 23. The video-conference was meant toreview the poll preparedness aswell as impart instructions tothe district Collectors.

"GAD headed by PraveenPrakash also seems to haveimparted instructions toCollectors and SPs as well as toother officers not to participate

in the Commission meetings,"the SEC's letter says.

It says that the Collectorswere apparently instructed notto cooperate with the pollprocess as well. "As a result ofthe non-preparedness on thepart of the district Collectors,the Commission was forced toreschedule phase-I elections.This is a totally unconscionableact and merits serious action inthe fitness of things," the SECsaid in the letter.

The Commission has cometo a well-considered andmature assessment thatPraveen Prakash has acted ina prejudicial manner to scut-tle the conduct of free and fairelections, the SEC added.

He goes on to say that theCommission had closely scru-tinised Praveen Prakash's past

record and found that on twoseparate occasions, he wasfaulted by the ElectionCommission of India while hefunctioned as Collector ofVisakhapatnam and RangaReddy districts.

"The State ElectionCommission invokes its ple-nary powers under Article 243read with Article 324 to trans-fer Praveen Prakash, with aview to ensure free and fairelections.

He is barred during thecourse of elections to haveinteraction with DistrictCollectors andSuperintendents of Police andany other officers who eitherdirectly or indirectly deal withmatters relating to elections,"SEC said in his letter to theChief Secretary.

Encounterprobe paneltermextended Continued from Page 1

The commission had saidin July 2020 that it couldnot complete the probedue to the nationwidelockdown imposed inMarch 2020 to containthe spread of coronavirus.The commission said itsmembers were unable tocarry out spot inspectionand hold an open hearingahead of preparing areport on its investiga-tions.

SEC asks Guv todismiss Sajjala...Continued from Page 1

"I request you to refer thewhole episode for the high-est legal opinion, preferablythat of Attorney General ofIndia, as I have no confi-dence in the of f ice ofAdvocate General," SEC saidin a letter to the Governor.

He added RamakrishnaReddy's malafide and conflictof interest were apparent andhe should be dismissed forth-with as an advisor in publicinterest.

"Ministers PedireddyRamachandra Reddy andBotsa Satyanarayana have

attacked me in violation ofmodel code conduct. Thestatements of Vijayasai Reddyare also numerous and inviolation of the model codeof conduct," the letter said.

"Under the circumstances,I would have no other alter-native left but to approachthe constitutional court toremedy this gross injustice.But, before doing so, I wouldlike to submit to YourExcellency for one last timeto advise them to refraincategorically in indulgingsuch attacks and obtain anassurance," the SEC said inthe letter.

SEC like a passing cloud,biased against YSRCP...Continued from Page 1

Those in the post of SECshould b e mature , b eresponsible, and work forthe smooth conduct ofpolls, he said.

"He is being vindictivetowards the governmentand misusing his constitu-tional powers while he hasto perform his duties as areferee, he has been biasedin favour of a particularparty and is enforcing hispersonal agenda," Sajjalasaid.

He said that IAS officerGopalakrishna Dwivediwas a victim of SEC'simpatience and anger."Perhaps even RameshKumar doesn't really knowwhy act ion was takenagainst GK Dwivedi," theveteran leader said.

Saj ja la reca l led thateveryone had seen the wayNaidu had treated GKDwivedi when he was theChief Electoral Officer in2019, where he rushedstraight to the CEO office

and threatened him."The CEO could have

reg is tere d t hat as anattempt to murder caseagainst Naidu but he actedwith restraint. Dwivediwas lauded for not payingattention to any of theissues that led to thesmooth conduct of theelections," he said, addingthat such restraint was notseen in Ramesh Kumar.

"Why d id R ameshKumar bring the grampanchayat elections in the

forefront instead of MPTCand ZPTC polls, whichwere s topp ed back inMarch?

Why did he issue afresh schedule instead ofresuming from the pointthey were postponed?"questioned Sajjala.

He criticised Naidu forthe TDP manifesto, sayingthat it was an attempt todeceive the people withfake promises.

"Although providing100 s q yd hous e anddecreasing the propertytax doesn't come underpanchayat jurisdiction,Chandrababu promised toimplement them after win-ning the polls, said Sajjalaadding that it is possiblefor Chandrababu alone toguarantee things that arenot e ven wit h in h i spurview.

He said that a case has tob e f i l e d againstChandrababu Naidu underIPC section 420 for deceiv-ing people with fake assur-ances.

PraveenPrakashrefutes SECcharge, says...Continued from Page 1

He also said that in 2014 and2017, the ElectionCommission of India hadsent him as an observer toPatliputra in Bihar and RKNagar in Tamil Nadu. “Boththese elections were highprofile and one of closelymonitored and watchedelections in the country.The responsibility given tome in 2014 and 2017 clear-ly demonstrated that thenation has faith in me andmy capabilities,” he added.

YSRCP demands...Continued from Page 1

On Thursday, the TDPsupremo had released the party’smanifesto for the gram pan-chayat elections. In the mani-festo, the party spoke of the‘Pancha Sitras' for rural progressnamely protected fresh waterwith free taps, ensuring securi-ty, preventing attacks on templesas well as security to publicproperty, avoid meters for agri-cultural motors and reductionof property tax and providingcivic services; creating ideal vil-lages with cleanliness andhygiene.

The TDP chief said that thefive plans for village futuredevelopment would focus onprotected drinking water, safe-ty assurance, model villages, self-sufficiency and citizen serviceswith reduction in property tax.

vijayawada 03VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021

Guv to start Pulse Polioprogramme on SundayVIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandanwill be launching the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme in thestate on Sunday at Raj Bhavan. He will launch the programme byadministering polio drops to children below the age of five years. Asmany as 52,72,354 children in the age group of 0 to 5 will beadministered polio drops on Sunday, according to Dr Devi, StateImmunization Officer.

Cop seize 140 kg of ganja, 4 motorcycles in EG agencyKAKINADA: Acting on a tip off, the Maredumilli police on Fridayintercepted four motorists and seized 140 kg of ganja stuffed in fiveplastic bags near Vetukuru Junction. They were clandestinelytransporting the green drug from neighbouring Visakhapatnamdistrict. The smugglers left their vehicles on the spot after noticingthe police and disappeared into the forests. Ganja bags along withfour motorcycles were seized. Search is on for the smugglers whoare at large.

APERC’s constitutes panel onshort term power purchasesVIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Electricity RegulatoryCommission (APERC) will constitute an expert committee tostudy and submit a report on the appropriate methodology to befollowed for approval/ratification of short-term power purchases,said APERC secretary C Ramakrishna on Friday. He said that acommittee comprising of experts namely Dr Usha Ramachandra,Professor & Director, Center for Energy Studies, N Sree Kumar,Prayas, and M Sivarami Reddy, Chief Engineer (Retd), APSEB,will study and submit its report within a month. He said that thepower purchase cost constitutes about 80 per cent of the ARR ofthe Discoms, hence any increase in power purchase costadversely affects the electricity tariffs levied on the consumers.The Commission has been endeavouring to reduce the powerpurchase costs to the extent possible so that the end consumersare spared from the burden of paying excess tariffs. Keeping inview of various issues, the Commission constituted an expertcommittee to study and prepare a report on the methodology tobe followed for approval/ratification of the short-termprocurement so that the overall power purchase costs arereduced to the maximum extent possible and ultimateconsumers are benefited by way of reasonable tariffs and at thesame time the interests of the Discoms are also protected, saidthe APERC secretary.

ACB sleuths open three banklockers of tainted engineerVISAKHAPATNAM: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths openedthe bank locker of Assistant Executive Engineer of APEPDCL,Kommadi Division, Madem Nageswara Rao, and found 1.7 kg ofgold ornaments, Rs 4.53 lakh cash and documents related to fixeddeposits worth Rs 41 lakh in Vizag city on Friday. The ACB officialswill open one more bank locker of Rao at Hyderabad on Saturday.The ACB officials said that so far they have opened three banklockers of Rao. On Friday, they have detected gold, cash, and fixeddeposits in the name of Rao’s family members in the bank lockerand also some bank balance in the name of his family members.Reinstated in 2013 after being dismissed from service for 10 yearson corruption charges in 2003, M Nageswara Rao, landed in theACB trap for the second time on Thursday. He was arrested andproduced before the special court dealing with SPE and ACB cases,Vizag. With the latest seizures of the illegal assets of Rao, the networth of the assets, including cash, gold, land holdings, houses,and few others of Rao was put at over Rs 4.6 crore.

SHORT TAKES

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Former Chief Minister andTDP chief N ChandrababuNaidu on Friday came downheavily on the YSRCP govern-ment for the arrest of formerMLA and TDP leader MallelaLinga Reddy.

Naidu demanded imme-diate withdrawal of the falsecases that have been filedagainst Linga Reddy andother TDP leaders in therecent past.

There seemed to be noend to the unjust activities ofthis government. The YSRCPdestruction in Proddatur wascondemnable, he lambasted.

In a statement here, theTDP chief advised the rulingYSRCP leaders to stop depriv-ing the small shop owners oftheir livelihoods.

Describing the demolitionof the vegetable market asanother ‘Tughlaq act’ by theJagan regime, he said that theofficials went ahead with thedemolition without payingattention to the sincere andardent appeals from the smalltraders there.

Naidu deplored that theshops run by the Muslimminorities, BC, SC and STswere being brought down.“The ruling party leaders arewatching this rampage like

silent spectators. The mind-less destruction of the Statestarted with the demolition ofthe Praja Vedika itself,” hesaid.

Stating that the YSRCPdestruction was going on inall parts of the State, Naidusaid that those who could notconstruct anything had noright to demolish the publicwealth and property.

After coming to power, theJagan regime has not builtanything for the use of thepublic, he added.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP national general secretaryNara Lokesh on Friday accused theJaganmohan Reddy government ofgiving a raw deal to the students,youth, women, Dalits and othersections by breaking promises.Lokesh asserted that the leaders ofthe Telugu Nadu Students’Federation came out of the jailtoday with their heads held high,unlike CM Jaganmohan Reddy whohad to bow down his head becauseof his alleged involvement in illegalassets case. “Having such a badtrack record, the Chief Minister wasrecklessly implementing theoppressive Raja Reddy constitutionby ignoring the law of the land,” hesaid. On the occasion of the TNSFleaders' release from the jail,Lokesh visited the venue andformally welcomed the leaders. Hepraised them for courageouslyfighting for the cause of the PGstudents who were being deniedfee reimbursement now. “The GO77 was brought as a part of thesuppressive Raja Reddyconstitution. The rape cases filedagainst the TNSF leaders were amark of Jagan Reddy Penal Codethat is being implemented in AP in

place of the Indian Penal Code,” healleged. The TDP MLC and formerminister expressed concern thatthe Government was playingneedless games with the future ofthe students and unemployedyouth.“Over 3 lakh studentsbelonging to weaker sections andbackward classes were badly hitbecause of GO 77. It denied feereimbursement to PG students inprivate colleges. The poor studentsbelonging to SC, ST, BC andMinorities were losingopportunities to study abroad,whereas Jagan Reddy's daughterswere having foreign education,” hesaid. Alleging that the universityeducation was damagedcompletely, Lokesh said that theChief Minister became a brandambassador for caste politics evenin educational institutions. “Over11 out of the total 13 ViceChancellors appointed by thegovernment belonged to a singlecaste. Even in executive council,90 per cent of the membersbelonged to the same caste. Thereis need to appoint educatedpersons with clean record andwithout criminal or politicalbackground as executive councilmembers,” he said.

GO 77 spoiled chances ofweaker sections: Lokesh

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

The doctors at the RuiaGovernment General Hospitalin Tirupati, after conductingbasic medical tests, found thatthe couple held for the murderof their two daughters wasmentally unstable and needsproper care in the custody.

The doctors are said to havesuggested the cops to shift theaccused couple toVisakhapatnam where themental health care in the cus-tody could be provided.

The Government Hospitalfor Mental Care in Vizag isequipped with advanced carefacilities and one among thebest in the country.

With a faith that they wouldresurrect their daughter fromdead as ‘kaliyuga’ will end and

‘satyayuga’ will start fromMonday, the couple allegedlybludgeoned their two youngdaughters to death with dumb-bells at their residence inMadanapalle.

Earlier, Radhika, a psychia-trist at the district hospital,after examining the accused

couple, said that the accusedmother, Padmaja, was meditat-ing in a trance while worship-ing Lord Shiva in the sub-jailroom. Prison officials placedher in a special barracksbecause she was behavingabnormally.

Purushottam Naidu was

kept in a common barrackswith other prisoners. Prisonstaff said they sang hymnswhile meditating in a trance onthe 'Om Nama Shivaya' chanton Tuesday night withoutfalling asleep.

Father of the daughters,Purushottam Naidu, had saidthat their children had died forthe welfare of the world. Healso was noted saying thatdespite the pain of losing hischildren, he is optimistic thatthey will soon be happy.

The doctors observed thatthey killed their children dueto a delusion in a trance-likestate. Authorities have beenadvised to look for the sourceof treatment for the disease andsend them to a team of psy-chologists in Vizag or Tirupatifor an assessment.

Docs suggest Madanapalle couple be shifted to mental hospital

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

In yet another incident of blindfaith at Madanapalle town inChittoor, a person, trusting thewords of a fake god man,married his daughter off to thefollower of a godman. Hisdaughter was studyingmedicine. However, the parentsof the girl learnt about the fakegod man. Immediately, theyfiled a complaint in the Chittoorpolice station. According to

reports, Venkat Reddy ofThamballapalle constituency, B.Kothakota became a Swamiji.With the help of a followernamed Charan, he used to cheatdevotees with his lies.Venkat Reddy frightened thefather of the girl by saying thatthere would be a huge loss ifdoesn’t get his daughtermarried to his follower.Frightened by Swamiji's words,the person got his daughtermarried to Charan.

Parents marry off theirdaughter to fake godman’sdisciple at Madanapalle

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Vijayawada Central MLA andchairman of AP BrahminWelfare Corporation MalladiVishnu on Friday said thatVijayawada city was proud tohave great artistes like classicalviolinist AnnavarapuRamaswamy and MridangamQueen Dandamudi SumatiRamamohan.

The MLA, along with 28thDivision corporator, AtmakuriSuresh felicitated the nonage-

narian violinist AnnavarapuRamaswamy at the latter’s res-idence here.

The violinist who wasnamed for receiving the fourthhighest civilian award PadmaShri was felicitated with ashawl and a bouquet.

Later, addressing the media,the MLA said that AnnavarapuRamaswamy has nurtured sev-eral artistes in the city andbrought fame to the country.As a contemporary of themaestro Mangalmapalli

Balamurali Krishna, he per-formed on thousands of stagesacross the world.

The MLA exhorted theyouth to take inspiration fromthe artistes like Ramaswamyand Sumati to bring laurels tothe city. YSRCP leaders OgguVicky, Vaddi Vasu, YannamRatna Rao, Siva Reddy, GontlaRamamohan Rao, Pandu,Dammalapalli Seshan, Murali,Challa Sudhakar, Vithal andothers participated in the pro-gramme..

Annavarapu Ramaswamyfelicitated for Padma Shri

Vijayawada Central MLA and other party leaders felicitating classical violinist Annavarapu Ramaswamy on being awardedPadma Shri here at his resident on Friday.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The ruling YSRCP objected tothe use of a separate applicationby the State ElectionCommission to monitor elec-tions and receiving complaintsputting aside the official appli-cations.

YSRCP state general secre-tary Lella Appi Reddy, alongwith party leaders, lodged acomplaint with the SEC hereon Friday.

Appi Reddy said that it wasreliably learnt that the SECwhile interacting with the dis-trict collectors though video-conference disclosed about anapplication developed by theSEC and put the same to use inthe notified election process.

Stating that there wasalready an app developed bythe Government of AndhraPradesh by name NIGHA APPto cater to the needs of theElection Commission, he said

that the State ElectionCommissioner issued a notifi-cation on January 8 and themodel code of conduct cameinto force from January 9, but

there were no details of the appin the public domain.

Raising doubts over the app,he said that it was not safe touse an app developed andhosted on a private server asthe sensitive information relat-ed to the elections will be con-trolled by a private entity andmay lead to mishandling, mal-practice, loss, pilferage of sen-sitive data.

Stating that there were appli-cations created by both the

Central and State governmentswere already available, he saidthat there was no need tobring in a new app that mayjeopardise the sensitive datarelated to voters.

Appi Reddy and other lead-ers sought the SEC to chooseapplications of the CentralElection Commission which isalready being used for the pur-pose of conducting electionsand desist from relying on aprivate entity of its choice.

YSRCP asks SEC not to use ‘private app’ for polls

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The leading tech giant, HCLTechnologies, will be organis-ing a virtual mega recruitmentdrive in Vijayawada onFebruary 12 and 13 for theunemployed youth in the state.The company will be offeringaround 1,000 job opportunitiesfor freshers and experiencedprofessionals, as well, at HCLTechnologies campus atGannavaram near here.

The HCL TechnologiesGlobal IT Development Centerbecame operational sinceFebruary 2020 with nearly1,500employees. The HCL’sGannavaram campus which isspread in about 30 acres of landwas envisaged as part of thedrive to create new IT hubs inthe State. Addressing themedia, Srimathi Shivashankar,Corporate Vice-President, HCLTechnologies on Thursdayannounced the details of therecruitment drive at HCL cam-pus in Gannavaram.

She said that the HCL’s ‘NewVistas’ initiative provides talentin India with innovative oppor-tunities and platforms that willempower them with the neces-sary skills needed to play cru-

cial roles in the technologylandscape.

She said the HCL offersbest-in class skill-based train-ing programmes for entry-level jobs. The skill centre inVijayawada can currently train1,000 people. Candidates inter-ested to kick-start their ITcareer with HCL can apply forits training and hiring pro-grammes. The HCLVijayawada Centre has 750+students enrolled in Tech Bee– the HCL’s Early CareerProgramme. The Tech BeeProgramme provides trainingfor students who have complet-ed Class XII for entry level jobroles at the HCL. On complet-ing the 1-year TechBee train-ing programme, the studentsare placed in the HCLTechnologies. The HCL alsosupports higher education ofTechBee scholars through itsarrangement with BITS Pilanior SASTRA University wherestudents can enrol for complet-ing their graduation pro-grammes. Interested candi-dates can submit their applica-tions on the following URL:https://wwwhcltech.com/careers/vijayawada by February 11,2021.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Spices Board conducted theVirtual Buyer Seller Meet(BSM) for Chili and Turmericwith special focus on AndhraPradesh.

Inaugurating the meet onFriday, Rajya Sabha MP andSpices Board Member GVLNarsimha Rao said that saidthat the export quantity of chilihas almost doubled in the lastdecade. He opined that inte-gration between all segments

of value chain will help toderive better value in export.

Highlighting the need formore value addition in spices,he urged the exporters to comeup with new ideas for enhanc-ing the export of value additionin chili and ways of investmentin spice processing.

Spices Board and state agri-culture and horticulturedepartments have been puttingin efforts through variousschemes and programmes inAndhra Pradesh and

Telangana region, which is aproduction hub of spices likechili, turmeric and pepper.

India is the world’s largestexporter of chili and turmericand their exports have record-ed a steady progress over theyears. During 2019-20, Indiaexported 4,84,000 tonnes ofchili and chili products valuedat Rs 6,211.70 crore which con-tributed to more than 40 percent in volume and 29 per centin value of India’s total spiceexports.

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Two children (aged 2 and 3)in East Godavari agency wentmissing eight days ago andthe cops are still groping inthe dark.

According to MaredumilliInspector, Ravi Kumar, twogirls were playing in front oftheir house in Musuru villageunder Maredumilli villagepanchayat at about 10.30 amon January 22 and they wentmissing since then. However,their parents lodged a miss-ing complaint in Maredumillipolice station three days afterthe incident, January 25.

The villagers suspectedthat the children could haveventured into the nearby for-est while playing. The villagehas a clean history and thereis no chance of outsidersentering the village as it isvery isolated. There is no pos-sibility of these two girlsgoing more than a half-a-kilometre into the forest asthey are too young.

Animals like wild boarsand foxes wander aroundthe area, but there are notraces of animals killing thekids and there is no smell ofany dead body in the nearbyforest.

Search on fortwo kids whowent missing8 days ago

HCL to conductvirtual mega jobdrive on Feb 12, 13

MP seeks innovative ideas to boost spices’ exports

Pay salary, arrears tosanitary workers:MLA to CMPNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP Repalle MLA AnaganiSatya Prasad on Fridaydemanded the immediatepayment of all the salaryarrears with interest to thesanitary workers who riskedtheir lives to save the lives ofthe people when the Covidinfections peaked.

In a letter written to ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy here, the TDP MLArecalled how the sanitaryworkers worked hard rightfrom the day the first infec-tion case was recorded inAndhra Pradesh.

Instead of encouragingthem, the government hasruthlessly avoided payingthem salaries for severalmonths. The time has comethat the arrears be paidimmediately and also theyshould be given healthallowances for their exem-plary services rendered dur-ing the epidemic period, hedemanded.

Stressing on the need forthe government to recog-nise the services rendered bythe sanitary workers on parwith other health workers,the TDP MLA said: “Thepromised Rs 50 lakh com-pensation should be paid tothe families of the sanitaryworkers who died whilefighting againstCoronavirus.”

C PRADEEP KUMAR

n VIJAYAWADA

Even as the ruling YSRCPand State E lec t ionCommissioner (SEC) arecaught in an intense 'ego'war, Leader of theOpposition and TDP ChiefN Chandrababu Naidu hasset the tone for a new con-vention by releasing theparty manifesto for the cur-rent Panchayat elections.

The initiative has stirredup a massive controversy inthe state politics, with theYSRCP leaders questioningthe Constitutional propri-ety of the manifesto which,according to them amountsto influencing the voters.

For the first time in localbody elections history whichwould be contested on anon-party basis, the mainopposition political party,TDP, released election man-ifesto which created a flutterin the state.

The ruling YSRCP wasup-in-arms against therelease of manifesto byOpposit ion TDP anddemanded that StateElection Commission takesaction against Naidu.

Naidu could have releasedmanifesto for ZPTC andMPTC election and not thepanchayat which is reflectingNaidu’s political oppor-tunism.

Further, YSRCP lodged acomplaint with the SECseeking action against Naiduand others for releasing TDPelection manifesto 2021 forpanchayat elections.

On the other hand, Naidu,who was silent during theMarch pol ls las t yearreleased the party manifesto'Palle Pragathi - PanchaSutralu' (Village Growth -Five Plans) for the panchay-at polls 2021 namely protect-ed fresh water with free taps,ensuring security, preventingattacks on temples as well assecurity for public proper-ties, avoiding the meters foragricultural motors, reduc-tion of property tax, providebetter civic services and cre-ating ideal villages withcleanliness and hygiene.

Naidu claimed that theYSRC's argument that these

were partyless elections waswrong. He further claimedthat the political influencewould be there in everyaspect of life. He defendedthat the panchayat electionswould be indirect in naturebut the candidates would begetting support from oneparty or another.

Meanwhile, YSRCP MLAand state official spokesper-son Ambati Rambabu statedthat Chandrababu Naiduwanted to turn non-partyelections into party elec-tions and questioned whataction would the SEC NRamesh Kumar take againstNaidu for releasing the man-ifesto for panchayat elec-tions.

He said that Naidureleased election manifestofor panchayat election wastotally against the spirit ofthe Constitution as it isclearly stipulates conductingpanchayat elections withoutpolitical interference andnon-party basis.

Minister PeddireddiRamachandra Reddy andother leaders came downheavily on the TDP electionmanifesto showering variousschemes requesting the vot-ers to vote the TDP-spon-sored candidates luring andinducing the public violatingthe Model Code of Conduct(MCC) and sought immedi-ate action by the SEC.

Naidu releases manifesto amid polls; stirs controversy

Naidu demandedimmediate withdrawalof the false cases thathave been filedagainst Linga Reddyand other TDP leaders

TDP chief condemns formerMLA Linga Reddy’s arrest

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021 telangana 04

One more nightshelter to come up in WarangalWARANGAL URBAN: Measuresare being taken to set up onemore night shelter in the city,disclosed Greater WarangalMunicipal Corporation (GWMC)Commissioner PamelaSatpathy. She inspected thegovernment land opposite theWarangal vegetable market, theland near the LB Nagar BharatGas Godown and other sites.Speaking on the occasion,Pamela said that a suitableplace for establishing a nightshelter in the city was beingidentified. “The night shelterwill soon be constructed withthe funds sanctioned under the‘Pattana Pragathi scheme’ toprovide accommodation for 50people,” she added. It may berecalled that the civic body hadalready constructed three-nightshelters in the city for thebenefit of the destitute.

Virtual talk onCOVID vaccineHYDERABAD: The TelanganaState Federation of Chambersof Commerce and Trade(TSFCCT) will organise avirtual talk on COVID vaccineawareness with HealthMinister Eatala Rajender onSunday at 10 am on theZoom platform. The ministerwill dwell on the governmentpriority of people to bevaccinated when and wherethe vaccine will beadministered and theprecautions to be takenbefore and after vaccination,said Ammanabolu Prakash,President of TSFCCT in apress note issued here onFriday.

CAPSULE

PNS n VARANASI

MLC Kalvakuntla Kavithaoffered prayers at KashiVishwanath temple here onFriday. On a visit purely ded-icated to spirituality, Kavithahas been accompanied by hermother Shobha Rao and herfamily members. On Day 2 ofher visit, Kavitha reachedKashi Vishwanath templewhere she spent a couple ofhours in the service of LordKashi Vishwanath. This wasfollowed by her visit to

Annapurna temple, DhundiVinayak temple andMahamritunjaya temple. Shetweeted her pictures from theAnnapurna temple where shewas found offering prayers atthe temple with her motherand others.

Later, former MP visitedthe historic Tulsi GhatHanuman temple, followed bya visit to Nishadraj Ghat whereKavitha performed holy ritu-als and interacted with peopleof Varanasi as she concludedher visit.

Earlier, on her first day, shevisited Assi Ghat,Dashashwamedh Ghat on theboat with locals. She was foundactive on Twitter as she sharedglimpses of her visit.

On Thursday, Kavitha per-formed Ganga aarti with herfamily and headed towardsSankatmochan temple, at boththe places Kavitha was spottedperforming all the holy rituals.She even wrote Ganga AartiSankalp and shared her videowhile performing the aartiwith her family.

Kavitha offers prayers atKashi Vishwanath temple

State Women’s Commission chairperson Sunitha Lakshma Reddy called on Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at the RajBhavan on Friday. The former was accompanied by Women’s Commission members Shaheen Afroze, Gaddala Padma, KurmaEshwaribai, Sudha Lakshmi, K Uma Devi, Revati Rao and others are also seen

WOMEN’S CCOMMISSION CCHAIRPERSON CCALLS OON GGOVERNOR

PNS n HYDERABAD

“If the government gets per-mission, we will foot the bill forthe vaccination of the popula-tion. We are committed to thewelfare of the people ofTelangana,” Minister for HealthEatala Rajender asserted.

The Minister for Health wasspeaking on ‘The NextNormal: NavigatingUnchartered Waters’ organ-ised by FICCI LadiesOrganisation here on Friday, hesaid that the question of moneydoesn’t arise in the fight againstCovid.

He said that the governmentspends Rs 35,000 crore perannum for welfare. Speakingfurther, the minister said thatTelangana is ready to admin-ister the vaccine to people, whocan’t afford it. “But even if richpeople, too, ask, we are readyto administer the vaccine toeveryone. The Telangana Statehas a per capita of two lakh andabove more than double thenational per capita. We canbear the cost of the vaccina-tion,” he said.

The State has taken eightlakh doses and 1.09 lakh gov-ernment healthcare workersand over 40,000 private sectorworkers have been vaccinatedso far, he informed. “We areready to vaccinate people above50 years and people with co-morbidities as per the guide-lines by the Central govern-ment. People are questioningthe efficacy of the virus andasking about trials, but accord-ing to WHO, a vaccine is saidto be efficient, if it has a 50%

efficacy. We have vaccines withmuch better efficacy in a shorttime. We are going to admin-ister vaccines to each andeveryone,” he said.

Mahima Datla, MD & CEO,Biological E Limited, address-ing the gathering said thatthey don’t have a source ofcredible scientific information.She lamented that the do’s anddon’ts list and FAQs for whocan take vaccination came

much late. It should have beenearlier, people should be edu-cated, she said.

Sharing the top three learn-ing from the Covid situation,Mahima said that they mustcollaborate with a global net-work to know about the emer-gence of viruses in time. Globalsurveillance of viruses must bethere and WHO is not enough,she said.

India has a greater opportu-

nity to play, she opined. Thereare about 25-30 viruses onlythat have pandemic potential.“We are exposed to a lot ofviruses and build immunityover time. But, when virusesjump from species to speciesour body doesn’t have time toovercome them,” she said.

The government shouldinvest in research and newtools to minimise the timetaken to produce the vaccine.Thirty viruses are not insur-mountable, she said. “We needinfrastructure that is kept readywhen we face challenges,” sheadded. Answering to a ques-tion on herd immunity, shesaid that the notion of gettingherd immunity by infection isbad. The best way to deal is byimmunizing the maximumnumber of people in the short-est possible time, she said.

Govt ready to administervaccine free of cost to all

Minister for Health Eatala Rajender at FICCI Ladies Organisation meeting in Hyderabad on Friday

n Mahima Datla, MD & CEO,Biological E Limited, said thatthey must collaborate with aglobal network to know aboutthe emergence of viruses intime. Global surveillance ofviruses must be there andWHO is not enough, she said.

n The State has takeneight lakh doses and1.09 lakh governmenthealthcare workersand over 40,000private sector workershave been vaccinatedso far, he informed.

(Top) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavithastrikes a pose with locals in Varanasi

(Left) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha offersprayers at Annapurna temple inVaranasi on Friday

IndiGo to startflights betweenKurnool andBengaluruPNS n NEW DELHI

IndiGo on Friday said itwill start direct flightsb etween Kurno ol andBengaluru, Visakhapatnamand Chennai from March28 onward under regionalconnectivity scheme Udan.According to the airline'spress re lease , SanjayKumar, Chief Strategy andRevenue Officer, IndiGo,said, "It will strategicallyenhance regional connec-tivity in southern India, asKurnool will be one ofthree capitals in AndhraPradesh, as well as thenode for the upcomingHy d e r a b a d - B e n g a l u r uIndustrial Corridor."

F l ights on a l l threeroutes - - B enga lur u-Kurnool, Visakhapatnam-Kurnool and Chennai-Kurnool -- will operatefour times per week underthe regional connectivityscheme, the release noted.

Under the Udan scheme,financial incentives fromthe Centre, State govern-ments and airport opera-tors are extended to select-ed airlines to encourageoperations from unservedand underserved airports,and keep airfares afford-able.

The release said Kurnoolwill be the judicial capitalof Andhra Pradesh and itsincreased accessibility willnot only help tourists butalso the government offi-cials travelling to and fromthe city.

A CHANDRASHEKHAR

n SANGAREDDY

Goods from neighbouringStates are crossing the borderillegally and entering the erst-while Medak district. Accordingto sources, the goods are beingsmuggled by private vehiclesfrom other States without prop-er bills. Smuggling is going onunabated mainly on the borderof Medak and Sangareddy dis-tricts with the lifting of checkposts by authorities concerned.It seems that traders are readyto smuggle goods with estimat-ed bills. Hundreds of lorries andcontainers are being loadedwith goods from other Stateswithout any bills. As a result, thegovernment is losing crores ofmoney in the form of taxes.

Apart from transportingcement and marble fromKarnataka and Maharashtra toMedak, they are also beingsmuggled to Hyderabad andother districts through thesedistricts. Electronics, homeappliances and plastic goodsfrom Maharashtra andKarnataka are also being sent tothe erstwhile district withoutpaying taxes. In the past, therehave been records of officersbeing caught illegally trans-

porting goods. Surveillancesources say they are moving tothe district overnight withoutany bills. Thus, the traders con-tinue to smuggle goods withoutpaying any taxes to the govern-ment. For time being, there isa need for the CommercialTax Department and otherdepartments to keep tabs on thezero business and the move-ment of illicit goods.

Traders, who do not complywith the regulations, are illegal-ly importing goods from otherStates into the joint Medakdistrict without any bills. Mostof the traders, mainly fromSangareddy, Medak andSiddipet districts seem to be

importing large quantities ofpulses, seeds, fertilizers, plasticsand electronics fromMaharashtra, Karnataka andAndhra Pradesh.

Bills and waybills are essen-tial if any goods are to betransported from one place toanother. But, traders at thefield level do not follow theserules. Hundreds of lorries ofvarious goods are plying dailyfrom the joint district to theneighbouring States withoutany bills and from there about100-200 lorries of various goodsare arriving here.

Lack of checking on the bor-ders, private buses and vehiclesare not stopped and the

Commercial and ExciseDepartment officials do notcarry out inspections, hence,smuggling of goods across theborders is rampant. This result-ed in a loss of crores of rupeesrevenue to the government inthe form of taxes.

Following the implementa-tion of the GST, theCommercial Taxes Departmentlifted the check posts atZaheerabad and Narayankhedborders along the erstwhileMedak district as per govern-ment orders. Similarly, on theroads, the authorities concernedstopped inspecting the vehiclestransporting the goods. Asvehicle inspections cease,intruders are becoming moreprovocative.

“We are taking steps to pre-vent smuggling in the borderareas of the State. TheEnforcement Department con-ducts inspections from time totime. We are carrying out vehi-cle inspections even thoughthere are no check posts on theborder. A special departmentconducts inspections in theareas where goods are trans-ported. We are taking steps tocurb smuggling in the erstwhileMedak district,” said Janaiah,CTO of Sangareddy district.

Illegal goods transit rampant inerstwhile Medak district

PNS n HYDERABAD

Dr G Narendra Kumar (IAS)assumed charge as the DirectorGeneral of the National Instituteof Rural Development andPanchayat Raj (NIRD&PR),Rajendranagar, here onWednesday for a period of fiveyears. Earlier, he was theAdditional Chief Secretary,Government of Delhi, a releasehere said on Friday. Dr Kumarpossesses Ph.D. from OsmaniaUniversity and holds master'sdegree in Public Administrationfrom llfaxwell School of PublicAffairs, USA. He was instru-mental in setting up of four uni-versities in Delhi and increasingaccess to quality technical andhigher education in the nation-al capital. Dr Kumar is alsoknown for developingPuducherry as the HardwareCapital of the country. Earlier,he had worked in variousnational and international aca-demic institutions such asAdministrative Staff College ofIndia (ASCI) and ICRISATbesides he has a wide range ofadministrative experience inenvironmental protection, socialand sustainable development.

Narendra Kumarassumes charge as Director Generalof NIRD&PR

PNS n NIRMAL

Rythu Vedika buildings wouldcome in handy for farmers indiscussing modern farmingmethods and sharing usefulinformation relating to agricul-ture, opined Minister forForest A Indrakaran Reddy. Heinaugurated a Rythu Vedhikaat Ola village in Kuntala man-dal on Friday, which was con-structed at an estimated cost ofRs 23 lakh.

Addressing the gathering,the minister said awarenessand training programmeswould be conducted at Rythu

Vedikas soon, to train farmersin adopting innovative farmingmethods. He stated that thefarmers could use the facilityfor other purposes to updatetheir knowledge.

He said that the governmentwas implementing manyschemes for the welfare of thefarmers.

He claimed that the govern-ment purchased paddy fromfarmers even through Covid-19 crisis crippled economy.

He cited construction ofirrigation projects and provi-sion of uninterrupted powersupply to agriculture needs and

introduction of Rythu Bimascheme.

Later, he laid the foundationstone to a 33/11 KV powersubstation to be installed at anexpenditure of Rs 1 crore. Healso laid the foundation stoneto an Anganwadi centre, ware-house and a temple of GoddessRenuka.

The estimated cost of thewarehouse is Rs 40 lakh, whilethe temple is being built byspending Rs 10 lakh.

Zilla Parishad chairperson KVijayalaxmi, Mudhole MLA GVittal Reddy and local publicrepresentatives were present.

‘Rythu Vedikas to come in handy for farmers’

PNS n PEDDAPALLI

Rebel star Prabhas arrivedhere on Friday to takepart in the shooting of‘Salaar’ movie, which isbeing directed by PrashantNeel of KGF fame, at anopencast-II mine inRamagundam-III area.

He came to Illanduguest house,Godavarikhani and wentto the OCP-II project site.Upon his arrival,Ramagundam PoliceCommissioner VSatyanarayana metPrabhas at Illandu guesthouse.

Since the shooting ofthe movie is scheduledfor nine days, Prabhas isgoing to stay in the coalbelt town. The movie unithas chosen opencast

mines to shoot fightingand other scenes for ninedays.

The film unit, whicharrived at Singareni coalmine on Tuesday, madearrangements for a fight-ing scene in OCP-II. TheSCCL management hasallocated its guest housesfor the movie unit. It islearnt that the shootingwill be started in two tothree days.

Rebel star toshoot for ‘Salaar’in Ramagundam

Ramagundam Police Commissioner V Satyanarayana greets tollywood actorPrabhas at Illandu guest house on Friday

The film unit, whicharrived at Singarenicoal mine and madearrangements for afighting scene in

OCP-II

PNS n HYDERABAD

It was a dream come true fora whopping 215 underprivi-leged students of TelanganaSocial Welfare ResidentialEducational Institutions, whoproved their mettle in thecountry’s toughest IIT-JEE andNEET entrance exams thisyear. For the first time in thehistory of TSWREIS, 80 stu-dents secured seats inIITs/NITs, while as many as135 students got seats in MBBSthis year. What makes their featso special is that all the toppersare the first-generation sonsand daughters of beedi work-ers, small farmers, agricultur-al labourers, road-side tea sell-ers, vegetable vendors, masons,auto drivers, peons and secu-rity guards.

Minister for ScheduledCastes Development, BCWelfare and Minority WelfareKoppula Eshwar congratulat-ed the toppers for their out-standing achievement andfelicitated the toppers at afunction held at social welfareresidential college inGowlidoddi here.

Speaking during the felicita-tion ceremony, the ministersaid “It’s a golden lettered

moment in the history of gov-ernment residential educa-tional institutions and thanksto Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao forapproving free long termintensive coaching pro-grammes to prepare the brightSC/ST students for competitiveexams on par with the privateinstitutions.

The Chief minister’s supportto the government residentialeducational institutions hasbeen unparalleled in the edu-cation sector in India and theentire country is looking at theTelangana model of residentialeducation”, the ministerremarked. Speaking on theoccasion, the minister saidthe students’ success is a sym-bol of the hard work and sac-

rifice of TSWREIS teachersand staff, who have been work-ing with a commitment totake their students to greatheights in life, despite innu-merable challenges”. The min-ister called upon the studentsto serve poor communitiesand payback to the society.

Dr RS Praveen Kumar,Secretary TSWREIS, said,“Every year less than 10 stu-dents used to get medical seatsin undivided Andhra Pradesh,thanks to the Chief Ministerand Koppula Eshwar, the num-ber of students getting intomedical colleges risen to 135 in2019, a incredible achieve-ment by any standard andsuccess of these poor studentsmeans a lot to their poverty-stricken families”.

Social Welfare ResidentialIIT, medical toppers feted

Social Welfare Residential IIT, medical toppers pose with Minister for ScheduledCastes Development, BC Welfare and Minority Welfare Koppula Eshwar at afelicitation in Hyderabad on Friday

PNS n HYDERABAD

A Fortuner of Kannada filmproducer went missing fromthe parking lot at Park Hayathin Banjara Hills on Friday.Based on a complaint fromManjunath, the Banjara Hillspolice registered a case andtook up investigation.

According to the com-plainant, a week ago, he cameto Hyderabad and stayed atPark hotel. On Tuesday, heparked his vehicle Fortunerbearing No KA04MX1000silver colour of 2019 modeland parked in B2 parking lotof the hotel. But the car wentmissing from the parkinglot.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Minister for Education PSabitha Indra Reddy onFriday said that the govern-ment has decided to allowonly 50 per cent of the stu-dents in degree, PG and pro-fessional courses when col-leges reopen from February1.

During a meeting con-ducted with officials of theHigher EducationDepartment, the ministerdirected officials concernedto formulate and implementan action plan for each classin colleges.

Instructing officials toconduct classes duly follow-ing Covid-19 precautionarymeasures, she asked them toregularly inspect public andprivate educational institu-tions. To facilitate the sanita-tion process, the ministerdirected the Telangana StateCouncil of Higher Education(TSCHE) to provide Rs 20lakh to each university andalso instructed officials toinstil confidence among stu-dents and parents over pre-cautionary measures beingtaken for holding classes.

Only 50%students to beallowed incolleges

Kannada filmproducer’s car lifted

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021 nation 05

Villagers in the vicinity of a proposed medium-size dam in Alibagtaluka of Raigad district have given their "conditional consent"for its construction, a

senior official said on Friday. The dam, proposed to come up inKhairwadi in Jambhulwadi, some 25 kilometres away from Alibagtown, has been pending since 1972, the official said. Alibag deputycollector Sharad Powar said the meeting of villagers and officialstook place on Thursday. "Villagers have not opposed theconstruction of the dam. They have given conditional consent. Themain issue is rehabilitation of those who will be displaced. A secondmeeting will be held on February 24," Powar informed.

INDIA CORNER

PNS n NEW DELHI

Against the backdrop of theChinese aggression in easternLadakh, President Ram NathKovind on Friday said the gov-ernment is ‘vigilant’ and thatadditional forces have also beendeployed at the Line of ActualControl (LAC) to protect thesovereignty of the country.

In an address to a joint sit-ting of Parliament on the open-ing day of the Budget session,Kovind, who is also theSupreme Commander of theArmed Forces, said when Indiawas grappling with theCOVID-19 crisis last yearattempts were made to chal-lenge its capability at the bor-der.

"Efforts were made to disruptthe peace at LAC in utter dis-regard of bilateral relations andagreements. However, our secu-rity forces not only respondedto these machinations withpromptitude, force and courage,but also foiled all attempts tochange the status quo at theborder," he said.

"The restraint, valour andcourage displayed by ourjawans, deserve utmost praise.In June 2020, twenty of ourjawans made the supreme sac-rifice and laid down their lives

defending the country atGalwan Valley. Every citizen isdeeply indebted to these mar-tyrs."

Close to 100,000 Indian andChinese troops are deployed ineastern Ladakh as both sideshave been holding on to theirground and showing readinessfor a long-haul, amid continu-ing diplomatic and militarytalks to find an amicable solu-tion.

"My Government is vigilantand fully committed to safe-guard the interests of the coun-try. Additional forces have alsobeen deployed at the LAC to

protect the sovereignty ofIndia," President Kovind said.

The face-off began in earlyMay last year following a clashbetween Indian and Chinesesoldiers near Pangong lake.The tension escalated in east-ern Ladakh following theGalwan Valley clash on June 15that resulted in large deploy-ment of troops and heavyweaponry by both the armies atthe friction points.

China is yet to disclose thenumber of its soldiers killed andinjured in the clash though itofficially admitted to have suf-fered casualties. According to

an American intelligencereport, the number of casualtieson the Chinese side was 35.

At the ninth round of mili-tary talks last week, India andChina agreed to push for anearly disengagement of troopsand resolved to continue "effec-tive efforts" to stabilise and con-trol the situation in easternLadakh.

In his address, PresidentKovind also talked about thegovernment's efforts to fur-ther boost India's military pre-paredness.

"Keeping in mind the largerrole that India is set to play inthe future, my government isintent on strengthening ourmilitary preparedness," he said.

"A range of modern arma-ments are being procured toenhance the capabilities ofIndia's armed forces. There isalso a thrust on achieving self-reliance in the defence sector."

The President also referredto the government approving amega defence deal to procure83 Tejas light combat aircraft

from the HindustanAeronautics Ltd (HAL).

"Only a few days back, thegovernment has placed anorder with HAL for procure-ment of 83 indigenous fighteraircraft Tejas worth Rs 48,000crore. Imports of more than100 items linked to defencehave been prohibited in orderto promote 'Make in India'," hesaid.

Similarly, he said severaladvanced weapons includingsupersonic torpedoes, quickreaction missiles, tanks andindigenous rifles are beingmanufactured in India.

India is now also rapidlyincreasing its share in theexports of defence equipment,he added.

In August last, DefenceMinister Rajnath Singhannounced that India will stopthe import of 101 weapons andmilitary platforms like trans-port aircraft, light combat heli-copters, conventional sub-marines, cruise missiles andsonar systems by 2024.

In his address, President Kovind also talkedabout the government's efforts to further boostIndia's military preparedness

Govt ‘vigilant’, additional forcesdeployed at LAC: Prez Kovind

PNS n NEW DELHI

Police fired tear gas and resort-ed to baton charge Friday tobreak up a clash between farm-ers and a large group of menclaiming to be local residentswho hurled stones at each otherat the Singhu border, one of themain protest sites against farmlaws.

Delhi Police SHO (Alipur)Pradeep Paliwal was injured inthe violence after a man attackedhim with a sword, an officialsaid, adding that some peoplewere also wounded.

The official said that policedetained the man who attackedthe station house officer.

The group claiming to belocals demanded that the farm-

ers vacate the Singhu border, oneof the main protest sites aroundthe capital, alleging that they had"insulted" the national flag dur-ing their tractor parade onRepublic Day.

Armed with sticks, the groupof locals reached the site andasked the farmers to leave whileraising slogans against them.Both sides also pelted stones ateach other. The protesters at theSinghu border, much of whichis barred for entry from outside,came out in numbers to resistthe locals. However, they werepromptly stopped by farmerunion volunteers which helpedthe situation from turning ugly.

"They are not locals, buthired goons. They were throw-ing stones, petrol bombs at us.

They attempted to burn downour trolleys also. We are here toresist them. We won't leave theplace," said Harkirat MannBeniwal, 21, from Punjab'sKhana district.

Thousands of protestingfarmers had clashed with thepolice during the tractor rallycalled by farmer unions onJanuary 26 to highlight theirdemand for repeal of theCentre's three farm laws.

Many of the protesters, dri-ving tractors, reached the RedFort and entered the monument.Some protesters even hoistedreligious flags on its domes andthe flagstaff at the ramparts,where the national flag isunfurled by the prime ministeron Independence Day.

Tension at Singhu border as'locals' clash with farmers

Maha: Alibag villagers giveconditional consent for dam

Amajor fire broke out ina textile factory inSurat city of Gujarat on

Friday, in which at least sixpersons were injured,officials said. The blazeerupted in the multi-storeyfactory building located onA K Road around 3 pm,they said, adding that noloss of life was reported inthe incident. "At least six persons, who were trapped in the unitand suffered minor injuries, were rushed to a nearbyhospital," a personnel of '108' ambulance service said.The Surat firebrigade rushed 10 fire tenders to the spot, but there was no reportof any casualty so far, a fire control room official said.Talking toreporters, a factory representative said that all the 100-odd workerswere safe and nobody has suffered serious injuries.A spark in anelectric motor apparently triggered the fire, he said.

Major fire breaks out at textileunit in Surat, six injured

With over 4,600 activecoronavirus cases inTamil Nadu, the recovery

rate was above 97 per cent whilethe infection positivity rate stoodat 5.21 per cent, Chief Minister KPalaniswami said on Friday.Addressing a Covid-19 reviewmeeting with district collectorshere, Palaniswami also pointedout to the various pro-peoplemeasures taken by his government during the lockdown period, such asproviding essential items through ration shops, besides the stateattracting good investments. The use of RT-PCR tests had helped thegovernment curb the spread of the contagion, which had even earned thepraise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. Tests were beingregularly conducted in colleges and hostels, the chief minister said."Presently, the infection positivity rate is 5.21 per cent, as 4,629 people areunder treatment. The death rate stands at 1.47 per cent while 8,19,850people have been cured and the recovery rate is 97.97 per cent,"Palaniswami added.

Covid-19: TN's recovery rate is 97.97 per cent, says CM

PNS n NEW DELHI

Union Home Minister AmitShah will address two rallies inWest Bengal on Saturday andSunday, and attend several pro-grammes as the BJP steps up itscampaign in the poll-boundstate where assembly electionsare expected to be held in April-May. BJP sources said Shah willarrive in Kolkata on Friday nightand start his public programmeson Saturday with a visit toISKCON (International Societyof Krishna Consciousness) inMayapur and later address a rallyat Thakurnagar.

He will also address his party'ssocial media volunteers inKolkata in the evening. Shah isscheduled to address anotherrally at Dumurjala in Howrah onSunday. He will also visitAurobindo Bhawan and Belur

Math on the day. Party leaderssaid he is expected to have lunchat the house of a jute mill work-er in Belur on Sunday.

The saffron party has emergedas the main challenger to the rul-ing Trinamool Congress, head-ed by Chief Minister MamataBanerjee, in the state. The partyis pulling out all stops to end her10-year-old reign and has deput-ed a number of senior leaders,including Union ministers, to itsstate campaign.

ACentral Reserve Police Force(CRPF) personnel was killedand another was injured

when a colleague opened fire onthem in Chhattisgarh's Bastardistrict on Friday morning, policesaid. The assailant, who wasundergoing treatment for mentalhealth issues, later tried tocommit suicide by shootinghimself, they said. The incidenttook place at 8 am in the camp of CRPF's 241st 'Bastariya' battalion atSedwa village under Darbha police station limits, 330 km from statecapital Raipur, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj Psaid. Constable Girish Kumar (25), who had been admitted to isolationward of the camp for treatment of mental ailment, snatched a rifle fromhis colleague and opened fire, the IG said. "Constable Pramod KumarSori (27), who hailed fromNarayanpur district, died on the spot, while constable SantoshVacham (26), resident of Bijapur district, sustainedinjuries," he said. Subsequently Girish Kumar shot himself and sufferedgrievous injuries, the senior police officer said. Kumar hails from Sukmadistrict of the state.

CRPF jawan shoots deadcolleague, injures another

Amit Shah to address two rallies in Bengal

PNS n NEW DELHI

Terming the boycott of PresidentRam Nath Kovind's address tothe joint sitting of Parliament byopposition parties as "unfortu-nate", the BJP on Friday said asthe symbol constitutional head ofthe country, the President isabove political differences, andattacked the Congress, saying its"arrogance" is the "real problem".

Asserting that opposition par-ties violated parliamentary con-ventions, BJP leader and Unionminister Ravi Shankar Prasadsaid the BJP never boycotted apresidential address to Parliamentdespite many "scams" duringthe Congress-led UPA govern-ment.

Singling out the Congress,the largest opposition partywhich is among the 20 partiesthat boycotted the address, in hisattack, Prasad said its "arro-

gance" is the "real problem" as itbelieves that it is bound to rulethe country despite not havingthe popular mandate.

"The Budget session com-menced with President's addresstoday. The President is beyondthe pale of political divide andrepresents the symbol of consti-tutional head of India and there-fore, he is entitled to our respect,"Prasad told reporters outsideParliament. It is a matter of greatregret today that the opposition

sought to boycott the Presidentialaddress, Prasad said, adding thatmore irresponsible is the behav-iour of Congress which ruledIndia for fifty years.

Another party leader andUnion minister PrakashJavadekar also slammed theCongress, alleging that its exis-tence over the last 5-6 years isbased on a "false narrative" thatthe Modi government is againstconstitutional institution andvalues.

Oppn boycotting Prezaddress 'unfortunate': BJP

PNS n NEW DELHI

Sustaining a downward move-ment, the tally of India's activeCOVID-19 cases has dropped to1.71 lakh (1,71,686) which isjust 1.60 per cent of the totalinfections, while the nationalcumulative positivity rate hasfallen to 5.50 per cent, the UnionHealth Ministry said on Friday.

The country's cumulative testsfor detection of coronavirus infec-tion has crossed 19.5 crore(19,50,81,079) with 7,42,306tests being conducted onThursday.

"The national cumulative pos-itivity rate has fallen to 5.50 percent," the ministry said. India'scaseload per million populationis one of the lowest when com-pared globally and stands at

7,768, it said. "The count is much higher for

countries like Germany, Russia,Italy, Brazil, France, UK andUSA," the ministry said.

It said 17 states and UTs have

cases per million lower than thenational average (7,768).

Till 8 AM on January 28,nearly 30 lakh (29,28,053) ben-eficiaries have received anti-coro-navirus shots under the country-

wide COVID-19 vaccinationexercise, it said.

In a span of 24 hours, 5,72,060healthcare workers were vaccinat-ed across 10,205 sessions. Theministry said 52,878 sessionshave been conducted so far.

"The number of beneficiariesbeing vaccinated every day hasshown a progressive increase," theministry underlined, adding that72.46 per cent of the total vacci-nated beneficiaries are from 10states.

Uttar Pradesh accounts forthe maximum share of vaccinat-ed beneficiaries followed byKarnataka and Rajasthan.

India's cumulative recoverieshave surged to 1,03,94,352. A total18,855 new daily cases have beenrecorded in a span of 24 hourswhereas 20,746 patients have

recovered during the same peri-od. Chhattisgarh has reported6,451 cases, 6,479 discharges and35 deaths since their last report.The jump in figures, according tothe State Health Department, isdue to the reconciliation of dis-trict level and state level case, dis-charge and death figures, the min-istry said. It said 85.36 per cent ofthe new recovered cases areobserved to be concentrated inseven states and UTs.

Chhattisgarh has reported themaximum number of single dayrecoveries with 6,479 newlyrecovered cases. In Kerala, 5,594people recovered in a span of 24hours followed by 3,181 inMaharashtra.

The ministry said 85.73 percent of the new cases are fromfive states and UTs and added

Chhattisgarh reported the high-est daily new cases at 6,451.

"As mentioned above, thejump in figures is due to the rec-onciliation of district level andstate level case, discharge anddeath figures," the ministryunderlined.

It is followed by Kerala with5,771, while Maharashtra report-ed 2,889 new cases. It added that163 fatalities have been record-ed in a span of 24 hours.

Eight states and UTs accountfor 85.89 per cent of the newdeaths. Maharashtra saw themaximum casualties (50).Chhattisgarh follows with 35daily deaths and Kerala with 19.Altogether, 19 states and UTshave deaths per million lowerthan the national average (112),the ministry added.

COVID-19 active cases tally contracts to 1.71 lakh

PNS n ALIBAUG (MAHA)Two men, including aNigerian national, havebeen detained fromRasayani in Maharashtra'sRaigad district for alleged-ly possessing drugs worthover Rs one lakh, police saidon Friday.

The duo was nabbed onThursday and mephedroneand ganja collectively worthRs 1.11 lakh were seizedfrom them, the police said.

Raigad Superintendent ofPolice Ashok Dudhe saidthe accused have beenbooked under sections ofthe Narcotic Drugs andPsychotropic Substances(NDPS) Act.

Police said the accusedcould be linked to an inter-national drug syndicate.

Nigerianamong twoheld withdrugs PNS n NEW DELHI

President Ram Nath Kovindinvoked nationalist Assamesepoet Ambikagiri Raichaudhuriin his address in Parliament onFriday to describe how thecountry achieves success evenin seemingly unattainable goalswhenever it is united and saidchallenges like COVID-19 orborder tension with China werefaced with fortitude by every-one together.

Addressing the joint sitting ofboth houses of Parliament onthe first day of the Budget ses-sion, Kovind also said that theNarendra Modi government isfully committed to the overalland balanced development ofeastern India.

He said whenever India hasremained united, it has beenable to attain even seeminglyunattainable goals and this sol-

idarity and Mahatma Gandhi'sinspiration had given us free-dom from hundreds of years ofcolonial rule.

"Echoing the same spirit,Assam 'Kesari' AmbikagiriRaichaudhuri, the nationalistpoet, had said – 'Om tatsatBharat Mahat, Ek chetonaat, EkDhyanot, Ek Sadhonaat, EkAvegot, Ek Hoi Jaa, Ek Hoi Jaa'(India's grandeur is the ultimatetruth. In one single conscious-ness, one thought, one devo-tion, one inspiration, let usunite; let us unite)," he said.

Raichaudhuri (1885–1967),

known as the lion of Assam forhis firebrand nationalist char-acter, was a freedom fighter andwon the Sahitya AkademiAward in 1965. He was also thePresident of Asom SahityaSabha in 1950.

The President said the unityand dedication of Indians hasenabled the country to over-come multiple adversities.

He said the country hasfaced every crisis with fortitude,be it the coronavirus pandem-ic, floods, earthquakes or majorcyclones in several states, locustattack or the bird flu.

Prez invokes nationalistAssamese poet on unity

India's grandeur is the ultimate truth. In onesingle consciousness, one thought, onedevotion, one inspiration, let us unite; let usunite," he said

PNS n JAMMU

A mysterious explosiontook place near a religiousplace in Jammu andKashmir's Rajouri districton Friday, officials said.

Police have launched aprobe into the incident,they added.

The explosion took placenear a boundary wall of thereligious place in PalmaKotedhara village on theinter vening night ofThursday and Friday ataround 1 am, the officialssaid.

"We have registered acase and started investiga-t ion," SeniorSuperintendent of Police,Rajouri, Chandan Kohlisaid.

PNS nMUMBAI

Maharashtra Minister for SocialJustice Dhananjay Munde anda woman, with whom he was ina relationship earlier and hastwo children, informed BombayHigh Court that they havedecided to settle their disputesbefore a mediator.

Munde had, in December,filed a defamation suit in theHigh Court seeking an orderrestraining the woman fromposting his private pictures andvideos on her social mediaaccounts.

Munde, in his suit, claimedthe woman had uploaded sev-eral such photos.

The HC, on December 16, inan interim order, directed thewoman not to post any privatephotos or videos of the plaintiff(Munde) on her social mediaaccounts.On January 28, whenthe plea came up for hearing

before a single bench of JusticeAK Menon, the minister andthe woman's advocates told thecourt the two had decided tosettle their disputes out of courtthrough mediation.

The two parties tenderedtheir consent terms agreeing tothe appointment of V KTahilramani, former ChiefJustice of the Madras HighCourt, as mediator.

Justice Menon accepted thesame and requested the medi-ator to fix a preliminary meet-ing.

The interim relief granted byHC in December directing thewoman to not post any privatephotos and videos of herself andMunde on her social mediaaccounts shall continue till fur-ther orders.

The woman's sister had ear-lier this month lodged a rapecomplaint against Munde. She,however, later withdrew thecomplaint.

Munde, woman to settledispute with mediator

Explosionnear religiousplace inRajouri

Economic calculations: Chinaaccounts for more than 60 percent of the total FDI in Nepal.Until 2014, India had thelargest FDI share in Nepal butfollowing the then friendlyCommunist Government inNepal, China managed tosurpass India. In the pastthree years, China has tripledits investment in the hospital-ity, tourism, cement manufac-turing and construction sec-tors. Popular tourist destina-tions like Thamel inKathmandu are primarilyleased by Chinese business-men, who have been accusedof sheltering Chinese nation-als involved in scams, traffick-ing and bank fraud in Nepal.With the CCP-NCP nexus inplace, diplomatic immunityhas become the synonym ofChinese interests in Nepal.Strategic Beijing: China’simmediate strategic stakesrest with the Belt and RoadInitiative (BRI), military tiesand an extradition treaty.Beijing has more than 10 BRIprojects running in Nepal,and a non-Oli Governmentmay cost big dimes to Beijing.Also, the People’s LiberationArmy was planning the thirdedition of the SagarmathaMilitary Exercise by 2020 endwith Nepal Army, whichbegan in 2017. Beijing pro-jects the joint military exercise

as a counter to India’s tradi-tional security ties with Nepal.However, the House dissolu-tion leaves little space forChina to get the Nepal Armyalong for the exercise.

Beijing also expects anearly conclusion of its extradi-tion treaty with Nepal. DuringJinping’s October 2019 visit,the treaty was almost signedbut human rights advocatesvehemently opposed the move.Amid the protests, the treatywas replaced by the MutualLegal Assistance on CriminalMatters Treaty, similar to extra-dition. An extradition treatywill enable China to prosecuteanti-China and free-Tibetvoices in Nepal as it is home to20,000 Tibetan refugees.Lost traditional space:Traditionally, the United States(US) has followed India’s courseof action concerning peaceand security in Nepal. Thetwo hold a similar position onprotecting the rights of Tibetanrefugees in Nepal, which irksBeijing. To appease the Chinese,Oli has stepped back from ear-lier commitments to join theMillennium ChallengeCorporation (MCC) — aninnovative and independentUS foreign assistance agency tohelp fight global poverty. TheUS Government began work-ing with Nepal in 2012 towarddeveloping an MCC compact.

With China alleging that theMCC was a US-led military ini-tiative, it has been in politicallurch for a decade now.However, soon after Joe Bidentook over, the US Ambassadorhas held meetings withPrachanda and the Oppositionleaders, indicating a renewedeffort to pursue Nepal for join-ing the MCC.Conclusion: Many in Indiabelieve that our recent efforts tohold talks and the ongoingmedical diplomacy will help easeties with Nepal. Contrary to thisunderstanding, Oli has a clearagenda on the border issuewith India, and he is ready toadvance Nepal’s ties with China.Considering the upcomingpolls, Oli will re-use his anti-India centric ultra-nationalismto appease voters. Therefore,India needs to be cautious ofevery friendly move it makes. AsOli’s anti-India manoeuvringshelp Beijing to assert its positionin Nepal, China would like himto remain in power. Meanwhile,it is the Opposition’s responsibil-ity to make the Nepalese pub-lic aware of Chinese debt trapsand strategic moves that havealready been proved in SriLanka and the Maldives.

(The author is an ICSSRDoctoral Fellow at the JNU, NewDelhi, and Senior Fellow at theAIDIA, Kathmandu. The viewsexpressed are personal.)

Poised to take a leap of faith, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is preparing to increaseits footprint in electoral politics across at least six States — Uttar Pradesh (UP),Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The ambitious plan

was divulged recently at the party’s ninth national council meeting by national con-vener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Having experienced a few false starts,dissension, bickering and even public ridicule to some extent, the party has come along way and is hoping to keep the trajectory of its electoral fortunes high. As earlyas in December, Kejriwal had let it be known that the party would contest the UP

Assembly elections. Even for the upcoming gram panchay-at elections, the party fielded 40 candidates in Moradabadalone to contest from 39 wards. This came after the AAPemerged victorious on 70 seats across 13 districts in theMaharashtra gram panchayat polls earlier this month. Setup in 2012 and now into its third term in the Capital, theparty has made small gains in the Goa and Kashmir localelections as AAP candidate Hanzel Fernandes won a pan-chayat seat in Goa. Its leader Mehraj Malik won the DistrictDevelopment Council polls from the Kahara constituencyin Doda though he contested as an Independent.

The AAP has already started the process of handing out State-wise responsibil-ities to its senior leaders. Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency MLA and spokesper-son Raghav Chadha has been given the charge of Punjab, Kalkaji legislator Atishiwill take care of the party’s expansion in Gujarat and Sangam Vihar MLA DineshMohaniya is in charge of Uttarakhand. All these States are scheduled to go to elec-tions in 2022. Kejriwal claims that people were supporting the party because theyhad realised that both the BJP and the Congress had ruled for years but done noth-ing worthwhile to change the lives of the common man; “They keep talking aboutthe past while we are the only party with a vision for the 21st and 22nd century,”he pointed out. Of course, the party’s Government has done some good work in thepast six years, especially in the health and education sectors, but it remains to beestablished conclusively that the nation’s voters have changed their viewpoint towardsthe party and no longer consider it Delhi-centric.

India always prides itself as a country that has been the voice of sanity in the comi-ty of nations. Now, it is emerging as a country that is playing a leading role in thedemocratisation of access to Coronavirus medicines and vaccines in the midst of

the worst pandemic in living memory. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has oftencalled India the “pharmacy of the world”, the nation’s role as one of the largest pro-ducers of vaccines globally came in for high praise from US President Joe Biden andUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who termed our vaccine produc-tion capacity as the “best asset” that the world has today. This statement comes onthe back of the fact that under its “Vaccine Maitri” initiative, India has played the role

of the first responder in the neighbourhood. It has notonly assisted more than 150 countries through urgenthealth and medical supplies, New Delhi has alsopledged $15 million and 10 lakh vaccine doses to UNhealth workers under the Global Alliance for Vaccinesand Immunisation (GAVI), the Vaccine Alliance, andplans to supply one crore doses to Africa. It has alsooperationalised the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for itsneighbours with an initial contribution of $10 million.Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and theMaldives have received our COVID-19 vaccines undergrant assistance in sync with India’s “Neighbourhood

First” policy. Further expanding its “vaccine diplomacy”, India plans to gift the shotsto Oman, 15 Caribbean Community countries, Nicaragua and the Pacific Island states.However, as it needs to look after its economic interests too, particularly as our owneconomy has been hit by the pandemic, India has begun commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines and sent two million doses each to Brazil and Morocco. Contractual sup-plies are also being undertaken in a phased manner and New Delhi has said it will grad-ually supply to the COVAX facility of the WHO, a global initiative to ensure equitableaccess to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of their income level.

This status as a mature and stable country that is capable of taking on a leader-ship role in the middle of a global health crisis comes at a time when two other nationsin the neighbourhood have riled the world community. While China has been held respon-sible for the global Coronavirus outbreak and has also raised hackles because of itsexpansionist policies under Xi Jinping, Pakistan under Imran Khan is being increasing-ly seen as a failed State which crushes minorities, harbours terror groups and has turnedthe region into a powder keg. So, in playing a leading role in supplying the covetedCorona shots to the world for free and also commercially, India is not only showcas-ing its production capacity to the world and ensuring that the international communi-ty turns to it in the unfortunate event of a pandemic in future, New Delhi is signallingto the world that it is ready to play a leadership role in the region and, in the process,earning the goodwill of the international community that is just priceless.

Vaccine diplomacy

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

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VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021

06

Going placesWill the AAP’s gamble of entering the poll fray in six States pay off, or will the voters reject it?

Though Beijing has failed to facilitate a truce between the warring factionsof the Nepal Communist Party, China would like Oli to remain in power

PICTALK

A man walks along the Noland Trail at The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport, Virginia. AP

THE CCP HASESTABLISHED TIES

WITH THE NCP. THECCP RECOMMENDS

TO THE CHINESEGOVERNMENT THE

DEGREE OFECONOMIC AND

DEFENCEASSISTANCE TO

NEPAL, MAKING ITTHE PRIMARYCONNECTION

BETWEEN THE TWOGOVERNMENTS

RISHI GUPTAIndia’s signal that it is ready to play a leadership

role in the region is earning it the world’s goodwill

Nepal needs tobe wary of China

The dissolution of theLower House of theNepalese Parliamenthas caused loomingpolitical instability in

the Himalayan nation. PrimeMinister KP Oli continues toassert his position in the NepalCommunist Party as the “legiti-mate” chairperson after theElection Commission ruled in hisfavour and revoked his suspensionby the Prachanda and MadhavKumar Nepal-led faction lastweek. The onus now rests on theSupreme Court to decide on thelegitimacy of the House’s dissolu-tion and holding of fresh electionsin March or April. Meanwhile, itis unlikely that the court will ruleagainst Oli, considering his recordwith the court and the favoursgiven in judicial appointments.At stake for China: While the lin-gering uncertainty has led topolitical upheaval, Nepal is beingclosely monitored by India andChina. India has officially com-municated it as an “internal mat-ter” of Nepal, but China hasrushed to control the damage.The arrival of Guo Yezhou, aVice-Minister of the InternationalDepartment of the ChineseCommunist Party (CCP), inNepal was a clear indication of theChinese holding their breath.But Beijing failed to facilitate atruce despite the fact that the del-egation made headlines in thepolitical and strategic sphere ofNepal. With an unsuccessfulattempt to unite the warring fac-tions of the Nepal CommunistParty (NCP), China has the fol-lowing issues at stake.Political leverage: Politically, theCCP has established ties with theNCP. The CCP recommends tothe Chinese Government thedegree of economic and defenceassistance to Nepal, making it theprimary connection between thetwo Governments. The CCPand the NCP had formalisedpolitical ties during ChinesePresident Xi Jinping’s visit toKathmandu in October 2019.The party allegedly providespolitical funding to the NCPthrough “humanitarian chan-nels” like the Madan BhandariFoundation. With the NCP nowdivided, the CCP will have to re-establish ground for politicalleverage in Nepal.

GO FOR GRADED ‘UN-LOCKDOWN’Sir — The rich countries are running outof Coronavirus vaccines and witnessingnew cases, strains and deaths, while thepoor countries are having to go withoutaccess to the vaccination.

In India, meanwhile, the number ofactive cases is declining. With the worstbehind us, there is the possibility ofrelaxations for public activity from themonth of February, including higheroccupancy in cinema theatres and hold-ing exhibitions. This will come as a reliefto some of the outlying sectors that couldnot fully unlock so far, although most otheractivities have been permitted.

The Maharashtra Government has,meanwhile, extended the COVID-19 lock-down till February 28. The MaharashtraGovernment had earlier extended theongoing lockdown imposed in view of theCOVID-19 pandemic till January 31. TheState has been witnessing fewer than 5,000COVID-19 cases for 26 successive days.That said, extending the lockdown in thecontainment zones is perfectly justifiable.

In an economy struggling with ademand contraction for goods and ser-vices, a graded opening is the prudentcourse with strict enforcement of publichealth measures like use of face masks, safedistancing, staggering of working hours,workplace sanitisation and firm actionagainst spitting in public places.

Bhagwan Thadani | Mumbai

WHY TAKE SELECTIVE ACTION? Sir — Though it’s a “rarest of rare” incident,a television channel has taken a seasonedanchor-journalist off air for two weeks anddocked his salary for one month for mis-reporting that the man who had died dur-ing the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi onJanuary 26 had been “shot” by the police.

Though the scribe had deleted histweet and mentioned on air that the farmerhad been killed in an accident after histractor toppled, the channel’s administra-tion has taken the right step. Whether itwas done to please the Union Governmentor under pressure from the powers that be,

is another matter.The decision was taken apparently to

send out the message that there is no placefor fake news in the media house. If that’sthe case, one must recall that in the pastfew years no action was taken by the samegroup against several other high-profilejournalists over various false news items,even when they never issued any clarifi-cation on the fake news items. Not onlyhave they pushed falsehoods but alsotweaked the truth, targeted the weak andfed hate to millions of viewers.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee | Faridabad

LET’S STOP THE AGRI-CIVIL WAR Sir — Since September 27, 2020, whenthe three agriculture Bills became Actsfollowing the consent of President RamNath Kovind, it’s been a contentious topicacross the country.

If analysed technically, the laws havethe potential of boosting profit andproductivity, both of the farmers as wellas of the nation, but the demand of thefarmers was also to keep the Minimum

Support Price (MSP) intact and give itstatutory backing. Many unfortunateincidents have taken place since the farm-ers from several States reached theCapital’s doors nearly two months back.

On the occasion of the 72nd RepublicDay, we all watched the tractor paradewhich was really a display of hooligan-ism and barbarism. With over 300policemen receiving injuries during theoutrage, now even the local residents ofthe National Capital Region are angrywith the protesting farmers. Gradually,their camps are vanishing and manyfarmers’ unions have announced with-drawal from the ongoing protest. Indiacan’t afford such violence at this criticaltime of vaccination drive. Let’s all be partof a new India, let’s educate the framersabout the real benefits of the farm lawsand boost our country’s pride.

N Soumik | Bhubaneswar

Send yyour ffeedback tto:letterstopioneer@gmail.com

LETTERS TO TTHE EDITOR

The Opposition is fully justified in boycottingthe President’s address to the joint sessionof Parliament in a display of solidarity with

the protesting farmers and disapproval of theGovernment’s hostility towards them. After all, thePresident’s address was just a script written bythe Government in its defence. The Opposition’searlier appeal to the President to intervene andcounsel the Government to be consideratetowards the farmers had no effect on him.

There is a lot of support on the ground for

the farmers’ protest, contrary to the Government’spropaganda. More farmers have swelled the pro-testers’ ranks in the face of deployment of forcesfor possible crackdown on them. For all the braveface the Government is putting on, it is runningup against considerable opposition to its farmlaws and its stubbornness to retain them.

The Government is handling the protest onthe principle of “might is right”. It is using strong-arm tactics against the protesting farmers to forcethem to call off their protests. We are troubledby the sight of forces being stationed in front ofthe farmers. Halting the water and power sup-ply to farmers is not worthy of a farmer-friend-ly Government. The attempt to forcibly evict farm-ers, the way it was tried vainly at Ghazipur, is notjustifiable. Pro-Government TV anchors denigratefarmers as “public nuisance” and denounce theirprotests as a "danger to public safety”; they mustspare a thought for the food on their plates.

G David Milton | Tamil Nadu

The Govt must show restraint

SOUNDBITEAll the Members ofParliament presenthere today embodythe conviction heldby every Indianthat the toughest ofchallenges will deter neither usnor India.

President —Ram Nath Kovind

Our good offices are

always available (for

India and Pakistan),

and we will insist

within it of finding

peaceful solutions for problems that

have no military solution.

UN Secretary-General

—Antonio Guterres

I have always beena wildlife enthusiastand I have cher-ished opportunitiesto go on safaris. Iwent to Kaziranga National Parkand I had an amazing time spot-ting rhinos, deer and elephants.

Actor —Ayushmann Khurrana

If a business is builton misleading users,on data exploitation,on choices that areno choices at all,then it does not deserve our praise.It deserves reform.

Apple CEO

—Tim Cook

I’ve played lots of

Indian Premier

League matches

here but nothing in

terms of first-class

cricket, so the challenges of bowling

with a red ball will become clearer.

England bowler—Jofra Archer

Paratroop reforms on the ground

A BIG THANK YOU TO DELHI CHIEF MINISTER

ARVIND KEJRIWAL FOR PROVIDING WATER

FOR US AT THE GHAZIPUR BORDER.

—FARMER LEADER

RAKESH TIKAIT

WE ARE WITH THE FARMERS. YOUR DEMANDS ARE

VALID. IT IS COMPLETELY WRONG TO DISCREDIT THE

FARMERS’ MOVEMENT AND FILE FALSE CASES.

—DELHI CHIEF MINISTER

ARVIND KEJRIWAL

Unlike the Economic Survey for 2019-20,which was prepared keeping in mind theambitious target of achieving a $5 trillion

economy by 2024-25, this time around, the over-arching theme revolves around demonstratinghow brilliantly the Government has managed theCoronavirus pandemic. Through lucid elaborationon the details and modeling with facts and figures— using international as well as inter-State com-parison within India, Chief Economic Adviser(CEA) Krishnamurthy Subramanian has givenample justification for the “early” and “stringent”lockdown from March and thereafter calibrated lift-ing of restrictions from June onward. Tacitly, he hasalso admitted that this led to compression in demand(discretionary spending during this period wasalmost completely exterminated) on one hand, alongwith supply side disruption on the other hand.

The precipitous decline in the Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) growth by 24 per cent during thefirst quarter of the current Financial Year (FY) end-ing June 30, 2020, and continuing deceleration butat a moderate 7.5 per cent during the second quar-ter ending on September 30, 2020 is the inevitableoutcome of the above strategy that was focused pre-dominantly on saving human lives and keepingother health-related damage to the bare minimum.

However, there was sharp rebound during thesecond half when the decline was expected to bemarginal at 0.1 per cent. This has to do primarilywith fast normalisation of business activities, a cal-ibrated exit from the lockdown and release of pentup demand (with festive demand acting as the icingon the cake). For the whole year, growth is estimat-ed to be minus 7.7 per cent (against a much sharp-er decline in double digits forecast earlier by manyagencies). For 2021-22, the survey projects thegrowth to be 11 per cent which is also in sync withthe projection by the International Monetary Fund(IMF) at 11.5 per cent.

This much-trumpeted V-shaped recovery (alsodescribed as the best among all emerging marketeconomies) has been correlated by the CEA withsynchronised policy action — on the demand sideby way of reducing interest rate, pumping liquidi-ty, tax cuts and so on — and on the supply sidethrough agricultural and labour reforms. This maybe bit of an exaggeration. The recovery has to dooverwhelmingly with the exemplary success inimplementing measures on containing the virus andavoidance of a second wave of infection.

Pertinently, the survey itself notes: “Contraryto expectations of a faster growth in FY22 helpingto shave off the sharp GDP contractions this year,the Indian economy will take at least two more yearsto return to the growth levels achieved in the pre-pandemic period.” This is also in line with the IMF’sprojections, according to which after touching 11.5per cent in 2021-22, GDP growth will slide to 6.8per cent during 2022-23.

At the time of taking charge for his second stintin May 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hadset the GDP target for 2024-25 at $5 trillion. Thisby itself was highly unrealistic as it would haverequired an annual growth of 20 per cent (never seenin the past). Now, with the steep decline of 7.7 percent during the current FY, even if 11 per centgrowth is achieved during 2021-22, the GDP wouldhave merely recuperated to the 2019-20 level orabout $2.1 trillion. Starting from here, to reach $5

trillion in just about three years by2024-25 is next to impossible. Nowonder, even the CEA (unlike lastyear) is only talking of actions in theshort term. Accordingly, theEconomic Survey for 2020-21 hassuggested that “the Governmentshould come up with more fiscalmeasures for short-term support tothe economy and businesses.”

In other words, he wants theGovernment to go for a more loosefiscal policy notwithstanding thefact that already the fiscal deficit (FD)for the current year is expectedto be about 7.5 per cent. Thisdoes not include off-Budgetliabilities and extra-budgetary resources(EBRs). Once theseare included, thedeficit will increasefurther and will be more than dou-ble the Budget estimate of 3.5 percent.

While, talking of measures toboost growth, the official think tankneeds to introspect as to why despitea number of fiscal measures (com-plemented by monetary measures)taken during 2020 — branded by theCentre as several mini-Budgets —both consumption and investmentdemand continue to remain weak.For instance, look at the steep cut inthe corporate tax rate to 15 per centon new investment granted inSeptember 2019. Yet it failed to spurinvestment. This has been the posi-tion since the third quarter of 2018-19 (that was much before the pan-demic) leading to a decline in growthquarter after quarter. Spending a few

thousand crore more or leavingmore money in the hands of the peo-ple (through tax concessions ordirect cash transfer to the poor/vul-nerable) won’t be of much help inspurring demand or even enthusingentrepreneurs to invest. Of crucialimportance is the need to actuallyexecute reforms and make themwork on ground zero. Unfortunately,this is not happening. Here are someexamples.

Under a stimulus packageannounced last year, ̀ 3,00,000 crore

were to be given to micro, smalland medium enterprises(MSMEs) or identified

stressed sectors underthe Emergency Credit

Line GuaranteeScheme (ECLGS).Under this scheme,

as against a target of eight millionMSMEs beneficiaries, only four mil-lion got loan aggregating to ̀ 1,50,000crore. Likewise, the `65,000 croreadditional amount given for fertilis-er subsidy under the last tranche ofthe stimulus package was meant forclearing pending subsidy dues to fer-tiliser manufacturers. It is not anadditional support to farmers.

As regards the reforms in thefield of marketing agricultural prod-ucts, we have seen the fate of the threeCentral laws which have the poten-tial of substantially increasing pricerealisation by the farmers and couldhave played a vital role in doublingfarmers’ income.

As things stand today (rightnow the Supreme Court has put ahold on their implementation), it is

not clear whether these will see thelight of the day.

The Modi Government is bettingbig on investment in infrastructure;it is reiterated in the EconomicSurvey, too. That will need massiveresource mobilisation to the tune of`100 lakh crore over the next fiveyears. A whopping 39 per cent has tocome from the Centre and Stateseach and the balance 22 per centfrom the private sector. Till date, wedon’t have a strategic plan of actionon how to do it even as State agen-cies such as the National HighwayAuthority of India (NHAI) and so on,continue to be saddled with theresponsibility to fund the investmentmostly out of borrowings, pushingthem into unsustainable debt.

Look at the steep cut in corpo-rate tax that makes India one of themost attractive investment destina-tion: At par with even Singapore. Yet,if one looks at the fine print and inparticular, several riders for availingthe benefit, this could end up dis-couraging investors, including for-eign companies, to go for it.

To conclude, it may be worthrecalling what the CEA had expect-ed the Government to do in the sur-vey for 2019-20. The CEA wanted toexpedite reforms in banking, foodand fertiliser subsidy, land acquisi-tion, enforcement of contracts, elim-ination of bureaucratic red tape,removal of bottlenecks in trans-portation and clearances at the ports.This is a sustainable solution to theproblem of low demand and slowgrowth syndrome. Will Team Modibite the bullet?

Of crucial importance is the need to actually execute reforms and make them work on ground zero. Unfortunately, this is not happening

RAJEEV MATHUR

THE CEA WANTEDTO EXPEDITEREFORMS IN

BANKING, FOODAND FERTILISERSUBSIDY, LAND

ACQUISITION,ENFORCEMENT OF

CONTRACTS,ELIMINATION OFBUREAUCRATIC

RED TAPE,REMOVAL OF

BOTTLENECKS INTRANSPORTATIONAND CLEARANCES

AT THE PORTS.THIS IS A

SUSTAINABLESOLUTION TO THEPROBLEM OF LOW

DEMAND ANDSLOW GROWTH

SYNDROME. WILLTEAM MODI BITE

THE BULLET?

Transitioning to a sustainable energy regime will be one of the majorchallenges for mankind as this shift can only be enabled by behav-ioural change, technological innovation and promotion of clean

and green energy. Power is a vital commodity that goes through a widerange of flows and transformations that are pivotal for the existence ofhuman life. Increasingly extensive and efficient utilisation of energy hasplayed a critical role in the evolution of societies, especially in the post-Industrial Revolution era. Consequently, world demand for energy is expe-riencing a rapid growth and is projected to increase by 50 per cent by2050. However, the global energy scenario also faces challenges likedepletion of fossil fuel reserves, lack of access to refined energy resources,volatile prices, increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ener-gy insecurity. Use of energy has evolved through the course of histo-ry and there have been two major transitions. The first one was a shiftfrom wood and biomass to coal during the 18th century and the sec-ond one was the 20th-century transition from coal to oil and gas. Thecurrent shift is, however, much more vibrant and is manifested as sus-tainable energy transition. This shift has four vital dimensions:Decarbonisation, decreased use, decentralisation and digitisation.

Decarbonisation is led by solutions like renewable and low-car-bon technologies, electric mobility, carbon capture and storage, andhydrogen and fuel cells. Decreased use through energy conservationand management (ECM) is critical to sustainability. ECM is a widelyestablished and techno-economically viable strategy across all majorpower consuming sectors. Decentralised energy systems are becom-ing popular around the world to help cost-effective and efficient sup-plies of power. Digitisation is also an important aspect of future ener-gy systems as it helps improve productivity, accessibility, cost-effec-tiveness, and overall sustainability.

ECM is one of the most promising dimensions of sustainable ener-gy transition. In terms of application and benefits, ECM measures havea huge scope and offer a wide range of benefits not only at the indi-vidual and societal levels but also at global scales. By reducing ener-gy consumption, ECM results in economic gain and offers a compet-itive edge to industrial and commercial activities. It is regarded as a bet-ter solution to address energy deficit than developing new energy pro-jects, and thus helps in achieving greater national energy security.

Further, considering at every step of the energy chain — whichencompasses stages of production, transformation, transmission anddistribution, and end use — each unit of power saved is found to bemore cost effective and beneficial than the produced one. Another impor-tant global contribution of ECM is reduction in environmental emissionsas a result of curtailed energy use.

In the global context, studies show that besides industries and thetransport sector, buildings account for 36 per cent of the world’s totalenergy use and around 40 per cent of the GHG emissions. Hence, com-pared to other sectors such as transport, industry and agriculture, thebuilding sector has the greatest potential for reducing energy consump-tion and GHG emissions. With the commercially available and viablesolutions, energy demand in existing as well as new buildings can becut by 30 per cent to 80 per cent. The ongoing pandemic has addedanother critical dimension and the energy sector is also experiencingsupply cuts, disrupted trade flows, mounting debts and bankruptcies.The full and long-term impact of the outbreak is difficult to predict andunderpins the importance of sustainable energy solutions.

(The writer is former Executive Director, GAIL. The viewsexpressed are personal.)

The “establishment” hasincreasingly become oneof the most frequently

used words in political commen-taries and debates across theworld. Simply put, it describes atightly-organised matrix of shad-owy elite, whose invisible actionsand secret decisions engineer theeconomic, political and socialfates of the polity. During the2016 presidential poll cam-paigning in the US, the populistRepublican Party candidateDonald Trump and the Left-leaning Democrat Party con-tender Bernie Sanders wereoften described as “anti-estab-lishment”, whereas another con-tender, the Democrat Party’sHilary Clinton, was understoodas the candidate of the “establish-ment.”

The term “establishment”, inthe context that it is generallyunderstood today, was not partof any political lexicon till 1955,when the British journalistHenry Fairlie used it in an arti-

cle for The Spectator. Fairlie hadused the term while writingabout the disappearance of twoUK foreign officers. By “estab-lishment” he had meant todescribe the influential peoplewho were defending the officers’families from the Press.

Yet, within a few years, theword had been picked up byscores of political commentators,journalists and activists to meansomething a lot wider thanwhat Fairlie had originallyintended it to mean. The termgained more mention andmomentum in the US than inthe UK. For example, during theprimaries for the 1964 US pres-idential elections, the conserv-ative author Phyllis Schlaflylamented in her 1964 book ‘AChoice Not an Echo’ that theRepublican Party was beingmanipulated by the Republicanestablishment to keep out thosewho threatened its interests.She also claimed that this estab-lishment was made up of king-

makers who use “hidden per-suaders and psychological war-fare techniques” for this purpose.

However, ironically, thekingmakers did not hesitate tonominate the far-Right fire-brand and populist BarryGoldwater as their candidate forthe 1964 polls. He was someoneSchlafly was more than happy tosee contesting the liberal incum-bent, Lyndon Johnson. Johnsonswept the elections. Even thoughthe term was being used in theUK and the US, articles inPakistan and in India did not usethe term between January 1960and January 1970. However,some Indian newspapers did usethe word “syndicate” in 1969 todescribe the “kingmakers of theCongress Party.” The syndicatewas described as a group of partyelders who were against IndiraGandhi’s anti-business ideas. Inthe Pakistani Press (from 1967onwards) there was mention ofa powerful matrix of the military,the bureaucracy and “22 fami-

lies” running Pakistan as a dic-tatorship.

The political scholar SimonReid-Henry says that the seedsof the existential crisis thatdemocracy is facing today wereinitially sown during the eco-nomic and political upheavals ofthe 1970s, which saw politiciansand established political partieslose their ability to control theoutcome of events. Risinginequality, growing domesticand international tensionsbetween races, ethnic groupsand nations and the startling

exposition of political scandals,unleashed a powerful senti-ment of mistrust towards main-stream political players.

The consensus that wasachieved after the World War-II, between the mainstream Leftand Right groups in democrat-ic countries, had begun to crum-ble. This created an opening forgroups who were seen to be side-lined for being anti-establish-ment. These were adherents of“negative liberty” coming in toeradicate the “excesses of posi-tive liberty.”

In 1958, the politicalphilosopher Isaiah Berlin definedtwo concepts of liberty. To Berlin,“positive liberty” involved pur-suit of liberty that was driven byreason and not restricted byinner constraints such as irra-tional passions and desires.“Negative liberty” is when thepursuit of liberty is not restrict-ed by external constraints, suchas State and Government inter-ference in the lives of people. The

emergence of “neo-conser-vatism” in the 1980s is a case inpoint. The “neocons” emerged toannounce that they would berolling back Government inter-ference in people’s lives. They sawthemselves as the anti-estab-lishment. But there were inher-ent contradictions in what theydid. Take, for example, RonaldReagan’s America and Zia-ul-Haq’s Pakistan. Both greatly less-ened State interference in mat-ters of economics so that the peo-ple could achieve individualgrowth by acting upon theirdesires of acquiring materialwealth. Yet, even though thisfreed the State from trying to aidsociety through welfare pro-grammes, it coupled economicfreedom with external con-straints, such as abstract ideas ofmorality, tradition and faith.

After the economic crash of1987 and rising incidents of con-tradictory behaviour that ped-dled amoral materialism withreligious piety, this set of self-

appointed anti-establishmen-tarians, the “neocons”, also beganto be seen as being part of theestablishment.

There is no tangibility in theimage of a group of powerfulmen sitting in a secret smoke-filled room, deciding the fates ofthe polity. But this is not to sug-gest that segments influencing anation’s politics and economicsdo not exist. As the veteran UScongressional aide Mike Lofgrenonce stated, such groups, callthem establishment or “DeepState, “hide in plain sight.” TakePakistan’s so-called militaryestablishment. It doesn’t reallyconceal its political influence.That’s because power cannot befully exercised from the shad-ows. Those wielding powerneed to be seen if they are to beobeyed (or feared).

The establishment is there-fore not a shadowy conspiracybut a position of visible powerthat many want to become a partof. Many do.

The ‘establishment’ is sometimes taken to be a term used by outlandish conspiracy theorists. But it exists and is often hiding in plain sight

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021

07

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

FIRSTCOLUMN

NEED TO POWERUP GREEN ENERGY The full impact of the outbreak is difficult to predict andunderpins the importance of sustainable solutions

UTTAM GUPTA

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

The writer is a New Delhi-based policy

analyst. The viewsexpressed are personal.

Real power cannot be exercised from the shadows

NADEEM PARACHA

The views expressed arepersonal.

Courtesy: Dawn

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021 Money 08

MONEY MATTERS

Battery maker ExideIndustries on Fridayreported over two-fold

jump in consolidated net profitafter tax (PAT) to Rs 239.87crore in the third quarter endedDecember 2020 on robustsales. The company had posteda consolidated net PAT of Rs118.15 crore in the samequarter previous fiscal, ExideIndustries said in a regulatory filing. Revenue from operation duringthe quarter under review stood at Rs 4,196.53 crore as against Rs3,553.64 crore in the year-ago period, it added. Exide Industries LtdManaging Director and CEO G Chatterjee said that while aftermarketvolume for both automotive and UPS batteries remains encouraging,demands in OEM and other infrastructure segments also startedshowing some positive indications during the quarter.

Exide Industries Q3 PAT jumpsover two-fold to Rs 239.87 crore

State-owned Indian OilCorporation (IOC) will expand itsChennai refinery at a cost of Rs

31,500 crore through a joint venturewith its subsidiary and strategicfinancial investors, ChairmanShrikant Madhav Vaidya said onFriday. IOC and its subsidiaryChennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd(CPCL) will hold a 25 per cent stakeeach in the joint venture that will set up the 9 million tonnes a yearrefinery. The remaining 50 per cent equity would be with financialinvestors, he told reporters here. "The board of the company at itsmeeting today (Friday) approved setting up a grassroots 9 milliontonnes a year refinery at Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu," he saidadding that the unit will be built in 48 months from investmentapproval. IOC plans to pull down the 1 million tonnes per yearNagapattinam refinery of its subsidiary CPCL and build a brand new9 million tonnes unit. Asked about the participation of the NationalIranian Oil Company (NIOC) in the project, he said the refinery will beset up as a joint venture of IOC and CPCL and balance with strategicand financial partners.

IOC to expand Chennai refinery inJV with CPCL; to spend Rs 31K cr

Alternative asset managerBrookfield on Fridayannounced its Rs 3,800-

crore initial public offer (IPO)for its real estate investmenttrust (REIT), giving investors ashare of over 1.4 crore squarefeet of its commercialproperties across the country.With the IPO coming amidstthe COVID-19 pandemic, theglobal asset manager said there is no data to suggest that work fromhome is the new normal and exuded confidence that benefits likeclosely working together for productivity purposes will eventually getteams to work from offices. REITs are a relatively newer platform inIndia and so far two REITs have been listed. The issue will open forsubscription on February 3 and close on February 5, and bids can bemade for a minimum of 200 units and in multiples of 200 thereafterby bidders other than anchor investors.

Brookfield launches Rs 3,800-crIPO for its realty investment trust

Drug major SunPharmaceutical IndustriesOn Friday reported an over

two-fold jump in itsconsolidated net profit to Rs1,852.48 crore for the quarterended December on account ofrobust sales in most of itsmarkets. The company hadposted a net profit of Rs 913.52crore for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, Sun Pharmasaid in a regulatory filing. Consolidated total revenue from operationsof the company stood at Rs 8,836.78 crore for the quarter underconsideration. It was Rs 8,154.85 crore for the same period a yearago, it added. The board has proposed an interim dividend of Rs 5.50per share for FY21, the company said. "Our Q3 performance reflectscontinued profitable business growth in a market that is graduallyrecovering from the impact of the global pandemic. Most of ourbusinesses have done well over Q3 last year," Sun PharmaceuticalIndustries MD Dilip Shanghvi said.

Sun Pharma Q3 net profit zoomsover 2-fold to Rs 1,852 crore

PNS n NEW DELHI

India is reaping the "lockdowndividend" from the preventivemeasures it adopted at theonset of the COVID-19 pan-demic indicating its willingnessto take short-term pain forlong-term gain, said theEconomic Survey tabled inParliament on Friday.

The document also saiddespite the hard-hitting eco-nomic shock created by theglobal pandemic, India is wit-nessing a V-shaped recoverywith a stable macroeconomicsituation aided by a stable cur-rency, comfortable currentaccount, burgeoning forexreserves, and encouragingsigns in the manufacturingsector output.

"India is reaping the 'lock-down dividend' from the brave,preventive measures adopted atthe onset of the pandemic...,"it said in the opening chaptertitled 'Saving Lives andLivelihoods Amidst a Once-in-a-Century Crisis'.

Unlike Oscar Wilde's cynic,'who knows the price of every-thing and the value of nothing,'India's policy response to thepandemic stemmed funda-mentally from the humaneprinciple advocated eloquent-ly in the Mahabharata that'Saving a life that is in jeopardyis the origin of dharma.'

"Therefore, the 'price' paid

for temporary economicrestrictions in the form oftemporary GDP decline isdwarfed by the 'value' placedon human life," said the survey.

The document further saidIndia recognised that whileGDP growth will recover fromthe temporary shock caused bythe pandemic, human livesthat are lost cannot be brought

back. The response drew on epi-

demiological and economicresearch, especially those per-taining to the Spanish Flu,which highlighted that an early,intense lockdown provided awin-win strategy to save lives,and preserve livelihoods viaeconomic recovery in themedium to long-term.

India reaping ‘lockdowndividend' by saving lives PNS n NEW DELHI

The government's annualEconomic Survey on Fridaystrongly defended new farmlaws, saying they herald a newera of market freedom whichcan go a long way in improv-ing lives of small and margin-al farmers in India.

These legislations weredesigned "primarily" for thebenefit of "small and margin-al farmers", which constitutearound 85 per cent of thetotal number of farmers andare the biggest sufferer of the"regressive" APMC-regulatedmarket regime, the surveysaid.

The pre-budget documentdefended the farm laws in thebackdrop of long-runningfarmers' agitation at variousborders of the national capitalseeking repeal of these legisla-tions expressing concern thatthey are pro-corporate andcould weaken government reg-ulated mandis, also calledAPMCs.

"Several Economic Surveyshave expressed concern atfunctioning of the APMCs

and the fact that they sponsormonopolies. Specifically,Economic Surveys for the years2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14,2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20focused on the reformsrequired in this context," thesurvey said.

It also highlighted the rec-ommendations made on agri-market reforms since 2001,including by NationalCommission on Farmerschaired by M S Swaminathanand Taskforce on EmploymentOpportunities headed byMontek Singh Ahluwalia,among others.

The suggestions on market-ing of agricultural produceinclude the need to provide achoice to the farmers to sell

their products directly to a pro-cessing factory or the privatesector, development of agricul-ture marketing infrastructure,amendment of the StateAPMC Acts and the EssentialCommodities Act to ensurebarrier-free storage and move-ment of agricultural commodi-ties, it said.

The Farmers' Produce Tradeand Commerce (Promotionand Facilitation) Act, 2020,The Farmers (Empowermentand Protection) Agreementon Price Assurance and FarmServices Act, 2020 TheEssential Commo-dities(Amendment) Act, 2020-- are the three key legislationspassed by Parliament inSeptember 2020.

New farm laws herald new eraof market freedom: Survey

Economic Survey Highlights

PNS n NEW DELHI

India's economy is likely torebound with a 11 per centgrowth in the next financialyear as it makes a 'V-shaped'recovery after witnessing apandemic-led carnage, thePre-Budget Economic Surveysaid on Friday.

The GDP is projected tocontract by a record 7.7 percent in the current fiscal end-ing March 31, 2021.

The Economic Survey 2020-21 said the agriculture sectoris the only silver lining whileservices, manufacturing andconstruction were most hit bythe lockdown that wasimposed to curb the outbreakof the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After an estimated 7.7 percent pandemic-driven con-traction in 2020-21, India's

real GDP is projected to recorda growth of 11.0 per cent in2021-22 and nominal GDP by15.4 per cent. These conserv-ative estimates reflect upsidepotential that can manifest dueto the continued normalisa-tion in economic activities asthe rollout of COVID-19 vac-cines gathers traction," thesurvey said. The growth willfurther be supported by sup-ply-side push from reformsand easing of regulations, pushfor infrastructural invest-ments, boost to manufacturingsector through the Produc-tiv-ity Linked Incentive Schemes,recovery of pent-up demandfor services sector, increase indiscretionary consumptionsubsequent to roll-out of thevaccine and pick up in creditgiven adequate liquidity andlow interest rates, it said.

India GDP to grow 11per cent in FY 2022

PNS n NEW DELHI

Power demand touched anall-time high of 188.45 GW onThursday and will surpass 200GW mark very soon, PowerMinister RK Singh said.

"The power demand andsupply surged to a new high of1,88,452 MW at 9:42 am on28th January 2021. The rate atwhich we are going, we shallcross 2,00,000 MW very soon,"Singh tweeted on Friday.

In another tweet, he said,"Southern region touched thehighest ever peak demand of53,214 MW on January 28,2021, at 9:49 am".

On January 20, powerdemand had touched a recordhigh of 187.3 GW. All-India

power demand had touched arecord high of 182.89 GW onDecember 30 last year.

According to data from thepower ministry, the peakpower demand met (the high-est supply in a day) during

January last year stood at170.97 GW. The rising powerdemand shows revival in eco-nomic activities leading tohigher commercial and indus-trial demand, which was affect-ed due to the pandemic.

Power demand touches all-time high of 188.45 GW

PNS n NEW DELHI

The COVID-19 pandemicaffected the residential proper-ty market during the April-June period last year but saleshave improved in affordablehomes segment since Julyonwards, reflecting economicrecovery in the real estate sec-tor, according to the EconomicSurvey.

The National HousingBank's (NHB) Housing PriceIndices (HPIs) are a broadmeasure of movement of resi-dential property pricesobserved within a geographicboundary. The NHB-RESIDEXcaptures two housing priceindices -- HPI@ AssessmentPrices and HPI@ Market Prices- Under Construction

Properties based on the dataavailable for 50 cities withquarterly updation.

The housing price indexHPI @ Assessment Prices isbased on valuation data collect-

ed from primary lending insti-tutions, while HPI @ MarketPrices for under constructionproperties primary and sec-ondary data is collectedthrough market survey.

"The total number of trans-actions for HPI@AssessmentPrice reduced by 71 per centfrom March 20 to June 20 onQ-o-Q (Quarter-on-Quarter)basis while on Year-on-Yearbasis transactions reduced by67 per cent from June 2019 toJune 2020, indicating thatCOVID-19 crisis has signifi-cantly impacted the residentialreal estate market. New listingswere down significantly andbuyers also reduced their homebuying activity," the surveysaid. However, during the quar-ter July to September 2020,transactions forHPI@Assessment Prices haveincreased by around 150 percent on Q-o-Q basis.

"...thus, it is observed thatsales have retrieved in afford-

able segments, reflecting eco-nomic recovery in the realestate sector," the documentsaid.

Moreover, the surveyrevealed that housing loansgrowth decelerated to 8.5 percent in November 2020 from18.3 per cent a year ago. A sig-nificant fall has been observedin housing inflation from 6.7per cent in 2018-19 to 4.5 percent in 2019-20 and further to3.3 per cent in 2020-21 (April-December).

Giving update about thePMAY, which seeks to providehousing for all in urban andrural areas by 2022, the surveymentioned that under PMAY(Urban), as on January 18,2021, 109.2 lakh houses havebeen sanctioned.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Retail inflation for industrialworkers eased to 3.67 per centin December 2020 against9.63 per cent in the samemonth of last year due tolower prices of certain fooditems.

Retail inflation measured interms of all-India ConsumerPrice Index for IndustrialWorkers (CPI-IW) was 5.27per cent in November 2020, alabour ministry statementsaid. Food inflation for indus-trial workers stood at 2.89 percent against 7.48 per cent inthe previous month and 12.22per cent during the corre-sponding month a year ago.

All-India CPI-IW forDecember decreased by 1.1points and stood at 118.8.

On one-month percentagechange, it decreased by (-) 0.92per cent between Novemberand December, 2020 com-pared to (+) 0.61 per centincrease between correspond-ing months of the previousyear. The maximum down-ward pressure in current indexcame from Food & Beveragesgroup contributing (-) 1.53percentage points to the totalchange.

At centre level, Ramgarhrecorded the maximumdecrease of 6 points. Amongothers, a 4 points decrease wasobserved in three centres, 3points in seven centres, 2points in 29 centres and 1point in 24 centres.

On the contrary, Solapurrecorded a maximum increaseof 2 points.

Retail inflation for industrialworkers eases to 3.67 per cent

PNS n HYDERABAD

Electric mobility leader andpioneer in electric bus man-ufacturing, OlectraGreentech Limited (OGL)and Evey Trans PrivateLimited (EVEY) has receivedthe letter of award from PuneMahanagar ParivahanMahamandal Ltd. for 350electric buses under FAME-II scheme of Government ofIndia.

This order is for the supplyof 350 electric buses on GrossCost Contract (GCC) /OPEX model basis for a peri-od of 12 years. Evey Trans willprocure these 350 electricbuses from OlectraGreentech, which shall bedelivered over a period of 7months.

The maintenance of thesebuses shall also be undertak-en by the company during thecontract period. With these,total electric buses to bedelivered by OGL againstabove and earlier orders areover 1250 electric buses.

These 350 buses order is apart of recently announced L-1 bidder (disclosed on 5thJanuary). Becoming LeastQuoted (L-1) Bidder EveyTrans Private Limited andOlectra Greentech Limited(Company) have beendeclared as Least Quoted (L-1) bidders for 300 electricbuses from the BangaloreMetropolitan TransportCorporation (BMTC) underFAME-II scheme ofGovernment of India. The300 buses are for the supplyof the Electric Buses on GCC/ OPEX model basis for aperiod of 12 years.

Olectra-EveyTrans wins 350EV bus order

PNS n MUMBAI

Leading non-banking lenderIIFL Finance on Friday report-ed a 47 per cent jump in itsconsolidated net profit to Rs268 crore in the December2020 quarter. The company

had reported a net profit of Rs182.5 crore in the correspond-ing quarter last year, accordingto a BSE filing. It reported anincome of Rs 919 crore for theOctober-December 2020 peri-od, a jump of 58 per cent year-on-year. Loan book grew 17

per cent to Rs 42,264 core,while total comprehensiveincome grew 24 per cent to Rs231.3 crore.Gross NPAs stoodat 1.61 per cent and net NPAswere at 0.77 per cent, while itsprovision coverage for badloans stood at 170 per cent.

IIFL Finance net profit jumps 47 pc

PNS n NEW DELHI

Royal Enfield on Fridayannounced the launch of itsfirst standalone flagship storein Tokyo, Japan.

Located in Suginami,Tokyo, the company, in astatement, said the storewould have a complete rangeof motorcycles, apparel andaccessories in addition tospares and service.

Royal EnfieldCEO VinodK Dasari said, "Japan has anevolved motorcycling ecosystem and a matured ridingculture. Not just our motor-cycles but also our com-plete range of purpose-builtapparel and accessoriescatering to riding enthusi-asts."

Royal Enfieldforays intoJapan, opensstore in Tokyo

PNS n MUMBAI

The domestic equity marketcontinued its downward jour-ney for the sixth session inrow on Friday, with the BSESensex plummeting over 588points and the NSE Niftytumbling nearly 183 pointsdue to across-the-board sell-ing. Both benchmark indicesfluctuated between gains andlosses in a highly volatilesession.

Meanwhile, FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharamantabled the Economic Survey2020-21 in the Lok Sabha,ahead of the Union Budget tobe presented on Mondaynext. The 30-share Sensexclosed 588.59 points or 1.26per cent lower at 46,285.77 -- taking the six-session aggre-gate loss to 3,506.35 points or7.04 per cent.

Benchmarks fallfor 6th session;Sensex dives588 points

Sales of affordable homes improving: Survey

PNS n NEW DELHI

Following are the highlights ofEconomic Survey 2020-21,tabled in Parliament byFinance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Friday.

State of economy amidstonce in a century crisisn Economic contraction pro-

jected at 7.7 pc in FY21n 11 pc GDP growth project-

ed in FY22, farm sectorremains silver lining

n V-shaped recovery sup-ported by COVID vaccina-tion drive

n Rebound to be led by lowbase and continued nor-malization in economicactivities as vaccine rolloutgathers traction

n Govt consumption, netexports have cushionedgrowth from further divingdown

Exports to decline by 5.8 pc,imports by 11.3 pc in 2ndhalf of FY21

India expected to have aCurrent Account Surplus of2 pc of GDP this fiscal, ahistoric high after 17 years

n India's sovereign creditratings do not reflect itsfundamentals, India's will-ingness to pay is unques-tionably demonstratedthrough its zero sovereigndefault history

n India's fiscal policy should

reflect Gurudev Rabindra-nath Tagore's sentiment of‘a mind without fear'

Healthcare:n India's lockdown strategy

prevented 37 lakh COVID-19 cases, 1 lakh deaths

n Survey recommendsincrease in public health-care spending from 1 pc to2.5-3 pc of GDP

n India's health infrastruc-ture must be agile torespond to pandemics -healthcare policy must notbecome beholden to'saliency bias'

n Telemedicine needs to beharnessed to the fullest byinvesting in internet con-nectivity and health infra-structure

Process reforms:n India over-regulates the

economy resulting in reg-ulations being ineffectiveeven with relatively goodcompliance with process

n The solution is to simpli-fy regulations and invest ingreater supervision which,by definition, impliesgreater discretion

n India's business sectorneeds to significantly rampup investments in R&D

n Survey suggests asset qual-ity review exercise immedi-ately after the forbearanceis withdrawn

n Forbearance represents

'emergency medicine' thatshould be discontinued atthe first opportunity whenthe economy exhibitsrecovery, not a 'staple diet'that gets continued foryears

n Legal infrastructure for therecovery of loans needs tobe strengthened de facto

Fiscal Developmentsn India adopted a calibrat-

ed approach best suitedfor a resilient recovery of itseconomy from COVID-19pandemic impact, in con-trast with a front-loadedlarge stimulus packageadopted by many countries

n India remained a preferredinvestment destinationwith FDI pouring in amidstglobal asset shifts towardsequities and prospects ofquicker recovery in emerg-ing economies

n Net FPI inflows recordedan all-time monthly high ofUSD 9.8 billion in November 2020, as investors'risk appetite returned

n India only country amongemerging markets toreceive equity FII inflows in2020

n India the fastest countryto roll out 10 lakh vaccinesin 6 days and also emergedas a leading supplier of thevaccine to neighbouringcountries and Brazil.

VIJAYAWADA | SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021

09

I believe in myself, mymusic, my fashion.

I don't seek external validation.

—Shalmali

https://www.dailypioneer.com/vivacity/

Bollywood

Actor SHARMAN JOSHI has worked inBollywood for over two decades nowbut he says he still feels like an outsiderand feels sorry for not being connectedto the star parivaars.

“I understand that ... certain gener-ations of families have been in busi-ness, and tomorrow my children wouldenjoy the fruits of my presence in theHindi cinema. It is about the time spentin the business and familiarity,” says he.

At 53, actor PAMELA ANDERSON

has tied the knot again. She hasmarried her bodyguard DanHayhurst in a secret ceremony.

“I'm exactly where I need tobe — in the arms of a man whotruly loves me,” Anderson said.

She shared the wedding pic-ture and video online.

She added that they fell headover heels with each other and itwas a “natural fit.”

PAMELA GETSHITCHED AGAIN

‘I hope this will be the yearof big-screen entertainers!People are waiting for thevirus to be under controland with the vaccines, theconfidence of people willslowly build. They wouldwant to go back to doingthings they used to. Peopleare missing many experi-ences that made themhappy and we are a societythat thrives on communityhangouts’

fairtalkVAANI KAPOOR

‘I think the emergence ofOTT platforms is the bestthing that has happenedto the entertainmentindustry. It has given agreat opportunity to a lotof talent and it is amazingwe have seen the emer-gence of brilliant actors.It surely gave me thechance to step out of mycomfort zone and try myhand at something chal-lenging’

dailytalkBOBBY DEOL

Back when Ford India broughtthe EcoSport to the country,the big thing about the car

was the ‘EcoBoost’ engine. In fact,during the initial media drive of theEcoSport in Goa, the vehicles wereequipped with the small-tur-bocharged EcoBoost and Ford’sdual-clutch gearbox. This enginewas a beauty, but there were down-sides as well. Small turbochargedengines with dual-clutchgearboxes engineered forperformance meantthat fuel-economywas well, not ideal.Back in 2016-17,diesel was stillking of the hill,and Ford doeshave a prettygood TDCiengine. With theengine andt r ans m i s s i onbeing importedand Ford’s smallpresence in India,the company real-ly could not do theengine although theEcoBoost option was sold mated toa six-speed manual in its last fewmonths in India before theEcoSport was facelifted in late-2018.It was a pity to see the 123PSEcoBoost go. It gave the EcoSport

great performance,

which coupled with Ford’s natur-al good handling, made it a potentpackage. Maybe that engine in theFigo could have done wonders, whoknows?

In the meantime, the marketleader, Maruti-Suzuki, tried theirhand at a turbocharged option aswell with the Baleno RS which came

with the ‘Boosterjet’ engine.Unfortunately that car had twoissues, not least the fact that Marutidetuned the engine’s power down

to 105PS instead of the125PS that European cus-

tomers got and it had prettybad rubber. The latter mightnot have been an issue onpublic roads but when wedrove the car for the first timeat the Buddh International

Circuit, it felt that it lackedadhesion. The Baleno has fab-ulous handling and the RScould have been a killer hadMaruti-Suzuki done things cor-rectly and I hope that the com-pany tries small turbos againsoon, the Baleno RS was a

manual, but it was a fun car. This brings me to today,

Hyundai-Kia have clearly decidedthat small turbocharged engines arethe future in India. They clearly sawthat after the Supreme Court’s deci-sion to cap the amount of time youcould use diesel cars to just 10 years

in the NCR. There was a gradualshift to petrol engines even forSUVs and better engine technolo-gy, particularly how lean-burningengines have become. Thischallenged the notion thatsmall turbochargedengines were uneconom-ical. Over 2,000 kilo-metres that I recentlydrove on the new i20Turbo with the DCTgearbox, I achieved15 kilometres a litre,sure we did not ‘gun’the car as speedwarnings are irritat-ing. But the car deliv-ers a great blend ofperformance andeconomy. On the clutchlessIMT Kia Sonet that I havealso been driving over thepast few months in almostcompletely urban conditionswith the small 1.0 litre turboengine, economy is around 12kilometres per litre. The 1.2 litre

naturally aspirated engine on the i20and Sonet is slightly more econom-ical but is third less powerful.

Now talking about the latestturbo entrant into the market: TheTata Altroz iTurbo. While Altroz isstill a good-looking car, maybe afew more distinguishing features toseparate it from the regular Altrozwould have been warranted. ButTata Motors wants the AltroziTurbo to be a ‘sleeper’, although itdoes have a unique new blue colour.This engine isn’t as crazy as theHyundai-Kia engine, and indeed, is

actually the same 1.2 engine onthe naturally aspirated Altroz.

But the added-Turbo givesthe car an additional 20-

odd horsepower. Youfeel the additional

power, but thingslike accelerat-

ing from 40-ish while on fifth feela bit sluggish. Better than the reg-ular Altroz, but you are occasion-ally left wanting more, When youmash the gearbox, this car can befun, but you really have to playaround. Tata Motors says that anautomatic option is on its way in afew months and that is somethingI would really like to drive. I wishTata Motors had improved the kitinside, particularly the size andquality of the screen, and maybedone something to make you feeldifferent inside with the iTurbo. Ihope that they will.

But the Altroz iTurbo has ahuge trump card over its rivals. It’sthe price! The top-end XZ OptionAltroz iTurbo is cheaper than theSportz i20 by almost `30,000 (ex-showroom), although Hyundaigives the car with the clutchlessmanual rather than the regularfive-speed. However, given thatHyundai does not offer the turboengine in lower variants, the Altrozcan win over buyers who want per-formance for a price, with the XTmodel being over a lakh cheaper(ex-showroom) than the i20.Personally, I prefer the i20 but theTata Altroz Turbo is tremendouslygood value. While you wish itlooked a bit more special and itcould do a bit more with the power,you can have fun with the car. Andfrankly, that is the bottom line.

We all know that2020 was anu npre d i c t ab l eyear for educa-tional institutes

as much as it was for the rest of theworld. We were faced with disrup-tions, chaos, confusions and par-ents were left juggling betweentheir jobs, personal life and theirchildren’s education more so thanbefore. Educational institutionshave to swiftly shift gears andmove to online teaching so as toprevent any disrupting studentlearning, and a month into 2021,we will carry some of these learn-ings forward. Given the unpre-dictability of how this year willpan out, below is a list of sometrends that we can expect toobserve in school education dur-ing the coming months.

Greater focus on socio-emotion-al learning: After a year filled withuncertainty and unprecedentedchange, we have realised the valueimportance of social-emotionallearning (SEL) more than ever

before. SEL is important in teach-ing students as well as adults howto manage their emotions, rela-tionships and organise them-selves. Adults and students canboth benefit from time spent onSEL, especially because of theemotional difficulties this pan-demic has created for everyone. Asa result, it is important for schoolsand educators to place moreemphasis on it to create a safe andconducive learning environment.A focus on SEL can also help stu-dents navigate through difficulttimes in future situations that theymay encounter.

Virtual learning and ed-tech:We have seen how many new dig-ital learning platforms and ed-techhave come up this past year.Massive acquisitions and biginvestments in disruptive educa-tion ideas have taken up largespaces in our daily news updates.It is, therefore, probable that in2021 parents and students willexplore these new offerings.Schools may also begin tie ups

with such service providers tomaximise student learning, espe-cially if the COVID-induced lock-down continues to prevail, phys-ical industries like in persontutoring will likely be affected bythe entrance of so many digitaland tech-based players.

Digital classrooms and hybridlearning: While we are all hope-ful about the vaccines, theirimpact and reach, the uncertain-ty of 2021 still remains. Even asschools plan for their physicalreopening, the implementationwill likely be slow and phased. Wecan, therefore, expect digital class-rooms to continue to be the normfor a good part 2021. Students willmost likely continue to learnonline for at least the first half ofthe year. As physical schoolsreopen, hybrid learning class-rooms will be common. Hybridclassrooms are those where thereis a mixed use of in-person teach-ing along with online learningmethods in order to maximise stu-dent’s knowledge and ensure no

loss of learning.

Blended learning: Finally, blend-ed learning is likely to be anexpected feature of physical class-rooms in the year. After beingforced to use only technology andinnovative ways of teaching forclose to a year, educators have hadthe opportunity to experiencefirst-hand the many advantages oftechnology in the classroom. It is,therefore, the best time to bringtechnology into classrooms.Children are more familiar andcomfortable with it than everbefore. The long process of imple-menting technology in classroomshas already been taken care of forus by the pandemic.

One of the big fears of parentshas always been the use of technol-ogy in the classrooms, the com-mon misconception being thatthis will result in students beingdependent on it. However, due tothis global health crisis scenario,we have seen how technology canbe used appropriately in order tobenefit students.

Other less obvious changeswill also take place in our learningenvironments this year. Studentswill show a greater sense of agency,as in the last year we have seen stu-dents take more control of theirown learning than ever before.Similarly, parents’ involvementand support became a key elementof learning during the pandemicand so more parent participationand community engagement canbe expected. Additionally, we haveseen the important role educatorshave played for students, whileeveryone was stuck at home. Wecan hope that this sense of grati-tude and appreciation continues,restoring in some ways the respectthat this profession has lost.

And lastly, the new year, if itbrings with it some normalcy,will also require a great deal ofcatching up. While educators andeducation institutions have adapt-ed to the new normal and showngreat resilience, students have cer-tainly experienced some losses inlearning. As we come to termswith the new normal, a big prior-ity will be ensuring that those whohave been most affected, areenabled to catch up!

(The writer is the ManagingDirector of an educational institu-tion)

Refurbishing home mightseem like a herculean task buta little makeover every now

and then is totally worth it. Andwhile you are at it, make sure to dothe renovation the green way orwith a little regard to the environ-ment. An eco-friendly home doesnot only reduce the negative impacton the surroundings but alsoensures good health and happinessof your family. If you think thatremodeling house the sustainableway can burn a hole in your pock-et, then you are certainly mistak-en. Here are some of the efficientways you can redo your house in anaffordable manner and take the firststep towards green living.

VOC-FREE PAINT OR CON-CRETE WALLSBeautifully decorated walls set thetone of the house and make all thedifference. Repainting is one of thebasic ways to give a new look andfeel to the house but using a paintthat contains a lot of harmfulchemicals can potentially harmthe environment and affect the airquality of the house. Cheap paintsemit Volatile Organic Compounds(VOC), hazardous fumes and otherparticulate matter, which can dras-tically make one vulnerable tochronic health disorders. Thus,make sure to choose only eco-friendly paints that are free ofVOCs and lead, especially if youhave children at home. Concrete walls are considered to beanother option to go for whileremodeling your place sustainably.They are constructed or moldedwith cement giving different shapesand designs. These are more intrend these days instead of paintgiving a fine royal finish to your liv-ing area.

WELCOME GREEN PLANTSINDOORS The vibrant green houseplants donot only embellish your livingspace but also makes the air clean-er and fresher. Plants help toremove toxins from air, improvemood, boost creativity and lowerstress and anxiety. While keepingthe plants can be immensely ben-eficial for the health of inhabitants,it is essential to choose an eco-friendly planter so that the plantsfunction properly. Opt for inexpen-sive and sustainable concreteplanters to accommodate yourhouseplants as they put less strain

on the environment and enableplants to thrive, providing a suitablehabitation.

RECLAIMED WOODWhile selecting green materials foryour home, stick to basics and optfor wooden furniture as it nevergoes out of the style. From kitchencountertops to floors, patios to out-door seating options, old wood canbe included in every possible wayas these are highly durable and easyto maintain. Incorporatingreclaimed wood pieces do not onlysave up renovation costs, but alsoprovide stylish interior décor with-out harming the environment.

NATURAL TEXTILES AND FIN-ISHINGSChoose hypoallergenic, biodegrad-able and recyclable fashioning pil-lows, mattresses, bedding materi-als. Upholstery made of naturallatex is an eco-friendly option tokeep away dust mites, moisture, andVOCs. Opt for carpets and rugscreated from natural materials suchas cotton, jute or wool rather thansynthetic fibers that ultimately endup languishing the landfills.

SAVE ENERGYLet the natural light inside thehouse and carefully position mir-rors that encourage light to bouncearound a pokey room. Even ceilingportholes can channel light fromthe roof and diffuse natural light inthe living space, making it vibrantand full of life. Save up energy byusing LED lighting as they consumeconsiderably less amount of powerand are more sustainable sources ofartificial energy. (The writer, Gurpreet Kaur Tuteja,is the founder of Eliteearth.)

KUSHAN MITRA

Turbo thrustCan the Tata Altroz iTurbo break on through tothe other side? Let’s find out

A little makeover every now and then is totallyworth it. So here are five ways to redo yourhome decor in an affordable manner

A step towardsgreen living

TRENDTOOL

LEARN THE NEW WAY

TRENDBLAZER

Given the unpredictability of how this year will pan out, here are some trends that wecan expect to observe in school education. By ROHAN PARIKH

EVEN AS SCHOOLSPLAN FOR THEIR

PHYSICALREOPENING, THE

IMPLEMENTATIONWILL LIKELY BE SLOW

AND PHASED. WECAN, THEREFORE,

EXPECT DIGITALCLASSROOMS TO

CONTINUE TO BE THENORM FOR A GOOD

PART 2021

STILL FEEL LIKE ANOUTSIDER: SHARMAN

ovid-19 hasaffected millionsall over the worldand it is impor-tant for us toknow how quick-

ly we can come out of thisinfectious disease and lead ahealthy life. “We need torealise that 85% of ourimmunity lies in our gut.Hence feeding our gut bac-teria the right way is veryimportant when it comes torecovery from Covid,”

shares the founder and CEOof Reverse Factor. In theseunprecedented times, it isimportant to follow ahealthy lifestyle and alsotake note of any alarmingsignals. After a Covid-19infection, most people formadequate antibodies whichprevents them from con-tracting the virus again.Nonetheless, it’s anunknown territory for med-ical practitioners across theworld, as to how long that

immunity can stand. Casesof people recontracting thevirus have been reportedtoo. More in this way, forindividuals who are at ahigh risk of reinfection areeither old or don’t takeenough preventive measuresto additionally protect theirimmune system, whichmakes post-Covid careimportant for them. While the standard laws ofstaying safe suggest every-one to cover their face with

a face mask, wash hands,and practice social distanc-ing, a reminder about yourwell-being does not causeany harm. The nutri-genomics expert gives ussome strategies to recover ata rapid rate from the novelcoronavirus by building astrong immunity simultane-ously

Onion juice

How can onions keepcoronavirus at bay in yourdaily life? Well, having anonion juice can help buildimmunity to guard againstgetting sick.

“Onions are not only asource of Vitamin C, butalso one of the richestsources of flavonoids, espe-cially quercetin, which hasbeen shown to inhibitinflammation. Onions alsocontain mineral seleniumwhich helps initiate thebody’s immune response.Take two teaspoons of onionjuice first thing in the morn-ing and see the results foryourself,” says Karan. Somake use of that kitchen sta-ple.

Ripe papaya and pome-granate blend

Did you know there arefruits that have been secretlyboosting your immune sys-tem? Well, this will surpriseyou but papayas and pome-granates are great immunityboosters and can help inkeeping several chronic dis-eases at bay. “Enriched withnutrients, ripened papayaand pomegranate are a lotmore than just fiber-richfruits. Packed with iron,folate, B6, calcium, magne-sium, vitamins A, C, B1, B3,B5, E, K and potassium -they are rich in antioxidants,anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous properties. Have abowl full of papaya andpomegranate and see themagic work,” shares theexpert.

The Immunity boostersoup

“Green vegetables arealways a great source ofnutrition, be it in the formof vitamins, minerals,antioxidants or phytonutri-ents. Boil a raw papaya, bot-tle-gourd, some beans and adrumstick, and blend themall — boom, your soup isready! Add salt and pepperas per your requirement.Ensure not missing out ondrumsticks in the soup, as itis one of the superfoods forimmunity and have it eitherin the evening or beforeyour dinner.” So, along witha hand sanitiser in yourpurse, it’s time for you toadd a few extra vegetablesinto your meal to recoverfaster, if infected.

Pumpkin seeds

Do you love the processof scooping seeds out of apumpkin and roastingthem? You don’ t have toalways carve a pumpkin toenjoy its health benefits!Without triggering any

allergies and intolerances,Karan Kakkad sheds morelight on how healthy pepitascan be for recovery fromcovid-19, “Along with zinc,magnesium and iron, pump-kin seeds also possess anti-fungal and anti-viral proper-ties. They are a rich sourceof healthy fats, fibers andvarious antioxidants that arebeneficial for immunity andlungs. You can always have3-4 teaspoons of pumpkinseeds every evening in theform of snacks.”

Coconut water withlemon

In order to keep theimmunity system strong andrunning amid a pandemic, itis imperative to load up on adiet that comprises essentialvitamins and minerals.Hence, to take care of that,you can bring to your rescuethe super-refreshing andhealthy coconut water withsome lemons, as suggestedby the expert. “Coconutwater should always be con-sumed fresh. When you addhalf a lemon to freshcoconut water, vitamin Cshoots up by 10 times!Everyday, having coconutwater with lemon should beon your to-do list, howeverpatients with kidney ail-ments are advised to refrainfrom it.” Apart from havingthe right dietary foods, theexpert also suggests somelifestyle changes that helpfor a faster recovery includ-ing having a quality sleep,an active lifestyle, and let-ting all the stress and emo-tional anxiety into a dump-yard and vibing more onhappiness, love and grati-tude. Now that we havegiven you so many tips,bring together these ingredi-ents-cum-changes andsavour the delights to give aboost to your immunity lev-els this deadly season of anuninvited virus.

Someone rightly said, ‘Jaanhai toh jahaan hai' and ifyou're someone who got

infected by the novelcoronavirus and recovered, it's

a great deal. However, eventhough the virus is no longer

in your body, you are requiredto be cautious in the comingdays. How long does it take

for your impaired immunity toget back in shape after you

recover from Covid-19? Are there chances

of you getting reinfected?Karan Kakkad, a Nutri-genomics and Disease

Reversal expert, answers allthese as he talks to The

Pioneer's SHIKHADUGGAL

Savour immunity boosters

during the pandemic

efurbishing homemight seem like aherculean taskbut a littlemakeover everynow and then is

totally worth it. And whileyou are at it, make sure todo the renovation the greenway or with a little regard tothe environment. An eco-friendly home does not onlyreduce the negative impacton the surroundings butalso ensures good healthand happiness of your fami-ly. If you think that remod-eling house the sustainableway can burn a hole in yourpocket, then you are cer-tainly mistaken. Here aresome of the efficient waysyou can redo your house inan affordable manner andtake the first step towardsgreen living.

VOC-free paint or con-crete walls

Beautifully decoratedwalls set the tone of thehouse and make all the dif-ference. Repainting is one ofthe basic ways to give a newlook and feel to the housebut using a paint that con-tains a lot of harmful chem-icals can potentially harmthe environment and affectthe air quality of the house.Cheap paints emit VolatileOrganic Compounds(VOC), hazardous fumesand other particulate matter,which can drastically makeone vulnerable to chronichealth disorders. Thus,make sure to choose onlyeco-friendly paints that arefree of VOCs and lead, espe-cially if you have children athome.

Concrete walls are con-sidered to be another optionto go for while remodelingyour place sustainably. Theyare constructed or moldedwith cement giving differentshapes and designs. Theseare more in trend these daysinstead of paint giving a fineroyal finish to your livingarea.

Welcome green plantsindoors

The vibrant green house-plants do not only embellishyour living space but alsomakes the air cleaner andfresher. Plants help toremove toxins from air,improve mood, boost cre-ativity and lower stress andanxiety. While keeping theplants can be immenselybeneficial for the health ofinhabitants, it is essential tochoose an eco-friendlyplanter so that the plantsfunction properly.

Opt for inexpensive andsustainable concrete plantersto accommodate yourhouseplants as they put lessstrain on the environmentand enable plants to thrive,providing a suitable habita-tion.

Reclaimed wood

While selecting greenmaterials for your home,stick to basics and opt forwooden furniture as it nevergoes out of the style. Fromkitchen countertops tofloors, patios to outdoorseating options, old wood

can be included in everypossible way as these arehighly durable and easy tomaintain. Incorporatingreclaimed wood pieces donot only save up renovationcosts, but also provide styl-ish interior décor withoutharming the environment.

Natural textiles andfinishings

Choose hypoallergenic,biodegradable and recy-clable fashioning pillows,mattresses, bedding materi-als. Upholstery made of nat-ural latex is an eco-friendlyoption to keep away dustmites, moisture, and VOCs.Opt for carpets and rugscreated from natural materi-als such as cotton, jute orwool rather than syntheticfibers that ultimately end uplanguishing the landfills.

Save energy

Let the natural lightinside the house and care-fully position mirrors thatencourage light to bouncearound a pokey room. Evenceiling portholes can chan-nel light from the roof anddiffuse natural light in theliving space, making itvibrant and full of life. Saveup energy by using LEDlighting as they consumeconsiderably less amount ofpower and are more sustain-able sources of artificialenergy.

(The writer, GurpreetKaur Tuteja, is the founderof Eliteearth.)

yderabad is thatcity for kind-hearted souls thatreally make a dif-ference in largescales, as the

young population grows dayby day with increasing com-passion and love for fellowhumans, animals and society.

Zabi Khan is one such youngchange-maker who loves thecity and all its furry residents— he is well-known for hisorganisation “A Place ToBark” in Shankarpally.

Zabi says he’s not livedanywhere but Hyderabad forlonger periods of time, so hecannot compare it with other

cities. But Hyderabad hascertainly treated him well,for he mentions the day hestarted his sanctuary forabused animals as the daythat’s very close to his heart.“When I rescued my firstpet, I was 13 years old. That,along with the day “A PlaceTo Bark” was launched,

remain the fondest memoriesI have in the city,” he shares.

The MTV RoadiesRevolution contestant saysthat there is a lot of scope forHyderabad to be a kinder,more thoughtful city. Hedescribes Hyderabad as a‘city with values’, saying “Wehave almost 68,000 regis-

tered volunteers! I’ve beendoing a lot of guest lecturesin schools and colleges, andI’ve noticed how youngerpeople are more inclinedtowards volunteering andsocial work.” On being askedif the people are becomingkinder, he says that it is theproduct of the city’s culture.“The people here are sohumble, and there’s very littlediscrimination on the basisof religion or colour,” hementions, adding that thecity is a very secular place tobe in, with the governmenttaking things seriously-encouraging young, passion-ate people to make the city abetter place. “The govern-ment of Telangana is reallyreally supportive, and they’revery open to new ideas.They’ve made things for usvery smooth, with helping uswith legal requirements andsuch,” he says.

Zabi is soon to be seen ina biopic! The Padma Shrinominee mentions that thelack of vegan food options inthe city is the only inconve-nience the place has to offerhim. “There are about 10-12vegan restaurants, but therecan always be more,” helaughs. “When I was startingout as an activist, I was about13-14 years old, and tried tospeak out against animalabuse or file FIRs. I was nottaken seriously then. The sit-uation seems to be changingin recent years, with moreand more people gettinginvolved in activism. I thinkthere is a shift in thought insociety. I want to start asocial activism cell where Ican nurture young activistslike me, who want to standup for what is right andmake the world a betterplace,” he concludes on apositive, hopeful note.

Activist, andMTV Roadies

contestantZabi Khan is

known forhis love andwork for ourfurry friends.

In anexclusiveinterviewwith ThePioneer'sSHREYA

SRIKONDA,he talks

about hislove for the

city he grewup in, how it

has beengrowing

exponentially,and how it

can getbetter.

A kinder, gentler Hyderabad

A littlemakeover

every now andthen is totallyworth it. Sohere are fiveways to redoyour homedecor in anaffordablemanner

Steps togreen living

H

C

R

Karan Kakkad

SaturdayJanuary 30, 2021

Follow us on

@TheDailyPioneer

facebook.com/dailypioneer

sport 11VIJAYAWADA| SATURDAY | JANUARY 30, 2021

AFP n LONDON

Liverpool ended a five-gamewinless run in the Premier

League to move back into thetop four with a 3-1 win atTottenham Hotspur onThursday as Spurs also lostHarry Kane to an ankle injury.

The English champions hadnot even scored in their last fourleague games, but Jurgen Kloppsaid he recognised his side againas their front three sparkedback into life after RobertoFirmino ended a 492-minutegoalless drought in first-halfstoppage time.

Kane had soldiered on aftertwice receiving treatment onankle knocks in the first-half andwas eventually replaced at thebreak with Jose Mourinho pre-dicting the England captain willbe absent for at least a few weeks.

A return to the ChampionsLeague is Spurs’ target inMourinho’s first full season incharge, but Tottenham’s chancesmay now depend on how longKane is sidelined.

Kane and Son Heung-minhave been the most deadly duoin the Premier League this sea-son and thought they had com-bined for the opening goalinside the first five minutes.

Son finished coolly from

Kane’s through ball, but theSouth Korean had just strayedoffside in the build-up and thegoal was ruled out by a VARreview.

There were signs of life inLiverpool’s attacking playdespite a 3-2 defeat toManchester United in theFA Cup and they finallystruck just before the breakwhen Sadio Mane got inbehind and squared forFirmino to bundle in at the backpost for his first goal in eightgames.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’sdrop off in form has been anoth-er major part of Liverpool’sregression from the side thatromped to the title last seasonwith 99 points.

However, the England right-back connected sweetly to drillin his side’s second after Lloriscould only parry Mane’s initialeffort into his path.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s bril-liant strike from outside thebox halved the deficit justtwo minutes later.

Liverpool, though,rarely looked troubled afterKane departed and couldhave won far more con-

vincingly.Mohamed Salah’s powerful

strike was ruled out after aVAR review for a handball byFirmino earlier in the move.

But Mane restored the two-goal cushion when he pouncedon an error from Joe Rodon tofire high past Lloris.

AFP n KARACHI

Debutant Nauman Ali took fivewickets and fellow spinner YasirShah grabbed four to give

Pakistan a seven-wicket victory in the firstTest against South Africa in Karachi onFriday.

Nauman finished with 5/35 andYasir took 4/79 as South Africa slumpedto 245 all out in their second innings onthe fourth day on a wearing NationalStadium pitch that favoured spin bowlers.

Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, lostopeners Abid Ali, Imran Butt and BabarAzam for a total of 52 runs before achiev-ing the target in 22.5 overs to take a 1-0lead in the two-match series.

Azhar Ali was 31 not out whileFawad Alam — who hit a fighting hun-dred in the first innings — hit the win-ning boundary.

Anrich Nortje bowled Abid in thefirst over after lunch and then had Buttcaught behind to finish with figures of2/24. Azam, on his Test captaincy debut,was dismissed leg before by KeshavMaharaj.

It was a spinners’ battle on a brown-ish wicket, allowing Nauman to recordfigures of 7/73 and Yasir 7/133. In con-trast, South Africa’s spinners managedjust four wickets.

Pakistan had taken a crucial 158-runfirst innings lead, thanks to a fighting cen-tury from Fawad and half centuries fromFaheem Ashraf and Azhar.

The writing was on the wall as SouthAfrica lost nightwatchman Maharaj onthe first ball of the day, bowled for twoby pacer Hasan Ali.

South African skipper Quinton deKock had a miserable 50th Test as he fol-lowed his 15 in the first innings with justtwo runs as he was caught off a lazy pushoff Yasir.

Temba Bavuma, who scored 40,added 42 for the seventh wicket withGeorge Linde before being the last manout as Nauman took the last four wick-ets in a rapid 22 balls.

He dismissed Linde for 11, KagisoRabada for a single run, and AnrichNortje for a duck, before removingBavuma.

PTI n AHMEDABAD

KB Arun Karthik led TamilNadu into their second suc-

cessive Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophyfinal with an unbeaten 89-runknock that shaped their seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan inthe first semi-final, here onFriday.

Arun Karthik’s 89-run part-nership with skipper DineshKarthik (26 not out)meant thatTamil Nadu overhauled the 155-run target with eight balls tospare.

TN had lost the summitclash by just one run toKarnataka, last year.

Rajasthan’s decision to batfirst at the Sardar Patel stadiumseem to be working well butTamil Nadu restricted them toa sub-par 154 for nine despiteskipper Ashok Menaria’s 51 off32 balls.

The left-handed Menaria,whose knock was laced with fivefours and two sixes, took on theTamil Nadu bowlers as he andArjit Gupta (45 off 35 balls)raised a 83-run third wicketstand.

Tamil Nadu, initially, were

sloppy in the field and droppedthree catches, including one ofMenaria.

In the final five overs,Rajasthan lost five wickets andadded only 24 runs as TamilNadu bowlers stamped theirauthority.

Chasing 155, TN lost CHari Nishanth (4) early when hewas trapped in front of thewicket by Tanveer-Ul-Haq(1/22). Tamil Nadu were in spotof bother at 17/2 after Aparajith(2) was caught in the slip cordon.

But a determined NarayanJagadeesan (28) and ArunKarthik came to the rescue asthey put together 52 runs for thethird wicket and took the gameaway from Rajasthan.

Young leggie Ravi Bishnoi(1/32) tried to bring Rajasthanback into the game by removingJagadeesan, but then TamilNadu cruised as skipper DineshKarthik joined Arun and theduo tore apart the Rajasthanattack.

Arun Karthik hammerednine boundaries and three sixes,in his match-winning knock andfittingly finished the game witha boundary.

PTI n BANGKOK

Already out of contentionfor the knockouts, World

champion P V Sindhu ended hercampaign with a consolationwin at the BWF World TourFinals but Kidambi Srikanthhad a disappointing finish afteryet another close defeat, here onFriday.

Sindhu, the Olympic Silvermedallist, notched up a 21-18,21-15 win over world No 13

Pornpawee Chochuwong in herthird and final match after suf-fering defeats in first two days.

“Well I think it was a goodfinish. Actually until yesterday Istill had a chance. Unfortunatelythe match with Tai went theother way, so I didn’t have achance. Otherwise, it was agood game,” Sindhu said.

“For any athlete, losing twogames is going to be hard to

come back stronger to, but Ithink it’s very important fromthese wins to come backstronger and believe in yourself.I just played my game after yes-terday’s upset,” she said.

Srikanth, however, wentdown 21-12, 18-21, 19-21 toHong Kong’s NG Ka LongAngus in what was yet anothernarrow defeat in a three-gamethriller.

New Delhi: Olympic Silvermedallist Mathias Boe ofDenmark will coach the WorldNo 10 Indian men’s doublespair of Chirag Shetty andSatwiksairaj Rankireddy inthe run up to the TokyoGames.

The decision to hire theservices of Boe was taken onFriday by the Sports Authorityof India’s (SAI) MissionOlympic Cell under the TargetOlympic Podium Scheme.

Boe, a Silver medallist atthe 2012 London Olympics,has been roped in on therequest of Chirag and Satwik.

Satwik and Chirag are cur-rently ninth in the Race toTokyo with 16 pairs eligible.

During his tenure, Boe willalso help other doubles teamunder the TOPS — mixeddoubles pair of Satwik andAshwini Ponnappa andwomen’s doubles duo ofAshwini and Sikki Reddy.PTI

PTI n CHENNAI

Such is the quality of theIndian batting line up that

England bowlers will need tobowl their best balls repeatedlyif they want to put the hosts, ledby their peerless skipper ViratKohli, under any kind of pres-sure during the upcoming Testseries, reckons batting coachGraham Thorpe.

Since his horrendous showin an away series in England in2014, Kohli has demolishedEngland attack both at home(2016) and away (2018)although the team had contrast-ing results in both series.

Asked if the bowling unitled by James Anderson has anyspecific plans for the Indian cap-tain, the former England left-hander said, "We know that heis a fantastic player and he hasshown that for many years now.Virat is in one of that battingorders which understands homeconditions very well."

"The key for our bowlingattack will be to bowl our 'bestball' as often as we can. I don'tthink we can ask for anythingmore from our spinners andseamers. We need to have runson the board and then havingthe Indian batting order underpressure will really be the key forus. To take the game deep willbe an important aspect forEngland," Thorpe said.

The Indian bowling is nolonger about spinners weavingmagic on rank turners andThorpe said that they are wellaware about how rounded thiscurrent home team attack is.

"The one thing about theIndian bowling attack is, it's notjust about spin. I suppose theirseam attack is also strong and sofrom that point of view it's notto just get side-tracked com-pletely in into the spin side ofthings as well."

The challenge posed byboth Jasprit Bumrah andRavichandran Ashwin can be a

tough one but the batting coachunderstands that a balance needsto be created.

"Indian bowling has devel-oped into a very good attack andwe are very aware of that. Whenyou come to the sub-continentyou will have to deal with spin.More so with Indian attack, weare aware. The training time(three days) will be used to strikea fine balance practising both."

The former left-hander isaware that there are a few bats-men, who haven't played earli-er in the sub-continent and thefour-Test series will be a biglearning curve in their processof development.

"Some of our players haven'tplayed in sub-continent, so interms of development might bebehind others but they are work-ing hard and hopefully can puton a good show. It'll be a bit ofa learning curve for some ofthem as well."

While different batsmenwill have different styles, Thorpewants his players to recogniseparticular situations and reactaccordingly.

"We may have some playerswho are slightly more aggressiveand some players would becomfortable to bat all day of theycan. We want our players to

recognise situations and thatmay be where they are able totrust their defence.

"May be they are able torotate strike whether it's againstseamers or spinners. Also howcan we apply pressure on Indianbowlers will be one of the biggestchallenges."

The batting coach is underno illusions that how hard thenext two months are going to be.

"There is hell lot of hardcricket ahead of us. I don'tthink I am under any illusionsabout that. But as a cricketerwhen you get to the highest level,you want to test yourself in manyways in a very different sort ofenvironment as well. But it's achallenge we're looking forwardto."

For Thorpe, there couldn'thave been a bigger challengethan facing an Indian team thathas just beaten Australia inAustralia.

"India at home is a real chal-lenge. They're playing very goodcricket and have been verystrong at home. They've beencoming back off a win inAustralia as well, so for us, it pre-sents a real challenge. Let's saythat's sort of where you want tobe as a player," Thorpe signedoff.

PTI n CHENNAI

In a long career filled with a lotof highs and few lows, what

worked wonderfully well forEngland skipper Joe Root is his"sense of humour" as he standson the cusp of his 100th Testmatch, batting coach GrahamThorpe said on Friday.

The 30-year-old Englandcaptain, who made his debutagainst India in Nagpur in 2012,will play his 100th game againstsame opposition at the Chepaukfrom February 5.

When Thorpe was askedabout Root's impending mile-stone, the former left-handergave an interesting reply.

"Well, it's a real achievementbecause when you look at thelongevity of it, I think you needa good sense of humour to playthat amount of cricket.

"Because you will experi-ence, there will be, lot of highsbut there's going to be somemoments in their way you haveyour lows and you have to showa bit of character and a bit ofresilience," Thorpe said at a vir-tual media conference.

Thorpe then added theattributes that goes into themaking of a great Test cricketer.

"And then you have to keeptrying to adapt to the next situ-ation, sometimes you're going totinker with your technique andyou have to manage all that andso to play a hundred Test match-es, it's no mean feat and he(Root) will be very proud, hisfamily will be very proud. He hasalways remained very humble,"said Thorpe, who has followedRoot's progress since his forma-tive years in Yorkshire cricket.

"I think, when I saw early onwith Joe and I was fortunateenough to see some of his earlygames with Yorkshire. He hadcharacter and temperament and

then he did play in the Lions (Ateam) early on and then when Iwas around him, he just had agreat work ethic," said Thorpe.

Root was never shy ofexperimenting with his tech-nique and that showed in hisgame.

"He certainly tried to workthings out for himself as well.He'd take the different things onboard and he'd try and it workedwith them, so I think essential-ly that's, that's what I saw withJoe when he was a younger play-er. And that's really continuedthroughout his career. He isalways trying to get better," theassistant coach said.

What sets Root apart is hisability to keep on learning fromothers and the insatiable hungerto score runs.

"He is a great student of thegame. He loves watching otherpeople play and learning. He issomebody who doesn't want tostand still. He has got greathunger to score runs as well andimprove," said Thorpe, whoknows a thing or two about play-ing hundred Tests.

Root, who scored a magnif-icent 228 and 186 in the two Testagainst Sri Lanka, used thesweep shot to perfection andThorpe said it's all about gettinginto good position to play theshot.

"Well, I think he (Root) getshimself into a good position, butlike I said, he may have an ideathat he's going to go and play thesweep shot, but then I think helooks for the line and the lengthof the delivery.

"And then will almostchoose where he is able to putit - whether that fine squaresweep, a slog sweep, but being ina really good position and (to)execute is the key to it," headded.

Last but not least is Root'stremendous work ethic that setshim apart in a league of his own.

"In the little breaks in themidst of series, he's been out tolook at his own game and keepconsidering where he can getbetter as well.

"I think that he's shown inthe series in Sri Lanka, that hewants to be a good example.

"The players who are in theteam with him have a verygood example to watch as wellhow, how he goes about his busi-ness, so his work ethic is fantas-tic and he is also kept his love forthe game, which is so impor-tant."

PTI n NEW DELHI

The "nightmare" that heendured while being con-

fined in a bio-bubble inBangkok made ace Indian shut-tler HS Prannoy realise theimportance of addressing themental health concerns thatsportspersons are facing inthe post Covid-19 world.

International bad-minton restarted after along pandemic-inducedbreak and players hadto stay in a bio-bubble whilecompeting inthe Asianleg champi-onship inB a n g k o kearlier thismonth.

"...It was firsttime we went into a

bio-bubble. We didn't knowwhat was going to happen,"Prannoy said during a webinar.

"For two weeks, we could-n't go out of our (respective)rooms. We were only allowed togo for practice, go to main hall,to go to the bus. We were not

allowed to walk even outsidethe stadium."

Prannoy said after afew days it started affectinghim mentally.

"...Because you are notallowed to go out to

have say sunlight.You just have tosit in the roomfor 22 hours,since we wereonly trainingfor 2 hours,"he recalled.

" W ecannot

m e e t

teammates. It was a nightmareand after six days, it was takingits toll on me. I was not able tounderstand how to handle it..."

The 28-year-old fromKerala said a psychologistcould have helped him dealwith it better and hoped therewill be a structure in place toassist the players in the timesto come.

"I wish I had someone totalk to, so that I could becalmer before the match andfocus on things, because thereis social media, tons of mes-sages are coming because youare in bio bubble, all thesethings are big distractions. Ithink at this point psycholo-gists come into play," he said.

"I hope in next five years,we have a structure in placewhere all the players get theservices of a sports psycholo-gists..."

AP n TOKYO

Japanese Prime MinisterYoshihide Suga, despite

growing uncertainty as coro-navirus cases rise at home,renewed his determinationon Friday to host the post-poned Tokyo Olympics thissummer as a symbol of humanvictory over the pandemic.

"We are holding theOlympics and Paralympicsthis summer," Suga said.

"I am determined toachieve the games as a proofof human victory against thepandemic, a symbol of glob-al solidarity and to give hopeand courage around theworld."

Olympic officials haverepeatedly said the games willbe held in July as planned aftera one-year postponement,though various scenariosincluding the holding ofevents without spectators arebeing considered.

Suga repeated his resolveto achieve a "safe and secure"Olympics and pledged to getinfections under control inJapan as soon as possible.

"We must learn lessonsfrom this pandemic and beprepared for future crises," hesaid.

Nauman, Yasir combine to guide Babar’s men to seven-wicket win in 1st Test

PAK TRAP SA IN SPIN WEB

Soft dismissals cost us match: De KockPTI n KARACHI

South Africa’s captainQuinton de Kock on

Friday put down his team’sdefeat in the first Test againstPakistan to soft dismissals,saying his players had enoughtime to adjust to the slownature of the pitch here.

“Obviously our firstinnings batting performancelet us down, there were a cou-ple of soft dismissals and it ledto our losing the game,” deKock said after the match.

De Kock said his teamhad not taken too long to

adjust to conditions inPakistan despite the Covid-19situation.

“We let ourselves downin the first innings. Obviously,when you bat first you needmore than 220 and then wehad them something like 40for four, but we allowed themto come back into the game.”

Talking about recent bat-ting collapses by South Africain Test cricket, he said theteam was trying to work outwhy they were happening.

“Trust me if we knew itwould not be happening.”

He said when the bats-

men got bogged down theytried to play shots, but on thispitch, playing patiently wasthe requirement.

Pakistan skipper BabarAzam said it is his ambitionto see his team start winningoverseas.

“I think, at home, youare expected to do wellbecause conditions suit you,but we need to start winningoverseas as well.

“I think we need to showmore trust in our players andour top performers. We can’tdiscard players after just oneor two bad performances, we

need to have belief in them.”Babar said scoring runs

abroad gave him more con-fidence than amassing bignumbers at home.

He termed the win overSouth Africa as “very neces-sary for the team”.

“I think this victorycame through because allthe 11 players contributedand especially the wayNouman Ali bowled in thismatch. It was his debut andthere was pressure on himagainst a good team, but hedelivered. We need to trustour players.”

Pakistan's spinner Yasir Shah, second from right, and teammates celebrate after the dismissal of South Africa's captain Quinton de Kock (12) AP

You need to bowl ‘best ball’

against Kohli & Co: Thorpe

Virat Kohli, right, reacts during India’s innings in 1st Test against Aus AP

Sindhu ends campaign with win

Boe to work with Chirag-Satwik

Liverpool end barren

run with Spurs win

TN reach Mushtaq Ali final

Prannoy recalls ‘bubble struggle' in Thailand;

says mental health of prime importance

Japan PMdetermined tohold Olympics

To endure highs and lows of 100Tests, you need sense of humour:Thorpe on Root milestone

With multiple projects in her kittycutting across industries,Anasuya Bharadwaj has nowbagged a special number inGA2 Pictures ChaavuKaburu Challaga (CKC),

fronted by Karthikeya and LavanyaTripathi. This is the television host-turned-actor’s second full-fledgeditem song, as she earlier grooved inSai Tej-starrer Winner. The songin CKC is a part of the makers’idea to increase buzz around theproject, which is in the final leg.Koushik Pegallapati, whodirected short films andmusic videos in the past, isdebuting as a feature filmdirector with the film,which also featuresAamani and Bhadram.Taxiwaala fame JakesBejoy is composing themusic.

12

Vijayawada Saturday January 30, 2021 tollywood

fter Thursday saw five high-profile movies—Pushpa,Seetimaarr, Virata Parvam,Ghani and F3— bookingtheir release slots for theyear, Friday too witnessed a

similar scenario as other anticipatedfilms like Acharya, Sarkaru Vaari Paata(SVP), Major and Narappa announcedtheir release dates.

Superstar Mahesh Babu was the firstto announce the release date of AdiviSesh-starrer Major on Friday morning.He said that the project, which he is co-producing with Sony Pictures and A + SMovies, will be out on July 2 this year.

Megastar Chiranjeevi on Fridayannounced that his upcoming filmAcharya will hit the theatres across theglobe on May 13.

When the film was announced it2019, the makers set a target of releas-ing it in the summer of 2020 but the

coronavirus pandemic put paid to theirhopes. “The power of courage. MyDREAM Project #MajorTheFilmreporting for duty 2 July, 2021 THE-ATERS WORLDWIDE,” Sesh wrote onTwitter. The actor is playing MajorSandeep Unnikrishnan, a NationalSecurity Guard commando, who hadled the Black Tornado operation to savehostages in the 26/11 Taj Hotel attack inMumbai. He was martyred in action.The film, shot in Hindi and Telugusimultaneously, is inspired fromSandeep’s life. It is 80 percent over.

Later in the evening, Mahesh sprunga surprise by declaring that SVP, whichhas gone to floors earlier this week inDubai, will be storming into the cinemahalls next Sankranti. The actor favoursthe Sankranti season as his past festivereleases like Okkadu, Businessman,Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettuand Sarileru Neekevvaru have set the

box-office coffersringing. There’s con-siderable buzz thatPrabhas-starrer Salaaris set to open duringSankranti time but themakers are yet tomake an announce-ment to this end.

On the other hand,Victory Venkatesh-starrer Narappa willgrace the cinema hallson May 14 this year,Suresh Productionsannounced. The film’sshooting has beenwrapped up recently.It is the officialremake of Tamil hitAsuran.

At the same time,the makers ofMahasamudram, star-ring Siddharth,Sharwanand, AditiRao Hydari and AnuEmmanuel, are look-ing at the possibility ofreleasing it on August19 — a week afterPushpa opens.

adi Sai Kumar,who is lookingforward to therelease ofSashi, will beteaming up

with Rajdooth producerMLV Satyanarayana for anew film. To be launchednext month inHyderabad, it marks thedirectorial debut ofPhani.

According to a source,the untitled film is anew-age love story with atinge of action. “Aadiloved the ram emotions

of the story and agreed todo it. It is a departurefrom the kind of love sto-ries he had done in thepast. The producerassured the actor that itwill be shot on a richscale.”

The source adds thefilm will feature twoheroines alongside Aadi.“The makers have alreadyinitiated negotiations

with Hebah Patel for onepart and chances are thatshe will do it. The otherrole will mostly be playedby a newbie,” the sourceadds.

The source furtherinforms that ManiSharma has been ropedin to compose tunes,while Maali Raava cam-eraman Satish Muthyalawill photograph it.

Aadi signs another love story

Anasuya's item song in ChaavuKaburu Challaga

First lookAfter announcing the October13 release date earlier this week,the makers of RRR, starring JrNTR and Ram Charan, havekicked-off the promotions. OnFriday, they unveiled the first

look of Olivia Morris as Jennifer from theSS Rajamouli directed film. A graduatefrom Royal Welsh College of music anddrama, Cardiff, UK, the actress will beseen as NTR’s love interest. Friday alsohappened to be her birthday.

Nag Ashwin ropes inMahanati technical team for Prabhas

inematographer DaniSanchez-Lopez and com-poser Mickey J Meyerwho were instrumentalin elevating the visionof Nag Ashwin further

for Mahanati, which was muchloved by people, will be workingwith the director again for hisnext with Prabhas. The directormade an announcement to this endon Friday. “We created a world fromthe past in mahanati...now we create aworld from the future...welcomeonboard guys (sic),” wrote Ashwin onhis Twitter page.

A scientific-thriller set against thebackdrop of an imaginary third worldwar, the untitled film will roll in thesecond half of this year. While the ini-tial plan was to begin it last year itself,Prabhas’ other commitments —Adipurush and Salaar — meant thatthe project got pushed back.Bollywood heavyweights AmitabhBachchan and Deepika Padukoneare on board for other foremostroles in the film, a VyjayanthiMovies production.Meanwhile, with Prabhas’sother films in the news overfresh developments, his fansare peeved with the way UVCreations is promotingRadhe Shyam, his nextrelease. In a bid to troll the pro-duction house, they've started retweet-ing a fake letter which read that RadheShyam was planned by UV to releasefor OTT directly and Prabhas’ nexttheatrical release would be Salaar.This, however, isn’t the first instancewhere the fans expressed their furyover UV. Multiple times last year,they’ve trolled the production housefor not offering new developmentsabout the period love story.

To introduce Phanias a director, theproject will see twofemale leadsalongside Aadi.Hebah Patel is intalks to play onerole, findsNAGARAJ GOUD

A

A

W

A

C

More release dates announced

After the makers of Major and Narappa announced theirrelease dates on Friday, Megastar Chiranjeevi and

superstar Mahesh Babu too annnounced the releasedates of their next. While Acharya is set to hit theatres

on May 13, SVP will have a theatrical roll out next Sankranti.