TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE WORLD'S LEADERSHIP SKY’ URSULA VON DER LEYEN’S 2ND TERM SUNAK'S WOES P5 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy. High 33°C. Winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 88% ‘New card will be issued if Aadhaar becomes inactive’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE TEMPERATURE Min: 22°C (+1) SUN SETS 17:35 hrs MOON SETS 03:13 hrs THUMBNAILS A man dressed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the occasion of his birth anniversary, in Indore on Monday. ANI Farmers reject govt proposal regarding MSP on certain crops: Farmer's leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday night said that the Centre's proposal given in the fourth round of talks has been rejected by the two farmer forums. The leader said that after discussion it was concluded that there is nothing new in govt's proposal nor does it favours the farmers. Dallewal also raised objection over the use of tear gas to stop the protesting farmers and said that everyone has a right to stage a peaceful protest in a democracy. KOLKATA, 19 FEBRUARY midst the furore over alleged cancellation of Aadhaar cards in districts, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today announced that the state would issue alternative Aadhaar cards to those, who have far found their cards deactivated. The CM also said that she had already written to the Prime Minister seeking details on the alleged flip-flop over deactivation of a large number Aadhaar cards. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the chief minister wrote: “I wish to bring to your kind notice about a sudden development of serious nature of indiscriminate de-activation of Aadhaar cards of the people, especially belonging to SCs, STs and OBC communities in West Bengal.” It is learnt that Head Office of UIDAI in New Delhi, without any field enquiry or hearing the persons and taking the state government into confidence, had been directly issuing letters to Individuals and family members informing them about the deactivation of their Aadhaar cards under provisions of the Regulation of 28A of Aadhaar (Enrolment A and update) Regulations 2016. It is surprising that such a process of the deactivation of Aadhaar cards without any prior intimation and also without giving any opportunity of being heard to the card holders is in gross violation of the Regulation 29(1) of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016 and also in gross violation of natural justice. In this context i have received a number of representations including those from the Tapasili Federation. The present development has created chaos and hue and cry among the residents of the state, as a large number of people are approaching the district administration for redressal of their grievances. Every citizen in the state is in a state of fear on this matter”. Announcing this at a press conference at Nabanna today the chief minister said, “The Centre either should first stop this irregularity or the state would take steps by opening a grievance portal to safeguard the interests of the poor people from getting deprived of the facilities disbursed through ‘Red carpet has replaced red tape in UP’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 FEBRUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that during the seven years of the BJP Government in Uttar Pradesh, a “red carpet culture” has replaced the “red-tape culture” as crime declined and a business environment flourished in the State. He was addressing the Viksit Bharat-Viksit Uttar Pradesh programme in Lucknow after launching 14,000 projects across the state worth more than Rs 10 lakh crore at the fourth groundbreaking ceremony of the UP Global Investors Summit 2023, held in February last year. The prime minister said there is an atmosphere of positivity in the state regarding investments and employment opportunities. “Today, Uttar Pradesh is witnessing investments worth lakhs of crores of rupees,” he said, expressing delight with the state’s progress since he is also a Member of Parliament from Varanasi. Mr Modi affirmed that today’s projects would change the face of Uttar Pradesh, and congratulated investors as well as the youth. The projects cover manufacturing, renewable energy, information technology and Information Technology enabled Services, hous- ing and real estate, among others. “In the last seven years, an atmosphere of business, development and trust has developed in Uttar Pradesh”, the prime minister noted. The double-engine government of the state has proven the inevitability of change if there is a genuine desire for it, he added. There was a doubling of exports from the state during this period, he said while praising the state’s strides in electricity generation and transmission. “Today, UP is a state with the maximum number of expressways, and international airports in the country. It is the state where the country’s first rapid rail is running,” the prime minister said. A big chunk of Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways falls in the state, he said. Acknowledging the use of river waterways in the state, the PM praised the connectivity and ease of travel in the state at present. Modi said he was not viewing the development projects launched on Monday in terms of investments only, but as presenting a vision for a better future and a ray of hope for investors. Recalling his recent visit to UAE and Qatar, the prime minister said there was unprecedented positivity towards India, all around the globe and said that every nation feels assurance and trust in India’s growth story. “Even though ‘Modi ki guarantee’ is being widely discussed around the country today, the world is seeing India as a guarantee for better returns,” the prime minister said. Reaffirming the belief of investors, he said that India has broken the trend of foreign investors drifting away from investing when elections are knocking on the doors. “Investors around the globe now trust the government’s policies and stability,” the prime minister remarked, noting there is a similar trend emerging in Uttar Pradesh. He said the concept of Viksit Bharat needs new thinking and direction. Earlier, there was an approach of keeping citizens at a bare minimum existence. The Governments then thought let people cry for ease of living. This approach kept large parts of the country undeveloped and Uttar Pradesh was one of the victims of this policy. The double-engine government of the state has completely changed the image of the state and it is involved in making the life of every family easy, as ease of living leads to ease of doing business, he said. Chief Justice of Manipur Siddharth Mridul leads relief efforts, distributes essential items at relief camps STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE IMPHAL, 19 FEBRUARY A delegation led by Chief Justice of Manipur High Court Siddharth Mridul, accompanied by judges and members of the Bar, visited relief camps recently at Sekmaijin Panchayat Ghar in Sekmaijin Kakching district and distributed essential items of daily need to the camp inmates. The delegation also visited Elangkhangpokpi Mayai Leikai Mandop in Elangkhangpokpi, Kakching district . The delegation included various dignitaries such as Bar Council of Manipur Chairman P9 CM has already written to the PM seeking details on the alleged deactivation of Aadhaar cards Min: 63% Max: 33°C (+1) SUN RISES 06:05 hrs MOON RISES 13:55 hrs P6 S Brajabihari Singh ; High Court Bar Association of Manipur president Y Nirmolchand Singh; Deputy Solicitor General of India, High Court of Manipur Kh Samarjit Singh; Senior Advocates Huirem Ishwarlal Singh and Sapam Biswajit Meitei; Registrar General of the High Court of Manipur Yumkham Rother; All Manipur Judicial Officers’ Association president Binny Ngangom; Thoubal District and Sessions Judge Samom Ibjen ; Member Secretary of Manipur State Legal Services Authority Alek Muivah; Secretary of Thoubal District Legal Services Authority Masana Evangeline Panmei ; and President of Thoubal District Bar Association Kh Arunkumar Singh. Deputy Commissioner Kakching, Somorjit Salam, along with the District Medical Officer, was also present and briefed the delegation on the camp conditions, it was mentioned. Relief materials, including essential items such as charcoal, charcoal heaters (meiphu), torch lights with lamps, hot water bags, diapers, plastic mats, mattresses, thin woollen shawls, winter woollen trousers for women, and sports items, were distributed to families residing in the two relief camps to help alleviate some of the challenges they faced. During the visit on Friday, the delegation interacted with the inmates and encouraged them to share their concerns through the para legal volunteers of the District Legal Services Authority. BUMRAH LIKELY TO BE RESTED FOR RANCHI TEST the link of Aadhaar cards. People, who have so far found their cards get deactivated can file their complaints to this portal, which in turn will inform me, who the losers are and on the basis of which the state will issue an alternative cards to them.” She further said that the highest number of cards deactivated are from the Matua community in the state and those were done at will. “We won’t allow NRC nor will allow any detention camps here at any cost. The Centre had sent so many committees for Sandeshkhali but did it send any committee for Chopra so far,” she asked. On the proposed alternative Aadhaar cards, Miss Banerjee said, “It is now mandatory for every citizen to link bank accounts with Aadhaar numbers in order to get pecuniary facilities. We will unlikely disburse the money through bank accounts but we can hold camps to disburse the money and that would be video recorded. No poor will be deprived of the facilities entailed in the Aadhaar. This is West Bengal and not Delhi. Here elections are not won by using force. Meanwhile, UIDAI in a clarification said that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled. P12 Chandigarh mayoral polls: SC slams returning officer, calls for ballot papers PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 19 FEBRUARY Expressing deep concern over the “horse trading” and slamming the Returning Officer Anil Masih who had conducted the controversial and questionable Chandigarh Mayor’s election, the Supreme Court on Monday directed that the ballot papers and video recording of the election held on January 30, that have been taken into custody by the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court in pursuant or it’s order, be produced before it on February 20, 2024, at 2pm. Ordering the production of the ballot papers and the video recording of the conduct of the election in which eight ballot papers of the CongressAam Aadmi Party councillors wereinvalidated,abenchofchief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra further directed that the necessary security arrangements shall be made to ensure the safe transit and proper preservation and custody of ballet papers along with judicial officers. Expressing concern over the “horse trading”, the bench said, “We are deeply concerned about the horse-trading which is taking place….” The bench expressed concern over the "defacing ballot papers". The strong observations from the top court came in the course of the hearing of Aam AadmiParty’scouncillorKuldeep Kumar’s plea who has questionedthewayBJP’sMayor’scandidate Manoj Sonkar’s victory was allegedly engineered. Kuldeep Kumar had lost the Mayor's election to BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar on January 30. Sonkar resigned as Mayor of Chandigarh on February 18, ahead of the hearing today in the top court. The bench today asked Masih as to why he had marked X (cross) on the ballot papers. Conveying the seriousness of the matter, Chief Justice Chandrachud told Masih “This is a very serious matter. All that you say…ifthere is any falsehood you will be prosecuted...Why were you looking into the camera and putting marks in the ballot papers?” The Returning Officer Masih who was present in the court in pursuance to February 5 order, replied that he was just marking the ballot papers that weredefaced,andthattherewere so many cameras that he was just looking at them. He said that he had made marks on eight ballotpapers,onlytosetthemapart. At this bench said, “That means you marked it. He has to be prosecuted. In an electoral democracy, this cannot be allowed.”