SATURDAY 09 MARCH 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 TRUMP’S ISOLATIONISM ‘NO UCC LINK WITH POLLS’ P7 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 27 AND 11 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90 % TEMPERATURE Max: 27.4 °C (-1) SUN RISES 6:36 hrs MOON RISES 06:37 hrs Min: 09.6 °C (-4) SUN SETS 18:26 hrs MOON SETS 17:23 hrs THUMBNAILS Devotees at the Gufa Wala Mandir on the occasion of Mahashivratri at Preet Vihar in the Capital on Friday. SUBRATA DUTTA Bengaluru water crisis: The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has prohibited the use of water for washing vehicles, fountains and gardening, and has also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for violation amid a crisis in Bengaluru.The prohibitory orders were issued on Thursday under sections 33 and 34 of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Act -1964. The order also prohibits the use of water for construction activities, fountains created for recreation, use of water other than drinking purposes in malls and cinema halls, cleaning of roads and other Pg 4 cleaning work. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P6 INDIA QUELL ENGLAND'S FIGHTBACK TO REACH 473/8 P12 PM's gift on Women's Day: CBI busts human trafficking network sending Indians to `100 discount on LPG price Russia-Ukraine war zone PM Modi also extended greetings to women and lauded their courage P rime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of International Women's Day, announced a discount of Rs 100 on the prices of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders to make the lives of women easier. Taking to the social media platform ‘X’(formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “Today, on Women's Day, our Government has decided to reduce LPG cylinder prices by Rs 100. This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti.” “By making cooking gas more affordable, we also aim to support the wellbeing of families and ensure a healthier environment. This is in line with our commitment to empowering women and ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ for them," he added. The step will also boost efforts towards environmental protection and consequently improve the health of families, the PM further said. The development comes a day after the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of Rs 300 targeted subsidy to PM Ujjwala Yojana consumers for 202425. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Union cabinet, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the beneficiaries will get the subsidy directly in their accounts. In October last year also, the government had increased the subsidy on the scheme by Rs 100 to Rs 300 from Rs 200 per 14.2-kg cylinders for up to 12 refills per year. PM Modi also extended greetings to women and lauded their courage. "Greetings on International Women's Day! We salute the strength, courage, and resilience of our Nari Shakti and laud their accomplishments across various fields. Our government is committed to empowering women through initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and more. This is also reflected in our accomplishments in the last decade.” PM Modi’s move on the LPG price was questioned by the opposition over its timing as the Lok Sabha elections are near. NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule said: "I am not surprised at all. Look at the timing. They have been in power for the last 9 years. Why didn't they think of this earlier? "yeh aur ek jumla hai"...In our government, the cylinder was ?430. Why don't they match it?.” Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said: “The BJP is a very clever party. They sell (LPG) cylinders of Rs 395 at Rs 1000 and then PM Modi makes an announcement of reducing it by Rs 100. West Bengal’s TMC leader Sagarika Ghose also questioned the timing of the decision. Taking to X, she said: “Just a few days before general election 2024, the Modi government cuts LPG prices. Why could this have not been done earlier when women consumers were labouring under high LPG prices even when global prices were low? Now when elections are around the corner, down come LPG prices. Height of political cynicism! India needs a Pradhan Mantri not an election Mantri.”Samajwadi Party Mahila Sabha national president Juhie Singh said PM Modi's Ujwala Yojna is a fraud. “Mahadev is watching how people are being deceived (by the BJP government). Cylinder prices are increasing. I think PM Modi should visit not only the 'sponsored part' of the villages but actually go and see how ‘Ujwala Yojna’ is a fraud. Women are a huge part of the population and a big chunk of our society. So, unless you won’t make them economically strong, there would be no development in the society," she said. A total of 19 such travel consultants and agencies have been booked by the CBI that are located across the nation over the suspected offence of criminal conspiracy, cheating and human trafficking STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a major human trafficking network which was active across the country allegedly involved in recruiting unwitting youths for the Russian war effort against Ukraine with the promise of lucrative jobs. According to sources, after sending them off to Russia, agents present there would later get the trafficked Indian nationals trained in combat, and the latter were deployed at the RussiaUkraine war zone, against their wishes. A total of 19 such travel consultants and agencies have been booked by the CBI that are located across the nation over the suspected offence of criminal conspiracy, cheating and human trafficking, the Govt making efforts to bring back Indians working for Russian Army, says MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH India has strongly taken up with Russia the matter concerning several Indian nationals who have been duped to work in the Russian Army and is making all-out efforts to bring them back home, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. “Several Indian nationals have been duped to work in the Russian Army. We have strongly taken up the matter for the early discharge of such Indian nationals. Strong action has also been initiated against agents who recruited them on false pretexts,” the spokesperson said at a media briefing. He said the CBI had, on Thursday, conducted raids on some travel agents who duped these Indian nationals. India, he said, remains committed to the early release of all Indian nationals serving as support staff with the Russian Army. In response to a question, the spokesperson said some 20 Indian nationals have contacted the government. “We are doing our best to locate them. We are also in touch with the Russian authorities,” he added. sources said. The central probe agency conducted simultaneous searches at around 13 locations in Delhi, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Ambala, Chandigarh, Madurai and Chennai. Officials of the federal agency have so far recovered cash amounting to over Rs 50 lakhs, incriminating documents, and seized electronic records in laptops, mobiles, desktops and CCTV footage. According to CBI sources, certain suspects have also been detained for questioning at various locations. The agency has said that so far around 35 instances of victims sent abroad have been established, while the identities of more are being established, while the probe is underway. EAM: Connectivity endeavours must be ITAT dismisses Congress transparent & respectful of sovereignty plea against proceedings STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH The Delhi Police have arrested a father for killing his 29year-son, just a day prior to his marriage, the police said on Friday. In the shocking incident, Gaurav Singhal was attacked with scissors, iron rods and a knife, and succumbed to multiple injuries inflicted on his body by the attackers. It was revealed during the probe and interrogation that the father was unhappy with his son's lifestyle and extravagance. He also told police that he was frustrated with his son's disobedience. The father was also enraged due to the support given to the son by his mother, and further confessed that he had been planning to kill his son for the past three months, with three of his associates, to whom he paid Rs 75,000, while the total amount fixed for the crime was Rs 1,50,000. He carried out the plan with three accomplices just a day before Gaurav's marriage, which was reportedly to take place on Thursday. During the investigation, it was found that the accomplices were from the same locality and were young men, around 22-25 years of age. It was on the intervening night of Wednesday- Thursday that around 12.30 am, a PCR call regarding a murder at Raju Park, Devli Extension was received. On reaching the spot, police found that Gaurav Singhal had been attacked with a sharp edged weapon and he was taken to Max Hospital for treatment, where he was declared brought dead, with multiple stab injuries on head, face, back and other parts of the body, as per the MLC report. The body was later shifted to AIIMS mortuary for post mortem, and a case was registered. P5 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH Min. 24 % Father held for killing son a day before marriage ‘LALU’S PARIVAR JIBE AGAINST PM MODI HAS HARMED INDIA BLOC’ In a veiled reference to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has brought many developing countries under a debt trap, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Friday, told a gathering of intellectuals in Tokyo that India was the first country to plead that connectivity endeavours must be collaborative, transparent, viable and respectful of sovereignty. “India was the first country to display strategic clarity in regard to contemporary initiatives (on connectivity). Frankly speaking, most of the world wobbled in this regard at that moment. Time and experience have brought them around, but not without a cost,” the minister said in remarks at the Nikkei External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in Tokyo on Friday.  ANI Forum on India-Japan Special Strategic Partnership. His comments are significant since many analysts have characterised Chinese lending through the BRI as "debt trap diplomacy" designed to give China leverage over other countries and even seize their infrastructure and resources. India has opposed the BRI initiative on the grounds that its key project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) runs through the Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan. Cautioning that there is no room for complacency Murmu to visit Mauritius as National Day chief guest STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a state visit to Mauritius from 11-13 March to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius on 12 March as the chief guest. A contingent of the Indian Navy will participate in the celebrations along with two ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron - INS Tir and CGS Sarathi. President Murmu will hold bilateral meetings with Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopun and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. In addition, she will meet the Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, the Chief Justice of the Mauritian Supreme Court, and important Mauritian leaders. During the visit, President Murmu and Prime Min- ister Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate 14 India-assisted projects, showcasing the growing expanse and multifaceted nature of India’s vibrant development partnership with the island that constitutes a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. President Murmu will also witness the exchange of important bilateral agreements that seek to further strengthen the robust bilateral institutional collaboration and capacity-building cooperation between the two countries. She will also pay homage to Mauritian leaders at the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden and undertake visits to historical and cultural sites, including the Aapravasi Ghat, where Indian indentured labourers first arrived in Mauritius, the Intercontinental Slavery Museum and the sacred Ganga Talao. Additionally, she will address Mauritian youth at the University of Mauritius and socio-cultural organisations, members of the Indian diaspora, and the Indian community at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. The visit reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthening the bilateral relationship across all sectors and deepening our close people-to-people ties, the Ministry of External Affairs said. in diplomacy, Mr Jaishankar said bilateral relationships need to be continuously tended at various levels and constantly refreshed. “There will always be new complexities but equally, fresh opportunities. This is how India and Japan should approach each other today,” he said. Speaking at length on India-Japan ties, he noted that the two countries are convergent on the big picture and the key concerns. “Our inclination and ability to respond in a more coordinated manner has also improved. We can for example, see that in defence where a bilateral military exercise is going on between India and Japan, even as we speak. It is much better in investment, though trade remains flatter than we would wish,” he added. AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on Friday dismissed the plea moved by the Congress party which sought a stay against Income Tax Department proceedings of recovery and freezing of their bank accounts. Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said the party is exploring all legal options and would move the high court “very soon”. An ITAT bench of GS Pannu, Vice President, and Anubhav Sharma, Judicial Member, on Friday passed the order and said, "We do not find that the recovery notice under Section 226(3) of the Act issued by the Assessing Officer on February 13, 2024 is lacking in bona fides, so as to require us to intervene." Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said the party is exploring all legal options and would move the high court ‘very soon’ The stay application is without merit and, it is dismissed accordingly, said the bench in its order. The bench further stated that even after the rejection of the Appeal by the CIT (Appeals) on 28 March 2023, no recovery action seems to have been initiated by the Assessing Officer to recover the demand till 13 February 2024. On the other hand, the assessee has also not demonstrated its keenness to expeditiously settle the issue, it noted. Senior advocate Vivek Tankha who appeared for the Congress had requested the bench to keep the order in abeyance for 10 days so that the Indian National Congress (INC) can approach the concerned High Court. However, the bench declined to so, saying that we have no such provision or prayer before us. During arguments earlier, the Congress's senior lawyer cited the hardship created for the assessee, which is a National Political Party, in view of the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections, alleging that the initiation of the recovery proceedings under section 226 (3) of the Act on 13th February 2024 are so timed that the assessee would not be left with enough resources to contest the Parliamentary Elections. India reaches out to Taliban in Afghanistan A&N Command carries out maiden all-women maritime surveillance mission STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH NEW DELHI, 8 MARCH India has established direct contact with the Taliban in Afghanistan as part of its ongoing humanitarian endeavours and for early completion of the Chabahar Port in Iran that provides it a direct link to the war-torn nation, bypassing Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday confirmed that an Indian delegation, led by Mr J P Singh, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran Division) in the ministry, is on a visit to Afghanistan. “As you are aware, India opened its Technical Mission in Kabul in June 2022 and since then the Mission is facilitating and coordinating our ongoing humanitarian assistance endeavours,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE A maiden all-women maritime surveillance mission was undertaken by the Andaman & Nicobar Command on the 40th anniversary of INAS 318 and International Women’s Day on Friday. The crew based at INS Utkrosh comprised Lt Cdr Shubhangi Swaroop, Lt Cdr Divya Sharma and Lt Vaishali Mishra. The occasion highlighted the crucial role played by women combatants in all the walks of the Naval Air Arm, which included pre-flight briefing, meteorological briefing, medical check-up and Air Traffic Control (ATC) briefing, all of which were conducted by women officers. This milestone underscores the commitment of the Andaman & Nicobar Command towards providing equal opportunities to all genders and fostering gender A maiden all-women maritime surveillance mission was undertaken by the Andaman and Nicobar Command on the 40th anniversary of INAS 318 and International Women’s Day, on Friday.  ANI neutrality within the Armed Forces. The successful completion of the mission affirms the capability of women to undertake independent operational tasks, highlighting their invaluable contributions towards the nation’s defence and security. INAS 318 is the elite Naval Air squadron in the Andaman & Nicobar Command, con- tinuously engaged in surveillance since its commissioning on March 8, 1984. The squadron commenced its journey with the induction of Islander aircraft which were replaced by Dornier aircraft in 1999. The Dornier aircraft is capable of carrying out long range maritime surveillance using state-of-the-art Maritime Patrol Radars.