WEDNESDAY 03 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘COUNTRY HEADING TOWARDS DEVELOPED NATION STATUS’ CONFRONTING PUTIN P6 SENSEX 73,903.91110.64 WEATHER Hot and discomfort weather very likely.Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 37 °C and 27 °C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 92 % TEMPERATURE P8 NIFTY 22,453.308.70 P4 GOLD 69,110270 ` vs $ 83.37 Frequent transfer of officers not good: CM Max: 36.7°C (+2) Min: 28.1°C (+3) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:28 hrs 17:52 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 00:24 hrs 11:5 hrs New Moon on 08 April THUMBNAILS Devotees pull the Chariot of Lord Rangnath during the annual ‘Rath ka Mela’ festival, at Vrindavan in Mathura on Tuesday.  ANI ‘India to become 3rd largest economy by 2027, m-cap to hit $10 tn by 2030’: India is c expected to become the 3rd largest economy by 2027, and the market cap will hit $10 trillion by 2030, the latest report said on Tuesday. In FY2024, the Indian equity market witnessed a phenomenal performance as benchmark indices soared to unprecedented all-time highs, with the Nifty and Sensex scaling milestones of 22,526.60 and 74,245.17 mark respectively. . (PG8) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI, 2 APRIL hief minister Mamata Banerjee today raised doubts over the impartiality of the election commission for conducting Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. Coming down heavily on the frequent transfer of IAS and IPS officers in Bengal ahead of Lok Sabha polls, without naming the BJP candidate for Cooch Behar, Mamata Banerjee today said, “I will not speak of the election commission (ECI) but must talk about justice. That action has been taken against the Union minister of home affairs for his alleged involvement in criminal offences. How many ED and CBI officials here have been replaced? ED and CBI atrocities continue in Bengal.” “A general election should be conducted impartially. BJP here keeps control over it. The BJP-led central government is totally Jumlabaz,” chief minister said, adding, “A groom has become a priest for his own marriage ceremony.” Miss Banerjee, who had to visit storm-hit areas at Maynaguri on 31 March C ECI appoints Special Observers in 6 states night, today visited Mercy Fellowship Church near Dimdima in Jalpaiguri and interacted with both church authorities and downtrodden people assembled there. Addressing the audience, Miss Banerjee asked the people to maintain peace in their respective areas and abstain from violence, ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The chief minister also informed them that she would be staying in the region till 6 April and then leave for Purulia and Banku- SC grants bail to AAP leader Sanjay Singh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL PARMOD KUMAR The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday appointed Special Observers (General and Police) in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, to ensure level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections. Besides this, the poll panel also appointed Special Expenditure Observers in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. “Special Observers (General and Police) have been deployed in states ofWest Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar where the population is more than seven crores along with states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha where the simultaneous elections to the Assemblies are to be held,” the ECI said in a communiqué. The Special Observers have been entrusted with the crucial task of In a big relief to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted him bail in an alleged money laundering case. Sanjay Singh has been in incarceration since 4 October, 2023. Granting bail to Sanjay Singh, a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Prasanna B. Varale said, “We are granting bail to Sanjay Singh.Sanjay Singh to be released during the pendency of trial.” The court said that Sanjay Singh may continue with his political activities. The bench refrained Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh from making any comment about his role or anything related to Delhi liquor scam case. NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL supervising the randomisation of personnel, security forces, and voting machines, thereby thwarting any attempts to subvert the democratic process and a level playing field, it said. The ECI further said recognising the challenges posed by the influence of money, muscle, and misinformation, it has appointed Special Observers for the LS and State Legislative Assemblies to oversee the electoral process with strict vigilance. Special Observers appointed are former civil servants with a brilliant track record of domain expertise and past experience with election processes, it added. ra for her political meetings and be back to Kolkata on 8 April. Miss Banerjee is monitoring overall political scenario in this region before addressing political rallies ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political tour in North Bengal by 6 April. Speaking to reporters, Mamata Banerjee said, “I have come to know that nearly 10 lakh people, associated with unorganised small tea gardens here, have rendered jobless following a central govern- ment’s restriction over using pesticides. The BJP has hatched a conspiracy ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit so that he can get scope to resolve the issue by addressing a public meeting for political dividend.” “The Centre should have made alternative arrangements for their livelihood before implementation. I have asked the administration as well as the labour department to look into the matter,” Miss Banerjee said, adding, “I have also come to know that the people associated with the jute industry are facing the same problem.” “I will ask them to continue their work, and the state government will look after them.” On the other hand, Miss Banerjee appreciated the role of the Church and its contribution for the development of education among the students belonging to poor families in tea plantation areas. Expressing her unhappiness over riots in Manipur, where churches were set on fire, the chief minister said, “I believe people will live together in a peaceful atmosphere. Staying together is a message for peace.” India rejects China’s renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL India on Tuesday rejected China’s “senseless attempts” to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh. “China has persisted with its senseless attempts to rename places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. We firmly reject such attempts. Assigning invented names will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. This came a day after China released a fourth list of 30 new names for various places in Arunachal Pradesh. Set to take effect from May 1, the implementation measures stipulate in Article 13 that "place names in foreign languages that may harm China's territorial claims and sovereignty rights shall not be directly quoted or translated without authorisation," Chinese state-run media reported. On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rejected China's renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh, saying it was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India. “If I change the name of your house, will it become mine?” he asked when a journalist in Surat sought his reaction to China's latest action. China recently objected to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh on March 9 during which he dedicated to the nation the strategic Sela Tunnel built at an altitude of 13,000 feet. P12 SILVER 79,000400 Mamata Banerjee expresses doubts over impartiality of Election Commission Min. 30 % ENGLAND’S STAR BEN STOKES PULLS OUT OF T20 WORLD CUP AMIT SHAH BLASTS OPPOSITION OVER ` 12 LAKH CRORE GRAFT BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 88.461.04 Talks will continue with China to resolve Ladakh stand-off , says Rajnath STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India will continue talks with China for peacefully resolving the military stand-off at eastern Ladakh without lowering its guard, and complimented the Indian Army for its response to continuing cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. “While our troops are standing firm on the northern borders, the ongoing talks for peaceful resolution will continue as disengagement and de-escalation is the way forward,” he said. Referring to the situation along the western borders, the defence minister noted that the proxy war by the “adversary” continues. “I compliment the excellent synergy between the CAPF/police forces and the Army in tackling the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The synergized operations in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are contributing to increased stability in the region and the same should continue,” he added. Singh was addressing the Army Commanders’ Conference, an apex level bian- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh being welcomed by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan as he arrives to attend the Army Commanders' Conference, at the Manekshaw Auditorium, in New Delhi on Tuesday.  ANI nual event, which was conducted in virtual mode on March 28 and thereafter in physical mode on 1-2 April. During the conference, the Indian Army's apex leadership comprehensively deliberated upon all aspects of existing security scenarios, situation along the borders, in the hinterland and challenges for the present security apparatus. In addition, the conference also focused on issues pertaining to organisational restructuring, logistics, administration, human resource management, modernisation through indigenisation, induction of Niche technologies and assessment of impact of the various existing global situations. Addressing the conference, Mr Singh appreciated the efforts of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which has led to a quantum improvement of road communication on both Western and Northern borders.. He reaffirmed the faith of the billion-plus citizens in the Indian Army as one of the most trusted and inspiring organisations in the country. He highlighted the stellar role played by the Army in guarding the country's borders and fighting terrorism apart from providing assistance to the civil administration in every need of hour. EAM Jaishankar confident about permanent UNSC seat for India STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed confidence about India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying that no big achievement comes without hard work. “We will surely get it. But, no big achievement comes without hard work. So we will have to work hard for it. This time, we will have to put an extra effort because what has happened till now is that the UN was formed around 80 years ago...at that time, there were five nations which decided that they will become the permanent members of the UN security Council," he said at an event in Rajkot. He underlined that it is a weird thing to know that the same five nations who have kept their control are being asked whether or not the change should take place in the security council. "At that time, there were 50 independent countries. In the last 80 years, the number of those countries have now reached 193-194. But, what these five nations have done is kept their control...and the weird thing is that you are asking those 5 nations only that you decide and agree upon whether this change should be carried out. Some of them agree and some do not. Some put their positions clearly, some do other things in the back-channel...this has been happening for years," the minister said. However, there has been a strong rise in the sentiment that the system should change now, he said. "This system should change and India should get a permanent seat in the UNSC," Jaishankar said, adding that a lot of negotiations are going on in the present scenario and India should be persistent with this. “These days, a lot of negotiations are going on....multiple ideas have been put forward...some by Arab and African countries. We along with Japan, Germany and Brazil have also put forward a proposal. I think we should be persistent with this..." the EAM said. As he further went on to speak, Jaishankar noted that the UN has got very weak. "Today there is a feeling that the UN has become very weak. There was a deadlock at the UN regarding the Ukraine conflict, there was no agreement from the UN's side on the war in Gaza," Jaishankar said. AAP plans to move court for designating small area in Tihar jail as office for Delhi CM: Sources FSSAI asks e-commerce platforms to de-link beverages from ‘health/energy drinks’ category AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL The AAP wants a small area in Tihar Central Jail to be segregated for Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal’s use as an office, and the party intends to approach court for seeking this facility for its leader. The AAP wants the Delhi CM to have access to essential office facilities, including video conferencing in the designated area in Tihar, sources within the party said on Tuesday. According to sources, the AAP's legal team is reportedly gearing up to cite past instances where undertrials were permitted to establish and operate offices within Tihar Jail. The party plans to argue in court that if other accused were granted such privileges, then why an elected Chief Minister should be deprived of similar facilities? CM Kejriwal, arrested on March 21 in connection with the excise policy case, has been lodged in Tihar Jail, which is expected to further complicate the process of running the government from prison. CM Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar's Jail No 2 and is per- mitted to meet Delhi government officials regarding work as per names approved and submitted to the court. He can also meet family members twice a week, but their names must be on a list that is cleared by prison security. Regular health checkups will also be provided to the Delhi CM as he has diabetes. The ED had claimed in its remand application that "on the basis of the material in possession, Kejriwal, who is also the National Convenor of the AAP, was found guilty under Section 3 of the PMLA, 2002 for the commission of the offence of money laundering for being actively involved in the process and activities connected with the proceeds of crime.” "As per the inves- tigation done so far, the proceeds of crime of about Rs 45 crore approximate, which were part of the bribes received from the South Group, were used in the election campaign of the AAP in Goa in 2021-22,” the ED contended and termed the AAP the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the Delhi liquor case.“… AAP has committed the offence of money laundering through Arvind Kejriwal and the offences thus are covered by Section 70, PMLA 2002. Kejriwal is the ultimate incharge of the AAP and was intrinsically involved in the acts of policy formulation, kickback scheme and the final use of the proceeds of crime thus generated including conspiracy thereof," it added. The term – ‘Energy’ Drinks – is permitted to be used only on the products licensed under Food Category System (FCS) 14.1.4.1 and 14.1.4.2 (Carbonated and Non-carbonated water based flavoured drinks), standardized under subregulation 2.10.6 (2) of Food Product Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011 (Caffeinated Beverage) NEW DELHI, 2 APRIL The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked all e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorization of food products being sold on their websites. “The FSSAI has noted instances of food products licensed under 'Proprietary Food' with the nearest category – Dairy Based Beverage Mix or Cereal Based Beverage Mix or Malt Based Beverage – being sold on e-commerce websites under the category ‘Health Drink’, ‘Energy Drink’ etc," the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. FSSAI has clarified that CMYK the term ‘health drink’ is not defined or standardized anywhere under the FSS Act 2006 or rules/regulations made thereunder. Therefore, FSSAI has advised all e-commerce FBOs to promptly rectify this misclassification by removing or de-linking such drinks or beverages from the category of ‘Health Drinks / Energy Drinks’ on their websites and place such products in the appropriate category as provided under the extant law. Proprietary Foods are items of food that are not stan- dardized in Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations and Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food, and Novel Food) Regulations but use standardised ingredients, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. The term – ‘Energy’ Drinks – is permitted to be used only on the products licensed under Food Category Sys- tem (FCS) 14.1.4.1 and 14.1.4.2 (Carbonated and Non-carbonated water based flavoured drinks), standardized under sub-regulation 2.10.6 (2) of Food Product Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011 (Caffeinated Beverage). This corrective action aims to enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, ensuring that consumers can make wellinformed choices without encountering misleading information.