THURSDAY 25 JULY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR THE CRISIS IN HASINA’S BANGLADESH SECURITY FAILURE P6 SENSEX 80,148.88280.16 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Light to moderate Rain / thundershower very likely to occur.Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 31 °C and 27 °C respectively. P7 NIFTY 24,413.5065.55 P5 ` vs $ 83.72 ‘Outrageous allegation’: FM slams Oppn criticism STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 JULY UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived here this morning on a two-day visit to India in the first highlevel discussion between the two countries after the formation of the Keir Starmer-led Labour government in London. “Warm welcome to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy as he arrives in New Delhi on his first official visit since the assumption of office. The visit will strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and will make the 'living bridge' between India and the UK stronger,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on social media platform X. Economic, domestic and global security will be at the heart of the UK foreign secretary’s first visit to India, the British High Commission said. Mr Lammy is expected to push for a reset of the UKIndia partnership, including through reinforcing the UK’s commitment to securing a Free Trade Agreement that will benefit both economies. He will tell his Indian counterpart that he wants to drive forward greater Min. 74 % Max: 31.5 °C (-0.5) SUN RISES 05:5 hrs MOON RISES 20:49 hrs Min: 27.4°C (+0.9) SUN SETS 18:21 hrs MOON SETS 07:50 hrs New Moon on 08 August THUMBNAILS Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during an event to observe the 44th death anniversary of Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, in Kolkata (PG3) on Wednesday.  BISWAJIT GHOSHAL Bengal Assembly passes resolution for scrapping of NEET: A motion moved by the ruling Trinamul Congress in the West Bengal Assembly demanding scrapping of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and restoration of the previous system of individual state governments conducting such examinations, was passed in the House on Wednesday. With this, West Bengal became the second state after Tamil Nadu to pass a motion (Page 3) demanding scrapping of NEET. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 79.460.73 UK Foreign Secy in India for talks on FTA, global developments Sitharaman reacted after Opposition claimed that the Budget was discriminatory NEW DELHI, 24 JULY Max. 92 % P12 SILVER 87,500500 GOLD 70,860 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE RAINFALL: 3.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE WHITE-BALL SIDES: LANKA TOUR TO PROVIDE CLARITY RAHUL: MSP CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, WILL PRESSURISE GOVT inance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday lashed out at the Opposition's claim that the Union Budget was 'discriminatory' and said that it was an 'outrageous allegation' and a deliberate attempt by the Opposition parties led by the Congress to give the people the wrong impression that their states were not allocated funds or schemes. The Finance Minister reacted after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge made claims that the budget was discriminatory towards the states of the country. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister said: “I have not named many states and only spoken of two states.... in every budget, you don't get an opportunity to name every state of this country,”she said. She added: “If the speech does not mention the name of a particular state, does that mean the schemes and programmes of the government of India, the externally aided assistance that we obtain from theWorld Bank, ADB, AIB and so on, do not go to these states?” “I am saying with respon- F Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday.  ANI sibility that this is a deliberate attempt of the opposition parties led by the Congress to give the people the wrong impression that their states were not allocated funds or schemes," said Mrs Sitharaman. This was after Mr Kharge condemned the Budget presented yesterday and claimed that no other states other than Andhra Pradesh and Bihar received anything. “Sabke thali khali aur sirf do ke thali mai pakoda aur jalebi. Ye do states ko chodkar,kisi ko kuch nai mila. Neither Tamil Nadu Kerala nor Karnataka got anything. Neither Maharashtra nor Punjab or Rajasthan and neither Chhattisgarh,” he said. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram also made a blistering attack on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha and said it showed the government was not serious about unemployment or inflation; free food grains for 81 crore people showed people cannot afford food, and a virtual death knell has been sounded for federalism by offering Central largesse to a couple of states only. In the Lok Sabha, Mr Abhishek Banerjee (Trinamul Congress) said the Budget is anti-Bengal and anti-poor. He said there was weaponisation of Central investigating agencies for political witchhunts. Mr Dayanidhi Maran (DMK) said Tamil Nadu was denied funds for flood relief when it faced the worst floods in 150 years. While Tamil Nadu got Rs 286 crores, Bihar got Rs 11,000 crores, Gujarat Rs 1,000 crores. The Centre is giving Rs 26,000 crores to Bihar for repairs of its collapsed bridges. He said high Capex was not visible on the ground and it would only cut expenditure on welfare. INDIA bloc stages protest STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 JULY Leaders of the INDIA bloc including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest at the Parliament premises here, alleging discrimination in the Union Budget 2024, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday. The Opposition leaders held the demonstration in front of the Makar Dwar of the Parliament and shouted slogans against the government while holding aloft placards. Participating in the demonstration, Mr Kharge said, “This is a deceptive budget. This is injustice to the countrymen.” “This budget is an attack on the dignity of India's federal structure. In the greed to save power, other states are neglected and discriminated against,” Rahul Gandhi said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomes UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on his first India visit, in New Delhi on Wednesday.  ANI growth for both countries. “India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” Mr Lammy said in a statement. He said the FTA negotiations is the “floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham.” The foreign secretary will underscore the importance of the Living Bridge between the UK and India that represents the 1.7 million people with Indian heritage that have made their home in the UK and make an exceptional con- India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world DAVID LAMMY UK FOREIGN SECRETARY tribution to British life. In a visit to India’s third largest technology company, he will meet business leaders to highlight how the UK and India are working together on shared ambitions such as cutting-edge science to encourage innovation, boost trade, and improve the livelihoods of working people in both countries. The foreign secretary will also hold high-level talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on a range of bilateral issues as well as global developments. 18 killed as aircraft crashes on SC orders status quo Mamata to leave for Delhi takeoff at Kathmandu airport at Shambhu border today, may meet PM Modi PARMOD KUMAR KATHMANDU POST/ANN NEW DELHI, 24 JULY KATHMANDU, 24 JULY A Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, killing 18 people. The pilot of the aircraft was rescued alive and is under treatment in hospital. The accident occurred after the Pokhara-bound flight suffered a runway excursion during takeoff, said TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha. Nineteen people, including two crew members, were in the Pokhara-bound flight, with registration number 9NAME, which took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am. Eyewitnesses say that the plane was taking off from the Southern-end of the runway (Koteshwor side) and suddenly flipped with the wing tip hitting the ground. The aircraft caught fire immediately. It then plunged to a gorge on the eastern side of the runway~between Buddha Air hanger and the radar station. Nepal Police said Captain MR Shakya was rescued from the crash site and has been admitted to the KMC Hospital in Sinamangal for treatment. Most of the passengers were airline staff travelling to Pokhara for aircraft maintenance. Among the eighteen people who lost their lives, three have been identified as members of a family. According to sources, Manuraj Sharma, a technical staff member at Saurya Airlines, his wife Priza Khatiwada who worked as a computer operator at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and their son Adhiraj Sharma, were all killed in the accident. Police reported that one of the passengers was a Yemeni citizen. The government has formed a five-member committee to investigate the Saurya Airlines crash. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo to be maintained at the Shambhu border near Ambala between Haryana and Punjab, where farmers demanding a law to guarantee minimum support price for their agricultural produce have been agitating since 13 February 2024. A bench of the court comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said it proposes to constitute an independent committee comprising eminent persons who can reach out to farmers and other stakeholders in order to find viable solutions to their demands that can be fair, just and in the interests of everyone. The bench asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to suggest some names to be included in the proposed expert committee; otherwise the court can find out some suitable persons for the committee. The bench gave a week’s time to both the states to suggest names to be included in the proposed committee. “Let appropriate instructions be taken within a week. Till then let parties maintain status quo at the site to prevent flaring up of the situation at the Shambhu border,” the bench stated in its order. The court also asked Punjab and Haryana to take steps for the removal of barricades in a phased manner at the Shambhu border so that no inconvenience is caused to the public at large. The top court’s order came in the course of the hearing of an appeal by the Haryana government against the 10 July order of Punjab and Haryana High Court by which it had directed it to open the highway and clear the barricading within seven days on experimental basis. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 24 JULY Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee leaves for New Delhi tomorrow on a three-day trip during which she may meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be her first visit to the national capital after the Lok Sabha elections, in which the Trinamul Congress did quite well, bagging 29 seats out of 42 in the state. The state secretariat Nabanna is reported to have contacted the Prime Minister’s Office seeking an appointment with the PM. Miss Banerjee may meet Mr Modi either on Thursday or Friday if the PMO confirms the appointment, it is learnt. Miss Banerjee will attend the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Saturday. State government officials have put together relevant data and figures in connection Miss Banerjee will attend the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Saturday. with the dues running into thousands of crores of rupees under different national schemes lying unpaid with the Central government for Miss Banerjee so that she could place it before the PM. The PM will chair the ninth Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog on Saturday. Miss Banerjee is likely to raise the issue of Central dues to the state and funds for rural housing and MGNREGA at the meeting, according to sources at Nabanna. She had also met the PM on 20 December 2023 during which she pressed for the release of Central funds to Bengal. On Tuesday, she said that she would share details with the NITI Aayog of money owed by the Centre to her state before she reaches New Delhi on Thursday. "NITI Aayog has asked us to send a written speech before the meeting, but I am used to giving extempore speeches. So, I am giving them the details,” she said. The Trinamul chairperson may also meet party MPs and senior leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc during her stay in New Delhi. The Governing Council, the apex body of NITI Aayog, includes all chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories (UT) and several Union ministers. Another soldier dies in gunfight in Kupwara India rises to 82nd in Henley Passport Index 2024, with visa-free access to 58 countries Advanced frigate Triput launch comes as a boost to Indian Navy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 24 JULY NEW DELHI, 24 JULY A non commissioned officer (NCO) of the Indian Army laid down his life on Wednesday in a gunfight with terrorists in the Kowut area of North Kashmir's Kupwara. A heavily armed Pakistani terrorist was also killed in the gunfight. The soldier was critically injured during exchange of fire with terrorists and later succumbed. Dilawar Khan was injured during indiscriminate firing at the troops by the hiding terrorists, said an official. This is the second casualty of a soldier in J&K in the past 24 hours. Lance Naik, Subhash Chander, died yesterday while fighting infiltrating terrorists in the Poonch district of Jammu. India has been ranked at the 82nd spot on a global passport index, with Indians eligible for visa-free entry to 58 countries, including popular destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. According to the latest ranking by the UK-based Henley Passport Index, India's passport now ranks at an improved 82nd spot. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries' ordinary passports for their citizens. Singapore was ranked the leader on the passport index, reclaiming its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the latest ranking. “The city-state also sets a new record score, with its citizens now enjoying access to 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain drop to joint-2nd place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations,” according to the Index. An unprecedented sevennation cohort, each with access to 191 destinations without a prior visa ~ Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden ~ now sits in 3rd place on the ranking. The UK was in fourth place along with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, despite its visa-free destination score falling to 190. “The US, on the other hand, continues its now decade-long slide down the index, dropping down to 8th spot, with access to just 186 destinations visa-free,” said the Index. According to IATA, airlines will connect nearly 5 billion people over 22,000 routes on 39 million flights in 2024, and the air cargo transported will reach 62 million tonnes, facilitating an $8.3 trillion in trade. “Our industry expects to record revenues of almost $1 trillion this year. Expenses, however, will also be at a record high of $936 billion. Net profit will be $30.5 billion,” said IATA Director General, Willie Walsh. The UAE made it into the Top 10 for the first time, having added an impressive 152 destinations since the index’s inception in 2006 to achieve its current visa-free score of 185. NEW DELHI, 24 JULY  The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries' ordinary passports for their citizens. Singapore was ranked the leader on the passport index, reclaiming its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the latest ranking, with its citizens enjoying visa-free access to 195 countries. France, Germany, Italy and Spain are in the joint 2nd place, each with visafree access to 192 destinations. CMYK The first of two Advanced Frigates, under construction by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Navy, was launched yesterday evening at GSL, Goa. In keeping with maritime tradition, the ship was launched by Mrs Rita Sreedharan to the invocation from Atharva Veda, in the presence of Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai. The ship has been named Triput, after the mighty arrow, representing the indomitable spirit of the Indian Navy and its ability to strike far and deep. The contract for building two Triput class Advanced Frigates was signed between the Ministry of Defence, and the Goa Shipyard Limited on 25 January 2019. The ship is Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launches the first indigenous Advanced P1135.6 Frigate Triput for the Indian Navy, on Tuesday.  ANI designed for combat operations against enemy surface ships, submarines and aircraft. The Triput class ships are 124.8 m long and 15.2 m wide, with a draught of 4.5 m. Their displacement is about 3600 tonnes, and their maximum speed is 28 knots. The ships are equipped with stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. The Triput class of ships is a follow-on ships of the Teg and Talwar class ships acquired from Russia. These frigates are being constructed for the first time indigenously by an Indian Shipyard. In line with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, a large percentage of the equipment fit, including weapons and sensors is of indigenous origin, thereby ensuring that large-scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units, generating employment and capability enhancement within the country, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.