SATURDAY 05 OCTOBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘INDIA TO NEARLY DOUBLE PER CAPITA INCOME IN 5 YEARS’ IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER PRAISES MISSILE ATTACK P10 SENSEX 81,688.45q808.65 WEATHER Rain and thunder. Storms could contain frequent lightning. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 31°C and 27°C respectively. ‘M.P AIMS TO LEAD . IN HEALTHCARE’ P12 NIFTY 25,014.60q235.50 P9 ` vs $ 83.96 GOLD 78,295.00 Maha Deputy Speaker jumps off Mantralaya In protest over quota issue; he & other protesters land in safety net RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY AGENCIES Max. 91% Min. 81% MUMBAI, 4 OCTOBER Min: 27.2˚C SUN SETS 17:24 hrs MOON SETS 18:45 hrs group of seven to eight tribal legislators from ruling and Opposition parties led by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Friday jumped from the third floor at the Mantralaya into the safety net erected there to protest against the state government’s move to provide reservation to the Dhangar community from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. They also opposed the state government’s proposal to release a government resolution treating Dhangars and Dhangads as one and the same. TEMPERATURE Max: 31.6˚C SUN RISES 05:29 hrs MOON RISES 07:20 hrs A Full Moon on 17 October THUMBNAILS Supreme Court forms independent SIT over Tirupati laddu row: The Supreme Court on Friday set up an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of animal fat being used in the preparation of laddus at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. The SIT, formed by the Supreme Court, supersedes the one already constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government. The shocking incident took place when the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was underway on the 7th floor of the Mantralaya. The legislators also threw some papers during their protest. Mr Zirwal, who was accompanied by Kiran Lahamte, Hiraman Kosekar and Sunil Bhusara and BJP MP Hemant Sahara were angry over Chief Minister Shinde not giving them time for discussion and taking them into confidence on a politically-sensitive issue of providing reservation to the Dhangar community from the ST category. They said that despite waiting for more than seven hours on Thursday, the Chief Minister did not turn up for the meeting. As the legislators were shouting slogans while sitting on the safety net, the police, caught by surprise, had a tough time getting them down. Senior police officers tried to convince them, but the legislators were adamant. An agitated Mr Zirwal broke into tears and said: “We have taken this step in the larger interest of the tribal community and also of the children whose future should not go waste. We are tribals first and legislators or MPs later.” After much convincing, the protesting legislators and MP were brought to the second floor by police. However, they were not in a mood to leave as they launched a sit-in protest while shouting slogans. EAM Jaishankar to visit Pakistan for SCO meet STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 OCTOBER External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government meet to be held on 15-16 October, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday. “The External Affairs Minister will lead our delegation at the SCO summit to be held in Islamabad on 15-16 October,” MEA spokesperson Rand- The decision comes after months of speculation on whether India will participate in the summit hir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. The decision comes after months of speculation on whether India will participate in the summit, given the current state of relationship with Pakistan. India held the chair of the SCO in 2023 and Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister ROHIT FEARS SERIES WIN AGAINST B’DESH MAY GO UNNOTICED Bilawal Bhutto visited Goa for a meeting of the SCO foreign ministers. Pakistan now holds the rotating chairmanship of the SCO. Islamabad had in August invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the meeting being hosted by it. P16 SILVER 99,990 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 78.09p0.47 CM announces immediate financial assistance for farmers and students 28 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh operation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 4 OCTOBER STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced that flood-affected farmers will receive their insurance payments immediately. Additionally, staterun and state-aided school students in Classes XI and XII will have the funds for purchasing tablets transferred to their accounts today (Friday). The CM made these announcements during the inauguration of the Samaj Sebi Sangha Durga Puja pandal, which has farming as its central theme this year. She commended the organisers and artists for their work on the theme, assuring farmers that they would receive the promised insurance under the Krishak Bandhu (Natun) scheme. Miss Banerjee said: “Farmers whose land has been submerged in the flood, I tell them not to worry. We will give the insurance to you all.”The state government provides financial assistance to farmers based on their landholdings. Those with one acre or more receive Rs. 10,000 annually, while smaller plot holders receive proportionate amounts. Security forces killed at least 28 Maoists in a major operation along the Dantewada-Narayanpur border in Chhattisgarh on Friday. According to police sources, the bodies of 28 Maoists have been found, with unofficial estimates suggesting the toll could exceed 30. The joint forces, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Cobra Battalion, launched the operation following intelligence reports of Maoist presence in the area. During a search operation, AK-47s, Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), and other automatic weapons were recovered. The encounter took place in the dense forests of Abujhmad, a notorious Maoist stronghold. According to officials, a fierce exchange of gunfire occurred before security personnel recovered seven bodies of the insurgents and a quantity of arms and ammunition. The operation by security forces coincided with Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's visit to South Bastar, where he, along with Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh, inaugurated and laid the foundation for development projects worth ₹167.21 crore. RAIPUR, 4 OCTOBER Emphasising the state's various schemes for farmers, Miss Banerjee said: “We give Rs 10,000 every year to farmers who have one acre of land. For crop insurance we give more than Rs 1,500 crores but do not take any money from them. Farmers are our pride.” While inaugurating the Durga Puja pandal at Singhi Park, Miss Banerjee said that the Rs. 10,000 allocated for tablet purchases for Class XII students would be transferred today. This year, the benefit has been extended to include students in Class XI. Miss Banerjee said that under the ‘Taruner Swapna’ scheme, Rs 1650 crores have been spent by the state to enable students to purchase tablets. The Chief Minister on Friday inaugurated 25 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata and 450 in the districts.