SATURDAY 05 OCTOBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00| KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘INDIA TO NEAR DOUBLE PER CAPITA INCOME IN NEXT 5 YEARS’ IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER PRAISES MISSILE ATTACK P9 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’ P8 NIFTY 25,014.60q235.50 P7 ` 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 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. Dhangads as one and the same. 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 in the safety net, the police had a tough time bringing them to the nearest floor. Senior police officers were seen trying to convince them, but the legislators were quite adamant. The protest by the tribal legislators and MP caught the police unawares and they had to mobilise personnel quickly. The Mantralaya staff gathered in large numbers to see the protest by the legislators and MP. The tribal legislators were insisting that their fight would continue till they get justice. 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 The decision comes after months of speculation on whether India will participate in the summit Randhir 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 holds the rotating chairmanship of the SCO. Islamabad had in August invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the meeting being hosted by it. P12 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 RAIPUR, 4 OCTOBER STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 4 OCTOBER 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. Emphasising the state's various schemes for farmers, Miss Banerjee said: “We give rupees 10 ten thousand every year to farmers who have one acre of land. For crop insurance we give more than rupees 1500 crores but do not take any money from them. Farmers are our pride.” While inaugurating the Durga Puja pandal at Singhi Park, Miss Banerjee announced 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, ensuring that all eligible students can access these devices. The Chief Minister continued her Durga Puja pandal inauguration spree, inaugurating 25 pandals in Kolkata and 450 in the districts. Security forces killed at least 28 Maoists in a major operation along the DantewadaNarayanpur border in Chhattisgarh on Friday. According to police sources, the bodies of 28 Maoists have been recovered, 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.