THURSDAY 24 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 WAYAND BYPOLL: PRIYANKA GANDHI FILES NOMINATION AUSTIN CONFIRMS N KOREA HAS SENT TROOPS TO RUSSIA P9 SENSEX 80,081.98q138.74 WEATHER Tropical storm conditions possible. Rainy and windy. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 27°C and 25°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90% Max: 27.2˚C SUN RISES 05:36 hrs MOON RISES 23:22 hrs P4 NIFTY 24,435.50q36.60 Min: 25.5˚C SUN SETS 17:04 hrs MOON SETS 12:23 hrs ` vs $ 84.08 THUMBNAILS A woman arranges earthen lamps for drying ahead of the upcoming Diwali festival, in Bikaner on Wednesday. n ANI Cong-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SCP) to contest 85 seats each in Maharashtra polls: The Congress, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday finalised seat-sharing for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra with each of the parties to contest 85 seats. (Pg 5) PM Modi and Chinese Prez Xi Jinping hold first bilateral talks in 5 years nderlining that the relationship between India and China is very important not only for the people of the two nations but also for global peace, stability and progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told Chinese President Xi Jinping that mutual trust, respect and sensitivity should be the basis for ties between the two neighbours. The two leaders met at Kazan in Russia this evening on the margins of the BRICS Summit. This was their first bilateral meeting in five years. The two leaders had last met for an informal summit at Mamallapuram in October 2019, a few months before a military stand-off erupted between the forces of the two countries at eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020. The much-anticipated meeting came two days after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that the two countries have reached an agree- Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, in Kazan on Wednesday. n ANI ment for patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leading to disengagement and a resolution of the military stand-off after over four years. Briefing reporters after the nearly 50-minute meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Xi, the foreign secretary said the two leaders welcomed the pact reached between the two countries on patrolling arrangements across the LAC through a sustained dialogue. They underscored the need for not allowing dif- ferences over the border issue to disturb peace and tranquility. In this regard, they underscored that the Special Representatives (SRs) on the border issue of the two sides have a central role to play. They instructed the SRs to meet at an early date to resume their dialogue. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are the SRs on the two sides. The foreign secretary said Mr Doval and Mr Wang have been meeting on the sidelines of the multilateral summits since December 2019. ''We hope to schedule the next round of their meeting at an appropriate time,'' he added. The two leaders, Mr Misri said, were of the view that stable relations between their two countries will have a positive impact on global peace and stability. They also were of the opinion that the restoration of peace on the border will create space for normalisation of bilateral ties. He said officials of the two countries will now meet for strategic communication by utilising the available mechanisms, including at the level of the foreign ministers. Mr Modi assured President Xi of India's support for China's presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). In response to a question, Mr Misri said the pact on patrolling arrangements and the meeting between the two leaders had enabled the two countries to begin the journey to normalise bilateral ties. Cyclone Dana to make landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in Odisha STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 23 OCTOBER With safety as a top priority, Odisha is racing against time to evacuate people, many of whom are reluctant to move as yet. More than 5,000 relief centres have been set up across the cyclone-prone regions, fully equipped with food, water, medicines, and other essential supplies, according to Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari. Signs of nature’s fury triggering havoc are imminent. IT Ministry slamsElon Musk-run X for ‘abetting crime’ after 100 flight bomb threats AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 23 OCTOBER The IT Ministry on Wednesday slammed Elon Musk-run social media platform X after more than 100 bomb threats were received by airlines over the past few days, with many of these hoaxes being circulated via social media platforms. In a virtual meeting with representatives of airlines and social media platforms such as X and Meta, the IT Ministry officials said the situation amounts to "X abetting crime" and questioned its representatives on the steps taken to stop such alarming rumours from spreading. Joint Secretary, IT, Sanket S Bhondve chaired the virtual meeting, according to reports. The online threats have BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.69q1.35 ‘Mutual trust and respect No scope for double standards on terrorism, PM tells BRICS summit should be basis for our ties’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 OCTOBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told the 16th BRICS Summit at Kazan, Russia that fighting terrorism and terror financing required united and firm support of all nations and there was no scope for “double standards” in dealing with the serious problem. Addressing the plenary session of the Summit, he said: “We need to take active steps to stop radicalization of youth in our countries.” Mr Modi also said: “We must work together on the long pending matter in the UN of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.” The Prime Minister said the BRICS was meeting at a time when the world faced several pressing challenges such as wars, economic uncertainty, climate change and terrorism. The world was talking about North-South divide and the East-West divide. On conflicts, he said: “We created panic among the passengers and set off alarm bells for security agencies. Several flights, including international ones, were diverted after the hoax calls. More than 120 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats over the past few days. On Tuesday, 30 flights operated by IndiGo, Vistara and Air India received such threats. Union Civil Aviation Min- ister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday that those circulating such hoax threats will face tough action, including being put on a no-fly list. The government plans to amend the ‘Suppression of Unlawful Acts’ against the ‘Safety of Civil Aviation Act’ so that action could be initiated for offences when an aircraft is on the ground. Currently, the aviation security norms largely cover in-flight offences. “We are trying to make amendments and the legal team has worked on it. We need consultations with other ministries also. We are definitely pushing forward to have changes in the Act also so that it addresses offences that happen when the flight is on the ground and also make it a cognisable offence,” the minister said. The government agencies launched the evacuation operation well in advance today as it began drizzling in the vulnerable Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts as well as in other parts of the state. As many as 3,000 vulnerable coastal villages across 14 districts have been identified for shifting people to safety. Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units (51 of them), NDRF teams (19 in the state) and more flown in from Punjab reached the state on Tuesday. Fire services teams have also been deployed at vulnerable places. In a departure from previous years, ministers have been given responsibility and deputed to nine coastal districts to oversee the preparedness, relief and rescue operations. Amid these efforts, fear is rising as the India Mete- orological Department (IMD) predicts ‘Dana’ will make landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra on the night of 24 October or early morning of 25 October. With winds potentially reaching 110 km/h and gusting up to 120 km/h, accompanied by extremely heavy rainfall, residents are bracing for severe damage. Reassuring the public, Minister Pujari urged people not to panic, emphasising that communication lines will remain operational, with the telecom department working to ensure uninterrupted services. Power supplier Tata Power has also committed to maintaining electricity supply, with backup systems ready in case of outages. Over 288 rescue teams have been deployed to 14 districts, including 19 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF) teams. Govt to hold 2-yr-long celebration to mark Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary: Amit Shah STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 OCTOBER Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that the Government of India will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel with a two-year-long nationwide celebration from 2024 to 2026. In a social media post on X platform, he said: “Sardar Patel Ji’s enduring legacy as the visionary behind the establishment of one of the world's most robust democracies and his pivotal role in unifying India from Kashmir to Lakshadweep remains indelible.'' To honour Sardar Patel's monumental contributions, the Government of India, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, will com- memorate his 150th birth anniversary with a twoyear-long nationwide celebration from 2024 to 2026, Mr Shah said, adding that the celebration will serve as a testament to Sardar Patel's remarkable achievements and the spirit of unity that he epitomised. support dialogue and diplomacy, not war. And just as we were able to overcome a challenge like Covid together, we are certainly able to create new opportunities to ensure a secure, strong and prosperous future for coming generations.” He said there were high expectations from BRICS. “I believe that as a diverse and inclusive platform, BRICS can play a positive role” in facing the current challenges. “Our approach must remain people-centric. We have to give the world the message that BRICS is not a divisive organisation, but one that works in the interest of humanity,” he said. Priorities before all nations are preventing inflation, ensuring food, energy, health and water security, he said. The current era of technology has thrown up new challenges like cyber deep-fake and disinformation. “We need to work on global regulations for cyber security and for safe and secure AI,” the Prime Minister said. BRICS is an organisation, which is willing to evolve with time, he noted. “By giving our own example to the world we must collectively and in a united manner, raise our voice for reforms of global institutions,” he said, adding that India is ready to welcome new countries into BRICS as Partner Countries. Metro Rail project: No felling, transplantation of trees without CEC nod, rules Supreme Court AGENCIES KOLKATA, 23 OCTOBER Cyclone ‘Dana’ hurtled menacingly towards the Odisha coast on Wednesday with dark clouds covering the afternoon sky and rain already taking place in districts like Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Balasore, which are likely to bear the brunt of the storm. The Odisha government has intensified its preparations, seeking to minimise the impact by evacuating people from lowlying areas, with barely 24 hours left for Dana to hit the coast. The landfall of the cyclone is likely to take place on 24 October night or 25 October morning close to Bhadrak and Kendrapara. The worry , more than the wind speed of the cyclone, is the forecast of tidal surge of at least one to two metres and the very heavy rainfall which is likely to inundate vast areas. P12 SILVER 1,12,000 GOLD 81,070.00 U New Moon on 1 November NEW ZEALAND EYE RARE FEAT AS INDIA FACE A MUST-WIN TEST IN PUNE P6 ASHOK TUTEJA NEW DELHI, 23 OCTOBER Min. 88% TEMPERATURE THE GREAT DIVIDE The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that no felling or transplantation of trees will take place for the Joka-Esplanade Metro rail project near the iconic Victoria Memorial in Kolkata without the permission of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). A bench of Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra, and K V Vishwanathan, hearing a plea challenging a 20 June Calcutta High Court verdict, pointed out the need for the CEC’s review before any action is taken and directed the committee to step in to address the concerns related to environmental damage. The plea was filed by People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC), who argued that while they did not oppose the metro project, the construction of a station would result in the loss of over 900 trees, posing significant environmental risks. Solicitor Gen- eral Tushar Mehta, representing the government, countered that the trees were being transplanted, not felled. He noted that 94 of the 827 trees marked for transplantation had already been relocated, and a compensatory afforestation plan would see 2,370 new trees planted. During the hearing, the state government’s counsel requested more time to seek further instructions, but the court expressed concerns about delays potentially escalating the project’s costs.