THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l tuesday l November 19, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Competition Commission slaps K213 crore penalty on Meta The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday imposed J213.14 crore penalty on the company for abusing its dominant position Action over 2021 whatsapp privacy update Asks meta to bar whatsapp data sharing The penalty is over Meta-owned WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update on a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ basis. The commission said the update forces users to comply, undermining their autonomy, and constitutes an abuse of Meta’s dominant position. The CCI said it constituted “an imposition of unfair condition” under the Competition Act, 2002 ■ ■ The regulator asked the US social media giant to bar WhatsApp from sharing data it collected with other Meta companies The CCI said sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access in India Sec 4(2) Of Competition Act, 2002 breached by the 2021 privacy policy update CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI 1 protester dead; more troops sent to Manipur Helpless local BJP office-bearers resign; Shah holds 2nd review meet MU K E SH R A N J A N an d P r a s anta Ma z u m d a r @ New Delhi/ Guwahati Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Manipur with senior officials, his second in as many days. One person was killed and another injured in alleged police firing during mob violence in Jiribam town on Sunday night even as several local office-bearers of the ruling BJP submitted their resignations expressing deep concern over the prevailing “unwelcome/ helpless situation”. A mob had gone on the rampage in Jiribam and attacked the offices of the BJP and the Congress, prompting the police to allegedly open fire. The state government has ordered a probe. Given the volatile situation, the Union home ministry decided to send 50 more companies (5,000 troops) of the Central Armed Police Forces — 35 CRPF, 15 BSF — to the troubletorn state. This is over and above 20 companies (15 CRPF and 5 BSF) sent last week. At the meeting, Shah directed the CAPFs and the state police to intensify their opera- Minister Govindas Konthoujam’s residence that was set on fire in Bishnupur | PTI There is no question of withdrawing support. The govt is doing its best but unfortunately, it could not save lives. We appeal to people to exercise restraint — BJP ally Naga People’s Front minister Awangbou Newmai tions to quickly restore normalcy. In Imphal, Chief Minister N Biren Singh chaired a meeting with the NDA legislators. The state’s security advisor Kuldiep Singh chaired another security review meeting. Top police and paramilitary officials were present. The meetings come after arson attacks and vandalism by mobs targeting the houses and the properties of over a dozen legislators, including ministers. Leishangthem Susindro, a minister, has built a bunker at his house, which was targeted by a mob two days ago. Landslide rehab Govt seeks nod for advance possession of estate land E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi The state government on Monday requested the Kerala High Court to allow advance possession of the land belonging to Harrisons Malayalam Ltd and Elstone Tea Estates Ltd in Wayanad for establishing new townships for landslide victims. When the petition filed by Harrisons Malayalam Ltd and Elstone Tea Estates Ltd challenging the government’s decision to acquire their land for setting the townships came up for hearing, Advocate General Gopalakrishna Kurup K submitted that around 1,210 families, rendered homeless following the July 30 landslides, have been accommodated temporarily on rented premises. The government is providing each family `6,000 per month as rent. Rehabilitating them permanently is necessary it said. , The government plans to acquire 65.41 acres from Harrisons’ Nedumbala estate and 78.73 acres from Elstone’s estate in Pulpara. It said the petitioners’ allegation about attempts to take over land permanently without paying compensation was false. The Manipur government extended the ban on internet and mobile data services in seven affected districts till November 20, and ordered the closure of all educational institutes in Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts. Influential Meitei organisation, ‘Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity’, locked the GST Bhavan and election department office on Monday It . had on Saturday issued a 24hour ultimatum to the Centre and the state government, demanding a military crackdown on “armed Chin-Kuki groups”. Police records Kerala sees rise in thefts by other-state gangs were registered. Records reveal that cops managed to arrest the accused and bring Amid heightened apprehen- them to justice in 1,325 cassion that organised gangs es. Not much headway has from neighbouring states, been made in the remaining that specialise in heist, are 53 cases. In 1,044 cases, officlying low in the state, await- ers partially or fully reing a chance to strike, trieved the loot. police data reveals This year, stolen that such incidents valuables have been involving non-Kerrecovered in 224 casalites have been wites. The correspondnessing a steady ing figures for the rise. previous three As many as 1,378 years stood at 411, theft cases theft cases involv263, and 146 respecinvolving ing non-Keralites tively Sources with . other-state the State Crime were registered in burglars Records Bureau the last 45 months 2021 - 192 said they don’t readand there has been ily maintain the an increase in such 2022 - 360 break-up of thieves incidents each year, 2023 - 519 on the basis of their official data state of origin. shows. 2024 - 307 Recent incidents According to (till Sept) of theft reported in data prepared by Er nakulam and the home department, which was placed be- Alappuzha districts have fore the assembly last brought non-Keralite gangs month, 192 cases of theft in- of robbers back into the volving non-Keralites were limelight. The modus operregistered in 2021. This rose andi in these cases suggest a to 360 in 2022. In 2023, the striking resemblance to pronumber increased further to fessional gangs that hail 519. Till the end of Septem- from the hinterlands of ● More on P4 ber this year, 307 such cases Tamil Nadu.  T o b y A nt o n y / S h an A S @ Kochi/T’Puram Munambam dispute: Thangal, Kunhalikutty hold meeting with bishops of Latin Church A n u K u r u v i l l a @ Kochi In a significant move to ease the simmering tension over the Munambam land dispute, Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and P K Kunhalikutty , two most senior leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), called on Latin Catholic bishops at the Varapuzha archdiocese headquarters in Ernakulam on Monday Repre. sentatives of the MunambamKadapuram Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti also participated in the discussions. After the meeting, they jointly stated that the onus is on the state government to find a solution to the issue in an amicable manner, and assured all support in this regard. The discussion, which lasted more than an hour, came ahead of the state government’s highlevel meeting on November 22 IUML leaders Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and P K Kunhalikutty with Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal following the meeting at the Varapuzha archdiocese headquarters in Kochi on Monday | T P Sooraj to resolve the land dispute at Munambam where about 615 families — mostly from the Latin Christian community — are fighting for rights to their land following claims by the Waqf Board. Sixteen bishops of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRLCBC), in- Interest rates very stressful, cut them, FM urges banks E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Mumbai Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the current cost of borrowing is very stressful and asked banks to cut the interest rates to make borrowing more affordable. “What is important is that when you look at our growth requirements, and you have so many different voices coming out and saying the cost of borrowing is really very stressful, and a time when we want industries to ramp up and move (to) building capacities, interest rates will have to be far more affordable,” Sitharaman said at a SBI event here. Her remarks come amid the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision not to lower the interest rates since February 2023. The rates were left unchanged for the tenth time in the October policy Retail in. flation, too, remains above the tolerance level. With the retail inflation rising to a 14-month high of 6.21% in October, analysts are expecting the central bank to keep the rates unchanged in the next policy review in December as well. However, the finance minister’s nudge came amid concerns about a possible slowdown in economic growth. Falling demand from urban consumers is one of the prime worries. E X P R ESS R EAD Palakkad bypoll campaign ends Palakkad: The high-octane campaign for the Palakkad assembly by-election reached its climax on Monday, with the three major fronts holding massive rallies and roadshows. The finale was marked by hundreds of activists from various parties converging on the Stadium bus stand premises in Palakkad, raising thunderous slogans, waving party flags and distributing pamphlets. Palakkad will go to polls on November 20. P4 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express It only happens in India No custodian for locked room in Nirman Bhawan Pa r v e z S u ltan @ New Delhi The custody of a nondescript locked room No 4 on the ground floor in ‘A’ wing of Nirman Bhawan has become a mystery of sorts as no one seems to know which ministry or department it has been allotted to. Nirman Bhawan houses offices of a couple of ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and its affiliated divisions such as the Central Public Work Department (CPWD), Land and Department Office and the ministry of tribal affairs. However, no ministry or department operating from the complex has come forward to claim its custody despite sending multiple reminders. In a fresh circular recently, the CPWD stated that it would break open the lock under supervision by the panel as no office had re- sponded. Following the notices, only the Directorate of Estates, under the MoHUA, sent its response. “It is still known which department or ministry holds the possession of the room in question. November 25 is fixed to open the room,” said an official. As part of the Special Campaign 4.0 launched by Department of Monday date set for breaking open the Lock “All ministries or departments located on Nirman Bhawan premises are hereby informed that lock of the Room No 4, GF, A Wing will be broken on November 25 at 11 am,” the latest circular said Administrative Reforms Public Grievances for institutionalising cleanliness and minimising pendency in government offices, the ministries and departments were earlier requested to claim custodianship by November 8. The room’s lock will be broken next Monday at 11 am in the presence of a panel constituted to oversee it. “Representative of the ministries or departments (if any) may be deputed to be present at the scheduled time. This room will be taken into this directorate’s custody read the latest circular. ,” cluding Varapuzha Archbishop Mar Joseph Kalathiparambil, attended the meeting, which assumed political significance as it was held on the final day of the campaigning for the Palakkad assembly by-election. Sources said Thangal, who arrived in Kochi on Sunday night from Kozhikode, was planning to visit Munambam on Monday and discussed this with KRLCBC president Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal. However, the bishop invited him to the Varapuzha archdiocese bishop’s house for a meeting. According to KRLCC sources, the Church has been in contact with Thangal and Kunhalikutty regarding the Munambam issue. After the meeting, Thangal, Kunhalikutty and Bishop Chakkalakal told reporters that they want an amicable settlement to the issue and that the onus is on the state government to bring everyone together to arrive at a legally binding solution. “The Munambam issue needs to be resolved at the earliest since it would become even more complex with each passing day,” ● More on P4 Thangal said.  Non-Hindu TTD employees to be sent to AP state govt pool E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Tirumala The new Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, which met for the first time here on Monday took several im, portant decisions, including the surrender of non-Hindu employees working in Tirumala to the Andhra Pradesh government. It also decided to revoke the land lease to the Visakha Sarada Peetham and provide darshan to local people on the first Tuesday of every month. Shortly after taking over as trust board chairman on October 31, B R Naidu had said, “Everyone who works at Tirumala should be Hindu. That would be my first effort. There are many issues in this. We have to look into it.” At Monday’s meeting, it was decided to hold consultations with nonHindu employees of the TTD, B R Naidu said. They will be given the option of taking voluntary retirement or joining any other government department, he said. As for the Visakha Sarada Peetham, he said the lease will be cancelled and the building there will be demolished because of several violations. Sarada Peetham chief Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswati was considered the spiritual guru of former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy . The board also decided to withdraw all TTD fixed deposits from private banks and deposit them in nationalised banks.