vijayawada l saturday l november 30, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION World Chess: Gukesh, Ding play out drab draw in fourth game Chinese world champ somewhat surpises the Indian teen with an unconventional opening with white but he reacts well to hold on with black Second draw with black for Indian ■ 2-2 All games have been combative: Anand This is now the second draw with black pieces in as many games for D Gukesh, aiming to become the youngest world champion. However, it wasn’t so similar to the second game as both players tried to ask a few questions before drawing by threefold repetition after 40th move. On Saturday, Gukesh will have white pieces. Both are tied on two points ■ V Anand, five-time world champ, told this daily that all games have been combative and ‘interesting’. He made the ceremonial first move The only time the fourth game got rather hot was in the middle game when both players spent considerable time working their lines to ensure they didn’t cede any advantage | P13 Match score after four games. Fifth game is on Saturday 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 Outside support among options if he isn’t CM, Shinde tells Amit Shah GDP growth sinks to 2-year low Economy grows just 5.4% in July-Sept quarter, raising doubts about meeting full-year target of 6.5% SLOW LANE Real GDP Growth (%) 10 S u d h ir S u r ya w a ns h i @ Mumbai If neither of the two options is acceptable, Shinde said the When caretaker Chief Minis- 57 MLAs in his Shiv Sena would ter Eknath Shinde met Union not be the part of next governhome minister Amit Shah in ment in Maharashtra. It would Delhi on Thursday he gave him instead extend outside support , three tough options on govern- to BJP-led government in both ment formation in Maharash- the state and the Centre. It tra. One, Shinde himself lead- would also mean withdrawing ing the government; two, his Sena’s minister for state at the Shiv Sena getting plum portfo- Centre, Prataprao Jadhav. lios in a BJP-led government; Shinde’s Sena with seven MPs and three, offering outside sup- is the fourth largest party in port both in Maharashtra and the ruling NDA. at the Centre. The BJP leadership is wary All three options are loaded because outside support carwith trouble despite Shinde’s ries the risk of instability at public posturing that the Centre, where he will not be an obthe BJP has only 240 stacle in government MPs, 32 short of a for mation in the s i m p l e m a j o r i t y. state. Shah advised “The BJP is heavily the Mahayuti leaddependent on the ers to thrash out an TDP (16), JDU (12) acceptable powerand Shinde for stasharing formula in bility and longevity Mumbai on Friday of the government. but Shinde played Shinde was the face of The BJP cannot risk the govt, so people mind games by coolignoring Shinde,” voted to give him a ly leaving for his nahighly placed sourcrepeat mandate. If he tive village Dare in is not made CM, then it es said. Satara district inJu s t i f y i n g h i s will send a wrong stead getting into a claim for chief minmessage huddle in the Maxiistership, Shinde Senior Shiv Sena leader mum City with BJP’s told Shah that the asDevendra Fadnavis sembly election was and NCP’s Ajit Pawar. fought under his leadership. He If he does not get to be the took credit for the consolidaCM, he said he will not person- tion of women voters thanks to ally join the government. But his Ladki Bahin scheme, addhis party should be given ing that the Maratha votes weighty portfolios like home, came after he announced reserfinance and revenue. And the vation for them. decision on the deputy chief “Shinde also shared with minister representing the Sena Shah a couple of surveys that would be his, a senior Sena said he was the preferred leader said. Finance was with choice of the people as chief Ajit Pawar in the outgoing gov- minister before, during and afernment. And the BJP is reluc- ter polling,” said the source retant to part with home. questing anonymity . Waqf board funding order withdrawn Rishiteshwari suicide: Court dismisses case E xpress N ews S ervice @ Guntur After nine years of trial, Guntur District Court dismissed the case pertaining to the suicide of Acharya Nagarjuna University student Rishiteshwari, citing lack of evidence. On July 21, 2015, 18-year-old Rishiteshwari’s body was found in her room at the Indira Priyadarshini hostel block in the University. In a suicide note, she had written that she was deeply disturbed as seniors had harassed her and spread rumours about her. Subsequently, police had arrested three students — D Hanisha, D Jaicharan, and N Srinivas — and the then principal of ANU College of Architecture and Planning G Babu Rao under IPC Section 306 and Section 4 of Prevention of Ragging Act for allegedly abetting her suicide. The incident had triggered massive protests in the two Telugu States with Rishiteshwari’s family and various student unions demanding stern action against the accused. Expressing dismay over the court’s decision, her parents rued that after fighting for over nine years, they expected jusP4 tice for their daughter.  8 Promise unkept? “Shinde is very unhappy as BJP top leadership had promised that if the alliance wins, he will continue as CM till 2029, but now they are reneging. This is not a good sign,” said a Sena leader MO N I KA YADA V @ New Delhi 8.2 8.1 6.2 8.6 7.8 6.7 6 5.4 4.3 4 Q3FY23 Q4FY23 Q1FY24 Q2FY24 Q3FY24 Q4FY24 Q1FY25 Q2FY25 Nothing to worry, says CEA Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said the overall GDP growth projection for FY25 at 6.5% is “not in danger”. He said agriculture and construction are among the ‘bright spots’, adding record production estimates for kharif foodgrains and rabi crop augur well for farm income and rural demand INDIA’s economic growth fell to a seven-quarter low of 5.4% in the second quarter of 202425, dragged by the poor performance of the manufacturing and mining sectors. The sharp fall in the GDP growth, compared with 6.7% in the first quarter, was also driven by the slow pace in government spending and weak private consumption, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). The growth was much below estimates. RBI had predicted the GDP to grow at 7% in Q2. Now, a full-year GDP growth of even 6.5% looks difficult. Manufacturing grew just 2.2% in Q2—a significant fall dy cm concerned for national security Bunkum, says BJP But BJP leader Raosaheb Danve said no promise on post-poll chief ministership was made to Shinde by his party’s leaders stability matters A sulking Shinde would be bad news for the BJP as it could affect the stability of the NDA at the Centre. Shinde’s Shiv Sena is the fourth biggest party in NDA A day after issuing a government resolution for the release of `10 crore to strengthen the state Waqf Board, the Maharashtra government on Friday withdrew the order amid opposition by the BJP Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar at the Kakinada Port | Express Drawing parallels between smuggling of PDS rice, and the 26/11 Mumbai attack & the seizure of narcotics off Vizag coast, he said, “This is not just about illegal rice smuggling, it’s about protecting national security.” He asserted the need for a comprehensive security overhaul at the port and called for action against the mafia involved in smuggling activities ‘Seize ship involved in illegal rice trade’ E xpress N ews S ervice @ Kakinada We will discuss in the cabinet meet whether to involve the CBI or CID to identify masterminds behind the racket. I will also write to the Union Home Ministry to address the security lapse Pawan Kalyan, Deputy CM Following the seizure of 640 tonnes of PDS (Public Distribution System) rice, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan raised serious concerns over the national security . During his visit to Kakinada Anchorage Port on Friday, he told mediapersons that a powerful mafia was involved in exploiting the port and smuggling PDS rice. Warning that such activities could jeopardise national security, he noted that the smuggling network could pave way for terrorists to infiltrate and transport explosives. Accompanied by Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, Kakinada Urban MLA Vanamadi Kondababu, and Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Thota Sudheer, Pawan Kalyan inspected the vessel, Stella L Panama, where the seized rice was stored. He stressed the importance of holding the culprits accountable, ensuring that the port operates as a legitimate export hub rather than a smuggling base. He criticised officials for their leniency, pointing out that po- Kharge plainspeak at CWC meet on factionalism P ree t h a N a ir @ New Delhi Unsparing in his criticism of his party colleagues, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday asserted that ‘tough decisions’ will have to be taken and ‘accountability fixed’ for the recent electoral debacle of the party in Haryana and Maharashtra. Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in the Capital on Friday, Kharge questioned the dependence on national leaders for campaigning and urged party workers to focus on local issues. Referring to the factionalism within the Haryana unit, he said the lack of unity and statements against own party leaders harmed the party immensely . from 7% in April-June and the 14.3% growth seen in the yearago period. The mining and quarrying sector shrank 0.1% in Q2 of FY25 due to prolonged rainfall, which is in stark contrast to the 7.2% growth in the previous quarter and the 11.1% growth a year ago. Adding to the challenges, the growth rate for electricity gas, water supply , , and other utility services also plummeted, indicating a fall in consumption growth. It dropped from 10.4% last year to merely 3.3% this year. Construction also declined from 13.6% to 7.7%. Private consumption grew at 6% in Q2, down than 7.4% in the first quarter. The consumption slowdown was despite a lower base of 2.6% a year ago. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge at CWC meet | Shekhar Yadav “Unless we fight elections unitedly and stop making statements against each other, how will we be able to defeat our opponents politically?” he asked. “Our strength lies in the strength of the party .” Kharge urged the party to learn from its mistakes and strengthen the organisation. While chief strategist Rahul Gandhi has come under criticism from several quarters for his immoderate focus on caste census, Kharge pointed out the importance of evolving state specific strategies. “It is important to understand the different issues of the states in detail and prepare a solid campaign strategy around them. “For how long will you fight state elections on the basis of national issues and national leaders?” he asked. Kharge also asserted that the party cannot achieve success by following old methods. “You have to see what your political opponent is doing on a daily basis. We have to take decisions on time. Accountability has to be fixed,” he said. The CWC adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised, against which the party would soon launch a movement. litical pressure is resulting in lack of action. He flagged the lack of security, with only 16 personnel managing arrival of over 1,000 trucks at the port daily, allowing unchecked smuggling and raising concerns about the potential infiltration of explosives or drugs. Pawan directed local representatives to focus on these issues and instructed officials to “seize the ship” and identify individuals behind the smuggling operations. He pledged to write to the Union Home Ministry to address the security lapse and punish those responsible. P4 express read Red alert in South Coastal AP & R’seema Vijayawada: The IMD issued a red alert for South Coastal and Rayalaseema districts, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall due to a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. The depression, currently over the South-west zone of the Bay of Bengal, is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm | P4 Gross fixed capital formation, which is expenditure on asset creation, grew at 5.4%, down from 7.5% in the first quarter. According to Chief Economic Advisor Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, there is no cause for alarm though the numbers are disappointing. While briefing the media, he said the global economic landscape is challenging, which is affecting India’s manufacturing sector. Key issues include a slowdown in production and the negative impact of dumping in industries like steel. Although steel consumption has increased, production levels have failed to match this growth, he added. Manufacturing has brought down the overall growth, said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Bank of Baroda. SC pauses trial court hearing on Sambhal S U C H I T R A KALYA N MOHA N TY @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Sambhal trial court in Uttar Pradesh not to take any further action pursuant to its order for a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. It asked the trial court to pause proceedings in the case till the mosque committee’s plea challenging the survey is listed in the Allahabad High Court. A bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar also ordered that the report of the commissioner who conducted the survey be kept in a sealed cover. “Peace and harmony must be maintained at any cost,” it said. On November 19, a court of civil judge of Sambhal passed an ex-parte order for a survey of the mosque by an advocate commissioner, after taking note of a plea of the Hindu side that claimed the mosque was built over a temple. On November 24, violence gripped the area and four persons were killed. “We feel that the Committee of Management, Shahi Jama Masjid, Sambhal, must challenge the order of November 19, 2024 before an appropriate court/forum as per law, including the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure,” it said. The bench clarified that it did not express any opinion on the merits of the case and fixed the matter for further hearing to the week commencing January 6, 2025. Vision document to be unveiled on Dec 12 Vijayawada: The State government is making arrangements to release the Swarnandhra Vision Document2047 on December 12. The government had tabled the draft document in the recently concluded Assembly session | P4 Police keep vigil near premises of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on Friday | pti APERC approves `9,412 crore as true-up charges, down from `12,844 cr EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Kurnool The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) issued an order on the FPPCA (Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment) True-Up charges and approved the final amount of `9,412 crore, instead of `12,844 crore which was initially proposed by the power distribution cor- poration (Discoms). The Regulatory Commission pointed out that the adjustment resulted in significantly reducing the financial impact on consumers by `3,432 crore. The government order further stated that APERC did not accept Discoms’ request to carry costs from the due date to realisation, limiting it to 90 days post-filing. Further, it also pointed out that power distribution companies had collected `2,868 crore in the financial year 2023-24 at 40 paise per unit. After factoring in these collections, the net amount to be recovered from consumers stands at `6,543 crore, down from `9,975 crore. A uniform per-unit true-up rate was determined for all Discoms with variations only based on Transmission and distribution (T&D) losses. Further, the Electricity Regulatory Commission directed Discoms to recover the total true-up amount over 24 months to minimise burden on consumers. The government orders also emphasised that the FPPCA costs for agricultural and 100% subsidised consumers, amounting to `1,500 crore, will be recovered from the State government, benefiting approximately 20 lakh consumers. Discoms in the State had proposed an increase in electricity charges through the FPPCA mechanism in October. Defending the move, Minister for Energy Gottipati Ravi Kumar had blamed the previous government, led by YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, for the inevitable increase in power tariff, saying, “Even when the proposal was made in March 2024, no decision was taken as the elections were just weeks away .”