KALABURAGI SATURDAY AUGUST 31, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 12 CITY EDITION VISTARA TO MERGE WITH AIR INDIA FROM NOV 12, DEAL GETS GOVT NOD Singapore Airlines (SIA) said the Indian govt has cleared its `2,058.50 crore FDI into the enlarged Air India Group as part of Vistara-Air India merger NO IMMEDIATE CHANGE IN SCHEDULE, AIRCRAFT From September 3, those trying to book Vistara for travel on November 12 or beyond will be redirected to Air India’s website. Customers who have already booked Vistara will automatically have their reservations converted to Air India flight numbers. Though flight numbers will change, the aircraft fleet, flight schedules, and crews will largely remain the same till early 2025 25.1% CONCERNS OVER SERVICE POST-MERGER ■ Vistara, which has 90 aircraft, is known for its excellent service quality and in-flight experience, while Air India gets panned for its older planes and disruptions due to crew shortage. Industry experts have flagged concerns whether Air India will be able to match up to Vistara’s high standards ■ The merger will create one of the world’s largest airline groups | P10 STAKE SINGAPORE AIRLINES WILL GET FOR INVESTING `2,058.5 CR IN AIR INDIA GROUP 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 Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them Narendra Modi, prime minister Modi apologises over collapse of Shivaji’s statue GDP growth in Q1 slips to 15-month low ated to 5.7% from 9.7%, as per data released by the National Statistical Office. The NSO data also indicated that India’s gross value added or GVA, which measures the growth in supply by subtracting net product taxes from GDP showcased a 6.8% , g rowth rate in the April-June quarter. The latest GDP growth rate is less than the Reserve Bank of India’s estimate of 7.1% for the same period and also lowest in the past five quarters. Explaining the dip, M O N I K A YA D A V @ New Delhi POOR performance of the agriculture and services sectors pulled down India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the April-June 2024 quarter to a 15-month low of 6.7%, against 8.2% in the yearago period, government data released on Friday showed. The agriculture sector registered a 2% growth during April-June 2024, down from 3.7% in the same quarter a year ago. Trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting moder- Takes a swipe at Rahul Gandhi for insulting Veer Savarkar, another son of the land Visited Raigad in 2013: PM “In 2013, when my party projected me as the prime ministerial candidate, the first thing I did was to visit Raigad Fort. I bowed before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue and sought his blessings,” Modi recalled in his address at Palghar Shinde, Ajit said sorry A few days ago, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Ajit Pawar had extended their apology. However, the Opposition continues to demand Shinde’s resignation Missing Gadag woman found alive in empty well after 3 days R A G H O T TA M K O P PA R @ Gadag A woman, who went missing from Totaganti village in Gadag district on August 20, was found alive in an abandoned empty well on the outskirts of the village after three days. She is now under treatment at the Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Hospital. Parvati Kalmath of Totaganti village told police that an unidentified woman entered her house around 5 am on August 20 when she was working in the kitchen. “The woman dragged me to an isolated place in the village where she snatched my mangalsutra, bangles and other ornaments and pushed me into the empty well,” Parvati said.“I lost consciousness after the woman pushed me into the well. I regained consciousness on the third day when I got drenched in rain. I screamed for help for almost two hours. Finally some people heard my , cries and pulled me out of the well,” she said. Some villagers said many such incidents happened in the village in the past where lonely women were targeted. They had informed the police about P5 such incidents. Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi Avani Lekhara celebrates her gold medal with coach Suma Shirur at Chateaurous on Friday | AP SHOOTING FOR THE STARS 10th INDIA ARE 10TH ON THE OVERALL STANDINGS India also won a silver medal through Manish Narwal in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) final at Chateauroux ATHLETE ON TRACK AVANI’S HISTORIC GOLD Avani Lekhara became the first Indian to win two successive Paralympic gold medals with a record-breaking performance. She bettered her Olympic record set in Tokyo to finish ahead of South Korea’s Lee Yunri. Mona Agarwal won bronze on her maiden Paralympics in SH1 air rifle | P11 India won their first track medal at the Paralympics in Paris when Preethi Pal finished third in T35 category Tunnel Rd Part 2 of 3-part series looking at implications of the project that has received criticism Contractor: We are paying over 40% commission now EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Tumakuru TUMAKURU District Civil Contractors’ Association president and senior Congress leader AD Balaramaiah on Friday alleged that contractors have to pay more than 40% commission to get their bills cleared after the Congress came to power. The recent raid and arrest of some engineers by the Lokayukta Police at Chikkanayakanahalli were based on a complaint by local contractors as the accused sought huge amounts of money to clear their bills for works done under the Jal Jeevan Mission, he told reporters. Balaramaiah, who was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s staunch supporter during the 2013 Assembly elections, alleged that Congress MLAs and ministers have directed Zilla Panchayat officials not to clear the bills of contractors if commission is not paid. Balaramaiah and other office-bearers of the association said they will stop ongoing works and launch an agitation if steps are not taken to end the commission menace. “During the Bharatiya Janata Party rule, 40% commission was paid. Now, it is more than 40%,” Balaramaiah further alleged. P6 THE era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over, External Affairs Minister S Jaish a n k a r s a i d o n F r i d ay. Speaking at a book launch here, he said all actions—positive or negative—will have consequences, adding that nobody can expect India to remain a silent spectator in matters concerning its core national interests. “As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, Article 370 is done. India is not pass ive a n d wh e t h e r events take a positive or negative direction – either way we react,” Jaishankar said while speaking at the release of former ambassador Rajiv Sikri’s book, Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping India’s Foreign Policy. Commenting on the turmoil in India’s neighbourhood, he said neighbours are “always a conundrum” and so are “major THREE men, who were taken into custody by NIA sleuths on Wednesday for allegedly sending pictures and vital information on the INS Kadamba naval base to enemy countries, were honey trapped by a Pakistani woman agent. Investigations revealed that the Pakistani agent, who introduced herself as a marine officer, obtained vi- tal information and pictures of the naval base from the trio. She became close to the trio after sending them friend requests on Facebook in 2023. The accused are Vethan Tandel from Mudga, Sunil of Thodur and Akshay Naik from Halavalli. Sunil quit his job at the naval base three years ago and joined a restaurant in Goa. Vethan got information from his friends and relatives who powers”. He, then, went on to explain that major powers are challenging because of their broad interests. Their agendas will sometimes align with India but can also differ, he remarked, adding that mature countries work their way around such complexities. As for Bangladesh, Jaishankar said the small nation is “India locked” and the strong people-to-people conn e c t i o n s c a n’ t b e ignored. “When people say t h at h ap p e n e d i n Bangladesh, this happened in Maldives... they need to look around. Which country doesn’t have challenges, complexities vis-a-vis with its neighbours?” he noted. On India’s delicate ties with China, he said Beijing presents a ‘double conundrum’ because it is both a neighbour and a major power, making it complex challenge to deal with. P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE second Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Friday ran into rough weather after Opposition MPs and the Ruling NDA allies staged a walkout over several amendments. Sources said the Opposition walked out after officials of the Minority Affairs Ministry failed to provide satisfactory replies regarding the proposed omission of Section 40 from the Waqf Act 1995, which currently allows Waqf boards to decide if a property is a Waqf or not. The Opposition alleged that the government was trying to mislead people by giving misinformation regarding the bill. Sources said DMK’s A Raja questioned the government’s intention to remove Section 40, which was included by amending the Waqf Act 1995 in 2013 under the Manmohan Singh government. As per Section 40 of the Waqf Act 1995 (as amended in 2013), the state Waqf Board is empowered to decide any question that arises as to whether a particular property is a Waqf property or not. “An amendment passed by Parliament included Section 40 in the law. How can the government overrule the law?” Raja asked. Sources said that members of Congress, DMK, and AAP along with TDP and JD(U) , boycotted the meeting. AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi joined the Opposition walkout. Sources said Muslim bodies, too, objected to the various amendments, such as the inclusion of two nonMuslims in the Waqf boards and implications on the autonomy of Waqf institutions. Fate of B’luru will be sealed if good sense doesn’t prevail over State Govt on the proposed tunnel roads, experts say. They term project ‘unconstitutional’ as cabinet gave nod to it without consulting constitutional bodies P2 EXPRESS READ MUDA: After Raj Bhavan, Congress to approach President, says Dr G Bengaluru: Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said on Friday that Congress may ultimately approach the President after holding Raj Bhavan Chalo on Saturday against the Governor’s decision to sanction prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case. During the Raj Bhavan Chalo, the issue of the governor not issuing sanction against NDA leaders despite probe agencies seeking it will be highlighted |P5 Hidden cameras in girls’ washroom spark protests at engg college Vijayawada: Tension prevailed at an engineering college in Gudlavalleru, Andhra Pradesh, as hundreds of students protested late on Thursday night, alleging that two final year students had installed hidden cameras in the girls hostel washroom and recorded videos. The protest was withdrawn on Friday evening only after police searched the entire college premises and found no hidden cameras |P5 Pak woman honey trapped trio caught by NIA S U B H A S H C H A N D R A N S @ Karwar reaching its lowest point. Nageswaran said India is positioned to achieve a GDP growth of 6.5-7% in FY25, as projected in the Economic Survey. He added that growth exceeding 7% is attainable, especially since the Budget includes measures to enhance employment generation. He added that a decrease in net FDI does not indicate a lack of confidence in the Indian economy; rather, it reflects profitable exits in FY24. This trend should serve as an encouragement for future investment, he observed. EAM: Era of non-stop talks with Pak over S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai WITH assembly elections in Maharashtra around the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sought to limit the political damage caused by the recent collapse of a 35-ft statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the state, by apologising to the legendary ruler and all those who were hurt by it. Modi had inaugurated the statue at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day . The prime minister was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of the `76,000-crore Vadhvan Port project in Palghar district located adjoining Mumbai. “The moment I landed here, I first apologised to Shivaji over the statue collapse. I also apologise to the people who were hurt by the collapse,” he said. “Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity he added. ,” The statue was erected to honour the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards pioneering maritime defence and security and its historical linkage with the mod, ern Indian Navy . Modi also took a swipe at the Opposition for insulting and abusing another famous son of the land, Veer Savarkar. “Our values are different, we are not those who keep abusing and insulting the great son of Mother India, the son of this land, Veer Savarkar. They are not ready to apologise, they are ready to go to the courts and fight,” he added, taking potshots at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. However, the Opposition said there can be no pardon for the corruption in the construction of the statue. NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj never condoned corruption and negligence. “Maharashtra follows the path shown by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. So, sir (Modi), Maharashtra will not forgive this mistake. The people who are responsible for this lapse will have to face punishment,” Patil said. Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran said it could be due to reduced government spending during the general elections. “Growth momentum has remained strong, with the slowdown in the first quarter anticipated due to elections and less spending by the Government ,” he said. The CEA noted that the final consumption expenditure and net exports have remained resilient, even as the growth rate in agriculture and livestock sectors appears to be JD(U), TDP join Oppn walkout from Waqf JPC work in the naval base. According to NIA sleuths, the Pakistani agent gathered information on the arrival of warships, their departure and other security details and paid each of them Rs 5,000 every month. Vethan Thandel and Akshay Naik received money every month for eight months. Sunil, who received money from her for four months, later blocked her on Facebook. P5 Phones seized NIA sleuths have seized mobile phones and electronic devices from the trio HIGH IN THE SKY Surya Kiran aerobatic team in action at the 2-day air show by the Indian Air Force in Bidar on Friday | EXPRESS 48, including 3 govt staff, held for job scam in Water Resources Dept E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru THE Special Enquiry Squad of Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested 48 people, including three government employees, in connection with a scam in the direct recruitment of second division assistants in the Water Resources Department (WRD). The arrested include 37 candidates, who had submitted fake documents, and 11 middlemen.The Department had invited online applications to fill 182 backlog ‘C’ group posts in October 2022. The middlemen had a network of creating counterfeit marks cards of class 12. The candidates who were not eligible as per the department criteria used the services of these middlemen. They obtained marks cards with good marks in all subjects as prescribed in the eligibility criteria. Department officials filed a police complaint at the Central division on July 28, 2023 after finding 62 ineligible candidates applying for the vacancies by submitting fake Class 12 marks cards. The case was later handed over to CCB. The three arrested government employ- ees are Anand, principal, Morarji Desai Residential PU College in Kalaburgi, Krishna Gurunath Rathod, First Division Assistant, Karnataka Power Corporation Limited, Jog in Shivamogga and Gangoor Pradeep, Second Division Assistant, Water Resources Department, Hassan. The 11 middlemen were arrested from Hassan, Mandya, Jewargi, Vijayapura, KGF, Bengaluru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru. The middlemen reportedly created fake marks cards for II PUC, Class 12 of CBSE and NIOS. The counterfeit mark cards were submitted online, robbing genuine candidates of their opportunity In all, 62 . candidates from 12 districts submitted fake marks cards, of whom 25 were from Kalaburagi, 12 from Hassan, six from Belagavi, three each from Yadgir, Vijayapura and Bidar, two from Chitradurga district, and one each from Ramanagara, Koppal, Kolar, Raichur and Vijayanagar districts. “Search is on for the remaining candidates as only 37 of them have been arrested. 17 mobile phones, a computer hard disk and other valuables worth Rs 40 lakh were recovered,” said an officer.
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.