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 ■ ■ BHUBANESWAR l monday l december 22, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION India seeks action on B’desh lynching Suspends visa ops at Chattogram until further notice JAYAN T H JA C O B @ New Delhi INDIA on Sunday expressed deep concern over the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh and urged Dhaka to ensure swift justice as escalating unrest prompted New Delhi to suspend visa operations in the port city of Chattogram. Reacting to a question related to the killing of 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is closely monitoring the situation and has taken up the matter with Bangladeshi authorities. “India continues to keep a close watch on the evolving situation in Bangladesh. Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed to them our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The killing of Das, a garment factory worker, occurred amid widespread violence that erupted after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of last year’s student uprising and a candidate in the February 12 general election. Hadi’s shooting earlier this month sparked protests, vandalism and attacks across several parts of Bangladesh. Das’s father Ravilal Das said his son was beaten, tied to a tree, and set on fire by a mob. Against the backdrop of rising tensions, India has suspended visa operations at the Indian Students during a silent protest to condemn the lynching of a Hindu man at Dhaka University. Inset: Dipu Chandra Das | AFP / x Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Chattogram until further notice. The decision follows a security incident involving stonehurling at the residence of the Assistant High Commissioner of India in the city. “Due to recent security incident at Assistant High Commission of India Chittagong, Indian visa operations at IVAC Chittagong will remain suspended from 21/12/2025 until further notice,” the IVAC said, adding that reopening would be announced after a review of the security situation. Officials said the remaining four visa centres— in Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet—continue to function. India had briefly shut visa centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Khulna last week after anti-India protesters attempted to march towards Indian missions. Operations in Dhaka resumed a day later, while security was tightened at Indian facilities in Sylhet on December 20. 12 arrested so far, say reports With 2 more arrests on Sunday, police have so far detained 12 people for the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, media reports said No breach at B’desh HC: MEA MEA said on Sunday that reports of security breach at Dhaka’s mission in Delhi are “misleading propaganda” The BJP claimed to have won 133 out of 288 nagar parishads as Mahayuti swept the Mahatrashta local body polls, with the Opposition alleging foul play | P8 Power bills may rise by `1/unit as utilities move OERC B i j o y P r a d h a n @ Bhubaneswar Electricity consumers may face a sharp increase in their power bills next year with power utilities seeking retail tariff hikes that could push the prices up by nearly `1 per unit. After GRIDCO sought a hike of 58 paise unit in bulk supply price, six other power sector entities barring Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) have made a strong pitch for increase in their respective tariffs citing serious revenue shortfall. Acceptance of all proposals would result in an average hike of 98 paise per unit in retail electricity tariff which would ultimately be passed on to the consumers. The seven power entities have projected a cumulative revenue shortfall of `3,276 crore in the next financial year if the tariff approved Army to procure 1 lakh indigenous 9-mm pistols M aya n k S i n g h @ New Delhi The government has issued a request for information (RFI) to procure one lakh indigenous 9-mm pistols for the Indian Army Nine. mm pistols are lighter and are particularly suited for close-range combat or urban warfare. According to the RFI issued by the Ministry of Defence, the government is also seeking to procure accessories, including night sights and targeting options. The plan is to replace the existing 9-mm semiautomatic, magazine-fed pistol from Rifle Factory Ishapore. The new pistols are expected to feature ambidextrous controls, suppressors and accessory rails to modernise older weapons. Currently, troops in special force units of the Army use imported 9-mm pistols. The DRDO and the Indian Army have already designed a 9-mm weapon for counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, incorporating 3D-printed parts and a high rate of fire. As per the RFI, the 9-mm pistol should function day and night in common weather conditions across all terrains. It should also be operational in temperatures ranging from –30 to 55 degrees Celsius. by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) for 2025-26 remains unchanged. Filing separate applications before OERC for annual revenue requirements (ARRs) and determination tariff for 2026-27, the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL), GRIDCO and four Tata Power-managed distribution companies (TPCODL, TPNODL, TPSODL and TPWODL) have pressed for the hike. OHPC, which operates six hydro power stations with a combined capacity of 2,040 MW, has projected a revenue requirement of `644 crore for the next fiscal. To bridge a projected shortfall of `83 crore (at current rate of tariff), it has sought an increase in the sale price of power to GRIDCO by 15 paise per unit, from 100 paise to 115 Continued on P5 paise.  Shell out more for train travel from December 26 RAJ E S H K U M AR T HAK U R @ New Delhi THE Ministry of Railways on Sunday announced its second fare hike this year, expected to generate approximately `600 crore in additional revenue by March 31, 2026. Under the revised structure effective December 26, rail fares will increase by one paisa per km in ordinary class for journeys exceeding 215 km, two paise per km in mail and express non-AC classes, and two paise per km in AC classes. Passengers travelling 500 km in non-AC coaches will pay `10 extra. No increase will apply to suburban services or monthly season tickets. This follows the first hike announced on June 30 and implemented from July 1, which has generated `700 crore so far. The last hike in July came ahead of Bihar elections, while the second hike announced on Sunday comes ahead of Assembly elec- Passenger 651 cr traffic 553 cr 609 cr 270 cr express read 99 cr New Delhi 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 President gives assent to new rural jobs law tions in West Bengal. Railway officials justified the fare revision citing rising operational costs. Manpower expenses were `1,15,000 crore, pension costs `60,000 crore, and total operations `2,63,000 crore in 2024-25. The ministry said the railways is focusing on higher cargo loading alongside fare rationalisation. With a record of 1,617 MT freight till October 2025, the Railways is now the second largest freight network in the world. PRESIDENT Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The new Act, passed amid fierce Opposition protests, guarantees 125 days of employment annually to rural households—25 days more than MGNREGA.