BELAGAVI  TUESDAY  APRIL 28, 2026  `9.00  PAGES 14  LATE CITY EDITION LONG QUEUES AT FUEL OUTLETS AMID FEARS OF POST-ELECTION PRICE HIKE Motorists thronged petrol bunks in parts of the country on Monday, amid buzz of a fuel shortage and a sharp price rise after the West Bengal polls PANIC BUYING SPARKS SHORTAGE IN ANDHRA OVER 30% SURGE IN FUEL DEMAND: MINISTRY Rumours of an imminent price rise sparked panic buying in Andhra Pradesh, resulting in shortages and more than 400 petrol pumps running dry over the weekend. Long queues of vehicles were seen at many outlets across the state. “We are receiving information that diesel is getting exhausted everywhere from our dealers,” a fuel retailer’s association member in Guntur told reporters ■ ■ “We have observed... 30-33 per cent (growth) in demand for fuels like diesel. That is why certain retail outlets faced issues,” Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said In Andhra, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed state officials and OMC officials to work in tandem to restore normalcy in fuel supply Wednesday WHEN THE LAST PHASE OF WEST BENGAL ELECTIONS WOULD BE HELD 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 FTA inked, India to get Forces to stay after Bengal poll: Shah duty-free access to NZ Post-poll violence in the past has resulted in loss of lives and IN what appeared to be an as- destruction of property . surance to West Bengal voters Addressing an election rally who had normalised in Behala, on the post-poll violence, Unsouthern fringes of ion home minister Kolkata, he said, Amit Shah on Monday “Brothers and sisters, Every resident of announced that the go and vote on the Central Armed Para- West Bengal, every 29th, do not worry family, is moving military Force (CAPF) about Didi’s (Mamata forward with one will remain deployed Banerjee) goons. The resolve, and that is in the state for 60 days Election Commission we must bring after the second and fiof India has deployed change now nal phase of polling. CAPF at every nook Narendra Modi, PM The announcement and cranny, and I am came on a day when telling you that even campaigning for 142 seats in though the BJP will come to the final phase ended. Shah has power after the elections, cenbeen camping here for over a tral forces will remain here for week to oversee the BJP’s poll 60 more days.” preparations. He added that if voted to S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata Wellington commits $20 billion investment in India over 15 years P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi INDIA and New Zealand on Monday signed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) that offers duty-free access for 100% Indian exports to the island nation, which will get market access for 70.03% of the tariff lines covering 95% of the bilateral trade value. The remaining 29.97% tariff lines have been excluded to protect India’s sensitive sectors such as dairy and key agriculture. New Zealand has also committed to invest $20 billion in India over 15 years. The pact is expected to be implemented by the end of this year after New Zealand Parliament’s approval. “The investment commitment of $20 billion by New Zealand will further strengthen our cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, innovation and technology paving the way for , a more prosperous and dynamic future for both countries,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said that New Zealand has committed market access in 118 sectors and most favoured nation status in 139 sectors while opening dedicated work, study, and holiday visa pathways for Indian professionals, students, and young travellers. An official statement noted that the FTA will significantly boost MSMEs and enhance competitiveness in labour intensive sectors such as textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods. EXPRESS READ RCB pacers flatten DC, cruise to nine-wicket win New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode a storm of sheer pace fury to annihilate Delhi Capitals by nine wickets in their IPL clash here on Monday. Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) turned the powerplay into a demolition act. All Delhi could manage was 75 in 16.3 overs. Chasing a modest target, RCB openers Virat Kohli (23) and Jacob Bethell (20) sailed past the finish line in 6.3 overs | P13 Hafiz Saeed’s aide & key LeT man killed in Pak Lahore: Sheikh Yousaf Afridi, a key Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) figure and a close associate of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A police source said assailants opened indiscriminate fire on Afridi, resulting in his death on the spot. Afridi is said to be a key figure within the banned LeT. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal with New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay during the signing of the Free Trade Agreement in New Delhi on Monday | PTI KEY TAKEAWAYS $20 billion investment commitment over 15 years Special emphasis on strengthening MSMEs and women-led enterprises India offers market access in 70.03% of the tariff lines, which covers 95% of New Zealand’s bilateral trade India protects key interests in dairy and agriculture; benefit for labour-intensive sectors like textile and leather India’s current tariffs on sheep meat, wool and coal from New Zealand will be scrapped immediately while duties on seafood and hor ticulture items—including cherries and avocados—will be phased out over seven years. India has cut tariffs on New Zealand wine by 66-83% over 10 years. Tariffs on New Zealand facilitates health and traditional medicine services for the first time Student mobility and post study work visa for STEM graduates, skilled professionals; opens new visa pathway for 5,000 skilled occupations bulk infant formula and peptones will be phased out in seven years. “We have committed to work closely with India to help Prime Minister Modi meet his ambition of increasing the earnings of Indian farmers and growers by 50%,” New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said. Home Minister Amit Shah at Kapil Muni Ashram in Gangasagar, West Bengal | PTI power, the BJP would initiate action against political violence and illegal immigrants. Shah also reiterated the party’s intention to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state if it forms the government. Iran offers to open Strait of Hormuz if US lifts blockade, defers N-talks A G E N C I E S @ Washington/ Cairo IRAN has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports and ends the war, two regional officials said on Monday. But there will be no negotiations on its nuclear program for now. The proposal was passed on to the Americans by Pakistani officials. US President Donald Trump is expected to hold high-level talks with top security advisors to discuss it, reports said. The Strait’s closure has put pressure on him, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections. However, analysts are skeptical about Trump accepting the Iranian proposal. They point out that lifting the US blockade and ending the war would remove Trump’s leverage in any DAY 59 Shots fired at ship with 17 Indian crew A Togo-flagged oil and chemical tanker was involved in an incident near Oman after warning shots were fired by Iranian authorities, though all 17 Indian crew onboard were safe, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Monday future talks with Iran. Sources told CNN that Trump will also weigh his options during the meeting, including whether or not to resume the US bombing campaign. In a related development, Ira- nian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at St Petersburg. He blamed “excessive demands” from the US for the failure of talks. “The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands,” he said. Meanwhile, under a proposed Iranian law, the country’s armed forces would become the authority responsible for managing the Strait of Hormuz. The draft legislation also provides that financial gains from the Strait would be paid in Iran’s rial currency . Reports said Iran tried to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait. Oman’s response wasn’t immediately clear. STATE ROLLS OUT DIGI LITIGATION RISING TEMPERATURES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH SOP Check destination weather A S H W I N I M S R I PA D @ Bengaluru THE Karnataka government has introduced a Litigation Management System (LMS) with a standard operating procedure (SOP) to streamline handling of court cases, improve accountability and reduce delays by government departments in dealing with legal cases. The system features a digital case tracking module integrated with e-office for real-time monitoring. Departments must upload case details within 48 hours of receiving court orders. The system mandates complete digitisation of litigation records and minimisation of physical file movement, stated the notification, issued by the principal secretary to the Law, Justice and Human Rights Department. The notification, issued recently, pointed to the Karna- taka High Court (Writ Appeal No. 20277/2025, Kalaburagi Bench) observation that highlighted delays, poor coordination and lack of accountability in government litigation. The new system, developed in response to the high court’s order, will have a streamlined SOP to ensure timely action, clear responsibility and effective coordination, which will be monitored continuously . The SOP states that a dedicated digital case tracking module will be developed that will capture and track issues like court orders received by each department, date of receipt, limitation period for filing appeals, stagewise movement of files within the department, tracking of cases, officer-wise responsibility mapping and more. The SOP stresses on appointing a litigation nodal officer who will monitor all litigation and coordinate with the panel of advocates. Each case will be fixed on concerned advocates. These advocates must apply for a certified copy of the order/ judgment within 48 hours of its pronouncement or disposal. Later, they should provide an opinion within seven days overseen by the Litigation Conducting Officer and Supervisory Officer. “Any delay shall be recorded and attributed to specific officers,’’ it warned. before heading out: IMD B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) has advised people to check weather conditions of their destinations before starting their journey . The advisory has been issued as temperatures are rising not just in Karnataka, but across India. Officials said weather has been varying drastically in different locations this summer which can impact people’s health. While some regions are experiencing hot and humid conditions, others dry heat. Some other regions are experiencing a heatwave, while some have thundershowers. Director General of Meteorology IMD, Mrtyunjay Mohapatra , said there are weather variations across India. If one is travelling to the Northeast, they will need a blanket, while in case of central India one will have to look for shelter to save themselves from the summer heat. Some regions in the Northwest are experiencing rainfall. A heatwave alert was issued for some regions two days ago, but in the next couple of days, the weather will change as rainfall has been forecast. “People should check IMD’s website for weather conditions and alerts before heading out,” he said. According to IMD data, Kalaburgi on Monday recorded a maximum of 42.6 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degree Celsius above normal, Bidar recorded 42.4 degrees Celsius (3 degrees Celsius above normal), Raichur 41 degrees celsius, Tidagundi 40.3 degrees Celsius and Vijayapura 40 degrees Celsius. STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES Shortage of IPS officers cripples IB operations, 40% posts remain vacant M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi THE Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s premier internal security agency, is facing an acute shortage of IPS officers especially in the mid-level ranks that are vital for operational effectiveness and coordination on the ground. The latest official data on sanctioned posts and vacancies in central police organisations and central armed police forces point to a sharp imbalance in the IB’s staffing structure. Senior leadership roles such as director-general, special director and inspector general are adequately filled. But, the situation changes drastically at the levels of deputy inspector general (DIG) and superintendent of police (SP), where vacancies have reached nearly 50% of the sanctioned strength. Out of a total of 203 sanctioned IPS posts in the IB, as many as 81 remain unfilled, indicating an overall shortfall of around 40%. The DIG rank alone accounts for 36 vacancies against 63 sanctioned posts, while at the SP level, 45 positions are vacant out of a total strength of 83. These mid-level officers play a critical role in the intelligence agency as they supervise field operations, handle sensitive inputs and coordinate with other agen- Why mid-level officers matter Mid-level officers play a crucial role in the intelligence gathering architecture. DIGs and SPs are responsible for supervising field operations, handling sensitive inputs, and ensuring the swift flow of actionable information across agencies. Their absence impacts operational efficiency and responsiveness cies. The absence of these officers, therefore, directly impacts the IB’s operational efficiency . Pointing to structural challenges behind the shortage, officials said the IB relies heavily on deputation from state cadres, but state police forces themselves are grappling with manpower constraints and rising law-and-order responsibilities. This has reduced the pool of officers available for central postings. Additionally shorter , tenures and frequent transfers hinder continuity in intelligence operations, while stateCentre dynamics further complicate deputation processes. The staffing crunch comes amid an increasingly complex internal security environment, marked by evolving threats such as terrorism, extremism, cyber espionage and organised crime, underscoring the urgency of addressing the gap. He further asserted that after May 4, the practice of polygamy would not be permitted in the state. After wrapping up his campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an open letter to the state, said: “Serving and securing West Bengal is my responsibility Turning every challenge . before West Bengal into an opportunity is also part of my destiny I won’t back down from this . responsibility .” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee undertook a 6 km roadshow in south Kolkata, which is part of the TMC’s fortress along with North and South 24 Parganas and Howrah. They account for 91 of 294 seats in the legislative assembly . COOKER BLAST CASE Key accused sentenced to 10 years of RI EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru ISIS member Mohammed Shariq, 27, the prime accused in the 2002 Mangaluru pressure cooker blast case, has been sentenced to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 92,000 by a Special Court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases in Bengaluru on Monday . A native of Shivamogga, Shariq is the key accused in the November 19, 2022 blast case. Shariq suffered severe burns when the pressure cooker IED he was taking in an auto-rickshaw to plant at Kadri Manjunatha Temple in Mangaluru to create communal tension accidentally detonated around 4.30 pm due to faulty setting of the timer. He has been convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He has also been sentenced for attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing grievous hurt to auto driver Purushotham Poojary and also , under the provisions of the Explosive Substances Act. P5 Not paid dues, 2 men cut cables to 240+ CCTVs at Chinnaswamy EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru ANGRY over bills not being paid, two men allegedly cut optical fibre cables connected to over 240 CCTV cameras at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 24, ahead of the IPL cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans. This severely affected security surveillance by the police, who were monitoring the stadium. The Cubbon Park police registered an FIR against the two persons -- Manjunath E (37), hailing from Chitradurga, and Abdul Kalam (19) from Uttar Pradesh. The police have been relying on CCTV footage and AI technology for crowd control after the stampede at the stadium on June 4 last year. The complaint was filed by Aditya Bhat, an employee of Staqu Technologies, a Gurugram-based firm that provides AI-driven surveillance solutions during matches. On April 24, before the RCB vs Gujarat Titans match, the company’s team conducted an inspection of the cameras in the morning and found that over 240 cameras were switched off.