THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l tuesday l april 28, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l 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. 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 Iran offers to open Strait of Hormuz if US lifts blockade, defers N-talks A g en c ies @ 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 day 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 future talks with Iran. Sources told CNN that Trump will also weigh his options during the meeting, including 59 whether or not to resume the US bombing campaign. In a related development, Iranian 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 o f n e g o t i at i o n s, d e s p i t e 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. RS chair accepts merger of 7 AAP Mps with BJP Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Monday officially accepted the seven rebel Aam Aadmi Party MPs joining the BJP. After the merger, the BJP’s strength in the 245-strong Upper House increased to 113 | p7 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. Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Kapil Muni Ashram in 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. 51 families begin afresh in League-built houses L akshmi Athira @Kalpetta Nearly two years after the landslide swept away their homes and memories, 51 families from Chooralmala and Mundakkai are rebuilding— steadily and bravely. In a township created by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) at Thrikkaippatta-Vellithode, survivors are moving into new homes that stand as quiet symbols of relief, resilience, and the strength to begin again. In the first phase, families gathered under one roof, setting aside faith and politics, bound instead by shared loss and quiet trust. That trust now stands fulfilled, homes delivered even before the government township at Kalpetta becomes fully operational. Over the past two days, families have begun moving in—some already carving out small patches for home farming. Of the 51 houses, 14 were allotted to Hindu families, prioritised without a draw; their housewarmings opened with traditional rites, including Ganapathi homam, in the presence of local IUML leaders. The remaining 37 homes, assigned to Muslim families through a draw, were welcomed with prayers of their own—each home carrying a quiet, heartfelt note of gratitude. Binimol, one among the first to move in, said the moment felt like a long-awaited answer to their prayers. “We had complete faith in the League, we knew they would keep their word. That is why we stepped away from the government project. Today, we feel truly blessed. This is a beautiful, fully furnished three-bedroom home with every modern facility. We couldn’t have asked for more,” she said. By evening, the formal housewarming ceremonies began, attended by leaders including Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal, P K Kunhalikutty, and P M A Salam. The gathering remained intimate, about 1,500 people, largely family and relatives, coming together for a reception organised by the beneficiaries themselves. Thangal said the project was driven purely by the need to help people rebuild their lives. “This township should be seen from a humanitarian perspec● More on P4 tive,” he said.  E X P RE S S RE A D Rahul steps in to quell CM turf war in Cong T’Puram: As the tussle to become the next Kerala CM intensifies between senior leaders of the party, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intervened, asking the warring factions to immediately end their canvassing. The growing discord has raised concerns within the high command over its potential impact on unity at a crucial juncture. P4 State’s power purchase likely to be delayed T’Puram: The Kerala State Electricity Board is likely to face delays in procuring additional electricity from external sources, though the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has granted conditional approval for such purchases. P4 IUML state president Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty during the housewarming ceremony of a home built by the party for landslide survivors at Thrikkaippatta-Vellithode in Wayanad 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 . Shortage of IPS officers cripples IB operations 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 IB, 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 IB as they supervise field operations, handle sensitive inputs and coordinate with other agencies. The absence of these officers, therefore, directly impacts the IB’s operational efficiency . Pointing to structural challenges behind the shortage, officials said IB relies heavily on deputation from state cadre, but state police forces themselves are grappling with manpower constraints and rising law-andorder responsibilities. This has reduced the pool of officers available for central postings. 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express t r a c k in g P r i c e h i k e Post-pandemic inflation lingers, idli-sambar a casualty M S V idyanandan @ T’Puram Good news: Kerala’s idli-sambar tastes exactly the same as before Covid. Bad news: the bill that comes with it has turned bitter. This popular breakfast dish has quietly become a telling casualty of post-pandemic inflation. An analysis based on an official report shows that ingredients for a standard home serving — 20 idlis with traditional sambar, enough for four to five people — that cost `105 in 2015, and barely moved to `107 by 2019, now costs `145. The ‘Retail Prices of Essential Commodities Report’ from the department of economics and statistics covering 75 essential commodities shows that prices which moved gradually before the pandemic have surged sharply since. Before Covid, some key ingredients had actually become cheaper. Toor dal — the soul of every sambar — fell from `122 per kg in 2015 to `95 in 2019. Black gram, which gives the idli its texture, dropped from `123 to `95 in the same period. After the pandemic, both reversed sharply Toor dal peaked . at `178 per kg in 2024, an 87% rise from 2019, before easing to `136 in 2025. Black g ram climbed to `130, a 37% rise. on the boil Idli Sambar 2015 K36 K69 2019 K33 K74 2025 K46 K99 (per standard home serving — 20 Idlis) The year 2021 was the inflection point for several commodities. Until then, prices rose gradually with occasional corrections. From 2022, the pace became exceptional, with nearly every commodity hitting historic highs. Dry chillies averaged `146 per kg in 2019, peaked (per standard home serving — 4-5 people) Three ingredients for Idli and 17 ingredients for Sambar were considered for cost assessment. at `269 in 2022 and eased to `191 in 2025. Turmeric powder doubled from `16 per 100g in 2015 to `30 in 2025, with most of the rise after 2021. Nothing tells the story better than coconut oil — `137 per litre in 2015, `185 in 2019, and `368 in 2025. The postpandemic six-year rise was 99%, against a pre-Covid fouryear rise of just 35%. Vegetables too have followed the same upward trajectory. Elephant foot yam price rose 85% from `34 to `63, snake gourd from `37 to `48 and ladies finger from `39 to `49. Even the humble tomato edged up from `33 to `37. All remain higher than prepandemic levels. The price surge was not accidental, says Dr C Veeramani, Director of the Centre for Development Studies. “What happened during Covid was costp u s h i n fl at i o n — r i s i n g production costs reduced supply and pushed prices up,” he ● More on P4 said.