KOTTAYAM l wednesday l april 29, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Terror epicentres not immune to ‘justifiable punishment’: Rajnath Targeting Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Operation Sindoor demonstrated statebacked ‘terror epicentres’ are no longer safe havens ‘End double standards in terror fight’ Need consistency, not selective response Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek in the presence of Pak Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Singh called on the influential regional grouping to not lose sight of “state-sponsored” cross-border terrorism, stressing that there is no place for any “double standards” or ambiguity in combating the global menace ■ ■ Without naming Pakistan, Singh said “terrorism has no nationality and no theology”, adding that the credibility of regional groupings such as the SCO would depend on consistency, not selective responses He urged the SCO not to hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who “abet, shelter and provide safe havens” to terrorists | P7 2001 When the grouping was founded. India and Pakistan became members in 2007 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 Aviation industry SOS as jet fuel prices zoom Power cuts return as demand soars E x p r ess N ews S e r v ice @ T’Puram Operations unsustainable, warn Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet UAE exits oil cartel, Don cold to Iran proposal A r shad Khan @ New Delhi a G E N C I E S @ Dubai/Washington Alarmed by the steep rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet have warned of shutting down operations unless the government intervenes to save the aviation sector, which is already bleeding due to the frequent airspace closures amid the war in West Asia. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents the three airlines, have written to the civil aviation ministry seeking its urgent intervention to set the same fuel pricing mechanism unifor mly across both domestic and interday national operations. The letter pointed out that this was done in 2022 through the establishment of the ‘crack band’ mechCrack anism (pricing framework band linked to fair refining margins, FIA has called or ‘crack spread’, between for a pricing crude oil and ATF). This was framework set at $12–22/barrel in 2022. based on the As global jet ATF prices more ‘crack band than doubled to $180-190/barrel mechanism’ since the war broke out in West ($12–22/bbl), Asia on February 28, the Indian which was government last month limited implemented in the hike to `15 per litre for doOctober 2022, mestic operations. However, for claiming this international operations, the leaves room for price rose by `73 per litre. a reasonable ATF prices account for and fair margin around 40% of an airline’s for oil marketing overall operating cost. Followcompanies ing the April hike, this percentage band increased to 55-60%. The letter said the ‘irrational increase’ in ATF prices will result in ‘insurmountable losses’ for airlines, grounding of aircraft and cancellation of flights. “In order to survive, sustain and continue operation, we request your urgent intervention for immediate and meaningful financial support to tide over the current situation,” said the letter dated April 26. The airlines are also seeking a temporary suspension of excise duty (currently set at 11%) on ATF and VAT rates in key states. THE United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday announced its exit from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the wider OPEC+ alliance. A longtime member of OPEC, the UAE’s membership ends on May 1 and will not be renewed. The announcement came on a day when oil prices climbed again as the prospects of reopening the Strait of Hormuz appeared dim with the Trump administration not showing interest in Iran’s latest offer to reopen Hormuz after the US blockade is lifted. The UAE said the decision follows careful consideration of its national interest and its stature in the global energy market. OPEC and “This reflects the UAE’s longterm strategic and economic OPEC+ vision and evolving energy OPEC was profile... and reinforces its comformed in 1960 mitment to a responsible, reliby Iran, Iraq, able role in global energy marKuwait, Saudi kets,” it stated. Arabia, and The move comes amid the Venezuela to Emirates’ frosty relations with break the cartel neighbour and OPEC heavyled by Western oil firms. OPEC+ weight Saudi Arabia. UAE has been trying to leverage its own is a broader alliance formed foreign policy amid pushback from Saudi Arabia under an asin 2016 to sertive Crown Prince Mohaminclude nonmembers to set med bin Salman. The UAE is one of the world’s oil production top oil producers and its exit policies from Vienna-based OPEC could weaken the oil cartel which controls global oil prices through production cuts. However, the withdrawal won’t necessarily have any immediate effects in markets as oil supplies are already constrained by the Iran war. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that Tehran “has just” informed Washington that it is in a “state of collapse”. “They (Iran) want us to “Open the Hormuz Strait,” as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” Trump posted on social media. 60 Curbs of less than 30 mins between 6 pm and 12am to be imposed Power dept suggestions Avoid charging electric vehicles between 6pm and 12am. Instead, charge during daytime. Use air conditioner only when it is essential. Maintain AC temperatures between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius Minimise use of induction cooker, electric heater, iron box, washing machine, pump set, etc. press Intake Summer showers end heat spell; heavy rain alert from April 30 | P5 Agencies sound alarm as heroin creeps into migrant drug networks | P4 Reservoirs dry, water cut in Mumbai from May 15 | P8 Blood donations dip in Decisive poll phase in West Bengal today Kerala amid summer, vacation and poll season S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata L a k shmi Athi r a @Malappuram Kerala is witnessing a decline in blood donations, prompting health authorities to step up collection efforts as hospitals manage with limited stock. According to official data from the Kerala State Blood Transfusion Council, 58,156 people donated blood in January this year. The number dropped to 50,690 in February , and rose slightly to 52,508 in March. However, officials indicate that collections declined again in April, reflecting the impact of multiple seasonal factors. Health authorities say the trend, though familiar, has been more pronounced this time. “Several factors have come together in February, March and April months, including the festival season, summer conditions, vacation period and election-related engagements. This has impacted regular donation patterns. From June to January organi, sations and colleges contact us for organising donation camps. However, during these three months, it is we who constantly contact them, even for a few donors” said Dr Shaiji, State Level Nodal Officer for Blood Transfusion Services. The Ramzan period in February led to lower participation in donation camps, despite additional drives being organised in January in anticipation. Donations showed a modest recovery by mid-March after the fasting period. However, with April and May coinciding with the vacation season, the blood banks are experiencing shortage. “With the advent of peak summer in April, many potential donors stayed away while the , vacation period further reduced turnout, particularly among students who form a key donor base. The election season has also affected routine donation activities, as political organisations that usually conduct large-scale camps have been engaged in campaign work. Camps organised by the police and college NCC units have also reduced, affecting the steady inflow to blood banks,” ● More on P4 Dr Shaiji added.  After weeks of rhetoric, roadshows, and a political temperature that rose in tandem with the summer heat, it’s time for the real thing. As West Bengal goes to polls for the second and final phase on Wednesday appellate tribunals upheld , the appeals of just 1,468 of the over 20 lakh voters who were removed from the supplementary list following the controversial special intensive revision of poll rolls. The final phase, covering 142 assembly constituencies, is widely seen as the decisive one. It is here, in the traditional stronghold of the Trinamool Congress in south Bengal, that the party’s decadelong dominance faces its sternest test. At the centre of attention is Bhabanipur, where the contest has crystallised into the most closely watched face-off of the phase: Mamata Polling officials check election B a n e r j e e ve r s u s materials for voting in the Leader of the Oppo- second phase in Kolkata | PTI sition Suvendu Adhikari—once an insider in her political circle, now her most prominent challenger. Their battle is as much personal as it is political, emblematic of the broader struggle playing out across the state. Around them, an array of senior leaders and emerging figures are in the fray—ministers such as Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Sobhandeb Chatterjee, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Sashi Panja; BJP’s Swapan Dasgupta; Left leaders including Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya; and younger candidates like Meenakshi Mukherjee and Dipsita Dhar. Amid skyrocketing electricity demand due to soaring temperatures, the state government has decided to impose power curbs of less than 30 minutes between 6pm and 12 midnight to maintain grid stability . A high-level meeting, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Power) Puneet Kumar on Tuesday evalu, ated the power consumption trend in the state, following which the State Load Despatch Centre chief engineer was instructed to implement short-duration restrictions. A daily evaluation of the developments will be done by the high-level officials. The meeting evaluated that the average increase in power usage this year is much higher than the annual growth rate over the years. The daily power consumption touched an all-time high of 118.26 million units on Monday While the demand after 6pm . touched 6,033MW for the first time in the state’s history, the need level rose further to 6,195 MW at 10.30pm on April 23, according to a statement issued by the electricity department. The officials assessed that power restrictions are essential to avert serious and unavoidable issues in the transmission distribution network due to the increased demand, and ensure grid stability While . an unexpected summer heat surge remains the key issue for the current power crisis, increased charging of electric vehicles and use of air conditioners at night are also major contributing factors. People’s shift towards induction cookers following the LPG crisis also played an important role in this. Officials noted that reduced availability of power in the national market due to the ongoing heatwave across the country has added to the crisis, particularly as Kerala depends on external sources for over 70% of its electricity requirement. However, the shortage of 200MW from central production centres is expected to be resolved soon, the statement said. E x p r e s s Re a d SSLC results on May 15, Plus-II on May 22 T’Puram: General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Tuesday said the SSLC examination results will be announced on May 15. The results for Plus-II and VHSE will be published on May 22. Soon after the SSLC results are published, the re-evaluation applications will be accepted, results of which will be published by May-end itself, the minister said. The second-year improvement results will be out by May 8, and those of the first year on June 10. High Court cracks whip on hartal violence Kochi: The Kerala High Court initiated a suo motu contempt case over incidents of violence reported on Tuesday during the hartal called by various Dalit organisations, demanding justice in connection with the death of Nithin Raj, a BDS student at Kannur Dental College. The HC initiated case based on media reports, including visuals showing even vehicles carrying patients being stopped by hartal organisers. P4