BHUBANESWAR l thursday l april 30, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l JEYPORE EDITION draft policy on higher ethanol, biofuel blends to cut oil imports e100, E85 petrol coming soon in fuel bunks The draft changes to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 aim to promote wider use of E85 (85% ethanol blended petrol) and E100 (pure ethanol) fuels as well as B100 biodiesel and hydrogen-CNG combinations. This amendment opens the regulatory door for flex-fuel vehicles and pure biofuel vehicles across all vehicle categories, including two-wheelers and passenger cars | P10 The government has proposed amendments to motor vehicle rules to widen the scope for higher ethanol blends and alternative fuels ■ e20 weight limit for LCVs raised to 3,500 kg ■ It also raises the vehicle weight limit from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), meaning more vans and small trucks will now fall under the same emission testing rules The government said the draft would be taken up after 30-day public consultation period, during which stakeholders can submit objections is the current standard petrol sold across fuel outlets in India 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 High energy cost transfer inevitable to users: Govt Fewer cases of violence and voter intimidation in West Bengal amid record polling, close to 92% votes cast in the second and final phase; exit polls predict BJP+ retaining power in Assam, Pondy; wait begins for May 4 counting Overall turnout close to 92% in West Bengal after second phase exit poll DI PA K MONDAL @ New Delhi it is “inevitable” for countries to pass on higher energy costs to households and industries, according to the Union finance ministry . “Some countries have begun to allow prices to be passed on to end-users – households and businesses. Some are yet to do so. But it is inevitable,” the finance ministry said in its monthly economic review, released on Wednesday . It added that during times of supply disruption, demand has to moderate; otherwise, countries will have to pay a much higher price for energy supplies. Calling for macroeconomic stability, it said any attempts to restore near-term growth may cause significant harm to medium- to long-term growth prospects. The ministry also hinted at prolonged pain, saying restoring energy supplies would take time. “Many international agencies appear guilty of assuming a swift restoration of normalcy to energy supplies. The forecasts do not appear to account for the time required to restore production and resume shipping,” it said, adding that energy prices may stay at higher levels. India’s crude oil basket averaged $113 per barrel in March, and it is just under $115 per barrel for April. According to an ICRA report, marketing margins are estimated at negative `14/litre and `18/litre for petrol and diesel, respectively It further . noted that domestic LPG under recoveries are estimated at `80,000 crore for FY27. According to the ministry , the crisis must be treated as an opportunity to carry out more reforms, including prioritising energy security by creating strategic reserves. It said the domestic decriminalisation and deregulation agenda should proceed irrespective of external developments. Also, regulatory simplification that lowers the cost of imports and exports will be particularly valuable in these times. Trump tells Iran he’s ‘no more mr nice guy’ US President Donald Trump warned Iran to “better get smart soon” and move towards a deal with Washington as he criticised Tehran’s handling of nuclear negotiations | p9 DMK may hold TN, oppn surge seen in Kerala, bengal West Bengal Agency TMC+ BJP VoteVibe (152/294) 51-61 88-98 Matrize 125-140 146-161 PMARQ 118-138 146-161 JVC 131-152 138-159 Chanakya Strategies 130-140 150-160 Peoples Pulse 177-187 95-110 Poll Diary 99-127 142-171 Poll of Polls 131-151 137-157 P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi INC 2-4 6-10 0-2 0-0 1-3 0-0 1-3 OTH 0 6-10 0-0 0-2 6-10 0-2 5-9 2-6 Agency VoteVibe Axis My India Matrize PMARQ Peoples Pulse People’s Insight JVC Poll of Polls Tamil Nadu DMK+ ADMK+ 103-113 114-124 92-110 22-32 122-132 87-100 125-145 65-85 125-145 65-80 120-140 60-70 75-95 128-147 122-134 80-88 TVK 4-10 98-120 10-12 16-26 18-24 30-40 8-15 15-23 OTH 0 0 0-6 1-6 2-6 0-4 0-0 2-4 Agency VoteVibe Matrize PMARQ JVC Axis My India Peoples Pulse Poll of Polls Kerala LDF UDF 58-68 70-80 60-65 70-75 62-69 71-79 52-61 72-84 49-62 78-90 55-65 75-85 55-65 71-81 NDA 0-4 3-5 1-4 3-7 0-3 0-3 2-6 OTH 0 0 0-3 0 0 0 0 Agency VoteVibe Axis My India JVC Chanakya Strategies Matrize PMARQ Poll of Polls Agency Axis My India Peoples Pulse Poll of Polls Assam BJP+ INC+ 90-100 23-33 88-100 24-36 88-101 23-33 88-98 22-32 85-95 25-32 82-94 30-40 88-98 25-35 AUDF 0-6 2-2 03-05 1-3 Puducherry BJP+ INC+ 16-20 6-8 16-19 10-12 18 9 OTH 0 0-3 0-3 0-0 6-12 1-5 0-1 OTH 3-7 1-2 3 Current party positions West Bengal 294 TMC BJP ConG 221 65 1 Indepen Oth Vacant 1 3 3 Vacant 7 Tamil Nadu DMK+ AIADMK+ 234 158 Assam NDA 75 50 Kerala LDF UDF Vacant 94 42 4 126 140 Puducherry NDA 30 16 69 Cong-led Indepen alliance 1 Cong+ 14 With polling ending for the high stakes elections in four states and a Union Territory, several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a convincing victory for the BJP in Assam Assembly and an edge for the elections party over the ruling TMC in West Bengal, while projecting a second innings for the DMK in Tamil Nadu and a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala. Pollsters also forecast the AINRC-led NDA government continuing in power in Puducherry . However, exit polls outcomes could be misleading. In the most keenly watched contest in West Bengal, at least five exit polls predicted a BJP win with 146-175 seats, while two pollsters — People’s Pulse and Janmat polls — gave a stunning win for Mamata Banerjeeled TMC. Matrize said BJP is likely to get 146-161 seats, the TMC was projected to get 125140 seats. In Tamil Nadu, several exit polls forecast a big win for the DMK with the People’s Pulse giving 125-145 to the DMK-led alliance, 65-80 to AIADMK-BJP and 18-24 to actor Vijay’s TVK, which is making its poll debut. However, two exit polls caught everyone by surprise as they predicted a hung House. Axis My India forecast 92-110 for the ruling DMK-led alliance, 22-23 for AIADMK+ and 98-120 for TVK. Another pollster Kamakhya Analytics forecast 78-95 seats for DMK+, 68-84 for AIADMK+ and 67-81 for the TVK. In Kerala, where Pinarayi Vijayan led LDF was looking for a third term, most pollsters predicted a comeback of the Congress-led UDF. According to Axis My India the UDF would get 78-90 seats, while LDF may get 49-62 and NDA 0-3. Kerala has a total of 140 seats with the majority mark at 71. In Assam, Axis My India predicted a sweep for the BJP fore, casting 88-100 seats for BJP+ and 24-36 for Congress+. People’s Pulse predicted that the NDA would get 68-72 seats in Assam while Congress+ would secure 22-26 seats. As for Puducherry, Axis My India predicted 16-20 for NDA and 6-8 for DMK-Congress. SUBH E NDU MAITI @ Kolkata West Bengal recorded robust polling in the second and final phase of elections with poll-participation touching 91.66% as of 7.45 pm. In the first phase of elections held on April 23, the voter turnout was 93.19%. The Election Commission of India said the combined turnout of the two-phased elections was 92.47% — the highest ever since Independence. The last time the state witnessed such a high voter turnout was in the 2011 assembly polls, at 84.72%, when the Trinamool Congress stormed to power by ending 34 years of CPI(M) rule. High voter turnout was visible from the morning with the figure touching 80% as of 3 pm. It rose to 90% by 5 pm. West Bengal has 294 assembly seats. In the first phase, polls were held in 152 constituencies. In the second phase, 142 seats including the high-profile Bhabanipur, outgoing chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s home turf in south Kolkata, went to poll. Compared with past elections riddled with poll violence leading to Voters show their ink-marked fingers after casting their votes in Kolkata on Wednesday | PTI grievous injuries and deaths, no major bloodbaths were reported in the 2026 assembly elections. The polling was largely peaceful though sporadic incidents of violence, intimidations and tampering of EVMs were reported from some districts, prompting security forces to resort to baton charge. Mamata Banerjee alleged security personnel of central armed forces targeted her party workers. “Central forces unleashed terror at the behest of the BJP in the name of holding free and fair elections. They beat and dragged out TMC agents from polling booths in different districts,” she alleged. The BJP alleged that in some polling stations in Falta, the option to vote for the party was blocked using a tape over EVM poll buttons. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said repolling was likely to be announced in booths where EVMs were found tampered with. Youth’s ‘suicide’ in police custody sparks violent protest, 3 cops hurt P r a s a n ta K u m a r S a h u @ Umerkote Chaos prevailed after a 23-year-old youth’s alleged death by suicide in Dabugaon police station drew angry protests by family members and villagers who hurled stones and bottles, leaving three cops injured on Wednesday . The deceased was identified as Purna Kalar, a native of Anchala village under Dabugaon police limits. Kalar was arrested on Tuesday on charges of abduction and assault of a minor girl. The victim was scheduled to be produced before a court on the day. However, hours before his production, his death in police custody sparked outrage among family members and villagers, who staged a road blockade on Umerkote-Nabarangpur route. The protest turned violent after agitators allegedly pelted stones and glass bottles at the police station, leaving three police personnel injured. The agitators alleged that Kalar was assaulted in custody and that police later attempted to pass off the death as a suicide. They refused to disperse, demanding a fair and transparent investigation. However, the police claimed that Kalar died by suicide by hanging himself in the station toilet using a bedsheet tied to a ventilation frame. The family rejected the police claims and said police shifted the body to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem without conducting the procedure in Dabuagon to suppress the matter. They said Kalar’s body was moved without E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Rourkela People staging a protest in front of the police station at Dabugaon on Wednesday | Express prior intimation. Senior police officers from Nabarangpur and Papadahandi rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Two platoons of police have been deployed to prevent further escalation. According to police, a missing complaint was lodged by the minor girl’s family on April 5. Following this, police launched a manhunt and rescued the victim on April 25 from Dhamnaguda village under Dabugaon police station limits. Based on the victim’s statement, Kalar was arrested on Tuesday . Umerkote SDPO Suvendu Soboro said that the body was sent to the district headquarters hospital for autopsy , following which it was handed over to the family thereafter. Meanwhile, the situation remained tense. Nabarangpur sub-collector Prakash Chandra Mishra, who was present at the spot, said that appropriate action would be taken against those found guilty following a proper investigation. gender rise Women investors grow eight-fold in Odisha’s demat boom: Report E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar The surge in stock market participation has witnessed a boom in Odisha, with the latest data showing a steady rise in both male and female demat account holders. According to the figures from the ‘Women and Men in India’ report, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Odisha now has 40.07 lakh demat accounts, up from 27.31 lakh in 2024. The growth has been steady and, in the post-pandemic period, the state’s investor base has risen nearly seven-fold since 2021, when total accounts stood at just 5.7 lakh. Though men continue to dominate ownership, the number of women demat account holders has seen an impressive rise, reflecting their growing role as investors. The report shows that male account holders increased from 23.30 lakh in 2024 to 33.49 lakh in 2025, while female account holders rose from 4.01 lakh to 6.58 lakh over the same period. In absolute terms, men added over 10 lakh accounts, compared to an increase of about 2.5 lakh among women. However, a closer look reveals that women have steadily gained ground. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of female investors in Odisha has jumped more than eightfold, compared to about a seven-fold increase among men. Four die after bus rams into ore-laden truck in Chandiposh In 2021, the total number of women demat accounts with CDSL was 77,924, out of a total of 5.70 lakh. This rose to 6.58 lakh by October 2025. Women accounted for 13.7 per cent of investors in 2021, rising to 14.7 per cent in 2024, and further to 16.4 per cent in 2025. The expansion is being driven by growing financial awareness, increased digital access and the spread of mobile trading platforms beyond metro cities. Smaller urban centres and semi-rural areas in Odis- ha are playing a key role in this shift, bringing first-time investors into the market, said an analyst. However, the data also showed that women still represent less than a fifth of total investors in the state. The gap between male and female account holders in terms of number has grown, from about 4 lakh in 2021 to nearly 27 lakh in 2025. The trend also aligns with India’s story of rapid expansion with steady inclusion. A passenger bus collided headon with an iron ore-laden truck on the NH-143, killing four crew members of the two ill-fated vehicles near Musabira under Chandiposh police limits of Sundargarh district late on Tuesday night. At least 22 passengers were injured, two of them critically, in the mishap which took place about 32 km from Rourkela. Both the vehicles were mangled and got stuck into each other under impact of the collision. Police said the bus originating from Rourkela was on its way to Jajpur when one of its front tyres burst. As the driver lost control, the passenger carrier swerved and crashed into the trailer coming from the opposite direction. The bus driver, his assistant, a helper and driver of the truck died at the spot. Police rushed to the spot and with help of local villagers, shifted the injured to different hospitals. Gas-cutters were used to recover the body of the bus driver who was trapped by the steering. Inspector-in-charge of Chandiposh police station Srikant Kharami identified the deceased as Niranjan Rout, Manas Panda, Siba Prasad Nayak and Santu Yadav. Yadav belonged to Bhojpur district of Bihar while the rest were from Rourkela and Jajpur. Seven of the injured passengers were admitted to the HiTech Medical College and Hospital (HTMCH). Two of them are under intensive care. The rest were admitted to Rourkela Government Hospital and JP Hospital. The ill-fated vehicles in Chandiposh