HYDERABAD l Thursday l October 29, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION Cabinet approves 3% hike in DA/ DR for central govt employees The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a three per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) with effect from July 1 RepresentatiONAL image ‘diwali gift’ for 1.17 cr staff and pensioners `10,000 crore impact on exchequer The decision will benefit more than 1.17 crore Central government employees and pensioners. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described it as a “Diwali gift”. The hike amounts to “an increase of 3% over the existing rates of 60% of the basic pay/pension, to compensate against price rise,” an official release said | p7 ■ ■ The combined impact on the exchequer on account of the increase in both DA and DR would be `10,016.10 cr per annum, the release said The DA and DR for Central government employees and pensioners are revised twice a year, one with effect from January 1 and the other from July 1. The latest announcement pertains to July 1 increase 48.5 lakh Current employees and 68.7 lakh pensioners to benefit 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 Puri named for RS seat vacated by L Murugan R A JE S H K UM A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi The BJP on Wednesday named Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the November 12 by-election to one Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh. The decision to nominate Puri appears to signal the BJP’s intention to retain him in the Union cabinet. It offers a clear indication of his political future amid the recent controversies surrounding him. According to sources, the BJP’s central election committee approved Puri’s candidature after deliberating on various aspects. Puri, 74, is currently the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas. His term as Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh is Hardeep Puri s ch e d u l e d to end on November 25. The by-election in Madhya Pradesh was necessitated by former Union Minister L Murugan’s resignation. With the BJP in power in Madhya Pradesh, its candidate is expected to have a smooth passage in the by-election. Puri’s nomination comes after the Congress and several other Opposition par ties accused him of lying about his interactions with Jef frey Epstein and called for his resignation. DPDPdoes not Act does not curtail freedom of press, says IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, adds that the government is open to amending the law | P7 inside Centre trying to block delhi trip, alleges congress I P4 Officials fix boundaries inside KCR’s farm P K R I S H N A @ Siddipet Controversy over farmhouse extent Officials conducting a statewide land re-survey entered former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse in Erravalli on Wednesday and fixed the boundaries between the village and neighbouring Shivaru Venkatapur in Markook mandal of Siddipet district. The survey staff initially faced resistance from security personnel, who blocked their entry and argued with the officials. The issue was brought to KCR’s attention through the intervention of the Venkatapur sarpanch. KCR then instructed his security per- The extent of KCR’s farmhouse at Erravalli came under scrutiny after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy questioned the landholding, citing an estimated 700 acres. The govt is also trying to trace 45 acres of land recorded as government land in Survey No. 325 in Erravalli but reported missing. The survey is expected to establish land boundaries and ownership. sonnel to allow the officials to carry out the survey without obstructing their work. The staff then entered the farmhouse and conducted the survey while KCR , watched them at work and inspected the crops on his property . The boundary-fixing exercise has been under way for the past three days following a notification covering Erravalli and Shivaru Venkatapur villages. However, the survey to establish the exact extent of land owned by KCR and his relatives within the farmhouse premises is yet to begin. Sudarshan Rathod, Assistant Director of Survey and Land Records, said officials would survey individual landholdings and mark their boundaries after completing the demarcation of the two villages. The exercise would focus on identifying the extent of land held by each farmer, irrespective of their identity or status, he said. Officials also hope to establish the location of 45 acres of government land in survey number 325 in Erravalli, which was reported to be missing. SC grills EC over use of Poor Cong show Form 6 by deleted voters in 4 states with Advises panel to reach out to Delhi voters struck off, extend deadline S UC H I T R A K A LYA N MO H A N TY @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Election Commission of India (EC) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, questioning why deleted voters were asked to fill Form 6 which is meant for first-time voters. The court told the EC to devise a way to reach out to 47 lakh of 1.45 crore Delhi voters, whose names were deleted in the draft voter list during the ongoing SIR and suggested the deadline for the process be extended. The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices V Mohana and Joymalya Bagchi said Form 6 requires a declaration that the applicant had never enrolled anywhere before. If voters already on the rolls in 2026 filled the form it would amount to a false declaration, exposing them to prosecution, the court said. The petitioners submitted that of the 47 lakh deleted voters, 43 lakh were marked absent or permanently shifted, although many had not received enumeration forms. The SC said a person going out for work for a few months could not be treated as perma- ‘Logical discrepancy’ legality not yet decided The SC on Wednesday said it had yet to adjudicate the legality of the ‘logical discrepancy’ category used by the EC to scrutinise voters during the SIR of electoral rolls and it had only permitted its use in West Bengal as an interim arrangement nent change of residence. “It cannot delete names of migrant workers, street vendors, daily wagers on that ground,” the judges said. The court advised the EC not to fix a deadline and to accept enumeration forms from deleted voters instead of asking them to fill Forms 6, 7 and 8. Urging the EC to find a way to reduce the gap of 43 lakh deletions, the court suggested it publish a list of those voters, asking them to contact the EC. The EC said it would consider accepting late enumeration forms and will extend the October 30 deadline if needed. “Your job is to act with due diligence... A voter comes and says, please put in these papers. You say, put in Form 6. How does he file Form 6?... This is structural incongruity... if he has not filled an enumeration form and draft roll having been published, he has not shifted... will you say the person forever loses the right to come in roll?” Justice Bagchi asked. “The right to vote is vital and it cannot be forfeited even if a voter is absent,” the SC said, adding that if a person had only changed their address they should be allowed to use Form 8 instead. Asking the EC to devise an effective mechanism to reach out to deleted voters, the court fixed the matter for hearing after two weeks. The SC was hearing a plea against issues in the SIR in Delhi moved by Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri. The petitioners have questioned the ‘logical discrepancy’ category in the SIR and said making deleted voters fill Form 6 forces them to make a false declaration. just 1 MLC seat Of the eight seats in Bihar, the BJP won three while the JD(U), RJD-1, and Jan Suraaj THE Congress suffered a set- won one seat each. The reback in the biennial Legisla- maining two seats went to tive Council elections as the independents. party lost all but one seat. Notably Prashant Kishor, The BJP and its alled Jan Suraaj Party lies won 16 of the 28 made its debut in the seats that went to Bihar Legislative polls on October 23 Council with its canin Karnataka, Madidate Suresh Prasharashtra, Bihar ad Rai defeating sitand Uttar Pradesh. ting Congress MLC In Congress-ruled MLC polls Madan Mohan Jha Karnataka, the BJPin Darbhanga Teachled NDA swept all Indirect, ballot- ers’ constituency . four seats. The Ja- based elections In Uttar Pradesh, to elect nata Dal (Secular) where results have members of wrested the Benbeen declared for Legislative galuru Teachers’ nine of the 11 seats, constituency from Councils of six the BJP won six Congress, while the bicameral state seats while the Salegislatures— BJP retained the majwadi Party seUP, Bihar, other three seats. cured three. Results Maharashtra, Out of the five of two seats are Karnataka, MLC seats in Maawaited. harashtra, NCP-SP Telangana and The Cong ress’s AP are due won two seats, while dismal performance the BJP and Shiv drew a jibe from Sena won one seat each. The Prime Minister Narendra Congress claimed its candi- Modi. “MLC elections in 28 date, sitting MLC Abhijit seats across 4 big states. Wanjari, defeated the BJP’s Elections held using ballot Sudhakar Kohale in tightly papers. Guess how many contested Nagpur Gradu- seats Congress won?” Modi ates’ constituency . said in a post on X. E x pr e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bengaluru/Mumbai/Patna/Lucknow Now, pay over 90% less for some cancer medicines S in d u j a j an e @ Chennai The national drug price regulator on Wednesday revised the maximum retail prices of as many as 543 cancer drugs brands, slashing some of them by more than 90%. Quite a few of the generic and biosimilar brands have drastically become cheaper while expensive cancer medicines like blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda by MSD Pharma, remain unchanged, as per the list released by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The price of Palbociclib, used to treat certain breast cancers, has been reduced to `2,270 from `40,421 for one brand and pack size. The cost of chemotherapy drug Thiotepa manufactured by Samarth Life Sciences Pvt Ltd has been reduced from `80,072 to `7,150 for a 100 mg vial. Dasatinib, Lenvatinib, Abiraterone and Olaparib, used in the treatment of different cancers, also have been reduced. However, the cost of Ribociclib used to treat breast cancer, remains unchanged at `24,435. The cost of other originator brands, including Tagrisso, Tecentriq, Darzalex and Imfinzi, too, remain unchanged. The new prices will take effect on November 9, following the NPPA’s decision to cap trade margins at 30% of MRP for 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs.  CONTINUED ON P5 Strength & Company Name Drug Name Dosage Form Brand Name Samarth Life 100 MG Sciences Pvt Thiotepa SAMTEPA Injection Ltd Revised Pack Size Old MRP MRP (in `) (in `) 1 vial 80,071.86 RPG LIFE 50 MG Fulbreca 5 ml vial 26,072.16 SCIENCES LTD Fulvestrant Injection RPG LIFE 60 MG Debrumab 1 ml PFS 22,031.25 SCIENCES LTD Denosumab Injection 60 mg Abbott Healthcare Bevacizumab 100 mg/4 ml BEVACIZAB 4 ml vial 21,767.70 Injection Pvt. Ltd. HETERO 50 MG HEALTHCARE Fludarabine vial 14,235.00 Injection FLUDANOX LTD 7,150.33 5,491.00 5,941.00 5,930.13 2,432.00 Ranjan, Mittal transferred in IAS reshuffle E N S @ Hyderabad Senior IAS officers Jayesh Ranjan and Navin Mittal were transferred in a bureaucratic reshuffle ordered by the state government on Wednesday. Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for Metropolitan Area and Urban Development (HMDA limits), has been posted as Special Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests, Science and Technology department, and given full additional charge as Director General of EPTRI. Ranjan, who has about 11 months of service left, was reportedly planning to seek voluntary retirement. Mittal, who was heading the Energy department as Special Chief Secretary has been post, ed as Special Chief Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, and Rural Sanitation-related departments. The move comes after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed displeasure over the functioning of the Energy Department and warned of action against officials. Vikas Raj, Special Chief Secretary, Transport, Roads and Buildings, has been posted to the Energy Department. The government also reappointed M Dana Kishore as Special Chief Secretary to the Governor after his superannuation on October 31, 2026.  P4: list of transfers Govt to lead all-party delegation to press Delhi for drought aid E x pr e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Fire and rescue personnel remove trees uprooted by cyclonic winds in Anaparthi in East Godavari district on Wednesday | Express arnab fury leaves 7 dead S G u r u S rikan t h / Usha P e ri @ Vijayawada/ Visakhapatnam Seven people lost their lives across the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh in rain-related incidents triggered by the landfall of very severe cyclone Arnab in the early hours of Wednesday . The storm unleashed intense gale-force winds and torrential downpours across 14 districts, destroying an estimated 2.2 lakh hectares of agricultural and horticultural crops. Normal public life and economic activity were severely disrupted across the coastal districts of Kakinada, Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema, East Go- Newborns named ‘Arnab’ In Odisha, 931 babies were born during the cyclone. Some parents chose to name their newborn boys Arnab, while girls were named Barsha davari, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam, alongside the tribal belts of Parvathipuram Manyam and Alluri Sitarama Raju. The cyclone completed its sixhour landfall process near Nar- sapur from 2 am-8 am, packing wind speeds of 115 to 135 kmph with peak gusts reaching 150 kmph. The system made landfall about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam, and 60 km southwest of Kakinada. Although the storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm after moving inland, the India Meteorological Department warned that severe weather risks persist. The toll included three electrocution fatalities in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle districts. In West Godavari, a 45-year-old was killed when a tree crashed onto him, and another died after an electric pole fell on him. Seeking the cooperation of all political parties to tackle the El Nino-induced drought, the state government on Wednesday said it would lead an allparty delegation to Delhi to seek financial assistance from the Centre. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, addressing an all-party meeting convened to discuss the drought conditions, said the state government would consider all suggestions from the Opposition. Vikramarka confirmed that the state government has already submitted a report to the Centre on the prevailing situation and was preparing an action plan based on the availability of water in reservoirs. Steps were being taken to ensure adequate drinking water supply he added. , Appealing to political parties to work together without politicising the crisis, Vikramarka recalled how parties had coop- erated during the Covid-19 pandemic and called for a similar approach to tackle the drought. Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government would adopt a constructive approach to address the situation and protect farmers’ interests. However, BRS leaders B Vinod Kumar, L Ramana and Singireddy Niranjan Reddy criticised the gover nment for convening the meeting without Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s participation. They recalled that the government had reported crop damage across 24.30 lakh acres but had not clarified the relief measures proposed or explained why a crop holiday had been declared for the Rabi season. The BRS leaders demanded compensation of `50,000 per acre from the Union and state governments. They also questioned the utilisation of disaster funds and said that the drought was the result of the government’s failure rather than El Nino.  continued on p4