bhubaneswar l monday l november 02, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l JEYPORE EDITION GST mop-up surges to `2.31 l- cr in October on festive demand October is the second consecutive month when monthly gross GST crossed `2 lakh crore, and 2nd only to the record `2.43 lakh cr mop-up in April Collections from DOMESTIC SALES up 16% Performance across key economic hubs GST collections jumped 23 per cent year-on-year. Gross GST collections from domestic sales rose 16 per cent to over `1.59 lakh crore, and revenues from imports climbed 42 per cent to `72,246 crore. The `2.31 lakh crore collection includes Central GST mop-up of `42,935 crore, State GST of `51,340 crore and Integrated GST of over `1.37 lakh crore, data showed ■ ■ Manoj Mishra from Grant Thornton Bharat said October collections capture the festive demand cycle, which brings higher consumer spending, retail activity and movement of goods across sectors Performance across key states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, UP and MP points to continued strength in GST collections 6.5% YoY is the increase in gst refunds, which is `27,934 crore in October 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 Spl package for Arnab-affected; 50 kg rice, `2.5K for every family E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar INDIA bloc leaders led by Rahul Gandhi, TMC’s Mamata Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and others in New Delhi on Sunday | Sayantan ghosh CEC Gyanesh has to go: Oppn ‘Foolish drama’ on anniversary of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, says BJP INDIA bloc’s mega rally at Ramlila Maidan brings together all parties p r ee t h a na i r @ New Delhi IN a show of strength at Delhi’s historic Ramlila Maidan, a united Opposition on Sunday vowed to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and hold the Narendra Modi government accountable for alleged “vote theft”, as a massive crowd rallied behind the INDIA bloc’s call to defend democracy and the Constitution. The congregation saw a striking show of unity as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other alliance leaders rode together in an open canter from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction to Ramlila Maidan, where they addressed the gathering. Launching a diatribe against the government, Gandhi said removing Gyanesh Kumar would be the first step towards putting the country back on track, while asserting that “the CEC would face imprisonment for alleged ‘treason’ and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would face legal action.” Calling the 2024 Lok Sabha elections “illegal”, he alleged that the Election Commission removed 15 percent of voters from the rolls, while the voteshare gap between NDA and INDIA bloc in the last general election was three percentage points. “Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, understand this—after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you...,” he said. Invoking the Constitution, Gandhi said the gathering represented the voice of young people, farmers and workers determined to defend democracy . Addressing the gathering, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav raised the issue of alleged deletions from electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh and accused authorities of manipulating votes through SIR ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. “We, in the INDIA alliance, will not stop,” he said. Calling upon people across communities and political affiliations to unite against the BJP TMC , chief Banerjee said, “ We will fight this democratically We will fight with our lives.” ... Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby CPI general secretary D Raja , and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya were among the senior leaders present. R A J E SH K U M A R TH A K U R & Ha r p r ee t Baj w a @New Delhi/Chandigarh The INDIA bloc rally marching towards Ramlila Maidan | Sayantan ghosh Over 4K cops keep a watch Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, understand this—after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader The rally in central Delhi concluded peacefully on Sunday, police said. Over 4,000 police personnel were deployed, apart from drones, body-worn cameras, anti-riot vehicles and personnel from CAPF. The ruling BJP on Sunday sought to dismiss the INDIA bloc’s rally as a “foolish drama”, accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of hurting sentiments on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a gathering in Chandigarh months ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, trained his ire on Rahul, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and alleged the rally could only “rub salt in the wounds of the victims’”. “If you want to become PM, stay in mock parliament your entire life. Your turn won’t come. Telling lies, spreading anarchy, not letting Parliament function, this is your true nature,” he charged. Shah said when the Modi government came to power in 2014, riot cases were reopened and relief was given to the kin of victims. “India has never witnessed, nor will it ever witness, riots of this kind, incited by a political party he claimed. ,” In Haryana, BJP national president Nitin Nabin led a counter march to ‘Save democracy, eradicate anarchy’. Calling for Congress to apologise for the riots, he accused the party of blaming constitutional institutions after failing to secure a mandate. In Delhi, Union Minister JP Nadda told media the rally was a “foolish drama of the defeated”. He claimed traders had suffered losses of nearly `3,000 crore due to protests and alleged Sunday’s rally could result in additional losses exceeding `10,000 crore in the crucial festival period. After sexual harassment charge, DG Prisons Nath shifted to Home dept A s i s h M e h ta /A r a b i n d a Pan d a @ Bhubaneswar/Cuttack The Odisha government on Sunday removed senior IPS officer Susanta Nath as director general of prisons after a woman jailor accused him of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. The 1993-batch IPS officer, who was in the race for the post of DGP, has now been posted as officer on special duty (OSD) in the Home department. The action came a day after Santoshini Dash, former jailor of Choudwar Circle Jail, lodged a complaint against Nath and his friend Kuldeep Ratha. In her three-page complaint, Dash alleged that Nath had been targeting her ever since she lodged an FIR against the then superintendent of Choudwar Jail, Sujit Kumar Raula, for allegedly forging her signature and manipulating official records to derail the investigation into a high-profile prison break that occurred in October last year at the same prison. In her FIR lodged at Choud- Nath was among the three officers whose names were recommended by the state to UPSC for the panel for appointment as DGP. However, the state government later decided to withdraw his integrity certificate war police station, she alleged that even before the jailbreak, Nath had been making sexual advances through his friend. In July 2025, Nath allegedly asked her to facilitate Ratha’s visit to the jail. Ratha took her mobile phone number during the visit and later started sending her suggestive emojis, the complaint stated. Dash also alleged that Ratha tried to arrange private meetings between her and Nath at hotels in Cuttack on two occasions in August and September last year, which she declined. Subsequently, Nath allegedly targeted her by placing her under suspension, withholding her medical leave, stopping her salary and initiating five departmental pro- ceedings over the jailbreak incident, she said. The complaint stated that Nath contacted her again in September this year and asked her to meet him at his office. During the meeting, he allegedly told the jailor that the departmental proceedings had been initiated because she had refused to meet him and had lodged a complaint against Raula. “If you had come to meet me, you wouldn’t have faced all this,” the complaint quoted Nath as saying. During her suspension, the DG (Prisons) allegedly stopped her subsistence allowance, which she described as her constitutional right and a legal obligation of the department, the complaint stated. Choudwar police have registered a case against Nath and Ratha under sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) and launched an investigation. On October 2, 2025, during Durga Puja, two high-risk inmates escaped from Choudwar jail, following which Dash was transferred to Kantabanji subCONTINUED ON P5 jail. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced a comprehensive relief package for people affected by cyclone Arnab, extending assistance to farmers, families whose houses were damaged, livestock owners, fishermen, women self-help groups (SHGs), weavers, artisans and small businesses. Every affected family will receive 50 kg of rice and `2,500 as immediate assistance. Farmers who have suffered crop loss of 33 per cent or more will be eligible for input subsidies of `8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated land, `17,000 for irrigated land and `22,500 for perennial crops, subject to a maximum of two hectares. Announcing the package after reviewing relief, rehabilitation and damage assessment measures at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Majhi said the government is committed to extend assistance to all affected people. The chief minister said an eight-member inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) will CM Mohan Charan Majhi announcing special package for Arnab-affected people Assistance package Affected family: 50 kg rice and `2,500 Crop loss: Non-irrigated-`8,500; Irrigated-`17,000, Perennial-`22,500 House damage: Plains-`1.2 lakh; Hilly areas `1.3 lakh Partially damaged: `6,500-pucca house; `4,000-kutcha house Removal of sand/silt: `18,000 per ha Livestock loss: Milch cattle and buffaloes -`37,500 per animal SHGs, Weavers: `5,000 Fishermen: Aid for damaged boats, nets visit Odisha from November 2 to 4 to assess the damage caused by cyclone and the subsequent floods in the worst-hit districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal. Majhi said he is in constant touch with the Centre and has discussed the situation with Union Home 2 bodies recovered from landslide site, 10 missing E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Berhampur The bodies of two more persons were recovered from the landslide-hit Gidipabali village in Ganjam’s Bhanjanagar block on Sunday taking the total death toll due to cyclone Arnab-linked , incidents in the state to six. Twelve persons went missing following the devastating landslide on October 28. While two bodies have been recovered so far, the search for the remaining 10 is continuing amid formidable geographical and logistical challenges till reports last came in. There is no motorable road leading to the affected village, forcing rescue personnel to trek across steep and hilly terrain to reach the site. Lack of an approach road has also made it impossible to transport heavy machinery, including cranes and earthmovers, to the spot. Personnel from the Fire Services department, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Railways are engaged in the operation. Massive quantities of mud, sludge and huge boulders came crashing down the hillside, CONTINUED ON P5 burying the hilltop village. Litigants rush to SC for HC matters: CJI E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi CHIEF Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday flagged the new trend of litigants approaching the Supreme Court for urgent listing or early hearing of matters already pending before high courts. “This is a new dimension of litigation which is now flooding the SC,” he said at the inaugural function of the celebrations held to mark 70 years of the Kerala High Court. The CJI said the SC has consistently respected the high courts’ autonomy, including their authority to r e g u l a t e r o s t e r. “However, the frequency of such requests invites us to consider whether Chief Justice of India Surya Kant there is room to imspeaking in Kochi on Sunday | PTI prove the responsiveness of our processes,” he noted. “We must ask: Can urgent matters be identified more effectively? Can listing procedures be made more transparent and predictable? Can technology help prioritise cases where delay may cause irreversible prejudice? And can we ensure a litigant’s access to timely justice does not depend upon their ability to travel to the national capital?” he said. The CJI said constitutional justice in India does not begin and end in New Delhi as its strength lies in a robust network of 25 high courts in the country “Each entrusted with the . duty of protecting rights and upholding the rule of law,” he added. minister Amit Shah. With another cyclone, named Murasu, posing a possible threat, Majhi directed government teams deployed in affected areas to remain there and continue relief and monitoring operations. Under the ag riculture package, farmers will receive assistance for removal of sand and silt from farmland at `18,000 per hectare subject to minimum aid of `2,200. The government will distribute 1.75 lakh seed kits including 1.2 lakh pulse kits, 5,000 oilseed kits and 50,000 vegetable kits. For sugarcane farmers, Majhi said, special assistance will be provided at the rate of `27,500 per hectare for demonstration of space transplanting method as per farmers’ requirement or at the rate of `12,500 per hectare for crop management. CONTINUED ON P5 Cyclone Murasu to trigger very heavy rains in SOUTH Odisha The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, cyclone Murasu is expected to cross south Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclone between Nellore and Narasapur, close to Ongole on Tuesday. It will pack wind speeds reaching 100 kmph to 110 kmph and gusting up to 120 kmph. Under its influence, Gajapati, Ganjam, Malkangir, Koraput, Kandhamal and south Odisha districts are likely to experience heavy rainfall.  P2