EC REMOVES KAMAL NATH FROM STAR CAMPAIGNERS’ LIST New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday removed Congress leader Kamal Nath from star campaigners’ list over repeat violation of the model code of conduct. It referred to his recent remarks, calling BJP leader Imarti Devi an “item”, and his use of adjectives like “mafia” against Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan WARANGAL  SATURDAY  OCTOBER 31, 2020  `7.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Untreated waste killing 416 lakes in Telangana V N I L E S H @ Hyderabad THE Telangana government has identified 416 lakes as polluted and found that the major cause of their pollution is untreated sewage, municipal waste, including plastic, and construction waste being discharged into these. Also, the State generates 2,453 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage but has the ca- Actor Vijay Deverakonda, the promoter of Hyderabad-based startup Watts and Volts Mobility, speaks at the Telangana EV Summit as IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao looks on, in Hyderabad on Friday TS EV policy powers up premium investments State govt signs MoUs with three companies to manufacture electric vehicles with a proposed investment of `2,450 crore V V B A L A K R I S H N A @ Hyderabad A day after the Telangana government unveiled its electric vehicles (EV) policy, officials signed MoUs with three companies on Friday to manufacture the eco-friendly machines with a proposed investment of `2,450 crore. Two more companies gave letters of intent to invest `750 crore for manufacturing EVs, in the presence of IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao at the Telangana EV Summit held in Hyderabad on the day The companies would be . located in the two EV clusters which the State government will develop. Rama Rao, along with Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, launched the Telangana EV Policy 2020-30 at the summit. Forest and Environment Minister A Indrakaran Reddy was also present on the occasion. 2 industrial clusters At the summit, Rama Rao announced that the Telangana government will develop two exclusive industrial clusters at Chandanvelli-Sitarampur in Shabad town of Rangared- dy district and Divitipalli in Mahbubnagar district, where electric vehicles and batteries will be manufactured. The State government will also develop a mobility cluster, which will be announced next month, he said. The IT and Industries Minister invited the industry leaders to make Hyderabad their manufacturing base for EVs. He highlighted the 3D mantra of ‘Decarbonisation, Digitisation and Decentralisation’ for sustainable development. He also said that the State government will set up 178 charging stations across Telangana. CONTINUED ON P4 Under pressure to marry, youth stabs girl 11 times EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Khammam IN a cold-blooded incident, a youth stabbed a 17-year-old girl 11 times, threw her into the bushes and left her to die at Satyanarayanapuram in Yellandu of Kothagudem district on Thursday midnight. After throwing her, even as she writhed in pain and bled profusely, the accused surrendered. The police rushed to the spot and took the girl to the Yellandu Hospital, from where she was shifted to the Khammam district hospital as her condition worsened. She is now being treated and continues to be in a critical condition, the police said. According to the Yellandu Inspector of Police, Jakkula Sandeep, a carpenter, had fallen in love with the girl, a resident of Yellandulapadu in Yellandu CONTINUED ON P5 town. pacity to treat only 858 MLD at its sewage treatment plants (STPs). The government has provided this data to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which had sought a nationwide report on the same. The Board would submit the report to the National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench), which is hearing a case on the identification, protection and restoration of water bodies across the country. The case was filed by Lt. Col. Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi regarding water bodies in Haryana but the NGT has extended it to the entire country and sought 2,453 MLD sewage generated in TS but State has the capacity to treat 858 MLD State-wise details from CPCB. According to the report, the State government has taken up restoration works in 279 of the 416 polluted lakes under Mission Kakatiya. Also, the construction of 98 STPs, with a total capacity of 1,629.4 MLD, has been envisaged to bridge the gap of 1,595 MLD between the sewage generated and treated. This would require `6,994 crore. CONTINUED ON P4 INSIDE WINDFALL $1.2 BN RELIEF TO DEVAS IN ANTRIX DEAL I P5 Cong sets process in motion to bring back Rahul as party chief EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi WITH chorus growing for former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to come back, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will soon call a session to elect a new chief. All state units have been asked to send details of members who are eligible to vote. “This is to inform you that AICC intends to convene its meeting as soon as possible, and you will be intimated as soon as dates and venue are finalised,” said a note sent to state units by Congress’ Central Election Authority headed by Madhusudan Mistry . According to party sources, the session will be held by the end of the year or early next year. It would be a day-long affair, they added. “Rahul is most likely to take over the reins of the party and his coming back has been planned ahead of the Assembly election in five states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, next year. He is already part of all key decisions made by the party and it will be just an official comeback for him,” said a leader. ORGANISATIONAL REVAMP There is, however, no clarity on if and when elections to the Congress Working Committee, the party’s powerful decision-making body, would be held In August, Congress’ interim president Sonia Gandhi had said a new president would be elected by February 2021. The move came after 23 senior party veterans including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Shar ma, Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor wrote to her seeking organisational elections and a new leader. While the letter questioned Rahul Gandhi’s style of functioning, other leaders such as Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel, several state Congress chiefs and all Lok Sabha MPs beloning to the party had beseeched Rahul to take over the reins if Sonia wants to step down.