Airlines can now operate at 70% of pre-Covid capacity Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that the Centre has raised the cap on the number of domestic flights Indian airlines can operate to 70 per cent of their pre-Covid levels. Currently, the limit is 60 per cent SAMBALPUR l thursday l november 12, 2020 l `7.00 l PAGES 16 l 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 Poll outcome shows development will be the only basis for politics in the 21st century, says PM; agrees women are BJP’s silent voters; puts WB govt on notice Approval of Covid policy, says Modi MA N I SH A N A N D @ New Delhi Stating that Bihar will march on the development path under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the NDA’s electoral victory across the country was an endorsement of the measures taken by the government to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. While the world paused in the face of the pandemic, India continued to take “historic decisions” to reform agriculture, education, land titles and others, Modi said. A day after the Bihar verdict, the BJP headquarters turned saffron, with party workers celebrating the victory. BJP chief J P Nadda set the tone of the celebrations, saying the verdict is an endorsement of the Covid-19 management under the PM’s leadership. “The battle that India waged against the Covid-19 pandemic has no parallel, as the principal priority has been to save the lives of the people. It was also ensured that while free ration was made available to the people, the immediate requirement of employment was also addressed,” Modi said. He was referring to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package in which 5 kg ration and `50,000 crore worth of works of various ministries were exe- cuted in a few states that were at the receiving end of the migrant exodus, including Bihar. Reflecting on the poll outcome, Modi said the verdict is another indication of the “new mood” in the country, adding, “people reward those who work for development with honesty and in the interests of the nation.” He also lavished praise on Nadda for leading the BJP to victory in the polls. Referring to the BJP’s silent voter base, the prime minister said women trust the party because of their priorities for “safety and respect”. “Women are the biggest silent voters. They have shown their might in Bihar, with a large turnBIHAR 2020 out,” he added. Without naming the Congress, Modi came down heavily against dynasties, saying one large national party’s leadership has just one family. “The future is full of possibilities, and the women and the youth see hope in the BJP. The poor and the downtrodden see their representations in the BJP,” he said. In a signal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the prime minister flagged the BJP’s allegations of the political killings in the state, saying that “the game of deaths should never be part of democracy”. After Bihar, the BJP will go full steam in Bengal for the next year’s Assembly polls. Nitish thanks modi for bihar victory express read India moving from tax terrorism to tax transparency: Modi Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday “saluted” people for giving majority to the NDA in Bihar and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support. “I salute people for the majority they have given to the NDA. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support,” Kumar tweeted in his first reaction after the ruling coalition won majority in Bihar Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the country is now moving from tax terrorism to tax transparency. Inaugurating the office-cum-residential complex of Cuttack bench of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) through videoconference, the Prime Minister said that the change has come due to the approach of reform, perform and transform | P3 TMC unease as owaisi to contest wb polls Kolkata: With Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen announcing its decision to contest the 2021 Assembly polls in West Bengal, the ruling TMC in the state on Wednesday called it a “communal force which acts as the B team of BJP”. Buoyed by the Bihar results, Owaisi had on Tuesday said AIMIM would contest in Bengal and UP Six of a family found dead Who are these silent voters? They are our mothers and sisters for whom the party is working relentlessly - Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes the victory sign at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. BJP National President JP Nadda is also seen | Parveen Negi Axe Chirag Paswan from central NDA: JD(U) R a j e s h K u m a r T h a k u r @ Patna A day after winning a fresh mandate to rule Bihar, NDA leaders on Wednesday started putting their heads together to form the new government led by Nitish Kumar, though his JD(U) will be the junior partner with 43 seats as against the BJP’s 74. While the BJP is understandably keen on government formation, the JD(U) doesn’t quite share the enthusiasm, amid indications the new ministry could be sworn in only after Diwali (Nov 14) or even after the Chhath festi- val (Nov 19-20). For, the JD(U) first wants the BJP to send a clear no-nonsense message by ejecting the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) from the central NDA before government formation, it is reliably learnt. It was the LJP that deliberately damaged the JD(U)’s chances across the state and hurt the BJP to a lesser extent in some seats, indirectly benefiting the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The LJP had dropped out of the state NDA barely weeks before polling. For the record though, JD(U)’s senior spokesperson Dr Ajay Alok denied setting terms on purging the central NDA of the LJP. He, however, said the new government is likely to be formed after Diwali. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the NDA will stick to its pre-poll announcement of Nitish Kumar staying as Chief Minister. The BJP expects a bigger share of power with proportional representation in the new ministry “A formal dis. cussion between JD(U) and BJP leaders has already been held,” a BJP leader said. Balangir: A honey collector and his five-member family were found dead in their house at Sanrapada village within Patnagarh police limits here on Wednesday. Their bodies bore injury marks on the heads and on the back. Suspecting foulplay, police have registered a case of murder and investigating into it. The tragic incident came to light after neighbours found the door locked from inside in the morning | P4 A SPACE MARKETING INITIATIVE  THURSDAY, BHUBANESWAR 12 11 2020 HUES OF GOLD DRIVE AWAY PANDEMIC BLUES Pandemic and high price notwithstanding, gold sales are picking up pace in the State Capital. And to push sales, jewellers are floating attractive offers PHOTOS: IRFANA DIANA SAHU T HE Covid-19 pandemic might have taken the sheen away from the festive market but gold sale is on the revival route. Despite the high price - a whopping 52,000 per 10 gram - people continue to buy the yellow metal considering it a safe investment amid the current crisis. Even as the market for Dhanteras - considered the most auspicious occasion to make jewellery purchases - is yet to pick up, sale of bridal jewellery has already started in the city Currently, the . price of 10 gm of 22 carat gold is `48,010 as compared to around `36,000 this time last year. For 24 carat gold, the price is `52,370 per 10 gram. Silver is selling at `65,400 per kg. With Dhanteras and Diwali approaching, almost all the jewellery outlets are offering exclusive deals to attract customers, be it discounts on making charges or gifts with every purchase of gold and diamond jewellery City-based jew. ellers said gold is still the most favoured purchase during the festive season because it has a value of auspiciousness attached to it. Besides, the rising price of gold amid the market crisis due to the pandemic has only reinforced the fact that the yellow metal is safe to invest in. Sridhar Epari, MD of Epari Sadashiv Pvt Ltd, said the trend for Dhanteras sales is not clear yet. However, sales are normal for wedding jewellery pieces, both The trend for Dhanteras sales is not clear yet. However, sales are normal for wedding jewellery pieces, both heavy and light weight. Despite the rise in gold prices, people continue to buy bridal jewellery because it is still an important part of wedding tradition Sridhar Epari, jeweller heavy and light weight. “Despite the rise in gold prices, people continue to buy bridal jewellery because it is still an important part of wedding tradition. Over the last few years, gold prices have been rising and people are adjusting to it”, he said. Sridhar added that with the marriage season approaching, jewellery sales have picked up and people are buying as per their budget. Jewellery that look heavy but are lighter in weight have been in demand for the last few years, he added. Jewellers said the current trend is to invest in functional and wearable jewellery rather than the traditional and heavy pieces. Sterling silver items and silver jewellery with gold coating are also gaining popularity Along with gold, Epari . Sadashiv, Khimji and Lalchand have launched a varied stock of oxidised, platinum finish silver jewellery and gold coated silver jewellery in various designs for daily and occasional wear for the Dhanteras and wedding markets. Many of the jewellery outlets have also floated several schemes this year for gold purchase. Local brands like Lalchand, Khimji and bigger groups like Tanishq and Kalyan have introduced flexible schemes through which one can buy gold ornaments in advance and payback in a staggered manner. The schemes can also be gifted. Banks, too, are offering various gold coin plans and sovereign gold bonds. While the coins are an excellent investment with gold prices being very high, gold bonds are government securities denominated in grams of gold and these are considered substitutes for holding physical gold. This edition includes 4-page Express Celebrations