HYDERABAD  WEDNESDAY  NOVEMBER 18, 2020  `7.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION AT BRICS MEET, MODI TARGETS PAK FOR SPONSORING TERROR The PM said terrorism is the biggest global challenge today and countries supporting it must be dealt with an iron fist ‘HOLD COUNTRIES FUNDING TERRORISM GUILTY’ Without naming Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We must tackle the problem in an organised way and have to ensure the countries that support and assist the terrorists are also held guilty.” The summit was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin and attended by Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and XI Jinping of China | P9 ■ Xi INDIA WILL EMERGE A FORCE MULTIPLIER: PM ■ In his address, Modi underlined the need for reforming the United Nations Security Council as well as multilateral bodies like World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund Pitching the Atmanirbhar programme, Modi said a self-reliant India would prove to be a force multiplier in a post-Covid world MODI SHARED STAGE WITH THE CHINESE PREZ FOR THE 2ND TIME IN A WEEK 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 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF THE POLL 74,04,017 The TSEC on Tuesday sounded the poll bugle for the GHMC voters in 150 GHMC divisions ELECTION EXPENDITURE expenditure is `5 lakh per candidate lead to disqualification to contest elections for three years  Every candidate should submit the final returns of election expenditure within 45 days from the date of declaration of results  Every circle will have one expenditure and one assistant expenditure observer  The ceiling for election 38,56,617 men 35,46,731 women 669 others (The figures may vary as election petitions that were received has to be disposed of)  Failure to do so will COVID GUIDELINES  Social distancing will be maintained as per Covid guidelines of the State government and the Ministry of Home Affairs  Every person should wear a face mask on the polling day  Sanitiser will be available at the entrance of every polling station  Large halls should be identified and utilised for election purposes to ensure social distancing SC pushes govt to frame norms on TV reportage OBSERVERS  There will be six general observers, one for every zone  30 expenditure observers, 30 assistant expenditure observers have been appointed for each circle TRS ex-officio members hold the key to deciding next Hyd Mayor R P R I D H V I R A J @ Hyderabad THE mercury level in the political barometer has shot up after the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday sounded the poll bugle for the battle for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Though the number of divisions up for grabs is 150, what one is overlooking is the fact that there will be 52 ex-officio voters (MLAs, MLCs and MPs), who play a key role at the time of electing the mayor. This means a political party or an alliance should have more than 102 votes as the electoral college would be 202 (150+52) voters. Political parties have been working overtime to get their math right. At the moment, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is in a sweet spot as it has 38 ex-officio members, which means that it could get its candidate elected as mayor if it wins just 64 divisions. As it is contesting the election in alliance with the All India Majlise-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), it becomes much easier for the combine to get their candidate through, even if both of them fall short of numbers. Juxtaposed to the TRS, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now bidding for power in the GHMC, has miles to go before it can sleep as it has only three ex-officio members. This means that it would have to win at least 99 seats and not a simple majority of the 150 divisions. On the other hand, the MIM has 10 ex-officio voters, while the Congress just one, and the same math applies to them too. After uprooting the TRS from Dubbaka, the BJP has grown taller. Its victory is working like a tonic for the saffron party and an impression is gaining ground that it is slated to make smart gains, though the party honchos feel a sense of deja vu. Party State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar said they will fly the saffron flag in Hyderabad, no matter what. “No one can stop us. We are winning,” he said. The BJP has reason to feel that it could make a go for power. This is because it vanquished Chief Minister KCR’s daughter K Kavitha in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Nizamabad. CONTINUED ON P4 RAGHURAM RAJAN Former RBI governor STIMULUS YET TO COME, SAYS RAJAN Chides Centre for skirting application of cable TV Act in affidavit on Tablighi case F ORMER RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan believes the larger portion of the Centre’s fiscal response to the Covid-19 pandemic was just relief and not stimulus. Speaking with TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla and author and political analyst Shankkar Aiyar at a session of Express Expressions, a series of webcasts with people who matter, Rajan said such relief measures are vital to protect the country’s economic engine but real demand stimulus would be needed down the line. “The time for stimulus will come, when the economy picks up more strongly Right . now, we are some distance away from that,” he said. Rajan noted India’s fiscal position when the pandemic started was bad, which limited the headroom for what the government can do. He said India must concentrate on preparing to stimulate the economy through infrastructure development. “I would say that we should be preparing now for that massive expansion in infrastructure spending that we will need to lift the economy as we get rid of the virus,” he Q&A ON: P12 said. employed by you. This affidavit has nothing on it.” The Centre’s affidavit deTHE Supreme Court on Tues- fended media reporting of the day gave the Centre a piece of Tablighi event, saying it was its mind for not filing a proper largely balanced and neutral, affidavit on the media report- adding “the media has made a age tying the Tablighi Jamaat clear distinction between the congregation in Delhi to organisers and attendees the Covid outbreak, of the Tablighi Jamaat and asked it to considevent and the larger er creating a regulaMuslim community tory mechanism for in general.” grievances against “First you did not fake news on TV . file a proper affidavit A bench headed by and then you filed an Chief Justice of India 743 orders affidavit which did to block S A Bobde faulted the not deal with the two i n f o r m a t i o n a n d fake news important questions. broadcasting minisThis way it cannot be The Centre’s try’s affidavit for not affidavit said it done Mr Mehta,” the dealing with the appli- had issued 743 bench said. cability of the Cable orders in April Emphasising that T V N e t wo rk A c t alone to block s e l f - r e g u l a t i o n (CTNA) in the case. fake news over through the NBSA When Solicitor Genwasn’t good enough, multiple eral Tushar Mehta, the bench wanted to platforms to appearing for the Cenknow if the Centre preserve tre, referred to the would create a legal communal News Broadcasters regulatory regime for harmony Standards Authority TV channels and slat(NBSA), a self-regulatory ed the next hearing after three mechanism set up by the sec- weeks. “We are not satisfied tor, the bench said: “Why with your reply We want to ... should we refer to NBSA when know what is the mechanism you have the authority to look to deal with these contents on into it? If it does not exist then television... Regulation canyou create an authority We not be left to organisations ... want to know the mechanism like NBSA,” the bench said. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi FILING OF NOMINATIONS TO START FROM TODAY According to the notification released by TSEC Commissioner C Parthasarathi, the filing of nominations will start from Wednesday between 11 am and 3 pm, and the RO will display the electoral rolls at their respective offices from Wednesday. The last date for filing nominations is November 20, and these will be scrutinised on November 21 GHMC poll on Dec 1, code of conduct in force S B A C H A N J E E T S I N G H @ Hyderabad VOTING for the 150 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) divisions will be held on December 1 and the results will be out on December 4, according to a notification released by the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) on Tuesday . The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into force with immediate effect. Also, the polling time has been extended by one hour in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, i.e., from 7 am to 6 pm as against the previous timings of 7 am to 5 pm. According to the notification released by TSEC Commissioner C Parthasarathi, the filing of nominations will start from Wednesday between 11 am and 3 pm, and the RO will display the electoral rolls at their respective offices from Wednesday The . last date for filing nominations is November 20, and these will be scrutinised on November 21. Candidates who wish to withdraw their nominations can do so before 3 pm on November 22, after which the final list of candidates will be published on the same day . Re-polling, if any, will be held on December 3, counting of votes will start from 8 am on December 4 and the results will be declared on the same day The election process would be com. CONTINUED ON P3 pleted by December 6. RBI puts LVB under moratorium, proposes merger with DBS India OPTION-1 TS opts for Centre’s GST borrowing plan S E S A S E N @ New Delhi THE Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday superseded the board of directors of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB), in consultation with the Centre, in view of the serious deterioration in the Chennai-based private bank’s financial position. T N Manoharan, former non-executive chairman of Canara Bank, has been appointed as the administrator. During the 30-day moratorium, the ailing bank cannot make any payment above `25,000 to depositors. However, one can withdraw more for the purposes of medical treatment, education, and marriages with RBI’s permission. Meanwhile, RBI chose a white knight for the cashstarved lender, by suggesting E NS ECO NOMIC BU REAU @ New Delhi AFTER days of deliberations, the Telangana government has decided to accept the Centre’s special borrowing window in order to make up the shortfall in revenue arising out of the fall in collections of compensation cess. “The Government of Telangana has communicated its acceptance for Option-1 out of the two options suggested by the Ministry of Finance to meet the shortfall in revenue arising out of GST implementation,” said a statement released by the ministry of Finance. Telangana will now get `2,380 crore through this special borrowing window and permission to raise an additional `5,017 crore through borrowings. The Centre had said that states that opted for this option will also get unconditional permission to borrow the final instalment of 0.5 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product out of the 2 per cent additional borrowing allowed by the Government of India under the Atmnirbhar Bharat package announced in May Telangana has . now joined 22 other States and three Union Territories (Delhi, J&K, and Puducherry) who have opted for Option-1. Under this special borrowing window coordinated by the finance ministry the Centre bor, rows from the RBI and then transfers it to the states as backto-back borrowing. So far, the Centre has already borrowed `18,000 crore on behalf of the states in three instalments and has passed it on to them. INTERVIEW RAISING THE BAR The Police Command Control Room, coming up near Telangana Bhavan in Banjara Hills, is one of the much-awaited facilities in Hyderabad. Spread across seven acres, its design is a class apart | VINAY MADAPU | P5 that LVB merge with DBS Bank India, the local unit of Singapore-based DBS Holdings. “DBIL has a healthy balance sheet with strong capital support. Although DBIL is well capitalised, it will bring in additional capital of `2,500 crore upfront, to support credit growth of the merg ed entity,” RBI said. The proposed merger will restore normalcy at the beleaguered bank, which is in desperate need of capital. LVB’s gross non-performing assets (NPA) stood at close to 25% at the end of the second quarter, while net NPA was at a high 7%. For the six-month period ending September, the lender’s net loss was at `594.42 crore against `256.17 crore it recorded in the year-ago period. LVB was in talks with Aion Capital-backed NBFC Clix Capital for a possible merger. A preliminary non-binding letter of intent was also signed between LVB and Clix Capital in June, months after LVB’s proposed deal with IndiaBulls Housing Finance was blocked by the banking regulator. ` Regulator’s observation In absence of any viable strategic plan, declining advances and mounting NPAs, losses are expected to continue. The bank has not been able to raise adequate capital to address issues around its negative net-worth and continuing losses WORRY OVER FOREIGN FUND DELUGE TO NGO-RUN HOMES S U M I S U K A N YA D U T TA @ New Delhi A random analysis of foreign contributions to over 600 shelter homes in the South has revealed that they received funding up to `6 lakh per child per year, much of which may not have been spent on kids at all. The analysis and a report based drafted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), has been sent to the Union Women and Child Development Ministry for further action. Most of the scrutinised shelter homes were in Tamil Nadu (274), Andhra Pradesh (145) and Kerala (107). Data accessed by this newspaper shows that Andhra Pradesh’s 145 shelter homes run by NGOs house 6,202 children. They cumulatively received over `409.5 crore as contributions from abroad in 2018-19 as per their own declaration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. “This works out to `6.6 lakh per child per year but obviously most of it is not being spent on children,” a senior NCPCR functionary said. “This is a serious issue that needs to be flagged and thoroughly investigated as social audit has revealed that inmates are struggling for even basic facilities in most shelter homes in AP and are vulnerable to abuse.” In Telangana, annual foreign funding received per child was `3.88 lakh while it was in MAKING SENSE OF THE CASH FLOW Foreign No of fund shelter received homes analysed in 2018-19 Andhra Pradesh 145 `409.52 cr Telangana 67 `144.98 cr Kerala 107 `85.39 cr Karnataka 45 `66.62 cr Tamil Nadu 274 `248.09 cr State the `2 lakh-plus range in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala (see table). “Regarding funding related matters a random analysis/exercise was carried out with some of the NGOs audited during social audit in southern India to understand the trend about foreign funding,” the re- Fund per child `6.6 lakh `3.88 lakh `2.01 lakh `2.14 lakh `2.14 lakh The fund gulf between NGO- and state-run homes is stark as the latter spend just `60,000 per annum per child, including recurring expenses port states. The per child annual spend in government-run shelters, including recurring expenses, is just `60,000, the report adds. The exercise came close on the heels of the commission flagging the unusually high number of children in shelter homes in eight states and di- recting that they be sent back to their “permanent homes”. Meanwhile, an audit of child care institutes (CCIs) in Telangana has found that at least 32 per cent of all the homes in the State are funded by international donors under the FCRA regulations, which is the fourth highest in the country . This roughly translates to 138 institutions receiving foreign funds. The other sources of funds were own sources, government funding and corporate donations, among others. However, despite such a major chunk of money coming from abroad, other parameters of the audit, conducted by the NCPCR, show that the homes still lag behind in terms of crucial pointers such as staff- ing and infrastructure. What’s shocking is that 40.1 per cent of CCIs, where orphan and semi-orphan children are placed for care and protection, are still not registered with the Telangana government under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act). This percentage of defaulters is higher than the national average, wherein only 28 per cent of homes were found to be unregistered. The audit was conducted from 2018-2020 in the aftermath of the Muzzafarpur orphanage rape cases. Of the 429 homes in TS that were audited, 172 have not been registered. CONTINUED ON P9