visakhapatnam l thursday l december 31, 2020 l `7.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Cabinet approves export of Akash missile system The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared export of the indigenously-developed surface-to-air missile system Global competence for Indian products Forces to spend $130 bn in next 5 yrs Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the export version of Akash missiles would be different from the system currently deployed with Indian armed forces. The Akash missile systems have 96% indigenous components. “This decision will help the country improve its defence products and make them globally competitive,” the defence minister said ■ ■ ■ Govt plans to focus on selling high-value defence platforms to achieve a target of $5 billion in arms exports Forces to spend $130 bn in capital procurement in the next 5 yrs The government has set a target of `1.75 lakh crore ($25 billion) turnover in defence manufacturing by 2025 25 km Akash missile systems can hit targets within this range 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 Oxford vaccine gets UK nod, India seeks more data S u m i S u k a n ya D u t ta @ New Delhi Hours after the UK approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine for human use on Wednesday, India’s drug regulator met on Wednesday to review the applications by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. However, the meeting remained inconclusive as the Drugs Controller General of India’s Subject Expert Committee was not satisfied with the appli- cations of either of the companies. The next meeting will be held on January 1. “SII has been asked to submit more data from AstraZeneca trial globally while Bharat Bio, tech will have to submit the interim analysis of phase 3 trial,” said a source. Serum Institute is conducting a bridging phase-three clinical trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield on 1,700 volunteers in India. Bharat Bio- tech, whose homegrown Covaxin has been developed in collaboration with the ICMR, is being tested on 26,000 people in late-stage trial. Covishield has been found to be 70% effective in multi-country phase-3 trials, while a recent scientific paper published on Covaxin’s phase-1 and phase-2 trials said it could lead to generation of antibodies lasting up to 6-12 months. Pfizer, the first company to apply for its Covid-19 vaccine in India, has sought for more time to submit data for its vaccine’s consideration. The UK’s drug regulator, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the second dose of the vaccine will be given 12 weeks later as a longer interval between two doses could produce better results. Meanwhile, Chinese vaccine maker Sinopharm has claimed to have 79% efficacy rate. India’s daily number of Covid-19 cases jumped 6.88% to touch 20,021 on Wednesday . Centre extends flight ban from Britain till january 7 E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi With the number of Indians testing positive for the Covid-19 strain from the UK jumping to 20, the Centre on Wednesday decided to extend the suspension of flights from the island nation till January 7. The Union health ministry also asked states to be vigilant about potential “super spread- er” events such as New Year celebrations. The developments follow the identification of the B117 variant, reported to be highly infectious, in the country . A total of 107 samples from infected persons have been subjected to whole genome sequencing at six designated laboratories in different parts of the country so far. Krishnapatnam Node gets Central nod S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and MoS for Commerce Som Prakash have food served by farmers during a snack break at a meeting over new farm laws, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday | PTI Two easy ticks, but farm laws and MSP stay sticky Deal done over power tariff and stiff penalties for stubble burning; seventh round of talks on January 4; unions again defer tractor rally E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e While the government tried to paint the sixth round of talks as positive with Tomar claimThe sixth round of talks be- ing the meeting ended on a tween the Centre and agitating good note, the farmers said the farm unions on Wednesday ap- agreement on two smaller ispeared to have produced a par- sues can’t be termed a breaktial breakthrough as both sides through as they are firm on agreed on two points — air pol- their main demands of repeal lution law and the electricity of the laws and MSP . amendment bill — but there Tomar said the government was no meeting ground on the had agreed to “decriminalise” more contentious issues of the the Commission for the Air repeal of the farm laws and le- Quality Management in Nagal guarantee for MSP . tional Capital Region and AdThe improving joining Areas OrdiAssocham chemistry was also exnance, 2020, while the writes to emplified by the fact electricity amendment Punjab CM bill has been put on that Union ministers Narendra Tomar, Piyhold. Assocham on ush Goyal and Som “The first issue was Wednesday Prakash accepted the wrote to Punjab an ordinance related ‘langar’ food offered by to the environment. CM Captain the farmers while the Amarinder Singh, Unions were appreprotesters for the first hensive about farmers expressing time accepted the tea being included. Farmconcern over served by the govern- damage to over ers also feel if reform ment. Union leaders is introduced in the 1,600 mobile had earlier refused to Electricity Act, they towers during eat food served by the farmers’ protest will suffer losses,” gover nment during Tomar said. the previous round of talks. Noting that the government After the five-hour marathon has softened its stance, All Intalks on Wednesday, Union ag- dia Kisan Sabha general secrericulture minister Tomar said tary Hannan Mollah, who atthe next round of talks would tended the talks, said, “I don’t be held on January 4. call it a breakthrough or victoSensing a slightly accommo- ry but some advancement from dative government and also in the deadlock.” view of the agreement on two Bharatiya Kisan Union (Raof their demands, the farmers jewal) president Balbir Singh decided to put off the tractor Rajewal said, “The government rally they had planned for is still adamant on the repeal of Thursday along the Kundli- the farm laws and MSP We are . Manesar-Palwal Expressway hopeful the government will P7 just outside Delhi. agree on them also.”  @ New Delhi/Chandigarh Blow to BJP in Haryana local body poll A year after the NDA comprising the BJP and the Jannayak Janata Party came into power in Haryana, it suffered a setback in the civic body elections, as it lost mayoral/presidential positions in five of the seven municipal bodies that went to polls, the results of which were announced on Wednesday . Coming as it did in the backdrop of the month-long agitation by far mers, analysts sought to read in the outcome the disquiet of the tillers, who constitute a large chunk of the voters. While Nikhil Madaan of the Congress wrested the Sonipat municipal corporation mayor post, Shakti Rani Sharma of the Haryana Jan Chetna Party is the new mayor of Ambala municipal corporation. Sharma is wife of former union minister Vinod Sharma. Independents did remarkably well, wresting presidentships of Uklana, Dharuhera, and Sampla municipal committees. The BJP, however, managed to win the Panchkula mayoral poll and the Rewari Municipal Council’s presidentship. HC dismisses petition against Jagan E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking orders for removal of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as Chief Minister for visiting Tirumala temple without signing a declaration form affir ming his faith in Lord Venkateswara. The High Court said that the rule that non-Hindus should give a declaration a f f i r m i n g f a i t h i n L o rd Venkateswara was not applicable to Jagan Mohan Reddy as he offered Pattu Vastrams (traditional silk robes) to the presiding deity during Brahmotsavams in the capacity of Chief Minister of the State. Dealing with a petition filed by A Sudhakar Babu, a farmer from Guntur district, seeking the court directions to disqualify Jagan Mohan Reddy for not signing the declaration, Justice B Devanand said that the rule of giving declaration is applica- Polavaram Project 17,000 April, 2021 Project Displaced Families (for +41.15 m contour) Target to complete R&R colonies and move PDFs H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh Tirumala visit @ Vijayawada With the Centre approving the proposal and making budgetary allocation for the development of Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (Node) in Nellore district under the ChennaiBengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) at an estimated cost of `2,139.44 crore, the State government is hopeful of rapid industrialisation of the region in the near future. Stating that an industrial estate will be developed at Krishnapatnam with Central funds, Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy felt that it will immensely ble only to non-Hindus who want to have darshan of the Lord. The Judge said the petitioner could not submit any evidence to prove that Jagan Mohan Reddy is a Christian. By offering prayers at a church, reading the Bible or attending gospel meetings, one cannot be considered as a person belonging to Christianity. Jagan Mohan Reddy offered prayers at a Gurudwara in Vijayawada and by this it cannot be said that he is a Sikh, the Judge said.  P4 The PPA CEO said completion of civil works with pending R&R would create a havoc of submergence. The Water Resources Department has been asked to monitor it to avoid delays. We will deploy more officials to complete the works A senior official benefit the State in the future. The Centre and the State government will have equal share in the 2,000 acre project. Speaking to TNIE, Goutham Reddy said that more than 12,000 acres of land is available at Krishnapatnam Node under the CBIC. Even after the development of industrial area in 2,000 acres with the Central funds, the State government will still have 10,000 acres abut- ting it. “We will have all advantages to promote rapid industrialisation in the region. The government is also planning to develop another industrial area in Visakhapatnam - Chennai Industrial Corridor,” he said. Asserting that the Krishnapatnam Node development will commence soon with the Centre’s approval, he opined that the greenfield industrial cities It’s a `2,139.44 crore project The Cabinet approved the development of Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in AP with `2,139.44 crore, Tumkur Industrial Area in Karnataka with `1,701.81 crore, Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) and Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Greater Noida with `3,883.8 crore will be self-sustained with world-class infrastructure, road and rail connectivity for freight movement to and from ports and logistic hubs along with reliable power and quality social infrastructure. Krishnapatnam Node is expected to g enerate employment to around 98,000 people on completion of the first phase. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposals of Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for construction of various trunk infrastructure components. Complete LARR on priority basis to avoid submergence: PPA to State J aya n t h P @ Vijayawada Pointing out that any delay in completion of rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) of the project displaced families (PDFs) of Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) will cause a havoc of submergence, the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) has asked the State Water Resources Department to prioritise land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (LARR) as a huge task of rehabilitating about 17,000 families has to be completed within a short span of time. The PPA also asked the department to plan the civil works as per the progress of LARR, inferring that the project works should be postponed, if need be, to avoid submergence. PPA Chief Executive Officer J Chandrashekhar Iyer held a meeting in Vijayawada on Wednesday to take stock of the progress of the LARR components for +41.15 metres contour. After deliberating on the pending R&R works, it is learnt that the CEO has asked the Water Resources Department to ensure speedy progress of the works. Even though civil works are progressing as per the schedule, barring a few breaks due to floods and other unforeseen issues, the R&R works have not taken off as desired. In fact, the PPA called for a meeting on Wednesday as the revenue (LARR) officials had not submitted the plan of action as sought by the CEO during his visit to the Polavaram P3 project site last week.  parting shot AP HC judge takes potshots at SC Collegium E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada a home for all CM Jagan Mohan Reddy distributes house site pattas to the poor in Vizianagaram on Wednesday | Express express read Income tax return filing deadline extended to Jan 10 New Delhi: The government on Wednesday extended the deadline to file income tax return for individuals by 10 days to Jan 10, 2021. This is the third time the government has extended the deadline — first from the normal deadline of July 31 to November 30, 2020, and then to December 31, 2020 | P10 IndiGo direct flights to Mumbai from January 12 Vijayawada: IndiGo Airlines will operate direct flights to Mumbai from January 12. The flights will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flight 6E 6854 will leave Mumbai at 10:55 am and arrive at Vijayawada at 12:45 pm. In return direction, Flight 6E 6856 will leave city at 1:30 pm. Assam Assembly OKs bill to abolish govt-run madrasas Guwahati: The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill to convert all state-run madrasas into regular schools amidst a walkout by Opposition parties. The Congress and the All India United Democratic Front had demanded that the bill to be sent to the Assembly’s Select Committee for vetting. However, Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami rejected it and got the bill passed through voice vote. Justice Rakesh Kumar, senior judge of the High Court, on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation to transfer Chief Justice JK Maheswari to Sikkim, observing that “transfer of High Court Judges or its Chief Justices may reflect some transparency and for betterment or up- State govt liftment of the admin- to move istration of justice. Af- Apex Court ter all, they are also holding Constitutional Stating that post like member of Justice Kumar’s Hon’ble Supreme Court comments lower the dignity of Collegium.” Justice Kumar, who judiciary, AAG is due to retire shortly Sudhakar Reddy , penned a strongly- said govt has worded judgement dis- decided to move missing a petition filed Supreme Court by the gover nment against his seeking his recusal in a irrelevant case pertaining to the remarks. auction of government lands as part of Mission Build AP . While rejecting the recusal plea, Justice Kumar directed that contempt proceedings be initiated against Pravin Kumar, Special Officer, Mission Build AP for , filing “untenable and malicious” petition and ordered that a criminal complaint be P4 filed against him for perjury  .