2 lakh tractors to roll into delhi Farmers stage a tractor rally to protest against the new farm laws in Jabalpur, Monday. Farmers’ unions have called for a ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ on Republic Day today to protest against the farm laws. At least two lakh tractors are expected to take part in the parade. Thousands are already at Delhi three borders | PTI | P7 vijayawada l TUESday l january 26, 2021 l `7.00 l PAGES 12 l late 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 SC rejects AP’s plea to stay PR polls Says ego battle between SEC & govt leading to lawlessness; State seeks Centre’s advice E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Andhra Pradesh Election Commissioner’s decision to hold panchayat polls during the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive as it dismissed the State government’s appeal challenging the poll notification. A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, observed that the appeal illustrated an ego battle between the two authorities, and that the court cannot be a part of it. “We cannot take over jobs of everyone. There are some political and administrative decisions. Some decisions are also taken by the Election Commission. This makes me feel this is not an issue, it is something else,” Justice Kaul observed. The bench pulled up government employees’ unions for passing resolutions against the commissioner and remarked, “Your behaviour is atrocious and undesirable.” “Ego problem between two authorities is leading to lawlessness. We cannot allow lawlessness. How can resolutions be passed against N Ramesh Kumar (State Election Commissioner)?” the bench asked. The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government had approached the top court to put on hold the panchayat polls amid the ongoing vaccination drive in the State. S e n i o r a dvo c at e Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the State, challenged the division bench order of the AP High Court that allowed elections to be held. He informed the court that about 5 lakh people are to get vaccinated, including police personnel. The bench, however, did not approve the State’s conduct, saying that it approached the court whenever an election was proP4 posed.  Polls, vaccination pose logistics nightmare: CS tells health secy E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The State government on Monday put the ball in the Centre’s court, asking it for advice on how to conduct the Covid vaccination drive and panchayat elections simultaneously. Hours after the Supreme Court refused to entertain government petition against State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar’s decision to hold panchayat elections next month, Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das sent a letter to Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary explaining the State’s predicament. Drawing the Health Secretary’s attention to the poll process underway the Chief Secre, tary said around 5 lakh staff will be deployed on poll duty and they include personnel from police, panchayat raj, revenue and education departments. “The same frontline workers will be deployed to multiple locations at different polling stations... the issue is more acute in case of police who are only 73,188 but have to be deployed to 1,35,000 polling stations. Each police personnel will have to be deployed to 3 polling stations on an average on rotation by moving them from one location to another,” he explained. Simultaneously, all the polling staff are deployed away from their place of work and residence as per the Election P4 Commission guidelines.  Minor face-off yet again on LAC, this time in Naku La in the same spot at Naku La; the first one happened on Hours after India and Chi- May 9. na concluded talks on resolvMonday’s meeting of Corps ing the months-long stand-off Commanders of both sides along the Line of Actual Con- went on till 2.30 am on Tuestrol, reports of another face- day A joint statement issued . off on January 20 later stated, “The between troops two sides agreed on both sides to push for an Galwan warrior emerged, this early disengageCol Babu gets time in north Sik- Maha Vir Chakra ment of the frontkim area. line troops. They “There was a The soldiers who fought also agreed to folagainst PLA troops in minor face-off at low the imporGalwan have been Nakula area of tant consensus of North Sikkim on conferred with awards. their state leadJanuary 20. It Col Bikumalla Santosh ers, maintain the Babu (16 BIHAR) who was resolved by good momentum led the offensive and local commandof dialogue and laid down his life, has ers as per estabn e g o t i at i o n . . . . been awarded the lished protocol,” The two sides Maha Vir Chakra an army officer agreed to continsaid, which indiue their effective cates the entire efforts in ensurborder with China continues ing the restraint of the frontto be hot. However, the ruling line troops, stabilize and conChinese party’s mouthpiece trol the situation along the Global Times called it fake LAC in the Western Sector of news. This was the second the China-India border, and face-off in over eight months jointly maintain peace.” M AYA N K SI N G H @ New Delhi Padma for Abe, SPB, Paswan and three from State E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Former Union minister late Ram Vilas Paswan, two ex-CMs — late Tarun Gogoi of Assam and late Keshubhai Patel of Gujarat — Islamic scholar Kalbe Sadiq and PM Narendra Modi’s former principal secretary Nripendra Mishra will be awarded Padma Bhushan, the government said Monday . F o r m e r speaker Sumitra Mahajan, singer K S Chithra will also receive Padma Bhushan. Ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe will be among the seven recipients of Padma Vibhushan along with famous singer S P Balasubramaniam (posthumous). From AP, Carnatic Violin Vidwan Annavarapu Ramaswamy and Nidumolu Sumathi (art) and writer Asavadi Prakasa Rao will get the Padma Shri.