tirupati l friday l january 29, 2021 l `7.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION CJI ticks off centre for not curbing hatred on tv The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the Centre for not checking TV programmes which instigate or impact a community Reports can’t be used to incite violence Control over certain news is essential for the maintenance of law and order, said a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde. It noted problem arises when reportage is used to incite violence. “Yesterday, you (govt) shut down internet and mobile because of farmers’ visit to Delhi. I don’t know what happened in the TV yesterday,” the court added SC Can’t control live tv shows, says govt ■ Such preventive measures are as important as providing ‘lathis’ to policemen, the bench observed ■ The SC made the comments while hearing a plea on media’s alleged biased reporting in the Tablighi Jamaat case ■ Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said govt can’t control live shows SAID GOVT CAN USE Cable TV Networks Act 1994 To control TV BROADCAST 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 Centre starts dealing with agitators with iron hand Oppn to boycott Prez’s House address today G ayat h r i M a n i / S i d d h a n ta M i s h r a / H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ New Delhi Proceeding swiftly in the Republic Day violence case, the Delhi Police on Thursday issued 44 look-out circulars (LOC) against three dozen farm union leaders. They have been asked to join the probe by January 31 and directed to bring their passports along. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government started to clear the Ghazipur agitation site. LoCs are used by immigration officials to prevent accused persons from leaving the country. The process of seizure of passports has been initiated by the home ministry and is a ma- jor decision, officials said, explaining that all people who have been named by Delhi Police in the FIRs will not be carrying Indian passports till the matter is pending. Officials said the decision was taken on Thursday morning by Union Home Minister Amit Shah who has been holding a series of meeting with top officials of the Home Ministry and Delhi police since Tuesday when the large scale violence took place in the national capital during the farmers tractor rally. Shah has been continuously monitoring the situation in Delhi, a home ministry official said, adding that the minister is expected to chair a second meeting on Thursday night to review the law and order situation in the capital. Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Thursday said that two brass finials on top of the minar were found missing after chaos ensued in the Red Fort complex but were later found in a damaged state. The case was transferred to Delhi police’s special cell to investigate “international angle” in the ensuing violence at Red Fort. Police has meanwhile invoked a criminal case under provisions of Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act (UAPA) and Sedition charges in the violence took place at Red Fort. Besides the LOCs, Delhi Police has issued notice to 20 other farmer unions leaders in- @ New Delhi Security personnel conducting a flag march at Ghazipur on the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border during the ongoing farmers’ protest the Centre on Thursday | PTI FIRs against tharoor, sardesai, vinod jose Noida Police have registered an FIR against 8 people including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pandey and Zafar Agha for allegedly stoking violence on Republic Day through social media by claiming that police bullets felled a tractor driver cluding Yo g endra Yadav, Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal Surjeet Singh Phool, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and others in connection with the violence that took place on Republic Day in the national capital. According to a senior police officer, notice has been issued to all the farmer union leaders who attended the meeting with the Delhi Police, agreed to all the 36 conditions and signed the undertaking to conduct the p7 rally on Republic Day  . this village opts Govt sends names of 3 officers for unanimous for secy post, SEC wants another poll every time E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada A view of Bairipuram village in Kaviti mandal of Srikakulam district | Express G R a m es h B a b u @ Srikakulam At a time when unanimous election to panchayats has become a hot topic, Bairipuram in Kaviti mandal stands as an example for the unity of people in electing their sarpanch and ward members unanimously every time. The panchayat has never gone to poll since the introduction of the Panchayat Raj system as election is always unanimous. Bairipuram with more than 1,300 electorate has set an example to other villages in utilising the cash incentive for development with its unanimous choice. All the people sit together and select their sarpanch and ward members to avoid any political or group rivalry in the village. Even if people of the village support different political parties at the time general elections, they stand united when it comes to panchayat poll. Bairipuram has all the basic amenities like drinking water supply CC roads, street , lights. Ramalayam and a marriage hall were also constructed in the village at a cost of `50 lakh. “We give equal importance to every individual in the village and take decisions on development works collectively . One person from every family in the village is invited to the village meetings to take collective decisions on development works and other important matters,” village head Seepana Venkata Ramana told TNIE. “After choosing the sarpanch and ward members unanimously, we inform the matter to the panchayat officials to make an official declaration pertaining to their election,” he added. a model village in srikakulam district Bairipuram, with an electorate of more than 1,300, is a model panchayat in Srikakulam district as it opts for unanimous election every time to ensure peace and development, said Kaviti Mandal Parishad Development Officer P Surya Narayana. The State government and the State Election Commission (SEC) appear to be heading for yet another confrontation. This time, over the appointment of a secretary to the SEC. After SEC N Ramesh Kumar surrendered IAS officer Vani Mohan, upon his request, the government sent a panel of three officers -- K Kanna Babu (Secretary, Disaster Management), GSRKR Vijay Kumar (Secretary, MA&UD) and P Raja Babu (SERP CEO) -- so that he could select one. However, sources said the SEC sought the services of 1996-batch officer Muddada Ravichandra. It is understood that the SEC seeking services of an officer other than those in the panel is not the usual Raja Babu Kanna Babu Vijay Kumar practice. However, the government appointed Ravichandra as the Secretary (Covid-19 Management) keeping in view the public health and the officer’s vast experience in healthcare management. The appointment was made in the wake of 49 cases of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) in the State since the commencement of Covid-19 vaccination drive. During a review of Covid-19 vaccination programme, officials informed the government that 49 cases of AEFI Don’t take cognisance of SEC censure: CS to DoPT E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @Vijayawada Days after the State Election Commission (SEC) censured Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi and PR Commissioner M Girija Shankar for their ‘failure’ to publish 2021 electoral rolls for panchayat elections, the State government wrote to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) not to take cognisance of the proceedings issued by SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar against the two senior IAS officers. Opposition is boycotting the Presidential address. Last year, they had assembled in front of A day before the start of the the Ambedkar statue on the budget session of Parliament, campus and read the preamble over a dozen Opposition par- of the Constitution to register ties decided to boycott the cus- their opposition to the Citizentomary President’s address to ship Amendment Act. a joint sitting of both the HousThe other parties that are es on Friday as a mark of soli- signatories to the joint statedarity with the farmers pro- ment are NCP, Shiv Sena, testing against the AITC, DMK, JKNC, All-party new farm laws. SP RJD, CPI(M), CPI, , meet on Sat IUML, RSP, PDP, While 16 Opposition parties issued a While Lok Sabha MDMK, Kerala Conjoint statement an- Speaker Om Birla gress and AIUDF. nouncing the boycott “The prime miniswill meet floor and demanding a ter and the BJP govleaders of all probe into the Cenernment remain arparties after the tre’s role in the viorogant, adamant and House is lence on Republic undemocratic in adjourned on Day in Delhi, the their response... The Friday, Prime Aam Aadmi Party Minister Narendra three farm laws are and the Shiromani Modi will convene an assault on the Akali Dal, a former rights of the states an all-party NDA ally too, decided , and violate the fedmeeting on to skip the Presideneral spirit of the ConSaturday tial address. stitution. If not reAs for the treasury pealed, these laws benches, the BJP has issued will effectively dismantle the whip to members, asking them edifice of national food secuto stay put in the Capital. rity that rests upon minimum “We are issuing a statement support price, government from 16 political parties that procurement and the public we are boycotting President’s distribution system,” the joint address,” announced Ghulam statement read. “We believe Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposi- the government has miserably tion in Rajya Sabha. This is the failed in handling the agitasecond time in a row that the tion,” Azad said. E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e Lookout notices against accused farmers, passports to be seized; UP govt orders farmers to vacate Ghazipur protest site within 24 hrs In the censure proceedings, Ramesh Kumar recommended compulsory retirement of the two IAS officers. It also urged the DoPT to enlighten and advise SEC Ramesh Kumar not to exercise the power, which is not in his domain and adhere to the guidelines. “The SEC has written a very derogatory letter against the officers to the Secretary of DoPT for their compulsory retirement. This step of the SEC does not fall under his competence,” Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das stated in the letter to Secretary of DoPT.  p4 were reported in the State apart from the death of a healthcare worker and hospitalisation of a dentist with serious illness. “It was felt that a senior officer in the cadre of Secretary with vast experience in healthcare management should be posted to monitor overall Covid-19 vaccination program and implementation of various activities related to this drive, which also involves coordination with all the line departments in the State,’’ the government said and posted Ravichandra in the ex-cadre Secretary post created in the Medical and Health Department. As many as 1,58,758 people have been vaccinated in the State so far. The Covid vaccination programme is expected to continue for another six months to one year.  Edit: p6 SEC’s action against service rules: CS Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das said SEC N Ramesh Kumar administered the censure against the two officials for not updating the electoral rolls as on January 1, 2021, without following the due procedure prescribed under the All India Service (D&A) Rules, 1969. Govt rejects SEC’s censure of 2 officers Informing that the State government had rejected the censure by issuing two separate GOs, Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das said the SEC N Ramesh Kumar’s communication to the DoPT ‘suffers from infirmities in decision making process and infraction of law.’ express read ACB unearths `1.11 cr assets from APEPDCL AE Visakhapatnam: ACB sleuths conducted searches on an Assistant Engineer of APEPDCL and unearthed alleged disproportionate assets worth several crores of rupees. During the searches, ACB sleuths found that Nageswara Rao and his family members were in possession of two houses, three house flats, two vehicles and fixed deposits worth approximately `1.11 crore and other assets, a release said. HC sets aside Ashok’s removal as temple trustee Vijayawada: The AP High Court on Thursday set aside the GO issued removing former Union minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju as founder trustee of Ramatheertham temple. Hearing the petition filed by Ashok challenging the GO removing him as the founder trustee of the temple, Justice DVSS Somayajulu said the due procedure was not followed by the Endowments Department in removing him as trustee. Naidu releases manifesto, YSRC terms it a violation E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada Opposition Leader and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu stir red a controversy on Thursday by releasing the party manifesto for the panchayat elections, which are held on non-political basis. Taking exception to the release of TDP manifesto, the ruling YSRC put the onus on State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to act against the rule violation by the opposition party . At a press conference, Naidu released the TDP manifesto ‘Palle Pragathi - Pancha Sutralu’ to develop basic infrastructure in villages and thereby improving the living standards of people. He appealed to the electorate to elect the TDP supported candidates as panchayat sar panches and ward members for better and cleaner villages. The two-page manifesto contains five promises -- Supply of safe drinking water, creation of peaceful atmosphere, development of model villages and improvement of living standards of people, reduction of property tax by 50% and administration of Covid vaccine to people.  p5 P O C S O Ac t Another bizarre ruling on minor sex assault S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i & K a n u S a r d a @ Mumbai / New Delhi The Bombay High Court has held that holding a child’s hands and unzipping pants do not fall under the definition of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. A single judge bench of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC delivered this judgment on January 15 while hearing a criminal appeal filed against the conviction and sentence gave to a 50-year-old man for molesting a five-year-old girl. Days later, another order from the same judge that interpreted sexual assault provi- sions under POCSO Act as only skin-to-skin contact with sexual intent, was stayed by the Supreme Court. Experts feel the move sets a dangerous precedent for defining sexual assault in court. Since the victim of the case The judge’s intrepretation of POCSO Act Justice Ganediwala’s order notes the definition of ‘sexual assault’ under POCSO Act says there has to be ‘physical contact with sexual intent without penetration’ was below 12 years, the sessions court said the act was ‘aggravated sexual assault’ punishable under Section 10 of POCSO. The perpetrator was sentenced to five years in prison and the judge imposed a fine of `25,000 with a default simple imprisonment for 6 months. The complaint was filed by the child’s mother, who said she saw the accused, Libnus Kujur, with his pants unzipped. new idols installed New idols of Srirama, Lakshmana and Sita were installed in Kodandarama temple at Ramatheertham village in Vizianagaram district on Thursday amid chanting of Vedic hymns, where the idol of the presiding deity was vandalised by some unidentified miscreants last month | Express