Gwadar port city hit by protests The Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been seeing massive protests for a week against the systemic impoverishment of locals due to the $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, meanwhile, ignored the protests and reaffirmed his commitment to China | P9 bhubaneswar l monday l november 22, 2021 l `7.00 l PAGES 12 l jeypore 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 Sachin Pilots his way in Gehlot govt Naveen seeks extension of free rice distribution for 8 months Express News Service @ Bhubaneswar Five of former deputy CM’s loyalists among 15 who took oath; ministry now more diverse R a j e s h A s n a n i @ Jaipur The long-pending cabinet reshuffle in the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government went off smoothly on Sunday afternoon, with dissident leader Sachin Pilot claiming it sent a positive message across the state. In all, 11 cabinet ministers and four ministers of state (MoS) were sworn in. The 11 cabinet ministers include three who have been elevated from MoS. As a result, only 12 new ministers were inducted. Three ministers — Govind Singh Dotasra, Harish Chaudhary and Raghu Sharma — who hold key positions in the party have been dropped. All others have been retained. The reshuffle exercise is a bid to pacify the Pilot faction, which had revolted against Gehlot last year and sparked off a major crisis for the Congress. Pilot, a former Rajasthan deputy chief minister, figures nowhere in the Cabinet. Only a respectable position for him will ensure long-term peace and harmony in the state party unit. The ministers who took oath as a part of the cabinet include Hemaram Chaudhary, Ramlal Jat, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Mahesh Joshi, Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena, Mamta Bhupesh, Bhajan Lal Jatav, Tikaram Julie, Govind Ram Me ghwal and Shakuntala Rawat. Dalits, women and tribals got good representation in the revamped ministry . Ashok Gehlot Sachin Pilot More Jat & Dalit representation Gehlot’s cabinet now has four Jat faces, as the Jats play a key role in about 50 seats. Three Dalit ministers, Mamta Bhupesh, Bhajanlal Jatav, Tikaram Julie, have been promoted from minister of state to cabinet rank Among those sworn in on Sunday Hemaram Chaudhary Vishv, , endra Singh and Ramesh Meena are regarded as integral members of the Pilot camp and took oath as cabinet Ministers. Singh and Meena had to lose their seats in the political crisis that erupted over the Pilot rebellion last year. Brijendra Singh Ola and Murari Lal Meena, who have been made MoS, are also Pilot loyalists. Gehlot also appointed five MLAs as his advisors, three of whom are among the 13 Independents supporting his government. Also, one of the ex-BSP MLAs who joined the Congress has been included. In-step A viral picture of PM Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath taking a stroll in Lucknow’s Raj Bhawan on Sunday, set the tone for the state polls | pti Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend additional allocation of rice for the next eight months under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) till the pandemic situation improves. This will enable food distribution among National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries during the difficult period. “Since adequate foodgrains are available at present with the government, I would request you to kindly consider extension of additional allocation of rice at least for the next eight months under PMGKAY for distribution among the beneficiaries under NFSA till pandemic situation improves and complete normalcy is restored in the State,” the Chief Minister said in a letter to the Prime Minister. Conveying his gratitude to the Prime Minister for providing rice free of cost for seven months under PMGKAY for distribution among NFSA beneficiaries in the State from May 2021 to November 2021, the Chief Minister said provision of free foodgrains to people at this critical juncture ensured that not a single needy and vulnerable person went hungry . “Odisha has prioritised distribution of seven months’ q u o t a o f P M G K AY- I I I foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries and completed it by November 5, 2021. Similar facility was also extended to all the beneficiaries of the State covered un- der its own food security scheme,” he added. The Chief Minister said the effect of Covid-19 has not subsided completely despite a fastpaced vaccination drive undertaken across the State as new infections continue to surface. Besides, other economic activities are yet to reach the pre-pandemic level as a result of which people are still struggling to lead a normal life with sustainable means of livelihood, he said. Stating that under the prevailing situation, it is felt highly necessary that the government must provide relief to the vulnerable, the Chief Minister said a serious cause of concern in this ongoing pandemic scenario is the challenge of ensuring food security for the needy . SKM open letter to PM as Cabinet set to initiate farm laws rollback Express News Service @ New Delhi/Chandigarh The formal process to rollback the three contentious farm laws promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi could begin on Wednesday when the Union Cabinet is expected to take up for approval bills seeking their withdrawal. These bills will then be introduced in Parliament after its winter session begins on November 29. At the Singhu border on Sunday, a meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, reiterated its decision to go ahead with the planned march to Parliament to mark one year of their protests. It later wrote an open letter to Modi listing six demands: le gally guaranteed MSP mechanism; withdrawal of draft bill on power sector reforms; withdrawal of measures to penalise far mers burning stubble around Delhi; withdrawal of cases Farmers urge PM to set up a talks with them In its open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the SKM urged him to open talks with them on the six issues flagged by them. Till then all their agitational programmes will continue, it added against agitating farmers; sacking Union minister Ajay Mishra for his alleged role in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence; and compensation to the families of the 700 farmers who died during the course of the agitation as also land around Singhu border to build a memorial for them. SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “The pre-decided programmes will continue: mahapanchayat in Lucknow on November 22; gatherings at all border points on November 26; and march to Parliament on November 29.” The next course of action will be decided on November 27. Sunday’s meeting also decided to seek the terms of reference of the panel the Centre will set up on MSP, farmer leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said.