sambalpur l wednesday l august 17, 2022 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION India Now has unescorted access to the Pentagon The Pentagon, headquarters of the US Department of Defence, is considered one of the most difficult places to get access trust factor major reason for access It’s really a big deal, says US AF secy Speaking at a reception hosted by India’s Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu at India House to celebrate 75th Independence Day, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said, “As of today, the Indian defence attaché team has unescorted access in the Pentagon, which is commencement with our close relationship with India’s status as a major defence partner.” ■ ■ Ordinary American citizens can’t access to the building without high-level security clearances. According to Kendall, he himself doesn’t have unescorted access to the Pentagon Kendall said US conducts joint exercises with India more than other country because of the evolving relationship 95km From LAC is Auli, where the next Indo-Us jt excericse will be held CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Flood situation grim, next 36 hrs crucial, says govt Around 2 lakh people in 1,366 villages, 9 ULBs affected: 20K marooned E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e Fresh LOPAR to bring more rains The flood situation in Mahanadi river system is grim and the next 36 hours will be critical as over 12 lakh cusecs water will flow at Mundali barrage near Cuttack, the State government said on Tuesday . Around two lakh people in 1,366 villages under 49 blocks and nine urban local bodies (ULBs) in 10 districts along Mahanadi basin have been affected in the flood. As flood water entered many areas, about 20,000 people in 237 villages have been marooned. Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts have been worst affected in the flood. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the situation with senior officials and collectors of 10 districts and emphasised on ‘zero casualty’ policy to ensure not a single life be lost due to the flood. He asked officials to ensure this by undertaking prompt evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to safer places. He directed immediate extension of necessary relief and other basic essentials to people Bhubaneswar: Likely formation of a fresh low pressure system around Friday bringing in more rains could compound the problems further. According to IMD, the low pressure area will trigger heavy rainfall at a few places in Odisha and Chhattisgarh | P3 @ Bhubaneswar An elderly woman carries drinking water in knee-deep water at Bandhahata village in Athagarh | DEBADATTA MALLICK evacuated from low-lying areas of coastal districts. He said prompt steps should be taken for repair and restoration work to prevent disruption in communication. The Energy department should also take advance measures to ensure immediate restoration of power supply in the event of any disruption. Hospitals and water supply and power supply agencies should provide uninterrupted services, while the Health department should make special arrangements for providing medical aid in affected areas, he directed. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena told mediapersons in a late night briefing that the flow of Mahanadi river is at its peak at Mundali in Cuttack and will continue till early on Wednesday . He said that two breaches on the embankments of the Mahanadi river system have been reported. The breaches have occured in Makara and Rajua rivers in Puri district. A 100 feet breach has occurred in Rajua right embankment. Officials of the Water Resources department are busy in closing the breaches on the embankments, Continued on P5 he said.  FIFA shows red card to AIFF, U-17 World Cup off for now In d r a nee l d a s @ Chennai In a major setback to India, the international football federation (FIFA) banned All India Football Federation (AIFF) and has taken away the ri­ hts to host the FIFA g U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 in October. India was gearing up to ho­ t s the World Cup am­ dst much fanfare i and brouhaha. There were indications, but with less than two months remai­ ing for the event this decin sion came as a bombshell. FIFA was not amused when the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators gave voting rights to 36 emin­ ­ t sportspersons en despite it ha­ ­­ ving reservations. After the A­ ­­­­ ugust 3 SC order, where the co­­­ gave permission to CoA to go urt ahead with the elections under the new provisi­ ns, the FIFA had o warned AIFF. The sports ministry scurried to court seeking a review, held numerous meetings with AIFF state units, CoA and other offi­ ials. On Friday c and Monday too ministry had meetings with FIFA to break the deadlock. The CoA agreed to hold the elections with the 36 state units and not with 36 eminent players. The SC will hear the case on Wednesday . But FIFA was piqued and la­ er in t a letter to the AIFF said the indefinite suspension will be lifted only when the order to set up CoA, installed by the SC, has been repealed. “The suspension will be lifted on­ e c an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AI­ F’s daily affairs,” the F FIFA said. The Court put in place the CoA because the AI­ F was in F violation of the Sp­ ­ ts Code. Even or former AIFF ch­ ef Praful Patel was i rem­ ­ ­ ­ . oved If the suspension is not revoked, India will lose the right to host the World Cup. “The suspension me­ ­ s an that the FIFA U-17 Wo­ en’s World m Cup 2022, scheduled to take place in India cannot currently be held in India as pla­ ­ ed,” FIFA said. However, nn FIFA has given some hope wh­ ­ it en said “FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India and is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved.” Delhi High Court for sweeping reforms in IOA The Delhi High Court on Tuesday while bringing in sweeping reforms placed Indian Olympic Association in the hands of the Committee of Administrators. State Olympic Associations, an integral part of the IOA, have been stripped of their voting rights. Only Olympic discipline National Sports Federations will have voting rights. Now on, the sports code “must be made applicable to the IOA and to every constituent NSFs and to every state and district level association”. Express read Remission in Bilkis case not in sync with Shah fiat New Delhi: The Gujarat government’s decision to release 11 convicts serving time for the rape and murder of Bilkis Bano during the 2002 riots in the state, flies in the face of the Union home ministry’s explicit directive that “special remission is NOT to be granted” to those facing “sentence of life imprisonment” and “rape”. The 11 walked free from the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 | P5 Nitish Expands ministry, adds 31 ministers Of the council of ministers, 11 are from Nitish’s JD(U), two from Congress and one from ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, besides an Independent. Prominent among RJD’s 17 was Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav | P8