KALABURAGI  THURSDAY  SEPTEMBER 29, 2022  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION CENTRE EXTENDS FREE RATION SCHEME FOR POOR BY 3 MONTHS The scheme to give 5 kg of wheat or rice free of cost to 80 crore poor every month will now run through December 31, 2022 PRE-POLL DECISION TO BOOST BJP’S PROSPECTS 4% HIKE IN DA, DR FOR CENTRAL GOVT STAFF The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was launched in April 2020 to help the poor. The scheme, which has been extended multiple times in the past, was to end on Friday. The latest move comes ahead of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections. It had good recall value for the BJP in the previous round of state polls early this year | P7 ■ ■ In another decision, the Cabinet increased the dearness allowance and dearness relief by 4% effective July 1, 2022, benefiting 41.85 lakh central govt staff and 69.76 lakh pensioners The combined impact on the exchequer on account of dearness allowance and dearness relief would be D12,852.5 crore per annum A44,762 cr COST OF EXTENDING THE FREE RATION SCHEME BY THREE MORE MONTHS 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 PFI, 8 affiliates Two teens die after falling into 30-ft deep pit in Gadag banned for five yrs, SDPI spared R A G H O T TA M K O P PA R @ Gadag Home ministry notification says the outfit has links with global terror groups like ISIS E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi THE Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) for five years, less than a week after the National Investigation Agency conducted countrywide raids and arrested hundreds of its leaders and activists primarily across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the Northeast. The PFI later put out a statement saying it stood disbanded after the ban, adding as “lawabiding citizens of the country , we accept the decision”. Curiously, the government chose not to include the PFI’s political front, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), on its list of banned outfits. The proscribed affiliates and fronts of the PFI are the Centre are Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, Junior Front, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women’s Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala. They all were outlawed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Claiming that probes have established a hub and spoke relationship between PFI and its associates, a notification issued late on Tuesday by the MHA said they were pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society to undermine democracy . Pointing out that UP Karna, taka and Gujarat had already sought its ban, the notification warned that any delay in curbing PFI could be used by it to “continue its subversive activities”, “encourage and enforce terror based regressive regime”, “radicalise a particular section of society” and “aggravate ac- M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi Police deployed outside PFI office in Coimbatore | S SENBAGAPANDIYAN Murder cases from K’taka, Kerala cited for ban The MHA gazette notification banning PFI mentions the number of murder cases (of Right wing members) perpetrated by it them was maximum (four each) from Kerala and Karnataka. “The governments of UP, Karnataka and Gujarat have recommended to ban the PFI,” read the notification. tivities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country”. Some of the founding members of PFI were leaders of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India. The government claimed PFI has links with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh. Besides, it said it has found a “number of instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups like Islamic State”. The Centre will set up a tribunal within 30 days to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the PFI an ‘unlawful association’. Several opposition leaders demanded similar action against RSS. Jairam Ramesh of Congress said his party has always been against communalism. CPM and AIMIM criticised the ban though they said they were against its objectives. HC raps Lokayukta, stays its order on encroachment THE Karnataka High Court on Wednesday stayed the proceedings initiated by the Karnataka Lokayukta on a petition filed by Bagmane Developers Private Limited (BDPL) against the action taken by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) which demolished alleged encroachments on storm water drains (SWD) in Bagmane Tech Park in Mahadevapura. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty passed an interim order after hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Samaj Parivarthana Samudaya, represented by its president S R Hiremath. The court noted that in this case Lokayukta prima facie appears to be outside its jurisdiction under Section 8 of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984. THE Centre on Wednesday appointed Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retired), a former eastern Army commander and director general of military operations, as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge, a government release said. Since his retirement in May last year, he has been serving as Military Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat headed by NSA Ajit Doval. The appointment comes nine months after the post fell vacant following the death of former CDS Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021 in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. The government had widened the CDS selection pool in June this year to include three-star officers who haven’t attained the age of 62 at the time of appointment. Lt Gen Chauhan is 61. The age limit for CDS is 65 with no fixed tenure defined. Born on May 18, 1961, Lt Gen Chauhan was commissioned into 11 Gorkha Rifles in Raj crisis: Sonia to meet Gehlot today S H A H I D F A R I D I @ New Delhi THE suspense over the Congress presidential candidates moved to the penultimate day of filing of nomination papers, as the widely expected meeting between party president Sonia Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot got postponed to Thursday Gehlot was closeted with . his confidants right through the day at Jaipur and was expected to arrive in Delhi late in the night. As suspense over whether or not Gehlot would agree to resign as CM to file his nomination papers continued, names of other Congress probables started doing the rounds. Right on top of the list was that of former CM of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh, who shares a close personal equation with Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi family loyalist Ambika Soni could also be on the ballot. ‘To express Others include the party’s top feelings of Dalit leaders like Leader of Oployalists’ position in Rajya Sabha Mal“CM is going to likarjun Kharge, AICC general Delhi to express secretary Mukul Wasnik, former feelings of 102 Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar MLAs, as their Shinde, for mer Lok Sabha guardian, with Speaker Meira Kumar and party leadeformer Haryana president of rship,” minister Congress Kumari Selja. Party Pratap Khachtreasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal’s ariyawas said name is also being mentioned. On Wednesday Sonia consult, ed Ambika Soni and A K Antony who was called , from Kerala. She was advised to meet Gehlot one last time to try and iron out the differences. The two observers — Ajay Maken and Kharge — shielded Gehlot in their report after returning from Jaipur where they were not able to meet the party MLAs loyal to the CM. These MLAs opposed to the high command’s plan to replace Gehlot with his former deputy Sachin Pilot and refused to sign a resolution authorising Sonia to P7 pick the successor. Soon, single ticket to tour K’taka seamlessly E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru IN a month, domestic and foreign tourists wanting to travel to or within Karnataka for sight-seeing will be able to book entire packages from their respective locations in a seamless manner. The Tourism Department has mooted a plan with an eye on drawing a much larger number of tourists to the state’s various locations, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday . The scheme will enable tour- The spot where the two youth fell with their bike and died on the spot I EXPRESS 9 months on, retired Gen Anil Chauhan is govt’s pick for Chief of Defence Staff Most of the important PFI leaders were trained across the border and operating from there. PFI was involved in many disruptive activities and their actions across states have been proved — CM Basavaraj Bommai E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru IN what can be called a tragedy waiting to happen, two teenagers died after their bike fell into a 30-feet deep gorge on NagaviBeladadi Road in Gadag district around 8 pm on Tuesday. Absence of signboards and street lights is being blamed for the incident. The deceased are Manjunath Madar (19) and Basavaraj Javalabenchi (17), both from Lakkundi village. They were on their way to Yelishirund from Lakkundi village to join a birthday party of Manjunath’s nephew. They were also carrying a cake with them. As the news of the incident spread, local villagers and f ar mers g athered at the spot in the wee hours and staged a protest. Gadag district’s Nagavi village received heavy rain in the recent past following which a ists to book a single ticket which will be all-inclusive with flight bookings, destination visits, guides and food. This will be implemented under a public private partnership (PPP) mod- el. The CM said this was essential to ensure tourists travel hassle-free and are satisfied. Speaking at the launch of The Revised Tourism Policy 2026, as a part of World Tourism Day celebrations, Bommai said Karnataka State Tourism Development Cor poration (KSTDC) is working on launching the one-ticket circuit. The Tourism Department is working on preparing two circuits — north (Hampi and surroundings) and south (Mysuru and P4 surroundings). Toruism Department should no longer depend only on United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation declared sites to draw tourists Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy Dehradun. , He will be the first Lt General and only the second officer to become the CDS. In a career spanning 40 years, he has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in J&K and North-East. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. portion of the road between Nagavi and Beladadi caved in, creating a huge pit -- more than 30-foot deep. Gadag Rural police team visited the spot and shifted the bodies of the victims to Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences around 12 noon, for post-mortem. “We have repeatedly told the authorities that many people from Gadag and other parts travel to Venkatapur, Shirahatti and other villages via this route. Daily commuters are aware of the damaged road but outsiders are clueless about the condition of road,” said a villager. Gadag Assistant Commissioner Annapurna Mudukammanavar and Tahsildar Kishan Kalal visited the spot. “We have instructed officials to repair the road and put up some sign boards and bar ricades to av o i d s u c h i n c i d e n t s , ” said Annapurna. CBI RAIDS MULTIPLE PROPERTIES OF DKS BA N SY K A L A P PA @ Bengaluru AHEAD of the Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra’s entry into poll-bound Karnataka, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided several properties belonging to KPCC chief D K Shivakumar and asked for property papers and documents from his family members. The agency carried out search and seizure operations at the Congress leader’s properties in Doddala- halli, Kanakapura and Santekodihalli. Confirming the raids, Shivakumar said, “CBI teams have visited my houses in Doddalahalli, Kanakapura and Santekodihalli. I had already given details of my property papers. Disproportionate assets cases have been filed against others too, including those in the BJP But . the CBI is being used only against me, whereas cases against others are being handled by the Anti-Corruption P4 Bureau (ACB).’’